Question for those who had an epidural

mrsnaldjian

Did you feel any part of labor or delivery?  I'm wondering bc when I first got the epi I didn't feel anything but about the last couple of hours of labor and all through the pushing I felt pretty much everything and it was so painful.  I tried pushing the button to give me more and asked the nurse what was wrong and she said she couldn't give me anymore.  I was never really given an answer as to whether or not that was normal.  I was thinking I wouldn't feel anything with the epi so I'm just curious.

jhenry1204

I felt my entire 25 hours of labor.  I had the drip, and it failed.  They finally decided it was time for an emergency c-section so they gave me the shot.  Within two minutes I went from telling them to get the spawn of satan out of me to complete painless bliss!

PAIrishBride

I got my epi at 12:30 and she was born at 2:53 so I didn't have it that long and I didn't feel any of my pushing, but I did feel extreme pressure before I started pushing.

goteamgo

I felt nothing (I didn't have a button to push on mine)- but I think mine was a little too strong. I couldn't feel when to push- they had to tell me- and didn't fell my legs for a few hours afterward. Still, no complaints.

bekahsch23

Interesting. I didnt get the epi until after 30 hours of intense labor. I had my baby 5 hours after I got the epi. I felt zero pain. They told me to lift my legs and I was like "where are my legs?". I'm not sure if it was bc i just got the epi or what but i hardly had any sensation. 

itkatydid@gmail.com

I felt my labor before I got the epi but my labor was fast. I was only in labor for 7 hours and for 5 of them I had the epi. I didn't feel really any pain after it kicked in. I felt pressure and I know they turned my epi off at the end but I went fast enough that it didn't make much of a difference.

Sorry you went through that extra pain. I have heard they are really hit or miss- either they work too well (as in no pressure, ability to move legs or anything), they are just right or they don't work at all. I've also heard of women who they work on only one side of their body.

jnthurston

I only felt pressure during pushing and that is it!

redhotchili83

Mine was super strong.  I got it at 2:30 am, and then needed a top off about 2:00pm the next day.  After 2 hours of pushing, I started to feel some stuff, but nothing horrific.  I had a great experience personally.

Novem06

I never had a button to push.  My epi worked for 3 hours.  From 10:30 on I felt everything...DS was born at 12:48

mbgreenwalt

Mine was amazing.  I couldn't feel any of my contractions until they broke my water then I requested the epi at 4:00pm.  I didn't feel any of the contractions at all after that.  I started pushing at 8pm and the nurse had to decrease the drip to half because I couldn't feel what I was doing.  I had control of my legs and could feel the pressure of the contractions, but zero pain.  I pushed for 3.5 hours and had to heve the doctors manually turning her head because her face was transverse.  If I could have felt that pain it would have been the worst thing ever for me.

LRBuchanan

I got my epidural at 12:30pm (2 cm) and delivered at 3:52pm. I didn't feel A THING! Well I felt pressure, so I knew when to push, but absolutely no pain! My OB kept talking about what a great epidural I had. I didn't even know I tore until he was stitching me up. I was able to get up and take a shower within a few hours. I completely underestimated the pain of natural labor. My biggest fear now is having a 2nd child and a failed epi.

Jerseygirl16

My first delivery I got the epidural and it was great.  No pain at all (but I did lose feeling in my legs).

Second time it only took on one side.  They kept increasing the dose and wound up crashing my blood pressure so it had to be turned down.  Even so I lost feeling inmy legs again and it wasn't terrible pain during delivery.

The third time I had the worst experience.  DS came so fast.  I woke at 1:30am with contractions that were regular and about 3 minutes apart.  Rushed to the hospital and was there by 2:15.  They had to wake the doctor and couldn't start my IV until he came to check me and decide I could be admitted.  That happened around 3:15 am.  I was at 7cm so they admitted me and started everything.  Around 3:45am I started IV fluids and needed a full bag in before they could give me the epidural.  The epidural was finally administered around 4:40 and DS was born at 4:58 so I never had time for it to work.  I felt EVERYTHING. 

 

 

terrahill09

I got it after he broke my water, and afterwards I could only feel my stomach tightening..until after two hous of pushing, I felt her coming out...which wasnt painful but I did feel him using the vaccum and stitching me up and it kinda hurt but I could tell it would have been a lot more painful if I hadnt had it. I was very happy with mine overall.

honeybee111

I had a similar experience to you.  I didn't feel a thing for the first hour after I had the epi.  Then, I started feeling the contractions again, and within the second hour, I was in so much pain, I was pushing the button to up the dosage.  I kept setting off the alarm because I kept hitting the limit.  A little pain was ok, and I think it actually helped me with the pushing, but towards the end, it just got worse and worse.  I ended up with a c-section, so they gave me a spinal which totally knocked out any sort of feeling from chest down.  The nurses kept asking DH if I had pitocin(which I didn't) because my contractions were so strong/close together.

ach99

I got mine as soon as I got to the hospital b/c my water had broke. It was wonderful. I didn't feel a thing. I actually held out for a little while and didn't push the button until the very last min. before I started to push and they turned the epi off. So I was all numb. I could feel the pressure enough to know when to push but I had no pain what so ever. 

qtjess1110

My epi with my first was horrible, I had way to much. I didnt feel nothing, couldnt tell when to push nothing it was really hard. I was also numb for hours after terrible. With my sec the epi was good it took the edge off but I felt everything everything. I remember thinking omg it didnt even work why did I get it. But I rather have some feelings so I knew when to push the baby and I have to say my second came out much faster.

Kingston54

I didn't feel anything!

proudarmywife08

I couldn't feel the pain of contractions but when I was fully dilated I could feel the pressure and urge to push. I could also feel everything as DS came out, but no pain.

myonetruelove

proudarmywife08:

I couldn't feel the pain of contractions but when I was fully dilated I could feel the pressure and urge to push. I could also feel everything as DS came out, but no pain.

Ditto this. They administered the epi around 5ish and I gave birth at 10:25. I think by the time I gave birth it had gone away. I had a button, but it would have been too late to push it. I think it takes a while to get through your system.

NiniJ55

I felt it towards the end too.  Even the anethesialogist (bad spelling I am sure) came back to top me off but it just did not work out for some reason.  I felt everything.

aocain02@yahoo.com

I was trying to go natural so I didn't get my epi until I was 8 cm and crying.  My nurse was the best and had them hold up a c-section so I could get it.  Anyway, I had it for maybe an hour, an hour and a half before DS was born and didn't feel anything. 

SMA!

My epi left a "window" over the left side of my pelvis.  I could feel everything that happened in that 2 inch by 2 inch area.  This wasn't that big a deal for most of the labor and I was pretty comfy as I progressed from 4 inches to 10.  But LO was transverse and as she descended her shoulder was jammed against the area that wasn't covered.  I went from being fairly cooperative to screaming bloody murder - I practically kicked the nurse that was holding up my left leg.  Once LO dislodged her little body, I could still feel that area but it didn't unleash the explicative leaden tirades that came out of my mouth while she was jammed.

adriennevla

I felt *some* of the contractions, but I was on Pitocin, baby was sunny-side up and descending towards my right hip for a while, until I labored on all fours and wiggled around, after which he turned and started heading down the right way (and I went from 4 cm to 10 in under a half hour, whee).  The worst of the contractions were relieved by the epidural, however. 

I also felt all of the pushing.  There is a limit on the little button thing so that you can't overdo the dosing, and I was told it was a 10 or 15 minute interval where it locks you out of giving yourself more.  Maybe your machine was different.

Honestly, the pushing was nothing compared to the horrifying contractions I was getting with the Pitocin, so I didn't mind it all that much, and I think that if I hadn't been able to feel it all, I'd have pushed a lot longer, which would have been bad since his heart rate went down quite a bit towards the end there.