epidural experiences please?

[laura109]

Hi girls i know i have a long way to go but im already thinking about labour.

looking at the pain relief there are side effects such as dizzy and sick.

so epidural sounds good if you really cant go through the pain.

i would only want one if its unbearable.

so how did you find having this option

 

[SoldierWife]

Subscribing! I am in the process of deciding if I want one or not!

 

[sevenofnine]

I was induced due to pre-e and already had a catheter and couldn't move around (which is why I didn't want an epidural, but it didn't matter anyway).

The actual epidural was no problem. I don't even remember feeling the needle at all, just instant relief from pain and I was able to sleep.

It started to wear off and I could certainly feel a bit of pain and pressure and I knew it was time to push. It still hurt (they turned it way down) but totally manageable.

An hour after she was out, I was able to hobble my way into a wheelchair so they could move me into the recovery room.

If I didn't have pre-e, I probably wouldn't have gotten one because I hated the catheter and being confined to the bed. But I had all that anyway so it didn't matter!

 

[liz1985]

Hi. Ive had an epidural both times and had no problems. Not sure if your in the uk but if your are your not completely combined to the bed and you wont have a catheter. Its mostly your stomach to pelvis that numb. You can still move and feel your legs. You prob wont want to be walking around if you have it because your legs feel heavy but you could if you needed too. With ds I let it wear off as I got near to pushing and could compleatly feel when to push no one had to tell me when to push etc and id say the epidural had completely worn off about 30 mins after birth. With dd I had the epi very late due to complications in labour and it did make it hard to push as it hadnt worn of at all. But it wasnt awfull. I chose epidural over anything else as I dont like feeling sick and dizzy and I like that it doesn't pass to the baby like ppethidine etc.

 

[gidge]

I had an epidural very early (1cm) as i was induced and they had to turn it up quite high as i wasn´t progressing.
Not sure if this was how it was supposed to work but after it kicked in the pain was gone, i could still feel the contractions though. This lasted for about an hour then the pain and pressure started to come back. After another hour they topped it up which was good for half an hour. By then i was 9cm so they wouldn´t give me any more as they said they had to turn it down for the pushing. 2 hours later they turned it down and i started pushing and 3 hours later she was born so i felt everything.
Whether the epidural had completely worn off i have no idea (nothing to compare it to) but this time i´m open minded on getting it again. I want to try without as i love the memory of being able to feel her coming out, but will probably end up getting it again as the only pain relief options you get here are epidural or pethadine.

 

[laura109]

I am thinking that this is what i would want. I dont like the thought of feeling sleepy And sick and dizzy.

is it painful when it goes in?

Thanks for sharing your stories girls x

 

[AJCart]

I was induced due to high blood pressure. When the pitocin really kicked in the pain got unbearable in a hurry, so I ended up having the epidural at 4cm.

I felt absolutely nothing from my ribcage down. I was stuck on the bed with a catheter. DH and the midwives had to move my legs for me when I wanted to roll over. It took several hours to wear off properly. Those were the negatives for me.

Having said all that, I think I would have been a wreck without it thanks to being induced. I managed to get some rest after having it and it meant that I was calm and level headed when things went a bit pear shaped with the delivery.

 

[gidge]

I am thinking that this is what i would want. I dont like the thought of feeling sleepy And sick and dizzy.

is it painful when it goes in?

Thanks for sharing your stories girls x

I can´t remember it being any different from any other injection to be honest. xx

 

[Teri7489]

I had mine sited at 5cm as I couldn't deal with the pain. It failed and so did the second. I was catheterised and stuck on the bed. In the end I had to be cut, the assisted with forceps with a back to back baby resulting in a4th degree tear. Due to previous back problems the epidural and spinal (for stitching in theatre) made me suffer for months after her birth. Obviously that might not happen but after my experience I would recommend an active labour over an epidural any day! Xxx

 

[Timewaster]

Bot of my previous pregnancies I had an epidural and it wasnt a problem at all.

The first time I had an epidural, I was 7cm dilated and after the epidural went in, could not feel any pain, only slight pressure. At the time of pushing, I had to be told what to do and was assisted with a forcep. With the epidural, I had no idea how or what to push. On the plus side, the epidural wore off within half an hour.

The second time I had an epidural, I was 5 cm dilated and it took me a long time to get to 10 cm by that time, I was numb from waist down and again needed to be assisted with a forcep. After the delivery, I couldnt feel my legs for a good 2-3 hours.

To be honest, the epidural does hurt. However, when you are already having contractions, it doesnt matter in the moment because the contractions hurt even more.

 

[laura109]

Did the forceps cause any damage to you or baby x

 

[misspriss]

I had one, but not for labor. After 36 hrs of labor and failure to progress after being induced for pre-e, I had a C-section, and an epi. I didn't feel it go in, my blood pressure didn't drop or anything, but I did feel cold and shaky. I didn't feel a THING from my ribcage down, but that was probably good because I was in surgery. They left it in all day of my csection and into the second day as my pain relief (I had to stay on the mag sulfate for 24 hours so I had to stay in bed anyway).

All in all, no real side effects, no pain, and it worked great. Granted, if I'd been trying to deliver, they might not have given me as much, you know?

 

[pLadyBug]

Epidurals are great for pain relief if you don't want to feel pain or just cannot bare it. The insertion when done correctly is not painful, if anything you may feel slight pressure if you're concentrating on it. Depending on where you live you can pretty much ask for it at anytime up until actual pushing which is a plus. With the other pain relievers you cannot as they will be passed on to the baby.

That being said they do have downsides. Like being completely bedridden with a catheter inserted in you. The inability to feel anything waste down makes pushing more difficult and less effective. (in your mind your pushing, but the push isn't that great lol)

Ultimately its a personal choice. What are you comfortable with. You hear horror stories and great stories but its different for everyone. Despite what some dr's will have you believe side effects do happen. Things they claim are false like backaches and the slowing down of labor does happen. Just be informed and make a decision based off your comfort. Not what everyone claims was their experience.

 

[messica]

Copy and pasted from a different epidural thread


I was fully mobile up to and including straight on through delivery. I was never at any point on my back with the sort of exception when I laid on my side while taking short naps that allowed me to be at 100% when it came time to push.

If done right, they can be turned up (to the point of complete immobility) or turned way down (to the point of merely taking the edge off the pain but still being able to feel pretty much everything) depending on the experience the woman wants. I did not have any sort of catheter. I remember being numbed before insertion (a small injection - stung for just a second). I was not a dead fish lying there while everyone else did the work. I walked. I labored in the shower (you can't be submerged once the line is in but I labored in the tub prior to that). I had access to and absolutely used the birthing ball and squatting bars. My labors were short and AWESOME. I felt in complete control and was, pushing both my babies out quickly and efficiently with no manual assistance, no forceps and no tears/episiotomies. I was sit/squatting completely upright as I delivered both. I was able to get up to walk to pee unassisted about 20-30 minutes after delivery (had to deliver placenta, nurse and take pictures first of course - not because I was too numb to do so )


I'm all for women who want to labor without gas (can I just say that idea actually wigs me out again, I get that when I'm at the dentist and I don't know my right from my left while under it! I want my brain about me, especially then so I know what I'm doing!!!), air, epidurals etc and I'm all for women who don't mind those things at all.

I fully plan to have another epidural this round as I seriously loved my birthing experiences with them thus far, but don't think they're necessary for everyone by any means.


Totally up to you laura!

 

[sarah34]

I had my epidural quite late, I was about 8.5cm but we knew that little man was in an awkward position and I had gone through nearly 12 hours of contractions less than 3/4 mins apart. I needed it at that point and the relief was amazing. I don't think I needed it before that point though, the contractions were painful but I was able to breathe through them until I got to 7cm when I had meptid. That just made me a bit sleepy in between contractions.

Getting the epidural was nothing in comparison to the pain of contractions. Sharp scratch for the local anaesthetic and then didn't feel a thing. My epidural worked really well and I could still feel tightenings and pressure just no pain. I was still able to know when and where to push. Worse bit I think about the epidural was the catheter!! Lol

I could feel all of my body, did not have numb legs at all and could have walked around! Mine just numbed the pain of the contractions.

 

[Carmel]

I was induced by the drip and can't imagine going through that without an epidural !
The epidural was better than I expected ie no pain when putting it in(just a bit of pressure), I could still feel my legs and had no side effects. I had a shower afterwards and walked back to the ward fine.
What I would I say, is that if you do feel like you want/need one, ask for it straight away or sooner rather than later . The anesthetist might take an hour to get there , then a while to prep and put it in and then with me, it wasnt immediate and took a while to kick in. Another plus for me is that I had ventouse followed by forceps , a really savage episotomy followed by loads of stitches . They needed to get out the baby out quick and so because I already had the epidural , they could get on with it straight away and I felt nothing.

 

[Insectile]

My epidural only worked on one side. They kept adjusting it and having me turn over, but it still never fully worked. It was a bit scary at first...I was worried about the pain. But when it was time to push, it seemed to work just enough to keep the edge off while allowing me to push effectively. I had a tear that I didnt feel at the time through the adrenaline and half-working epidural, but I did feel discomfort while she stitched me up. I assume it had started to wear off by then.

Other than it only numbing one side, I had no complications, and the feeling of the epidural going in was kind of a mild burn. It wasnt overwhelming. My own imaginings of what it would feel like was ten times worse than the actual event. It still makes me cringe thinking about it now or looking at pictures, but at the time it was nothing.

I enjoyed labor and would have it go the same way again if I could choose. Well, maybe not the tearing. That had me terrified to poo and riding in a wheelchair for a week But the epidural wasnt a disappointment.

 

[pLadyBug]

Copy and pasted from a different epidural thread


I was fully mobile up to and including straight on through delivery. I was never at any point on my back with the sort of exception when I laid on my side while taking short naps that allowed me to be at 100% when it came time to push.

If done right, they can be turned up (to the point of complete immobility) or turned way down (to the point of merely taking the edge off the pain but still being able to feel pretty much everything) depending on the experience the woman wants. I did not have any sort of catheter. I remember being numbed before insertion (a small injection - stung for just a second). I was not a dead fish lying there while everyone else did the work. I walked. I labored in the shower (you can't be submerged once the line is in but I labored in the tub prior to that). I had access to and absolutely used the birthing ball and squatting bars. My labors were short and AWESOME. I felt in complete control and was, pushing both my babies out quickly and efficiently with no manual assistance, no forceps and no tears/episiotomies. I was sit/squatting completely upright as I delivered both. I was able to get up to walk to pee unassisted about 20-30 minutes after delivery (had to deliver placenta, nurse and take pictures first of course - not because I was too numb to do so )


I'm all for women who want to labor without gas (can I just say that idea actually wigs me out again, I get that when I'm at the dentist and I don't know my right from my left while under it! I want my brain about me, especially then so I know what I'm doing!!!), air, epidurals etc and I'm all for women who don't mind those things at all.

I fully plan to have another epidural this round as I seriously loved my birthing experiences with them thus far, but don't think they're necessary for everyone by any means.


Totally up to you laura!

This is called a walking epidural and it is not common. Whether you will be able to get one depends greatly on where you are from and who your practitioner is.

 

[messica]

This is called a walking epidural and it is not common. Whether you will be able to get one depends greatly on where you are from and who your practitioner is.

While it may depend on where you are from and who your practitioner is I disagree that they're uncommon. Nearly every woman I know had their epidural work in much the same way. It was not called a walking epidural, but just a plain old epidural because unless you request to crank it up and not feel a thing most OB's here prefer a laboring mother be able to feel quite a bit to aid in their own delivery. Makes their job a heck of a lot easier, and is safer for everyone involved.

In the United States anyway, if you know what you want and seek it out it's really not difficult to find health care wise. I've moved since I had my two children 10 years ago (several hours away fro their birth hospital) and when I asked my new OB about it they reassured me that's exactly how they do theirs as well.


I would go where I could get what I needed and wanted since there are so soooo many options available here.

No reason to settle for anything less when you don't have to


(Did you read how many women just on this thread alone from all over the place were mobile, active participants in their labors and had no catheter?)

 

[laura109]

Thanks so much you've all helped me alot xx