Epidural Experience

I had my second baby 10 days ago. With my first son, I received the epidural which took away the pain from contractions. When it came time to push, I felt some pressure then as he was being born I felt severe burning and pain. Afterwards, I could feel them stitching me up.

This second time around, after the epidural the pain from my contractions subsided and I was able to catch my breath. When the nurse came to place the catheter, she rubbed my leg and asked if I could feel it. I said yes. She started pinching my leg and asked if I could feel what she was doing, I said yes you’re pinching me. She said she’d give it a few more minutes before placing the catheter. When she placed it, I could feel her doing it but it wasn’t painful. About an hour after the epidural, I started feeling pressure. The pressure got gradually more intense with each contraction until it was painful. I could feel that I was contracting and I started involuntary pushing with each contraction, so I called the nurse and told her the baby was coming. They quickly set everything up and he was born very quickly. I felt more pain this time around than my first. Lots of intense pressure and pain with each contraction as well as the burning as he was born and the stitches after.

What was your epidural experience? Did you experience the same things?