I was watching a video on babycenter.com about the procedures of an epidural...it looked fine but they mentioned that a urinary catheter was commen when you get the epidural...does this hurt?
2006-10-30 05:52:00 · 21 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Pregnancy
They insert the cathader after you have the epidural. And they test you to make sure you are numb first. You can't feel it. And it comesout before the medicine has worn off in most cases, so you don't feel it. Without the cathader, you have no control over your bladder if you have epidural.
2006-10-30 05:55:51 · answer #1 · answered by OOgaCHucka 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hi
OK.. I did not have an Epidural myself but have helped deliver plenty of moms who did have them...
First You do not always need to have a catheter. They do this because with an epidural you lose the sensation that you have to urinate. TO be frank the easiest all round best in my opinion is the catheter.. They can put it in AFTER the epidural is in place and teh discomfort is not a real factor then.
What I can tell you is that you are more likely to get a post cath Urinary tract/ bladder infection with the catheter than without it.. So if you do use the Catheter keep that in mind.
They will simply lube up a flexible tube.. one that is sized to fit in your body,, they come in all sizes.. then they will insert it .. push it up into the bladder.. once its in the bladder they use a saline solution to inflate a small balloon at the end of the tube. This makes the end of the tube larger than the opening it came through and keeps the tube from slipping out.. it holds it in place.. Does not hurt and when they take it out they just remove the saline and deflate the balloon and pull it right out...
Some irritation can occur from disinfectant agents used in the area when they insert it.
I wish you luck whatever you decide.. and with your baby... I can say If I ever did it agai ID take the Epidural.. I did not last time and by the time I said OK I want ti ..it was toooo late to get it... I got no medal for doing it ah natural, and our daughter would have been just fine with the epidural... so I have no idea what I was thinking in not doing it!
Good Luck
Wismom
2006-10-30 14:08:47 · answer #2 · answered by Wismom 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, a catheter is not painful. When you get an epidural you have no control over your bladder or other muscels for that matter so this is inserted so you can go to the bathroom. After a few hours when the epidural begins to wear off, they will start having you to walk around and go to the bathroom on your own and once mastered again they will remove the catheter.
2006-10-30 13:58:48 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It hurt a bit when they put the catheter in, or when someone touched it, but not that bad. Which is why I loved having the drug-free labor with my second, I could go wherever I wanted to, like to the bathroom. good luck!
P.S.: To the moms who say you don't feel anything with an epidural, I must have gotten screwed. Because I felt alot of things, such as my catheter, the contractions(it just took the edge off), and that is why I didn't take drugs the second time, what was the point?!
2006-10-30 13:57:31 · answer #4 · answered by metallicachic82 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had an epidural and didn't have a catheter. My docs didn't even mention having one. Now I did have to have one after the baby cause I had a tear in my urethra tube right at the end. Which made in impossible to urinate. My body just would not do it cause it hurt that bad. I had to go to the hospital and have one put in to drain the urine or I would have popped. but as for pain while putting it in, i didn't have any. I thought that it would be very painful and uncomfortable. But you can feel it going in but it doesn't hurt just pressure and not much. The weirdest thing was knowing that i had urine coming out of me and i couldn't feel it cause of the tube.
2006-10-30 13:59:26 · answer #5 · answered by dragonflyer 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What they normally do is put the catheter in after the epidural and your are typically numb by then, so you don't feel it, and when they take it out it just feels weird but doesn't hurt. Don't worry you'll be fine and you most likely will NOT be able to feel it at all.
2006-10-30 13:57:04 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
You are numb you and really can't feel anything! I didn't even know I had a catheter in! Trust me the Epidural made the experience for me a lot better!!
2006-10-30 13:56:09 · answer #7 · answered by Loren T 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I already had the epidural when they put the catheter in. Still a bit numb when they took it out. You won't be able to tell when you need to pee so you'll need the catheter.
2006-10-30 14:05:19 · answer #8 · answered by momoftwo 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
i have had 4 epidurals and only 3 of them have worked the last one only numbed half of my side and yes with all of them i had a catheter and it burns when it goes in but that is about it and the epidural is great i has no pain but with the last one but when you are in pain from the labor you are not gonna care about a cathider going in. lol good luck.
2006-10-30 14:04:24 · answer #9 · answered by crimson f 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
An epi numbs you from stomach down. You shouldn't feel a thing unless the epi wears off and then the catheter is the least of your problems. Had three kids-1st no epi all natural, young and didn't know to ask. 2nd-wanted epi asked to late in labor, natural. 3rd ask and received, wore off, felt everything. Hope your experience lasts throughout!!
2006-10-30 13:58:13 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋