Early Labor Pre-Marking for Epidural Analgesia: Ultrasound vs Manual Palpation

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if finding and marking the best spot on the back early in labor helps doctors perform epidural pain relief more successfully in pregnant women. Usually, epidural pain relief is requested when labor pain is already severe, which makes it hard for women to hold still. This makes it difficult to find the right needle spot, leading to more needle attempts The main questions this study aims to answer are: * Does using ultrasound to mark the back early in labor (before severe pain starts) help the doctor place the needle correctly on first try without adjusting it? * Does this early marking method lower the number of needle attempts and the time it takes to finish the procedure? Researchers will compare marking the back using an ultrasound machine to the standard method of feeling the spine with hands. Both methods will be done early in the waiting room to avoid the challenges caused by severe pain. Importantly, neither the pregnant women nor the doctors performing the epidural will know which marking method was used. This design prevents personal beliefs or expectations from affecting the procedure, making the study results objective and trustworthy. Participants will, if consented and participated in the study: * Have their lower back examined and marked by a doctor early in labor using either an ultrasound machine or the doctor's hands. * Receive an epidural pain relief in the delivery room when they request it. This will be done by a different doctor who does not know how the back was marked. * Answer short questions about their pain level and how happy they are with the procedure.

NCT Number	NCT07669441
Lead Sponsor	University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City (UMC)
Conditions	Labor Pain, Epidural Analgesia for Labour and Delivery, Neuraxial Ultrasound
Enrollment	100 participants
Start Date	2026-06-01
Primary Completion	2026-08-30 (estimated)
Study Completion	2026-08-30 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-08-04