Epidurals

BabyM82714 · February 2014

So I'm in nursing school and currently taking pharmacology. Today we discussed epidurals and I ALWAYS thought there's no way I wouldn't get one. Because it's there and available and to not feel pain would be great!

But when my professor was telling us exactly how it's prepped and inserted to what point, pulled out a bit, then release the juice it made me naseuous and not much does!

Then of course all the side effects and that it "can" pass to baby and cause fetal respiratory distress and "may" prolong your labor.

Anesthetics are tough shit. I mean those meds can be lethal. Those meds are chemicals and chemicals are not natural to the body. Although they can be used safely every day to thousands of patients.

I guess I'm just surprised at how my view changed. I certainly think that they may be safe for use and don't see a problem with others getting one or myself in getting one. But now I'm just re thinking that my personal plan might be changing. I'm sure I will ultimately decide during labor but my class today REALLY turned me off of them by getting the real health effects of those meds and understanding of their actual components.

I'm glad I'm educated on what it really is now, but I do kind of wish I could un-see what I did today.

PecanSam · February 2014

They told us that stuff in our birthing class. I wasn't against all together but I wanted to prolong it as long as possible. After having the tripling effect if contractions and the level if contractions, literally off the chart, the nurses came running in, telling me I was getting an epidural. I said fine and cried and the knowledge that relief was on the way.

Daisylola11 · February 2014

I'm not against them, I'm thankful they exist in case I want one, but really would rather not... Friends and family think I'm crazy...

tamarar5 · February 2014

I will totally be getting it again. I had an unwanted unmedicated first birth and it was traumatic. I'm not doing that again, lol! I don't think I had any side effects, but I did get the shakes pretty bad. My delivery doctor said it was from labor though.

rockyrollgirl · February 2014

It is your choice if you want to go that route.

After 30+ hours of labor and no sleep, yes I broke down and asked for it. My anesthesiologist was amazing. She talked me through it, told me how important it was to sit straight and I hardly felt a thing. I also slept a glorious sleep. I do not regret it at all.

happylady07 · February 2014

I'll just say that even if you plan in pain relief, I think it is REALLY important and beneficial to you to learn some alternative methods for coping with labor. I have several friends who had every intention of getting an epidural ASAP, and then wound up not having time, it didn't work for them, etc, and they had a pain med free delivery, and they all really wished they had planned for that scenario. Just as you should prepare yourself for more intervention that may happen than you want, prepare yourself that you may not get all the pain meds you want. Don't just assume the epidural will be glorious and you won't feel anything from the waist down.

BabyM82714 · February 2014

Daisylola11 said:
I'm not against them, I'm thankful they exist in case I want one, but really would rather not... Friends and family think I'm crazy...

I'm thinking I'm in this boat now too. And I certainly didn't picture myself this way.

dogperson11 · February 2014

OP, I can't tell if you're recommending that we all do our own research on the subject or if you're trying to scare / guilt us into pain-med free births...

ETA: I plan to try to do pain-med free, but because of a back and hip condition I won't feel guilty if I end up with an epi.

rockyrollgirl · February 2014

JoShan1719 said:
I had two coworkers go natural because they were too afraid of the needle. I literally felt nothing until the chick was like "You're going to feel either a tingling or cooling sensation. Let me know if it's in the center or on the left or right." I felt coolness going down the left side of my back, told her, she readjusted, then felt coolness down the center. After that I just felt... nice :-)

Same. I was anxious, because I heard horror stories but I really did not feel a thing. H said it was funny how big my smile was afterwards.

BabyM82714 · February 2014

happylady07 said:
I'll just say that even if you plan in pain relief, I think it is REALLY important and beneficial to you to learn some alternative methods for coping with labor. I have several friends who had every intention of getting an epidural ASAP, and then wound up not having time, it didn't work for them, etc, and they had a pain med free delivery, and they all really wished they had planned for that scenario. Just as you should prepare yourself for more intervention that may happen than you want, prepare yourself that you may not get all the pain meds you want. Don't just assume the epidural will be glorious and you won't feel anything from the waist down.

I agree! I think some women assume they will be able to get it no matter what. But if your past I believe it's 6 cm they won't. And other circumstances you can't always get it or it doesn't work. I think it's good to be prepared both ways. And now it's made me think that way, for sure.

jgilesslp · February 2014

My first I had it and the no pain made my labor worse....Couldn't feel the urge to push and it did make my labor stall....second son came so fast it wasn't an option and although very painful labor was faster and much better recovery....the needle itself was not as bad as I feared I will say....I will try again to go without....the pain is intense though so I know I will ask for....hopefully I can get through it though.

Jenrileysmom · February 2014

I was too late to get an epidural with my daughter. Water broke at home, labor progressed really fast. I was 8 centimeters when I got to the hospital.

However, my doctor had promised me that there was never a point that I couldn't have something and I held him to that. I wouldn't budge on it. I got some type of spinal block instead and it was glorious. From the time my water broke at home til I delivered my daughter was just under 3 hours.

Jennyfahh · February 2014

Fwiw my epidural was amazing.. Until back labor happened. Then I was miserable again. I'm pretty sure labor sucks no matter what route you go.

MeganEMcG5 · February 2014

I agree with what I think was OP's intent...it's important to educate yourself on your options and make sure you are aware of the potential dangers of each.

For me, I had a bad experience with my epidural, but it was NOTHING in comparison to my labor pains. My anesthesiologist was a complete jag. He stuck me 3 times and accused me of having scoliosis (which I do not). I ended up in the small percentage that get a spinal fluid leak which leads to severe headaches. This required a second "epidural," but this time to patch my own blood in to seal the hole. That anesthesiologist agreed that I have "interesting anatomy."

When I begged for my epidural, I was maybe 3-4 cm dilated and EXTREMELY tense. Once I got the epidural, I dilated almost immediately, like within 30-40 minutes. 2 pushes (which I could still feel the urge) and DS was out.

Again, I think it's important to get educated on ALL options, epidurals included.

caybeh · February 2014

I was against them too until I got pregnant with DS and closer to my due date. I understood the risks, but decided to keep an open mind. I ended up having pitocin and back to back extreme contractions for an hour and a half. I also hadn't slept all night. So I got an epidural to rest. I ended up dialeting 5 cm within a half an hour of having my epidural. I pushed for 20 min and DS was born. He was fine and so was I.

Yes, one should not bank on being able to get one either. I think it is important to keep an open mind about labor because you never know how it is going to go until you are in the situation.

schnookee · February 2014

I'm terrified of it but mainly because I've experienced the side effects. Mine was due to a spinal tap but the same can happen with an epidural. I went to the er with a migraine and they wanted to do a spinal tap to check for meningitis. They stuck me three times with the needle and ended up poking a hole in my spine that caused the worst pain I have ever felt. I ended up in the hospital for about a week unable to move. If I tried to slightly lift my head it cause horrible pain. They tried a blood patch but it didn't work. I did end up having to have a c section with my first so I had to get an epidural with hi thankfully was complication free. I'm hoping for a VBAC this time with no epidural. The thought if being in that pain especially with a newborn and a toddler is terrifying. There is no way I would be able to take care of them like that.

shevaCC · February 2014

I was happy with my med free labor last time and hope for a similar experience this time, but if things progressed very differently, I would be open to an epidural. I do agree with the advice to practice a few coping mechanisms, for everyone. Most women I've talked to had something unexpected happen in the course of their birth. Whether back labor, an epidural that didn't work or wore off too quickly, a fast labor, an anesthesiologist who was busy so they had to wait hours for pain relief...so many things can come up that it's best to be prepared, but open minded about the process.

ungraceful13 · February 2014

I never wanted the epi. I got it at 7cm's and progressed to 10 within 1-1.5 hours. It was the perfect level and I felt great with it and after it. DD had no side effects and neither did I. I was surprised by my change in opinion to get one in the moment but am glad I did.

BeachM · February 2014

I got one, would do it again, and will have a spinal for my RCS. No side effects and DS was awake for 5 straight hours after birth. Every nurse and the pedi who delivered him commented on how he was the most alert baby they'd ever seen. I WISH he'd been sleepy because of the epi. I also wish epi's worked on back labor because that freaking sucks when you have a sunnyside up baby.

acorn99 · February 2014

My hope is to see how long I can go without one, but have no intention of ruling it out. I have had three epidural steroid injections in my back before, and while not fun, really no more than a couple minutes of discomfort. If I didn't have those experiences under my belt, I would probably be a lot more apprehensive about getting one. They warned me of the same types of side effects afterwards, but I never had any follow-up problems.

GinnyJ2012 · February 2014

My plan with DS was to labor as long as possible then get the epi if needed. My water broke at home at 2:30am, arrived at the hospital at 5:30 and I was only at 2cm. I tried walking to get things going, but back labor was so bad walking was not working out. I used the labor tub for an hour or so, but was exhausted and asked for the epidural. When they checked I was only at 4cm in 6 hours (11:30am).

Getting the epi didn't hurt at and I felt better. After a few minutes I had to flip on all fours for a while because DS's HR dropped a little. Moving was a lot easier than I thought it would be. His HR was back to normal pretty fast and I was able to lay on my side and sleep.

At 3pm they checked me again because I was starting to feel a lot of pressure and contractions were one on top of the other. I was at 10 And ready to push. My epi wore off and I was able to move around a bit and felt everything during delivery. 3 hours and 49 minuets of pushing and out came DS.

Tl;Dr. Do research and make the best choice for you, but be prepared to deal with things naturally just in case.

sarahg8r · February 2014

My mom is a nurse anesthetist and she administers epidurals, so I'm very comfortable with the idea of getting one myself. Although, I have to admit, when I see someone getting one on the labor & delivery documentaries, it does make me cringe! But I'm sure I'll be over that fear when the time comes!

I do hope to have my mom there when they do it though...it will just make me feel better to have someone watching who knows what they're doing!

tamarar5 · February 2014

When I started having back labor with my epi, my nurses got me turned over on my knees. They brought out a huge beanbag chair, hollowed the middle for the belly, and had me lie on my stomach. It was AMAZING, and stopped the back labor.

BeachM · February 2014

ninthgirl said:

I don't know much about how epidurals are made and I had a spinal for my c/s instead of an epidural, but if you want to go natural then go for it. That's great. If you want an epidural, enjoy it. That's great.

We learned the negative side-effects of an epidural in our hospital sponsored birthing class, led by an L&D nurse. I don't think anyone tries to hide them. However I think the negatives are often overstated also. I had pit, terbutaline (to stop the contractions from the pit), a spinal, and a c/s due to PROM and fetal distress, and my DD got great apgars and was super alert and a breastfeeding champ. She BF-ed for almost 14 months.

With the epidural the drugs are fed through a catheter in your back. I had one with DS but will get a spinal for my RCS. A friend has had both and preferred the spinal.

enigmasara · February 2014

zoegirlTX said:

there are many reasons I'm hoping to avoid an epi & the risk are are just one of them. I know we make all sorts of calculated decisions and trade-offs during pregnancy about what to do/eat/buy, but the known direct side effects of an epi (and risks of complications) plus the intangibles (not being able to get up, move around, increase C-sec rates) are just not worth it IMO to me. I'd rather do everything possible and be prepared to deliver without it and avoid any chance of increasing the need for a CS

This is my thought as well. If you had asked me before I got pregnant I would have definitely said to give me the drugs! After doing more research I think I would rather go in with a plan to not have the epidural and use that as a back up if I really can't handle the pain anymore.

MC03 · February 2014

I really feel like an epidural is one of those things were the ultimate decision will be made while you are in labor. I researched, decided I did not want one, learned alternative birthing techniques, etc.... But my contractions were so intense and so frequent that by the time I got to the hospital I was begging for it (I was already at 5cm). It is such a personal thing and really depends on how your body responds to pain. The pain relief was wonderful, and when I had to have an emergency C-section that night I was all set to go, so it worked out for me.

FrodaBaggins · February 2014

I am hoping to go pain-med-free but if in the moment I decide I need an epidural I will get one, no question. I know everyone is different, but my sister in law who is one of the most health-conscious, crunchy, natural mamas in the world ended up getting one. She took all the classes, had a doula, a solid birth plan, and it still all went out the window. And she's fine with her decision, so that is what really made me decide I will be ok with whatever happens during labor.

kcatboston · February 2014

I agree you should have a back up plan even if you want an epidural. DD was sunnyside up and holy hell did that hurt. The epidural didn't touch the pain of back labor. It didn't slow down my labor and I could move my legs.

Honestly though if your reason for avoiding it is increased CS risk the bigger risk is induction. I'm just finishing up a research paper on medical intervention during labor and if I had know how much they increase the risk of CS I never would have gone that route. \

Nobody knows how they are going to react to the pain of labor. Never say never (about anything, that's what I've learned about being a mother lol).

Kaybaby02 · February 2014

I did not have one with my first 3, but my last two was very hard so I plan on getting one this time. I will not feel bad at all for getting one.

TiffaniMay · February 2014

mv9310 said:

I didn't want an epidural because I'm terrified of needles and don't like the idea of a catheter. Well I begged for one. I was induced with pitocin and my contractions were one on top of the other, no breaks. They gave it to me and it FAILED. They still put the catheter in which was awful and I still felt all the pain from my contractions and baby coming out.

Same thing happened to me. Failed induction at 41 weeks, three failed epidurals, and forced labor pains from pitocin are no effing joke. I still never made it past 3cm after 24 hours of being induced. I don't know what they ended up giving me right before my c-section, but I do remember the anesthesiologist standing by my side, slowly injecting something into my arm during the procedure while constantly asking "what do you feel? what do you feel now? anything now?" So.. I'll be loading up on anything they give me this time because apparently my body hates me.

babypants11 · February 2014

My epidural was a game changer in the best way possible. DD was sunny side up, and back labor is insane. I got the epi and was pushing within 45 minutes. Also, I pushed for two and a half hours (something I don't think I could have done med-free).

So, I understand not wanting any medical intervention, and how scary a needle in the spine is. That being said, I don't regret my decision to have one at all and am planning on getting one this time as well.

To each her own!

sarahinthecity10 · February 2014

Um not to be snarky but wait until you're in labor and then talk to us. My bet is you will get the epidural. The pain is unreal.

BabyM82714 · February 2014

sarahinthecity10 said:
Um not to be snarky but wait until you're in labor and then talk to us. My bet is you will get the epidural. The pain is unreal.

I did state that I would probably ultimately decide in labor. Because I wasn't opposed to it completely just surprised I started to think alternatives. But that's you're personal opinion on pain. Yes it hurts to every one and some worse than others. Some tolerate better than others etc. I also think fear and remaining calm has a lot to do without labor outcomes. But I think the "I really know how it feels and you're gonna beg for juice " attitude is snarky and know-it-all STM mom theory. so don't justify it. Also if I REALLY thought it was dangerous or terrified of it I believe I would do everything in my power not to get it. Most women reach for it because it's available. If it's wasn't available we would all suck it up because that's what we had to do. Or not have babies. So there's that too.

kimberlybethh · February 2014

JoShan1719 said:

I had two coworkers go natural because they were too afraid of the needle. I literally felt nothing until the chick was like "You're going to feel either a tingling or cooling sensation. Let me know if it's in the center or on the left or right." I felt coolness going down the left side of my back, told her, she readjusted, then felt coolness down the center. After that I just felt... nice :-)

I'm deathly afraid of needles so I didn't plan on getting an epidural. However, I wasn't prepared for how much labor was going to hurt. I was in so much pain I didn't care about the needle at that point. It felt like a wasp sting and then there was sweet relief. There is no way I would not get one this time. Bring on the drugs

rockyrollgirl · February 2014

It is like saying recovery from a vaginal birth is always easier then a c-section. Not true at all. It can go either way.

You might end up wanting an epidural, you might not. You might have a short labor and I will secretly hate you. Kidding...maybe

violajack · February 2014

My opinion changed severalt imes through the course of things. When iwa s young, I learned there was such a thing as pain free labour thanks to a thing called an epidural. I figured it was a given. I learned more about things as I got older and learned that med free births can be great things. Then I got pregnant. I was sure I would go med free. 41 weeks in, I opted for the induction. My mom was induced with both of us, and warned me about pitocin, so I knew I would likely get one if i was on pitocin. I labored as long as I could without it, but after 7 hours on pitocin, 24 hours into the induction, my water had already broken on Its own and I knew I had reached the point where I was no longer coping. I was drifting in and out of sleep but no longer able to relax during the contractions. They were beginning to come back to back with no break. It was when I was silent through two contractions because I no longer had the energy to scream or moan that I realized if I didn't do something, i would not have the energy needed to push. I got an epidural, slept for two hours, went from 5 to complete and ready to push, then pushed him out in 20 minutes. Sometimes the epi can stall labor, but sometimes, it can be just the thing your body needs to relax and finish labor. The idea of the needle in my spine freaked me out, but the intensity of the pain outweighed that. The anestheiologist commented on how still I was during the two contractions I had while they were placing it. Darn right I was still, there was a giant needle in my spine.

SaranJonathan · February 2014

I wasn't so sure with my DD. I hated the pain and loved the epi. I couldn't imagine 27 hrs of labor. No thanks!

Want a personalized experience?

Epidurals

Re: Epidurals

Choose Another Board

Search Boards