can you feel to push if you've had an epidural?

[warthog]

don't want to push unless my body says so!

[MarsLady]

It will be harder to feel what your body says with an epidural, but you can restrict your top ups. The disadvantage is that you suddenly have to get used to a level of pain that you haven't built up to iyswim.

[amidaiwish]

with DD1 i had one top up only and let it wear off for nearly an hour before pushing.

i felt a squeezing more than pain which told me to push. it did take nearly an hour to push her out but no tearing or stitches.

[MrsTittleMouse]

I couldn't feel anything - so the midwife had to tell me when to push. I think that I was an extreme case though, as I was prep'd for a CS, so they had made sure that my epidural was full-on.

[Dior]

Message withdrawn

[Amberc]

i had an epidural and couldn't feel a thing but you know when to push as you are hooked up to a machine which tells you when you are having a contraction and the midwife will let you know when.

[pudding25]

I had my epidural topped up eavery 45 min (was induced and took 2 days for dd to come out - saying that, I would have had it topped up anyway). The epidural was topped up bigtime as I was taken into theatre to try forceps first, and if not c-section. Luckily, she popped out super quick with the forceps.

I felt nothing (great to be honest, sero pain). I had no idea how to push and I remember just panting until the midwife said, pretend you are doing a poo! I then remember picturing myself on the toilet and DH telling me to hold my breath while pushing to help me! The midwives are great and help you along. I wouldnt have had it any other way as pain free for me was so important. Very positive experience, not traumatic in any way.

[warthog]

but i think feeling contractions and feeling the urge to push are two different things?

first time round i was feeling the contractions and the midwife told me when to push. i never felt the urge.

[franke]

I had a very late epidural with ds1 and couldn't feel the pushing at all - the midwife stage-managed it all.

[amidaiwish]

yes i agree - i didn't have the urge to push, but pushed because i could feel the contraction and that is what i was told to do.

with DD2 i didn't have any pain relief and had no choice but to push, my body totally took over.

i wouldn't say having DD2 was a better experience, quite different and faster, but not better. birth of DD1 with an epidural was much calmer, relaxed, more managed iykwim.

[madmouse]

Could not feel a thing but mw said push now and I threw all my frustration of a three day labour behind it, remembered that someone told me to aim for pushing a canon ball out of my rectum and he presto one baby out as far as his tummybutton

[fledtoscotland]

i could still feel my contractions although it wasnt really pain. i could feel when i needed to push and the midwife encouraged me to use gas and air at the end rather than have the epidural topped up.

[ilovemydog]

I could feel contractions. Obviously not as bad, but could feel them when it counted. You don't lose total sensation (unless being prepped for a c-section).

[ajm200]

I has the type of epidural that they allow you to top up yourself by pressing a button. If you have that sort you can let it wear off a bit. I could feel the contractions so could feel when to push

[pleasechange]

Couldn't feel the contractions but the mw told me when to push. Took an hour and a half of pushing and then had to have a ventouse delivery

[Anagram]

With ds1, had epidural at 5 cm, had to be told when to push (took 20 min). With ds2, had a late epidural (8 cm) and did not lose as much sensation, could feel the pressure and pushed for 10 min.

[wilkos]

not really for me, but mw knew from the monitors and told me when to do the eye popping pushing bit

she threatened me with doctors and forceps so I pushed and pushed and there was dd!

she was fierce but lovely with it

[LynetteScavo]

I couldn't feel a thing from under by boobs down. I was told when to push, which was really annoying as I could see for myself on the monitor that I was having a contraction.

After 6 hours of pushing the "wrong way" DS was delivered by ventouse. I have heard even if you don't push the baby will be delivered anyway. Obviously not im my case though.

[Tinasan]

The mw let me epidural wear off just before I got to be fully dilated - it was tough going from no pain at all to full-on contractions but I certainly felt the urge to push! I had loads of energy as I'd had a sleep and everything when the epidural was working, so I pushed my DD out in 17 mins! Could be an approach to take if you don't think you want or can cope with the pain throughout the labour but could put up with it at the very end?

[chandellina]

couldn't really push even though the epidural was wearing off at that point - had to give up pushing after two hours and baby was delivered by forceps. Even then, i was still meant to be pushing but it was a bit of a farce on the industrial strength epidural they'd just given me.

[EllieG]

My epidural was fantastic. I had loads of top ups, didn't feel any pain, but could still feel to push and DD was out in 40 mins when time came. Could tell when the contractions were coming and when to push, but not painful at all. Sort of a squeezy uncomfy feeling rather than any big urge.

[Backgammon]

My epidural wore off and I really wanted to top it up but the m/w said it would be better to feel the pushing. Don't think it was working at all by the pushing stage as I got on my knees and could feel everything. Managed to get them to top it up 5 minutes before they brought the forceps out but it hadn't kicked in fully by then

[ellideb]

The midwives have told me that they don't tell you to push now until they can see the baby's head, so they let your body do much of the work and you only need to actively push on the last part.

[littlelamb]

I had an epidural with dd and was pretty much told when to push. Took 2 hours to get her out, but she was first baby/induced/posterior who didn't turn/I was on my back so not the best combination. I think it must have worn off towards the end though because the urge to push out the placenta was so strong it was actually quite frightening, being told not to push and not being able to stop myself.

With ds I had no epidural and the urge to push was overwhelming, and he was out in 8 minutes. I was stood up the whole time, he was posterior and managed to turn. Given the choice again (easy for me to say now) I would aim for another non epidural birth- the high afterwards was amazing Having said that, with dd I know there was no chance I could have managed without one, so it really is just a case of waiting to see what happens