Epidural Questions?

[KayteeB]

Hi ladies

Sorry to gatecrash, im just popping over from Tri 3 in hope of some answers. This is the story...

Well okay i was deffinately going for the natural waterbirth with gas and air but everything has gone against that for me Firstly, big baby. Secondly, Group B Strep Possitive which means ill have to be in hospital hooked up to an IV from the very onset of labour. Also, with him being so large (his head is measuring 5 weeks ahead *eek) i was thinking it would be more reasonable to get the epidural.

However, i am very nervous about this. I was wandering if you could answer a few of my questions?

1. How bad does it hurt getting it inserted. Please be honest.
2. Can you feel internal exmainations once you've got the epidural
3. If you tear badly durring the birth, do they still have to use a local to stich you up or they just top up the epidural so u cant feel anything
4. Does it hurt getting the catheter inserterd/removed

Your help is much appriciated xxx

 

[tardiz]

it didnt hurt going in the first injection was uncomfy and then after that i felt nothing. I had a foreceps delivery and had to be cut and stiched and still nothing. was the nicest feeling ever

 

[aliss]

Hi ladies

Sorry to gatecrash, im just popping over from Tri 3 in hope of some answers. This is the story...

Well okay i was deffinately going for the natural waterbirth with gas and air but everything has gone against that for me Firstly, big baby. Secondly, Group B Strep Possitive which means ill have to be in hospital hooked up to an IV from the very onset of labour. Also, with him being so large (his head is measuring 5 weeks ahead *eek) i was thinking it would be more reasonable to get the epidural.

However, i am very nervous about this. I was wandering if you could answer a few of my questions?

1. How bad does it hurt getting it inserted. Please be honest.
2. Can you feel internal exmainations once you've got the epidural
3. If you tear badly durring the birth, do they still have to use a local to stich you up or they just top up the epidural so u cant feel anything
4. Does it hurt getting the catheter inserterd/removed

Your help is much appriciated xxx

A big head is, no big deal. I think I made that comment on your other thread. Big shoulders are a problem (and an epidural increases the risk of baby getting stuck) - big heads mold and fit easily. Big babies are actually easier to birth, remember, due to gravity Give yourself credit.

1. It did not bother me at all, honestly. I was already experiencing pitocin contractions (induction and group B strep positive), it was nothing at all.
2. No
3. Since the epidural was slowing my labour, they turned it off halfway through pushing, and used a local for stiches
4. No

 

[NewMummyx]

1. How bad does it hurt getting it inserted. Please be honest.
It felt like a scratch on my back but wasnt actually painful

2. Can you feel internal exmainations once you've got the epidural
Nope, I even let the student Midwife have a feel around as i couldnt feel a thing anyway

3. If you tear badly durring the birth, do they still have to use a local to stich you up or they just top up the epidural so u cant feel anything
I tore 2cm at the right side (weird i know ) and was stitched up there and then, no local and no pain

4. Does it hurt getting the catheter inserterd/removed
Pff, never felt it! I hadnt peed in 23hrs so i had to have one. 2 Midwives had a go and couldnt get it in then another came in and popped it straight in, again felt nothing

hope this helps

 

[Seity]

1. I didn't feel a thing, the labor pains were too excruciating to feel the needle.
2. No
3. I had a 'walking epidural', so it was one shot into the spine that lasted for 2 hours vs a continuous drip via a catheter. It wore off just as it was time to push, so they used a local before stitching me up.
4. See above - no cathether, but I honestly wouldn't have minded if I'd thought my labor was going to be longer than 2 hours and so I would have needed pain relief for longer.

 

[thedog]

Hi hun, chances are you won't need an epi! but its best to go in with an open mind.

1. Not at all, was experiencing back to back labour with induction so a needle/thing in my back was nothing.

2. No

3. I'm not sure, i needed stitches but i think my epi was still going good then so i didn't feel anything lol.

4. had catheter once epidural working, once it was took out epi worn off, it just felt like a small sting for a split second, nothing to worry about

xxx

 

[jstarr]

It was the most wonderful thing ever! After contractions that felt like they were killing me for 10 hours I didnt even feel it all I felt was the coldness going into my spine.

Didn't feel much when examined, I was numb but still had some movement, then they prepped me for a c section so topped it up to a full block numb up to my chest when I had a catheter/forceps/birth/tear/stitches in theatre so didnt feel anything and catheter being removed is fine you can just feel the tube coming out x

 

[justlove]

Had one with my first.

1. How bad does it hurt getting it inserted. Please be honest.
Didn't hurt as they sprayed something to freeze/numb the area the only thing is you have to keep really still and sit up whilst putting it in - had my mum talking to me whilst they done it

2. Can you feel internal exmainations once you've got the epidural
Nope which was just aswell because I was like a glove puppet! had so many internal and issues with them having to keep turning baby and had ventose delivery in end

3. If you tear badly durring the birth, do they still have to use a local to stich you up or they just top up the epidural so u cant feel anything
I'd been on it for 37hrs I couldn't feel anything when come to having stitches

4. Does it hurt getting the catheter inserterd/removed[/B]
no

I begged them for a epidural when have my recent LO, but they wouldn't give me one!

Good luck with the birth

 

[discoclare]

1. How bad does it hurt getting it inserted. Please be honest.
Can't remember so presume it didn't hurt at all.

2. Can you feel internal exmainations once you've got the epidural
No

3. If you tear badly durring the birth, do they still have to use a local to stich you up or they just top up the epidural so u cant feel anything
Ended up with c section so can't answer that.

4. Does it hurt getting the catheter inserterd/removed
nope

 

[KayteeB]

thanks for all your responses ladiess
anymore ? xxx

 

[aliss]

Honestly, it hurts more to stub your toe on a coffee table. After 24 hours of contractions, when he walked in with that needle, I thought "HELL YAH!"

 

[Angela49uk]

I can only answer two of those, it didnt hurt being inserted at all. I thought it would and im terrified of needles, it was just a bit uncomfortable. Again cathater being inserted isnt painful just uncomfortable! good luck xx

 

[mutti]

I had an epidural with my first son even though I said I wouldn't because I'm terrified of needles.

I didn't feel a thing when it went in (and he said it was more difficult because I have a tattoo on my back that made if difficult for him to see).
I didn't feel any internals after it kicked in...after awful awful contractions I went to sleep for an hour or so because I was so relaxed and felt like i was sleeping on air.

I was cut REALLY badly and had ALOT of stitches...still didn't feel a thing. Even the doctor asked me if I could feel anything because I was so relaxed (according to him) while he was stitching me

Didn't feel the catheter either

 

[JLB]

I didn't have a epidural for the birth but had a really bad tear so had to go to theatre afterwards to be stitched up so ending up having a spinal block which is similar but numbs you totally afterwards.
Even though I wasn't having contractions I didn't feel them giving me the injection in my back.
They said if I had had an epidural they would have just topped it up to do my stitches so you wouldn't need a local as well.
As for the catheter I didn't even know that I had one till they told me and it was fine having it removed I didn't feel a thing

 

[thedog]

Oh yeah i remember saying before i'd never have an epi as i hate needles lol, when it comes down to it a needle is nothing also when it went in and at each top up i got a lovely feeling of cold going up my back, it actually felt nice! (had a gorge anaesthetist too)
I also slept abit in labour too which i wouldn't if i hadn't of had it..

 

[Odd Socks]

i didn't have an epidural, because my hospital uses a relatively new drug called remifentinal as another form of pain relief (they still offer epidurals as well), which i found to be a lot less invasive when i researched it. just putting it out there, your hospital may offer other alternatives, it's worth finding out
xx

 

[katy1310]

I had an epidural for a c-section so I can only partially answer your questions!

I am the world's biggest wimp when it comes to needles, injections etc and I was physically shaking when I got the epidural but it didn't feel any more than a scratch and I was numb really quickly.

I wouldn't have thought you would feel internal examinations because I didn't feel a single thing when Sophie was being delivered.

I didn't feel a thing for the catheter going in. It was taken out on the Tuesday morning (Sophie was born on the Sunday afternoon) so the epidural had well and truly worn off by then, but I didn't feel any pain - it was more just like a tug and reminded me of pulling a tampon out! It's so quick and I didn't even realise she'd done it!

Good luck xxx

 

[KayteeB]

thankyou ladies; all your answers have been amazing xxx

 

[mommyB]

First off let me just say that I am the biggest baby when it comes to needles.

1. How bad does it hurt getting it inserted. Please be honest.

The only thing you feel is the initial numbing needle..a quick pinch is all it is. Just remember to stay relaxed.
2. Can you feel internal exmainations once you've got the epidural

You can feel something being done but no pain. I had a cathetor inserted and didn't feel it. I also had a big baby (9lbs 5ozs) and I could feel him coming out, but no pain.
3. If you tear badly durring the birth, do they still have to use a local to stich you up or they just top up the epidural so u cant feel anything

I would assume the epi would work, I was lucky and didn't tear.
4. Does it hurt getting the catheter inserterd/removed

Not at all.

I actually had a really great experience with my epidural. I was up walking 45 minutes after the birth. I will deffinitely do it the next time for sure.

 

[mariew]

1. How bad does it hurt getting it inserted. Please be honest.
It didn't hurt at all really. I had it after 42 hours of back-to-back contractions so it was more a relief than anything else. I was more worried about making sure it was done between contractions so that i wouldn't have to try and sit still
2. Can you feel internal exmainations once you've got the epidural
I don't think i felt them, but then i didn't find them painful before the epidural
3. If you tear badly durring the birth, do they still have to use a local to stich you up or they just top up the epidural so u cant feel anything
I had an emergency forceps delivery so i think it was topped up before that anyway? Can't remember. I did have stitches afterwards and didn't feel a thing.
4. Does it hurt getting the catheter inserterd/removed
I had a catheter inserted and i don't really remember it, so it can't have hurt too much

Good Luck!