What to Expect with an Epidural || Medicated Labor and Pushing Tips

A few videos ago I made a video on laboring without an epidural, and that got me to thinking that there aren't nearly enough videos/online resources available on laboring WITH an epidural. In the United States, epidurals are a tool that are often used during childbirth for pain control, so learning how an epidural might affect your labor, pushing and immediate postpartum phase is important! This video is for everyone who thinks they might want and epidural or KNOWS they do!

Did you have an epidural? How dilated were you when you received it? Did you find it to completely take away your pain? Let's chat all things epidurals in the comments!

[skyek.]

Thank you thank you thank you for this. I'm 38 weeks in two days and have been terrified of birth since I learned about it as a girl. I've known from even before I got pregnant that I'd be opting for an epidural, but I've found it's difficult to find resources for laboring with an epidural. Preparation is important for me, but watching videos and looking at blogs tailored to natural labor only terrifies me more. Thank you for a resource that allows me to become more prepared for my upcoming labor without being needlessly triggering. You are a saint, and we appreciate you!

[mirandabain]

I don't know if this comforts any other mommas, but with my first I had a very hard labor at 37 weeks, and I was at a 3 for almost 9 hours... i finally opted for an epidural, and I was so relieved by it I took a 30 minute nap and when I woke up it was time to push at 10cm 👍 Trust me, the pain from contractions distract you plenty haha

[farea]

Thank you for this! 31 weeks pregnant and this is my first baby. Been trying to find helpful videos on laboring with an epidural and this is one the best ones. There’s not many others actually, most are for unmedicated birth so this was extremely helpful. Thank you!!

[pigpjs]

I was already pretty sure I was going to get an epidural. Finding out I can get some sleep with it has sold me. My dream labor is as calm and pain free as possible. I don't fear childbirth or pain. I just don't want to be in pain if it can be avoided.

When I have had kidney stones, I received opioids with no questions asked. No one tried to tell me how natural kidney stones are and that I was a warrior for going without pain meds. Don't know why epidurals during labor would be any different.

[johnica]

This is my second pregnancy and I've been looking for positions I can do with an epidural. Im very nervous that the nurses and docs will try to fight me on my wants just because laying on my back is easier for them. So, I've been trying to educate myself so that I can self advocate. My first pregnancy they had me on my back with my legs pushing for 2.5 hours, no changing positions or putting my legs down much. I couldn't feel where to push until they turned the epidural down a bit. It caused a 2nd degree tear and they almost pushed me to do a c-section. This time I want it on low but also changing positions like side laying or on my hands and knees. I really appreciate your videos and the info you have as a nurse.

[victoriabarnes]

I was actually fully dilated and ready to push when I got one. They didn't think I was that far along, which is why i asked for it. I was planning to go without it, but I ended up with an induction, and after two hours of no-break contractions, I was done.

Turns out I went from 3.5cm and 40% to 10cm and 100% in just two hours! As a first time mom, that was a LOT. It was the cross over into suffering, like you said.

I kind of wish I hadn't needed it, but baby was starting to show distress from the constant contractions (from the potocin), and I was getting distressed, too (transition, when you don't realize you're in transition, will do that to you!) Next time, hopefully no pitocin... and a nurse willing to check when I say things feel different.

That's the single thing I regret, not pushing back when the nurse said I probably wasn't as far along as I felt, that I couldn't possibly feel "pushy" yet, for not insisting they check. The nurse did apologize after for not trusting what I said, saying it was a big learning moment for her. It all worked out though, and I had a good, calm birth of my beautiful daughter about an hour after placing the epidural 🥰

[starlitsonata]

Hi Nurse Zabe! I’m due for my first child in early December and I know for a fact that I might need an epidural because I have absolutely no pain tolerance and when it comes to pain in general, I’m very weak when it comes to it. I’m just very afraid of the giant needle, I keep hearing horror stories about this. But this video has definitely calmed me down! Thank you so much for this.

[ericanicole]

Thank you Nurse Zabe! Absolutely love these videos. Wish I had gotten an epidural. My birth plan with my first was to labor at home for as long as I could and then go to the hospital for an epidural. During labor I showed up to the hospital begging for an epidural and both nurses told me it was too late! I delivered unmedicated but had I known there was a time limit to getting an epidural I would have arrived sooner.

[mandymoffatt]

A great video! My first was born by epidural and now I'm pregnant with my second and just want to understand it all better and my options! You explained everything so well!

[FantasyKayla]

I was 8 cm dilated when I got it and they were convinced i was at 3-4cm because my labor was induced and I spent 12 hours with the foley balloon in and no cervical change until after the balloon came out. I went from 2-8 cm in around 4-6 hours mostly without pain meds because they told me I should stop using narcotics through my IV even though I was waiting the full recommended time in between doses. Something about how they were afraid I could gain a tolerance to them or something. I’m not sure I’m not a nurse, but I was suffering big time by the time I got it and they wouldn’t agree to give it to me until I started SCREAMING in pain and nothing they said would calm me down. I was breathing through contractions before this point but At one point it was like I stopped being able to. I had a few things I kept saying to get me through the contractions “it will peak and then it will fade” and “I’m doing this for my daughter” but at one point that dissolved into screaming. I did tell them from the start I wanted the epidural. I don’t remember feeling the needle at all. I feel bad for the epidural guy because he came into the room and at that time I was screaming my head off and couldn’t stop screaming but I managed to remain still enough for it. after it kicked in I immediately fell asleep until I felt the urge to push. The epidural worked beautifully for me. I felt all of the pressure but 99% of the pain was gone. I’m convinced It’s the best invention known to mankind. I’m not sure how I would have made it through without it

[rosy]

I am 37 weeks and 4 days and have been watching all of your videos to prepare myself! Thank you for all your help!

[jules_]

Such a fantastic resource. I’m not an epidural person but will almost certainly get one during twin labour (or at least the epidural catheter) and finding resources on how to labour effectively with one has been a challenge.

[Olivia-ndmu]

Thank you for your video. I had a traumatic and scary vaginal birth 15 years ago and now I’m pregnant again at age 40. I’m definitely going to have an epidural!!

[VeroVPham]

I decided to get an epidural at around 9.5 cm. Best decision I made for my only child. I hadn’t slept for over 24 hrs.

[SummerShocklie]

I had an epidural with my first, I can’t remember how dilated I was, but it was a long labor. I was induced at 4 cm at 10pm, labored all night on pitocin, had epidural in the morning/midday, then my some was born at 6pm. One thing I didn’t understand about my labor is that at 10cm, when I felt ready to push as well, they told me to wait one hour. After an hour of pushing, I ended up needed vaccuum delivery and episiotomy because I was so tired from a long labor.

[Sakura]

Wish I had known all of this before I had my little guy 2 years ago... I ended up with a csection that I did not want after pushing for 3 hours. They didn't change my birthing position during pushing at all I was on my back the whole time and I experienced a few other issues you brought up. :( I feel robbed of a vaginal delivery now! Thank you for the informative video!

[imaybeanidiotbut]

I was planning to have a natural labor, I got two membrane sweeps in an attempt to start it before my induction date; but my baby boy held on strong and ended up making it to the induction at 41w4d.

I went in for my induction at 5pm and I was dilated 1.5cm with 70% effacement. I got a room at 8pm. I got the first dose of cytotec at 10pm. I didn't get to sleep at all because the heart monitor for my baby kept moving off his heart and the nurses had to fix it every 30 minutes. At 4am, I got the second dose of cytotec and was at 2cm with 70% effacement. Come 5am, something made my son flinch in the womb. He had his hand by his head and punched a hole in his water. (Looking back, I think the membranes were fragile due to the sweeps. I won't be getting them next time.)

So there I was, water pouring out of me. My husband called the nurse in. She had me sit up so my cord wouldn't go out before the baby's head could settle into the hole. Up until this point I was having super mild cramping at about a pain-level 1 on a scale from 1-10... once my water broke it shot up to an 8. I tried all of the methods to manage the pain that I could remember. Because the labor and pain came on so suddenly, my husband and doula didn't know what to do to help me. I couldn't communicate hardly at all. I was throwing up, pooping, and peeing A LOT so I LIVED on that toilet. It was also the most comfortable position for labor that I could find.

By the 4 hour mark, I was feeling the exhaustion. My pain level was a 9. I was working on no sleep and no food. I at least had some hydration from my IV, but it was so annoying dragging that thing along with me. I started getting long contractions about 30 seconds apart. I started telling my husband I needed the epidural, but he and my doula knew I had wanted to avoid one, if possible. They suggested I get Nitrous Oxide first to see if that could help. I got it after thirty minutes and at that point, I was violently shaking between contractions from the cold, adrenaline, and exhaustion. I tried the gas and it made me even more tired.

At the 5 hour mark, my doctor was coming in to check me for the first time since my water broke. I made a deal with myself that if I was over 6cm I would keep going naturally. She checked me and after 5 hours of intense and constant pain (that I assumed was approaching transition) had gotten me from a 2 all the way to a 4! WOW! I immediately asked for the epidural. My reasoning was 1) Hopefully I could relax enough to dilate if I got it and 2) If I didn't get it, I would likely pass out soon and end up needing a C-section.

I was contracting while they put the needle in so I didn't care about or notice any pain from the insertion. It started working immediately. I started crying tears of relief and said, "Why would anyone ever want to go through that when you could just... not?!" I slept for 3 hours; got to warm up a bit; and when I woke up, I stopped cussing at everyone and noticed I hated my husband a lot less.

I was ready to push at the 10 hour mark and gave birth after 30 minutes of pushing. My baby is super healthy and we have no side effects from the epidural. I'm totally open to getting it again, but I want to see if I could do a natural labor when my water isn't broken right off the bat. I've heard it's not nearly as painful as water-broken labor; and if I could do that for 5 hours, maybe with sleep, food and a less painful start I could manage to do it all natural. Still, nothing will ever beat the feeling of relief I got once the epidural kicked in. Thank God for that.

[emilyann]

Thank you so much. I always wanted a natural birth, but i was diagnosed with epilepsy 4 years ago. Now that im actually pregnant, im really considering an epidural to reduce stress and allow me to sleep/rest if I have a long labor. All of these factors can be a huge risk for having a siezure and that would be horrific during labor. Even postpartum!

[misskayleebugs]

I’m not even pregnant but the epidural I was terrified about and this made me feel so much better when my husband and I decide to grow our family 😊

[a.c.]

So happy to have found your content, thank you!!!