Pain With Epidural

I was just watching the Kardashians and Kim and Kourtney both said how they had zero pain during labor. Is this bc they're rich and ridiculously drugged or can an epidural reduce pain and feeling to that extent? I know that of course this isn't always the case bc it can ware off etc but has anyone experienced this and if so what was the timing of your epidural?

Pain With Epidural

I'm crashing, but I felt zero pain with the epidural. Maybe a little pressure especially during pushing but that's it. I felt nothing. It was god sent!!

Re: Pain With Epidural

That's pretty much what the epidural is meant to do. It completely numbs you from the waist down, so you shouldn't feel any pain. You will likely still feel some pressure with contractions, but no pain.

Pain With Epidural

I felt nothing. My dh had to tell me when the contractions were coming cause I didn't even feel the pressure.

Pain With Epidural

I didn't even feel my legs!! It was amazing. When I started to feel the contractions again I just got topped off. I got topped off three times up until it was close to pushing and they wouldn't do it. I felt pressure when I was pushing and espec crowning but not the contractions and not pain.

Edit I got it when I was 4cm dilated. The moment they said I could get it, I did. I wasn't waiting until it was unbearable. Not to mention once you say you want it they have to first get the anesthesiologist.

Message edited 12/11/2013 6:57:19 AM.

Pain With Epidural

I immediately felt no pain. I could feel a tiny bit of pressure and would hit the button whenever I did. The nurses were cheering me for actually going through the whole first bag. It came back to bite me bc once it was time to push I couldn't feel anything so it made it difficult to push effectively. Within about a half hour I had let it wear off and by the time DD came out I felt everything. Next time I'm putting DH in charge of hitting the button every so often while I push.

Re: Pain With Epidural

I felt almost no pain during my entire 21 hour labor experience. Water broke, went to the hospital, they started pitocin and the dr. told me if I wanted the epidural, I could get it right then. I was very surprised because I had always thought you had to be a certain amount dilated and for some reason I thought you had to be in pain to get one. The dr. laughed and said get it now! I did and it was amazing - especially since it was on a drip with a button I could press for more. Never even felt the pushing.

I LOVED that epidural

Pain With Epidural

i got my epidural right when i got into my room at the hospital (around 6cm)
it was amazing!!! i didnt feel anything
towards the end when the baby dropped (DD was really high so i literally just sat around in an upright position for 2 hours until she dropped) but when she dropped i did feel the pressure and knew it was time to push.

Re: Pain With Epidural

I was induced and held out for as long as I could without the epidural. The contractions were painful but manageable...until my water broke on its own. Then they felt like they were off the charts so I asked for one. It was the best thing ever. I didn't feel anything. When it came time to push (which actually wasn't that long after I got the epidural. The Dr actually made me wait a little so it could wear off a bit, so I could push), I felt feeling of pressure, but not really pain—and DD was 9.6. I had to have an episiotomy, but again, didn't feel it.

Message edited 12/11/2013 9:03:22 AM.

Re: Pain With Epidural

I had an epidural with my first DD and it was the best thing ever. So I decided to have it again with my second daughter this past February. Unfortunately they had to do it three times because it didn't take and I was having back labor (which I later learned an epidural does nothing for).

Pain With Epidural

My epidural started to wear off, they checked me about 45 mins later and they wouldnt give me more because i was fully dilated. I didnt feel pain either, just pressure and the epi was completely gone since it was over an hr later that i started pushing from the time it wore off. You push during contractions anyway so you dont really feel them.

Pain With Epidural

Once I got the epi all my paid went away. I don't know if I was unique but it still hurt a lot when the baby actually came out. My doctor said the epi doesn't help that part.

Re: Pain With Epidural

I got my epi at 4-5 cm.
After that i felt not a thing.
My contractions were showing on the monitor- HUGE contractions- and I was blissfully unaware.
Right when it was time to push I started to feel pressure and get a little uncomfy.
I called the nurse and asked for more epi.
She checked me and said it was time to push and that meant i couldn't have any more in the epi. (how true that is I don't know).
She said the epi wouldn't help with the pain of pushing anyway. (again how true that is, I don't know)
From then on I felt EVERYTHING.
The entire pushing, crowning, tearing, then being stitched up after it was over.
It was bad.
Now I have heard of people who had no pain at all - even during pushing.
I only wish that was the case with me.

Message edited 12/11/2013 10:44:19 AM.

Re: Pain With Epidural

My epidural helped at first but then started to wear off. I could feel everything. They actually redid my epidural but it didnt work I felt that last several hours of my labor and every moment of pushing my DD out. The nurses in L&D told me that epi-dural does not help everyone.

Re: Pain With Epidural

Re: Pain With Epidural

I had very painful contractions so as soon as they let me get the epi I did... i felt no pain after that but just pressure when it was time to push. Pushing for me was exhausting though, even though it was 45 minutes it felt like forever!

Pain With Epidural

They gave me the epi at 9 centimeters (they didn't realize how fast I was dilating) So I started pushing just 15 mins later. The pain of the contractions lessened but tthe amount of pressure I felt was tremendous. I only pished like 6 times so I don't remember feeling too much pain during that, it actually felt good. But I did feel a lot when I was being stitched up.

Pain With Epidural

I'm not sure what I will do yet, but I am thinking epidural might be best for me. I do not deal with pain very well.

Re: Pain With Epidural

all of these posts make me a little jealous. at 3 weeks pp, I had a natural birth and it hurt SO much... the contractions, delivery, being stitched up - everything (can you tell I was a little traumatized? lol). the only thing I was counting on was the epidural. everyone said, "don't be a hero - go for the epi!" so that was my plan. as soon as I could get it (they said 4cm) I asked for it... except I was progressing WAY too quickly and the anesthesiologist didn't make it in time!

Re: Pain With Epidural

I felt NOTHING with my first epi!! Literally nothing not even pressure!! It was amazing.

Second and third time around it wasn't as strong..I felt tons of pressure and some pain but it wasn't awful

Pain With Epidural

I felt nothing. I only knew to push because I was watching the monitor and the contraction starting. That epidural was friggen amazing.

Re: Pain With Epidural

Re: Pain With Epidural

I'm in the minority. I was numb for awhile but my delivery was very painful.

Re: Pain With Epidural

I wonder why it is so different from person to person - hopefully I get to be one of the lucky ones!! But either way I'm sure it will be fine!

Re: Pain With Epidural

Yeah I'm jealous of those who felt nothing! I got the epi at about 4cm, and right away it was great, I felt way better. It wore off fairly quickly and they topped it off 3 times- each time it would help for a few minutes and then nothing. I ended up feeling all my most painful contractions, all of pushing, crowning, tearing and being stitched up. Not fun! Before my next one I will discuss with an anesthesiologist why this may have happened and what we can do next time because I did NOT handle the pain well at all!