speaking of an epidural

CanaryIsland629 · March 2011

I just googled it to learn more cause the thought of it freaks me out too.

I found the wikipedia page and I'm seeing that an epidural is a catheter?? is this the same epidural I will get?

It's not one shot in the spine and I'm good til baby comes??

Bugg22 · March 2011

Yes they insert a catheter type tube in your back and tape it down but you can't feel it and I even forgot it was there.

By doing this it allows you a 2nd dose if you need it (which I did) and you have a button that you can hit if you need a small dose. It allows you to control your pain managment.

The epidural isnt as scary as I had thought it would be with my DS. I didnt feel it going in... all I could feel were the contractions.... and I never felt the catheter.

Kdonn15 · March 2011

No it's a needle that inserts the tube into the spine (I believe) and that that "line" is where the medicine is directly inserted into the spine. I guess it's kind of like an IV to the spine??? Not sure exactly but that's how I interpret it........

CanaryIsland629 · March 2011

oh man!

my levels of fear just rose!

I'm sure your right, the epi won't be no where near as bad a labor pains! I can do it. thanks for the support!

laurasuzanne2006 · March 2011

they may insert it with a needle but only the catheter stays in

miaomi · March 2011

Don't worry about it, trust me. I have a HUGE fear of needles...like, I can't watch any doc show on tv or anything. If I even see a needle (like a pic) I feel faint and puke. However, once I was in the thick of labor and needed an epi, I was fine. You can't see what they are doing and the nurses and doc are amazing about helping you through it. My nurse actually had everyone (my mom, DH, doula, all other nurses) leave the room so it was just her and the doc. This actually helped me a lot because my labor wasn't going as planned and there were lots of complications. The stress level in the room was pretty high and she helped me to really focus and get through it.

Make sure you have a nurse you like and are comfortable with. If not, ask for a new nurse. It's your right and will make your experience so much better. Try not to stress too much, ok? It's really not bad and I didn't feel it at all.

grace_smith03 · March 2011

Believe me, between a needle in the mouth or a needle in the spine, I'll take the epidural every time, seriously. You feel a slight pinch, and then, ah!!! It's awesome. There are really no worries.

Kierasmommy09 · March 2011

KELSOSK:

oh man!

my levels of fear just rose!

I'm sure your right, the epi won't be no where near as bad a labor pains! I can do it. thanks for the support!

All you feel is an iny tiny pinch and thats it.try not to let it scare you, it is awesome! lol

helenejr · March 2011

KELSOSK:

oh man!

my levels of fear just rose!

I'm sure your right, the epi won't be no where near as bad a labor pains! I can do it. thanks for the support!

yep it just intesified my fear too - here's hoping i can get through med and complication free so i don't have to do this!!!!

abell77 · March 2011

It scares me too, which is one of the reasons I decided to go natural and plan to do so again this time. I did not respond to this post to get preachy at all, so I hope it doesn't come across that way, but if you are at all hesitant, I would encourage you to learn more about natural childbirth techniques and at least consider it. We were successful with bradley method, but I know others who like hypnobabies.

good luck.

water-fairy · March 2011

the catheter stays in as the anesthetic constantly flows in your body. they may even change the dose depending on how your body reacts but no worries, you won't feel a thing after the first injection!

and speaking of catheters, the worst one goes in the nether regions... I hated when that came out and started to pee on my own.

jetskreemr · March 2011

I was terrified before I got an epi last time as well, but all I can say is there really was nothing to be afraid of. The person who described it as an IV into your back was right, that's all it is. When you hear it's a "catheter", just know that it is very small and thin, they use a needle to insert it, so it's not this huge tube in your back. The most pain you will feel is the initial pinch of the shot they give you to numb the area before putting it in. And yes, they tape it down really well, so you don't feel a thing back there at all. Then they gave me a little controller box, so I was able to turn up the amount of medicine if I wanted. It really was nothing to be afraid of! I also hate needles, but it really was worth it to me, and it is at the top of my "what I want during labor" list this time!

Tomkat8403 · March 2011

They insert a tiny hollow needle into the base of your spine in the hollow space between your vertebrae. Once the needle is in place the feed the catheter through it and into your back. My husband said it was the smallest, thinnest little tube he'd ever seen in his life.

The catheter is then taped to your back....basically your entire back will be taped up from top to bottom. And the catheter is hooked up to a machine that willd eliver continuous medicine. (you usually get a little handheld device you can click to deliver more medicine when you need it)

You can't feel it once it's in and the catheter isn't going anywhere because they tape it up so tightly to your back.

And compared to the pain of labor, it's nothing. I promise. You'll most likely be counting the seconds to your next contraction and begging for relief so you'll barely feel a thing.

ohfour · March 2011

water-fairy:
the catheter stays in as the anesthetic constantly flows in your body. they may even change the dose depending on how your body reacts but no worries, you won't feel a thing after the first injection!
and speaking of catheters, the worst one goes in the nether regions... I hated when that came out and started to pee on my own.

My epi didn't work so I felt everything when the nurse put the urine catheter in, and man it hurt!

When DD was sick in the hospital they had to do a straight cath on her and it was the worst thing to watch because I remembered how it hurt ME. She bled, and was screaming I could cry now just thinking about it.

belladonna11307 · March 2011

Question for those who have had one in the past...after getting the epidural are you pretty much stuck in your bed or does it depend on different factors? Or did you wait until you were so near delivery that getting up was the last thing on your mind? I'm planning on going without it, but trying to keep an open mind in case I can't take the pain.

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