Epidurals - how much pain should you feel?

[Anonymous]

I had an epidural for my last pregnancy/childbirth. It was a very fast labor (less than 3 hours total) and I didn't receive the epidural until about an hour before delivery. It helped with the contractions, but when I had to start pushing, the pain was excruciating, like I was being torn in half.

I thought that having an epidural would reduce the pushing pain to merely "pressure", but either I was wrong or the epidural didn't work for me.

I am pregnant again and wondered what other's experiences were with epidurals, so I can talk to the next anesthesiologist in an informed way.

Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Were you able to dose yourself?

I've had 2 epidurals now and in both cases I was given a button to push that would provide additional medication, within limits. This allowed me to find my own comfort level and in both cases it was a "pressure but no pain" level that was great.

Interestingly, the epidurals started out very different. The first was very heavy, no feeling whatsoever, which was fine because I had 12 hours more of labor so I had time for it to wear off a bit. The second was much lighter and I had to dose myself a few times almost immediately to even take the edge off the contractions. But that was good since that time I only labored for ~2 hours more.

[Anonymous]

I got an epidural ~2 hours before I started pushing (at 8cm) and at first it didn't get both sides, so they tilted me on a pillow and gave another dose. Which worked, but I think I got a doozy of a dose, as I couldn't really feel anything even when it was pushing time - I couldn't feel the contractions, and could only tell when I was having them by feeling them through my hands on my belly.

[Anonymous]

I didn't feel anything while pushing - my OB even ordered the epi off because she thought I wasn't making progress due to that (turned out the baby was malpositioned). However, the epi did wear off twice during my labor, once after around 4 hours after the initial placement, and then another maybe 3-4 hours later. I had to have it redone each time. So it could be that your epi wore off, or it may just not work for you.

[Anonymous]

I had my epidural at about 6 in the morning and starting pushing at 3 p.m.

Felt no pain during the contractions -- a huge relief because prior to the epidural the contraction pain was awful.

Hard to explain what I felt during the pushing. It was brutal, but I don't think pain is the right word....I threw up three times from exhaustion of pushing (I pushed for a little over 2 hours...big big baby). I guess I would liken it to running a marathon -- it wasn't the excruciating pain of the early contractions, but it was exhausting and took every ounce of energy out of me.

Hope that helps.

[Anonymous]

I had an epidural with my 1st, but not the 2nd. I was surprised at how much I felt with the epidural. It was a hell of a lot more than pressure. The epidural only really helped me with the contractions. For the 2nd delivery, I went natural and actually felt less. The pushing was not bad at all, but the contractions took a lot of effort to deal with. The weirdest thing happened that I would have never expected. With the epidural, I could actually feel the tearing - ouch! Without it, I did not feel what turned out to be an almost identical tear. I was actually surprised when the doc said I needed stitches. Both tears were 1st degree.

[Anonymous]

I think maybe I had the perfect epidural with #1, which is making me really nervous about having an imperfect one with #2. SUPER painful contractions pre-epidural, then pure pain-free bliss after the epidural. Felt no pain while pushing. Don't remember whether I felt pressure. I don't think so. But I could still feel and move my the legs the while time. I did throw up a few times and I had second degree tears inside and out. I do remember starting to feel the epidural wear off while they were stitching me up. I don't know; I think epidurals are just an imperfect science, based on the fact that people's pain varies so much. I hope this epidural works better for you!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

I had the self regulating button and I was numb as a post (had pitocin going the whole time, too). For me - it was ideal and perfect and two pushes and two coughs later, out that baby came. I am hoping for the same for #2!!!

[Anonymous]

OP here. Thanks everyone for sharing!

It sounds like it didn't work for me at least at the end. I didn't have a self-dosing button, which is something I will ask them about next time. I had very severe tearing as well and I could feel it when she was stitching me up (and asked for pain relief), so it must have worn off.

[Anonymous]

My experience sounds like yours---it felt like I was being torn apart. I think my epi ran out by the time DS emerged. It was not pressure, it was so incredibly painful. I couldn't feel contractions tho. Just the delivery. I'm afraid of the same thing happening this time. I didn't get the self-dosing button, either.

[Anonymous]

I got an epidural about 6 hours before delivering. During most the those 6 hours, I felt pressure but no pain with each contraction (I never pushed the button to up the dose). For the last couple of hours, though (definitely during pushing), the contractions were quite painful again. Not as intense as the pain the OP described, but definitely painful. I feel like this helped me through the pushing stage, though (since I could feel what was happening). I had 3rd degree tearing and asked for additional medication from the epi before being stitched up b/c I could feel everything pretty clearly by that point.

[Anonymous]

I had the epidural with both kids.
Baby 1 - the contractions were unreal and insane and the epidural really helped that pain go away. As far as when it came time to push - I dont remember there being "pain" but I felt pressure like I had to take the largest dump ever. Sorry for the TMI but that is exactly how it felt - I guess the pressure of the babies head on my pelvic floor made it feel like that - but once he was out - it was the quickest pain forgotten and I felt absolutely nothing.
Baby #2 - water broke before contractions and got the epidural as soon as the contractions started, come to think of it - they had to give me pitocin since I was not dialated. Anyhow - absolutely felt nothing until the baby dropped - and again the same sensation as #1.

[Anonymous]

Had an epi at about 4cm after my water broke and contractions were unbearable (I broke my tailbone during this process, so I'm not kidding when I say that). The epi took away all of the pain and was the BEST THING EVER! I didn't feel anything after that and allowed my dilate the rest of the way very quickly. I had a minimal amt of pushing (less than 1 hr -- long, skinny baby) and didn't feel much at all as the baby came out. (Except for feeling very empty). I also didn't have much tearing so that could have been the difference.

Good luck this time. It definitely sounds like it didn't work last time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had an epidural for my last pregnancy/childbirth. It was a very fast labor (less than 3 hours total) and I didn't receive the epidural until about an hour before delivery. It helped with the contractions, but when I had to start pushing, the pain was excruciating, like I was being torn in half.

I thought that having an epidural would reduce the pushing pain to merely "pressure", but either I was wrong or the epidural didn't work for me.

I am pregnant again and wondered what other's experiences were with epidurals, so I can talk to the next anesthesiologist in an informed way.

Thanks!

My understanding is that when the epidural numbs the body to pain, the body doesn't produce endorphins. When the epidural wears off, you feel pain and don't have the right level of endorphins to deal with it.