How was your birth experience with the epidural?

Question

I'm scared I'm going to need to be cut down there or I'm going to need forceps or vacuum because i won't be able to push. That's the only thing putting me off getting the epidural. How was your birth experience with the epidural? Did you need any extra help with getting baby out?

Answer

You can have them lower the meds when it's time to push so you'll miss the contractions but be able to feel the pushing. I had them lower it but not turn it all the way off and I felt everything just less painful.

Answer

With my first baby, she had to be vacuumed out after 40 minutes of pushing. That had nothing to do with the epidural though. We had a lot of complications throughout my loooong labor andshe never   handled contractions very well, her heart rate would go down significantly with each one. After 40 minutes of watching her heart rate get lower and lower, my midwife looked at me and said "Honey, your baby only has one brain and I'm not willing to risk it anymore. She needs to come out now." So I OKed the vaccum and she came out fine and is very healthy.

With my 2nd baby I also had an epidural but that labor in general was completely different. It was fast, easy, free of complications. I pushed for 2 contractions and out he came, no problem. With both of my epidurals I could move my legs some and felt no pain, but was still aware of my body's need to push. It was fantastic.

Answer

I didn't feel when to push because they where too late to turn it off, but was still able to deliver without forceps or vacuum. Did need an episiotomy but that had nothing to do with the epidural 😊

Answer

When I got my epidural at 4cm, it wore off before it came time to push. I kept clicking the button to deposit more but nothing was happening so the doctor came in and upped the dose. I kid you not- the second he left, my baby dropped down and it was time to get him out. I don't know why but the second dose only worked on my left side. Although I was kinda numbed, I could definitely feel myself push. It's such an indescribable sensation both during and after; you completely forget about all the pain, sweat and tears you just endured. I was very sick before having my baby (hadnt eaten in a week, was puking up blood, hadn't slept well) I couldn't have done it without the epidural- it gave me that boost I needed to get the job done. To be honest though, the delivery is kind of relieving.. the labour was the hard part.

Answer

I had an epidural and needed an episiotomy and forceps delivery.

It was because of my baby's head size though not because I couldn't push. 
You do push and can push it's just that you need your doctor or midwife to tell you when because you don't feel the contraction.

I probably would have needed an emergency section if I hadn't had the episiotomy and forceps as my baby wasn't going to get out and they didn't want to leave him too long in the birth canal.

I healed quite quickly from the episiotomy and didn't have that much pain (more discomfort than pain if I'd say) and everything was all healed and normal by my 6 week check up.

The forceps were weird I felt the sensation but not any pain. Weird weird feeling!

Xx

Answer

I had an epidural both times, although I really wanted a natural birth. My first epidural failed after 4 hours so I felt everything, pushing was actually not painful, more like relief from the pain of the contractions because you are working with your body. Took me 2.5 hours to push and I had a 1st degree tear. My second labor my epidural worked perfectly, I felt intense pressure to push, I pushed for about 2 hours, 2nd degree tear.

I did have retained placenta after my first labor and secondary hemmoraghe, plus a suction D&C surgery about 6 weeks after birth. But I don't know if that had anything to do with the epidural, may have been more about my traumatic 36 hour labor.

2nd labor the doctor took special care to make sure my full placenta was birthed and spent about an hour massaging, squeezing, pressing on my belly and manually checking. Also about 20 minutes for the stitches. I was really glad that I had an epidural for all of that because that's super painful.

Answer

This was my first baby. I went into labor the day before I had my daughter. I labored 36 hours on my own until I was admitted to the hospital at 4cm 100% effaced. As soon as I got there because I was in so much pain and hadn't slept in 36 hours I got the epidural right then and it is God sent. I took a nap. I dilated 2 cms every 2 hours. And when it came time to push I had my nurse give me 2 pumps of the medicine and I had her here within an hour. I did have a second degree tear which you can't feel at all when it happens you just feel relief after getting the baby out. I only tore because she wasn't turned the right way so her shoulders came straight out instead of sideways so my doctor had to actually pop her shoulders out. I did however feel her stitch me up and that to me was the worst part by far. Goodluck❤❤ you'll do great!

How was your birth experience with the epidural?

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