Does it still hurt to push the baby out after you've had an epidural?

Question

Im curious if it still hurts to tear or push the baby out after you have had an epidural. I wanted to have a schedualed cesarean but i can see i would be paying on it for life, so now im 50/50 with both ways , nautral or cesarean.

Answer 1

I hope you're kidding!! For most women, it *doesn't* hurt to push out the baby. Labor is what hurts; birth is great. There's a *bit* of a burning sensation when the baby's head is coming, but it's not really painful. (Take your first finger on each hand, place them in the corners of your mouth, and pull. You'll feel a burning.)

And a tear doesn't hurt, either. It's the stitching up that may hurt (but not as much as an episiotomy--OUCH!!). The pain is for a few minutes while they stitch and maybe mild for a week or less.

With an epidural, you could be in pain for weeks afterwards.

Answer 2

It depends on the epidural and on the woman. Some women feel NOTHING so they cant even push and end up with a c-section! Some women (like me) have the epidural completely wear off during pushing, so I felt everything. I am curious as to why you want a scheduled c-section?? Is it for pain avoidance? That is NOT a good reason - you will have WAY more pain during the recovery period from a c-section than a natural delivery. People get SO freaked out about the pain of labor - it's just not that big a deal. Yes it hurts, but it's one day. Also, the pain is only really bad for a few hours, not the entire time. And the recovery period is ATLEAST six weeks!! A c-section is a MAJOR operation. You will be in serious pain afterward. Overall, you will experience much more pain with the c-section, though the birth process wont be as painful. If labor was the hardest thing about having a new baby, I would have 20 kids....it's the afterward, being in pain, feeling sick, trying to care for a newborn that needs you EVERY second - including in the middle of the night - you get only naps of like an hour long ALL NIGHT LONG for the first month...that is the brutal part, not the delivery. It took me four months to START feeling like my old self again! Do you want to go through all that AND be recoving from major surgery at the same time, just to avoid a few hours of POSSIBLE pain??? Do the research yourself. You DONT want a c-section!!

Answer 3

No it doesn't hurt. You might feel some pressure, but absolutely no pain. My epidural had just started wearing off, and so I felt a little bit. But it wasn't anything terrible. An epidural really does kill all the pain you feel. I was having TERRIBLE contractions before my epidural. Immediately (and I do mean immediately) after he administered my epidural, the pain from the contractions was erased.

I don't remember the epidural hurting either. Most women say it feels like an extremely quick bee sting (meaning it literally lasts a split second), but I don't remember any pain at all. Plus, they do the epidural during a contraction, so you're completely distracted from the epidural anyway. Must work since I don't remember mine hurting at all!

But, either way, I wouldn't recommend natural (no pain medication) delivery. You can participate just fine with an epidural. There's absolutely no need nowadays to go through that extreme pain. It's absolutely pointless. You'll enjoy your delivery a LOT more with an epidural. My delivery was a blast!! :D

Good luck with the remainder of your pregnancy, your labor and delivery, and congrats on the soon-to-come little one!! :D

Answer 4

I have had 3 boys vaginal with 2 I had epidural and the 3rd nothing because its not worth. If you get and epidural it will not hurt to push , its the contractions that hurt , but the key is to push during the contractions thats how you block and ignore the pain.

Remember - Push while having the contraction thats will make everything go quicker . I have 3 boys and I never pushed no more than 3-4 times. After its all over with and baby is out you will forget about the pain. Trust me. Try to avoid C-section at all cost.

Answer 5

I enjoyed every moment of being pregnant. I wish I could be pregnant forever. It is so wonderful and beautiful. The experience is different for everyone, but everyone I know says that it was worth it...and I absolutely agree. There is nothing in the world like feeling your child move inside your belly and watching your belly grow. As for labor and delivery, that wasn't bad either. I took it with a grain of salt, I had to do it, why stress and panic about it? I thought of it as I did everything else I had to do...I had to pee everyday, I had to eat, go to work, sleep, and give birth. It was not bad at all. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

I know most people don't believe that you can be as easy going about labor and delivery as I was...but I honestly was, and I'm so glad. It really made things A LOT easier. The more you stress, panic and worry, the worse it's going to be. Try to relax, and picture yourself going through it. Do you want to be freaking out while your bringing your beautiful baby into the world? Probably not.

Try to stay as calm about it as you can, and when you begin to have contraction pain that is too uncomfortable to you ask the doctor for an epidural. It will help take a way the pain, and it will also help you relax and move your labor along faster. If you want to try to go natural...go for it. I waited as long as I could for the epidural because I wanted to go without, but it just didn't happen...and that's OK. I only felt a little bit of a burning when my son came out, and to be honest, it wasn't painful.

Remember that every woman, pregnancy, labor, and delivery is diferent. Talk to your doctor and ask all of the questions you have...you'll feel better and more prepared.

I wish you peace, luck, health, and happieness.

Good Luck!!

Answer 6

I had an epidural and it was great for the pains of the contractions. When it was time for my daughter to come, I felt "pressure" which wasn't nearly as painful as the contractions. The pressure isn't exactly painful...more like different, I think. It's hard to explain. As for the actual birthing part, yes, it did hurt a little, but it was only short term and not very much. The worst part for me (excluding the contractions) was when the doctor stitched me after. I didn't tear outside, I had an internal tear. I felt that more than anything. But all the pain was well worth it.

Answer 7

I had a epidural and was also cut (which I didn't feel). To me it felt like take the world largest ****. My son came out in 3 pushes so it wasn't so bad.I would go with the epidural it will take you alot longer to recover from a cesarean.

Answer 8

Go natural and get an epidural...will be well worth it, don't get a c-section unless you ultimately have to...it will be better for you and the baby...once you get the epidural, life is great!!!! You probably will feel some discomfort when delivering, but its nothing more than cramps...when delivering the shoulders of the baby, I still felt a sharp pain, but it was NOTHING I couldn't handle

Answer 9

Just feel pressure...sometimes you don't even feel that. A little bit of advise when they give you the epidural and you still feel the pain let them know and demand them to put more medication through the epidural. I didn't know any better my first one, I felt the whole thing. My second one I told them I could feel the pain, they gave me more...the nurse woke me up said she needed to check me, my sons head was almost completely out and I didn't feel a thing. Good luck I would have a baby natural

Answer 10

I am a mother of four and had an epidural with my last pregnancy. I felt no pain the whole time I was in labor but when it came time to push I have not idea what happened. The pain was horrible. I guess the epidural wore off. I hear a lot of woman say they just felt pressure. I felt him rip me apart. I guess I was not one of he lucky one. good luck to you and new baby.