epidurals hurt??

Question

I asked a question about epidurals last night and got some good answers but most said it hurts really bad to recieve them...is this true? I wanna go as long as I can without one so it doesnt wear off when I really need it (delivery). so honestly, how bad does it hurt to get one? Thanks in advane.

Answer 1

no, epidurals don't hurt. they usually give you a local where they are going to insert the needle. if they don't, ask them to give you some at the site. you will feel pressure, but should feel no pain. i had an epidural with my daughter, and a spinal tap a few months ago, and they feel the same...just alot of pressure...uncomfortable, but didn't hurt a bit!

Answer 2

Oh, honey it doesn't hurt. Not as bad as going without one.

I've seen hundreds of epidurals done. They're done in either a side lying position, or sitting straight up on the side of the bed. They give you a shot in the fat of your back to numb you. This burns very briefly. It's similar to what you get at the dentist before dental work. Little burn, then numb.

As far as the actual insertion of the epidural needle, a little pressure. Then a very small tube is threaded through that needle, and the needle is removed. Medicine is pushed through this tube. The tube will stay in place, so you don't have to worry about it wearing off. it runs like an iV. if the bag gets low, the anesthetist will change it.

Epidurals are great. When you're in labor, you're so tense from the pain and anxiety. Epidurals really help relieve that. You want your cervix to dilitate and open, and it's hard for that to happen if you're all tensed up. The epidural helps you relax and rest, and the birth experience is honestly much more enjoyable. So when the pain gets to be too much, get it. Don't wait too long. THey can slow down pushing a bit, but with a first baby, average pushing time is 1-2 hours anyway, and they dont' seem to slow it down any more than nature does anyway.

There are risks with an epidural, just like there are risks with any other medical procedure. The anesthetist and your nurse will be happy to discuss these with you.

Good luck, and congratulations.

Answer 3

Hi, we've met before. :-)

Carol Burnett said that the only way a man could understand the pain of delivery was to pull his bottom lip up over his head. People aren't kidding when they say labor is the worst pain anyone could imagine.

There is no way to get around some pain of labor and delivery. I PROMISE you, though, the pain associated with the five or so minutes it takes to give you the epidural is NOTHING compared to the pain you'd feel otherwise for however long you labored.

In both of my experiences, the administering of the epidural lasted probably not more then five or ten minutes. I literally don't even remember the epidural for my second child. They get the people who do it every single day to give it to you, and they are skilled at getting it done as quickly and painlessly as possible, and at comforting you.

Most likely, this is the one area of the whole labor & delivery process where your coach, partner, whatever won't be able to be there with you. I'm pretty sure this has more to do with the fact that WATCHING it happen is worse than GETTING it done. The nurse who was with me during my first epidural told me the "lose more husbands that way".

If I'm remembering correctly, it was more of a serious uncomfortablity than it was a sharp pain or anything.

Since every woman's experience, and every woman's pain tolerance, is different, some people will probably say it was the worst pain they've ever been through, and others will say it was uncomfortable, but not really all that painful.

Try hard not to stress too much over this. If you want, wait a little bit and see how you do during labor (you may suprise yourself by having a higher pain threshold than you think you do). I know there are just millions of things to worry about, but until you KNOW something for yourself (not what different women say about their own experiences), you really don't know how you'll be.

Answer 4

I have scoliosis like daisy and it took them 9 times to get the needle in the right spot. I had to stay bent over forward having severe back labor for almost 45 minutes so the anesthesiologist could get it right. My nurse and the anesthesiologist said he never had a problem like that ever. I was crying and screaming from the pain of being bent over with contractions, trying not to move, and with all the monitors on, the needle itself didn't really hurt. That was the worst part of my labor. After the epidural, I was in heaven, and could talk and take little naps. The doctor came in two times to give me more drugs through my epidural. The only unfortunate thing was that I was so numb when trying to push it was hard to do becuase I couldn't feel anything. Next time, I won't ask for so much epidural painkiller towards the end so I can push better but I will still get the epidural. It was worth it.

Answer 5

Ok. I was under the impression that epidurals hurt as well. I had 2 of my children natural because I was scared of the epidural hurting and I thought that it was given right in the backbone which turned out not to be true. I had my third child last month. I was in labor for 9 hours and only 7 cm dialated. The pain was so intense that I thought I might want an epidural. My husband was confused, he knows how I feel about it and how scared I am of needles. I was crying my eyes out because of how scared I was. The nurse comforted me by saying, "It won't hurt more than the pain you are in now." So I decided to get one. IT DID NOT HURT AT ALL. I felt pressure and that was about it. My husband still talks about how HUGE the needle was. The doctor said that it does not go into your backbone like I thought. It goes into the nerves surrounding your back bone. OH YEAH and the other great thing about it was that I could up my level my self. They gave me a button :) It was preset so that I couldn't overdose so I could only press it every 10-20 minutes, believe me, I pressed it each time! I think I was so happy to be giving birth for once without an ounce of pain! It was kind of nice not to feel any pain. :)

Answer 6

I really hate needles so for me the epidural was the worst part of everything. Pregnancy, labor, delivery, recovery....it was just my worst pain.

For me the contractions felt like I was doing situps all day long. I was in labor for 23 hours and for the first 15 I was doing it natural. I asked for the epidural because I thought I'd be able to sleep but it didn't happen.

The epidural won't wear off until they take the tube out of your back. Then it takes a few hours.

Answer 7

It doesn't hurt to receive the epidural... the shot to numb the area does pinch a little bit. Most of the time anesthesiologists will do it during a contraction so that you'll be concentrating on breathing through that and you honestly won't even notice they are doing anything back there. And no worries, it stays in your back so it won't wear off... they can up the dosage if you need it.

I promise that by the time you get one you won't care how uncomfortable it is... the thought of relief down the road will be so enticing that a little pinch is nothing. You'll be fine, I promise. :)

Answer 8

I have had two, and believe me by the time you are in labor, you will want one. The pain of getting one is alot less than the actual birth. I tryed to go natural with my first, and begged for the epidural. They have you lay on your side, or bend way forward. This spreads apart your vertabrets. Then they insert a needle in the middle of two of them. It is like getting a shot, just don't look, this is when most people freek out. I am scared of needles, and it was not that bad. I Have had two and am planning on a third. It made the experience sooooo nice because I was able to enjoy the whole process, and not be in pain. I actually watched t.v. inbetween each contraction. (wheel of fortune) it was great.

Answer 9

I didn't have an epidural, but I had a spinal with my c-section. With a spinal they give you a shot in your spine and I would imagine it feels about the same as an epidural. It wasn't a super pleasant experience, but it really wasn't too bad either. It was worse for me when they tried to put the IV in my hand. I think they stuck me 4-5 times before they got it in the right spot - now that hurt!

Answer 10

The epidural for me was heaven sent. All I felt was a pinch in my back that is nothing compared to the pain I was feeling from my contrations. I have 2 kids and used epidrual twice and it never wore off for me. Untill after delivery and then they unpluged it. The only thing i felt was pressure. My first child i was so numb my leg fell of the side of the bed and I had to page a nurse to help me put my leg back on the bed. Good luck with your labor when its all over you have the most precious gift you could ever ask for.

Answer 11

Mine was a little painful, but the anasthesiologist did it in the middle of a huge contraction, which distracted me from the pain of the epidural. I got mine about 5-6 hours before I delivered and it didn't wear off until an hour or so after that. You'll know when it's the right time. Your body will tell you, believe me. Congrats and Good Luck!