To epidural or not to epidural?

Question

I'm 37 weeks with my second child. With my first I never got an epidural, mostly because I am terrified of needles and I have some extra fat deposited in my lower back right where they would inject so I worry about them not finding the right spot (I know that sounds really retarded). I got an IV narcotic of some kind for pain with the first, which totally wore off by pushing time. HOLY COW that was the most excruciating pain there could possibly be (and yes I screamed a lot, kind of embarassing). But I felt like the queen of the world that I actually did it and women who just get epidurals don't even have a clue what labor really is!
So what are the good and bad sides to getting an epidural or not? I'm thinking it slows down labor and pushing cause you don't feel the urge to push when it's time, so pushing takes longer. Also worried about complications or having to end up with a C-section.

Maybe I should ask how many heavier women had a successful epidural. It's starting to sound like that does factor in to it.
And does anyone know what risks are to baby for epidural vs. IV narcotic drugs?

Answer 1

There is proof that the chance of cesection rises when an epidural is given. Also, some people get headaches for weeks afterwards. Unless it is completely necessary, I would not go for one.

Answer 2

I couldn't have done it without an epidural. I have strange spacing in my spine and it took 9 tries to get the needle in. It was hard to push because I was so numb and had to push for 2 hours straight. I plan on getting an epidural with this baby but I will ask to not be as completely numb as I was last time so I can push better. I know what real labor really is because I had back labor before I got my epidural. I also had 4th degree tears. I feel like a great mom too! I never had any negative side effects afterwards due to the epidural and neither did my baby.

Answer 3

I had my twins c-section and had an epidural. I am a little on the big size, not huge, but I have some fat on me and I got an epidural. It was the most horrible experience I have ever had!!! They were trying to get the needle in the right spot for almost an hour and they poked me like 8 times. I was miserable and I still have back pain almost a year later because of it. I most likely will not have another epidural!! I will have to find other alternatives to numb the pain.

Answer 4

There is no way I could have given birth without an epidural because of the pain I was in. As far as your fear of needles, you don't even see it and I barely felt a thing over my killer contractions. Once I got my meds, I was fine. My nurse let me know when my contractions were coming and I pushed. Out the baby came. My back was sore for a few months afterwards, but I healed completely and I will definitely get an epidural again. But you made it with the first one, so you may as well go natural. Your comment about women getting epidurals and not having a clue about real labor is ridiculous. Who in their right mind would want to suffer unnecessarily if they didn't have to? I'm telling you, there's no way I would have made it. Especially at the end when the doctor put her entire hand in my crotch and dug around for the leftovers and then stitched me up.

Answer 5

How would you know that the pain medication wore off before u started pushing,,,, it could have been ALOT more painful wihtout it,,,, you dont know. Scary though thought huh? lol. With my first i had no medication at all, not even through the IV. I didint want that pain again so i took drugs through the iv with my second ( im scared of the needle in the spine too). But they gave it to me to close to the tme of pushing, so when she came out she wasnt crying or moving well, the drugs got in her system and they had to give her a shot to counte act with the other stuff, no permanat damage was done, but it was very scary, If I have more i might not have any drugs again. My mothers fingers went numb for days amd she had to get shots in her fingers from the epidural, and just 2 weeks ago, my friend needed shots in her legs from the epidural. Its just scary. Ofcourse there are the cases that turn out great with a pain free labor, which seems like a dream come true. Its just a risk that every pregnant person thinks about. What helped me get through with no drugs was telling myself that the pain is just temporary and i wasnt going to die, lol,, wich ever you chose, good luck!!!!!!!!

Answer 6

I had a epidural. It helped me get a nap in before I had to push my son out. He was face up and I could not for the life of me push him out. He would come down and pop back up no matter how hard I tried. This also cause severe back labour. It basically negated my epidural. It was one of the most horrific experiences of my life. I needed a vacuum extraction and a episotomy. I thank god I had gotten the epidural. Even that few moments of relief were totally worth it. I asked about the epidural causing problems and they said it wasn't that. Just basically bad luck. I'm for epidurals but if that isn't your or anyone else's thing than that's fine too. There is far too much judgements being bounced around about whether its right or wrong. If it feels right to you then there is nothing wrong with it.

Answer 7

Its far better to go without an epidural. Yes, you're going to feel the contractions, but its better for you and your baby in the long run. IVs, epidurals, and pain medications contribute to jaundice in babies and an over-supply of milk in mommies. It also increases your chance for a c-section.

When you have an epidural, you are forced to labor on your back, working against gravity. This commonly causes mom and baby to go into distress and interventions such as episiotomy, vacuum, c-section, etc., to be used. None of these things are good for you and the baby.

While an epidural may seem like your best friend at the moment, the possible long term consequences arent worth it.

Talk to your doctor about using a labor pool. This significantly decreases the pain without any negative effects on you or your precious child. Plus, it eases the pressure on your perineum and eliminates the need for an episiotomy. When in water, every stage of labor progresses faster, so thats a big plus too!

You've done it without an epidural before. Our bodies are designed to give birth. The more you are able to relax, the better your labor will go. So just trust your body, and keep your mind peaceful.

Answer 8

My totally unique epidural experience:

I was going to try without an epidural. I had, like, five contractions, and insisted on the epidural. It was spectacular. But, they took it off when I needed to push, and I pushed for three hours. Afterwards, my bladder stopped working for a while.

For what it's worth, it was nice to have an epidural, but I am seven months pregnant, and this time, I, again, am going to try without the epidural. I had a kidney infection the first time, and I am hoping I was just too sick and worn down before labor even started. Maybe I can make it this time.

Answer 9

baby 1: induced at 2 weeks overdue, hadn't slept in three days from having contractions every 20 minutes. Dilated to 4 then NOTHING. Given pitocen, contractions went from every 20 minutes to every 90 seconds (crest, recede, crest, recede... no breather) and I asked for an epidural after 10 minutes of THAT crap. I got to sleep for the next 6 hours and woke up when we were crowning. No side effects for the baby, no complications for me.

baby 2: Almost exactly a repeat of baby 1.

baby 3: No drugs. I wanted to b*tch-slap my midwife when she refused. When my 9 pound 10 oz son was being born, I felt like a bowling ball encrusted with glass shards was being forcibly pulled from my insides to my outsides. I vowed to NEVER give birth without an epidural EVER again.

baby 4: Induced 2 weeks early - asked for an epidural the SECOND the doctor mentioned pitocin. Easy birth, no side effects for the baby, no complications for me.

I'm 33, I've had 4 kids and 3 epidurals and my back is in great shape. Zero problems. Also successfully breastfed all four.

Answer 10

I asked a question similar to this. And I discovered that there are two types of epidurals. The regular full on needle one and one that is called a walking epidural that just numbs pain down there, but you can still move around (walking : p). I think that I am going to go with that one, my sister had it and she said that she didn't have complications with it and it didn't slow anything down. She also had a full epidural with her last child and they had to cut it off because of complications.