ok

it hurts like hell when they give it to you
just a tip dont rip the IV out of your hand while they are pputting the needle in your bak like i did LOL
it will last about 18 hours after or atleast it dd for me
your whole body goes numb and tingly
you cant feel any pain
only pressure which doesnt hurt

i had to wait to get mine because i was on meds and had to take them through IV before i could have the epi
it hurts when they put the needle in and then you will feel horrible pressure in yor back for a few seconds then it all goes away

lol you tore your IV out? I feel bad for you Wow 18 hours, how nice lol I hope when I get mine it will last a long time too. Thanks for the info.

They can control how much or how little medication is put through your epi. So if you don't want to feel ANYTHING, as in you push and not even feel pressure, or feel your baby come out, so you know you can stop pushing, they can always control, but be sure you ask.

i didn't feel mine going in at all. i got mine after 12 hours of hard back labor and the relief was almost immediate. unfortunately it only lasted an hour and then wore off on half my body. it's a very strange sensation to be in agony on one side and numb on the other. that 1 hour of relief was wonderful though, i was about to propose to the anesthesiologist.

i ended up with a c-section though, so i can't comment on pushing with an epi and whatnot.

i didnt' feel a thing when they pricked me. Yes, you feel no more pain !

I didn't have an epi - which is a more constant flow. What I had was a shot that wears off after a short period of time. It is similar - but less than - an epi.

Let me tell you, by the time you get your shot in the back, you don't much care how much that little needle is going to hurt

The only thing I felt with the epi, was the numbing shot. It felt like a bee sting. After that, I didn't feel them doing anything else. I got mine about 9am and about 5pm it was starting to wear off a little. By 6pm, when I started pushing, all I could feel was pressure. I didn't feel ANY pain and I did feel my little girl come out. That was a very weird feeling.

They puy my epi in between contractions, i only got one with joseph though. They gave me a button to press for more to go in if i felt pain, i was pressing that button like crazy HAHA. I didnt feel anything at all other then slight pressure on one side, after i had joseph like 2 hrs afterwards i was able to walk to the bathroom but hten i blacked out so needless to say that didnt go over well lol. I was only in labor 6 and a half hours with joseph too and when i got there i ha to wait for the antibiotics first then the saline solution then they gave me the epi, that pain is nothing when your having contractions!

The numbing shot feels like a bee sting. You don't feel pain from the epi needle, but you DO feel pressure from it. You might also feel like someone's pouring cold water down your spine as the medicine travels. One or both of your legs might kick out in reflex at one point, and you MIGHT have a super-bad pain in your pelvis for a fraction of a second (that second of pain was worse than my whole labor put together).

The worst part of the epi for me, apart from that moment of pain, was holding still through my contractions. Each contraction felt like my stomach was being ripped apart by a wild animal, and it was so hard not to writhe in pain.

I've always wanted to ask questions about this, as I've always wanted to go through labor without an epidural. I guess we'll just have to see how it goes...

I was there when my mom had my little brother, as we are like 14 years apart. The only thing that scared me that day was the epi. First of all, the anesthesiologist wouldn't give her the epidural because he had some insurance question. I have no idea what it was about, something like there were forms that they hadn't yet filled out. So he goes in and tries to hand my mom this clip board of forms when she's been in labor for a whiiiiille. My dad came up to the room finally and when he found out what was going on he through a fit. My dad is the coolest person ever, but I think he was about to drop-kick that little Asian guy. Finally when my dad threatened his life he decided it would be "okay I guess" to go ahead and administer the medicine while my dad was filling out the paper work. It was ridiculous.

Something went wrong with her epidural though. They did it, but the anesthesiologist messed up somehow, and without even warning her he ripped something out of her back (it was like a tube or something... maybe it was a needle... it's been a long time and I was scared to death so who knows how good my memory is about this). She had hers in between contractions too, and the longer she had to sit there I just stood and prayed that she wasn't going to cry So then they had to do it again. I remember just staring at them all wide-eyed and hearing an awful grinding sound. I have no idea what it was, but it scared me to death. Then the anesthesiologist yelled for me to get out of the room while they were finishing the procedure, and I just left.

So needless to say, I'm scared to death. I also have this problem with needles. Anytime I've ever gotten a shot or had blood tests or anything, like my arm feels all weak and helpless afterwards and I don't want to use it at all. I'm afraid I won't want to sit back after having that thing in my back. *shudders* So like... what are the alternatives to an epidural in the US?

Sorry for the long post.

The epidural is the better pain medication. You can get something in your IV to relax you but it doesn't touch the pain.

Sounds like you should not have witnessed that particular medical procedure at your age.

I'm not sure what the grinding sound could have been... Since the needle goes in between the vertebrae, then a very small tube is inserted in there to keep the medication constantly flowing. This gives a numbing to the contractions.

when your in labor you dont even care about needles or iv's or anything LOL

i think i pushed the button too much lol
it lasted a LONG time and mostly after about 6 hours all that was numb were my legs

yeah i accidentally tore my IV because i bent my wrist back way too much as they were putting the epi in
it hurt

You're telling me...

The labor wasn't something I regret seeing though. Ever since then I cry whenever I see babies born on discovery health and stuff

They didn't let me or my mom in when my sister was having her epi (which didn't take, twice) I'm not sure if it was sterilization code or what, but after that story, I'm glad they made us get out.

Aww, I think it is normal to cry over those shows. Birth is a miracle and it is amazing!

Thanks for the advice/tips about epidurals. I'm more confident about getting one now! It appears this is the only drug that seems to be a hit with all the ladies these days, I don't know much about the other options out there.

I've had the epidural 2 out of 3 births. The first time it worked great, I felt nothing and I really got to enjoy the birth of my son. The second time, it didnt work at all except on half of my right thigh O.O luckily for me that was a really quick delivery. IMO the I.V. meds they give you don't do much except make you kinda sleepy, overall I think the epi is a good choice and i'm planning on having one again when I have baby #4 in July ^^ Good luck with your delivery =)

I've heard a lot of people including my mom say that it hurt really bad, but honestly I felt the sting going down my back, but it didn't hurt at all! I still feel the sting going down my back every now and then.