I know every pregnancy and labor is different but I was in total shock when it came to the pushing part of my first pregnancy. I've always thought with the epidural it would have helped alleviate some/all of the pain (and based on some birth stories from friends and blogs I would have never thought it was that bad).
I endured 1-2 min contractions at 7cm dilated for 6 hours before I took the epidural, breath of relief. I felt everything when it was time to push, it was like I was being burnt in flames, and it took an hour to push her out!
So this 2nd pregnancy, I'm trying to find some answers-did my epidural lose effect? I want to talk to my doctor about it. Do they keep records of my labor in the system? (like if they had decrease the epidural maybe it was documented?)
I thought the full blown contractions were the worst but pushing was a nightmare.
How was your pushing experience?
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@Snowybreeze: I pushed with an epidural (labor totally stalled at 3 cm for 14 hours when I asked for it), and didn't feel much. I felt enough to push and have control, but definitely no pain.
I told my husband I was leaving him for the anesthesiologist.
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My epidural wore off 3 times and the anesthesiologist came back each time to redose me (sweet sweet drugs!). I felt no pain except for when it wore off. Pushing didn't hurt bc of the epidural, I just felt pressure in the butt area. And actually the last time the epidural wore off was in the middle of my 3 hrs of pushing...I tried to do without and push through it, burst into tears, begged for a redose and got it right before the last hour or so.
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I had enough feeling to push effectively but definitely not major pain (I feel terrible even saying that!). I also had a 36 week baby who was 5lb 4oz - so I'm sure that helped! I would definitely talk it over with your dr for some peace of mind.
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I showed up at the hospital 9 cm dilated, and they tried their best for an epidural for me. I had the same experience as you though. I felt everything! I remember telling my husband that it wasnt supposed to hurt this much, haha.
I assumed it just didn't take
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Oh my goodness, then my epidural had really worn off! I didn't know what to expect and everything was hectic. I can forget the contractions (although I'm opting for an epidural again if it gets to the same level of pain) but to this day i still remember the pushing pain. During the push, I told DH that I'm so mad at him, how could he have done this to me and we won't be doing this again
@jess1483: That's funny (about leaving him for the anesthesiologist not your 3cm stalled) and I can relate!
@ToroRojo: Is epidural wearing off based on how each woman takes it? Is there any way to tell for sure it has worn off? I could not feel my contractions but felt every thing during the push.
@MRSF: Lucky! kinda
DD wasn't that big either, at 41 weeks she was 6lb 11oz. -
I had the complete opposite where they gave me too much and I felt absolutely nothing. (I got it at 8 cm with painful contractions but not unbearable.) I had no idea when I was having a contraction or when to push.
Despite not being able to feel anything the Dr just had me push when I thought I might feel something and I got DD out in 20 minutes or so. I didnt like how my experience was with them giving me too much so I plan to go with out this time.I would think it is all documented, maybe by the nurse. I would ask.
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I had no drugs and didn't think pushing was significantly worse than the worst contractions. It was easier to manage the pain of pushing since I could do something, if that makes sense. But yeah, both contractions and pushing hurt a lot.
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You poor thing, my epidural experience was definitely not like that! I got epi between 6-7cm dilated and it was instant relief. I had to wait to push for doctor to arrive, and was having some strong discomfort that last 45min before pushing, but very very little pain for pushing - just mostly painless discomfort.
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My first epidural never took, and had to be redone. After they redid it, it was magical. As for pushing, the epidural was definitely still working because I did not feel the contractions to know when I needed to push when I first started. That said, I definitely felt the pushing itself. I don't know how people don't feel it- it's pressure on your pelvis as the baby comes out that causes the pain so I wouldn't think drugs could take that away. I know several people that didn't feel anything though so obviously it's totally possible. I pushed for 45 minutes, but the last 15 or so was the worst of it. Pretty managable over all. Mostly I just remember being HOT and they made me wear a blood pressure cuff my entire labor, which by the point I was pushing was down at my wrist and it went off every other time I pushed. It was so unbearably annoying, but I doubt that happens to a lot of people =)
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This sounds just like me! My epidural took away the pain of the contractions but not the pushing - at all!! However, I know it was working because they actually forgot to turn it off for a while after I delivered and so I had to wait in bed for a while before being able to get up/use the bathroom. I've read that some anesthesiologists administer it so that it takes the edge off contractions but you can still feel enough to push effectively. All I know is everyone told me about not feeling anything - which was not the case for me!! Ha! I also didn't get it until about 8 cm or so - at that point, I didn't realized I had progressed that far in such a short span.
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I had an epidural from 5cm on. I felt nothing during pushing, except slight contractions in my lower back. I had an awesome epidural. I couldn't even lift my legs most of the day. They turned it down about 30 minutes before I started pushing, so I could feel a little bit of the contractions and know when to push. I didn't feel any of the stitches either. It was wonderful!
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@Snowybreeze: if you weren't feeling contractions before and then you can, it has worn off. I could tell it was wearing off when the sensation started coming back, and I was positive when I felt like my stomach was being ripped apart.
It's interesting how different all of our experienced were! I didn't even feel contractions while pushing, they just looked at the monitor and told me when to do it.
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I did not have an epi (home birth), but yeah, pushing was insane. I had friends say it was such a relief to push, and I cannot fathom that. My labor was very fast, too, and I had some tearing. Ugh!
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@PinkB: Funny thing was I really didn't know when a contraction was coming so that I could push. I relied on the nurse to tell me that one was coming, so that's why I'm still partially confused why I felt so much pushing pain. Yeah I saw lots of paper printing out the data...not sure what they do with those.
@Foodnerd81: I really thought i could forego the drug too but it just lingered at 7 cm for so long and it was 1-2 mins intense contractions, unbearable!
@RunnerD: I'm hoping for an experience like yours for the next one!
@CookieMonster: After the experience, I thought just that, maybe epidural just doesn't do any magic down there, but getting some mix stories here, so I hope to experience the opposite then I can really say which one worked better for me. Could be so many end results, not feeling the pushing pain and get the baby out in minutes?
@FancyFunction: Ah! that's good to know. I feel like they don't tell us all the options like do you want epidural just enough to not feel the contractions but be able to feel the pushing?
@PhotoJane: Speaking of stitches, 15 minutes into the stitching I felt it! so that was one clear sign that the epidural was wearing off. I forgot what they did after I told them i was starting to feel the stitching.
Thanks everyone! now i have enough facts to go and discuss with the doctor
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I definitely had the same experience as you. The epidural machine kept beeping on/off in the am before push time so that should've been my clue. I felt every minute of two hours of pushing ds out who also had a 14inch head!
I'm def going to be on top of the epidural machine in the future!
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I think my epidural had partially worn off. I am pretty sure I felt everything except the full pain of the contractions (I did feel pressure and know when they were happening) and my experience was similar (pushed for an hour, searing pain - she was born with her hand on her head, so that didn't help). I did require a shot of anesthetic because when they tried to stitch, it hurt like the dickens. I was able to get up and walk to the restroom immediately afterwards.
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I think your epidural wore off!
With my first, I got the epidural at 9cm and the relief was great! Did not feel the contractions and only felt pressure during pushing. I felt no pain when my daughter was born.
I just had my second 4 weeks ago. Again, I got the epidural at 9cm, had planned on getting it earlier but my labor progressed so fast. Felt no pain during contractions or pushing, until he was ready to come out. Oh the burning pain, it was terrible! I felt it all. The epidural must have worn off all of a sudden, had I known, I would have pushed the button to self administer more drugs!
Not sure if it is an option, but ask the anesthesiologist to drug you up good! When the epidural is working well, you shouldn't feel any pain.
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I was induced but no epidural. I was at 6cm when my midwife checked me, when I went to the bathroom 10 mins later I had the urge to push - was told it was just baby moving down. I spent about 10 minutes fighting the urge to push (don't remember contraction pain at this point, just the NEED to push) when I couldn't fight the urge to push any more I got my midwife to check me, lo's head was already halfway out and she was born on the next push. So pushing was the easiest part for me, didn't even feel the ring of fire.
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None of mine worked. With my third they had to place it 3 times, while going through transition. It settled in my right leg, helped relieve some contraction pain, then the pushing came. Worst pain ever. I thought I was going to die, I ask them to cut me open and get her out (both times!)
This last time when she came out I looked at my Husband and cried "What was that!?" he looked at me like I was crazy, and said "What do you think?" But that's not what I felt, I tore inside and felt it, blood started pouring out of me. The pain was so intense. I think the epi's just don't work on some. I'm sad to say I can't truly remember if it worked with my son, I want to say I felt it, but I'm only 96% sure
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The way the drs explained it to me, an epi takes the edge off of the contractions but it can't alleviate the pain of the pressure of the baby descending and coming out when you push. That's exactly how I experienced it. I actually had to have them turn off the epi for pushing because I couldn't feel the contractions to push with them.
With LO2, I didn't have time for an epi. The contractions were WAY worse than the pushing. But I only had to push three times.
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I had no epi and for me the pushing was nothing compared to the contractions! I was induced and had 12 hours of contractions one minute apart, so when I was allowed to push it was a sweet, sweet relief. It took about 30 mins of pushing. I always thought with an epi you shouldn't feel the pain. Good luck with your birth
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I had an epi after 20 hours of stalled labour..I was ready to push just 4 hours later. I had a "boost" of my epi before I started to push... But I could still feel every contraction. I could tell the nurses reading my chart when a contraction was coming before they knew. But it wasn't an OMG this hurts pain, it was more of a knowledge pain so I think the epi still took the edge off.
And when they stitched me up I didn't feel a thing... So it was still effective!!
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I had an epi that kept "pooling" on one side so I'd flip to the other side and it would look that way. So weird. They ended up increasing it and when it came time to push one leg was totally numb... I pushed for 5 hours... And towards the end I had to let the epi wear off to help get the baby out!
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With my first, I had an amazing epi where I did not feel a thing the entire time, it was AMAZING. No ring of fire, no pressure, no pain, nothing. And I pushed DD out in one hour, brilliant.
With DD2, my epi never took fully so whilst I didn't feel the ring of fire or any pressure, I just felt general discomfort. Pushed DD2 out in one hour as well.
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The epidural took the pain away from the pitocin contractions coupled with back labor and allowed me to catch my breath. But I pushed for hours trying to turn a sunny side up baby who kept getting stuck so I ended up feeling the pushing and ring of fire and my ladyparts being torn. Thankfully they numbed me during the stitches after.
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How do epidurals wear off? I had a continuous dose and every time I pushed the button, I got another shot of anaesthesia.....I did find that my epi did nothing for the nerve pain, which they said was normal
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So my epidural was really one-sided and remained that way, even though I told them it was super one sided. I could move my left leg the entire time and was able to get up and walk around with no issues as soon as skin-to-skin time was over. The nurse was shocked that I was up and walking but I was like, I TOLD YOU IT WASN'T WORKING.
I did feel some pain when pushing, but only pain on my left side, weirdly. Same with my contractions...no pain on my right side, tons of pain on my left side. But it was still an improvement over not have any epidural at all.
So sorry you had a bad epi experience--my guess is that they turned it down, not expecting you to push so long. They told me they were "turning the epidural down" (or off, can't remember)...and I started feeling a lot more. But Luckily, I only pushed for 20 min or so.
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@blackbird: I didn't have a button! Weird!
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I had an epidural and I couldn't feel anything while pushing, not even a contraction. It was really hard to push and took me 2 hours to get her out!
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I only felt some pressure (painless). Pushed 15 min? Epidural was the best thing ever. I hope second round works as well!
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I had an epi and felt no contractions.. I was induced and ended up needing foley bulbs to dilate. I had a button to push for more but I found out that they actually control it at the nurses station, so you can push it but they had to actually release (or whatever) it so you actually got it! I guess it makes sense kinda so you don't do too much...
My epi was put in at 6 am and I delivered at 920 pm. They had me start pushing early around 6 pm b/c they thought I was ready, well baby wasn't ready. During that 5 min push session I felt nothing, I couldn't even tell when I was having a contraction and it was not good. From 6 pm until 8 pm I didn't push my epi button so it would "wear off" and by 8 pm I could tell when I was contracting which helped immensely while pushing. I didn't feel pain from pushing but I DID fully feel the ring of fire and it was NOT GOOD!!
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Did they tell you about the button to push on the epi to keep the meds flowing? I was pushing that thing every 20 minutes to make sure I stayed good and numb! I didn't feel a thing (not even pressure). After 30 minutes of ineffective pushing because I couldn't feel anything, they turned the epi off. I still felt nothing, though and after another hour of pushing, my daughter was born. I relied on the nurse and doc telling me what I was doing was working. In hindsight, it probably would have been better for numerous reasons if I could have felt something but I really didn't (and don't want to in the future) feel a thing!
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Pushing was a nightmare for me with my son. My body doesnt help at all, I have no urge to push. I hit 10 cm with my son at midnight and he wasnt born until 4:19 AM with the help of a vacuum The nurses were giving me directions and basically told me my first hour I was doing nothing at all I was so tired already (I had been there since 10 AM) and so done. When I was in labor with my daughter I literally freaked when they told me it was time to push. All I could think was its going to be another 4 hour nightmare. Luckily I guess my body was a little more prepared the 2nd time around even though it didnt help me it was still easier and only took me an hour which is a lot of you think about it but in comparison to four hours it cut my time by 75%!
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I had an epidural and couldn't feel anything while pushing. I was afraid that would make it harder, but he was out in 3-4 contractions, and I didn't tear!
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