Twenty-four mothers received either 0.5% bupivacaine (group 1, n = 14), or alkalinized 0.5% bupivacaine and 1 in 200,000 adrenaline (group 2, n = 10), as an epidural local anaesthetic for elective lower segment Caesarean section in a randomised, double blind study. The two groups were prepared for surgery according to an identical technique. Onset of analgesia to pinprick was significantly faster in group 2 (p less than 0.02). Group 1 required additional analgesia during surgery significantly more often than those in group 2 (p = 0.04). Significantly more patients in group 2 were ready for surgery by the time limit for the study (45 minutes, p = 0.002). Onset of motor blockade was significantly faster in group 2 (p = 0.01). There were no significant differences between the two groups with regard to duration of surgery, or Apgar scores at 1 and 5 minutes. Alkalinized 0.5% bupivacaine and adrenaline was superior to 0.5% bupivacaine for epidural Caesarean section.