Tell me about epidurals...

[ExpectoPatronummmm]

I've given birth naturally twice with only gas & air (because the hospital didn't do epidurals)
And MY GOD it was painful.

Third pregnancy now and I'm getting so scared about the pain... however the hospital now do epidurals!!

However I know nothing about them?
How long do they take?
What is it? An injection?
Do you literally feel nothing?
Any side effects?
Any bad points to having them?

I had one for emcs. I didn't even feel the local, barely felt the needle. Mine took a little while to kick in and while I had no pain I could feel everything that was happening which was odd. I would say I would've been able to stand about four hours later, if we are just talking about epidural and not the severed abdominal muscles :)

I had to have the catheter put in before I got the epidural, was grand, took a few minutes to get used to. Definitely wouldn't have involuntarily pooed during epidural, was aware and in control of most function, I could move my legs slightly from straight after cs.

I had to have one after 30 odd hours of (induced) labour. Just wanted to add that they can have 'windows'. These are areas which are not numbed by the epidural so you can still feel the pain.
I had a 'window' in my left hip. It was really painful but that's all the pain I experienced of labour. If that's how bad it is I'd rather have an epidural with a window every time! Ouch!

I had a mobile epidural with dd1 and a natural birth with dd2. I was up and in the shower and hour and a half after dd1 was born. I loved my epidural birth - it was calm and serene. It's harder to push as you can't feel as much but it was great.