Epidural questions?!

[ChubbyCheeks]

To those to have had epidurals in the past can i ask a few
questions? I myself have had 3 babies but never felt the need to have one.
But being induced next week & all ive heard is i will probably need one
If say pains come to past or if im in labour for hours etc

Anyway....probably obvious but how long do they last, im really
wondering how long i will still be numb after ive had baby?

Really important to me but how do i bath / shower after birth?
After bonding with baby i like to get cleaned yo you know...
Worrying i cant get outta bed tho

And when do they take that catheter out so i can pee again?

Thanks for any help probably really dumb questions but i feel i
would like to know the answers beforehand x

 

[2wantedpls]

Do u have to be induced?

Have heard stories bout ladies being induced and not having epidural!

 

[ChubbyCheeks]

Yeah i'm being induced due to GD & high blood pressure
Babies getting big too!

I havent really heard any good stories so far....more about contractions coming
to fast & thick and being in labour longer

 

[mumandco]

Wel I'm not sure about the labour being longer when induced I has my waters broken with ds and my contractions started fairly fast I managed on gas and air I made it to 10cm in 8hours I had to have an emergency epi as baby was struggling (not because I was induced) and was wheeled to have c sec but I was ready to push but at this point I had already had the epi incase I cldnt push hard enough!! I didn't have a catheter straight away after I had baby it took about 2or so hours to have some feeling in my legs mw cleaned me up before that tho!I only had to have a catheter because my bladder wasn't sending the message to my brain that I needed to pee,if it had I would have not needed one!! Personally I had a really bad experience with the epi but if I need one this time I will have one!!

 

[Kent Mummy]

I had an epidural with my LO (I wasn't induced). Firstly I didn't feel the needle at all.

Re: washing etc - I had a bed bath after the birth (the MW offered but I wanted to do it myself), I was advised to stay in bed for a few hours - but to be honest this didn't bother me, I was happy cuddling my LO and the time of day I had the baby my parents visited too. So it didn't really make much difference to me. I probably got out of bed about 6 hours later - but I didn't feel wobbly, I'm sure I could have got out of bed sooner.

The cathater(sp) wasn't taken out until the next day for me personally - but it didn't hurt and I couldn't feel it either.

HTH

Loz and Lily 2 yrs and bump 29 weeks

 

[Mrschoochoo]

My hospital does mobile epidurals.
I asked about this last night and the midwife said that they can ajust the dose of epidural with a little dial so I should still be able to hobble around. I am a wimp and am pretty sure I am having an epi unless I sneeze and the baby falls out.
You can choose to have it dialed right down towards the end of labour if you want to.
I am also scared if catheters but she said I may not need one if I can still make it to the bathroom, and if I do its not one that they leave in, they insert it into your bladder empty it then take it out again, they will repeat that every 4 hours.

 

[ChubbyCheeks]

Thanks for the replies...the only thing that really bothers me is the
fact i cannot get up to get bathed / showered...i firstly dont want a midwife
having to wash me nor the feeling of not being washed properly

I know there could be worse things but this is really putting me off having one!!

Hopefully i can avoid it but i thought i would ask these questions before its
too late lol

 

[ttc_lolly]

I didn't know induction neccessarily made your labours longer... maybe if it was a 1st baby? With this being your 4th hopefully labour won't be too long for you! You may not have time to receive an epi!! Good luck hun x

 

[cw1975]

I had the epidural about 8.00 pm and didn't give birth till 10.00 am the following morning, I was put on the drip because I wasn't progressing and I'll be honest, my little man was back to back and the speed and strength of the contractions - I couldn't bear the pain and why I chose to have it.

I could still move and feel my legs throughout, and towards the end was stating to feel the contractions, they offered me to have it increased but I said not to because I was 10cm at that point and ready to push. I didn't get to shower till about three hours after the birth, but it went so quickly I didn't really notice it was that long.

Regarding the catheter, I didn't actually have one in continually - they just put one in, drained my bladder and took it back out again

 

[wantingno.2]

I wasnt in bed that long after .... i was down in delivery about half an hour after birth then taken up to the ward and not long after i got up and went for a pee. I didnt have a cathater in the whole time they just did one to me a couple of times (not sure what this is called, sorry). I didnt know if i was allowed to get up or would be able to so i rung my bell to ask and they just looked at me as though i was stupid.

I loved my epidural and most likely will have one again, the only issue i had with it was that i had a numb patch just above my bum for a few weeks after birth.