Experience with Epidural

I waited until I was very uncomfortable to get the epidural. I think I got it around 5-6cm. I don’t recall the injection being that bad but honestly that whole day was kind of an out of body experience so I feel like my memory on some specific details is not there. My epidural worked GREAT! I couldn’t feel any pain just pressure. I didn’t use any pain meds / interventions prior to epidural. I did end up with a second degree tear and I’m not sure if that’s due to the epidural and not fully feeling stuff or what. The swelling / tear / hemorrhoids for the first two weeks postpartum were honestly the hardest part for me.

They gave it to me when I was 3 cm dilated even tho I could tolerate it. Don’t let them give it to you unless you genuinely need it or feel like you’re about to need it. 5 days postpartum and I still feel the pain of an epidural. Hard for me to relax my back, even sit in a chair for to long. It’s worse than the vaginal healing process. Also, your nurse or whoever is in the room with you have to regularly move you to either side because if you lay on one side to long, it’ll only numb part of your body. Every 30-40 minutes have someone flip you. Never on your back . The pain is subjective . I cried because I had to hold myself from moving from the contractions and the needle. I half regret it but I felt like it was worth it. OH, and once you have your baby and they wait a certain time span to have you get up and walk to the bathroom. You will most likely feel the need to black out. Sit down immediately and have your nurse lay you back down, try again in a few minutes

I had an epidural with my first baby about 3 years ago. I tried to handle the contraction pain as long as I could, and if I remember correctly I was around 6 cm dilated when I finally got it.

After that I felt so much better and my labor went really smoothly. The injection itself honestly didn’t hurt for me (I think because the contractions pain were already so strong). The nurse was a huge support and helped me stay calm

A few days after giving birth I did feel a little soreness in my back where the injection was, but it wasn’t anything too bad.

Now, three years later, I don’t feel it in everyday life at all. But if someone presses exactly on the spot where the epidural was (like during a massage), I can tell exactly where it was placed and it can feel a little sensitive or sore. Otherwise I never notice it.

Overall for me it was a positive experience and it helped my labor go smoothly.

I also got one 3 years ago with my first. I unfortunately had to be induced with him and that resulted in me having just one long contraction for hours 😮‍💨 after about like 6/7 hours I caved and got the epidural. I don’t recall any pain while it was being administered. Probably because the contusion pain was all I could focus on. Can’t remember how dismayed I was either.

Shortly after it was administered, my water broke and things started to really go from there. My epidural was TOO good because I was literally laughing while pushing 🤭 I just only felt pressure and couldn’t understand how I was literally attempting to push human out and for some reason, that was funny to me 🤦🏾‍♀️ didn’t have any pain management drugs outside of the epidural so idk why that was so funny. It was just unbelievable. Hah

I’ve never had any pain or discomfort from it or the injection site afterwords.

Speaking from experience if you can avoid the epidural meaning if you can handle the pain or opt for an alternative I would. I didn't have a bad experience per say it's just even years later I have really bad back pain ever since getting it.

I had an epidural with my first and it worked too well. I couldn’t feel anything, couldn’t push, so they had to turn it way down and it took a good hour or two before I was just *barely* able to feel enough to push, and even then there was so little sensation. It sounds like a good thing, but for me it was a very unpleasant experience, so I don’t plan on doing it again if I can help it.

I just had my baby on Monday and got an epidural. I'm not actually sure how dilated I was at that exact moment as I was on pitocin and progressed from 4cm to 9cm really quickly. My epidural experience was AMAZING. I went from fully doubled over in pain every contraction to no pain, just feeling pressure. I was still able to feel contractions and push productively with them and had her out with about an hour of pushing. The epidural itself wasn't painful at all. The only thing I would say is not to wait too too long to get it because if your contractions are bad enough that you can't be still for the injection, you won't be able to get it. If I had another, I'd 100% get the epidural again.

Had to do it twice with my first and didn't feel much except extreme pressure, this last epidural was amazing. 2 pushes and she was out didn't feel a thing and barely had pain down there for more than a week. Mind you I only made it to 2 and 3 cm each time before needing one