EPIDURALS - information?

Question

Can i PLEASE be told about Epidurals in more detail? I have heard alot about them in the answers from my first question ..

Who has had them and are they painful?

The thought of a needle in my back really grosses me out lol (but like the idea of no pain) .. :o)

Answer 1

I had one after about 39 hours in labor. It hurt like hell to get put in because the anethesiologist has to wait til you are in a contraction and bend you forward while a nurse holds you still and he has to find the perfect spot in your spine. he jabbed me in my ribs a couple of times on each side - assumnig it was so he could line everything up based on where my ribs were but he was kinda an *** about how hard he pressed.

Then once he found the spot it still took about 5-10 mins to get it in place and takes (if I remember correctly) about 10-15 mins to kick in.....

But after it was in I was fine and not in any pain and contractions showed up on the monitor and i could see my belly get hard but they didn't hurt. They started to hurt when I was ready to push though cause I felt like I had to go #2 and had to push.... and they kept telling me not to....

I gave birth 2 hours after getting it - next time I'll try and wait it out.

I was itchy in the spot where it was on my back for a month or so and my butt was numb all night long.

I was glad to have it cause it hurt, but I don't knwo if I'd want to do it again. Personally i think recovery time is less when you go natural.

Good luck in your decision. Hope I haven't scared you but better to be prepared :)

Answer 2

You will get mixed answers. I have had 3 children naturally and I wouldnt get an epidural with my 4th (Im 18 weeks) because my friend had one a couple of weeks ago and she said it was the most horrible thing. She had 2 natural childbirths before, and then she decided to try the epidural this time and said she will never do it again. She told me not to get one, that natural was better. She said it was soooo painful and it took the lady 3 tries to get the needle into her back. She was uncomfortable the whole time because she couldnt move around and her back is still hurting her 2 weeks after. Im sure lots of people will say its the most wonderful thing. Tht is what they told her too. I dont know personally, but its the information that I got. Good luck in which ever way you choose.

Answer 3

Its actually a myth that an epidural can cause long term damage. The only thing it can do is give you a headache for a few days if the anaesthetist hits a nerve which is pretty rare anyway. I had absolutely no issues with my epidural and was up and walking around within a few hours of our little girl being born. I suggest not requesting one until you are there because you may have a very easy labour and not need one. Every labour is different so nobody should be telling you what you should and shouldnt be doing. It is your body, and your choice. Do what is best for you.

Answer 4

Everybody has a different experience. I had nothing with my first child and he was born in 5 hours. I had an epidural 2 hours before my middle child was born, and it was great, with my third, I had a walking epidural, but i dialated to 10 as I was sitting on the side of the bed, si I really didn't get relief, I had my daughter 10 minutes after I got it. Some people experience real bad headaches, back pain, stalled labor. The needle isn't bad, they numb you first, so I personally didn't feel it.

Answer 5

An epidural is a type of anesthesia. The provider (anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist) places you into position (sitting curled around your baby or side-lying curled around your baby), washes your back with betadyne soap, drapes you, palpates your back for proper placement (a space between the bones of your spine), places a local anesthetic(lidocaine) in the area that they just found (feels like a poke and burn). The area then becomes numb. Afterwards the provider uses a larger needle to puncture the skin of your back, between the bones of your spine and into the epidural space (the space right before your spinal cord). When this space is found the provider inserts a catheter that is not much larger than the diameter of a thread through the needle and into your epidural space. The needle is then withdrawn, leaving the catheter. This catheter is then taped to your back for the duration of your labor and the birth. It is attached to an epidural infuser that delivers a calibrated dose of medication continuously.
Are epidurals painful: epidurals would be painful if they did not numb you with the local beforehand.
Risks of epidurals: 1. Infection at the sight that they placed the epidural. The needle goes through your skin and into your epidural space. When the needle goes through your skin, any bacteria existing there potentially get carried with the needle into your body. 2. Epidural headache: If the provider inadvertantly punctures your spinal sheath while placing your epidural the spinal fluid could leak and cause pressure build up in your meninges and this in turn causes headaches. The headache makes you feel like someone is splitting your head with an ax. The only way to fix it is to do an epidural patch (the provider has to do a blood draw from your arm and then put it back into the epidural space) or wait for the puncture sight to seal itself. 3. Hypotensive incident: Prior to receiving an epidural your cardiovascular system needs a "bolus" of fluid to support the side-effect the epidural causes - your blood pressure drops. This results in placental insufficiency (a decrease in the blood and oxygen supply to the baby because moms heart is working so hard just to get blood and oxygen to her brain - there is nothing left over for the baby). This result is made ten times worse if the woman is dehydrated beforehand - such as women that have been laboring for hours before they get an epidural and have not been receiving anything to eat or drink while in the hospital. 4. Increased risk of cesarean section: epidural anesthesia numbs your body from below the breast line to your toes. You can no longer feel if your bladder is full, you can no longer feel or move your legs. You can't turn from side to side. All normal motion that you would do during labor to help your cervix to dilate and make the baby descend is taken away. 5. Increased risk of Urinary tract infection: You can no longer feel if your bladder is full so the nurse has to insert a catheter through your urethra into your bladder. This tube passes through and touches your skin and carries any bacteria from that area into your bladder. 6. Epidural high block: The epidural typically numbs you from the breast line down. Occasionally it numbs above the breast line - paralyzes your diaphragm (the muscle that allows you to breathe). When this happens the respiratory center in your brain tells you to breath but your diaphragm is numb. The provider that placed the epidural must be very fast acting and place an endotracheal tube and assist you with breathing until the effect wears off. It is an emergency situation. 7. Epidural embolism: After the birth of the baby the epidural catheter is removed. On the end of the catheter is a color coded tip that all providers should look at to make sure the catheter is removed intact. If fragments of the tip have broken off into your epidural space this could possibly cause an embolism in your brain when the fragments migrate. Hope this helps. Good luck

Answer 6

The epidural was my friend! :) No pain getting one - they give you shots with tiny needles to numb your back before inserting a catheter (plastic tube like an IV). You will probably feel a little pinch, but not bad. Some people are against them, but listen to your gut - you will know the right thing to do for you.

Honestly, the epidural was the part that I was most scared about, too, but since I am not one for pain, it took me less than 3 seconds to decide to have one! ;)

Answer 7

I had a ephidural the needle in the back isn't that bad gritt your teeth then its over and well worth it i guarantee. The only problem i had was i couldn't feel when to push and my legs were so numb i couldn't move them so the nurse had to do it for me. But it sure takes the pain away. I should of had it sooner cause i took all the pain i could and then just iv drugs then when they were not working enough then i requested the ephidural i could of avoided alot of pain but i wanted the experience i think they gave me too much because they had to shut the ephidural drip off at the end. Next time straight ephidural no question

Answer 8

I had one with my son. It is just a little prick and hit hurts for a few seconds but it is worth it!!! It especially hurt me because my idiot anesthesiologist stuck me in the wrong spot!! But when he got it right, I was in heaven!! The only downside to the epidural is that you lose all feeling below your waist and you have a harder time pushing; you're basically paralyzed from the waist down. If you have a low threshold for pain (like me) then I would advise you to get an epidural. The few seconds of a little pain are better than hours of a lot of pain in my opinion. Good luck!!

Answer 9

I have had 4 epidurals and have had no probs with them! There is a lil pain when it goes in, its a needle. But the relief you get is worth it! You still feel some pressure but the pain is gone. But remember also every woman reacts differently to them!


Good luck

Answer 10

I have had two.
My experience is this:
You do feel some pain from the needle but after it's in you don't feel it. Sometimes it can take several times it get the needle in right. The position you are can complicate this( I.e. Sitting up and hunched over vs laying on your side and curled up).
My first time (laying on my side) the needle went in the first time.
The second time (sitting up) they couldn't get the needle in right and it took several times and it left me with a spinal tap.
A spinal tap hurts much worse than the epidural.