For those of you that elected to have an epidural--was it a successful experience or did it fail on you like poor Mrs. Wagon? What is the success rate of the epidural among the moms on Hellobee? Any information on your experience will be most helpful!
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No, it worked great!!
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I didn't get one until i was pretty far along. It was strong enough that I wasn't in horrible pain but not so much that I was completely numb. I had mine for a couple hours before I delivered.
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I'll be watching this thraed closely. The possibility of the epi failing is the scariest thing to me.
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I worship my anesthesiologist, he did a great job! I asked for a light dose for the epidural, so I could still move and feel my legs, but I couldn't feel contractions. It worked so well that my doctor ended up turning it off before I delivered so I could feel when to push better.
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no, but it fell out and no one believed me. always trust your gutt. i had to go from 4 to 6 cm without an epi. finally, my husband and nurses checked and reinserted the two tubes.
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No experience with it here, but my one friends almost did not work. Had to stick her 13 times before getting it in and ended up messing up her back. My other friend it only worked on half her body. Crazy!
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@plantains: I know, right!? I'm terrified it will fail on me!!
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@lemondrop: Since your doctor turned it off so you could feel the need to push, did you feel your stitches?
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@keiki_mama: good question about feeling the stitches, I hadn't even thought of that! Is it common practice for them to turn of the epi before you push?
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@plantains: I had never considered being able to feel the stitches until Mrs. Bee blogged about her delivery with Olive!
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@keiki_mama: a little bit- nothing nearly as bad as I had expected. Honestly I think there was so much going on down there already that any discomfort from stitches was very minor.
I was being the stereotypical woman in labor when my son was crowning, yelling and being crazy. My doc tried to distract me, but I would not have it- the only cure was him getting out.
I know that sounds bad, but it didn't last long in the grand scheme of things and I would do it again in a second. Afterwards though I was laughing and joking with the doctors while delivering the placenta and getting stitched up, also I was able to walk well within an hour of delivering (due to light dose and having epidural turned off), and I felt really good after.
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Mine was awesome and didn't even hurt going in.
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@plantains: I don't think it is common, I just was having a very hard time feeling contractions to know when to push. My doc thought that if I could feel a little more then I would be able to push more effectively.
My doc talked to me the whole time and asked how I felt about each step- ultimately I told him to do what he needed to do to get the baby out. He does this every day, I don't. Keep in mind, I had a very fast labor- my water broke and I had the baby in my arms in less than 8 hours.
The big thing I was happy for was to get the epidural for the contractions from 8-10cm, those were unbearable (for me! remember, everyone is different) compared to pushing and crowning.
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Hrm. I had one for a spinal tap and it gave me horrendous spinal headaches. I know it's not the same thing, but it IS the reason I'm not going to request an epi when I am in labor.
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@pastemoo: They really are totally different. In one they removed fluid and the other they don't...
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Best thing ever. Seriously. I had been in excrutiating pain for hours and was only 5 cm dilated. The epidural made it all nice. They didn't turn mine down when I pushed - I could feel when I had to. Didn't feel the episiotemy (sp??!) or stitches.
I no of no one personally that it failed for or was an issue administering.
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My epidural was awesome. I was terrified that something would go wrong with it, but thankfully it worked like a charm.
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@Mrs. Jacks: I totally understand how completely different they are, but I am not willing to curl up into a ball and get that needle again even though it won't pierce my meninges, I am just not willing to do it again.
Also, I am really not a fan of more than local based on previous experience waking up during surgery. So, I am chosing not to have an epi.I only know one person whose epi didn't come out the way it was supposed to. It *did* work, but they accidentally pierced her meninges so it took her a really long time to get her feeling back and her kid ended up with chronic migraines starting as an infant. Of course that wasn't the only thing they messed up, so I know that's not what usually happens with an epi.
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@pastemoo: Hey, everyone has their own journey... no judgement here
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@Mrs. Jacks:
I know it works great for plenty of women.
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Initially, mine only worked on one side. They were able to fix it though, but in the process of fixing it, my blood pressure plummeted. I don't really remember everything that happened at that point because I passed out, but DH informed me that a bunch of people rushed into the room, they gave me a shot, and I threw up - glad I don't remember it
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I think it's pretty common that epidurals get adjusted during pushing in hopes that it helps pushing become more effective. Of course, when they told me they wanted to decrease it, I was scared as hell, but they assured they'd only do it by a little and I could always increase it back up if needed. I trusted them and even with them decreasing it at the end, I can still say that I delivered my first baby with a pretty good epidural experience. The hardest part for me was when I had to sit still when they inserted it because a huge contraction came on during the process. However I was blessed with an awesome L&D nurse who helped me focus and breathe while they did it. That was pivotal!
In regards to the stitches afterwards, I felt pricks as my OB was doing them. Ouch! It was something that surprised me the first time because no other mom had told me it bothered them before. My hubby was taking video of our newborn right after and you can hear me in the background being bothered by the stitches. After a while, I had to ask my OB to give me more local anesthesia there (which meant another prick!). I don't think it helped much though. Also, it is unclear when my epidural was turned off exactly... The second time I gave birth though (completely natural, no epidural), stitching didn't feel as bad... they also said i tore in the same place so i got similar stitches again, but my "pain" experience was different (less overall).... Weird!
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@pastemoo: I had myself all worked up and talked out of an epi for this very same reason...bad spinal tap experience. I can still feel the needle going in with that one
In the end I ended up getting an epi with being to tired and stressed from my induction and it not progressing. My doctor wouldn't give me stronger medicine to start contractions without one. The last time my doctor came in I said that I had A LOT of pressure and I could feel contractions. He did a check (getting ready to move to c-section because things weren't progressing and I wa having bp issues) and I was at 10!!!! I did most of the actual delivery with little to no epi. I had full function of my legs and body, but honestly it wasn't that bad. Had my doctor come in and said I was only a few cm I would have asked to have the epi turned up.
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@anbanan15: Thanks for sharing, good to know!
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