Does epidural take away most of the pain?

[Marabou]

Hey everyone!

I'm a first time mom and due in mid-May. So far I haven't really given much thought to labour, but having now spent the whole day watching birthing videos on youtube, I'm a bit freaked at what to expect ...

I just wanted to know how realistic it is to expect the epidural to take away most of the pain..? I understand that you can only have this after having been in labour for a while, but when you do have it, does it really make it easier? What are your experiences?

I had an epidural with ds1 after complications - all I can say was it took away all the pain but left me with full sensation right down to the point where I felt him wriggle to get his shoulders out! My subsequent pgs were - dd1 nothing, ds2 nothing, dd2 as much g&a as I could get - would have asked for more stronger drugs but it was a hb so rather limited! I think I would just say to put it on your birthplan but see how you go - you might find you don't need it.

I didn't have one. I knew my biggest obstacle in CB would be tiredness and hunger (my biggest obstacles all the time) and my own personal research flagged up the possibility of an increase in the amount of time spent in labour due to epidurals.

Instead I opted for pethadine. I asked them to administer a half dose, knowing they could increase it any time I asked. That way, I felt my contractions and I also felt in control of my pain levels.