Did you get an epidural in labor?

Like you, I was terrified of the pain from the epidural, I can't do needles ! But, I got into the labor room and once they busted my water( labor had to induced ) , the pain began..awful pain. They kept asking me if I wanted one, and I kept telling them NO. Somehow, and I am not exactly sure how, but the nurse gave me a pain killer through the IV, without me asking. Like she thought that was going to do any good, it didn't of course. I got through it, but the funny thing was I ended up pregnant again when my baby was 3 months old. I had already made up my mind that I was going to do it the same way I did it the first time, but guess what, god had other plans. She ended up being a emergency C section, and I ended up having to have that epidural anyways. Lord, it did hurt just like I thought it would, but I think at that point I was too worried for my baby ( they were having trouble finding the heartbeat ) to even care about the pain.

Actually its a good thing. Ive heard epidurals are not good for the baby.

No, I didn't. I did however get an episiotomy with my first born. But that was only because I was stubborn (and absolutely terrified) of giving birth. With my second born I didn't need either. However, I did need some help with my water as it wouldn't break on it's own. So after having to wait a couple of hours the doctor finally broke it for me. My baby was born 4 minutes after that. All in all, both labors were good and lasted about 6 hours each. Happy mylotting!

16 hours of labor??? man that must have been really tough. i was lucky enough such that both of my labors were short and easy. of course, the pain was there but the most i had to endure was not even 2 hours hehehe and the fastest was within 30 minutes. i delivered immediately after i reached the hospital; i didn't even have to wait. it was for my first delivery that i considered epidural for a fraction of a second:P but decided against it as i wanted natural if possible. and i did it, without even the numbing injections or the gas. and those nearly 2 hours felt like ages to me, so i can't imagine how 16 hours must have felt for you. i have to hand it to you, you tolerated the pain for so long without epidural. i think if i were in your shoes, i wouldn't have been able to.

I didn't have an epidural with either of my children. With my daughter, I asked for an epidural, but there were people in line ahead of me for anesthesia so they gave me a partial dose of pain medication and that was all it took, Kathryn was born about 30 minutes after that dose of pain medication. So, when I was in labor with Paul I knew that I didn't want to have an epidural. They again gave me some pain meds through the IV and he too was born just a short time later. Both of my labors were only about five hours long from start to finish.

My son who will be 2 this month was 4 weeks early, when my waters broke early I thought this would be a quick labor as my body obviously wanted my baby out, my contractions started one and a half hours after waters breaking and they lasted a very long hard 41 and a half hours!!!! I asked fro an epidural at about hour 33 but the midwife wanted me to try an injection of diamorphine instead, it was awful, didn't take the pain away at all just made me confused. few hours later I asked again but the anesthetists were all busy and finally I was 10cm and started pushing for over an hour when my sons heartbeat dropped dramatically and I ended up with a spinal block and forcep delivery. My daughter who is almost 9 months old was born by emergency c section 5 weeks early as I was bleeding and it was dangerous for me so she had to be born straight away. The c section was easy and the recovery was great.

I had an epidural with all three of my kids. I honestly couldn't imagine doing it without it. Although with my first one I think it was starting to wear off when I actually had to start pushing anyway. With my second one I got what is called a spinal headache. When they took the epidural needle out it left a small hole that was leaking spinal fluid. It gives you an intense headache. I couldn't sit up and definitely couldn't stand up. I had to crawl to the bathroom because my head would hurt so bad it felt like it was going to explode. It took over a week for it to heal up completely. Even with that, I got the epidural for the third one too. I'm glad I did because as he was coming down and out he turned his face to the side and it hurt really bad. This time I made sure they took out the needle right away and didn't have the headache this time.

I always have a home birth that is natural and active. My disabled son's labor was just two and a half hours. I only got twenty minutes of intense pain. I didn't need to push and he came flying out in two contractions. So I was expecting a similarly easy labor with my baby daughter but I was wrong. Her labor was seven hours and the contractions were unsettling because their length varied and they were closely apart. They began mildly and then I had a bath because the pain was getting very strong. I came downstairs and laid down to make my labor go slower. My midwife arrived and ten minutes later my daughter was born. I had four blood clots and lost two and a half liters of blood. So therefore I was taken of to hospital in an ambulance. I had very low blood pressure and kept fainting. Luckily I managed to survive.

I have two children. with my first one, i was not offered an epidural. Believe me, when the labor was over, i wish that someone had. I had an epidural with my second child. it was a lot smoother of an experience. there was still pain involved, but it was better tolerated.

I went into labor thinking that i was going to go it naturally. My body and my husband decided against that course of action. I had horrible back labor. My husband had his knee in my back and it was doing nothing to alleviate the pain. I was also puking with every contraction. I got the epidural, but it only worked on one side. It did ease the pain enough that I stopped puking. I do remember my husband and the pain doc talking about Japan, where I lived for a year and where the doc's son is stationed in the US navy. I told the doc i was having a contraction and he told me not to worry, I would not feel the needle if I was having a contraction...Liar.

I had an epidural when I had my son. I had to have a c-section with him. It was either the c-section or break my pelvic bone so they gave me an epidural and I have back problems because of it.

I think you are really touch to go through 16 hours of labor without an epidural. I had an epidural when I had my son and I probably will with the next one too. I had to change halls in the hospital to get it and get a new midwife so next time I plan to go straight to the "epidural hall". The labor wasn´t so long but it was really hard for me to get him out so eventually they had to use the suction thing (don't know what it is called in English) and cut.