The technique of painless labor called epidural anesthesia or epidural analgesia is used to reduce or eliminate pain during natural delivery. It is a combination of anesthesia medications which is injected at the small of the back to numb the lower part of the spine by an anesthetist when labor is well established and the cervix is at least 3 to 4 cm dilated. The medication prevents transmission of pain signals from the womb and cervix to the brain. It is preferably injected when the contraction becomes strong and the pain is unbearable. Despite the numbness at the lower abdomen and birth canal, a women remains conscious and aware of the activities going on. So far, epidural is a widespread and effective technique of painless labor.