Comments on: Does an Epidural Hurt?

By: Hilary Erickson

Hilary Erickson — Fri, 11 Mar 2022 15:20:59 +0000

In reply to Diana. I'd ask your doctor to have an anesthesia consult prior to your due date. What you're describing is not normal.

By: Diana

Diana — Thu, 10 Mar 2022 20:02:07 +0000

I’m trying to decide what I want to do for my second. I’m hoping to have a VBAC. With my first, I had a medical induction at 41 weeks for low fluids. I came in at 3.5 cm before they broke my water and started the pitocin. I felt like I was laboring well with doula support and squeezing a comb into my palm. I would have rated the pain 6/10. Unfortunately we had to pause the induction due to fetal heartrate abnormalities and when we re started, we had the same problem.

I got to about 6 cm 80% effaced before having a c-section.

My problem is when I went in for the spinal block, I was told it would feel like getting an iv. It did not!!!! That pain was a 9.5/10. I was shaking from labor and had trouble staying still. I could feel grinding in my spine and then an awful shooting pain down to my right hip that made me immediately vomit. I don’t know how many tries it took, but I had a bunch of dots on my back after and back pain for 2 months right at that spot. My poor husband heard me screaming from the hallway. I had nausea and itching the next day.

Now I’m kind of afraid of getting any kind of spinal anesthesia in the future. If I did consider it, would it be better to get it early on before any shaking starts even though I didn’t feel like I needed it last time? Or should I chance it and go natural till/if I actually want it? I don’t like being numb and I felt like natural gave me the ability to move which gave me some sense of control over the situation. Is it possible to place a catheter without medication in the event I do want it and still get out of bed?

By: Epidurals During Pregnancy & Labor - The Pregnancy Nurse

Epidurals During Pregnancy & Labor - The Pregnancy Nurse — Thu, 10 Sep 2020 13:01:30 +0000

[…] think the epidural hurts very similar to the IV placement. You will need an IV before getting an […]

By: Hilary Erickson

Hilary Erickson — Fri, 14 Sep 2018 19:32:50 +0000

In reply to Jolien. This is a good experience -- thank you so much for sharing!

By: Jolien

Jolien — Thu, 30 Aug 2018 12:03:54 +0000

I was in labour for 8 hours and dilated only 3 cm extra. That’s when I decided to get an epidural, I was exhausted from 36 hours of prelabour contractions, my pain was excruciating and I knew my body could’t handle any more pain. I literally didn’t feel a thing of the placement of the epidural, because my contractions were so intense. Keep in mind that you still get contractions during the process, but you must NOT move at all! That is actually the hardest part of it. Once in, I was completely pain free untill after delivery. It made it harder to push, because it’s hard to use numbed muscles, but i would definately do it again.