Pain relief has come a long way
- My daughter just had a baby and I could not believe how "pain free" her labor was. As soon as she was admitted and induced with a "gel" she was given IV medication for pain and Ambien for sleep. When she was given pitocin to speed the labor along at 4 cm, they put an epidural in. She was able to sleep, talk, and text on her cell phone!! This was a 24 hour labor. When second stage labor hit, she pushed for 20 minutes and my grandson was born. I had an epidural 25 years ago while giving birth to her and no pain relief, a terrible headache, and nerve pain for several months after her birth.
- —Guest guest grandma of 2
Problem
- I gave birth to my boy last year but since then I started having back problems especially when I sit or stand for a long time and my feet sometimes feel numb.
- —Guest Tlamssss
Horrifying
- I had an epidural and shortly after began to have a constant headache. I was unaware that they could go to far with the needle and actually puncture through your spinal wall (which is what caused my headache). I went a whole week without even knowing what had happened to me. All I knew was I had a headache and it would bring me to tears if I stood up for longer than a minute. Come to find out, when they punctured through the spinal wall, I started leaking spinal fluid. This caused my head to ache worse when I stood up because there was less fluid surrounding my brain and it was sagging in the back. My mom called the doctor and she said to go to the hospital right away. They gave me a blood patch. This is when they take blood out of your arm and inject it into your spine until you just about pass out from all the pressure. Then I had to lay flat on my back for an hour so the blood could fill in the hole and clot to stop the spinal fluid from leaking out.
- —Guest snooderpuff
It the worst part of labor and delivery!
- Soooo...my epidural was very intense...it was the ONLY point during labor & childbirth at which I cried uncontrollably...the anesthesiologist was rude and impatient and had high hopes with his requests! He was poking me during contractions, not in between and let it be known he was angry with me for not being able to sit still...I was poked 6 times before he got it right and each time he poked me I felt a tightness or a pinched nerve sensation in my lower right back...I will deal with pain some other way next time...3 years later my back spasms and aches on that lower right side often, its never been the same...I do believe he struck a nerve.
- —Guest stef
Loved it and doing it again
- I was 42weeks and had to be induced. As soon as they started the pitocin I had unbearable contractions, which only got worse after they broke my water. When the could finally give me the epidural it hurt going in. I felt tremendous pressure from the needle(not to mention I'm terrified of needles) but afterwords it was great, until my daughter decided to shift her position and block it to my right side. Thy had me lay on my right side to coax the epidural down which helped and allowed me to sleep for a couple hours. When I woke up it was time to push (in my sleep I had been doing so) and she was born after only five pushes. After the epidural rushed to the side my daughter was blocking and provided instant relic since I needed stitches. Only two hours after they took it out I could walk just fine no headaches at all. I plan on getting another one, today in fact.
- —Guest Stacia
Epidurals are not worth the risk.
- I had to be poked 2 times. The first time was too far left, the second time was in the middle. I have had nerve damage on the left side of my body ever since. Not the right, the left. Where he administered the most. I complained and cried and screamed several hours later because my left side of my body started to burn excrutiatingly. The midwife and nurses ignored me. I hate the people that offered such an awful thing to me. I have numbness and tingling in my left leg, left hip, left buttocks, left groin, left lower back, left central back, left upper back, left shoulder blades, left arm (entirely).
- —Guest Bethany
Epidural and Itching
- I took my epidural almost three years when I had my baby, I was okay until 6 months ago I started having this itching at my upper back around my spinal cord. I have it once in a while and now I am really scared.
- —Guest guest bily
epidural lead to my chronic pain
- Arachnoiditis I have mild Scoliosis. When I had my first birth it took 13 epidural shots and the could not do. My second birth a csection they tried 20 times and switched to a spinal tape needle. Scraping my spinal area do you fill right or left, right or left 10 times of this tell they where able to hook it. Since the first birth I experienced electric shock shooting through legs. Couldn’t walk, sleep at times. After the second birth had the same symptoms (7 years ago for first birth, 2 years ago second birth )Over this last year I have been suffering greatly. Now I have sever days that last 4 and 5 days where I can’t even lay on my own body. Fells like my bones are cracking from with in. Shooting pain from legs to arms. My joints fingers, wrist, legs, hips all suffer the same pain now.. I have had to apply for disability, I can’t handle working. Never know when my bad days will be. Pain.. . I have been searching and searching for what might be wrong on line and by chance Arach
- —Guest T.M.G
Had epidural now I have a slipped disk
- I had an epidural when I had my son, when it wore off I said to the doctor it really hurts where the needle went in but they told me it was normal. As time went on the pain got worse to the point where I couldn't walk or even lift my son. I spoke to the doctors and finally they gave me an MRI scan they then saw my L5 disk had slipped that is where they put the needle! I spoke to my doctor and the first thing he said was you will never win if you try to fight it, I was shocked as it hadn't crossed my mind but I then realized that it must be quite common. I spoke to a friend who is a doctor and she said that they wouldn't admit to it as there is no way of proving it was their fault. I can't understand why, if you fall in a shop or even on the street you can be compensated but when a doctor puts a needle in to a spine and makes a mistake it is the patient who has to pay for all the medical expenses and they don't even offer help. It has now been 11 months and still no help....
- —Guest solange
Pro's N Con's
- I have had 4 natural childbirths, all long and very hard. On number 5 I opted for the Epidural. I was sitting up in the middle of a harsh contraction when the needle went into my back the first time...it was the initial numbing shot... then the Epidural. It wasn't anything compared to the contractions. It took affect fairly quick and I was comfortable. It did slow the contractions and thinning. But since I wasn't in the normal pain of labour I was fine. I was given Pitocin and was off again. The Doctor was in the room for maybe 5 minutes and I pushed even without the contractions and delivered my son sunny side up without a glitch. The numbing wore off after maybe an hour. Of course there is itching, your legs were numb. Nothing unbearable. I am now expecting my 6th and if possible will more then likely go with another Epidural. I've read all of the tales previously posted and sure with all procedures there are extreme cases and side effects. As well as poor doctors and experiences.
- —Guest Jackie
I loved my epidural!
- All these stories about an epidural wearing off, or an epidural during a C-Section do not line up with what my epidural was. I also think technology has moved quite a bit forward when it comes to epidural pain relief! I had no loss of feeling or numbness whatsoever with mine. To the point I was concerned and told my anesthesiologist, "Um... I can still feel my feet." He replied with a wink, "Well it's a good thing babies don't come out of your feet, then!" I knew exactly when it was time to bear down and push. The only thing missing was the pain! It was great! They started me at the lowest dosage, and gave me a button to push if I felt I needed larger increments for relief! I napped between pushes, but was very much alert and have vivid memories of the actual birth and the following hours!
- —Guest Mac
Epidural
- I had my son last year in April and sometimes I still feel a numb and shakiness feeling.
- —Guest angie
Lifetime of Chronic pain & nerve damage
- I had an epidural in October 2007 at a Univeristy Hospital in AZ. One month later I was crippled with pain and was diagnosed with Adhesive Arachnoiditis (clumped nerves in my back). I was asked by the doctor that diagnosed me, if I had back surgery or any tramatic injury to my spine. The only thing that had happened was the epidural a month earlier. The doctor concluded that the injection was put too far into my spine and that the preservative from the epidural caused the nerves to clump. This pain you can experience from this is compared to that of a cancer patient, but worst because at some point a cancer patient gets relief. Operation is not an option. Learning to live with it is the only option. Google Adhesive Arachnoiditis and decide if you want to live with that for the rest of your life in exchange for an a few hours of relief that an epidural offers. Don't think that it can't happen to you. By the way, a lawyer won't give you the time of day if you signed the waiver.
- —Guest Carrie
Epidural with lower bacl tattoo
- My doctor gave me and epidural with my tattoo its on my lower back he said that because there was no color and only outlining he could put the needle in around the ink. But if it was full color he wouldn't have done it.
- —Guest nichole
What a Horrible Mistake
- I am a mother of two boys. The first birth was natural, as time did not permit for drugs. I had an epidural the second time, 12 yrs ago. I was paralyzed from waist down for 36 hrs after birth. When the sensation returned, it came with a pain in my right hip. I thought it was a kidney infection, but that was ruled out. The pain would come and go mostly around my menstrual cycles for years. Six months ago, the pain became cronic (difficulty walking, sitting, standing, laying - and today, I am missing work because of the intense pain). Doctors cannot see the source of pain through xray or mri but I am certain that it is from the epidural. If I could have a do-over, I would keep my son but eliminate the epidural. With the natural birth, there was no pain to focus on following his birth - just the joy of getting to know my new son, which was terribly interrupted with the issues surrounding the epidural.
- —Guest MomOfTwo
