How well does an epidural work during labor how does it make the actual pushing of the baby out feel?

Question

How well does an epidural work during labor how does it make the actual pushing of the baby out feel?

Answer 1

It is different for everybody.  With my epidural, I still felt a lot of pressure and pain...not as bad as before hand, but it didn't help much.  Pushing wise I don't know, because 13 hours later...I was rushed to have an emergency Csection.

Answer 2

the pushing part feels fine. it numbs you from the waist down but you can still feel the baby and the pressure when it comes time. THEY ARE AMMMMMAAAZZZING!! LOL

Answer 3

try not to get an epidural, I had one and my son is two and I still have back problems where they put the needle in. This seems to be with everyone I talk to that has had an epidural. So if you don't want long term backach try not to get the epidural. As far as feeling you feel nothing it numbs your whole bottom half.

Answer 4

It almost numbs you from the waist down so you don't feel so much pain.  When you are ready to push they will lower the dose of medication given to you so you can feel the contractions and know when to push as well as how well you are pushing.  

Answer 5

they are amazing.  pushing will feel just like a little bit of pressure like you have to go to the bathroom or like youhave something heavy there

Answer 6

Mine took away all the pain, except for at the end, the first time I had it... All of a sudden, I felt baby drop very low, and felt tons of pressure, and since I'd been used to no pain, it seemed like it hurt. (In hindsight, I don't think it did.) I could feel when I was pushing, and felt her come out... The second time I had one, I felt no pain or pressure, even when pushing, and didn't even feel her come out. Next thing I knew, they were holding up my baby. It was a bit strange. :) Had natural childbirth, the first time, and probably will again, this time around.

Answer 7

Epidurals are weird things.  Women who have had them swear by them because they still had intense, sometimes painful labors and can't imagine what childbirth would feel like without them.  That's just the thing - Epidurals (from what my friends have told me) keep you all cognoscente and aware of the entire birth process.  In a natural birth your endorphins take over and you are sucked into this place completely inside of yourself, and everything around you is just kind of a blur in space.  Pushing your baby out is very personal, and after a sometimes arduous labor, a relief, and empowering.

I have had natural childbirths, and couldn't really describe either one as painful.  Hard work, maybe.  But they don't call it labor for nothing!!!

Answer 8

I've had 2 babies natural and 1 epidural.  I am expecting next month and I am definitely going for the epidural.  After getting it I felt no more pain from the contraction even though I knew when I was having one, I also knew when it was time to start pushing but since you really can't feel much down there when you are pushing it was kind of hard for me to push real hard, since I couldn't feel her coming out.

Answer 9

An epidural is a cocktail of some of the most dangerous drugs we have. The epidural will paralyze you and you will be unable to move around, unable to urinate on your own, and you may still be in pain. If you are not used to drugs you may feel like you have had too much to drink and the room can spin and you will feel nausea. More and more women are choosing not to have an epidural because of these feelings. It also makes you have to push your baby out on your back which is the most dangerous position to give birth in. Many babies find the drugs in the epidural too strong and this begins to cause problems with their breathing which can lead to a c-section.

Ask yourself if you want to spend the first day of your baby's life drugged and out of it or do you want your baby to be awake and alert and ready to fall in love with you. Epidurals cause tremendous problems with bonding, attaching and breastfeeding as well for at least the first three days.

If you are pregnant, read a book about childbirth now. Just reading a book on pregnancy is not enough for you to make good choices during childbirth. Skip the induction and epidural drugs and you will have a healthier childbirth, baby, and a faster recovery from birth with the least amount of damage to your body.

There are over 30 methods of natural pain relief during labor. You can use everyone of these and only use the epidural as a last resort for pain. Having an epidural too early in labor will also cause your labor to stall and the doctor will have to use strong drugs to make it start up again, which makes labor last even longer and become more painful.

Think about hiring a professional labor assistant like a midwife or doula if pain is your top concern. Hypnobirthing is also an amazing way to deal with pain during labor. Congrats and best wishes, G

Answer 10

I planned on going natural for my first baby, but i was in way to much pain by the time he was ready to come I was begging for something, so I got the epi and it was AMAZING! I calmed down, I was totally aware of my contractions but it was not painful, I just felt pressure.

When it was time to push I totally could feel it, I pushed my son out very fast 3 big pushes and he was out. He was alert, awake and perfectly healthy no side affects (which is what I was worried about) Now I'm 6wks pregnant with #2 and I am starting out with the epidural for sure!

Answer 11

I believe the epidural works amazing to relive the labor pain you feel from the contractions. You will feel 100% better then if you didn't have it. When it comes to actually pushing I've had two different experiences. The first I had been given my epidural and it was in dosages ( I was allowed to push a button every 15 when I needed it) At a certain point my nurse told me you may feel a lot of discomfort or pressure and thats a signal that your ready to push. Which is exactly what happened. I never felt any pain after I had my epidural it was just a lot of pressure. With my second child unfortuantly they gave me my epidural a little too late and I was so numb that I couldn't feel ANYTHING. When it came to pushing I was so numb I didn't know how to push because I couldn't feel it. I wasn't given the option to wait any longer so my epidural could wear off and they had to use the vaccum but the baby came right out . Of course I didn't feel that either. So I would have opted for the first experience of course because you want to be able to particpate in the pushing and everything. So I'm hoping I have another experience like my first one, this time around.