Epidural stories (positive hopefully?)?

[mara16jade]

Can you please post your epidural stories?

There are soooo many stories about natural/no drug childbirth, but I'd really like to know about childbirth with an epidural? I know most people on here are pro-no drugs, but I'm hoping there are a few out there willing to share your epidural story.

Thanks!

 

[meandmrb2011]

Stalking this thread as I may be having an elcs at 38wks and will have a spinal ....

 

[alicecooper]

I have had epidurals with all three of my labours, and let me tell you I wouldn't hesitate to ask for one again.

There were no complications as a result of my epis - the only baby that needed ventouse and forceps was DS1 and that was nothing to do with the epidural, it was because the cord was wrapped around his neck and he was in distress.

The ONLY concern I have about epidurals is that there is the very small possibility of a spinal tap, but I've not experienced that myself *touch wood*.

I'm probably rare on here lol, I have noticed myself that a lot of women are wanting non-drug births, but I'll probably be begging for another epi and that's okay with me.

 

[// arcadia]

I had an epidural with my first.

Id been in hospital with constant contractions for 12 hours and wasnt coping or progressing past 3cm. My midwife actually said too me do you want one?!

It felt like it was done straight away, i felt NO pain when the procedure was done but mine only worked down one side at first so they came back and re sited it.

I then progressed to fully dilated in about 5 hours. When it came to push i was still dosed up and didnt feel any of the pain but could feel when to push. Pushing lasted about 30 mins with no intervention at all.

And that was that.

I had to have a catheter and stayed overnight in the ward. I got up there about 7.30pm .. Couldnt move out of bed until morning but that was ok i had everything i needed right to hand. Went home the next morning and was fine.

To me it was a nice experience, I know to some it might be seen as unnecessary but it really helped me progress in a calm and relaxed way i just wasnt coping with the pain, im a wimp essentially.


This time round im torn. I could go in and try and follow the same pattern. Or im thinking Id like to be in the water for a bit, but I just dont think I want to go through the whole thing feeling everything im not that kind of person .. so if i put myself in the position of being on the midwife led unit in the pool they might just make me go and go until the end without the epidural.

Im a bit confused really.

 

[mara16jade]

Thank you everyone!

 

[melfy77]

I also had a WONDERFUL experience with my epidural. My water broke during the night at 38+5, but it was only a small leak so thought it was just normal vaginal discharge. Got some more in the morning so DH and I went to L&D to have it checked. I had no contraction and was only 1 cm dilated, so I was given oxytocin. I was hoping for a drug-free birth, but kept an open mind. Good thing I did! They started the drip at 1:44pm, and by 9pm, I was in serious pain with 100% back labor, and only 4 cm, so I asked for the epidural. I got it around 10ish. I didn't feel a thing when he put it in, and all this back pain and leg pain just vanished!! I could still feel my legs and move freely. I was even able to sleep a little!! By midnight, I was 10cm and ready to push!! So in my case, the epidural sped up the labor; I went from 4 to 10 in 2 hours, and without pain. I could feel the pressure increasing down there as the time went by, so I knew my little girl was getting closer and closer. I started to push at 00:10 am (and I knew when to push, I felt the contractions, but without the pain) and at 00:48 am, Zoe was in my arms Less than 1 hour later, she had fed and I was enjoying a very warm and relaxing shower, standing up. I also quickly became the master of my own bladder again! The epidural made me enjoyed the labor and the birth of my daughter so much more, I'm ready for another one It was also a blessing for my DH, because seeing me in pain and knowing there's very little he can do to help made him feel so helpless and sad. After I got the epidural, he was smiling again and helped me a lot when I was pushing. Zoe was born with no complications and scored 7 and 9 for Apgar (1 and 5 minutes). I don't know how my next labor will be like, but if the pain becomes too much, I will not hesitate to get an epidural again!! Hope my story helps

 

[mrscitysmith]

I had an epidural with my second birth (first was ecs). At first it didn'twork so the aneathatist came back and gave it a wiggle, but it was still WONDERFUL!!! I had been in labour for 25 hours by the time I got it and was exhausted, and it gave me a chance to rest. It didn't take the pain away but made it so much more comfortable and I feel this helped give me the energy to push.

I am expecting to have another this time but will wait and see how it feels as every labour is different. For me personally I hate the 'out of control' feeling drugs like pethadene give me, and found gas and air did little apart from gave me something to focus on.

Putting the needle in was a bit uncomfortable but nothing compared to the contractions I was having. I could have kissed the aneathatist once it kicked in properly!!

I do admire the people who do it naturally but know that I am far too soft!! If there's help out there I will take it in regards to pain!

Whatever you decide good luck.

 

[Eleanor ace]

Stalking this thread as I may be having an elcs at 38wks and will have a spinal ....

I can't help on the epidural front but I had a spinal after having DS as I had to get stitched up in theatre. It was great! A couple of local anaesthetic injections to numb the area, then the spinal (which only took a few seconds). It hardly hurt and I'm a total needle baby! I had a catheter inserted and that was totally fine, not painful or uncomfortable at all and even having it taken out was just mildly odd. Once the spinal wore off I was up and walking around fine .

 

[mimomma]

I had epidurals with two of my children and both experiences were great. I was induced with both and not relaxing through the contractions so wasn't dilating. Once I got the epi, I immediately relaxed and dilated to 10. I pushed both kids out very quickly and my recovery was also quick. Both babies were born very alert, breastfed well, and had perfect apgar scores. GL!

 

[SIEGAL]

I loved my epidural (it was $900 I paid out of pocket!! best money I every spent). I had a fast labor - was 10cm before I got the epidural just bc I couldn't get to the room, undressed, and get my IV's and stuff in fast enough. 10 cm contractions were harsh, the only reason I coped was bc I wasn't suffering for hours. They gave me morphine or something first so I would stop writhing around in the bed so I could attempt to sit straight for the epidural. It took a while to get in, didn't hurt, but I would just jump every time I felt the needle. Immediately after it was in all the pain immediately went away. I was so tired I couldn't open my eyes the whole labor but I think that was just bc I was so high from the narcotics they gave me. Anyway, the dr. said I could push now or wait an hour or two for the baby to come down on her own. I chose to wait and immediately fell asleep for an hour or two. Dr. came back and told me to push - couldn't even feel the contractions to push I just felt a drop of pressure and pushed then. Did not feel a thing except when the baby was half out - I felt a lot of weird pressure. Would not say it was painful.
Out of all my friends I went to baby class with I was the only one not traumatized by the pain of birth - Because of the epidural and the fast labor I really look back on my birth as a wonderful memory.

 

[mara16jade]

These are wonderful stories ladies, thank you!

 

[bekkie]

gonna copy / paste from my birth story -

after a very long couple of days, my precious little man finally made his appearance at 2:05 AM Tuesday, January 26th weighing in at 8lbs 15oz and measuring 21 3/4 inches in length

for those of you interested, here's our birth story (a little long..);

My water broke at 2:00 AM Sunday morning, we went in to the hospital to get monitored, and everything was fine, but we were told to come in 12 hours later to get checked again, which we did, and were sent home and told to come back the next morning for induction.

Monday morning we went in at 8:00 AM as I still had no contractions, they put me on a drip to get them started, and I was told they would start almost immediately... they finally started at 2:24 PM, they came hard - 45 seconds long, and every 2 minutes immediately, and by 2:45 PM I was on an epidural (whoever invented it has my eternal thanks)

at 8:00 PM I still hadn't made much progress with dilation and they started discussing a c-section, and every 2 hours they'd check... luckily by 10:00 PM I had dilated to 7cm and they were happy enough with the progress that they figured I could deliver naturally.

at 12:00 AM his heart rate started to skyrocket (regularly 140 - 150... went up to 205) and while the nurse acted very calm, we could tell something might be wrong - it ended up going back down, but at 1:00 AM they said it was time to start pushing because we needed to get him out.

so 1:15 rolled around and we started working on getting him out, his heart rate went back up to 205 and they allowed me to keep pushing until about 1:45 when the nurse said she was going to get some assistance.... by some... she apparently meant 10 - 12 people.. the room was packed and they were all talking medical jargon that made no sense to either of us... all we knew was that they were going to use foreceps to get him out, his head was swollen, and there was a problem with his heart rate... so they got the anesthesiologist to top me up on epidural, got the forceps, a couple pushes, and he was out at 2:05 AM. They put him on my stomach and let my husband cut the cord, and then took him over to do all his checks... hearing him cry was the most amazing sound in the world.

He's doing great - and (in my biased opinion) is the most beautiful baby in the whole world.

if it wasn't for that epidural, I don't think I would have made it through... seriously, greatest thing ever - I'll be doing it again without question. Being able to laugh and joke with my husband in between contractions (until things got a little scary, which wasn't due to the epidural...) was really great - and then being able to be aware of what was going on around me and make decisions without dealing with the pain was comforting.

the needle was uncomfortable - not gonna lie... but when you're in the middle of a contraction you can pretty much handle anything.

 

[shanny]

it can be so different from one baby to the next ..............ihave had epi and just gas and air and would recommend both...............just go in with a open mind.............

 

[VSubasic]

Great stories thanks ladies!

 

[ppgirlsteph]

I won't bore you with my whole story (long induction) but my epi was very positive and worked brilliantly. Next time i would like to go naturally but if i can't take it any more then i will not hesitate to get another one x

 

[Warby]

I've had four deliveries, four epidurals, and four desires to suggest the anesthesiologist be canonized as a saint.

I never noticed negative effects of the epidural on baby or on me.

With my last delivery, I had the epidural when I was 3 cm dilated. I relaxed for 40 minutes while it took full effect. Then the nurse checked me and i was 10 cm and ready to push! No one wasa more surprised then me!

 

[minnieoxox]

I ended up with an emergency c section but I had all the contractions first and I waited as long as I could to have the epidural because I didn't really want one. But it was amazing, I loved it and would definitely have another one!!

 

[chulie]

After my daughter was born my dr actually said to me "You might not want to share your labour stories with other mom's because they'll probably hate you"...hahahhaa...It was my 1st baby...contractions started at midnight...went to the hospital at 7 am...I was 1 cm dialated but my cervix was like 90% gone.....got my epidural at 9...was a sting and bit uncomfortable(but after a night of contractions..you have a very different idea of what "pain" is).....I was still only 2 cm....I fell asleep at 9:30 and took a nap until 10:30 and woke up to the most massive urge to push...my nurse basically told me I was crazy...they checked me and sure enough I was ready to.....My dr wasn't even at the hospital yet!hahaha...she was at her practice next door so they had to call her urgently.....by the time we got "set" up....I pushed 3 times and my girl was born at 11:08. I remember someone on here making a comment about how women waking up and having to push was rubbish.....my response to that was...uhhmmm...Hi...I'm not second hand knowledge...that's EXACTLY what happened to me! hahahahaha...

I know people like to sometimes state why one way is better but let me assure you of ONE thing...no matter how that baby gets here...when she is placed in your arms...wether through c-section, natural birth....drug free...drugs...whatever....you feel like a mom and what other "think" goes completely out the window!!! Good luck!

 

[Heatherlt]

I had an epidural with my first. I asked for it during transition and they gave it to me without knowing I was getting ready to push. It worked well.. I couldn't feel anything, not even when I needed to push. I tore badly and didn't feel any of that either. I had only one minor side effect that eventually did go away.

My second baby was born at home though, and I much preferred my unmedicated birth to my medicated one. Just keep an open mind =)

 

[singers_love]

I was so anti epidural... I really really didnt want one... However my DD had pooed, so they wanted her out relatively quickly and the Midwife said, if you have the epidural we can chrank up the drip to fast, and help her out ASAP.. It didnt hurt putting it in, and I could still move my legs, I had a catharta but once she was out, it was out within 30 mins, and I was ordered to the shower, even though I think I would have probably perfered to stay in bed!! Though I hated the thought of it.. It was the best thing for DD and wasnt a bad experience... Dont fear it!