My baby is now nearly 2 months old but the more I have been talking to other new mothers, I'm curious about how much you experienced with the epidural! I am a first time mom so I'm wondering if what I felt was normal or not.

For background... I came into the hospital 4cm dilated, was 6-7cm when I finally asked for the epidural (I'd been sitting on one of those birthing balls during my contractions and it finally got to be too much for me). So they helped me back into bed and I got the epidural. The pain did get better and I was able to relax through the contractions until it was time to push.

I was given a catheter right after the epidural. I'd been told it was because I wouldn't be able to feel it when I needed to pee but the opposite happened. I started panicking later when I felt like I REALLY had to pee and couldn't get out of bed. The nurse kept assuring me I could just "go", that's what the catheter was for (I'd never been cath'd before). But I def felt the need to pee, badly!

When it came time to push, I WAS expecting the pressure because they told me I'd still feel that (so that I'd be able to know when to push, pretty much). It was crazy intense and painful to me, having that much pressure. They kept making me roll onto my side and I wanted to cry every time they rolled me. That was my least favorite part of pushing, haha!

Also this is TMI but I'd had a huge fear of pooping during labor, and I know I did because I felt it, but I stopped caring pretty quick!

And finally, after he was out, I had 2 second degree tears. My OB was stitching me up and I yelled out at one point and she looked at me in surprise and said "You can feel this?" Heck yes, I can! Ow!

It wasn't until weeks later talking to some other friends or reading comments on here that I started wondering if it was normal to still feel all that with an epidural. So, ladies who got one, just wondering what your experience with it was like!