I went totally med-free with Eloise's birth because I am so scared of getting an epi and the affects epi's can have on recovery/labor progression. I am not opposed to them for other people, I am just scared of them for myself. BUT, my medical team is really urging me to consider one for this delivery. I tore the crap out of my cervix w/ Eloise, hemmoraged and developed a hematoma. Recovery was awful. They think if I have an epi I will be more in control of pushing during labor and should I rip again, they can wisk me to the OR and do a proper repair quickly. Obviously, I will get the epi if it is truly medically neccessary but I am still REALLY scared of them. I've heard so many horror stories. Please share yours with me! I want the good, bad, and ugly on epi's! Knowledge is empowering, right? Thank you!
Re: Share your epidural experiance, please!
I had an epi with a c/s, so I may not be as helpful as others who have had a vaginal birth.
The epi itself was easy peasy. The most uncomfortable part for me, was the local anesthesia before the epi. It sent a weird shooting pain up my back, but then it was over.
Good luck with everything!
I had one with G but not with Winnie. I was in a ton of pain by the time I got it and was just praying for relief. I had no negative side effects. I didn't like being confined to bed but that was the only thing.
GOOD LUCK!
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I had an epidural put in when they started to *think* we may need a c-section (not related to labor, but due to infection/fever/baby in distress), I was 5-6cm when it went in.
No complications from the epidural and wasn't that big of a deal for me to have put in (not nearly as painful as labor, then felt easy peasy afterward). You can talk to your OB about potential complications, but while you hear about them a lot I don't think they are statistically all that common.
I think you know both my experiences!
With logan it did slow my labor down. With Dylan it was all too fast to get one.
If you want the epi, you better be in the hospital when you go into labor. You were so fast with Eloise! I can't imagine this time...
I had one with DS. I was induced and had gotten about 3 cm dialated and they offered it to me. I was not in too much pain, but they said if I wait I may be SOL.
I got it, it didn't urt going in and it gave me enough numbness to help through pusing DS out and stitching me up (I had a 3rd degree tear), but I could feel the contractions on one side, and knew when to push.
I had no adverse feelings from recovery.
ETA: I am planning on getting one with this one on the way.
I had two Epi's. My first I received at 9.5 cm dilated (yup, about to deliver) so that slowed down the labor and I ended up delivering 7 or 8 hours after I received the shot. The doctor approved it that late because DD was stuck so even though I was so close to delivering, they had incubator and shots ready etc, DD just wasn't dropping. I didn't feel the shot at all. My only "side effect" was for a few days afterward one of my butt cheeks was numb. Like I had sat on it wrong and it fell asleep. I first thought it was because I was laying in hospital bed for a couple of days but when I got home and was walking around I still felt it. It wasn't debilitating at all and it went away before a week.
My 2nd was with DS, no complications. Got it at 7.5cm I believe. I have really long labors so I'd been laboring for 19 hours by then. Didn't feel the shot at all, they were able to turn it down before I delivered so I really did feel things down there as I delivered. I felt the ring of fire (maybe not as extreme as natural labor, don't know) but when I experienced it I was like oh this is what they're talking about. I was up and running fine afterward. Maybe only side effect was as I was pushing my legs were a little shakey but that's it, nothing long lasting and I was checked out of the hospital 28 hours after I delivered. And walking to the park as well as children's discovery museum within 3-4 days after DS was born.
Intreasting that they think an epi would give you more control while pushing. I know many Drs turn it off/down so the woman can feel the push and doesn't push through the pain. I wonder what the logic is behind thier thinking?
Mine was fine, but I do have a spot in my back that aches when it gets cold beacuse of it. If we were to have a second child I would want to try to go med free because it bugs the crap out of me sometimes.
I wanted to go drug-free, but was induced. After 12 hours on pitocin, I wanted the epi.
So, I got the epi, and it made my legs comfortably numb, but I still felt all the contractions. They waited 30 minutes to let it "take effect" but it didn't affect the contractions at all, so they did ANOTHER epi.
This worked, and I could no longer feel the contractions. But I could also not move my legs at all. People had to help me turn over or move in any way. At the time, I was fine with this though, as I was feeling no pain for the first time in a long time and I was able to get a bit of rest while I finished dilating.
When it came time to start pushing, I still had no feeling down there. I had to have other people help me hold my legs up, as I still couldn't control their movement. They had to look at the monitors and tell me when a contraction was coming and when to push. All told, I pushed for 1.5 hours, and as the epis wore off, I'd say I was able to feel when a contraction was coming on for maybe about the last 30 minutes of it. But I really don't remember pushing hurting at ALL; I was still that numb from both epis.
It all wore off eventually, and I had no negative side effects. I still would like a drug-free birth, but if I had to do pitocin again, I think I would do the epi again. Hopefully I would only need one though!
I had an epidural around 8cm. It didn't really hurt at all going in, but for me, it didn't work. I still felt everything. They moved it around and got it working some, but basically my right thigh was COMPLETELY numb and all of the pain felt like it was centered in my left hip. I had a really bad tear and the dr had to shoot me up with lidocaine to do the repairs. I'm not sure what I'm going to do this time. I'm hoping it was a fluke and the epidural will work this time...but on the other hand, after that, I really think I could go natural...guess we'll see when the time comes!
I was apparently a very motivated pusher! I only pushed through maybe 5 contractions and I broke all the cappilaries (sp?) in my face, eyes, neck, chest, and shoulders. They think if I cannot feel the urge to push as strongly then I will be more apt to follow directions in terms of stopping when they say, etc. Also, if I tear again, they want to be able to get me to an OR quickly to sew me up.
I you Mrs.C
I you Mrs.C
Got the epi and it was pretty painless, really a non-event. No complications during L&D.
My water broke less 30 min later...I was pushing an hour after that... and baby was out 40 min after that. The nurses thought that the epi finally relaxed me and let my body do its thing. It was the complete opposite of what everyone told me (stalling etc).
Mrs.Wubbin - I think you'll enjoy this part. My only complication was that right after I deliever only one single mom/baby room was left. About 3 others had delivered after me, and my nurse came by and said if I wanted my own room, we need to move.... NOW. So on this *people mover* I went... Bent over forward and holding on tight as I was quickly wheeled down L&D halls... with my giant gauze panties hanging out the back.
Everything was totally worth it. I'd do it all over again, even the people mover.
Oooh! I kind of want a people mover! You know I love a dramtic exit!
Thank you for sharing your experiances, everyone! I think I could brave an epi if it becomes neccessary (and I am there in time, which is a whole other bag of issues)!
lol! totally this!
I went in for an induction just after 38 weeks due to high blood pressure. Luckily I was already 3cm and pretty effaced so the induction went smoothly. I held off on the epi until after they broke my water. I got the epi around 10pm and delivered at 7:55 the next morning.
The only negative was that it didn't work right away so he ended up having to give a rather large dose. I spent the rest of my delivery completely numb from the waist down until a few hours after they removed it. That was definitely a weird sensation. But I'll take the feeling of not being able to move over the intense pain I was having any day.
Oh, also it worked so well that when they were ready deliver I was having trouble feeling the contractions so they ended up having me labor down (took the medicine away and made me sit up so I could feel them) before they would let me push. Obviously this was ultimately better for me because I knew when to push, but it also meant my delivery wasn't completely pain free.
Speaking as someone who is absolutely terrified by needles in the spine (not needles...just ones in the spine) and who STILL cringes and gets the heebee geebees everytime I think about the process of an epi....it was the easiest experience and was one of the best choices I made.
There is NO way I could have done the vaginal birth without it because I couldnt get beyond the hip pain I was suffering. I couldn't move, I couldn't do anything because my hip went out completely on me and was WAY worse than the labor pain for me. So the epi took a HUGE majority of my hip pain away and I was able to get my brain back in the game and I was able to have my 9 pound 4.5 oz little guy vaginally with 6 hours of pushing.
Back to the epi.
The nurse let me hold her and bury my face in her sleeve and she just calmed me like you would calm a child by stroking my hair and telling me everything was going to be great. I was trembling. the doctor made sure to never let me see the needle (until after when I finally braved a look at it) and he calmly explained everything to me before and walked me through some breathing before and during the proceedure.
I felt the smallest pinch with the initial numbing, and then when they did the epi I felt some light pressure and an odd discomfort (no pain, just it felt funny, like I wanted to rub the spot to figure it out). Then there was this wash of relief.
Then it was over.
It was so easy. I could still feel contractions, and I could still feel pain (but it is hard to describe, it was like soreness not pain)....I could still feel everything, but it was different, and good.
I am still terrified of them, but I would not hesitate to do it again if I ever needed to because it was so simple and there is no more terror over pain or process...just over the idea of needle to spine type of thing.
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EJ is growing up too fast!
I had an intrathecal with all 3 of mine (like an epidural but it's one shot to the spine and only lasts about 2 hours). I was still able to feel to push but I had no pain. I also had no side effects after delivery. I did have some IV drugs with my first baby and I don't recommend those at all. They made labor hellish and I very strongly feel they hindered BFing.
I'm very cautiously considering going natural with this baby. I have no regrets about using pain meds, but I guess I want to see if I can do it without. I'm going to read Ina May Gaskin's book to learn more.
My labor was progressing really quickly so I almost didn't get a chance to have an epi. I was 9 cm when they finally gave me one. It was pure bliss compared to the pains of the contractions. I thought my labor had stopped but to the contrary, she was coming really quickly. I went from cringing with contractions to joking, laughing and enjoying the experience. I still remember her birth as something so wonderful and that was due to having the epi. I recovered extremely quickly, was able to leave the hospital 24 hours after birth and didn't have any issues afterwards. I'll definitely go for one this time too. No horror stories here, it worked like a dream for me.
Mine went well. I also was scared to death to get an epidural, planned for med-free, etc, etc. wound up with an induction, then a fetal scalp monitor, after being up for over two days I just opted out and went with the epidural and then wound up with a C-section, so I was not planning on it, I also have scoliosis.
When I decided to do it, the anesthesiologist inserted the needle and I felt a jolt in my leg or foot or something I can't remember. he pulled back and reinserted (due to the scoli he had to aim slightly off center) and it was fine. I thought my legs would be numb and I would not be able to move them, but although they were tingly it was not bad at all. I could move just fine. They do a light epidural at Alta Bates where I gave birth. At one point my blood pressure was a little low and the anesthesiologist ran in and gave me an epinephrine type of drug to raise it which was a mistake, because my blood pressure was probably not low due ot the epidural and my doctor was a little pissed off he didn't ask her first. I was ok with it because I felt like he knows the drug and didn't want any problems but it made me pretty shaky. That's all, Of course I had to get the urine cath and then there is a longer recovery but I also had the surgery.
good luck, for my next baby if there is one, I will be doing elective c-section. I hope I get the same doctor, if I could only remember his name
They think you'll have more control with an epidural? I'm really trying hard to understand why they would tell you that. It makes almost no sense. The problem with an epidural generally, aside from the medical issues of lowering your natural oxytocin level, is that you can't always feel enough to know how you're pushing. It's very difficult to calibrate the strength of a push/nudge when you can't really feel what you're doing.
Not only is it more common to tear with an epidural, it's more common to have a more severe tear with an epidural. Conversely, a second time, non-medicated mom is considerably less likely to tear than she was the first time around. Professionally, that has been my experience, and personally that was my experience as well (medicated with Ryan I had a 2nd degree tear and several abrasions that weren't big enough for a stitch, unmedicated with Aaron I had no tears and no abrasions).
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I was hoping you would chime in, Celyn! What you said about epidurals was always my understanding too, which is why I was so surprised when the midwife I hope to be there for the delivery was advocating so strongly for an epi today. I really don't know what to do!
Looks like I'm the only one who had a bad experience, but if you're sure you want the bad stories too I will share...
With PG# 1 I had an epi after 24 hours of labor and 48 hours without sleep and being told that they needed to start pitocin since I wasn't progressing on my own. Just needed to rest and I got the rest I needed. I believe that the epi acturally helped me avoid a c-section because without the rest I don't think I would have made it through another 12 hours of labor and 3 hours of pushing. Eased the pain, but I could still feel some pain and knew when to push, etc. This is my good epi story.
And the bad. With PG #2 I had planned to try to go natural, but panicked at the last minute and made a rush decision to get the epi. I wish I hadn't. After the epi was removed, I got an epidural headache and was in excruciating pain for days unless I was laying flat on my back - which was impossible with a bfing newborn and a 2 year old who wanted his mommy. I had two epidural blood patches (they do another epi putting your own blood into your spine to clot over the hole created by the first epi) to try to treat the headache, but both failed within 12 hours of receiving them. I was in the ER with a 3 day old in so much pain I couldn't stand up. Breastfeeding was horrible, I couldn't snuggle my toddler. It was rough. The bad pain lasted about 5 days before it gradually tapered off. The headache lasted about three weeks total. I will never have an epi again, but I know my experience is the minority.
I had an epidural with both my boys, and I would consider both experiences very positive. In fact, when I was in labor with Baby Two, I kept saying to myself, "You're getting closer to the epidural, you're getting closer to the epidural..."
That being said, the two experiences were fairly different, and epi 2 was not as effective as the first time around. On the other hand, it certainly didn't slow or delay my labor like epi 1 did. Everyone will respond differently, of course, but for me, contractions for Baby Two were much more intense and close together and quick, so I was still feeling pain, even with the epi (though not as much as I was before I got the epidural.) I was able to feel the pushing a little more distinctly than I did the first time, and I did appreciate being able to feel when Noah was actually born, so in a way, the pain I felt the second time was sort of worth it.
I didn't have any noticeable side effects and even though it's a little bit of a pain not being able to get up and walk around for a few hours after the baby is born, I'd have the epidural again if I ended up having a third.
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Looks like I'm one of the few that had a negative experience so I'll share so you have a well-rounded perspective :-)
With my first I went med-free. It was a long & painful labor, but totally worth it.
With T I ended up having to be induced. I still wanted to have as natural of a labor as possible, but after 16 hours on pitocin with almost no progression (I thought) I caved while my husband was out at lunch (turns out the hour that he was gone I went from a 3 to a 9 - if I knew this I wouldn't have gotten it. They didn't check before they gave it to me). I was scared but at that point I didn't really care anymore. Unfortunately I didn't take to it well and ended up getting violently sick for about 5 minutes. It calmed down then, but only numbed half my body. After an hour or so (baby wouldn't drop) we had the anesthesiologist come back to (I thought) adjust it but they ended up pushing through another dose. I couldn't feel my legs at all, couldn't move, and still felt the pain on one side of my body. The good part was that allowed me to know when to push, but I figured that with all the awfulness of puking & not being able to control my body I should at least be pain free. Oh, and I had to ride in the "people mover" to go to my recovery room. It was the funniest part of the whole thing. At the end of it all, I totally wish that I hadn't caved; the benefits didn't outweigh the negatives for me :-( Oh well. At least I didn't have any long term side effects :-) No plans for an epidural with the next one :-) Good luck with whatever you decide.
It didn't make a whole lot of sense to me either.
i had an epi w/ a vag delivery. i got it at about 3-4cm and it relieved a TON of the pain but i could still feel the pressure. the only part that hurt was when they inserted it (might have more to do w/ the TWO contractions i had while they were putting it in !). i had no side effects during L&D. i was able to feel my legs and i took my first steps about 30 mins after delivery.
i'd get an epi again in a heartbeat !
oh and i totally concurr w/ mrs. c's sentiments
First time, was told my labor was progressing too quickly to have an epi. However, baby was turned so they gave me an epi in hopes I could rest while he turned...no such luck. Looooooooong delivery- epi was a godsend.
Second time, another fast labor but wasn't giving birth without epi. Had a bad reaction, my blood pressure dropped, full body numbness...etc. Once I was okay, super fast and quick delivery.
Despite having a bad reaction the second time, I wouldn't give birth any other way. I signed the epi papers at about 23 weeks. Called L and D and asked to have one waiting for me. Of all the people in the delivery room, the epi doc was by far my favorite and most loved. The husband a distant second. I had no problems with recovery and was up and about shortly after birth both times. No longstanding issues.
I had planned a med free Bradley Birth but ended up being induced from no effacement or dilation. I made it to almost 5 cm on pitocin conractions and then got the epi. After the epi, I made it to 10cm in another 2 hours
It didn't work for me. But that was b/c Ellie was OP and BIG and was crushing my tailbone with every contraction. But I had no other complications, and it turned out to be good I had it when I did b/c after I pushed for 2+ hours I was rushed to emergency C-section.
~~ married 8.11.07
~~ DD1 1.16.11 ~~ DD2 1.3.14 ~~
~~ BFP3 12.22.15 MMC 2.29.16 @ 13 weeks ~~
~~ 2 D&Cs (3.1.16 and 3.10.16) for MMC
~~ BFP4 10.27.16 MMC 1.23.17 @ 16 weeks ~~ D&E 1.26.17 ~~
I had planned to go natural using the Bradley method. However, 24 hours into labor and searing hip pain complete with throwing up caused me to rethink it. Getting it put in was not painful for me. (At least relative to the pain in my hips.) Unfortunately, it slipped out and was doing nothing for me. It numbed my left leg, but did absolutely nothing for my contractions and hip pain. I had to lay on the bed for another 4 hours and endure the contractions with little physical means of relieving the pain, while waiting for an anesthesiologist to be available. It was horrid. I went through transition with only emotional and mental ways of coping. Once the 2nd epidural was done, it was the greatest relief ever and I fell asleep while they were doing it.
I did not tear, but I think that had more to do with my OB and her coaching/massaging. She is known for her magic fingers. LOL.