Your Epidural experience - Page 2

[Arwyn]

I think it's great an epidural was able to help make your birth a beautiful experience. They are there for a reason, and just because I believe they get way overused, and have potential dangers, doesn't mean they should NEVER be used.

I would urge you to work through your previous birth and try to get to a place without fear (fear of pain, fear of "giving in", etc) and see what you really want. For the best chances of health for mother and baby, I believe natural childbirth is the best thing to plan (in the absence of need for medical interventions). But medical interventions, including pharmalogical pain medications, are there as backup if they are needed, and there should never be any shame or guilt for using necessary medicines.

[california_mom]

Originally Posted by Arwyn

I think it's great an epidural was able to help make your birth a beautiful experience. They are there for a reason, and just because I believe they get way overused, and have potential dangers, doesn't mean they should NEVER be used.

I would urge you to work through your previous birth and try to get to a place without fear (fear of pain, fear of "giving in", etc) and see what you really want. For the best chances of health for mother and baby, I believe natural childbirth is the best thing to plan (in the absence of need for medical interventions). But medical interventions, including pharmalogical pain medications, are there as backup if they are needed, and there should never be any shame or guilt for using necessary medicines.

Thank you for saying that

[jaxxy]

How cool that you got just the right amount of relief...unfortunately that doesn't happen for most. I got an epi after 6 hours of pit. I think if someone would have said...you are getting close, just a little longer I could have done it but it didn't happen that way so I got a one sided epi (accidentally) and had a baby just about an hour or so later.
Next time, no pit and no epi and hopefully no hospital!

[mikayla's mama]

Originally Posted by christyc

That's pretty much my epidural experience. My 2nd labor, in which I had IV meds, wasn't that bad. My 4th labor was a homebirth and while the pain was INTENSE towards the end, it was my best birth experience yet.

I went natural with my second DD, I walked into the hospital about 30 minutes before she was born (I wasn't going to let them force anything on me like they did with my first). They didn't even have time to place an IV. My labor and delivery with her was just amazing, no intervention at all except some minor stitching after she was born.

[MsLondon]

well I was 10 days overdue when my waters broke so I knew I wouldnt be able to have babe in the birthing center as planned as their policy was if you were more then a week o/d, no birthing center. so after a week I was prepafrd for that at least.

my waters broke at 1am on the sat night/sun morn. I labored through the night and the next morning. At 2pm on the sunday afternoon, I went to the hospital expecting them to tell me I was at an 8 or something. Er no. I wasnt dilated AT ALL!! I kid you not. this was devestating, but because my waters had broke they decided that it was best to start inducing
so they gave me the cervidil gel, I managed to get to a 2 but that was it. by this time it was 9pm on the sunday night so out comes the pitocin. argh!
at 1am in the morning, she checked me again and i hadnt got past 2 and a half!! I had been laboring for 24 hours now and I just knew in my heart that i would end up getting c/s so I asked for an epidural. And thought the relief was immediate it was a horrible experience!!!:

EPIDURAL EXPERIENCE:
Anasthesiologist came down, I was sat on edge of bed, I was told I would feel electric shocks down one leg while it was being administered (WHAT??) and yes I do but the guy couldnt get it in for some reason, so another guy came down and did it - electric shocks again but they got it in in the end but then the itch started!!! what is with that? My whole body was itching like crazy - it was horrid!! No one told me about electric shocks and itching prior to this!!!

Anyway, at about 3pm on the monday I started feeling sick and my BP dropped along with babys heartbeat, hers dropped to 60!!! everyone starts going crazy and out come the internal fetal monitoring. Oh No, this is everyhting I didnt want!! By 5pm they suggested c/section was best option. well after 41 hours since water broke and after had jsut been through wild horse couldnt have kept me from the operating room just so DD could be born safely. She was, thank goodness even though I was in the op room for nealry an hour - grrrr. Anyway, I had a beautiful healthy little girl at the end of it all and I know thats the main thing but I ceratinly wouldnt wish my birth experience on anyone!!!

[meowee]

I had an epi with #5 and #6, both were actually very good experiences... but, neither epidural was in for very long before the baby was born. I think with #5 it was in for about 90 minutes and with the last baby it was less than an hour. So basically I used epis for transition.

I was lucky in that both epis worked well and quickly, were not painful to have inserted, I didn't go too numb (I could still feel the contractions, I just didn't feel pain), my sensation returned quickly after it was turned off, pushing was fast and basically effortless, both babies had good apgars (8 and 9) and were alert.

I did have residual back pain, like a slight bruised feeling, that lingered for a year after epi #1, but I knew this was a risk. So far no residual back pain with epi #2.

[Liquesce]

I was swearing that I should send my anesthesiologist flowers, personally. Horrible back labor with no progression for about ten hours was it for me ... the epi was perfect, I could totally feel the urge to push but no pain, and it let me relax enough that my son was born just an hour or two after getting it.

My only complaint is that because I couldn't feel the pain I also couldn't feel the tearing, so that wound up being pretty ugly ... I don't know if feeling it would have made me more able to regulate pushing to minimize that a little more or not.

[Daniel's Kitty]

I had one when I was induced I hated getting it put in, and if I had known how far along I was I wouldn't have done it but it was great while it lasted. I still felt all of pushing since it only lasted an hour. The worst part was the OB treating me like I was still numb and not wanting to believe I wasn't.

[kirstenb]

I had a good experience with my epideral. When I got to the hospital I was 5.5 cm dilated and didn't get the epi until I was almost 7 cm. It worked well- stopped feeling contractions about 10 minutes after it was placed, allowed me to dose off (was in labor all night at home), but I still felt the urge to push. I was fully dilated 2.5 hours after getting it and pushed my son out 2 hours after that. I didn't have any side effects afterwards. Looking back I probably could have finished labor without it but I didn't know any different at the time and don't regret getting it.

[Kidzaplenty]

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[tireesix]

Originally Posted by Kidzaplenty

:

I have decided I love you.


Anyway, as for epidurals, if I am remembering Sheila Kitzinger correctly (or what is said in one of her books) if the epidural is done through the womans own free will, generally, she will have a better experience than someone who has an epidural against her wishes (and I don't mean that it was just done, I mean that for whatever reason, lack of support, scare tactics etc).

[YesandNo]

Anasthesiologist came down, I was sat on edge of bed, I was told I would feel electric shocks down one leg while it was being administered (WHAT??) and yes I do but the guy couldnt get it in for some reason, so another guy came down and did it - electric shocks again but they got it in in the end but then the itch started!!! what is with that? My whole body was itching like crazy - it was horrid!! No one told me about electric shocks and itching prior to this!!!

No one told you about electric shocks and crazy itching because that is NOT supposed to happen! That is completely weird.

My biggest complaint with my epi is that the iodine stained my back for a week. Other than that? It was good.

[tireesix]

Mine was HORRIBLE. Really. First one didn't work, no one believed me, second one was placed, sudden low blood pressure, fetal distress everyone rushed round trying to fix it, blood pressure etc was sorted, then they wouldn't allow me to birth in the position I w anted and thanks to the epidural I had no choice, had to be cathetered, got an infection. I guess it wasn't just the epidural, well, the induction started it off, the epidural just caused even more crap.

[TCMoulton]

Originally Posted by YesandNo

No one told you about electric shocks and crazy itching because that is NOT supposed to happen! That is completely weird.

Actually my anaesthesiologist warned me both times I had an epidural that I might feel a zing down my leg but I never did.

[Sage.Naissance]

To the OP: sounds like your epidural was much needed and worked wonderfully. I have seen some epidurals like this. I find when a woman really needs an epidural it works great. It is great to know that you can go through long hard labour(as you did) and not need an epidural(as you didnt get for many many hours) and that you have the option of getting one in the end if you need one. Epidurals can be lifesaving, and caesarean preventing measures if used appropriately.
So, for the second, just remember how well you did without it, and how, when you needed it, it worked for you. Good luck.

[TCMoulton]

My epidural with 1st DD initially only numbed my one side (after the anaesthesiologist was finished I rolled to one side - apparantly that sometimes makes the medicine pool to one side making the other side not as numb). When fixed it worked wonderfully for me and I was able to feel enough to push and was up & moviing shortly after birth.
2nd DD I got my epi when dialated to 8 1/2 and it worked perfectly - that delivery ended in a C/S but I was able to sit up & hold my daughter as soon as I was in recovery and was able to move myself from one bed to another about an hour after delivery.
I had two good experiences but I know not all do. If it is necessary or wanted by the mom epidurals can really help a mom through a difficult delivery.

[riverscout]

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[riverscout]

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[Arwyn]

Originally Posted by tireesix

Anyway, as for epidurals, if I am remembering Sheila Kitzinger correctly (or what is said in one of her books) if the epidural is done through the womans own free will, generally, she will have a better experience than someone who has an epidural against her wishes (and I don't mean that it was just done, I mean that for whatever reason, lack of support, scare tactics etc).

Robbie Davis-Floyd makes that point too, in her book Birth as an American Rite of Passage. Women who chose what happened to them, be it natural birth or cesarean or epidural, were much happier about their experience than women who were not in control (whether that resulted in natural birth, cesarean, etc).

[Kidzaplenty]

Originally Posted by tireesix

I have decided I love you.

Thanks!

I also wanted to thank all of you for sharing your stories! I know you have not been telling them for my sake, but since I have never had an epi, the only info I get is here or from the OB (and it's not like I am willing to trust their opinions on that).

This thread has been very informative.