Social media users have been left "terrified" this week at a doctor's post displaying the full size and length of an epidural needle.
Now, as a man who recently welcomed his first child, I can confirm that a woman in labor hates nothing more than being told to "sit still" while an epidural is applied.
However, although I had a front-row seat to the drama that was my son's birth, even I had no idea just how long the needle was for the epidural administration.
Per Buzzfeed, St. George’s University medical student Hansel Viera and Dr. Carlos De La Hoz went viral on TikTok after revealing what women in labor endure when they get an epidural procedure.
For those of you who have never heard the term before, the procedure involves the injection of anesthetic into the epidural space, which is located around the spinal cord to relieve the pain of childbirth.
Take a look at the footage of the needle that's got everyone buzzing in the video below:
In a video entitled: "Do you know how big epidural needles are?" the two men can be seen holding three hypodermic needles up to the camera and asking viewers to guess which one.
Of course, the epidural needle turned out to be the one that was ironically about the length of my son when he was born - a revelation that surprised a number of viewers.
The footage in question has quickly gone viral, accrued over 17 million views, 1.7 million likes, and 86,000 comments from other TikTok users as of the time of writing.
For instance, one woman wrote: "I just got nauseous and light headed."
Another person wrote: "I really could've gone without knowing that."
Meanwhile, someone else wrote: "I want to have kids so bad but I am terrified."
A mother-of-two stated: "I've had 2 kids... thank god I NEVER looked at that needle!! [sic]"
Finally, another person who had already been through the procedure wrote: "Ohhhh so this is why my husband fainted."
However, there were some more women in the comments who were quick to reassure others that it wasn't quite as bad as it looked.
For instance, one TikTok user wrote: "I honestly didn't feel it [...] They numb you first guys, and it's nothing compared to what you're about to push out."
Another person stated: "I begged for this to be shoved into my back and had no regrets. [sic]"
Finally, someone else joked: "Never say never, ladies. You'll get to a point where you're literally BEGGING for it. [sic]"
Most needles used for an epidural procedure are about three and a half inches long (between 9cm and 11cm) - but a longer one may be required if the anesthetist cannot reach the epidural space.
In a later interview with Buzzfeed, Dr. Hansel stated: "Epidural needles are long so that we get better access to the epidural space.
"The length of such needles can vary depending on the patient's BMI. The more fat stored around the area, the longer the needle will need to be to obtain better access and administer the medication.
"The most common question is: 'Does it go all the way in?' And the answer, [in] most cases, is no. But again, it varies from patient to patient."
Hansel continued: "It may cause some discomfort, but in itself, it is not particularly painful since we employ different steps before the insertion of the long needle.
"[Before the epidural,] we inject a local anesthetic to the skin where most of the nerve endings are located. With this, the patient will feel minimal or none of the epidural needle as it penetrates the skin.
"Some patients may ask to see what you are doing, [and] some will opt to not see anything. 'Out of sight, out of mind,' they say."
He added: "One of the best ways to improve the patient’s experience while going through this procedure is by showing empathy and building a good patient-physician interaction.
"Listening to the patient’s concern, making sure the patient understands what the physician will be doing, [and] allowing time so the patient can process the information. Overall; allowing the encounter to be patient-centered [and] making the patient [feel] in charge of the situation."
