At what point during labor did you get an epidural?

[Anonymous]

I got to the hospital at 3pm 5cm dilated and 100% effaced. Around 3am I was at 7cm but my contractions started to become less regular so they started me on pic, I lasted about 45min before I wanted the epi. They broke my water at 10am an DS was born before noon. All and all easy labor, very little pain, 30 min of pushing and no tearing.

[Anonymous]

I planned on waiting as long as possible to get an epi for my vbac. I had in my head that I wanted to wait until 6cm because I didn't want it to stall my labor. After laboring for about 15 hours I was only at 4.5 cm. My OB was going to administer pitocin at that point and I had decided I didn't want to experience pitocin contractions so I got the epidural. Six hours later I had my vaginal birth. That worked perfectly for me because the epi allowed me to sleep and dulled the pit contractions. At the end the epi had lost a lot of its effectiveness but that was good too because I was able to feel the urge to push and I didn't need anyone else to tell me how to push. I was still numb to some extent but not all the way. I don't know if that's how it is for all epidurals. Mine was pretty good, especially at the beginning because all I wanted to do was sleep. It gave me a good few hours of sleep.

If I had to do it again, I would still try to go as long as possible without it. I'd probably keep 6 cm as my benchmark, maybe 5.

[Anonymous]

I was induced after my water broke with no sign of contractions and no dilation at all. I requested the epidural at 3 cm after about an hour of pitocin contractions. Best move ever. I fell asleep as soon as the epidural kicked in and awoke hours later fully dilated with no memory of my contractions getting closer or more painful. Pushed for 20 minutes and done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP, I don't mean to be critical, but as you are being induced and planning to have an epidural immediately you will with almost 100 percent certainty have a C-section. I would love for you to come back here in a few days and tell me that I am wrong, but I have seen this play out again and again in the DC area. You will definitely have a C-section with that mind set. You will probably also be convinced that it was necessary in your case (after all, the baby was in distress for example, but the baby will only have become distressed because of what has happened at the hospital).

Well, I and several others I know must be in the magic less than "almost 100 percent" because this wasn't true for us. But of course I "don't mean to be critical," PP.

You know, it is actually possible to offer well-meaning advice without getting snarky. Your anecdotal data is not any more or less valid than the PP you're disagreeing with.

For the record, I've seen it go BOTH of y'all's way. I think the PP up thread who suggested at least reading up a bit on pain management techniques in case of epidural failure or fast labor was spot on.

Except my "anecdotal data" didn't come with an "almost 100 percent certainty" that this is the way it would go. If you don't want obnoxious retorts, don't make obnoxious (and factually inaccurate comments). Obviously, if there are many, many of us that have had perfectly normal vaginal births after being induced and given epidurals, it stands to reason that PP's ridiculous warning that "you will with almost 100 percent certainty have a C-section" is simply wrong. Now that is 100 percent correct.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP, I don't mean to be critical, but as you are being induced and planning to have an epidural immediately you will with almost 100 percent certainty have a C-section. I would love for you to come back here in a few days and tell me that I am wrong, but I have seen this play out again and again in the DC area. You will definitely have a C-section with that mind set. You will probably also be convinced that it was necessary in your case (after all, the baby was in distress for example, but the baby will only have become distressed because of what has happened at the hospital).

Well, I and several others I know must be in the magic less than "almost 100 percent" because this wasn't true for us. But of course I "don't mean to be critical," PP.

I wasn't talking about you or the PPs but about the OP.

Well, you're telling OP that something will happen with "almost 100 percent certainty" - I'm obviously entitled to dispute that since your assertion isn't actually based on fact.

[Anonymous]

I got mine after 20 hours of labor when I was stalled at 9cm. Was hoping to avoid it, but it helped everything relax enough for the baby to descend.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP, I don't mean to be critical, but as you are being induced and planning to have an epidural immediately you will with almost 100 percent certainty have a C-section. I would love for you to come back here in a few days and tell me that I am wrong, but I have seen this play out again and again in the DC area. You will definitely have a C-section with that mind set. You will probably also be convinced that it was necessary in your case (after all, the baby was in distress for example, but the baby will only have become distressed because of what has happened at the hospital).

Well, I and several others I know must be in the magic less than "almost 100 percent" because this wasn't true for us. But of course I "don't mean to be critical," PP.

You know, it is actually possible to offer well-meaning advice without getting snarky. Your anecdotal data is not any more or less valid than the PP you're disagreeing with.

For the record, I've seen it go BOTH of y'all's way. I think the PP up thread who suggested at least reading up a bit on pain management techniques in case of epidural failure or fast labor was spot on.

Except my "anecdotal data" didn't come with an "almost 100 percent certainty" that this is the way it would go. If you don't want obnoxious retorts, don't make obnoxious (and factually inaccurate comments). Obviously, if there are many, many of us that have had perfectly normal vaginal births after being induced and given epidurals, it stands to reason that PP's ridiculous warning that "you will with almost 100 percent certainty have a C-section" is simply wrong. Now that is 100 percent correct.

It's not being induced or having epidurals that led me to say that I was almost completely certain that she'd have C-section, but it was her attitude to the epidural.

[Anonymous]

7cm. I got to the hospital at 6cm. I didn't even know I was in labor for real until contractions were regular and 5 min apart. I thought it was really bad constipation. The pain was tolerable, barely. I was a week early and dr had to break my water.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP, I don't mean to be critical, but as you are being induced and planning to have an epidural immediately you will with almost 100 percent certainty have a C-section. I would love for you to come back here in a few days and tell me that I am wrong, but I have seen this play out again and again in the DC area. You will definitely have a C-section with that mind set. You will probably also be convinced that it was necessary in your case (after all, the baby was in distress for example, but the baby will only have become distressed because of what has happened at the hospital).

Well, I and several others I know must be in the magic less than "almost 100 percent" because this wasn't true for us. But of course I "don't mean to be critical," PP.

You know, it is actually possible to offer well-meaning advice without getting snarky. Your anecdotal data is not any more or less valid than the PP you're disagreeing with.

For the record, I've seen it go BOTH of y'all's way. I think the PP up thread who suggested at least reading up a bit on pain management techniques in case of epidural failure or fast labor was spot on.

Except my "anecdotal data" didn't come with an "almost 100 percent certainty" that this is the way it would go. If you don't want obnoxious retorts, don't make obnoxious (and factually inaccurate comments). Obviously, if there are many, many of us that have had perfectly normal vaginal births after being induced and given epidurals, it stands to reason that PP's ridiculous warning that "you will with almost 100 percent certainty have a C-section" is simply wrong. Now that is 100 percent correct.

It's not being induced or having epidurals that led me to say that I was almost completely certain that she'd have C-section, but it was her attitude to the epidural.

That is completely ridiculous and you know it. Stop being such a hosebeast. I feel bad for your kids.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP, I don't mean to be critical, but as you are being induced and planning to have an epidural immediately you will with almost 100 percent certainty have a C-section. I would love for you to come back here in a few days and tell me that I am wrong, but I have seen this play out again and again in the DC area. You will definitely have a C-section with that mind set. You will probably also be convinced that it was necessary in your case (after all, the baby was in distress for example, but the baby will only have become distressed because of what has happened at the hospital).

Well, I and several others I know must be in the magic less than "almost 100 percent" because this wasn't true for us. But of course I "don't mean to be critical," PP.

You know, it is actually possible to offer well-meaning advice without getting snarky. Your anecdotal data is not any more or less valid than the PP you're disagreeing with.

For the record, I've seen it go BOTH of y'all's way. I think the PP up thread who suggested at least reading up a bit on pain management techniques in case of epidural failure or fast labor was spot on.

Except my "anecdotal data" didn't come with an "almost 100 percent certainty" that this is the way it would go. If you don't want obnoxious retorts, don't make obnoxious (and factually inaccurate comments). Obviously, if there are many, many of us that have had perfectly normal vaginal births after being induced and given epidurals, it stands to reason that PP's ridiculous warning that "you will with almost 100 percent certainty have a C-section" is simply wrong. Now that is 100 percent correct.

It's not being induced or having epidurals that led me to say that I was almost completely certain that she'd have C-section, but it was her attitude to the epidural.

That is completely ridiculous and you know it. Stop being such a hosebeast. I feel bad for your kids.

Hosebeast? Hiliarious. My kids are pretty happy, cute and well behaved. I said that I'd really love for her to prove me wrong (truly I would). But I've seen this dozens of times and 100 percent of the time it's played out like I said. Sure, this is anecdotal but so it most of what people post here.

[Anonymous]

i planned on having an epidural as soon as i felt like i needed it. i had thought i could maybe wait until close to transition but i have little tolerance for pain.

i had been having contractions for nearly 12 hours and was doing okay when i went to the hospital because they were averaging about 5 minutes apart. but they weren't terribly regular. my water had broken long before i got there, labor wasn't progressing (less than 1 centimeter dialated!), they let me walk it out for a few more hours and then recommended the pitocin. OW. even at the lowest dose, that shit hurt and i could no longer move around because they needed to keep me on the monitor. so, yeah, i got the epidural about an hour after they started the pitocin and i was less than 2 centimeters dialated. not as planned and labor was pretty protracted. from the early contractions to delivery about 38 hours, with 2 hours of pushing. it's not painless even with an epidural but it was a LOT more manageable.

i'm not sure what i would do differently next time. i could maybe have lasted a little longer even with the pitocin if i could have moved around. so, maybe if i had chosen a hospital that had a wireless monitoring option? but i got a healthy girl out of it. so . . . some months later, i am happy.

[Anonymous]

Never, because I spent most of my labor at home and didn't get to the hospital until 20 minutes before DS was born. But I remember when I would have liked to get one - it was about 6 hours into labor and 1 hour before DS was born.

[Anonymous]

I didn't have one myself, but have worked with a lot of doula clients who have had one. In my experience, the impact of an epidural on a labor is very hard to predict. Some women get epidurals "early" (maybe 2 or 3 cm) and everything is smooth sailing from there. Other women get them at that point and it stalls the labor, resulting in the use of pitocin, which can either go perfectly fine or can stress the baby, resulting in a cesarean. Some women get epidurals later in labor and it really helps them relax and seems to speed up the dilation process, while for others it does not. Some epidurals offer really great pain relief, while others do not work and result in breakthrough pain which can be really difficult to deal with (especially as your mobility is limited once you have the epidural in place). Some epidurals can make it very difficult to push effectively, while others do not seem to negatively impact the pushing urge or process at all. Some hospitals give very large doses of medication, resulting in a lot of numbness, while others give smaller doses. Every labor is different, every woman is different, and every epidural is different. I found this thread very interesting as it is good to read about the range of experiences that women have had, and their feelings about those experiences!

Having attended a lot of births and seen things play out in many different ways, if I were going to be induced with pitocin, I'd likely do my best to go as long as possible without an epidural (making sure I had a doula with me to help me through), but would not be disappointed in the least or hesitant in the least about opting for an epidural if the sensations became unmanageable. Some women are about to labor without pain meds when pitocin is in the picture, while for others, I really think that the intensity, duration, and frequency of the contractions can get to the point where it literally seems almost impossible for traditional comfort measures to work and for women to be able to relax and open.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I didn't have one myself, but have worked with a lot of doula clients who have had one. In my experience, the impact of an epidural on a labor is very hard to predict. Some women get epidurals "early" (maybe 2 or 3 cm) and everything is smooth sailing from there. Other women get them at that point and it stalls the labor, resulting in the use of pitocin, which can either go perfectly fine or can stress the baby, resulting in a cesarean. Some women get epidurals later in labor and it really helps them relax and seems to speed up the dilation process, while for others it does not. Some epidurals offer really great pain relief, while others do not work and result in breakthrough pain which can be really difficult to deal with (especially as your mobility is limited once you have the epidural in place). Some epidurals can make it very difficult to push effectively, while others do not seem to negatively impact the pushing urge or process at all. Some hospitals give very large doses of medication, resulting in a lot of numbness, while others give smaller doses. Every labor is different, every woman is different, and every epidural is different. I found this thread very interesting as it is good to read about the range of experiences that women have had, and their feelings about those experiences!

Having attended a lot of births and seen things play out in many different ways, if I were going to be induced with pitocin, I'd likely do my best to go as long as possible without an epidural (making sure I had a doula with me to help me through), but would not be disappointed in the least or hesitant in the least about opting for an epidural if the sensations became unmanageable. Some women are about to labor without pain meds when pitocin is in the picture, while for others, I really think that the intensity, duration, and frequency of the contractions can get to the point where it literally seems almost impossible for traditional comfort measures to work and for women to be able to relax and open.

Great post!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

OP, I don't mean to be critical, but as you are being induced and planning to have an epidural immediately you will with almost 100 percent certainty have a C-section. I would love for you to come back here in a few days and tell me that I am wrong, but I have seen this play out again and again in the DC area. You will definitely have a C-section with that mind set. You will probably also be convinced that it was necessary in your case (after all, the baby was in distress for example, but the baby will only have become distressed because of what has happened at the hospital).

Well, I and several others I know must be in the magic less than "almost 100 percent" because this wasn't true for us. But of course I "don't mean to be critical," PP.

You know, it is actually possible to offer well-meaning advice without getting snarky. Your anecdotal data is not any more or less valid than the PP you're disagreeing with.

For the record, I've seen it go BOTH of y'all's way. I think the PP up thread who suggested at least reading up a bit on pain management techniques in case of epidural failure or fast labor was spot on.

Except my "anecdotal data" didn't come with an "almost 100 percent certainty" that this is the way it would go. If you don't want obnoxious retorts, don't make obnoxious (and factually inaccurate comments). Obviously, if there are many, many of us that have had perfectly normal vaginal births after being induced and given epidurals, it stands to reason that PP's ridiculous warning that "you will with almost 100 percent certainty have a C-section" is simply wrong. Now that is 100 percent correct.

It's not being induced or having epidurals that led me to say that I was almost completely certain that she'd have C-section, but it was her attitude to the epidural.

This is one of the dumbest and most backhandedly judgmental posts I have read in a while.