STMs, did your epi hurt?

angelsnight · August 2013

Getting my epi HURT, the poke and burn, while quick was quite painful and then I kept getting shooting pains down each side of my body, like through my sides and hips until she was done and then I was fine.

But I keep hearing from people who say their epi didn't hurt at all. What the heck, why did mine hurt? I generally have a pretty high pain tolerance but I'd call that pretty damn bad. I have to get one in a few weeks when I have my cerclage put in and I'm nervous to have that pain again. Silly I know, there are much more painful things in my future but I'm really kind of stressing about it.

TradeMama · August 2013

My first two didn't, the third hurt like hell.

ETA: I have a high pain threshold and cried like a baby with that last one.

jh&kh · August 2013

Nope, just felt like a bee sting and then nothing. The spot was sore for about a week after but more of just like a bruised feeling.

britglenn9 · August 2013

Mine was much less painful than I expected, I was pleasantly surprised. Hopefully this one will go well for you!!!

KariB509 · August 2013

I was in so much pain from the contractions that I didn't feel anything from the epi, just the sweet relief that shortly followed!!

katykatykaty · August 2013

I was in so much pain by the time that I got mine that I didn't really notice it. I'm nervous about getting it next time because I'll be doing it right before a scheduled c-section and won't be having contractions to distract me.

MaybeBabyMama · August 2013

No pain here. I was on stadol while they put it in which helped calm me because at this point I was shaking and throwing up and had just had four failed IV attempts. I was pretty much floating the whole time the epi went in.

ChristineRich06 · August 2013

my first was like getting a shot not bad but not great fun when already crying from pitocin filled contractions. I felt great and totally numb right after though. My second felt the same except I could still move my legs with a crappy pins and needles feeling. It wore off right before DD was born. My dr claimed I was only 8 cm so had them come do another one. I was screaming that I had to push while the needle was still in my back. They yelled at me that I was fine, finally a nurse looked & said "nope, that's the head. Get the needle out her body is pushing involuntarily" Last second natural childbirth was not my idea of fun. Now I'm not sure what I will do this time.

bumpuser9058414 · August 2013

No pain here either. I got two shots of morphine in my butt the night before and that hurt a lot more.

Alishapower77 · August 2013

Mine didn't hurt but three yrs. later the spot that they put it in bothers me.

matthew24 · August 2013

SuheyF1983 said:

Nope it didn't hurt. Those damn contractions hurt like HELL

Omg...so THIS. I was in serious pain and had two failed epidural then a spinal while sitting on a birthing ball, lol. Compared to the contractions that was nothing.

mamamia866 · August 2013

I had four cortisone shots in my lumbar disc and if epis are anything like that, I'm pretty excited because they weren't bad at all.

ajdmama · August 2013

I didn't feel mine at all. My anesthesiologist is truly an angel doctor, I love(d) her so much. Seriously might have named my kid after her but we had a boy lol.

bunniekrissy · August 2013

Yes, it hurt, but the worst part was having to stay still through a contraction while they put it in.

karacakes98 · August 2013

The numbing shot hurt for a split second, but I didn't feel anything after that.

amandapthompson · August 2013

My contractions weren't strong when I got mine but the anesthesiologist was going to be busy the rest of the night so they told me now or never. It felt like a bee sting when I got the actual epi but for like 2 weeks later my back hurt in that spot and I had problems with one of my legs like giving out when I was walking. Scary! And just the other day I felt like I was bruised in the spot where I had my epi.

memali26 · August 2013

Nope. Getting the epis didn't hurt at all. Getting blood drawn actually hurts more, IME. What did hurt was the back labor and ring of fire after the epi failed during my second labor :S

smchik · August 2013

Mine didn't hurt at all. I don't even remember feeling it. But I also got it after being induced with a crib thing for 12 hours and then having contractions for about 15 hours. Nothing hurt after that.

But I have had friends who had pain with theirs.

ring_pop · August 2013

They warned me about the poke and burn and that's exactly what I felt. Nothing much after that, though. And heck, after labouring to 9cm I didn't care anymore lol.

huskymomma94 · August 2013

Mine HURT going in. The pain/pop when it went in made me jump. After it was in I was fine but I still shudder thinking about it.

OurJellybean · August 2013

It hurt! It took 3-4 attempts to get it and even then I was half froze. The contractions were a million times worse tho lol

MA&CB · August 2013

I was in a back labor and nubain induced daze by the time I got the epidural, so I don't remember it hurting at all...I mostly just remember the relief after!

flows912 · August 2013

Nope. I didn't notice any pain when it was going in. Although I do remember the contraction I was having while it was going in.

AlwaysSunny08 · August 2013

My contractions were so painful so I didn't even feel it. I was only focused on staying still!

DianeW52512 · August 2013

I am just terrified of the whole thing- contractions, labor, epi! I better get over this quickly. I'm thinking about taking a hypnobirth class to help with relaxation techniques....because I'm a nut case about this already.

monkeybutt61612 · August 2013

Mine did not hurt either. They did have to do it twice though. That sucked.

NortyLeigh · August 2013

I am a HUGE wuss when it comes to pain and my epi didn't hurt. I threw up while getting it but it was because I mentally panic when it comes to shots and blood. I had a mole taken off of my shoulder in high school. It was already numbed and cut off when I looked at the BANDAID covering my shoulder and passed out. Seriously, if I can get an epi and have a baby, anyone can!

Lollirot · August 2013

I had my DS at a teaching hospital and the tech asked if I wouldn't mind having a student do the epi instead. I said yes because I understood that it would help with the whole learning process.

But I had forgotten that years earlier I was told I have slight scoliosis. This poor student had such a hard time doing the epi because of it. He kept trying to go in and would end up having to take it back out and try again. This went on for a good 10 to 15 minutes(while I'm having some pretty bad contractions). He finally ended up getting it in, but because of the scoliosis, it only numbed my right side. That was an odd feeling. Being numb on my right side, but feeling everything on my left. lol

kkranberry · August 2013

My doc wanted me to get one to see if it would help ds move down I to the birth canal so I agreed ( this was after many hours of labor). They tried 4 times to place the epi! (And never did get it)! It was uncomfortable but the thing that really pissed me off was the mother effing blood pressure cuff! I think getting one without contractions going on should be fine. Good luck.

LolaBelle11 · August 2013

I had a csection without labor first due to fetal stress so I had a spinal vs an epi. They are pretty similar except the spinal doesnt stay in your back, its a 1 and done shot of drugs. In regards to pain, I would say the first numbing shot felt like a sting... then the big needle came and all I felt was pressure..... then the weird feeling that I hated the most was the pressure in my hips from my lower half going numb. Weirdest feeling ever. That numbing pressure feeling was worse than any needle. SO no, my spinal was not painful, just weird.

carriedbyme · August 2013

Mine was a dream. I was deep in the middle of transition when they administered it, so I wasn't thinking about anything except when the next deathly contraction was coming. Once it was in, things were SO much better, and I didn't even notice it.

DTNZ4Ever · August 2013

The poke no it didn't hurt. I had burning for a second then it was sweet relief.

amberlynnr7 · August 2013

Mine didn't hurt. I felt relief.

clo1982 · August 2013

I also had a spinal. They said I would feel s pinch and burn from the numbing shot and I never felt a thing. I asked when they were going to do it and he said it was already done! The 'tube' felt very weird but didn't hurt at all. The dr said to tell him if I felt it in the center of my spine which I could. Not painful at all but very strange to feel something IN your spine!

YankeePeach08 · August 2013

mine did not hurt. i was scared that I was going to have a contraction while they were giving it to me and that I wouldn't be able to hold still, but luckily they timed it in between contractions.

They did turn it up a little too high and I was numb up to my shoulders for a bit, but they got it straightened around quickly.

Nicksgirl121 · August 2013

dotgirl2 said:

Mine didn't hurt at all. I didn't feel anything when they put the needle in, and it was smooth sailing after that.

This exactly!

ellajune2012 · August 2013

MissyMonster said:

But I had forgotten that years earlier I was told I have slight scoliosis. This poor student had such a hard time doing the epi because of it. He kept trying to go in and would end up having to take it back out and try again. This went on for a good 10 to 15 minutes(while I'm having some pretty bad contractions). He finally ended up getting it in, but because of the scoliosis, it only numbed my right side. That was an odd feeling. Being numb on my right side, but feeling everything on my left. lol

I have pretty significant scoliosis and this is one of my nightmare scenarios. I don't want the epi, but I'm just worried that in the case I might end up with a c-section something like this might happen. UGH. Do they always do an epi with c-section or do they numb things up some other way? I am such a noob.

Gramsey831 · August 2013

Mine did not hurt...all I remember is waiting for the dr. to get in there. It took him 4 hours! I was so glad to see him he could have used a drill bit!

Hrose7091 · August 2013

The actual epi did not hurt me. I had been in labor 19 hours and was basically out of it. After getting it I could finally sleep. But the days afterwards it was swollen and very painful to me. And even now sometimes if I bend wrong I can still feel pain where it was. But, ill prolly get anothe one.

erind0213 · August 2013

Mine hurt, and I got nauseous afterward and burned up a bit temperature wise but then I was fine. It wasn't bad enough that I won't do it again

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SarahBethany99 · August 2013

Mine didn't hurt at all, but only worked on one side of my body. It also caused me to shiver uncontrollably. However, it felt much better than my pitocin induced contractions.

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