Is painless delivery considered safe?

Q: My wife is 27 years old, and is currently in the 39th week of pregnancy carrying single fetus. This is going to be our first baby. Her weight and all the test results so far have been normal. Doctors say that she has a good chance of having normal delivery. At the same time we want to explore and know more about painless labour option (Epidural Anaesthesia)? Are there any short-term or long-term side effects of painless delivery?

A:Painless labour is safe in most conditions if the pelvis is adequate for the baby.