S/O to Carolinag's non c-section post

SpecialWife

If you had an epi, how would you describe the relief it gave you?

Do all epis work the same and they give you that little box of med. and you get to push a button for more?

rab41380

I have to brag that my epi was perfect!  It lasted exactly the right amount of time.  It wore off after I had DD and it was strong enough to allow me to have a pain free delievery for the most part.  I am not good with pain, so I needed it at 3 cm. 

 My best friend had epi and it did not work for her.  Hers wore off by the time it was time to have her daughter and she was not a happy camper!

carolinag

i loved my epi. made all the pain go away. however i was crazy itchy. it was really awful. but better than the alternative. 

however when c/s time came around and they gave me more meds i had a really bad reaction to it. i had the most excruciating pain in my neck and shoulders. i felt like i was dying. i also got the shakes really badly. 

Amy Schramm

I had an epi at 1 cm so I wasn't feeling pain before that. ?I had absolutely no interest in experiencing labor pains. ?

Mine had a button I'd push at set times or as needed. ??

krestel50704

I had an epi and still had to have a c-section. I had a button I could push whenever I needed some. My epi was also lopsided.  One side was more numb than the other side. The good thing is that if the epi had worked right I probably would have ended up bleeding to death if I'd had delivered naturally. So, I'm glad my epi didn't work they way it was suppose to.

nbjenni

carolinag:

i loved my epi. made all the pain go away. however i was crazy itchy. it was really awful. but better than the alternative. 

however when c/s time came around and they gave me more meds i had a really bad reaction to it. i had the most excruciating pain in my neck and shoulders. i felt like i was dying. i also got the shakes really badly. 

The pain meds they gave me made me itch and go nuts

BabyMenzel

i got my epi and leaned back after and then was told that it was time to push (in a matter of 5 mins i went from 7cm to 9.5cm) so my epi didn't really "kick in" until after i was done pushing. other than that i honestly don't remember what it was like

ali-1411

The first time the epi didn't work at all.  I felt everything, nothing was numb.

Second time around was much better.  Everything from the waist down just felt heavy and sleepy.  I had this odd sensation that I could move my legs if I wanted to....I just had no need to move them.  They put me on oxygen, too, which made me stoned.  Lots of fun  

ETA:  the epi provided instant relief with the second baby.  I went from sobbing in pain to laying there smiling and giggling in about 5 minutes. 

102503Natalie

I imagine the pain relief it gave me is equivalent to the relief you would feel after entering the gates of Heaven. It was nothing short of heavenly.  Truly amazing.  To go from that much pain to feeling absolutely nothing (well, you still feel a little bit of pressure), there are really no words to describe it. 

I had a very good experience with my epi and plan on getting another one with #2. 

goodtobethelarkster

It was good in that I didn't react negatively to the anaesthesia (sp?).  I basically only got it right before I started pushing.  I love the "drugged vag birth" badges people have because that's totally what it was like for me... It was like a giant shot of novacaine to my lady parts.  I could still feel stuff but it was just a lot less "OMG my crotch has a watermelon sized object ripping through it."  I realy liked that I could still feel the urge to push too.

SpecialWife

Thanks for sharing ladies. After reading your replies I'm thinking my epi didn't work that well. I took the edge off for a couple of hours but maybe I let it wear off or something because I didn't continue to push the button (I had it done 7 hours into my 16 hours of active labor).