Poll for moms who delivered vaginally w/an epidural

Rose.9.6.03 · January 2009

What did you feel?

Epidurals are the weirdest things to me. I couldn't feel contractions at all - it instantly took away that pain (I had to be told when I was contracting). But yet I had outrageous pain when it came to pushing - it felt like my flesh was ripping from the inside out. Not.Pleasant. But I know a number of women who've said the most they've felt is "discomfort" or even nothing at all. I'm just curious to know what's the norm.

butterbeansmama · January 2009

Pressure. Like I had to poop. I felt every contraction and felt every movement from him coming out. I also watched my delivery in a mirror (so that may have helped). It was not painful, just pressure (if that makes sense).

VivaAmore · January 2009

Mine only numbed half of my body and by the time I gave birth, had been turned down so much that it basically wasn't working at all. I felt everything.

Others that I've talked to said their docs never turned theirs down so it was on full force all throughout delivery.

veloelle · January 2009

I felt nothing. The epi didn't get the top of my stomach, so I could feel the top of my stomach tighten and I knew when to start pushing. After 19 hrs unmedicated, I was pretty darn happy not to feel anything.

happ17 · January 2009

i felt nothing, really, but when pushing/him being vaccumed out, i felt pressure and a bit of pain, but it was over quickly.

KellyGreen · January 2009

VivaAmore:

Mine only numbed half of my body and by the time I gave birth, had been turned down so much that it basically wasn't working at all. I felt everything.

I had this same experience exactly.

Yodajo · January 2009

I didn't feel anything at all. No pain, no pressure, nothing. I had to look at the nurse to know when to push. I wish I had felt something though. I pushed for four hours and I think a good reason it went on for so long was because I was so numb.

TxGal · January 2009

I didn't feel anything. It was perfect!

Reagan's Mommy · January 2009

I could tell when I was contracting b/c I felt a lot of pressure, but no pain.

Once I started pushing, I did feel pain. I felt it when I tore (2nd degree tear) and I could feel them stitch me up. The nurses were a bit surprised when they took the cath. out and I yelled b/c it hurt. They didn't realize I was feeling everything!

KeML · January 2009

With Jack: I felt absolutely nothing. I had to watch the monitor to know when I was having a contraction. I didn't feel anything when he was born. I didn't have feeling in one leg for hours after he was born. It was kind of freaky.

With Elizabeth: I had a "walking epidural" because I told them it was too strong with Jack. I felt contractions and A LOT of pain when I pushed and delivered her. The contractions were painful, but obviously much less so than without the epi.

Even though it all hurt like a b!tch I preferred feeling something to feeling nothing.

MoRoseT · January 2009

no pain at all....just pressure when I was fully dialated and pushing. It felt like I needed to poop and I could just feel DS coming out....no pain though. Epidurals are WONDERFUL.

mlm1128 · January 2009

Nothing, not even pressure. I delivered so soon after getting it that may be why. But they did have to re do the epi. I felt a boat load of pain when they tried to insert a catheter and they realized it didn't take.

cuwife · January 2009

With both kids I felt everything. I guess I have a short epidural space and I could feel everything, contractions, tearing, etc. I kept telling them I wanted to stand up and they told me I shouldn't be able to feel my legs but I could. I wanted no drugs this time but had to because I had an external version.

Bluesmoothee · January 2009

Yes, it's weird how different it is. I couldn't feel anything below my waist with and epidural. It was almost like I didn't exist - like a giant void. I had absolutely no sense of myself at all. I couldn't feel contractions, no pressure, no pain. I had to ask the nurses if I was even pushing correctly because I couldn't feel myself doing it. Seriously, I could have delivered the baby while watching a movie and I wouldn't have known it. It was bizarre.

I don't know why it's so different for women. But I'm having another one, for sure! I loved the epidural!

buffalo_buckeye · January 2009

I also had no pain at all during labor, but delivery I felt everything. In fact the nurses said I may as well turn off the epi during pushing b/c it wouldn't do any good anyways. I turned it up anyways, lol. I felt everything when they were stiching me up...that may have been the worst part. I'm hoping if I should have #2...the pushing will be less than 2 hours and less painful.

DevonPow · January 2009

Almost nothing.

I had a small "window" open kind of at the top of my belly - left side. It was maybe an inch? I could feel the peak of contractions there, but it was minimally painful, maybe because it was so small.

I felt no pressure at all - they had to tell me when to push, and then told me when his head was out, etc. I kept saying "really???" because it was so painless/pressure-less. I could still move my legs, etc. too.

It was great because I didn't get to the hospital/get my epi until I was 8.5 centimeters, and it hurt like Hell until that point. I wanted to marry our anesthesiologist.

stacynikki · January 2009

I didn't feel a thing. No pressure even! I loved my epidural! The worst was when they turned it off after DS was born and then pressed on my uterus to get it back to normal. That hurt like a mofo!

veloelle · January 2009

DevonPow:
It was great because I didn't get to the hospital/get my epi until I was 8.5 centimeters, and it hurt like Hell until that point. I wanted to marry our anesthesiologist.

haha. Me too-I didn't get it until 8cm, but I'd unfortunately been at the hospital long before that. : ( I remember looking at him with the most pathetic puppy eyes, trying to say w/ my eyes because I was too exhauste to speak "you help me, Mr. Nice Doctor Man, yes?" He was my Lord and Savior at that moment in time. I probably would have done anything he told me to as long as it got me drugs.

MrsCali_Bride · January 2009

MoRoseT:
no pain at all....just pressure when I was fully dialated and pushing. It felt like I needed to poop and I could just feel DS coming out....no pain though. Epidurals are WONDERFUL.

Ditto this exactly. I loved my epidural and plan to get one for all future deliveries.

SLPgirl · January 2009

I felt nothing! They dosed mine to Csection strength when it was time to push though bc it was twins and we were in the OR.

G_Hoping · January 2009

DS1 I felt every contraction but it was a lot less severe than before I got the epidural I felt everything by the time I pushed. My legs weren't even numb. I got up and walked right after delivery.

DS2 - my one leg was numb from the hip down. I felt EVERYTHING it was just as severe...and I had a numb leg for an hour after delivering (annoying). Honestly...the reason I got the epidural with DS2 is because I had pelvis pain that felt like it was tearing in 2 and I couldn't pee...and I wanted to be catheridized and they wouldn't do it without an epidural.

lsufan · January 2009

It only worked on the right side, so I felt like it may as well have not worked at all. ?I was in excruciating pain from the back labor, and I think it was worse because I couldn't get up and walk around. ?They redid it with the same result. ?I don't recall much pain once I started pushing, and I didn't feel any tearing (2nd degree tear), so maybe it did actually help with that.

kjlrs · January 2009

I felt nothing at all during the majority of my labor. Nada. I was informed I was having very hard contractions but never felt em. However, I had them turn the epidural down to half strength (we had to stop inducing for awhile) and then when I was ready to push (but not yet pushing) I felt an insane amount of discomfort. I don't even know how to describe it. I didn't really equate it with pain, but I did not like it one bit and I was involuntarily shaking. Then while pushing (i think they had turned epi back up at this point) I was in discomfort I guess but it wasn't bad at all. The waiting-to-push was horrific though.

BlessedMommy723 · January 2009

I felt nothing after I got the epidural. I had to be told when to push and I didn't feel anything when DD came out. I LOVED my epidural

marrymemylove · January 2009

There's fact and then there's opinion. Fact = epidural should not leave you in pain when properly administered. Opinion = epidurals get a bad rap because of a few sloppy Drs. More opinion = if I'd had one of those sloppy Drs he wouldn't have eft the LDR in one piece.

Mine was bliss. Total agony ended magically 5 mins after the epidural. I slept, I read, I talked to DH and on the phone. When it came time to push I could feel the pressure but it wasn't irresistible. Dumb nurse turned the epi back for delivery so it hurt a bit until I made her turn it back up.

I had a walking epi administered by the head of dept of a major teaching hospital. And yes I think that makes a difference.?

Chrisy-Wyobride · January 2009

DD#1--by the time I was pushing, giving birth I felt everything, damn thing must have worn off...the ring of fire, episiotomy, etc. F"ing hurt like hell, especially him taking forever to stitch me back up.

DD#2--No pain at all...maybe some pressure but nothing, it was fan-freaking-tabulous!

belle204 · January 2009

I felt absolutely nothing up until she started to crown. Then I just felt a dull pressure.

littlemermaid · January 2009

With my first child the epidural was running out so by the time I was pushing I could just feel pressure but no pain. With my second child the epidural was working full strength and I felt absolutely nothing. Luckily I knew how and where to push.

Kelly Madonna · January 2009

ditto MoRose exactly.

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