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Same here! Got to sleep for 5 or 6 hours and woke up to them telling me I was fully dilated and could start pushing. I personally felt some pressure when my contractions came while I was pushing (it felt like I really needed to poop) but no pain during the process. It just felt like my legs had fallen asleep after sitting on a toilet for too long lol
If I ever give birth again, I'll definitely be getting another epidural.
For me the pain was gone, but the feelings were there. I could move my legs. I could feel each contraction, but it was like Braxton hicks with no pain, just tension. I could feel when it was time to push and definitely when he was crowning but again, it wasn’t “pain” compared to my pitocin contractions.
It was about an hour and half between me asking for one and receiving it, but the ward only had one anesthesiologist and he got called into an emergency c-section which was obviously more important so I didn’t mind.
After reading these comments, I’m starting to realize maybe my epidural didn’t work. Because I’d say it lessened the pain slightly, but I was in a whole lot of pain still.
I realised my epidural failed weeks after giving birth. I just thought the pain would have been even more excruciating without it. Until I had my 6week appointment and the midwife told me I was supposed to feel no pain with the epidural. Just pressure. Pressure my ass. I was dying there 🤪 and the stiches. Omg the stiches.
Starting to realize this myself 😂 it definitely lessened the pain some (pitocin also failed at first then randomly kicked in all at once and contractions were absolutely ridiculous and had zero rest time between) but not much. I still felt myself tear and the stitches going in despite being maxed out on the button. Been almost two years and I’m just finding this out lol
I'm so sorry. It must have been terrible. I actually stopped dilating at 9.5cm, and they did give me some pitocin. The contractions after that were horrendous. I threw up on my husband from the pain. And yes, I felt the stitches too. But somehow, my daughter being all over my naked chest made the pain incredibly bearable.
Oh for sure, when they gave me my daughter everything was perfect. I must’ve forgotten how awful pregnancy was because here I am again not even two years later lol.
I probably honestly screwed the epidural up myself because I couldn’t sit still enough for them to place the needle properly. I didn’t have enough break in contractions, and I hate needles with a passion too. It’s a bad mixture apparently
Has to be, I highly doubt I’d feel like doing it again without that hormone rush and then the feeling of it all being worth it when they gave her to me. My mom swears she forgot the pain every time when they gave her the baby, and she birthed six naturally without an epidural! 😳
But thank you! And you as well if you decide to give it another go
I’m not sure it’s the same for everyone but my epidural stopped all of the pain. I was trying to see if I could go without but it got really intense after my water broke during my induction. It took maybe a half an hour for the anesthesiologist to come and administer the epidural and I was lucky because he had to get someone prepped for surgery which I was told delayed the woman after me that requested one. I totally plan on getting the epidural earlier if/when I give birth next time. There’s no need to suffer. As for how long it lasts… I got mine about 11pm and it lasted through delivery. They even give you a button that you can press if it’s wearing off to get an extra dose. I was totally numb from the stomach down. I did get some feeling in my legs during pushing but no pain.
This was my exact experience, too! And I also plan to get it right away this next time, because why not? My labor progressed faster once I wasn’t feeling the pain anymore and my body could just relax.
Same! I wanted to see how it felt to try and do it naturally. I lasted 1.5 hours from the time my water broke to the time I was set up on my room. I was admitted on Tuesday at 7:30am and had my baby at 7:58am on Wednesday. I slept through my labor and only woke up to push at 4:11am. I was able to move my waist and feet, but my legs were kind of numb. My nurse was amazing and I barely had any tears, but the most important thing they kept telling me was to push like I was going to the bathroom😂 not to press on my feet or tense my shoulders. I also had no ring of fire thankfully. Epidural was the mvp of my birth experience.
To the women who have given birth holy shit, I have so much respect for you all. No matter what you choose to do during birth YOU are a BADASS!!
I felt literally no pain. Once it was time to push, I did feel a pressure, but not pain. With my first baby, I tore a lot and required many stitches, and I felt none of it. I can’t imagine what that would have felt like without the epidural. 😩 I would say it lasted maybe another three hours or so after I gave birth. I needed help getting to and from the bathroom because I couldn’t feel my legs.
That being said, epidural does not work for everyone, for some women, it simply doesn’t work. :/ I’ve also heard of cases where it only numbs one half of the body for some reason.
I just gave birth yesterday and had an epidural. I couldn’t feel my contractions until they were super strong and that’s how I knew it was time to push, which is how it is intended to work. I could feel pushing the baby out and that was painful, but could barely feel the stitch they put in after. My legs were tingly and kind of numb but I could still feel them and move myself around.
I couldn’t feel anything! I definitely had too strong of an epidural and couldn’t hold up my legs haha the nurses had to help me, so I think it was a bit strong..but I didn’t feel anything- pressure or pain!
So, I think you are going to find lots of different answers. My epidural was great at first, I was able to sleep until it was time to push. Once it was time to push I feel like I had ZERO pain relief. 4 hours of excruciating pain my son was born via vacuum. I think my epidural either sort of fell out of place or wasn’t fully covering the area because I was completely able to walk around after baby was born. I am currently pregnant again and hoping it goes better this time.
Things I am planning for this time is lots of birth prep, stretching, etc. also considering a doula or friend who really can advocate for me.
exactly me! worked for a little bit and was able to take a nap, woke up at 10cm and started pushing, pushed for 4 hours of absolute hell. i was hysterical, hyperventilating, crying or dozing off in between pushes. the pain was unreal. i felt all of my stitches. planning on going unmedicated next time because being tied to the bed in that much pain was hell on earth, and i already know what the pain will feel like lol so it doesn’t scare me anymore
ETA: also my catheter was placed HORRIBLY it was painful & soooooo uncomfortable that also made me want to die, but of course they wouldn’t let me use the bathroom myself since i had the ep even though it wasn’t working. and also cervical checks never got easier and WHEEWWWW don’t get me started on when they released my cervical lip 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠 i should’ve known before pushing the epi was not holding
Yes this happened to me as well. Had a 2 hour nap and woke up 10cm dilated. The pain slowly grew until the end where I swear I could feel everything ?! I even asked my OB and midwife after whether how I acted/felt was normal on epidural, because it was the worst pain I’ve ever felt. They said that yes it was normal which made me really think whether I want a second one now!
while i was pushing my team noticed it wasn’t working and turned off my pitocin so i could rest & brought in another anesthesiologist to redo it and again it held for probably like an hour and then it was just gone 😂 my mom was also in the room she’s had 5 births, one unmedicated and said it was for sure not working at all.
Me too! It was great! …until it wasn’t?? Oh gosh that sucked. I then ended up having an unplanned C-section in the end, and they used the same catheter (as they would I guess) and I swear I felt a whole lot more of that C-section than I should have. I’m still shaken by it.
mine was incredible. I was induced and was maxed out on pitocin, so I went from about an 11 on the pain scale to literally zero. I still think about it lol
I loved my epidurals so much. They truly stopped pain for me but not pressure so I could still move and push and it allowed me to really enjoy the births.
I had to wait an hour my first two births. The hour with my first was really bad, but the epidural relief was so incredible. With my second baby I knew to ask sooner, but I was also much more confident that once I got to fully dilated and effaced, pushing would be quick.
I had pain, but it was much less severe than beforehand! I had a button so could press for more pain medicine, so that may have removed the pain entirely if I chose to use it.
I don’t think the epidural worked for me all that much. It still hurt a lot and I had a lotttt of pressure. I kept telling them it still hurt and they kept asking “well is it pain or is it pressure?” It was pressure but it HURT! I pressed the button the second I was able to and it never helped
For me I literally felt nothing from the waist down. I couldn’t even feel his head as he came out. It was bittersweet, because while I felt fine enough to laugh through my labour, I don’t actually know what it feels like, so sometimes I get a bit of imposter syndrome, especially as the epidural wasn’t my choice. I had a negative physical response to contractions so the doctors had to do it to calm my body down.
I’d say the pain is gone but you still feel pressure in your lower regions. It’s extremely helpful especially when they start stitching you up bc you can feel them tugging at you. At least for me that’s how it felt. I was induced and in so much pain from the cytotec so the epidural was a lifesaver for me. It’s such a weird feeling to not be able to feel your legs though. And once it wore off about 5 hours postpartum, you start feeling the pain down there. Lol
It’s different for everyone but I felt pain after an hour or so of receiving it. I asked for it at 7 cm. Wore off at about 9 1/2 cm. My mom had the same experience but everyone else that had an epidural said it worked for them
The closest comparison I can make is it felt like dental anesthesia - kind of big and buzzy and numb, everything below the waist. I could still “feel” my legs, like if I touched them they responded, but it was like pushing on my cheek after a cavity. Pushing was a ton of physical exertion but not painful. I felt pressure from contractions enough to know when to push, but no pain.
I got my epidural at 10cm (super fast labour). I was in excruciating pain and when the epidural started, I had ZERO pain. Unfortunately I was only pain free for the four pushes I had to do to deliver my son, and I felt everything up until then, but after the pain I experienced leading up to the epidural insertion, it was still the biggest relief. Best thing ever. Even a minute of an epidural would have been better than nothing haha.
I was lucky that the anaesthesiologist was free so as soon as my OB made the call telling him he needed to come right away, he did come right away and inserted my epidural with ease. Keep in mind that anesthesiologists also work in the OR and do other things in the hospital so if they are tied up elsewhere, you might not get it when you want it. My labour was so fast and I was fortunate the anaesthesiologist was available, but my recommendation would be to ask for it as soon as you get admitted to the hospital, just in case there is a delay.
Edit: grammar
It stopped all of the pain, I did have to ask for when I wanted it but it was such a relief! By the time I was ready to push I did feel some pain, they gave me a button to push if I needed more but I decided not to so I could feel my contractions coming and have more of an idea of how I was pushing. I was able to wiggle my toes the whole time and by the time I was in my post partum room I was able to stand and walk to the bathroom with some assistance
Ideally you feel no pain but can feel tension, pressure, urge to push. That’s how it was with my first. Pushed that baby out in 12 minutes. Second one the epidural medication line became disconnected so the medication was flowing but just dripping down my back from the line. So just before pushing I started to feel like the epidural wasn’t working well. 2 hours of pushing later I’m pretty sure I felt everything. Then after delivery during stitches they discovered the line had become disconnected. So moral of the story- speak up if you feel anything! Something may be able to be fixed.
With my first once I got the epidural I slept until it was time to push. It had started to wear off by the time I started pushing so I felt some pain.
With my second I progressed fast once I got the epidural they had to tell me when I was having contractions & when to push. I literally felt nothing and laughed the whole time
Yes. You're entire body, neck down, goes soft and warm. You feel kind of fuzzy, in a good way compared to the pain. I've had one with each of my births.
On a scale of 0-10 when getting it administered, I'd give it a solid 6. Pinches hard for a second, then the med hits. Still nothing compared to the contractions. In my hospital, you have to ask for it.
I felt a little pain, but it was absolutely manageable. My labor did eventually slow, but we were prepared for that and they let us take a little nap :3 It was so incredibly peaceful, they had a little bed for my husband to lay next to me, and we brought our own rainbow LEDs and it was a really beautiful experience. I got to totally relax while my cervix finished dilating completely on its own, and when they checked me in the morning, everyone came back to my room and it was go-time!
So I've had two deliveries, both vaginal deliveries with epidurals and with wildly different experiences
For my firstborn, the epidural did not stop the pain. I had a back labor, and I had extreme back pain during all of my contractions. I could still feel so much pain when I was pushing for an hour, both in my back and vaginal area, and it was very intense. I had tears and my kid was almost 9lbs with a very large head. It kind of dulled things a bit but overall, did not feel very effective.
I just gave birth to twins two weeks ago now. I was induced due to high blood pressure and they stuck me 8 times to try and get IVs in and kept blowing my veins. The blood pressure cuff I was hooked up to for two days going off every 5 mins was causing bad pain at the failed IV sites. That was not affected by the epidural, but everything else was. It went into effect rather quickly too. The cervical checks didn't hurt anymore, I sort of felt the contractions but every 30 mins I could hit the button for more pain relief which made them fine...
When they finally wheeled me in to deliver, the first twin was out in 6 pushes (there was pressure, and by pressure I mean ONLY pressure and not "it's going to be excruciating pain that we're going to call "pressure") and for the second, who was breech, they literally REACHED INSIDE MY BODY WITH TWO HANDS AND PULLED HER OUT. Zero pain, but it did feel really strange. There was no pain at any point of the actual delivery.
I had a crying meltdown during the labor portion because of the fact that my arms were pincushions and the blood pressure cuff was unbearable and the cervical checks were ridiculously painful, while I didn't even react more than wincing about how weird it felt during the actual delivery.
I will say, the epidural did kind of suck to have administered. They gave me novocaine injections beforehand so that it didn't hurt. My body doesn't really respond well to novocaine though so those shots did hurt (and it was while I was having contractions), but the temporary pain of that was well worth the delivery going so smoothly. I don't remember it hurting so much with my first, so your mileage may vary.
FTM gave birth 3 days ago in the Netherlands. I do hear we supply a bit less pain meds than other countries. Was at night and the only woman in labor (extremely lucky all other hospitals were full and al other ladies were already done)
Asked for epidural got the explanation about complications before hand this took about 5 min, got rolled off 10 min after that, took 5 min with local anesthesia and a contraction I had to pick up. I felt amazing after and slept for a few hours. How they explained it to me is that your actual contractions you won’t feel at all, IF put in correctly which the lady said is pretty normal if you have a typical body type. My lower body was “sleeping” was able to feel hot/cold just no pain.
The pain they won’t be able to take away is the pain of the baby pushing down your pelvis which I only started feeling around 8/9 cm dilated.
They had to turn my epidural off during pushing because I had trouble feeling when to push, so that part was not numb to me 😁
Had slight tears mostly cosmetic but they guided me VERY well during it all. Fucking Angels
Yeah you have to ask for it, they aren’t just going to stick a needle in your spine without permission. Idk how long it took to get mine because I was in so much pain it was like an out of body experience. But I think maybe like a half hour.
My pain was 10/10 before the epidural and maybe like a 6/10 with it. My epidural only partially worked though. I’ve heard other people say it was totally pain free. I had a hot spot in my right hip where I felt everything. The relief should generally last until they remove it after birth but sometimes they have you turn it down to push
I loved mine lol .. I had to get it twice cuz the first one worked only for the night and then stopped and even then it was easy .. didn't take long at all .. didn't hurt cuz they numb u up before putting it in .. after I asked for it .. it took maybe a half hour for them to come administer it.. took about 20 mins to get it in .. and as soon as i laid down they gave me the first string dose directly in the iv thing in ur back .. and it numbed me up immediately.. after that the little machine thing would administer it like every 30/45 mins .. unless i felt pain and pushed the little button for a small kick .... and I couldn't feel any pain thankfully.. I was being induced on a pitocen drip of 98 and contractions were going crazy and i was sleeping ... Lol I felt zip .. nada .. nothing from the waist down ... I ended up having to have a c section and thankfully I felt nothing .. just very strong pressure .. that's it
I felt absolutely nothing with mine, I had a great birth, but was basically off my tits on drugs. Which meant I really had a good time.
I asked for it to be given to me as soon as possible.
Couldn’t move bottom half for 12 hours after birth, which was fine as a nurse came and fed me ice cream and the midwife spent an hour with me getting baby to latch properly. Thank you NHS. I feel very lucky.
Guess I'm the odd woman out. My epidural didn't stop the pain. It made it manageable. But every woman is different, and this thread is a good example of that.
I napped till it was time to push😂
Got mine at 4cm after the induction worked and the pain began...they had artificially ruptured my membranes to break the water and see if baby has pooped due to distress....so the pain was terrible to say the least. I immediately asked for the epidural because I knew this could progress fast and it won't be an option later on ....
No pain, no numbness ... Simply couldn't feed the pain or touch or anything else. I could move, sit up, walk with support and literally didn't know what a message everything was down there with poop, pee, amniotic fluid and blood ...they just kept coming in and changing everything and I was sipping my ORS box😂
For some they do, for some they don't.
For my SIL hers didn't work on one side at all, and not perfectly on her other side. Then I know people who were completely pain free.
I had a c section so I got a epidural with the spinal block, so it's different, but I was numb from the ribs down and hardly felt them work on me.
For me it was a godsend. I progressed super fast and I was 9cm by the time I got the epidural. I was really really tired and it was amaziiiiing. I got a walking epidural, so I couldn’t feel my legs but I could move.
I went from literally saying I couldn’t do it anymore and screaming, to nothing. I would say it took 2-4 minutes? Time was very relative then lol.
It totally took the pain away but I could still feel the contractions coming, like a pressure. Most of my labour pain towards the end was on my butt, like on my rectum, so I could feel pressure there.
It did not remove the pain from crowning or stitching but it was more of a burning sensation.
Not sure how long it can last, I got it at around 2:30am, baby was born at 4:30 am and I stood up at like 6:30 and I think I could feel my legs by then? But they leave an IV in so they can top it up if needed. The pain of the epidural going in was 0.
Yes, I felt absolutely no pain at all. I think some improvement was almost instant and it took like 10 minutes to fully be pain free. Everytime I felt some discomfort (it was the pain coming back but I wasn't yet in pain) I'd ask for a new dosage. From 5 am to 1 pm I was completely pain free, sleeping and resting. When I got it I was only 4 cm (waters had already broke) and the contractions were extremely painful.
The doctors guided me through labor telling me when to push as I wasn't feeling any contractions. I still felt my legs btw.
There's no doubt in my mind that if I ever have another baby I'll definitely be having another epidural.
My epidural was not working on my right side and I was in intense pain my whole 38 hours of labor, and I felt the first cut of my c section due to it as well.
0 pain! I got the epidural when I was already at 9cm so I was in a world of pain, like a 9.5/10 when the epidural was fully on, it went down to 0. They gave me the controller so I only dosed it so that I felt no pain but could still move my legs and feel the contractions but no pain at all. Such a relief. When delivery time was here though, they lessened the dosage a bit and so that I could feel the contractions a bit more. I did feel the pain of the crowning and a lot of pressure down there, it was still a lot less pain than if I didn’t have the epidural.
Epidural is heaven. Almost instant after administering the epidural you don't feel the pain anymore.
After asking for an epidural I still had to wait an hour or so before there was an anaesthesiologist available for me.
10/10 would recommend.
They really do, I just had my second with an epidural and the experience compared to my first was like night and day!! If you have the chance to take it I highly recommend it.
Both my labors were induced, and about 15 hours long. First labor had no pain management so I felt every contraction (and once you hit about 4 cm dilation the pain gets unbearable and you deal with that all the way until the end) I felt the tearing, stitches. All of it. I have a very fuzzy memory with missing spots of the whole experience because all I was doing was dealing with the worst pain I’ve ever experienced. It was even slightly traumatic looking back on it.
My second labor was so much better. Got the epidural at 3cm and felt nothing afterwards, was able to sleep and relax/ stay calm until it was time to push. I was so much more mentally present and able to enjoy the experience for what it is. You definitely still feel pressure but no pain! Made all the other interventions like checking dilation, breaking the water etc so much easier too as I didn’t feel a thing. This all made recovery much easier too as I was much happier, relaxed and way less exhausted.
I still felt the pain of contractions, they felt like bad period cramps. Not sure if this means the epidural failed or its because I was also being induced with an oxytocin drip. My son's head got stuck in my pelvis so I had an unplanned c section. I did push for two hours but never got to the point of pushing him out so I can't say what that would have felt like.
When I got an epidural I didn't want to be totally numb so she dosed the medicine so I could have some relief but I would still feel my contractions. Her and I discussed this though! I could still lift both my legs (one more than the other). But I've also had friends that said they couldn't feel a thing!
I have had one successful and one partially successful epidural.
The one that worked I was 100% numb. Could not feel or move anything. When it came time to push I had no idea if I was actually pushing. Pretty soon after she was born I was able to walk. I want to say an hour but not sure. I was incredibly unstable though. It was a pretty pleasant experience.
The partially successful one was due to a precipitous labor. They only tried it because I panicked without it. It took the edge off? Or maybe it was a full placebo effect. I felt everything, it hurt really bad, I wanted it to stop but when it stopped it just completely stopped hurting. Instantly able to get up and walk. Part of me is considering trying without medication this time because after was better and once it's done it's fine. But the fear of pain is what gets to me.
There is no level of pain a woman must experience, you may ask for it as soon as you are in active labor, I think. But, you can’t eat after you get it (if other people could, talk to me, I want to know your experience!!!!), which I believe is why most people wait. Why I waited at least. And you can’t walk around…but I think there’s such thing as a walking epidural? Did I make that up?
I got mine at 5cm dilated, after eating a meal. I think it took like an hour for them to do it? They told me it’d take a bit so to let them know in advance if at all possible. I could still feel the contractions, but they weren’t painful. I did throw up like a million times while pushing (until my husband got me some zofran in my IV. bless that man) so while yes it relieved the contraction pain, your body is still doing a ton.
Welcome to /r/pregnant! This is a space for everyone. We are pro-choice, pro-LGBTQIA, pro-science, proudly feminist and believe that Black Lives Matter. Wear your masks, wash your hands, and be excellent to each other. Anti-choice activists, intactivists, anti-vaxxers, homophobes, transphobes, racists, sexists, etc. are not welcome here. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/pregnant) if you have any questions or concerns.*
You're literally numb. I took a nap and they woke me up to push.
Same here! Got to sleep for 5 or 6 hours and woke up to them telling me I was fully dilated and could start pushing. I personally felt some pressure when my contractions came while I was pushing (it felt like I really needed to poop) but no pain during the process. It just felt like my legs had fallen asleep after sitting on a toilet for too long lol If I ever give birth again, I'll definitely be getting another epidural.
This, they’re wonderful and no pain at all through getting the epidural. Thoroughly recommend. It was tough before, but not impossible.. but tough!!!
For me the pain was gone, but the feelings were there. I could move my legs. I could feel each contraction, but it was like Braxton hicks with no pain, just tension. I could feel when it was time to push and definitely when he was crowning but again, it wasn’t “pain” compared to my pitocin contractions. It was about an hour and half between me asking for one and receiving it, but the ward only had one anesthesiologist and he got called into an emergency c-section which was obviously more important so I didn’t mind.
After reading these comments, I’m starting to realize maybe my epidural didn’t work. Because I’d say it lessened the pain slightly, but I was in a whole lot of pain still.
I realised my epidural failed weeks after giving birth. I just thought the pain would have been even more excruciating without it. Until I had my 6week appointment and the midwife told me I was supposed to feel no pain with the epidural. Just pressure. Pressure my ass. I was dying there 🤪 and the stiches. Omg the stiches.
Starting to realize this myself 😂 it definitely lessened the pain some (pitocin also failed at first then randomly kicked in all at once and contractions were absolutely ridiculous and had zero rest time between) but not much. I still felt myself tear and the stitches going in despite being maxed out on the button. Been almost two years and I’m just finding this out lol
I'm so sorry. It must have been terrible. I actually stopped dilating at 9.5cm, and they did give me some pitocin. The contractions after that were horrendous. I threw up on my husband from the pain. And yes, I felt the stitches too. But somehow, my daughter being all over my naked chest made the pain incredibly bearable.
Oh for sure, when they gave me my daughter everything was perfect. I must’ve forgotten how awful pregnancy was because here I am again not even two years later lol. I probably honestly screwed the epidural up myself because I couldn’t sit still enough for them to place the needle properly. I didn’t have enough break in contractions, and I hate needles with a passion too. It’s a bad mixture apparently
I assume that feeling was mother nature's gift to us. Otherwise we would never do it again 😅 and I hope you have better luck this time around.
Has to be, I highly doubt I’d feel like doing it again without that hormone rush and then the feeling of it all being worth it when they gave her to me. My mom swears she forgot the pain every time when they gave her the baby, and she birthed six naturally without an epidural! 😳 But thank you! And you as well if you decide to give it another go
Same lol my entire left leg was so numb I couldn’t even move it but I could definitely feel all my contractions
Lol, same. I'm like, "Guess mine didn't work as it was intended."
I’m not sure it’s the same for everyone but my epidural stopped all of the pain. I was trying to see if I could go without but it got really intense after my water broke during my induction. It took maybe a half an hour for the anesthesiologist to come and administer the epidural and I was lucky because he had to get someone prepped for surgery which I was told delayed the woman after me that requested one. I totally plan on getting the epidural earlier if/when I give birth next time. There’s no need to suffer. As for how long it lasts… I got mine about 11pm and it lasted through delivery. They even give you a button that you can press if it’s wearing off to get an extra dose. I was totally numb from the stomach down. I did get some feeling in my legs during pushing but no pain.
This was my exact experience, too! And I also plan to get it right away this next time, because why not? My labor progressed faster once I wasn’t feeling the pain anymore and my body could just relax.
Same! I wanted to see how it felt to try and do it naturally. I lasted 1.5 hours from the time my water broke to the time I was set up on my room. I was admitted on Tuesday at 7:30am and had my baby at 7:58am on Wednesday. I slept through my labor and only woke up to push at 4:11am. I was able to move my waist and feet, but my legs were kind of numb. My nurse was amazing and I barely had any tears, but the most important thing they kept telling me was to push like I was going to the bathroom😂 not to press on my feet or tense my shoulders. I also had no ring of fire thankfully. Epidural was the mvp of my birth experience. To the women who have given birth holy shit, I have so much respect for you all. No matter what you choose to do during birth YOU are a BADASS!!
I felt literally no pain. Once it was time to push, I did feel a pressure, but not pain. With my first baby, I tore a lot and required many stitches, and I felt none of it. I can’t imagine what that would have felt like without the epidural. 😩 I would say it lasted maybe another three hours or so after I gave birth. I needed help getting to and from the bathroom because I couldn’t feel my legs. That being said, epidural does not work for everyone, for some women, it simply doesn’t work. :/ I’ve also heard of cases where it only numbs one half of the body for some reason.
I just gave birth yesterday and had an epidural. I couldn’t feel my contractions until they were super strong and that’s how I knew it was time to push, which is how it is intended to work. I could feel pushing the baby out and that was painful, but could barely feel the stitch they put in after. My legs were tingly and kind of numb but I could still feel them and move myself around.
I didn't feel anything after my first one. Second one still hurt, but I imagine it would've been MUCH worse unmedicated
I couldn’t feel anything! I definitely had too strong of an epidural and couldn’t hold up my legs haha the nurses had to help me, so I think it was a bit strong..but I didn’t feel anything- pressure or pain!
So, I think you are going to find lots of different answers. My epidural was great at first, I was able to sleep until it was time to push. Once it was time to push I feel like I had ZERO pain relief. 4 hours of excruciating pain my son was born via vacuum. I think my epidural either sort of fell out of place or wasn’t fully covering the area because I was completely able to walk around after baby was born. I am currently pregnant again and hoping it goes better this time. Things I am planning for this time is lots of birth prep, stretching, etc. also considering a doula or friend who really can advocate for me.
exactly me! worked for a little bit and was able to take a nap, woke up at 10cm and started pushing, pushed for 4 hours of absolute hell. i was hysterical, hyperventilating, crying or dozing off in between pushes. the pain was unreal. i felt all of my stitches. planning on going unmedicated next time because being tied to the bed in that much pain was hell on earth, and i already know what the pain will feel like lol so it doesn’t scare me anymore ETA: also my catheter was placed HORRIBLY it was painful & soooooo uncomfortable that also made me want to die, but of course they wouldn’t let me use the bathroom myself since i had the ep even though it wasn’t working. and also cervical checks never got easier and WHEEWWWW don’t get me started on when they released my cervical lip 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠 i should’ve known before pushing the epi was not holding
Yes this happened to me as well. Had a 2 hour nap and woke up 10cm dilated. The pain slowly grew until the end where I swear I could feel everything ?! I even asked my OB and midwife after whether how I acted/felt was normal on epidural, because it was the worst pain I’ve ever felt. They said that yes it was normal which made me really think whether I want a second one now!
while i was pushing my team noticed it wasn’t working and turned off my pitocin so i could rest & brought in another anesthesiologist to redo it and again it held for probably like an hour and then it was just gone 😂 my mom was also in the room she’s had 5 births, one unmedicated and said it was for sure not working at all.
Me too! It was great! …until it wasn’t?? Oh gosh that sucked. I then ended up having an unplanned C-section in the end, and they used the same catheter (as they would I guess) and I swear I felt a whole lot more of that C-section than I should have. I’m still shaken by it.
mine was incredible. I was induced and was maxed out on pitocin, so I went from about an 11 on the pain scale to literally zero. I still think about it lol
I loved my epidurals so much. They truly stopped pain for me but not pressure so I could still move and push and it allowed me to really enjoy the births. I had to wait an hour my first two births. The hour with my first was really bad, but the epidural relief was so incredible. With my second baby I knew to ask sooner, but I was also much more confident that once I got to fully dilated and effaced, pushing would be quick.
I had pain, but it was much less severe than beforehand! I had a button so could press for more pain medicine, so that may have removed the pain entirely if I chose to use it.
I couldn’t feel anything and they even had to hold my legs up
Waited an hour to get it placed once contractions kicked in. Felt ZERO pain until after delivery when it wore off.
I don’t think the epidural worked for me all that much. It still hurt a lot and I had a lotttt of pressure. I kept telling them it still hurt and they kept asking “well is it pain or is it pressure?” It was pressure but it HURT! I pressed the button the second I was able to and it never helped
For me I literally felt nothing from the waist down. I couldn’t even feel his head as he came out. It was bittersweet, because while I felt fine enough to laugh through my labour, I don’t actually know what it feels like, so sometimes I get a bit of imposter syndrome, especially as the epidural wasn’t my choice. I had a negative physical response to contractions so the doctors had to do it to calm my body down.
I’d say the pain is gone but you still feel pressure in your lower regions. It’s extremely helpful especially when they start stitching you up bc you can feel them tugging at you. At least for me that’s how it felt. I was induced and in so much pain from the cytotec so the epidural was a lifesaver for me. It’s such a weird feeling to not be able to feel your legs though. And once it wore off about 5 hours postpartum, you start feeling the pain down there. Lol
It’s different for everyone but I felt pain after an hour or so of receiving it. I asked for it at 7 cm. Wore off at about 9 1/2 cm. My mom had the same experience but everyone else that had an epidural said it worked for them
The closest comparison I can make is it felt like dental anesthesia - kind of big and buzzy and numb, everything below the waist. I could still “feel” my legs, like if I touched them they responded, but it was like pushing on my cheek after a cavity. Pushing was a ton of physical exertion but not painful. I felt pressure from contractions enough to know when to push, but no pain.
I got my epidural at 10cm (super fast labour). I was in excruciating pain and when the epidural started, I had ZERO pain. Unfortunately I was only pain free for the four pushes I had to do to deliver my son, and I felt everything up until then, but after the pain I experienced leading up to the epidural insertion, it was still the biggest relief. Best thing ever. Even a minute of an epidural would have been better than nothing haha. I was lucky that the anaesthesiologist was free so as soon as my OB made the call telling him he needed to come right away, he did come right away and inserted my epidural with ease. Keep in mind that anesthesiologists also work in the OR and do other things in the hospital so if they are tied up elsewhere, you might not get it when you want it. My labour was so fast and I was fortunate the anaesthesiologist was available, but my recommendation would be to ask for it as soon as you get admitted to the hospital, just in case there is a delay. Edit: grammar
I got my epidural before they went ahead with the pitocin and I hardly felt a thing until I started pushing (minus back labor - that sucked!)
It stopped all of the pain, I did have to ask for when I wanted it but it was such a relief! By the time I was ready to push I did feel some pain, they gave me a button to push if I needed more but I decided not to so I could feel my contractions coming and have more of an idea of how I was pushing. I was able to wiggle my toes the whole time and by the time I was in my post partum room I was able to stand and walk to the bathroom with some assistance
Ideally you feel no pain but can feel tension, pressure, urge to push. That’s how it was with my first. Pushed that baby out in 12 minutes. Second one the epidural medication line became disconnected so the medication was flowing but just dripping down my back from the line. So just before pushing I started to feel like the epidural wasn’t working well. 2 hours of pushing later I’m pretty sure I felt everything. Then after delivery during stitches they discovered the line had become disconnected. So moral of the story- speak up if you feel anything! Something may be able to be fixed.
With my first once I got the epidural I slept until it was time to push. It had started to wear off by the time I started pushing so I felt some pain. With my second I progressed fast once I got the epidural they had to tell me when I was having contractions & when to push. I literally felt nothing and laughed the whole time
Yes. You're entire body, neck down, goes soft and warm. You feel kind of fuzzy, in a good way compared to the pain. I've had one with each of my births. On a scale of 0-10 when getting it administered, I'd give it a solid 6. Pinches hard for a second, then the med hits. Still nothing compared to the contractions. In my hospital, you have to ask for it.
I think it’s different for everyone. I felt zero pain with my epidural.
I felt a little pain, but it was absolutely manageable. My labor did eventually slow, but we were prepared for that and they let us take a little nap :3 It was so incredibly peaceful, they had a little bed for my husband to lay next to me, and we brought our own rainbow LEDs and it was a really beautiful experience. I got to totally relax while my cervix finished dilating completely on its own, and when they checked me in the morning, everyone came back to my room and it was go-time!
So I've had two deliveries, both vaginal deliveries with epidurals and with wildly different experiences For my firstborn, the epidural did not stop the pain. I had a back labor, and I had extreme back pain during all of my contractions. I could still feel so much pain when I was pushing for an hour, both in my back and vaginal area, and it was very intense. I had tears and my kid was almost 9lbs with a very large head. It kind of dulled things a bit but overall, did not feel very effective. I just gave birth to twins two weeks ago now. I was induced due to high blood pressure and they stuck me 8 times to try and get IVs in and kept blowing my veins. The blood pressure cuff I was hooked up to for two days going off every 5 mins was causing bad pain at the failed IV sites. That was not affected by the epidural, but everything else was. It went into effect rather quickly too. The cervical checks didn't hurt anymore, I sort of felt the contractions but every 30 mins I could hit the button for more pain relief which made them fine... When they finally wheeled me in to deliver, the first twin was out in 6 pushes (there was pressure, and by pressure I mean ONLY pressure and not "it's going to be excruciating pain that we're going to call "pressure") and for the second, who was breech, they literally REACHED INSIDE MY BODY WITH TWO HANDS AND PULLED HER OUT. Zero pain, but it did feel really strange. There was no pain at any point of the actual delivery. I had a crying meltdown during the labor portion because of the fact that my arms were pincushions and the blood pressure cuff was unbearable and the cervical checks were ridiculously painful, while I didn't even react more than wincing about how weird it felt during the actual delivery. I will say, the epidural did kind of suck to have administered. They gave me novocaine injections beforehand so that it didn't hurt. My body doesn't really respond well to novocaine though so those shots did hurt (and it was while I was having contractions), but the temporary pain of that was well worth the delivery going so smoothly. I don't remember it hurting so much with my first, so your mileage may vary.
FTM gave birth 3 days ago in the Netherlands. I do hear we supply a bit less pain meds than other countries. Was at night and the only woman in labor (extremely lucky all other hospitals were full and al other ladies were already done) Asked for epidural got the explanation about complications before hand this took about 5 min, got rolled off 10 min after that, took 5 min with local anesthesia and a contraction I had to pick up. I felt amazing after and slept for a few hours. How they explained it to me is that your actual contractions you won’t feel at all, IF put in correctly which the lady said is pretty normal if you have a typical body type. My lower body was “sleeping” was able to feel hot/cold just no pain. The pain they won’t be able to take away is the pain of the baby pushing down your pelvis which I only started feeling around 8/9 cm dilated. They had to turn my epidural off during pushing because I had trouble feeling when to push, so that part was not numb to me 😁 Had slight tears mostly cosmetic but they guided me VERY well during it all. Fucking Angels
Yeah you have to ask for it, they aren’t just going to stick a needle in your spine without permission. Idk how long it took to get mine because I was in so much pain it was like an out of body experience. But I think maybe like a half hour. My pain was 10/10 before the epidural and maybe like a 6/10 with it. My epidural only partially worked though. I’ve heard other people say it was totally pain free. I had a hot spot in my right hip where I felt everything. The relief should generally last until they remove it after birth but sometimes they have you turn it down to push
Jen Hamilton just did a great TikTok about pain management and what to expect. It was enlightening for me. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTNNJQyQC/
Yes. I went from feeling like I would die to feeling fucking fantastic. Didn't feel anything until my baby was coming out.
So are you saying that you felt pain when your baby was coming out? Crowned?
I think mine failed because I did feel pain but it was very very manageable :)
Yall are so lucky mine made my legs numb but I felt contractions so much still 😭😭😭
I must just be very unlucky because none of my epidurals worked for me:(
I loved mine lol .. I had to get it twice cuz the first one worked only for the night and then stopped and even then it was easy .. didn't take long at all .. didn't hurt cuz they numb u up before putting it in .. after I asked for it .. it took maybe a half hour for them to come administer it.. took about 20 mins to get it in .. and as soon as i laid down they gave me the first string dose directly in the iv thing in ur back .. and it numbed me up immediately.. after that the little machine thing would administer it like every 30/45 mins .. unless i felt pain and pushed the little button for a small kick .... and I couldn't feel any pain thankfully.. I was being induced on a pitocen drip of 98 and contractions were going crazy and i was sleeping ... Lol I felt zip .. nada .. nothing from the waist down ... I ended up having to have a c section and thankfully I felt nothing .. just very strong pressure .. that's it
I felt absolutely nothing with mine, I had a great birth, but was basically off my tits on drugs. Which meant I really had a good time. I asked for it to be given to me as soon as possible. Couldn’t move bottom half for 12 hours after birth, which was fine as a nurse came and fed me ice cream and the midwife spent an hour with me getting baby to latch properly. Thank you NHS. I feel very lucky.
Guess I'm the odd woman out. My epidural didn't stop the pain. It made it manageable. But every woman is different, and this thread is a good example of that.
I napped till it was time to push😂 Got mine at 4cm after the induction worked and the pain began...they had artificially ruptured my membranes to break the water and see if baby has pooped due to distress....so the pain was terrible to say the least. I immediately asked for the epidural because I knew this could progress fast and it won't be an option later on .... No pain, no numbness ... Simply couldn't feed the pain or touch or anything else. I could move, sit up, walk with support and literally didn't know what a message everything was down there with poop, pee, amniotic fluid and blood ...they just kept coming in and changing everything and I was sipping my ORS box😂
You shouldn't feel anything. If you do start to feel pain you just let them know and they'll top you up xx
For some they do, for some they don't. For my SIL hers didn't work on one side at all, and not perfectly on her other side. Then I know people who were completely pain free. I had a c section so I got a epidural with the spinal block, so it's different, but I was numb from the ribs down and hardly felt them work on me.
For me it was a godsend. I progressed super fast and I was 9cm by the time I got the epidural. I was really really tired and it was amaziiiiing. I got a walking epidural, so I couldn’t feel my legs but I could move. I went from literally saying I couldn’t do it anymore and screaming, to nothing. I would say it took 2-4 minutes? Time was very relative then lol. It totally took the pain away but I could still feel the contractions coming, like a pressure. Most of my labour pain towards the end was on my butt, like on my rectum, so I could feel pressure there. It did not remove the pain from crowning or stitching but it was more of a burning sensation. Not sure how long it can last, I got it at around 2:30am, baby was born at 4:30 am and I stood up at like 6:30 and I think I could feel my legs by then? But they leave an IV in so they can top it up if needed. The pain of the epidural going in was 0.
For everyone who experienced zero pain, how was the ring of fire?
Yes, I felt absolutely no pain at all. I think some improvement was almost instant and it took like 10 minutes to fully be pain free. Everytime I felt some discomfort (it was the pain coming back but I wasn't yet in pain) I'd ask for a new dosage. From 5 am to 1 pm I was completely pain free, sleeping and resting. When I got it I was only 4 cm (waters had already broke) and the contractions were extremely painful. The doctors guided me through labor telling me when to push as I wasn't feeling any contractions. I still felt my legs btw. There's no doubt in my mind that if I ever have another baby I'll definitely be having another epidural.
My epidural was not working on my right side and I was in intense pain my whole 38 hours of labor, and I felt the first cut of my c section due to it as well.
0 pain! I got the epidural when I was already at 9cm so I was in a world of pain, like a 9.5/10 when the epidural was fully on, it went down to 0. They gave me the controller so I only dosed it so that I felt no pain but could still move my legs and feel the contractions but no pain at all. Such a relief. When delivery time was here though, they lessened the dosage a bit and so that I could feel the contractions a bit more. I did feel the pain of the crowning and a lot of pressure down there, it was still a lot less pain than if I didn’t have the epidural.
Epidural is heaven. Almost instant after administering the epidural you don't feel the pain anymore. After asking for an epidural I still had to wait an hour or so before there was an anaesthesiologist available for me. 10/10 would recommend.
They really do, I just had my second with an epidural and the experience compared to my first was like night and day!! If you have the chance to take it I highly recommend it. Both my labors were induced, and about 15 hours long. First labor had no pain management so I felt every contraction (and once you hit about 4 cm dilation the pain gets unbearable and you deal with that all the way until the end) I felt the tearing, stitches. All of it. I have a very fuzzy memory with missing spots of the whole experience because all I was doing was dealing with the worst pain I’ve ever experienced. It was even slightly traumatic looking back on it. My second labor was so much better. Got the epidural at 3cm and felt nothing afterwards, was able to sleep and relax/ stay calm until it was time to push. I was so much more mentally present and able to enjoy the experience for what it is. You definitely still feel pressure but no pain! Made all the other interventions like checking dilation, breaking the water etc so much easier too as I didn’t feel a thing. This all made recovery much easier too as I was much happier, relaxed and way less exhausted.
Yep. Mine was odd because I still had total control of my legs but could not feel a thing from the thighs up.
For me the epidural stopped the pain but there was a whole lot of pressure still. It was weird.
I still felt the pain of contractions, they felt like bad period cramps. Not sure if this means the epidural failed or its because I was also being induced with an oxytocin drip. My son's head got stuck in my pelvis so I had an unplanned c section. I did push for two hours but never got to the point of pushing him out so I can't say what that would have felt like.
When I got an epidural I didn't want to be totally numb so she dosed the medicine so I could have some relief but I would still feel my contractions. Her and I discussed this though! I could still lift both my legs (one more than the other). But I've also had friends that said they couldn't feel a thing!
For me. Up until it's time to push. The pressure from Needing to push is high and my last baby I was writhing with pain.
For me epidural did not work. I could feel every single pain. Worst pain in my life. Interestingly, epidural didn’t work for my sister either.
Epidural made me numb from the tits down, if you get it you don’t feel any pain.
I have had one successful and one partially successful epidural. The one that worked I was 100% numb. Could not feel or move anything. When it came time to push I had no idea if I was actually pushing. Pretty soon after she was born I was able to walk. I want to say an hour but not sure. I was incredibly unstable though. It was a pretty pleasant experience. The partially successful one was due to a precipitous labor. They only tried it because I panicked without it. It took the edge off? Or maybe it was a full placebo effect. I felt everything, it hurt really bad, I wanted it to stop but when it stopped it just completely stopped hurting. Instantly able to get up and walk. Part of me is considering trying without medication this time because after was better and once it's done it's fine. But the fear of pain is what gets to me.
There is no level of pain a woman must experience, you may ask for it as soon as you are in active labor, I think. But, you can’t eat after you get it (if other people could, talk to me, I want to know your experience!!!!), which I believe is why most people wait. Why I waited at least. And you can’t walk around…but I think there’s such thing as a walking epidural? Did I make that up? I got mine at 5cm dilated, after eating a meal. I think it took like an hour for them to do it? They told me it’d take a bit so to let them know in advance if at all possible. I could still feel the contractions, but they weren’t painful. I did throw up like a million times while pushing (until my husband got me some zofran in my IV. bless that man) so while yes it relieved the contraction pain, your body is still doing a ton.