epidural experiences please...

[sb786]

Hi ladies hope you are well!
Just wanted to ask if any of you have had an epidural before and what was your experience like? I've heard a lot of positive and negative stories.
What else is available as effective pain relief that has been tried and tested!
Thanks xxx

[Victoria01]

I had an epidural with my first son and I loved it! I plan on doing it again with this one. Some say that it makes it more difficult to push, but I didn't have that problem at all. Actually, the epidural made me relaxed and more focused on what I was doing and not on the pain. I only pushed for 10 minutes and my son was out. There was no fetal distress or lower heart rate and he was wide-eyed and alert after birth. I had no subsequent side effects either and was up walking around an hour after I gave birth. The procedure itself was virtually painless (think of finger *****). I waited until I was 6-7 centimeters dilated before I had it done because I wanted to walk around as much as possible beforehand. Once I got the epidural and didn't fight against the contractions, I dilated from the 6-7 to 10 in less than 20 minutes.

I just wanted to say that this is just MY experience and the decision needs to be yours. There are pros and cons to anything and the epidural is no exception. Some people have very different reactions then I did and you will probably hear horror stories and good stories, but don't let EITHER influence you. It's a decision you need to make for yourself with the advice from your doctor. :)

[dg99]

I was so nervous about the epidural with my son. By the time I was in labor and they came to give it to me I couldn't have cared less, and I PROMISE I didn't feel a thing. My pain melted away! I was still able to "feel" the contractions and able to push, so I was not completely numb. I'm sure there are women out there with unpleasant experiences, but it worked for me and I was able to relax and enjoy my labor afterward. Good luck!
-Danielle