BTDT..please explain the epidural process

What do they do?
How bad does it hurt?
How fast does it start to work?

I mean I know the basics, but want to hear from you girls what your experiences were!

TIA

Re: BTDT..please explain the epidural process

They come in and made my DH leave (Not sure why). I sat up in the bed with a nurse in front of me kinda of bracing me. The epi doctor came in and did some stuff behind me. There was a pinch which didn't really hurt at all and it was over. It began to work immediately.

Re: BTDT..please explain the epidural process

This was by far, not as bad as I let myself believe. The nurse stands in front of you, and you hunch over a pilliow pushing your spine out. The hardest part of this is that you are still contracting and have to stay absolutely still. Then they clean and numb the area with a small needle in your skin I believe. This was the part that was slightly painful. But then they did the epidural I only felt some pressure bc my back was numb already.

Once they had it all set, my legs started to numb up and I was almost immediately happy. Took probably 10 seconds for me to feel totally numb. They told me not to move around on my back a lot so I didn't dislodge the tube.

I was very apprehensive about the epidural and stalled as long as I could, but was SO happy that I got it. Made the contractions so much easier (and non existent with pain).

Re: BTDT..please explain the epidural process

Okay they kick husbands out at most hospitals because it is a huge liability, They put cold stuff on your back to sterilize it and a nurse stands in front of you holding onto your shoulders (and if they are great like mine was talking to you) you feel a pinch from the numbing agent the do initally. Then a little pushing and then within five minutes you feel numb from the waist down. It feels like when you get dental work done and you think you have a fat lip my legs felt like a giant fat lip. FYI mine was a tiny pinch and then I felt nothing it was AWESOME!!!

Message edited 12/10/2009 12:13:45 PM.

Re: BTDT..please explain the epidural process

DH has to leave the room. I sat up on the bed with my legs hanging over. My water was still gushing everywhere and I felt like I was peeing everywhere. The doc came in and I don't know exactly what he did back there- but I do know that for me- it hurt. I was crying like a baby. I think that was worse than pushing the baby out

Once it was done it was about 5 minutes until I felt relief- but for me it didn't last long. I had a booster put in a little while later which did nothing. She was too far down and the epidural didn't take full effect.

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer

Re: BTDT..please explain the epidural process

We had a baby class last week and the L&D nurse told us they make DH leave because they have had way too many fainters when they see the size of the needle! They told us that even DHs who are in the medical field and are BTDT, they make leave because they say it's different when it's their spouse and they still get them freaking out!

I'm scared I won't be able to hold still during a contraction

Is it uncomfortable to lay on the IV tube or you're numb there too and don't feel it?

Re: BTDT..please explain the epidural process

Posted by JennyPenny

DH has to leave the room. I sat up on the bed with my legs hanging over. My water was still gushing everywhere and I felt like I was peeing everywhere. The doc came in and I don't know exactly what he did back there- but I do know that for me- it hurt. I was crying like a baby. I think that was worse than pushing the baby out

Once it was done it was about 5 minutes until I felt relief- but for me it didn't last long. I had a booster put in a little while later which did nothing. She was too far down and the epidural didn't take full effect.

Sorry to be a Debbie Downer

Re: BTDT..please explain the epidural process

Re: BTDT..please explain the epidural process

DH had to leave when the doctor came to put it in. I sat on the side of the bed and held a pillow, they tell you to stay completely still, which was surprisingly easy for me.

I didn't feel a thing, or didn't remember it at all I don't know which lol.

I never felt the tube in when I went to lay down, they make sure your laying a certain way. They also tell you to not touch back there at all, because it is sterile.

My advice, make sure they check you before they do it. I happened to be 10 cm and just about ready to push when they gave me the epi. I wound up waiting to get the epi for like 30 min. because the woman next door was having a hard time with it. So basically I got relief for 5 min. and then they turned it off lol.

Also nobody told me that sometimes you will get swollen where the epi went in on your back, that freaked me out when I got home, but it was fine lol.

Re: BTDT..please explain the epidural process

I remember the Dr asking me a bunch of questions and me thinking "just do it already!" But anyway-my husband did not have to leave, he stood in front of me. I honestly do not remember any pain or anything-maybe a pinch.

The relief was immediate. My husband still talks about the look on my face and how he could tell immediately when it took effect. pure heaven.

Re: BTDT..please explain the epidural process

My experience wasn't the best. I had a HORRIBLE nurse... I kept having contractions one right after the other during the epi process. She was of no help - I kept getting pushed forward. The epi itself is pure heaven. You feel almost like an electric shock going down your leg then it's pure heaven - no contractions.

Re: BTDT..please explain the epidural process

As a person that is terrified of needles, i will honestly say that the epidural DID NOT HURT! I promise, that the IV in my arm hurt 10x worse, if not more than getting the epidural. They did a test run after it was in and it began working immediately!

Re: BTDT..please explain the epidural process

Re: BTDT..please explain the epidural process

Thank you so much for all your honest answers!

I have no fear with the whole labor process and I was thinking maybe I had no idea what it was all about!

Re: BTDT..please explain the epidural process

DH was allowed to stay - THANK G'D b/c I was terrified of the epidural. Honestly, at that point, no matter what size the needle was, it wouldn't have phased DH since he spent months giving me injections and watched as they did my Amnio.....

However, for me, it was a piece of cake. And to know me, and hear me say that means ALOT! It wasn't painful, just uncomfortable for a few seconds.

For me it started to work immediately and was pure heaven on earth. I had no idea I was having contractions, and while the pain is blocked from the waist down, I was still able to feel (without pain) DD being born.

Re: BTDT..please explain the epidural process

Do they leave it on while you are pushing?
How were you able to push if you are numb?

Message edited 12/10/2009 3:38:24 PM.

Re: BTDT..please explain the epidural process

they send people out of the room b/c the actual needle that goes into your spine is like YAY big and it freaks people out.

it's basically like everyone described. it's very important to keep still.

of course, mine was complicated b/c as it turns out, I have an undiagnosed SCOLIOSIS..even after working for a spine surgeon for 5 years so it took them longer to get the tube in.

but once it was in..life was GOOOOODD

Re: BTDT..please explain the epidural process

Re: BTDT..please explain the epidural process

Re: BTDT..please explain the epidural process

I got mine while laying on my side curled up in the bed. My mom was in the room when I got it. The needle didn't hurt...I did feel a pressure when it was going in that I didn't really like-it was a weird feeling not painful though. I did get 2 bad contractions on top of each other right after it was in and that was painful. I also got shaky for a few minutes after. After all of that I was in heaven( I kept saying I don't know why any one would want to go through labor without one-I was trying to make it as far as I could without it-I got to 5cm). What they don't tell you is that the epi helps with the contractions but when it gets to pushing mine ran out and they didn't refill it-so you feel ALL of that! Oh yeah the anesthesiologist taped it up my back and got a lot of my hair at the back of my neck in the tape..I had to have the nurses try and take my hair out of the tape b/c I couldn't put my chin down to my chest without ripping my hair out!