Walking epidural vs. normal epidural?

Malorie86

If you have experience with both, which would you recommend and why? What were the differences/ pros & cons?

~CoCo~

I thought I remembered my childbirth class instructor saying there is no such thing as a "walking epidural", and that an epi is an epi. I suppose it's dose-dependent though.

I got an epidural at 8cm, and was able to move my body/legs without problem. If anything, I'd say I felt a little heavier than usual, but I am pretty sure I'd have been able to walk if I'd needed to. Who knows though...

<edit> Epi was turned off before DD crowned. I pushed for less than two hours total, and within 45mins after DD's delivery I was up to go pee. Felt no after-effects from the epi at that time.

Future Mrs.Grabowski

I've never heard of a walking epi but I got mine at 5cm and I could move my feet the whole time....I was able to walk about 2 or 3 hours after I had DD (I want to say I got it at noon and she was born at 2:20.)

Kentuckychick_8201

I don't even know what a walking epidural is, my OB nor the hospital never mentioned this to me.  I was 4cm when I got to the hospital (my water broke at 38 weeks and 1 day.)  I got my epi within 1 hour of arriving at the hospital.  I then labored for about 12 more hours.  Within 20 minutes of receiving the epi I couldn't move my right leg.  There is no way in hell I would have been able to walk.  That being said I didn't give a Sh!t.  I got to lay in bed for 12 hours in absolutely no pain, and not even have to get up to pee.  Even during 2 hours of pushing I felt no pain.  Moral of the story: I had the world's greatest epi.  Unless you are planning to try and go natural and or really just want to move around (which you probably won't once you experience labor pains) you'll want whatever freaking epi is available.