March 2017 Moms
jenny0228
member
All about Epidurals
jenny0228
member
So I went to my first of 4 weekly childbirth classes. I saw the options for laboring on the ball, with the bar, in different positions, etc. I'm starting to change my mind a bit and consider med-free, whereas at first I was all about pain management, mostly because I thought it would help me not get anxious. I have been in a few emergency health-related situations where I full on hyperventilated in the hospital, and that was the scariest thing I have ever experienced, scarier than the circumstances that landed me in the ER. Anyway, if anyone who has experienced the epidural could answer a few questions for me, I'd really appreciate it. I know everyone's experience is so varied and many have had epidurals due to emergency situations but I'm just looking for to hear your stories if you're willing!
1. Did you go into your birth knowing you wanted the epidural?
2. At what point in your labor did you get it/request it? How long after that did you receive it? And did you have only pain management or also meds to induce?
3. What did it feel like when it was administered, and were you having contractions at the time? I keep hearing stories about how you have to stay absolutely still...tough when you are laboring I am assuming!
4. What was pushing like being numb from the waist down, were you able to push and help in your labor or did you feel like it was out of your control because you couldn't feel it?
5. How long did it take to wear off?
6. Did you feel like it interfered with your ability to feel present and participant in your birth experience? Other than the numbness did you experience any other side effects?
1. Did you go into your birth knowing you wanted the epidural?
2. At what point in your labor did you get it/request it? How long after that did you receive it? And did you have only pain management or also meds to induce?
3. What did it feel like when it was administered, and were you having contractions at the time? I keep hearing stories about how you have to stay absolutely still...tough when you are laboring I am assuming!
4. What was pushing like being numb from the waist down, were you able to push and help in your labor or did you feel like it was out of your control because you couldn't feel it?
5. How long did it take to wear off?
6. Did you feel like it interfered with your ability to feel present and participant in your birth experience? Other than the numbness did you experience any other side effects?
Re: All about Epidurals
2. At what point in your labor did you get it/request it? How long after that did you receive it? And did you have only pain management or also meds to induce? about 20 hrs after water had broken, time was ticking and I needed to progress and rest. My waters ruptured but labor never started so they had me on Pit
3. What did it feel like when it was administered, and were you having contractions at the time? I keep hearing stories about how you have to stay absolutely still...tough when you are laboring I am assuming! - I honestly didn't feel it at all. They did it in between contractions and were very good.
4. What was pushing like being numb from the waist down, were you able to push and help in your labor or did you feel like it was out of your control because you couldn't feel it? According to the doc i was a great pusher lol. They told me when the contraction was starting bc I couldn't really tell. The only reason I felt out of it was because of some shot in the ass they gave that was supposed to take the edge off. I felt like a tranquilized moose.
5. How long did it take to wear off? Not too long. Maybe an hour? my concept of time is off at the end but I was able to get out of the bed and use the restroom with a nurse watching
6. Did you feel like it interfered with your ability to feel present and participant in your birth experience? Other than the numbness did you experience any other side effects? again, that stupid shot kind of took me out of it but the epidural didn't. No side effects. I will say this go around I'm really hoping to not need an induction and hopefully do this without any kind of meds. The epidural gave me the ability to get some rest after being up 40+ hours, progress and get baby out. It did what it needed to do and most likely helped me avoid a c section. But I still don't want another one if I can help it.
2. At what point in your labor did you get it/request it? How long after that did you receive it? And did you have only pain management or also meds to induce? I went into labor at about 4AM. We got to the hospital around 7/7:30. I asked as soon as I was settled in a bed and it took about 45 minutes to get it. The delay was because the anesthesiologist was on her way to the hospital. It was a Saturday of a holiday weekend.
3. What did it feel like when it was administered, and were you having contractions at the time? I keep hearing stories about how you have to stay absolutely still...tough when you are laboring I am assuming! - It was nothing like I was afraid of! Sitting still wasn't easy, but so worth it.
4. What was pushing like being numb from the waist down, were you able to push and help in your labor or did you feel like it was out of your control because you couldn't feel it? i wound up having a csection so no pushing for me. I was a happy camper once I had my meds.
5. How long did it take to wear off? Not too long. I had my son at 2:06 PM and had visitors by 5:00 and felt good.
6. Did you feel like it interfered with your ability to feel present and participant in your birth experience? Other than the numbness did you experience any other side effects? Not at all.
Yes, but also was very sure I did not want any other pain management through IV or otherwise that would impact my clearheadedness during labor and delivery, and stuck to that plan.
2. At what point in your labor did you get it/request it? How long after that did you receive it? And did you have only pain management or also meds to induce?
My water broke and I started pit. I'd say maybe 4/5 hours in. I think I was around 5cm when contractions became too painful to sleep through. After I got it I basically slept and just woke up when they told me it was time to push. Amazing.
3. What did it feel like when it was administered, and were you having contractions at the time? I keep hearing stories about how you have to stay absolutely still...tough when you are laboring I am assuming!
i don't remember it hurting or having any problem with sitting still at that point. I was a little nervous but didn't feel anything.
4. What was pushing like being numb from the waist down, were you able to push and help in your labor or did you feel like it was out of your control because you couldn't feel it?
This was tough. I have a controller where I could make it stronger and I was scared of pain so I kept pushing the button, but I felt nothing and it was hard to push I had to rely on my doctor and nurse to tell me when and how. This time I may not hit the manual button when I'm getting close to delivery so I can be more effective. It took about 1.5 hours to push.
5. How long did it take to wear off?
Not long at all. Maybe an hour or two tops.
6. Did you feel like it interfered with your ability to feel present and participant in your birth experience? Other than the numbness did you experience any other side effects?
No! This is what I loved about this over other pain medicines. It does not impact you mentally or your thought process in anyway, so I was still able to be very present and in the moment- just without excruciating pain.
Edit to add- once you are on Pitocin if you end up needing it you basically have to remain in bed in one position with A band to monitor baby. I think if I'd been able to move around and change positions I could have held off a bit longer, but laying still in bed for me was the toughest way to labor. At the end of the day it wouldn't have really mattered though because getting it when I did allowed me to just sleep through the rest of labor which was nice in the middle of the night
1. Did you go into your birth knowing you wanted the epidural? Yes because my first was med free not to my choice and I really didn't feel better about going med free
2. At what point in your labor did you get it/request it? How long after that did you receive it? And did you have only pain management or also meds to induce? I wanted to hold off as far as possible so I could walk around. I was being induced so I knew I was in for a long wait. My whole labor took over 24 hrs I think around halfway point was when I got it. I had both to induce and pain meds
3. What did it feel like when it was administered, and were you having contractions at the time? I keep hearing stories about how you have to stay absolutely still...tough when you are laboring I am assuming! Mines felt fine. They did a good job to where it went by smoothly. I was having contractions at the time.
4. What was pushing like being numb from the waist down, were you able to push and help in your labor or did you feel like it was out of your control because you couldn't feel it? You are able to still feel. I only had to push 3 times to get baby out. I felt like I was in control. Your brain is still able to tell your body what to do even though it's numb. I also could still kinda feel it just wasn't painful.
5. How long did it take to wear off? Shortly after not sure of time
6. Did you feel like it interfered with your ability to feel present and participant in your birth experience? Other than the numbness did you experience any other side effects? No I was there and present. No other side effects.
2. At what point in your labor did you get it/request it? How long after that did you receive it? And did you have only pain management or also meds to induce? I was about 7cm when I finally gave in. I was incredibly dehydrated and had zero energy. I felt like I wanted to pass out from the pain and from being exhausted, but the pain kept me awake. My contractions were right on top of the next one and I didn't have longer than a few seconds between each one to relax. It was awful. I realized I wouldn't have enough energy in the end to push so I got the epidural so I could rest and relax. I think it only took about 20 min for the anesthesiologist to come to the room. He was phenomenal. I didn't have meds to induce labor. My water broke at 5:45am and son was born at 7:08pm.
3. What did it feel like when it was administered, and were you having contractions at the time? I keep hearing stories about how you have to stay absolutely still...tough when you are laboring I am assuming! The doc who did the administering was spot on. I'm not going to lie I was worried about the epidural due to horror stories I've heard of women who had lasting effects from the epi. Also, my husband had his colon removed 5 years ago and they gave him an epidural. It didn't work at all and he was in so much pain. My biggest fear was the epidural not working and then having side effects, making the whole thing not worth it. However, everything went ok and I felt the pain relief almost immediately. It started in my feet and worked its way up. Yes, I was having contractions when they were putting it in and staying still was tough as hell. Both the nurse and my husband had to hold me up and keep me still and all I could do was breathe through the pain. After the epidural was in and the fluids were pushed to get me hydrated, I was zonked!
4. What was pushing like being numb from the waist down, were you able to push and help in your labor or did you feel like it was out of your control because you couldn't feel it? Luckily for me, I had just enough of the epidural to still feel my son being pulled out. It was perfect because I didn't feel the pain, but could still kind of sort feel each contraction. The nurse was looking at the monitor to see when my contraction was coming and I told her she didn't have to because I could still feel it. Regardless of drugs or not, you have to push. If you feel absolutely nothing, they'll tell you when to push as they can see it on the monitor.
5. How long did it take to wear off? Like someone else mentioned, things got a little fuzzy in the end. After everything is said and done, there's so much happening that it's hard to remember these types of details. For me it was extra crazy since they laid my son on my chest, he was crying, and then they took him after a bit to do their thing. He'd stopped crying and was turning blue, so they called the NICU team in. They realized he had trouble breathing, brought him over to me all wrapped up and swaddled, told me what was happening and that he needed to go to the NICU, I held him for 10 seconds while my husband snapped some shots, and then he was whisked away. So yeah, it was all a blur for me. I want to say after about an hour the nurses helped me up to go pee and my legs felt like jello. I think after about another 45 minutes or so I was finally able to go up to the NICU to see my son.
6. Did you feel like it interfered with your ability to feel present and participant in your birth experience? Other than the numbness did you experience any other side effects? Not at all. If anything it helped my birth experience because I was able to relax. I didn't have any side effects.
2. At what point in your labor did you get it/request it? How long after that did you receive it? And did you have only pain management or also meds to induce? I was stuck at about 4 cm for a few hours and was having horrible back labor. I honestly don't remember how long it took them to show up, maybe a half hour? I had been on pit for a couple hours. (I had gone in to be induced and my water broke after they did my initial check.)
3. What did it feel like when it was administered, and were you having contractions at the time? I keep hearing stories about how you have to stay absolutely still...tough when you are laboring I am assuming! Honestly, the contractions I had to stay still through were worse than the epidural administering pain. This doc has you lay on your side while he administers, which I think I preferred. Lots of breathing.
4. What was pushing like being numb from the waist down, were you able to push and help in your labor or did you feel like it was out of your control because you couldn't feel it? By the time they finished my epidural and checked me again I was at a 9 so it barely had time to set in before I started pushing. I pushed for 3 hours before we went for a c-section. I didn't feel pain, but I could feel pressure with each contraction. I pushed effectively enough that during my c-section they had issues getting DS's head out because it was stuck in my pelvis. A nice suction sound when he came out.
5. How long did it take to wear off? Definitely hazy here. A couple hours?
6. Did you feel like it interfered with your ability to feel present and participant in your birth experience? Other than the numbness did you experience any other side effects? Not at all. My exhaustion interfered way more. No other side effects while I was laboring.
married to M since 6.13.09
T - 3.3.14
A - 2.24.17
2. I actually told them they could wait a bit, but they said they were about to start pitocin so I said let's do it. So pretty much right after I was settled in the hospital bed.
3. I was way more nervous than I needed to be. It was quick, the anesthesiologist was amazingly efficient. I believe they did it between contractions but I don't really remember.
4. Yes I was able to push even though I didn't feel it, my body started pushing for me and I just went with it.
5. Not long, don't know an exact time I was way too caught up in cuddling my baby
6. Not at all, if anything it helped me relax and be more present in the situation. No side effects.
2. At what point in your labor did you get it/request it? How long after that did you receive it? And did you have only pain management or also meds to induce? I was induced due to HBP and given Pit right away so they let me have my epidural about an hour after they broke my water. @sunshine507 We were told 4 cm minimum and I asked about that when the nurses asked if I wanted the epidural, that I thought there was a requirement and they said since I'm on Pitocin it's controlled so it wasn't an issue with them.
3. What did it feel like when it was administered, and were you having contractions at the time? I keep hearing stories about how you have to stay absolutely still...tough when you are laboring I am assuming! It felt like a bee sting, but only for a second. Maybe like getting your ears pierced? It really wasn't that bad. Plus, the anesthesiologist looked like Dr. McDreamy and he could have put whatever he wanted in my back. They let me lean on DH and tried to time it between contractions but didn't. This actually worked out better because my focus was on the contraction and not the needle. I was also given a narcotic initially to take the edge off so it wasn't like sitting still was too bad for me.
4. What was pushing like being numb from the waist down, were you able to push and help in your labor or did you feel like it was out of your control because you couldn't feel it? This is TMI but I could feel a warm rush of water every time I had a contraction, so I knew it was time to push. I felt pressure but not pain, and I believe they turned down the volume on it, so to speak, so I could still feel what was happening. She came out after 40 minutes of pushing, so it couldn't have hampered it that bad. Maybe if I didn't have the epi it would have been half the time or something, like using the pain to my advantage to push against. I'll never know, but I wouldn't have had it any other way.
5. How long did it take to wear off? I was standing within an hour.
6. Did you feel like it interfered with your ability to feel present and participant in your birth experience? Other than the numbness did you experience any other side effects? My legs felt tingly like a pleasant pins and needles, and I still had most of my muscle control. I never felt like it took away from it, and I got to sleep through part of it which was wonderful.
@hippiemama advice noted! Maybe I should ask an hour before its actually needed so by the time they get to me it will have worked out just right haha. I will go in hoping for one but not planning my whole experience around it
Me 28 DH 28 Married 2012
TTC #1 since March 2015
Metformin + Femara + Gonal F + Trigger = BFP 6/24/16
EDD 3/3/17
Found out it's a girl! 9/23/16
2. At what point in your labor did you get it/request it? How long after that did you receive it? And did you have only pain management or also meds to induce? I think I received it about 4.5 hours into confirmed labor, but I definitely wanted it much sooner. I went into preterm labor with broken water so I did have to have Pitocin. DS ended up crashing in utero so I had a stat c/s that probably had nothing to do with either intervention.
3. What did it feel like when it was administered, and were you having contractions at the time? There was a little pin prick like getting numbed at the dentist. After that I didn't feel anything. Staying still was no big deal even though I still had contractions. Knowing that pain relief was coming made things very bearable.
4. What was pushing like being numb from the waist down, were you able to push and help in your labor or did you feel like it was out of your control because you couldn't feel it? Didn't push. Being numb was AMAZING! All of the pregnancy pain I suffered and labor pains were gone. I felt amazing for the first time in months. I still had great control of my legs and was able to move myself onto the OR table for my c/s.
5. How long did it take to wear off? My c/s was at 6:30 and I was up walking by 11pm or so. Not really sure when it wore off. I was heavily drugged up. Again, I felt amazing.
6. Did you feel like it interfered with your ability to feel present and participant in your birth experience? Other than the numbness did you experience any other side effects? Not at all! It made me feel MORE present and able to participate. I was in so much pain prior to that everything was blurry. No side effects.
1. Did you go into your birth knowing you wanted the epidural? Kind of. I had a major needle phobia prior to my pregnancy, but after taking (and failing) the 1-hour and 3-hour glucose tests and having to check my blood sugar 4x a day for about 9 weeks I got over it. My plan was to go as long as I could without it. I let my nurses know I wanted to be warned about the point of no return if possible.
2. At what point in your labor did you get it/request it? How long after that did you receive it? And did you have only pain management or also meds to induce? I labored for about five hours before I requested some meds. At first they gave me some meds through my IV, but they did nothing to curb the pain so I requested an epidural. I don't remember how long it took to get it, but I do remember asking what we were waiting for and the nurse said they were waiting on the anesthesiologist to arrive. My husband claims it happened pretty quickly.
3. What did it feel like when it was administered, and were you having contractions at the time? I was asked to sit on the side of the bed. My husband was asked to sit in a chair and help hold onto me along with a nurse. There was a tiny pinprick which was nothing compared to the pain of the contractions, then I felt nothing. After the epidural was in I had sweet relief! The nurses would ask how my contractions felt and I said, "What contractions?" Technically, I could feel a little bit of tensing up in my lower abdomen, but there was no pain whatsoever.
4. What was pushing like being numb from the waist down, were you able to push and help in your labor or did you feel like it was out of your control because you couldn't feel it? It was strange because I was able to feel pressure and knew when to push. I was afraid that the pain might get so bad that my epidural wouldn't work, so I hit the button to get an extra "hit" before I started pushing. My nurse said that might have numbed me too much and at first my pushes weren't productive. The nurse and my OB told me to put my chin in my chest and bear down when I felt contractions coming on. Eventually, it felt more natural to grab the rails on the side of the bed, throw my head back, and push during contractions. Those pushes were more productive and my son was born after a ten hour labor with two hours of pushing.
5. How long did it take to wear off? My son was born at 10:29pm and I believe the epidural had worn off within a few hours.
6. Did you feel like it interfered with your ability to feel present and participant in your birth experience? Other than the numbness did you experience any other side effects? Nope. I felt like it helped me have a better experience because I had a first degree tear that required one stitch through multiple layers of skin to repair. I was able to hold my son for skin-to-skin and focus on him and my husband without feeling anything going on during the repair.
For subsequent deliveries I plan on going as long as I can without the epidural again in the hopes that it helps my labor progress naturally. It's nice knowing that once the pain gets to be too much I can ask for an epidural and know that (barring any unusual circumstances) I'll get relief.
Me: 33 DH: 34
DS1: March 18, 2016
DS2: due June 7, 2018
I was hopeful I wouldn't need one, but was open to the idea of it.
2. At what point in your labor did you get it/request it? How long after that did you receive it? And did you have only pain management or also meds to induce?
I was induced due to pre-e, so they started me on magnesium sulfate and Cervidil at 4ish in the evening. The baby hadn't dropped and I wasn't dilated at all, so they said I probably wouldn't start feeling contractions until the next morning....That was inaccurate, I started having contractions every 3 minutes at 6, and by 10 I was asking for something. They started me on an IV pain med, but it wasn't lasting long enough, so I couldn't have another dose for about 2 hours after it was wearing off. They ended up taking the Cervidil out about 4 hours early because I dilated so fast, and they started Pitocin around 6AM. By 7:30 I decided it was time for an epidural.
3. What did it feel like when it was administered, and were you having contractions at the time? I keep hearing stories about how you have to stay absolutely still...tough when you are laboring I am assuming!
I didn't feel much, they numbed the area with a smaller needle first (with wasn't super comfortable, but compared to the contractions, it didn't seem so bad). After that I mostly felt pressure, and something warm on my back when he brought the needle out, because he had nicked a blood vessel, so I had a teeny bit of bleeding. The hardest part was staying still, because when he was actually putting it in I was in the middle of a contraction, but DH put some pressure on my shoulders and upper arms to kind of stabilize my upper body so I wouldn't move, and I just focused on breathing.
4. What was pushing like being numb from the waist down, were you able to push and help in your labor or did you feel like it was out of your control because you couldn't feel it?
In my hospital they only give you an hour or two worth at a time, because they want you to be able to feel to push. My epidural wore off several times, and the anesthesiologist came back and gave me more He was stuck in a surgery at one point and was the only one on call that day, so I had a couple hours that I couldn't have it, but before he went into the next surgery he and my OB got together and made a plan so my OB could give it to me if it got really bad. Once I was getting to pushing time, they didn't give me any more until after I delivered, then he came back and gave me about 45 minutes worth for while I was getting stitched up (2nd degree tearing). They were pretty accurate with it, because I found I would start feeling pain again at pretty much exactly the time they said it would be time for more.
5. How long did it take to wear off?
It is a little hard to say how long it took to completely wear off because of the magnesium sulfate. I know that I started feeling things pretty close to the time they said it would (about 45 minutes after my last dose), but my legs were really wobbly under me for a while. When I got up to walk to the bathroom it felt like my legs were jello. I will say it improved somewhat in the first hour or so, but it still wasn't great until they got me off the magnesium sulfate the next morning.
6. Did you feel like it interfered with your ability to feel present and participant in your birth experience? Other than the numbness did you experience any other side effects?
No, if anything it let me rest enough through the contractions so that I wasn't quite so tired when it was time to push. I think all of the major side effects I was feeling were actually related to the other meds they had me on.
Yes.
2. At what point in your labor did you get it/request it? How long after that did you receive it? And did you have only pain management or also meds to induce?
I got induced about 10:00 at night with Cytotec and it worked fast. The doc came into check me at 7:00 and she accidentally broke my water when she was trying to put a monitor on the baby. So after that the contractions got a lot worse and I asked for the epidural right away. I think he was there in about 20 minutes to administer it.
3. What did it feel like when it was administered, and were you having contractions at the time? I keep hearing stories about how you have to stay absolutely still...tough when you are laboring I am assuming!
It didn't hurt but I do remember getting very nauseated from him putting it in. He was great and explained everything step by step as he was doing it. I think this is great for the anesthesiologist to do because some women have a "shock" like feeling shoot down one side (Which is normal) but if they don't warn you, you might jump (happened to my SIL).
4. What was pushing like being numb from the waist down, were you able to push and help in your labor or did you feel like it was out of your control because you couldn't feel it?
I could still feel when I was contracting, but it felt almost like a braxton hicks contraction. No pain with it. I could still lift my legs (very slightly and the felt very heavy, dont get me wrong, I still could walk or anything but just could still move a little bit) and everything but there was no pain.
5. How long did it take to wear off?
I dont think it took too long, maybe a couple hours until it fully wore off. I know the nurses help you walk to the bathroom and what not a couple times after it is done.
6. Did you feel like it interfered with your ability to feel present and participant in your birth experience? Other than the numbness did you experience any other side effects?
It did not interfere at all with my birth experience. I only pushed for less then 30 minutes. I could feel when I needed to and everything. I did have a very strange side effect after the epidural wore off. I could not stop itching everything, especially my face and i kept doing it and I wouldnt be aware of it happening so I would get told to stop by the nurses/ husband a lot. but I think that stopped by the end of the day.