i am due in april and really terrified of giving birth. Its not the contractions worrying me, its when the baby comes out and all the tearing and sewing ... gggrrrr makes me cringe. I plan on an epidural but heard that some womens pain didnt completely go away?? any one with experience?
2006-11-13 14:12:35 · 27 answers · asked by foxy 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Pregnancy
Thank you so much.. all your answers are making me feel much better already !
2006-11-13 14:20:08 · update #1
CRYSTAL: just because i am scared of the pain doesnt mean i would never have a baby because of it. Ive already accepted the fact its gonna hurt and ive always known it. I just wanted some comfort from ladies that have gone thru it. Thanks for your advice.
2006-11-13 14:22:01 · update #2
My epidural didn't end up working - it only numbed my left leg unfortunately. I have friends who have had them actually work, and they said that you don't feel pain exactly, just a whole lot of pressure. They give you a small enough dose of medication that you can still push. Good luck!!!
2006-11-13 15:20:26 · answer #1 · answered by Megan 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The epidural helps most people who have it and some even have no sensation while the baby is coming out. It is more common for women to have some pain and pressure during pushing/crowning even with the epidural. If you're feeling some sensation with the epidural (or it's not working) ask your midwife or doctor to use warm compresses on your perineum and listen when they give you instructions on when and how to push so that the birth of the head can be controlled and you won't tear as much.
By the way, you don't really feel the tearing the way you would feel a cut on another part of your body. The skin is stretched so thin that much of the skin sensation is numbed and women who don't have pain medication just say that it feels like burning and stretching. Also, it feels completely better in that one moment that the baby comes out!
2006-11-14 02:49:14 · answer #2 · answered by NurseSF 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What you feel is going to be up to you and your OB. There are lots of different types of epidurals! The doctors do prefer that it starts to "wear off" in time for you to push, as it makes it more effective.
Keep in mind that with an epi, you have to have continuous monitoring of the baby......which means no getting out of bed. They may even do internal monitoring, which involves snaking a wire through your cervix and attaching it to the babies head. Most doctors also push saline, and you'll have to have a catheter put in until the feeling comes back.
Now, as for the baby crowning, and the actual birth. The peritoneal skin is very very thin. You'll feel some burning, but in all honesty the area goes numb pretty quickly. The contractions were worse, in my opinion. If you do tear or end up with an episiotomy, the doc will give you a shot of Novocaine to numb the area before they do any stitching.
I had my son with an epidural, and my daughter with no drugs at all. In my case, the epi wasn't worth it. It allowed me to rest for a while, but I got horrible headaches and back pain afterwards. I still felt the actual "birth" and the contractions.
Talk to your OB, and see if you can meet with the hospital anesthesiologist before you go into labor.
Good luck!
2006-11-13 22:25:39 · answer #3 · answered by soleilshewitch 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i had an epidual in 2001 2002 2004 2006 two of them where due to giving birth and the other two are from surgerys. epidurals can cause migranes and back pain for up tp 15 years after the epidural. i had no pain in 2002 which was a vaginal birth but i wish i would have used some thing less potent because i was extremly tired afterwards i couldnt stay awake to see my son. after the last epidural i had i cannot feel my right leg i can walk on it but i have little feeling. i would look into other possabilities befor choosing and epidural. i now have to see a nualologyst due to the loss of feeling. i have also had many problems with my back. i cant pick up my childeren or run jog bend down or any thing like that due to the pain i have. you can also be paralized if the epadural is not given correctly. talk to your doctor before setting your mind on an epidual
2006-11-13 22:25:25 · answer #4 · answered by nini 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i've had two children two epidurals a full epidural with my 1st i still felt presure mostly in my butt and some pain i did not feel getting stitches at all. With my 2ed i only ask for a walking epidural which is a weaker epidural because it took 4 hours to push my 1st out because i was so numb i was not pushing very effective. It only took 1 hour to get my 2ed out i felt more of the pain presure and tearing but i could also feel better how i was pushing. IF your totally numb it gets hard to tell how well you are pushing. you'll be perfect just remeber it won't last forever women are made to give birth at the end you get to see your baby!. With a epidural it is mostly a lot of presure like a bad bowel movement that you feel YOU should not feel the stitches.
2006-11-13 22:21:17 · answer #5 · answered by ally'smom 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
this will not make you feel any of the pain it will take a long time to wear off you could go on yahoo and type in what is a epidural and you will find every thing about the epidural an epidural also has risks
so it will eliminate all sensation of the baby coming out
2006-11-13 23:22:22 · answer #6 · answered by rammonia321 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have had two children, and they tried to give me an epidural both times, didn't work at all for me...during my last epidural she spent a good half hour trying to get it in my spine, I ended up having a natural childbirth anyhow, which means I felt it all...the pain during labor is extreme, but once the baby is out its over, if they unsuccessfully try to put an epidural in the pain in your back is intense and lasts forever...epidural or not you will still feel the pain afterwords if you are stitched....my advice don't get the epidural..everyone I know has had back pain every since they had one...do it natural or use pain medicine through an IV...trust me
2006-11-13 22:19:24 · answer #7 · answered by Tabatha 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I have 3 kids and all of mine you didnt really feel any pain, but you do feel pressure, more like something is pushing on you. It kinda feels like you have to poop, that is the best way I can think to describe it. I loved my epidurals. Here is a hint, ask for it before you need it, to give it time to get to you. The pain is much better controlled if it doesnt get out of controll first. Congrats!
2006-11-13 22:46:23 · answer #8 · answered by MICHELLE M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well ive gone through it but i dont have a nice stopry to tell about mine my epidural didnt work they even put it in twice and i was in labour 37 hours alot of pain but worth it i would go through again anyday for the end result but dont worry its very rare tht it does tht my mom took the epidural and felt nothing so did my best friend she said with it was the easiest birth ever with the epidural of course good luck
2006-11-13 22:28:38 · answer #9 · answered by la colombiana 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had an epidural with my daughter (30 hours of labor) I was wonderful for about 4 of those hours...... then pain did come back and it hurt like mad! However I didn't have one with my son (1.5 hours of labor).... there was not enough time to give it to me. And I felt everything...... I felt him coming down the birth canal. So in relation to the first..... I would say that it did take some of the pain away..... but not all. But everyone one is different..... Good luck and congrats
2006-11-13 22:18:56 · answer #10 · answered by ww99709 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋