Anyone have an epidural with their first born but not with their second?

Question

Did anyone have an epidural with their first born due to pain level and end up being able to tolerate the labour without pain meds with their second born? If so can you tell me what made it more bearable? Like was it less painful the second time, faster labour so easier to get through, was it just having an idea of what was going to happen or something else? 
Basically I had an epidural with my first but I’d love to be able to go natural this time and be up and moving right away, however I found the pain level unbearable with my first labour and never want to feel that level of pain again so I have mixed feelings about trying to go natural this time. Advice please!

Answer

First was an epidural and I don’t even think it worked. 39 hour labor, pitocin and pushing for three hours. 
Second I was only in labor five hours and by the time I got to the hospital I was already 9 cm and pushed him out in five minutes. So I had no choice for epi but it was such a better recovery. 
So my third I planned for no epi, labored on a birthing ball and just focused on telling myself “pain is a sensation, it doesn’t hurt, I can do this” sounds cheesy but it worked. I felt like a powerful bad ass mama and labored on that ball til 10cm when my water broke, laid on the bed and she slid right out. Best labor to date. 
Hoping I can do it again for this one. :)

Answer

I'm a FTM, but a friend who's had four kids was telling me about her experiences both with and without an epidural. She preferred without and said that what worked for her was realizing that when the pain felt unbearable was when she was almost done. In that time, she would tell herself, "5 more minutes", meaning that she would take an epidural in five minutes if she truly couldn't bear the pain. After those five minutes, she could convince herself to wait another five minutes. Because the time seemed cut into manageable chunks and it generally didn't take too long in that phase, she said that it worked well for her.

Answer

Both labors were induced but first had cervidil and then pitocin and had an epidural. It was long and very painful. Even not much relief with the epidural. My second time around induced again. Inserted a pill, might have been cryotec or something like that and my body progress on its own to where i didn’t need the pitocin. Labor went way faster and way more bearable up until transition. Was looking to get the epidural but half hr later waiting i had dilated fully and it was too late. Pushed once and out. Up until transition which only lasted a half hr, Labor was of course painful but tolerable. That time it was way different than my first time and nowhere near the amount of pain. I think it was because I didn’t get pitocin

Answer

I was actually the opposite.
I went 72 hours with no epi or meds with my first it was awful and extremely painful since he got stuck for 2.5 hours. My water broke on it’s own at home Friday morning at 10 and I didn’t have him till 9:24pm Sunday night.
My second was a breeze I got the epi after 6 hours, my labor was a total of 11 hours and I pushed for 20 min. I was induced at 8am had her at 752pm that same night! 
This is my 3rd and I am getting it as soon as I can, my pain tolerance is very low....

Answer

I was induced with both. The first they needed to add pitocin and I had the epidural. The second I didn’t need pitocin but the labor was still just as intense. The only reason I didn’t get the epidural the second time around was simply because both anesthesiologists were in the OR trying to save a mom and her baby. At that point I was at an 8 and an immense sense of power came over me as I knew she needed those doctors much more than I did. I pushed him out just minutes later. I’m due any day and I’ll be getting an epidural again but I’m glad I got to experience both sides of labor.

Answer

My sister did and she said honestly without an epidural was much better and less painful. She definitely went quicker but she also said since she didn't do an epidural there wasn't anything to cause labor to slow down (drugs can slow down or stop labor) and afterwards recovery was nothing compared to the first.

Answer

Following.

Answer

Following

Anyone have an epidural with their first born but not with their second?

The Top Baby Tracker App: Embrace New Beginnings with Tender Care

The Top Fertility Tracker App: Your Path to Achieving Pregnancy

The Top Pregnancy App: Nurturing Your Journey to Motherhood

The Top Period Tracker for Empowering Your Menstrual Health Journey