Hellobee Boards

@MamaMoose: LOL, i was just going to write "Feels like heaven" when i saw your post.

I honestly don't remember anything when i got the needle. If there was any pressure, it wasn't anything. All i know is that i fell asleep after getting the epidural!

I had a really good experience and didn't feel anything besides the cooling sensation of alcohol and numbing meds.

IT WAS HEAVENLY.

@HighWire: "Small poke in the back, but that's it. WAY better than the horrid contractions I was having while sitting up waiting for it to be administered." This was my experience too!

I don't remember feeling anything with my first. I felt immediate relief too.
With my 2nd I felt some pain and it took at least 20 mins before I felt relief. I was also fully dilated and ready to push around the time I got it! Just didn't realize it at the time..

No headaches or any side effects.

It was sooooo hard to sit still to get it done during contractions. But I don't remember any pain from the actual shot. Then the doctor said, "You should feel 3 or so more contractions and then it will kick in." Then DH asked if I felt the first contraction because he saw it on the computer screen.... and I didn't

For those who said it wore off... did you get a spinal block versus epidural? My doc told me it 'cant' wear off because you can continue to add more to the dosage with a little button. Anyway I hope mine doesn't wear off!!!

@TurtleDoves: I went into the hospital around the same time of dilation. I was a total wuss too. Though, I asked for it when I was in triage long before I got admitted, best thing ever.

What does an epidural feel like? Heaven on earth! It didn't hurt at all - a tiny prick when they administer the anesthetic, no worse than any other shot, and then I think it felt cold going in, but compared to contractions, it was nothing.

Mine worked perfectly, the doctor said I was the dream patient in terms of ease getting it in. I could still move my legs and felt zero pain or pressure. I took a nap, read my book, watched Masterchef, and just hung out happily waiting for LO to get here. It was fantastic. I didn't have any side effects nor did it stall labour.

Next time, I want the epi as soon as contractions start, forget this working through them for a while nonsense! :). As you can tell, I loved my epidural and cannot recommend them highly enough.

Interesting qusetion.

I was in so much pain with the contractions that the pain of getting the Epidural was nothing in comparsion.

It was an uncomfortable pinch in my back from what I remember - some people say it's a bit like a bee sting and that's what the doctor that put in me said it would feel like. But it was sweet sweet relief from the contractions. I was able to take a quick nap before pushing the baby out because of it.

I had no side effects from mine.

It didn't feel awesome (I'd say beestingish but no lingering pain) but in hindsight I think it was the crunching sound that made me start to cry. I got mine after 32 hours of back labour and being awake for 41...I figured it was my last chance of having a vaginal birth. It took away my back labour for the duration of labour but I still could feel my legs and was able to walk/go pee which was fabulous! When it came time to push I could feel everything down there which I think helped out during pushing As for residual effects, I had awful back/hip pain for about a month afterwards. I chalk it up to a combination of the epi and back labour. I will try again for a med free birth with #2.

I really didn't feel mine at all (I mean in terms of actually getting it -- it didn't hurt or anything). My water broke and I immediately started having contractions and was already 7 cm when we got to the hospital an hour later and was vomiting and almost 9 cm when I got the epidural a couple of hours after that, so whatever they did back there was NOTHING compared with everything else I was feeling.

Within maybe 2 minutes, I felt NO PAIN. Some pressure, but NO PAIN. They told me it would cut it down by 80%. My experience was more like 98%. I got tingly and had to keep turning from side to side periodically because one leg would go numb, then the other. And it did slow down my contractions -- I was 10 cm when they did the check about 30 minutes after I got the epidural, but remained at a 0-1 station for a few hours until they finally administered Pitocin to get things moving. But since I was already complete, it wasn't a big deal to get the Pitocin and it did the trick.

Once the baby started descending, I could feel a lot more pressure, and it was uncomfortable enough I had to start breathing through it. When he crowned, that was painful enough that I totally stopped pushing and told the midwife, "I can't do this!" But of course, I had to keep going But I cannot imagine how much it would have hurt had I *not* gotten the epidural.

It also didn't help with part of my stitches, because I had a second-degree tear so once she started stitching further back, it was an area the epidural hadn't really affected.

I did not get a spinal headache and was able to walk pretty shortly after they removed the epidural.

My experience was excellent and I would not hesitate to get one in the future.

@TurtleDoves: when I got to the hospital, I was already in transition, lol! When my water broke and contractions started, things moved super fast. I begged them in triage to get moving but I guess I didn't look "in pain" enough, so they took their time getting to me. Between the time I finally got a bed in triage, and 40m later when they checked me in my L&D room, I was fully dilated The nurse in my L&D room took pity on me because I'd been there for two hours already (down in triage, waiting for a gurney..not even in a room to labor! on a friggin chair in the waiting area!!). They gave me the epi as long as I could sit still, and boy was that motivation. I didn't move an inch!!

My mom delivered me within 15 minutes of arriving at the hosp (no time for an epi) so that was my biggest fear. The OB at my practice kept saying that first time moms go slow, and even when I called to say my water broke (at 4:50) the on-call OB (who didn't deliver me) told me to stay home til 10p before heading in!! I was fully dilated by 8:30, and she was born at 9:27.

I ended up with a failed epidural (long story!), but the actual process of getting the epidural was MUCH better than I had anticipated. All I really felt was a tiny pinch when they numbed the area, followed by some pressure. The entire process took about 15-20 minutes max. The nurse did a good job of distracting me during the process (she sat directly in front of me, next to my hubby)...we talked about the baby's name, nursery theme, etc...

I do remember getting a headache, but that could have also been related to a lack of sleep/food during labor...who knows though!