All better!

[31rubies]

All better :) 

Edited by 31rubies - 2/23/12 at 9:04pm

[Evergreen]

No advice just support. I hope they find a way to fix this!

[mom2isa]

I have had an experience with an epidural. Twice actually and I definitely don't think I would do it again. I was induced and it seemed like the labor pains went from barely there to excrutiating in a matter of minutes. I just couldn't handle it. The first time everything seemed to go fine, but after my daughter was born my back started hurting VERY BADLY right in the location of the epidural. I began to get extremely nauseous and asked to please take it out. The doctors refused and left it in for about another hour. When they finally took it out the extreme pressure was relieved, but my back hurt in that same general area for about 7 months. Most recently, I almost passed out when they did the epidural and stayed faint and light-headed the entire remaining labor. This was for a stillbirth and I just didn't want to feel the pain of the contractions knowing there was nothing to come of it at the end. My back also hurt with this one, but not quite as bad or for as long. I personally just dealt with the pain and it did eventually go away. I just found out a few weeks ago that we are expecting again and I think we are opting for a home birth this time around. I hope all goes well. I wish you the best and hope you begin to heal very soon. I wish I had more advice for you, but I do think there are complications with the epidural that medical professionals tend to negate and pretend do not exist.

[31rubies]

mom2isa, I am so sorry for your loss. Congrats on your new pregnancy!  I hope you have a peaceful pregnancy and awesome hb!!

Edited by 31rubies - 2/23/12 at 9:07pm

[scottishmommy]

Several women I know had this happen to them, and it was just awful. My cousin was incapacitated for days after her son's birth! How horrible for you to go through that. I believe a chiropractor will help a lot. You may also want to look into physical therapy. Your muscles may need to be retrained.

[31rubies]

Oh I hadn't thought about that, my neck muscles needing to be retrained.  Thank you for bringing that up!  It seems to make sense, because for days I could not move my neck, and those muscles must have just seized up from spasming.  I am going to make an appointment with the chiropractor and go from there.

[ZakareyasMama]

I hope you are feeling better! I had an epidural to sleep during my labor (not induced) and it wasn't in for very long so I didn't have any bad side effects. Also they brought in the head of the anestisiology (I can't spell) department bc I have some scoliosis in my back and epidurals can be tricky when the spine is curvy. Perhaps he had more experience and that was a factor, I dunno. 

So I don't have any first-hand experience with this type of pain, but with other types of pain acupuncture, massage therapy and the chiropractor really helped me. I know the idea of sticking needles into a place that already hurts seems counter-intuative, but they are super thin (like a strand of hair) and can help your muscles to calm down. 

[31rubies]

hmmm, accupuncture sounds good too, and  yes, needles are a no-no in my spine now :)

In 50 years or whatever, I bet women will be saying "I can't believe they used to use epidurals on laboring women!"  lol  My hope is that the fear around birth will fade as midwives and doulas become more common, and epidurals won't be needed for most births. 

Edited by 31rubies - 2/23/12 at 9:03pm

[JudiAU]

I think there would be some value in seeing a regular doctor because you may need an MRI/catscan if there was signifcant damage. If it just feels muscular, I'd find a chiro who has post-partum experience. Mine said this was pretty common and suggested I visit him after birth if I had an epi.

[31rubies]

JudiAU, which part did your chiro mean was common, the headache from a leak, or neck pain after, etc.?  That is interesting! 

[ILoveMyBabyBird]

i reluctantly had an epidural with my ds, though it wasn't a terrible experience, I am going to resist as long as possible again this time and hopefully not need one. I was having terrible back labor with ds and was exhausted and ended up with one at almost 9 cm's, don't ask me how they let me get it so far, guess if they really want you to have it they will give it to you whenever. anyway, my back hurt for days afterwards, but i didn't know if it was from the epi or from the back labor.

Has anyone gotten an epidural fever? My cousin just had her baby 5 days ago and developed a fever while labor, and the baby came out with a fever as well. Needless to say, baby had to be transferred to a nicu three hours away and is still there getting tons of tests done and antibiotics, which they can't find any infection from the mom...There breastfeeding relationship is pretty much sabotaged, and we don't know when the baby will be able to come home. They are 8 hours away (now 11) so I cannot be there to help out with anything. I did mention the epidural fever to my aunt, and if they don't find and infection or anything else, that has got to be what it was from i suppose. I just don't see much information on the epidural fever.

[31rubies]

My heart goes out to your cousin.  I know I've read that epidurals can cause fever.  Likely the baby had a spinal tap too, I'm sure she is worried sick.  Epidural fever is an even worse experience than the headache, I'm sure.  Epidurals can cause SO much chaos.  I do know if the mom's exhausted they can spare a c-section, though, so at least there is some good to them.  I hope she can salvage the bf relationship, and you know, in Ina May's bf book I think she tells of a mama who bf sucessfully after months of not getting the baby to latch.  There is always hope.  Hoping someone else can chime in on the fever too.

[Emma Bryan Fuller]

Sorry for your experience. I had 3 c-secs and with the 1st two had epidurals. The 1st gave me an awful spinal headache and I had to have a blood patch, with instant relief. The second I had awful neck pain as you describe during the c-sec. Thank goodness it didn't last. With the 3rd I had a spinal and the effects wore off much faster and although the pain was awful I felt better to feel my legs etc.

I would go back to the hospital.You can not be the only one to have suffered in this way and surely there is something they can do for you. All the best with your recovery.

[Kirsten]

Originally Posted by 31rubies 

In 50 years or whatever, I bet women will be saying "I can't believe they used to use epidurals on laboring women!"  lol  My hope is that the fear around birth will fade as midwives and doulas become more common, and epidurals won't be needed for most births. 

Epidurals aren't needed now for most births, and won't be needed in 50 years for most births.... but they most certainly will be continued to be USED in most births as long as women allow the medical establishment (which is a BUSINESS - it comes down to the almighty dollar) to convince them they are needed.  It breaks my heart that so many women have traumatic births, post-birth issues like yours as well as disrupting bonding and breastfeeding all because they trusted their doctors.  It is just sad.  First do no harm doesn't exist anymore - they do harm every single day in hospital births.  It has nothing to do with what is best for mom or baby.  It is all about what is easiest for them and what gets you done by the doctor's tee time.  And if you dare ask opinions on midwives or out of hospital birth, they will try to scare you with stories of dead babies.  It is disgusting.  I wish everyone who is not high risk would use midwives and take a Bradley natural childbirth class.  Those two decisions - I know for sure - led to my three amazing births.  I am the biggest wimp in the world - cry at a paper cut - and had 8 to 20 hour labors without so much as a swear word under my breath.  When we learn what to avoid (most everything they want to do to you in the hospital) and how to work with our bodies, it really is an amazing experience.  I am so sorry for all the women who never get that.  :(