Having An Epidural: What to Expect

You are in the throws of childbirth and starting to feel a bit overwhelmed with it all. Whether you went into the birthing experience planning on having a natural childbirth or the assistance of an epidural, it is something you should think about prior to the big event. No matter how much research you do on the big epidural, you don't know what it is like until it happens.

I had been in labor for countless hours and was in quite a bit of pain. When I started the birthing process the day before, I was still pretty optimistic about doing the whole childbirth thing "the natural way." That went out the door when my labor had to be induced, and my breakfast, lunch, and dinner was Pitocin. Pitocin is a synthetic Oxytocin - the hormone the body creates to help with labor. When Pitocin is added into the whole birthing mix, it helps speed up contractions, and in my case, help induce labor. The problem is Pitocin also can cause contractions to come on strong and hard.

It was starting to feel like I had been dealing with the pain for too long, and was only 3 centimeters dilated, so I called for the epidural. I was upset, frustrated, and totally scared. The idea of the actual process of getting the epidural was freaking me out more than delivering my child! If you haven't done the research, an epidural is a procedure that blocks the transmission of pain. The problem is that it is done through a catheter placed in the epidural space that is in the spine. There is a small amount of risk involved, but for the most part, thing usually work out okay.

Within 30 minutes, the anesthesiologist was ready and getting me in position. I will admit at this point I wasn't even sure if I could move due to the pain, but they got me prepped and I was told the initial injection done to numb the area would sting a bit. Within minutes I was breathing smoothly, able to open my eyes, and was ready to get a move on with the birthing process. The major pain was gone! I felt aware of the contractions, but they now felt more like a dull ache than the shearing pain of the past. My legs felt like I had been sitting cross-legged for too long. Everything was pretty tingly from the waist down, but I still had very limited movement.

At this point, you are bed-ridden. No getting up and walking about anymore or trips to the bathroom, so a catheter is inserted. Within a couple hours I was almost fully dilated and ready to push. Due to the wonderful epidural, I didn't feel any pain, just some discomfort and exhaustion. Having an epidural doesn't make anything quicker or easier - you still are giving birth to a baby! Childbirth is a lot of stress and effort for your body to go through. The epidural just helps make some of the pain go away so you can concentrate on the task at hand - pushing.

Another couple hours passed before I was able to welcome my little bundle of joy into the world, but it was well worth it! The epidural did its job, now I was ready to have it removed. They had stopped the anesthesia already; it was a simple as rolling me over a bit and removing the catheter. Within an hour, I was able to feel my toes and was wheeled away with my new baby to a quiet room for some much needed sleep.

There may be some side effects from having an epidural. I noticed some back pain at the insertion site for a couple days, and did feel a bit cold and tingly for a day or so. One night a couple days after coming home, I experienced some uncontrollable shivering for about an hour or so which is a normal reaction to an epidural. Some have epidural headaches, nausea, itching of the face, and fever.

Whatever you decide to do, don't give yourself a hard time if you choose to get an epidural. I was frustrated with myself for not being able to follow through with my desire to have a natural birth. The reality was the birthing experience I had was different than what I expected. When having a baby it is important to do what feels right for you, which might not be what you had planned the weeks prior to actually giving birth. Having a baby is a miraculous event! Do it the way you feel most comfortable and it will be an event to remember!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epidural

http://www.babyzone.com/