Epidural... What's It Like?

J.,

The epidural stings a bit while going in (maybe about 5-10 seconds) and then if they move it you may get a sharp jolt down one leg- thats what happened to me. Its an incredibly weird sensation to have your body get numb. Just make sure you tell them if you feel anything weird-- But its well worth it-- I was in so much pain when they put it in, that really I didn't feel that much. The contractions were taking all of my attention. It is very hard to sit still in the position that they have you in, but it doesn't take too long. Just make sure you have your support person there to help you breathe through it. Because you have to stay so still and are not allowed to move at all. Congratulations on the new baby coming!

I'm the president of the Epidural Fan Club! They're great!

It feels like a tiny sting when they first put it in ... lasts a matter of seconds. The epidural remains hooked up to you, so you can't wander around, but I wasn't exactly in the mood for a jog anyway when I was in labor. Takes a few minutes, then the pain is gone. With my first, I was happy, chatting away with family until they asked if I was ready to push and I said, "OK, why not?" Zero pain. A wonderful birth experience. I was still in control, just not in any pain.

With our second, she was a surprise face-first baby. The epidural dulled the pain, but didn't get all of it. I figured it was just a different hospital, different experience, but in the end, the epidural just couldn't get rid of all of the pain of a face-first baby (it was a bruise-level pain, not major). Still, it made a big difference when it started up and I wasn't in pain pushing her. They said it would have been excruciating with a face-first baby if I hadn't had the epidural, so I'm glad I did it again. They didn't do an episiotomy with her, so I apparently tore pretty bad and didn't feel it at all all thanks to the epidural.

Big thumbs up on the epidural!

Hi J.,

I had an epideral with my first baby and to tell you the truth I was in so much pain from labor that I didn't feel it. I had to sit still which made me nervous but that was it. I sat like indian style which was hard cause I was swollen a lot. You only can have one person in the room with you when that is done. The only thing I didn't like about the epideral was that you had sit up a certain way in the bed and you couldn't get out of bed at all after it was done. I had already gone through alot of labor pain already. Also make sure they know your weight. I didn't know it, but it was on file for them to look at all my weigh ins. So to let you they had to come again because they didn't give me enough.

Hope this helps. So next kid I get an a c-section cause I already had to have an emergency one but at least when it is scheduled I know what I am in for this time.

R.

i went into the delivery room thinking i'd never get an epidural; my mom went through 24-36 hour labor with three children completely naturally and i thought "i can do this." well 10 hours in i was exhausted and only at 5 cm and no broken water. i got an epidural, and it was AMAZING! i was really nervous to get poked in the back with a big needle, but really, it was just a little pinch, and then wonderful relief. They keep a little iv in your back, and you are able to give yourself boosts of the medicine if it ever starts to wear off. you have to have a catheter and the hook up a bunch of monitors to you, which can be a little uncomfortable, but overall, compared to the pain of labor, it was absolutely worth it. I wasn't completely numb during the actual delivery, which actually gave me a little more control and made it go much faster, but i was able to sleep and relax during the most difficult contractions. I am due to have another baby in october and i am all about having an epidural again. highly highly recommended.

Truthfully, for me the epidural was the most painful part of the labor and delivery. I had to be held down by the nurse and my fiance.
I had back labor that started at about 4:30am and I thought I had just slept wrong. So I thought.. ok I'll just go sit out on the couch and chat for a while online. One of the ladies in the room was like.. umm.. Jen you're in labor and need to go to the hospital. I sat there and argued with her for about 10 minutes! Now I look back and laugh. I was walking around with my fiance and laughing and joking until I hit about 6.5 cms and that's when I thought... you know I don't know if I'll make it the whole way... maybe I should go ahead and do the epidural just in case... I think I could have made it through the blasted delivery just fine, but I guess I'll never know.
The worst part was the lidocaine needle first. That Sh*t burned. I didn't really feel the epidural needle after that but I did feel a pressure going in to my back. I think I was just more scared than anything since I couldn't see what was going on back there.

Here was my experience with an epidural (first baby):

I went into labor at 5:30am, woke husband/called dr at 7:30am, got to hospital 8:30am (4cm), labored all day and got to 7cm, dr. came in and said she was going to break my water, decided to get epidural (7pm), epidural in place at 7:30pm, felt intense urge to push at 8pm (went from 7 to 10cm in less than 30 minutes), baby delivered at 8:26pm (after 3 pushes). I'm glad I got the epidural. It was my first delivery and I knew that after my water was broken contractions would get much more intense. I was able to feel when my body was ready to push, could feel the incredible pressure of baby's head. It was an intense enough experience with the epi. I give you so much credit for doing it all natural 4 times!

The procedure of getting the epi wasn't bad at all, it was easy to sit still and it was only a pinch and then pressure. Usually they do not allow you to walk around once the epi is in place. The next day my back was a bit sore (but so were other parts of my body) and it felt like a big bruise for about a week. I was able to walk around fine the next morning.

GL!

My experience with the epidural was great! My only regret was waiting so long to get one. I didn't find it hard to stay still because I knew moving could mean big trouble. And the pain of getting the epidural, I don't know, I was in so much pain from the labor I think the epidural is like a puppy lick in comparison.

I went from shoulders in my ears to laughing and smiling through a contraction (you still feel stuff it's just about 95% less intense!). I was going for a pain medication free labor btw but after an induced labor and being told I had to lay down on my left side with an oxygen mask on the whole time kind of took my other "methods" out the running and just left me scared of what was happening and focusing on the pain.

good luck in whatever you do and congradulations on the new baby...such a sweet thing new life is...

T

I had one with each of my boys (2 of them!) You do have to sit still while the doc puts it in, but if you have a good anestesthologist (?) it won't be that painful. The hardest part I had was holding still if I had a contraction during the insertion, but we tried to time it right. It did hurt some putting it in, but nothing compared to labor without one. During my second son's birth some stupid nurse decided it would be a great idea if they turned off the epidural while we waited 45 minutes for me to start pushing again. So they turned it off, and and it had worn off enough in my pelvic area to feel all the labor pains and pushing pains and my son was sunnyside up and stuck...the worst pain I have every felt. They turned it back on, but by the time it started working my son was born. My first son's birth was long, and it hurt but it was more of a pressure hurt. Birth is not a pleasant experience (for most of us) but I think the epidural helps.

It is put in your back and a tube is attached and it's on a drip, but it's not a bother. you are in bed anyways.

Hope this helps! Good luck! Send me a message if you have any other questions!

Hi J.,

I agree with Page W!! I was 7cm when I got my epidural and in so much pain, I don't even remember getting it. It is sort of like an IV where it stays in your back, but I didn't even notice it. The doctor gave me mine very quickly and I felt relief almost instantly (or so it seemed). My labor did slow down and I ended up pushing for 2 1/2 hours, but other than a little burning sensation while pushing, it was a pain free delivery! Before going into labor, the whole idea of getting the epidural kind of freaked me out and I thought it would really bother me getting it, but after experiencing labor pain, that didn't bother me one bit!

Good for you for having 4 natural births! That's awesome! I wish I could say I did it drug-free, but I'm so glad I had it. It definitely made for a more relaxing and enjoyable birth experience.

Good luck!!!

Jennifer

Epidurals are so worth it. But not always a pleasant experence. I had one with my son when i was about 5 cm. The stuip thing wore off 4 times and they had to redose me even thought i had a contioise flow of meds. What sucked about it was when it wore off i was in so much pain but could not move becuase i had the Epidural. I was really freaked out whenthey put it in but it took less than a mintue once they started. I delevered at Alta Betas in berkerly and they have anesteoligist that only do epidurals. He whachted me have two contraction(which lasted for amintue with only a 30 sec break in between.)once he got my patteren down he got it in before my next contraction began. it took about 5 contraction before i stoped feeling them but everyone got less and less painful. I wish you a long lasted epidural and a quick birth
A.

I had an epidural with both of mines. Everyones' experience is different so I can only tell you about mine. The holding still was a little uncomfortable but nothing like the pain relief that it brings you, so that was okay. You do need someone with you to coach you to keep breathing during this time and to try to help you stay still because you have to bend forward and try to arch your back out as much as possible so they can get to the right spot. I really did not feel a needle going in either time.

The first one that I got, 6 years ago, they inserted the needle with the numbing agent and that was that. When I had my other son a year ago, they stuck the needle to insert a tube and kept the tube in with tape or something during the whole labor. I was able to dose myself when I felt pain but there is a max out that you can dose yourself, so you don't overdose. They took it out after the baby was born and the area was pretty sore when I got the feeling back.

If I had to do it all over again, I would not have gotten the second epidural. Since you have always had natural births, I would say you could go through this one more time. It took this last epidural about 6 months to totally wear off and I still have some back and left leg discomfort sometimes that I never had before. I attribute it to the epidural because it feels like a nerve is aching. I am going to start physical therapy in a couple of weeks to see if that can help. My sister in law and a teacher at my son's preschool said that they went through this same thing, and my son's preschool teacher said that it took about a year for her side effects to go away.

One more note, the epidural will not take away the pain once the baby gets into the birth canal. My first time I was under the misconception that it would, so I thought it was wearing off or not working but that was not the case. Like I said at the beginning, everyone has different experiences but if you did it 4 times without the epidural, I would say continue to do that, and if you do decide to have an epidural, your experience could be totally different from mine. It could be just like my first experience, smooth. Hope this helps and does not confuse but that is my 2 cents.

I am wimp. I was asking for one at 4cm with my first. I was induced with both children, had an epidural both times, was absolutely wonderful. With child number two I had back labor and the epidural made it possible to talk and enjoy having the baby. Both times, the epidurals wore off within a few hours and I slept and recovered fine.

Hi J.,

I was too grossed out by the epidural process to have one the first time. I regret that today because I had such a pleasant time meeting my second child and still cringe thinking of my first experience.

For the epidural, I sat on the edge of the bed. A nurse stood facing me and helping me to stay still. No one else was allowed in the room. My labor was induced and soooo painful, I didn't feel the epidural at all.

BTW: I had to have a filling a few months ago. The numbing injection was more painful than the epidural.

My first birth was traumatic, long and terrible. No epidural. I had the opportunity to enjoy the second birth because of the epidural. They did have to let my contractions get really strong before the epidural because I was induced (water broke, no contractions). After a period of time during which I rested, I told the nurse I think I feel like pushing. Three pushes and my son was born. I'm smiling now even remembering that moment from more than three years ago.

Good luck.

It's a lifesaving godsend. It's heaven. It's like a band of angels came down and rescued you.

Think I like epidurals? Seriously, I did try the "natural" route for a day or two, but here's what's nice about pain-free labor: you can actually enjoy the experience. For my second child's birth, they had a big mirror down there so I could see what was happening, and I still have a vivid memory of my precious little fat-cheeked daughter's face as she emerged. It's doubtful I would have been able to absorb that had I been in excruciating pain.

In my experience when they put it in it just felt like someone pushing really h*** o* my back. I think they keep it in. I was too busy to notice.

(By the way, epidurals make it WAY too easy on the husbands. Mine sat there reading a book through my deliveries -- so now I don't have tales of my epic endurance of pain to hold over his head for the rest of his life.)

Also, after reading the other moms' responses - in my case the epidurals took away ALL pain. I have no idea what it feels like to push a baby out, and it's no loss. They just told me when to push, and I obeyed.

My experience was absolutely positive.

I got it as soon as I started feeling uncomfortable (my water broke at home, but I had to be induced due to not dialating on my own). I spent my whole labor conversating and laughing with visitors. You've been through this before, so you know what it is to push. Even when you can't feel much, you just push. It's taped to your back set up like an iv and removed when you're done. I was up walking to the bathroom a 1/2 hour after my daughter was born.

Good luck! Congrats!

an epidural is wonderful. have one little girl and i had her in march. getting the epidural is easy its just a light pinch and then awwww you will feel so much better. i had one leg become more numb than the other and one spot that took a bit longer to block the pain. but it was the best thing ever i could relax again and enjoy the experance. good luck and congrats!!!

Dear J.,

An epidural is a wonderful thing...just get a good recommendation for the Anesthesiologist who will administer it.

God Bless you and your family

Some people tell me not to get it, but I was so glad I did. My labor was induced. I didn't realized I was in my later part of my contractions until the midwife or doctor checked me. The contractions were so painful that Epidural was heaven when I got it. The doctor numbed your back before they insert the needle into your back. I didn't even feel the needle. It was inserted in me during my contractions. The nurse held me while I had to sit still between and during contractions. I did get very drowsy once the Epidural kicked into my body system. I knew that already. It made the delivery a lot more easier and a pleasant memory for me. Have fast labor and delivery, J.!

I'm watching the responses with interest, thank you for posting the question :)

I have a similar question: I am pregnant with my first now, and one reason that I'm planning to forgo the epidural (if I can) is that I find the idea of having to stay COMPLETELY still because there's a huge needle being stuck into my SPINE absolutely terrifying. If you're in terrible pain and having contractions, how on earth did you manage to stay completely still?

Jo Ann,
I had an epidural with both of my births with the first one they gave it to me as soon as she dropped fully into my pelvis, because I had a broken pelvis and frankly the pain from that was so bad I couldn't feel the contractions, unforntunatly it did work for that pain,and the contractions but it didnt numb anything else. With the second they gave it to me at 8 centemeters and besides causing my blood pressure to crash nothing happened. I had no pain relief at all, it worked out since she was born 15 minutes later. I remember that neither time did it seem like i had to be still for to long, and I don't remember it hurting. Good luck
Amanda