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What is this "epidural wearing off" business?! I had a continuous pump that i kept hitting the button for more meds

I'm...conflicted regarding my second labor. I think i'm gonna have to see how it goes. Induction? Epidural for sure. Natural labor? Damn, not sure.

I'd like to try to go natural with LO2, but the reason I got the epidural (after 13 hours) with #1 was because I was totally stuck and stalled. I will NOT wait 13 hours if that happens again. I went immediately from a 2 to a 7 after the epidural. I mean, don't get me wrong, it was super painful (they gave me morphine and it made not a single bit of difference), but the ultimate reason I got the epidural was to keep moving.

On the other hand, I LOVED my labor and delivery experience, and have no problem getting another epidural if that's what makes sense!

Had one with my first. I was all signed up to have one with my second but labor was too fast! My whole L&D the second time was only 45 min, the anesthesiologist walked in when I was at 10cm.

It was definitely horrifically painful, but when it was all over, I felt AMAZING, I think most of that feeling was just sweet relief.

I had one with my first and none with my second. I don't think I'll have a third but I really don't know what I would do if I had the option again. Both were good

I had a wonderful epidural with my first and definitely hope to get one ASAP with #2 next week (eep!)

@blackbird: I didn't have a button but I've still never understood the "wearing off" thing. The nurses and Drs should be controlling the amount of medication that's continuously going through the plastic epidural catheter in your back. All I can think is that the little catheter could migrate with all of the movement of labor into a position that's no longer numbing you... Or if they need to turn the dose down for a reason.

I wanted it faster w/ the 2nd than I did with the 1st. I had much more intense contractions early on w/ the 2nd - I couldn't get the epidural fast enough!

My epidural never fully took and wore off quickly. I don't know if it was because it was back labor, which is what my anesthesiologist blamed it on, or they were just not monitoring it. (I don't think the nurses believed me and I didn't see the anesthesiologist even after I told him it wasn't working. But I was too deliriously exhausted to really ask for more help).

It did succeed in immobilizing me and I really didn't want that experience again of not being able to move and being able to feel everything. Second birth was sooooo much easier. No back labor, shorter, and took four pushes instead of three hours of pushing. I didn't get an epidural that time. Although I did try to ask for one, but at that point I was pushing, haha!

I had one with my first (I was induced because my water broke but labor stalled). I technically had one with my second, but labor came on so quick and hard that I didn't really have time - there was less than 40 minutes between the time I walked in the door of the hospital and when I had my daughter in my arms. The anesthesiologist was in for another delivery, so he DID give me one (probably just to get me to stop bothering him - I kept pulling my husband's sleeve and saying "please can you tell them I want my epidural now" in a not so quiet stage whisper)...but it didn't kick in until maybe just as I was pushing or just after. I felt every bit of labor and it REALLY wasn't fun at the time (contractions HURT - I didn't realize that the first time), but it is kind of all a blur now. I think if you're interested in doing it, you definitely can! Good luck

@blackbird: @mrsjyw: I wondered too! I kept asking them about it and they said that it was like an IV, so if the meds ran low, they'd just replace it. I didn't even have anything to press for more, it just kept on flowin'!

I plan to get an epidural again. The monster contractions that started at 6 cm were just too much last time and I can imagine they only got worse after I got the epidural at 6cm.

I went au natural for 12 hours incl one hour of pushing, and since the baby stalled and I needed forceps I got an epidural then. I will NEVER labour hard without one again. I hate that I went through all that pain when relief was available! I'll be asking for one the minute I get to the hospital, with any subsequent babies.