How much does getting an epidural hurt?

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I'm going in for some cervical surgery and have the option to have an epidural. I think I'm going to take this over local shots in my cervix.

How bad is the pain when they put in the epidural?
Have you ever had a Novocaine shot at the dentist office? It stings for a few seconds and then is completely numb. We numb up the skin and then place s small needle in the back. When it is in the 'right' place, we thread a tiny catheter and then pull the needle out. We can put the medication to keep you numb over the abdominal/pelvic region. The medicine can be continuous or intermittent but will not be painful.
Another alternative, depending on the length of surgery, is to have 'spinal'. The difference is a much smaller needle, but no catheter, so it is time limited. It can be quite powerful and we often use this for C-sections, so you know it works well!
Both have their own issues, which are rare, but should be talked about with your anesthesiologist before you decide. Good luck!  (+ info)

What was your experience with recieving an epidural during delivery?

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My second son is due in November. With my first pregnancy I did not have any pain medication. I don't think I can handle it again but I am curious to see what other people have encountered during their labor while having an epidural. How long did labor last and did you have any side effects? Thanks.
I had been given pitocin by the doctor to speed up my delivery, and the contractions came so hard and fast and unpredictably that after a certain number of hours I begged for the epidural. I don't remember the pain from the shot... I'm sure it hurt, but the pitocin induced labor was far worse.

The worst side-effect was being unable to move my legs... at all... meaning that I was paralyzed from the waist down and the nurses/hubby/whoever was there had to move me when they wanted me to move. That was very scary. I remember sitting up and feeling like an egg, I couldn't balance at all, there was just no sensation at all.

The funniest moment was when I asked my mom if she would mind hitting the nurse call button, and her seeing the epidural button and thinking that was it (it looked like the old fashioned call buttons...) and she hit that almost 3 times before we figured out what she was doing. Egads I was out of it for a while...

I felt her coming out, and my pushing wasn't interfered with at all (which they worry about with a first baby and medicine.)

My labor lasted about 36 hours if you count from when my water broke. I did close to 20 hours without pain medicine, got the pitocin about 10-12 hours into it. I got the epidural when the contractions/back spasming/etc were 1-5 minutes apart (some were right on top of eachother.... I HATE pitocin) It was horrible.

Afterwards, my back was understandably sore and I had horrible spasms up and down it, but I'm not sure if that was the epidural or just labor. :P However, my baby was very tired and lethargic, and we didn't bond as well immediately not to mention she had a harder time latching for a while at first. Then they gave me a medicine for the pain that went through my milk to her, and that only made it worse. If you're confident in your ability to nurse and nursed your first with no problems, then the rest isn't that bad.

Add: Just a note, in the US, insurance and medicaid and everything has to allow you to stay in the hospital for 2 days after giving birth. Insist on it! Especially if you're getting an epidural, then it's a good idea. I know I will with my next baby.  (+ info)

What is an Epidural and how does it work should I get it ?

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I am a first time mother and I am not sure if I should have an Epidural . I have heard many things about that were not so promising. I'm also very scared of having this done and the afects that it will have on me and my son . PLEASE help me get the facts correct .
I recommend looking into the book "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" - by Henci Goer. She takes all of the medical studies findings and puts them in layman's terms - making an easier read and informative piece of literature.

The epidural is administered by placing a needle between the L3 and L4 vertebrae. Then, a small plastic tube (catheter) is threaded through the needle and into your back. The needle is removed and the catheter is taped in place. Then, medication is fed through the catheter into your back. The space that the epidural is placed is before the dura that encloses the spinal cord and spinal fluid. Thus, epi (before) dura.

Unlike many will tell you, the medication, which is a cocktail of analgesic, anesthetic and cocaine derivatives, DOES in fact cross the placenta and enter the babies blood stream. Epidural medications affect babies in different ways from the laboring mothers because, primarily, the babies blood brain barrier is not fully developed at the time of pregnancy/birth.

Epidural medication affects baby by: it can cause fetal bradycardia (abnormal or sluggish heart tones), oxygen deprivation, drowsy baby at birth, fetal distress,depressed rooting (breastfeeding) and sucking reflexes, and carry a higher incidence of neonatal jaundice.

It can affect mom by causing: depressed blood pressure, inability to push, ineffective or stalled contractions, headache, fever, etc..

It IS the most reliable and effective MEDICATED pain relief option, but it is not 100% guaranteed that it will work. There are roughly 10-20% of women who report windows of ineffective pain relief or no pain relief at all.

Personally, the risks outweigh the benefits for me, I have unmedicated births. I would recommend looking in to alternative pain management options.  (+ info)

What are the advantages and disadvantages of an Epidural?

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I have had a natural birth, but all my friends suggest that i should have an Epidural. What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Only people with experience please!
The epidural is placed by inserting a small, thin catheter (similar to that of your IV) into the epidural space surrounding the spine. The MD then gives a bolus dose of medication through the line and sets a continous rate infusion via a pump. The medication basically bathes the sensory nerves from you toes up to about your T10 vertebrae, taking away the sensation of pain. It doesn't paraylze the patient or take away all sensation from the belly down, you would still feel pressure and touch so that you would be able to discern when and how to push.
The advantages would be, of course, minimal to no pain during your labor and no risk of medication related side effects on the fetus since the medication is contained to your epidural space and does not go into your blood stream, therefore it is not perfused to your baby. Unlike IV medications such as Stadol, Fentanyl, etc which travel through your blood stream and therefore to the baby causing the baby to be sediated just as you are (which is perfectly safe in utero, but the risk is that if the baby is delivered soon after the administration of the IV drugs, it will be delivered still sediated and with a decrease respiratory drive until the medication wears off and/or will require a reversal agent).

Epidurals are safe, don't believe the ignorant/old wives' tales...you won't get paralyzed and it doesn't cause back pain/damage. Some women do experience back pain after delivery and relate it to the epidural, but really it's related to being pregnant and the strain placed on the back as well as from the hormones secreted during pregnancy that causes ligaments to relax to aid in the delivery of the fetus.

Your main risks with the epidural would the possibility of a headache and, of course, the risk of infection the one has anytime a needle punctures the skin.

The only disadvantage I have seen is that once you have the epidural you are confided to the labor bed since your legs won't be strong enough for walking around with the meds on board.

Of all my patients who have chosen to received the epidural, the vast majority say things like "why doesn't everyone get this??" or "why in the world did I go without it for so long?" : )

good luck with your birth and I hope this helped!

Just to clarify, the epidural DOES NOT go into the spine and the epidural DOES NOT cause respiratory problems with the baby because the medication never touchs the baby!

Also, as a labor nurse, I have not seen a higher rate of vacuum, forcep, or epistomy assisted deliveries with epidurals. Research states the epidural MIGHT delay delivery by about 30 mins...not much. And you can get your epidural generally when you are 4 cms dialated. Sorry, but I feel the need to correct the vast amount of misinformation spouted out from the person above me.  (+ info)

What are the negative sides of having an epidural?

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I'm iffy about getting it when I have my baby.
I've heard so many women that tough it out because they don't want to have an epidural but what's so bad about it?
Does it have any side effects after delivery?
Should I get it or try to do it all natural?
I got the epidural, and the only negative part for me was that it wore off and they had to give me a higher dose. I didn't know that the epidural can make you shake really bad, like right when they give it to you you get shaky but it stops within a few minutes. It didn't slow down my labor at all -- I was in labor 8 hours and pushed her out in seven minutes. My back was sore for a few days after labor, but I also had really bad back labor so that could have been the cause too. Also, the epidural did make me feel a little tired and out of it, but when my little girl came out she was wide awake and very alert so I don't think it effected her.  (+ info)

How long does it usually take for an Epidural steroid injection to alleviate a herniated disk to take effect?

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My wife just received her second epidural steroid injection in her back. She has a herniated disk in her lower back. Curious as to how long it usually takes for the medicine to begin taking effect. Thanks in advance for any info.
In most epidural steroid injections a combination of local anesthetic (numbing medication, comparable to "novocaine") and a steroid is used. Some steroids like methylprednisolone (Solu-Medrol) are in crystalline form and take some time to dissolve. It also takes the nerve a couple of days to respond by decreasing inflammation and swelling.
If your wife gets only relief for a day or just a couple of days it means that the steroid is not helping and the temporary pain relief is just from the numbing medication.
If the steroid helps, it takes anywhere from 2-6 days to kick in. If there is no relief after 2-3 injections discuss other treatment options. Often epidural steroid injections given as transforaminal (coming in a little from the side versus midline) give much better relief.  (+ info)

What is the difference between an epidural and a walking epidural?

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I had a regular epidural with my first two pregnancies and was just wondering what the difference was and which one you suggest.
I have had one baby and had a walking epidural with him. I was able to feel the urge to push and knew when it was time, but without the pain that's involved (along with the option to walk, but with the actual epidural iv in your back, you really can't go anywhere). I agree with the above person who stated that the walking epidural is just a smaller dosage of the pain medication.  (+ info)

Are there any other good pain meds besides an epidural that work well?

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I don't want to have an epidural and not be able to get up as I please while in labor. Also I'm not so fond of having a needle jabbed into my spine! I'd like to have the option to get up and walk around, but I don't want to do it completely unmedicated. Any suggestions on what works well?
Demoral is what my doctor and I are discussing at the moment. I feel the same way as you in this... Discuss with your doctor what he thinks would be best

And

Congratulations mommy!  (+ info)

What is the difference with an epidural and a spinal?

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I see people writing about different pains from a spinal or an epidural when giving birth... is there a difference? Does an epidural hurt?
I had a spinal; I had to because I was having a c section. I didn't want to see the needle, so I don't know how big the needle is, but it was injected directly into my spine. It hurt like hell for 4 seconds, and then I was numb from the neck down for 12 hours.
With an epidural, you have a catheter hanging from your back.  (+ info)

What happens if you really want the epidural before it's time?

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Do they give you some sort of other pain relief before it's time for the epidural? I am such a baby and I am getting induced tomorrow and scared :(

Did any of you ladies ask for pain relief early on before you were allowed the epidural? What did they give you and did it help?
I just gave this answer to another poster:

They induced me when I had my son. My water broke, but labor never started, so they gave me the Pitocin. I elected to have an epidural because Pitocin induced contractions can be very extreme. They gave me the epidural when they started the Pitocin, and frankly, everything was lovely. While the monitors showed I was having contractions (hard ones at that) I never felt but the slightest bit of pressure. It took 12 hours, and I basically just sat there watching TV and reading magazines all day. I felt nothing terribly uncomfortable until it was "time". I just knew it was time. The doctor didn't believe me at first because things had been going so slow and I had only been at 7 cm 30 minutes before. lol. He was born relatively quickly at that point and everything was fine. Good luck to you.

I see another answerer suggested this as well...ask your doctor for the epidural when they start the inducing process.  (+ info)

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