OK.. I need to chime in ONE MORE TIME:p

I noticed everybody is sayign just a little needle no pain:rolleyes: OK on the other siide of the fence I have to say that is not necessarily true. Out of the 5 times I did it with the epidiral.....2 were a living torture , two were easy and one was only SLIGHT torture. It all depends who is giving the epidural. Kinda like with regular needles...sometimes it's nothing and other times you want to smack the person. one time they had to stick that thing in me 7 times and after number 6 they told me they would stop because I was about to pass out.. but I told them NO WAY..they tortured me ruthlessly 6 times and DARN if it was goiing to be for nothing..the 7th time it did the trick. Also NEVER look at the needle. tell them BEFORE hand to warn you when they are wheeling the cart in. If you actually SAW IT.. you would be a wreck. Just close your eyes and tell them GO.
Also...I have NEVER ever had it done during a contraction or known anybody that did. They always tell you to let them know when you are BETWEEN the contractions so you won't wiggle and if one starts coming let them KNOW.

NOW THAT SAID....A couple times that needle was so expert it slide right in and was jsut like a regular little needle in the arm. By number 6 and 7 I actually arrainged to only go in the hospital when a specific anethesiologist was there because I already knew he was so good at giving the epidurals.

HAHAHA can you believe that was the ONE major concern of mine before having the baby??? That I ONLY would have a certain guy doing the procedure of giving a needle. I SWEAR I would have paid big bucks just to get him had he been off that day.

So all in all just say YES when your Dr. asks for the hospital papers and you can ALWAYS change your mind when the time comes but ALWAYS remember...It doesn't work the other way round. They will say NOPE too late!!!!!

My anesthesiologist's name is Dr. Pillow. NO KIDDING. How cute is that?!

pain
 

Pain is NOT the problem..it is how long it lasts that is a problem for me...I can take just about any pain if it lasts a few minutes..but when it runs into hours it ceases to be fun.
I would opt for a painful needle or any procedure that lasts a few minutes as to an 8 pound head coming out my "vagee-gee" as Oprah calls it..LOL

I had five children all natural NO DRUGS and PROUD of it...... It Hurt like HELL but everyone was worth the pain. As soon as the head is out the PAIN is gone. Good luckand a great delivery in whatever your decission is...

pain
 

BUT..how long did the process of labor take to get that head out?? LOL

I've been "MIA" for a while and just notice this thread - will add my comments to the already great ones given.

With my first child, I remember telling my doctor I wanted no drugs or epidural and he talked me out of it - said with the first baby, it would be pretty painful (yea, like HE knows!). Anyway, I had the epidural with my first. Felt the needle stick (if the anesthesiologist is experienced in this, you won't feel nothing more than a regular shot type prick) but it wasn't bad. It worked on me (some people, it doesn't or only works on one side) and I felt no pain at all. The only thing I didn't like about the epidural is the inability to get up for a few hours after delivery - they have to make sure the medication has worn off and the feeling has returned to your legs AND when you get up the first time, the nurse wants to be with you. I did not like the fact I couldn't get up for a few hours so said if I ever had another, I would go natural no matter what! Three years later, when youngest came along, I opted not to have epidural or any pain meds - I wanted to make sure after I delivered, I could get up and go to the bathroom on my on accord! Labor pains were not bad (to me) at all - felt like menstrual cramps until I reached the lucky number 10. Hard labor "hit" around 12:15pm and he was born at 12:51pm - 36 minutes later.

I think it all boils down to a personal preference and the individual's tolerance for pain. Taking the Lamaze classes is the best advice I can give, whether you opt for an epidural or not. Then you are prepared when you have your baby and know what to expect and can make the choice that's best for you.

A big YES! on the epidural.

I had one with and one without...definately get one. It's sooo worth it. I was more worried about getting an epidural than giving birth but the needle is fast, childbirth isn't.

I TOTALLY AGREE.....HAVE IT. WHY GO THRU THE PAIN ???????????

I was in labor for 10 hours with the 1st and then of course with each child the labor time reduced last baby was 6 hours total. I quess I wanted to be able to fully aware of everything and to be able to do everything as well to get up and walk. I would freak if I bacame paralized because I chose an epidural.... Just my thoughts but thats what I was thinking. Everyone makes mistakes and accidents happen everyday even in HOSPITALS.

HAHAHA so funny you say that. All my children except the last came within an HOUR:eek: . Even funnier.. Each time they told me GO HOME maybe next week....YEAH RIGHT... by number three i just gave them the stinkeye and said we'll see:p


HAHAh even funnier yet... the last one we are all thinking will shoot out because it's number 7 ,so they bring me in right away... and we WAIT WAIT WAIT...HAHA it was nine hours later and that was WITH the meds to speed things along.
Goes to show....WHO REALLY KNOWS:rolleyes:

I am one of the ones that it only worked on one side. I was induced and had my epidural when I started feeling the contractions (I worked for my OB Dr). I was contracting every minute to 2 minutes apart when I got to the hospital and wasn't feeling a thing, but after they gave me the pitocin, I started being able to tell when I was having them. So they went ahead and gave me the epidural. My left leg went totally numb and couldn't feel a thing. My right leg, however, not so numb. They told me to lay the other way and tried more meds to get it to numb more to no avail, but I still wasn't in pain. 12 Hrs later, my son was NOT coming out. His head was too large and was not engaging in my pelvis and the contractions was causing him to "bounce" off my bones and was causing his head to swell. So off to have a C-section. OMG by the time they got him out the epidural was wearing off what little it numbed on the right side and I could feel every stitch they were doing to sew me back up. When I got in the recovery room and they were pushing on my stomach to get all that stuff out....I was crying like a baby!!! It hurt like HE!! and they were all saying well it was because I never felt any of my contractions or anything. He was 8.9. Second son I could not have the v-back because my uterus was too thin and would have ruptured if I had tried to push him out so they gave me a spinal instead of the epidural and I did not have any pain at all and was up walking around the halls that night!!! It was like total night and day from the first one. He was 8.13. So I say go for the pain meds, because if my contractions had of felt half as bad as the end of that first c-section, I would have literally DIED!!! LOL

I don't have kids but am for sure :thumbup: FOR epidural. I give huge props to those that go au natural! You guys are amazing! :thumbup: :thumbup:

I just had a baby last Wednesday and I chose to have an epidural. I went to the hospital with an open mind. They kept asking me if I wanted one or not and I said I wanted to see how the pain was. My labor was a long process. I was put in on Monday due to high blood pressure but the pitocin wasnt really doing anything so they stopped it and started another medicine overnight Tuesday to Wednesday and it worked. They broke my water Wednesday afternoon and that's when the pain started. I do pretty well with pain but I was exhausted. I eventually said yes when the pain started and the laboring woman in the room next door was screaming on the top of her lungs and she had no meds. I'm so glad I got the epidural. It started to wear off at the end and I was beginning to feel it but having no pain for the majority of the pushing saved my energy. I say go for the meds.

:thumbup: epidural
I had 3 kids 1 epidural and 2 natural. The natural was so much harder.

My daughter just had a baby her first a little over 6 months ago and she was enduced. She still went 23 hours and had an epidural. The baby was to big for her and they didnt know until the head was stuck. I dont think she would of made it if it hadent been for the epidural. they cut her and she tore the other way. She should of had a c-section. She still had some pain with the epidural, but not like she would of if she hadnt had it. So I say yes to epidurals.

Why Be A Hero?
 

You know that I'm going into labor soon....roughly 6 weeks out now.

I've debated this point for awhile now since my date is getting closer and closer and I've decided to go ahead and have the epidural.

My little one is currently in the breech position and if they have to do a c-section, the epidural is already there, they don't have to bother flipping me around and sitting me up and sticking it in if there turns out to be an emergency. I'd rather they do it when things are calm and they can do things right. ;)

Plus, why be a hero? If you can get pain management....I'd go for it.

I'm with you on this one. I had 3 natural and my last was epidural because I was having my tubes tied right after the birth. I don't remember feeling any pain getting the epidural. You get uncomfortable having to hold that curled up position they put you in while your having a contraction. I will say I felt so much better physically by going natural. The epidural settled in my shoulders the next day and it felt like I had the flu.

CONGRATULATIONS TILLY'S MOM!!!!



BOY OR GIRL??? :D

:littleang :good job: :teddy:

My Grandson is due March 1st and his mommy is planning on having an epidurals.

I think this might be an old thread but I am going to put my 2 cents worth in anyway... If you are hurting, get the epidural, the pain only gets worse and by the time you get ready to push you will be exhausted. They numb the area with a tiny needle before they put the epidural needle in and they put the needle in between the vertebrae until it is in the right spot and then thread a catheter in there, then they tape the catheter in place and that is how you get the medicine. It is best to wait until you are dilated to 4cm before getting the epidural so it don't slow your labor, but sometimes it helps speed your labor because it helps you to relax. Sometimes it does only numb on one side and sometimes they can't get into the right area and you don't get any relief at but that is very rare. There are other complications that can occur too but your doctor can talk to you about that. If your labor is progressing very rapid then you may not want to have the epidural, some people dont even have time to get the epidural before the baby is delivered, they are the lucky ones even though they don't know it at the time. I have noticed that people recover faster when they don't have an epidural though. Most people have a long labor, especially if it is the first baby, so epidurals are great for them. There is medication that they can give through the iv early in labor to help until you get to be dilated to 4cm, and some people do great with just the iv pain medication and don't even need the epidural. The bottom line is if you are hurting unbearable and your labor is not progressing fast then the epidural is an option for you. Why would you want to go through severe pain if you don't have to?

Another option is an intrathecal. It is given the same way as a spinal. They insert a spinal needle in the space between the vertebrae and inject the medication and then remove the needle. The differnece is that the intrathecal ususally only lasts for 4 hours for good pain controll during labor. It works really good unless it wears off before the baby is born, so it is best to get this when you are dilated 5-6cm.

This has been my experience as a labor and delivery nurse for 10 years. Everyone is different and every labor and delivery is different. If you are in pain get the epidural, take a nap and wake up when it is time to push the baby out. Good luck.:thumbup:

genie-

I THINK I LOVE YOU!

Thanks for the advice. ;) Please feel free to post up your thoughts on this ANY TIME! lol :D (I'm all ears.....and belly) :p

I didn't have a choice actually lol.

I had to have a c-section, they did a spinal tap, and that wasn't bad at all!

If you do decide to get the epidural, make sure you get it at the first hint of pain (when its getting to be too much before your going to deliver if that makes any sense)..

because if you do it too late, you'll have breakthrough pain and will be able to still feel it.

luckily i've had 4 friends that gave birth vaginally and had the epidural and was fine. they recovered very fast! unlike myself boo lol.

im hoping to have my next child (holy moly i'm already talking about the next one! lol) vaginally, but they say i can't since i had my first c-section.. so we'll see.

I have had 4 children...I had an epidural with 3, but still delivered 2 naturally. If I had to do it all over again, NO NO NO epidural!

My first epidural was pushed on me by my dr. I wasn't in pain, but he wanted to speed up my labor and delivery because I was making him late for a meeting that he was a guest speaker at. He made me take the epidural and turned up my pitocin drip. When it came time to push they didn't turn the epidural off (this is what they DON'T tell you when offering an epidural...they are supposed to turn it off/down so you can feel contractions to know when to push. I couldn't tell when I needed to push, and even tho my daughter was crowning they used a vacuum. It was awful!

When I had my second child my labor was all of 3 1/2 hours. I hit transition at 8 cm and panicked and screamed for an epidural. I wasn't in pain, I was just scared. I didn't get the benefits of that epidural. They put it in and when they turned me over it was time to push. Epidural kicked in right after my son was delivered.

Third child, got the epidural earlier on because I was in ALOT of pain! Epidural didn't help much and actually WORE OFF during labor. PLUS my son was face up instead of face down so I was pushing out the largest part of his head first. Immediately after his birth i was vomitting and having severe headaches. Turns out, they nicked my spinal cord and I was having spinal headaches. I ended up having a blood patch because pain meds (darvecot, vicodin) were NOT working! A blood patch is when they give you another epidural catheter, but instead of putting meds in it, they draw blood from your arm and inject it into the epidural catheter. It was really scary because they kept telling me I couldn't move until they were done because I could accidently paralyze myself. ON the upside, 10 seconds after the blood patch I could sit up and not have pain. Before the blood patch I couldn't stand or walk or think beyond the pain. It was a far worse pain than childbirth itself and it wasn't like I any period of time without the spinal headaches...they were all day constantly and all night constantly...I spent the first five days home from the hospital laying on the couch crying...it was all I could do...I couldn't even enjoy my new son. I will ever love the dr in the ER that gave me that blood patch!

My fourth child I was induced because he had been breach for weeks and when he finally flipped over they induced me. I went all natural with him...It was a bit painful, but bearable compared to the spinal headaches I had with my 3rd child. I prayed the entire time I was in labor for God to give me the strength to deliver and to keep me from asking for an epidural...and you know what? He did! Honestly, my fear of the spinal headaches was far greater than my fear of the pain of childbirth.

I have no way to adequately describe a spinal headache. The pain was worse than when I had gallbladder attacks, and those make you feel like you are dying. You feel like you are in a fog and you can't escape it and when you stand your head just throbs and pounds like you wouldn't believe.

Oh and I should add, from what I understand, spinal headaches are only caused from spinals/epidurals that aren't done correctly.
Please, if you can avoid an epidural, DO!

It depends on how they cut you. If you had the bikini incision, then yes, you can deliver Vaginally...It's called a VBAC (vaginal delivery after c-section) but the risks of a uterine rupture during pushing is higher.
My mom delivered VBAC with my sister and she did fine. Women deliver VBAC all the time with no complications. It is something you should discuss the pros and cons about with your dr when you are ready for the second baby.
My friend had an emergency section with her first baby. With the second they had to drive an hour to the hospital while she was in labor and when they got there she opted for another section because the pain was too bad.

Thanks for the congrats!!!! We had a boy. Chase Noah. He weighed 7 lbs. 12 oz. and was 21 inches long. Being a parent is so rewarding, I couldn't imgaine not being a mommy! :D

It depends on why you had to have a c-section whether you can vbac. If you had a c-section due to an inadequate pelvis then you will need to have another c-section. Also alot of doctors do not recommend vbac because of the risk of uterine rupture. I have never seen any complications with vbac deliveries in my experience but I know that it can happen, especially if pitocin is used. The hospital that I work at stopped doing vbac's. If you do have another baby and have a spinal ask about having duramorph in your spinal...this is a morphine for spinals and the pain relief lasts for 24 hours, It is amazing to see the difference in someone who had a c/s with duramorph and w/o. The ones who have it are out of bed and walking that same day and without much pain. The ones who don't have it we have to basically roll out of the bed because they are so sore. If you are allergic to morphine you can't have it. Some people have alot of itching though, if you have this problem then there is medication to reverse it.

I had a csection because Tianna was breach presentation..

We were waiting for her to turn around but she never did but she wasn't so healthy in me so they opted to get her out..

they did to it bikini incision.. but it's so horrible :( cause i scar easily and it still hurts till now.. i really don't want another c-section.. im just scarred and traumatized for life lol.

I am so sorry you didn\'t have a good experience...Hopefully you will be able to deliver vaginally next time. Good luck.