Does having an epidural when having a baby hurt?

Question

Be honest. Is it really painful? Is it worth getting?

Answer 1

HOnestly, No, it wasn't painful. My contractions hurt so bad, that's all I wanted! It was worth getting too- I was actually giggling with my dad after I had it! The only problem for me was 15 hrs into it, my epidural wore off entirely! I was almost fully dilated, and 4 hrs with no epidural was very painful- I cried harder than I ever have in my life! Then, the spinal epidural didn't work when I had to be rushed c-section... so I had to be put under. This doesn't happen to everyone though, I don't want to scare you.

What you can do, is go into it thinking you'll have it natural... but if it gets too painful, you'll know if you want the epidural or not- that's what I did.

Goodluck!

Answer 2

I waited as long as I could before I had an epidural. To be honest, the contractions were so painful at that point, I do not remember even feeling the epidural. About 10 minutes after I had the epidural I only felt the pressure of the contractions and I was ready to take a nap!!! An hour later my son was born.

I was really happy after I had the epidural because it took away the pain I was feeling from the contractions.

I do honestly believe if you get one too soon it can slow down labor so you may want to talk to your doctor about that. My doctor recommended if I had pain meds just to get the epidural because the interaction with other pain meds on top of an epidural can make you nauseated and some only "take the edge off" so you are still in pain.

Good Luck and I hope this helps!

Answer 3

It does hurt some. You are getting numbing shots first, so you feel those. then when they put in the epidural you feel pressure. I watch a lot of the baby shows on tv, and I can't help but laugh at some of these women that act like they are dieing just form getting an epidural. To be honest, Yes you feel the shots, but it doesn't last. the pain is gone before you lay back down. Yes it is worth it if you aren't good with pain. Just be prepared, after it sets in, you can move but you can't feel it, you will be confined to bed until you have your baby and it wears off. I had two. I am pregnant with my third, and I am thinking of not getting one. did with my first two. The first was great, because my labor was 23 hours long! But my second was not so good. The doctor forgot to prescribe it, so by the time he finally did I was pushing within 15 minutes, so it helped with contractions, but not with the pushing, I could feel everything, the doctor even had to numb me in order to cut me for the baby to come out. This time, I am going in knowing how much the pain is, so I am going to have the option of getting an epidural, but I am not going to start with one.
If you think that the epidural is painful then you probably wouldn't be able to go through the pain of having a child with out one! I think that the most painful part of it is getting the tape off afterwards!!

Answer 4

It really doesn't hurt. I too was really worried that it would hurt, but it didn't and it was so worth it. It made my labor and delivery such a pleasant experience. I felt absolutely no pain after the epidural. The only thing I could feel was the pressure of the baby moving down, but no pain at all. Since I was not in pain, I was relaxed and rested when it was time to start pushing the baby out. I really recommend the epidural.

Answer 5

My first child was "unnatural" I had the misfortune of NO pain meds- I was at an 8 by the time I got to the hospital (I was not a speedy, I was in labor for 2 days). My last child (I only have 2) was induced and I enjoyed an epidural. I didn't feel anything because the contractions sucked.
One of my sisters had both her kids C-section. The first was unplanned and she didn't feel the epidural for obvious reasons. She felt the second because the C was planned and she wasn't in labor.
To make the story short...I fell in love with 4 men in my life: Husband, my 2 sons and the anesthestiologist that gave epidural. I told him too!!!

Answer 6

The pain of an epidural is nothing compared to the pain of a contraction. An epidural has the same burning that a penicillin shot has but it is soon followed by a really cool sensation that moves down your spine and then after that you can't feel it (it's over so fast) and the cooling sensation is really releaving after having the labor pains. You will not feel a think after the epidural and that makes it all worth it!

Answer 7

Well, if I told you that having an epidural doesn't hurt at all, I'd be a big liar. It does hurt, but the pain is tolerable and passes quickly [much like when the dentist gives you local anesthesia to fill a cavity or extract a tooth]. But, giving birth without an epidural hurts much, much more {I sure can tell, because I gave birth to my daughter with no pain relief of any kind}. So, it's worth getting, very much so.

Answer 8

For my first baby- I was dead set against having an epidural. Then the pain started getting really bad and the baby wasn't moving down because of the stress. The doctors suggested it and I decided to go along with it. It hurts for just a couple of minutes while they put it in and is uncompfortable sitting up. BUT, afterwards I was ready to play cards and watch tv. My sister-in-law was even able to take a nap through the thick of her contractions. So, I say YES!!!! It is worth it. I am due to have a baby any day now and I will most definelty get it.

Answer 9

That depends. How do you respond to needles. Needles FREAK me out. Getting blood drawn and the IV and eventually the epidural were the worst parts of everything for me. For me, the epidural really really hurt. The only time I ever screamed when in labor. For me it wasn't worth it. The labor 'pains' felt like I was doing sit-ups for 23 hours nonstop every 20-30 seconds. Annoying yes, exhausting yes.....painful not at all.

Answer 10

each persons' expierience is different. i can tell you mine. i had 3 babies/no epidurals, extreme pain. last baby, had epidural, was like a dream, could laugh, through it all, and he was fine. my mom had me almost in a car, because she wasn't sure if she had the flu or what, i was no 2, so a nurse delivered me in a hospital doorway. as a ob/gyn nurse 15years plus, i would say most go with the epidural and are glad. the epidural i had was done by an anestetholgist who was known for doing great epidurals, so check up on who is best at this, and if you can, request that person. i was sat upright at the edge of the bed, and my labor nurse, as well as friend, told me to hug her tightly, i did, got 1 poke and it was in. they numb your skin up around the epidural site first . it felt somewhat like a beesting quite honestly, and things were easy sailing after that. some people don't have such an easy time with it, like if they come in to the hospital dilated past 7, they probably won't be able to get one quickly enough to matter. or if the person doing the epidural isn't so great at it. i have known people who have been stuck 5,6,7, times, and did not get any relief, because the epidural wasn't in the right spot. if you have any scoliosis, or spine fractures/ or deformities, i would say no epidural please. otherwise, yes!~ just make sure you know the person doing it is good at it. good luck to you. either way its just one day for many blessings of days to come.