A baby delivery question

[marlasmom]

My dd will probably end up having her baby induced. Back in the dark ages when I had epidurals they didn't give them until the hard part was about over. Now I think they give them much earlier. Question is - does it eliminate all pain? Some pain? Thanks from a nervous grandma to be.

 

[HayGan]

It all depends on her doctor. With my first, I was induced and the doctor wouldn't let me have an epidural until I was 5cm. With my second, my favorite doctor let me have it at 1cm but sadly it failed within an hour and it was only replaced right before I had to push. So I have felt labor with and without and I definately know that it helps the pain. The downside is that it does often lengthen the amount of time that you are in labor and can make it harder to push at the end!

Best wishes for your DD and your new grandbaby!

 

[Minnie824]

I did not get induced, but I have 2 DDs one was natural, 2nd was epidural. It made a huge difference to me. 1 hour of painful pushing vs 10 min of 'pressure'. It was by no means comfy or easy, but not half as bad as the natural. Of course its different for everyone, but I'm sure she'll do fine.

 

[Annette_VA]

I had epi's with both of my deliveries. I was only dilated a few centimeters each time. Yeah, I'm a whimp!

I had no pain. Pressure, yes, but not outright PAIN

 

[mickeyboat]

My dd will probably end up having her baby induced. Back in the dark ages when I had epidurals they didn't give them until the hard part was about over. Now I think they give them much earlier. Question is - does it eliminate all pain? Some pain? Thanks from a nervous grandma to be.

I was induced at 34 weeks. They started the pitocin at 8AM, I started having very painful contractions right on top of one another at around 10. I begged for an epidural and they wouldn't give me one until I was 4cm dialated. At 2PM I was still not far enough along so they gave me something to relax and turned up the pitocin. At 5:30 I finally made it to 4cm and got my epidural.

The epidural allowed me to feel pressure, but not pain. It was wonderful, and it allowed them to turn the pitocin up higher so the contractions were productive. Mine wore off and the anesthesioloist (a god in my book) had to come back and do something. Hannah was born at 11:18.

I think if I had been later in my PG I would not have had such a hard time dialating. I also think if the contractions were further apart, I might have been able to tolerate them better with more rest in between.

But people's experiences are different. Hopefully your daughter will go into childbirth with a birting plan she has discussed with her provider, but also open-minded to changes in circumstances.

Good luck to her.

Denae

 

[justhat]

I got an epidural when I was a little past 8cm and had my water broken (no induction though) and I went from not even being able to talk to smiling and laughing. I still felt some discomfort when it was pushing time, but I didn't really have a strong epidural (personal preference) so if I had wanted more medication I could have gotten it and felt nothing at all. Oh, and I could have gotten that epidural when I walked in the door if I wanted one. Good luck and congrats!

 

[missypie]

I was induced. I couldn't have an epidural until 5 cm. I had four hours of horrific pain and four hours of a wonderful sense of well being given to me by the Angel of Mercy (aka the anesthesiologist).

 

[swilphil]

They still wait until you are dilated/effaced to a certain point, so the epidural doesn't wear off before the baby is born. There may be other reasons for waiting too. One good reason to wait is that you can still move around without the epidural. They usually don't want to wait too long to give them because you want the epidural to go into effect when you start pushing. I waited several hours with my first before getting an epidural, but not long at all with the second. Yes, it definitely does eliminate the really bad pain. You obviously still feel something--hard not to when a human being, even a small one, is exiting your body. I don't think I would have ever made it through the 2 hours of pushing without an epidural. Epidurals have very few side effects, unlike some other drugs, but they are a godsend, imo.

 

[clarabelle]

I can field this one. I used to be a labor and delivery nurse.
Epidurals usually eliminate almost all the pain. It does not take away the "pressure" or squeezing sensation. Sometimes that is so strong it is uncomfortable.
Also some epidurals are better than others. Occasionally someone will have a "hot spot" that does not seem to get numb.
Also sometimes if it is so strong that you cannot move your legs -they may let it "wear off" a bit. I think some of those things are very dependant on what is "normal practice" at the hospital where she is induced.
There may be some kind of anesthesia consultation before she goes in where she can ask questions. Also she needs to discuss with her SO or you or whomever will be with her in the Labor room her wishes. So someone can be on her team and help communicate for her if things get tough.
They will try really hard to make it a "good" experience for her -but she needs to communicate her needs very clearly.
Good Luck!!

 

[noodles]

I was induced and had to wait till 4cm to get my epidural. I went from being in way to much pain to being able to relax and rest. My DD was born 1 1/2 hours after my epidural was in! For me that was the only way to go!

 

[Beth76]

Both of my epidurals completely took away all the pain. The best things on the planet! My first one I got when I was 6 cm dilated. Didn't need it before then. My second one (induced) I got at about 4cm. Both times they told me I could have it whenever I wanted, but I didn't ask until I really needed it.

ETA: Both times, it really helped in progressing the labor. It allowed me to relax instead of tensing up and making the contx harder. First time, I went from 6-10cm in an hour with the epi. Second time, I went from 4-10 in about 2 hours. Not exactly sure because I was asleep!

 

[mickeyboat]

I wanted to add: Emily came so quick that there was no time for an epidural - although I begged for one. (I got to the hospital fully dialated!)

I said if I ever got PG again, I would ask for the epidural at my 39 week appointment.

Denae

 

[AnaheimGirl]

Like others have said, my epidural took away the pain, but not the pressure. I could still tell when I ought to push, it just didn't hurt. I was induced a week after my due date. I think I was lucky that I was 3.5cm dilated when I got to the hospital, as I got my epidural pretty quick. They told me I could have it whenever I wanted and I thought I'd try to see if I could handle the pain. That didn't last long!

Good luck to your dd! And remind her, the pain is so worth it when you look into your child's eyes!

 

[LaLa]

As others have said, epidurals can be heaven sent, but they do not eliminate all the pain. In my experience, it helps tremendously with the pain of contractions, but you still feel the pain during the actual birth.

With DS, I was signed up for the epidural ahead of time, although I wanted to try to have the baby naturally. I thought I would be prepared just in case I felt I needed the epidural. I knew from the time that first contraction hit that Mama wanted that epidural! Per my OB's policy, I could not get one until I reached 4 cm. Once I reached that point, they called for the anesthesiologist but he was IN SURGERY. By the time he reached my room, I was already 9 cm and about to push. They asked me if I still wanted to get the epidural, and I honestly did not know what to do. I was in so much pain at that point that I feel I was in no condition to make a decision like that. They looked at DH and he said "Just give it to her." I think it took longer for them to get me hooked up than if I would have just gone on and toughed it out for the rest of the delivery. I honestly can say that I felt absolutely NO difference after the epidural, and feel like it was a waste to get it at that point.

On the other hand, with DD, I got the epidural right at 4 cm and it was like an alternate universe with that delivery. I still had lots of pain as I was pushing but NO contraction pain once that epidural was in.

Hope it works out that she is able to get hers early on. Congrats and good luck!!!

 

[Toby'sFriend]

Epidurals =
Some Doctors won't give them early for a First Pregnancy. With my third I had what my Doctor referred to as a "proven cervix" and I got my Epidural BEFORE they started the Pitocin.

It was hilarious. The Anesthesologist kept asking me "how would you rate your pain now?" and the Nurse would say "She isn't HAVING any pain yet. She isn't in labor."

I'm kind of a wussy.

 

[punkin]

I was induced with my second DD. No pain medication at all. It was painful (of course) but not unbearable.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Epidurals while a godsend when they work are actually NOT guaranteed to work.

For me--no pain whatsover--last baby not even any pressure. Oh--and there was that part where I didn't regain any feeling for 10 hours. L&D nurses not happy as they were waiting to turn over the room and I couldn't be TFRED b/c I couldn't move.

My friend--it worked for her first baby--for her second it worked only on 1 side of her body and on her other she felt every last thing she didn't want to even know existed.

 

[BuckNaked]

I had an epidural with my first baby at 4 cm. It took me from Sunday night to Wednesday morning to get there though, so that epidural was heaven sent, IMO. I felt no pain for quite awhile, then I started feeling some, and the anesthesiologist came back and, in his words, "topped it off". I never felt any pain during the birth, just some pressure.

With my second baby, I got to the hospital too late, and didn't get anything. Yuck!

 

[goofy4tink]

My last labor was in '93, at Beth Israel Deaconess in Boston. I had what was then called a 'walking epidural'. Very nice stuff. I was induced at 4:00 pm, my water broke at 6:15, they moved me to the labor area (I had been put in a little recovery area since they were heavily booked that day!!), the anestheologist (Doogie Howser age) came in around 7:30, did the whole 'in the back' thing and said he would be back later for the end of labor part. I could get up, use the bathroom, walk around....but no contraction pain. Quite wonderful. Well, until about 8:30ish, when my dd started moving on out. I had never felt the baby actually 'being' born before (had two other labors), and this was not fun. Evidently, the first part of the 'walking epi' kills only the contraction pain...not the pain that comes with that pressure. OMG...just shoot me is all I kept saying. Finally, dd was born after some good pushing...about 15 minutes or so. About 10 minutes later Doogie Howser came back in and says..."oops, looks like I'm a tad late...you're quick!!"
Don't know if they are still doing them but if all had gone as planned it would have been marvelous, simply marvelous.