Question about epidurals

[Happybunny]

Hello

I am beginning to feel a bit braver about the whole 'giving birth' vaginally thingy (I always assumed I would demand a c-section because of my extreme anxiety)

I have one or two concerns about the epidural though. I am a bit of a wimp so I think I would need the relief. Do they work?

Also, I am a bit scared of the thought of losing the feeling/movement in my legs. What is it really like? How long does the effect last? Do you have to have a catheter in your bladder? Does that hurt?

So many questions...but I figure, the more I know, the more prepared I will be to make good decisions about my labour.

Any stories or advice would be really appreciated

 

[Redshoes]

Hello
Hey, its great to hear you're feeling more positive about the birth Just wanted to say that, it's an amazing, natural event and its OK to feel excited as well Hypnobirthing helped me come to terms with a lot of my worries too.
I was induced with a drip, which is far from natural, so my contractions went mega powerful, quickly and constantly, which lead me to have an epidural after nearly 2hrs of trying to deal with the contractions.
Because I was in a constant state of discomfort I found it hard going keeping still to have the epidural administered, I did feel it, but I knew why I was having it so it didn't 'hurt', so much as take 'too long' to administer, if that makes sense?
Once it kicked in everything suddenly went quiet and calm and the contractions were no longer there, they were but I was numbed, and I felt relief.
I lost most feeling in my legs and could no longer walk, but epidurals can effect women differently, so for yourself it may not completely numb you, and there is the option of a mobile epidural which means you can still walk.
I also had a spinal block as they thought I may need a c-section, so I was numb everywhere except one arm and my face, so cannot say how long the epidural lasted as the spinal was on top of it.
I had a catheter, which was suprisingly no bother at all, even had a shower with it it doesn't hurt at all whilst in, just kinda gets in the way really, and doesn't hurt when removed either.
Sorry I've wittered on, just remember everyone is different but it's so good to know about these things before hand, you'll be so more able to deal with whatever happens being knowledgeable about your options.
I got to 7cms dilated with no pain, just problems with backache, which went after some co-codamols hehe which was caused by Isaac being back to back, otherwise I may have never ended up in hospital. Be open minded, nature is unpredictable, a good birth partner is priceless, very best wishes
Again, sorry for going on

 

[trixipaws]

sorry i cant help i never had an epidural but omg u so remind me of myself when i was pg lol i was frightened of giving birth at first and thought id rather hav a section but the more i thought about it the more that actually freaked me out even more the idea of being paralysed and cut open while awake eek! epidurals scared me too because of the idea of an injection in ur spine and not being able 2 feel ur legs etc.

what i can tell u is that i thought i would be a wuss too but i really surprised myself that i handles it only on gas & air. u may well surprise urself too!

i can answer about the catheter coz i had to have 2 stitches and the mw put one in me- it just stings momentarily, like a needle. (but if u had an epi u probably wouldnt feel it i dont kno?)

glad ur feeling more postitve, u can do it hun!

 

[siobhan]

I was made to have an epidural in my first labour due to an under lying health problem.


I must say I felt nothing, nothing at all. The midwife asked me to lift my leg and I couldn't even move a toe. I felt nothing from the top of my bump to the tips of my toes. My epidurals were lasting for 2 hours and then been topped up evrytime I started to feel again. The pain relief for me was instant. I had a catheter put in and taken out, dunno if they normally leave one in or not, but they just put one in and I must have done a wee. I couldn't feel a thing when they did that either.

My actual giving birth experience was dummed down by the epidural. I eneded up having a traumatic delivery with a ventouse. Although all this was pre planned.

Hope this helps you a little.

 

[siobhan]

Oh and they numb your back before putting the needle in too. As mine was pre planned I went up to the anastetic dept. before hand and they showed me exactly what they would do, the needle, etc.

 

[Tangerinedream]

Epidural = godsend

I really didnt want one but after about 12 hours of intense pain, and getting worse, I asked for one. I didnt feel the needle or canula at all. I had to have it done twice as the first time it didnt work. Once it was working though- OMG, just like redshoes says, everything was quiet and calm I did have a cathater but I didnt feel it and it was removed as soon as my bladder was empty- strange feeling tho- you know you are peeing but you cant feel it I could still feel a little bit of pain but I could cope with that. The pressure of the head coming down the birth canal was very intense- almost painful. I didnt get the ring of fire or anything like that though.

I was up and about after about 14 hours but had to be taken to the loo by an auxilliry the first time I went to the loo after I also had to have a bed bath by an auxilliry after the birth too, before I was taken to the ward.

 

[Happybunny]

Thank you everyone for replying, you are all so lovely!!

I am not decided if I am having one yet, but if I do, they are going to send me to anaesthetic dept before to get assessed and find out what will happen.

Siobhan..."My actual giving birth experience was dummed down by the epidural. I eneded up having a traumatic delivery with a ventouse."

What do you mean dumbed down? That you couldn't feel it or that you couldn't push has hard? Why was it traumatic? Could you feel it? Sorry for the questions, but I am very interested

 

[enn]

i had a epi cause i had a tear and to repair it i had to have one to numb it down there. didnt hurt me but i can take the needles thing except when midwife was doing it i always felt faint lol

 

[Squiglet]

I had an epi cos I'm a coward...

Saved my daughter's life though as you have to be constantly monitored and she all of a sudden went into distress in the last 45mins. The midwives were saying I'd be hours in labour and that as I'd had a normal pregnancy everything would be normal, they wouldn't monitor me... etc etc.. but as standard they had to leave the monitor on, while she wasn't in the room... and while she was away I could see Tia's hb dropping to 45 and not getting any higher than 75 so when she came back in I pointed it out... and all hell broke loose, nurses, doctors, midwives everywhere. Never needed help though, as I'd been sleeping and resting, when the pushing came, although they said they wanted to use forceps as they needed Tia out urgently, I managed to push her out on my own in around 20mins, which is really fast.

After Tia was born, I couldn't pass the placenta and started haemorrhaging badly... but because they had the epi in already, they only needed to top it up and make it a spinal block before rushing me to theatre, saving the time, it would have taken to arrange alternative sedation.

Can't speak highly enough for them really from my own personal experience-

No pain with the needle going in... my contractions I could still feel but they weren't hurting... (except when I lay on my side and I got one sided contractions, till they repaired it). I was lucky I got a mobile epi, which meant it didn't need topping up... don't think I'll be that lucky this time..

It took a while for me to get moving again... but by the next day I was up and about, considering I had surgery to remove the placenta.. I was doing quite well... although was in considerable pain once the epi wore off.

 

[siobhan]

I think to be honest, I really didn't want to have an epidural, I was pretty much made to have one on medical grounds. I wasn't allowed to push as I had a stroke about a year before I got pregnant, they thought if I pushed or felt the urge to push this may ut too much pressure onmy brain. Whisch as you can imagine for someone who has had a stroke isn't good...

I felt like the oppertunity to give birth had been taken away from me as they simply put the epidural in once my contractions started then sucked the baby out using the ventouse. I didn't push or anything, just layed there.

The actual epidural made me violently sick everytime I had to have a top up too.

I suppose I compare the birth of my first (the epidural one) to the birth of my second (completely natural) and I see what I feel I missed out on the first time round.

I hope this does not put you off having one if that is what you want, its just my experience of them, Im sure there is loads of storys of people liking them!

Good luck whatever you decide to do!

 

[Jamie]

I had a mobile epidural and it was great The hardest part was sitting still during two majorly painful contractions while she tried to put the needle in, she numbed my back with spray and I didn't feel a thing with it going in or them putting the drip in. After about 15 minutes I put the gas and air down...I could still slightly move my legs and wiggle my toes but I couldn't feel any contractions. I had a top up button to press every 25 minutes but my advice is don't press it just before you're about to push because you need to feel something to know when to push. I didn't need ventouse or forceps because I could still feel 'something'.
I couldn't feel the catheter put in or the vaginal examinations, or the consultant stitching me up afterwards...I can't rave enough about it lol

 

[emma28]

I had an epidural too not by choice but because they said it brings your BP down and I had PE. It was ok, I had a little button to press when the pain was bad, but tbh I never really did. The midwifes were doing it for me, they said I may as well use it....It got changed into a spinal block as I only managed to get to 4cm in 18hrs even with the drips, pessaries and sweeps, and got whisked off for an emergency section.

The only negative thing I would say about it is I had a numb buttock for about 10 days after. They said it was normal and sometimes happens. The pain relief seems stronger down that side too, I couldn't move my left leg...but could twitch my right...

I'll likely choose to have one again this time so it must have been ok. The most amazing thing about it was that the anethenetist (sp) looked like Sandra Bullock

 

[fifi211]

I had an epidural because I have a very low pain threshold.

It was fantastic and although it wasn't pleasent getting it put in when I was contracting I will definitely be having another again this time.

Once it was in I was able to go from 3cm to 10cm in about 5 1/2 hours and was very relaxed all the way through.

I also had a cathetar and didn't feel a thing as everything was numb anyway.

My only worry is that this time I go so quick I won't have time for one

 

[enn]

i had to have one in theatre cause they had to repairs my tear i received lol

needle didnt hurt me but im a tough cookie when it comes to needles but anyway be brave if u think u need it have it i was told it would wear off in about 4 hrs but i was still numb after 8pm. didnt go till about 10pm.hated the feelings in my legs cause i wanted to move them and couldnt. now i know what it feels like for people who cant move them and im grateful i can

 

[Debbie B]

i had an epidural as i was pushin and yet nothing was happening and i was in intense pain,this was my third child so ive given birth before. it turned out jack was not moving as he was a big baby-10lb 6oz.i had my epidural whilst in the middle of contractions and it worked staight away, it was great for all that pain to go away. what i would say is see how you go in labour, if you feel you want one then have one. i made no plans for my labour as my previous two were completely different and you dont know how it will be. jack was eventially born by ventouse and i was so relieved as they had been threatening me with a ceaserean, good luck with your birth.

 

[Gemma & Jake]

Hi I had an epidural and it didn't hurt going but that might have been because I had already had diamorphine and I was using the gas and air aswell. I'm not sure if it would hurt if I hadn't have had any other pain relief before but to be honest even if it hurt a bit whilst it was being put in it would have been worth it. The epidural made the horrible contraction pains dissapear completely. I still had some feeling in my legs after mine so I was able to get up on my knees and lean over the back of the bed to push and although I couldn't feel when to push the midwife told me when I was having a contraction. I was only pushing for 30 minutes and I didn't need any intervention. I think the only downside for me was that after the birth I had to stay in bed for a few hours as my legs were like jelly. I had to have a catheter put in which I think they did before the epidural but they just put it in to drain out all the urine from my bladder and then took it out again.

 

[Minxy]

I had an epidural to stop me pushing prematurely.

The relief was complete and instant. Even so, it's the one pain relief method I'd like to avoid next time.

It made the pushing stage very difficult as I couldn't feel my contractions enough and Stanley as born by assisted delivery when he got distressed (episiotimy and ventouse).

 

[paradysso]

i had one too..

worst thing ever for me, they did it wrong so had to remove it and try again, and they hadnt numbed we very well so cud feel it, i was screaming the place down despite having gas and air

i did how ever love the catheter, i didnt want to let them remove it haha, didnt hurt getting that done

but when i went for my section they topped me up with a spinal block and gave me too much and numbed me from neck down so had no control of lungs and breathing so had to inject me with some thing quick to reverse it so i could breath again, which was really scary, thought i was dying, ang coz i could take a breath i couldnt take to ask for help, was only when dan saw me going red he said some thing wrong

 

[amzhunny]

Hey just thought i would share my experience of an epidural...

I was so adament before the birth that i wasnt going to have any intervention but i had such a long/tiring process i needed some relief.

I did have the pethadine at first which did work but 6/7 hours later of strong contractions and having been on a drip plus baby not really progressing i really wanted it!!

Bit scary it took them about 4 attempts to get it down but i was on the gas and air and didnt feel a thing, was such a wierd sensation but about ten minutes after i had my first drug i was so calm and it gave my body chance to rest. I could hardly move but was so glad to close my eyes for ten minutes.

Also i progressed to a ventouse delivery so at least i had, had the epidural already and had confidence in it for the birth.

I was on a catheter but way before i had the epidural so i don't know whether you have to have it, but i will say it doesnt hurt at all to be honest was a relief because i was struggling to go!

Good luck with the birth and i am sure everything will go brilliantly

xxx

 

[Duds]

i had simular birth to minxy with my first and it was v traumatic but freya was natural but f**kin hurt! the recovery was much quicker and i was able to enjoy the moment after having her instead of feeling completly out of it.
All i can say is dont set your mind on something hun as it rarely happens as planned - i wanted one and didnt get it no matter how many times i asked as they wanted the bed!
just go with an open mind.

p.s you dont feel the needle much as i can remember