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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

For those who opted for epidural - how "painless" is it really??

196 replies

purpleneon · 16/09/2021 15:33

For those who had a VB + epidural, is it actually anywhere near "painless" (think I need to stop watching birthing videos & being horrified by the screams!) or still v painful, but just less so than gas & air

OP posts:
MilkywayMonarch22 · 19/09/2021 19:44

I had a mobile epidural and asked for them to turn it down at the end so I could feel contractions and push more effectively. (My plan had been water birth but I had too many complications on the actual day so couldn't)
It was amazing while it was on though, honestly amazing

PurBal · 19/09/2021 19:48

When I was fully dilated I felt “discomfort” but it was pressure rather than pain and I delivered in 15 minutes. I loved mine. My overriding memory of my labour was just super chilled and chatting to DH. I wanted an “all natural” labour but this was perfect after 2 days of stop start labour.

foreverlobsters · 19/09/2021 19:48

Mine went wrong (dural tap)-meant it worked for about of an hour then all the feeling would return, and the midwife would have to buzz for an anaesthetist to come and top me up again while I writhed in pain (was on the hormone drip too).

In the 30 mins at a time when it was working I remember hearing the woman next door screaming her absolute head off and wondering out loud why she didn't have one. When it wore off each time I remember thinking I wanted to die.

A dural tap happens about every 1 in 100 cases. For me it meant I was essentially paralysed for a week after and had to have two operations to fix it. For my second I opted for an ELCS. For me although the epidural was amazing (when it worked) I would never ever recommend them to anyone as trying to recover from the dural tap was the hardest thing I've had to experience and left me with PTSD. The risk is too high - 1 in 100 is higher than you think sadly.

Plumtree391 · 19/09/2021 19:53

foreverlobster, I read your above post with my mouth open in horror. What a dreadful experience!

I am so, so glad I didn't have an epidural. I was terrified at the thought anyway, it seems now for good reason.

Phew.

toolazytothinkofausername · 19/09/2021 19:54

Amazing Grin Felt no pain at all!

ShipshapeShore · 19/09/2021 19:57

Couldn't feel a thing. I was so tired I was falling asleep so they had to keep shaking me awake to push because I couldn't feel the contractions. I didn't actually manage to push the baby out in the end, but I can confirm all except that bit is painless!

BertieBotts · 19/09/2021 20:24

The thing is - having gone through natural labour again (but better managed) with DC3 I just can't see at which point it would work (for me) to get one.

Too early and it potentially slows everything down, as I understand. But by the time I was 6/7cm I was totally unable to stay still during contractions. I could probably have managed at 4/5cm, but the way they were acting at that point I really doubt I would have got one! I was still being offered paracetamol Confused

Oh well. It's moot as I probably won't have any more babies but I was on the fence with labour 3 whether to try for an epidural vs try for unmedicated and unmedicated was OK, but I didn't get the "amazing high" people talk about from natural birth at all. Just got through it the best I could and didn't feel traumatised afterwards which I count as a win.

SecretWitch · 19/09/2021 20:27

@PaddleBlue

Has anyone had an epidural that has scoliosis, by any chance?
I do and the anesthesiologist commented on how difficult it was to place my epidural. It certainly did help with contraction pain but I felt tremendous pressure in my vagina. I’m not sure it was worth it for me.
shannonhinton0421 · 19/09/2021 20:38

@purpleneon

For those who had a VB + epidural, is it actually anywhere near "painless" (think I need to stop watching birthing videos & being horrified by the screams!) or still v painful, but just less so than gas & air
I had 2nd degree tears inside and out but felt nothing. Was amazing in my opinion. My midwife advised me to have epidural an hour before pushing so I could kind of feel contractions which Ido think helped
PermanentTemporary · 19/09/2021 20:43

I laboured too fast to have one. Apparently.

But that's the thing, if you've only got to suffer for 2 or 3 hours, that's not very long. Apparently.

BertieBotts · 19/09/2021 21:22

Time goes differently when you're in labour, but as someone who has long labours (19 hrs / 16 hrs / 15 hrs) a couple of hours does sort of pass even though it's intense, whereas when you hit somewhere around hour 6-10 you (or I anyway) do tend to start losing it a bit because it's been going on for so long without a break and starts to feel like you might well be in labour for ever with no end. The first and last one felt even longer as well because for both of them I was up contracting all night the night before so I'd had no sleep!

EL1984 · 19/09/2021 21:57

I had an epidural and didn't feel a thing. I actually think it would have been helpful to feel maybe 5% so I knew when to push etc. I had used an epi no ahead of birth so kind of had an idea on what I was doing and managed to push him out.
Will definitely get an epidural if I have another child!!

Plumtree391 · 20/09/2021 02:01

@PermanentTemporary

I laboured too fast to have one. Apparently.

But that's the thing, if you've only got to suffer for 2 or 3 hours, that's not very long. Apparently.

I had most of my labour at home, on my feet, walking around; went in to hospital when waters broke and had baby two hours later so needed no medication or intervention. I felt very in control of it all but I do know I was lucky. The thought of not being able to push or feel anything, labour slowing down, forceps, tears, maybe even emergency C-section, terrified me.

Reading above stories, I'm very glad I didn't have an epidural. They were a new thing then anyway and not always available.

bellabelle1994 · 20/09/2021 02:34

Id have thrown myself out of the window without one put it that way!

Plumtree391 · 20/09/2021 03:04

You poor thing, bella. Thank goodness it's all over now.

Gorl · 21/09/2021 09:27

Absolutely painless - like literally couldn’t feel anything.

Truly god’s gift to the world, a miracle of modern science.

Plumtree391 · 21/09/2021 13:04

I'd rather feel some pain, obviously not too much for a long period, than not feel anything during labour.

Thatsplentyjack · 21/09/2021 13:08

I oy had one with my first and I think they gave me it too late (well they did because I had a 36 hour labout and I only got it for the last hour) ir took away my contraction pain but not the pain of the baby coming out or the placenta and stitches. I felt that completely. I was fucking dreading my next baby because I was thinking, if that's how painful it is with the epidural, what the hell is coming here, but it was no different.

Thatsplentyjack · 21/09/2021 13:08

So many typos 🤦‍♀️

Plumtree391 · 21/09/2021 14:08

It was readable, Thatsplenty.

I can't begin to imagine a 36 hour labour, that must have been horrendous.

I was happy and excited when my baby was actually coming out and didn't find expelling the placenta painful, I'm sorry you did.

Thatsplentyjack · 21/09/2021 16:30

It was no pick nic 🤣 the second was only 5 though, and the third 8, so that made up for it.

RobinPenguins · 21/09/2021 19:23

@Plumtree391

I'd rather feel some pain, obviously not too much for a long period, than not feel anything during labour.
There speaks someone who didn’t have a long, back to back, induced labour on a drip.
cabinfever102 · 21/09/2021 19:38

Had one child wjth a tens machine and one child wjth an epidural. Have the epidural, but not too early and stay mobile if you can even hands and knees helps. And make sure it's soon after 8am when the anaesthestists are fresh on the new shift 😂😂 I didn't have any pain delivering it just felt like almighty pressure as though I was pooing a watermelon. I had to push and was directed to do so, absolutely no tears like no.1 child who came flying out of me like a bat out of hell snd gave me a 3rd degree tear.

Orpheline · 21/09/2021 22:01

Book in advance, prevent yourself from pain from your hair to your toes

Spongeboob · 21/09/2021 22:11

The relief was incredible. The worst bit then was waiting for baby to descend enough to push. I was determined not to have interventions and even though I had to be told when I was contracting, I pushed baby out myself within an hour of starting to push. I did feel myself tear (second degree) but not the pain, just a sudden split feeling. Must have been wearing off as I did feel the placenta come out. It was rotten recovering unable to sleep due to pain downstairs and pain in my back where the needle went in though. For the PP who asked, no walking around. It was flat on back and wait for legs to start working again afterwards. Midwives checked me by rubbing ice cubes towards my chest every now and then to see at what point I could feel something. I wasn't happy that one undid my bra without asking but I couldn't manage to clasp it back. Also refused the drip and they did it anyway. They put the clip on baby's head without my permission too.