Epidural concerns, please help!!

I've been thinking pretty hard about the epidural, im pretty good about drawing blood and that kinda stuff, but ive seen those epidural needles and I just don't think I can do it, do you think they can give me enough pain meds so im not in excruciating pain without the epidural? im not very pain tolerant but id rather go through a bit more pain than have a giant needle shoved in my spine... plus ive heard after epidurals, most women suffer from back problems. im in some serious need for advice! please help!

The pain meds through the IV did nothing for the pain and made me VERY loopy. Uck.

They give you a numbing shot before the epidural and I didnt feel anything. It was over before I thought the guy even started when I had my 2nd. My first was a little longer.

I have not had any back problems and have had 2 epis.

I have had no back problems and had 6 epidurals with 6 kids. And there is nothing to relieve the pain like the epi, all the pain meds did was make me sleepy and high feeling did not take any pain away at all.

Wait until you are in labor and find out. The IV meds never touched my pain. My labor was hard and fast. I never saw the epi needle and by the time i asked for it I was in so much pain it didnt matter.

i dont really remember feeling anything while getting the epidural, probably because i was having a nasty contraction and wasnt focusing on the needle

<blockquote><b>Quoting Brooke Alene Powell:</b>" I've been thinking pretty hard about the epidural, im pretty good about drawing blood and that kinda ... [snip!] ... spine... plus ive heard after epidurals, most women suffer from back problems. im in some serious need for advice! please help!"</blockquote>




Maybe ask them to not show you it before hand? Plus itll be behind you so you cant see it going in?

To be honest with you, i think you will be so focused on the contraction pain that the pain of the epidual probably wont cross your mind  

Quoting Brooke Alene Powell:" I've been thinking pretty hard about the epidural, im pretty good about drawing blood and that kinda ... [snip!] ... spine... plus ive heard after epidurals, most women suffer from back problems. im in some serious need for advice! please help!"

I do have mild back pain from it, i've had two. It's nothing terrible and I never really notice it anymore. I pretty much had to get the epi because I had to be induced both times for medical problems and I was in labor over 30 hours with both. I was too exhausted to fight the pain anymore. Honestly, getting the epi is a breeze and no worse than getting a shot.

To be honest I felt the same way. When I broke down and got the epidural I didn't even flinch when they did the numbing shot before they start. It was not bad and I don't have any problems with it now. I have birth almost 9 months ago. I would suggest looking into Lamaze or hypnobabies if you really don't want an epidural though. I've heard great things about both.

thank you everyone, this really calmed me down   its nice to finally hear positive things! lol

i tried pain med's threw IV also and it didn't do anything after a second. Contractions are just to painful for that. I had an epidural and was pain free the rest of the time. Well worth it since i was induced.

all pain meds did NOTHING for me. (i was induced after 3 days of no progression) Gas and air was good for the first 11 hours of being induced but you just get smurfing EXHAUSTED sucking on that thing constantly! You seriously don't noticed the epi, I never saw it, i just needed to stop and i made the docter let me hug him after he did it for me! felt so good to sleep after 3 and a half days of agony! lol.

I NEVER wanted an epi. it was even written in my notes i didn't want it. But i also wrote that i wanted an all natural water birth! That didn't happen! lol. x

Quoting Brooke Alene Powell:" thank you everyone, this really calmed me down   its nice to finally hear positive things! lol"

I loved my epis! Honestly like others said, I was in so much pain I didn't care if they had to poke a needle in my eye to make it stop. I didn't even feel the needle because of my contractions. I was going "please hurry,please hurry!!!"

I was the same way and I didn't want to get one because I knew it slows down labor a lot, after 9 hours I couldn't take it. They gave me patocin to speed thing up and that makes it worse. I gave up and got the epi but he waited till I was in a contraction and I never felt a thing! I woke up, don't remember falling asleep, 3 hours later and felt refreshed and pushed her out :-) I'm glad I waited as long as I did to get it tho. I was at a 9 when I got it, they checked me after i got it.

oh oh also about after it. I don't have any back pains or anything after it. So I suppose it's different for everyone after.   xx

Iv pain Meds never touched my pain one bit. Even as scared as I was about the epidural ( the thought of a needle in my bak terrified me) I finally have in. I honestly didn't feel any of it. And like my dr explained a lot of times due to pain u are tense. Once u get an epidural sometimes u relax enough to dilate faster. I went from 4 to 10cm in thirty mins right after getting mine