Epidural question

A friend of mine told me that if you get the epidural too early that it will wear off by the time the babies are born. Is that true? I've also heard people say that you can get it as early as you want....

 

it can infact whare off.. or they could miss all together and give you a spinal headache like i had..

dont let what could happen worry you.. i decided not to do research before.. that way when things happend..

they just happend..

good luck..

 

I think it depends on doctor/hospital. I had to wait until 4 cm but I've heard of people getting them at 2 cm.

I dont' think it can wear off, as it's a continuous flow of medicine.

 

I used to hear that...but I don't think it's true... I think they are thinking of a spinal. A spinal, I believe, is a one shot deal..so after a few hours it wears off.. An epidural, which is used for vaginal delivery, not c/s, has you hooked up to an IV line through your back..and it allows them to keep you on a drip continously..and even turn it up or down if you want. This is how my epidural was...they offered to turn it down b/c I was worried about not pushing correctly...but I chickened out and said, "well, let's just see if it takes me too long to push her out, then we'll turn it down so I can feel the ctxs." She was out in 20 minutes..so I must've been pushing right.

 

My doctor wouldnt let me have it until I was 4cm..Mine was a continue drip..So he didnt take it out until she was born..So for 4cm on I didnt feel anything until about an hour birth..

 

QUOTE(****mws**** @ Jul 11 2007, 04:41 PM) [snapback]326159[/snapback]
it can infact whare off.. or they could miss all together and give you a spinal headache like i had..

dont let what could happen worry you.. i decided not to do research before.. that way when things happend..

they just happend..

good luck..



are you sure you had an epidural and not a spinal???... I thought spinal headaches came from spinals...hence the name spinal headache... With an epidural they don't go into the same area.... they used to give spinals for vaginal delivery..but I don't think most anesthesiologists give them anymore, since epidurals have a clear advantage in flexibility.

 

are you sure you had an epidural and not a spinal???... I thought spinal headaches came from spinals...hence the name spinal headache... With an epidural they don't go into the same area.... they used to give spinals for vaginal delivery..but I don't think most anesthesiologists give them anymore, since epidurals have a clear advantage in flexibility.


i had a epidural and then a spinal.. got the spinal headache from the epidural..
it sucked.. but i have had both..

 

I thought they kept a tube in your back, so they could keep giving you more!

 

I didn't need my epidural until right before the OB was going to break my water, since I was progressing so fast, figured get it before the water broke because it may have been too late at that point. It was 4pm when I got the epi, water broken at 4:15 and I delivered at 7:27pm By the time the water was broken was between 6-7cm dilated. By 6pm I was 9-10cm and had been 100% effaced from 30 weeks until delivery at 35w 6d.

 

I'm a neuro nurse (aka spine, brain, nerves, etc). You can get a spinal headache from both a spinal & an epidural, although rare. Typically the cure is nothing more than laying flat for a while, but it can require more interventions, including hospitalization (again, rare). All that being said, if I were going vaginal, I'd go for the epidural no prob & I have zero issues with getting my spinal for my csection. My hospital allows epidurals whenever you want them, although it is true that they can slow labor. However, in other cases, it can even speed up labor! The only issue I had with a spinal/epidural was when I was hospitalized for PTL in a different hospital (with a Level III NICU since ours doesn't accept babies under 34 wks) & I found out a resident would be doing it. THEN I had issues...I mean, I know everyone has to learn...but not on my spine, they don't! In that case, I demanded it be done by an anesthesiologist, but lucky for us...we never needed it! Not yet anyway!!!

 

So if you have a C Section then you get a spinal and if you have them vaginally you get an epidural?

 

I LOVE epidurals! It won't wear off...they can always put more meds in the cathetar.

If you are definitely having a Csection, they will give you the choice. If you are going to labor and try vaginal, you will have to have the epidural instead of spinal.

I labored with Epidural and did end up with a Csection for baby B, but all was good!

 

From what I understand a lof of hospitals will give you a spinal with twins bc of baby b. With mine, I was scheduled to get an epidural but baby A's head popped out in the middle of getting the epidural and he said he gave a spinal instead. I have talked ot some people who said it was better to give twin moms a spinal bc they could do a c-sec easier on b if they had to. I don't know how true that is but just what I heard.

 

QUOTE(4jsinPA @ Jul 11 2007, 12:46 PM) [snapback]326269[/snapback]
From what I understand a lof of hospitals will give you a spinal with twins bc of baby b. With mine, I was scheduled to get an epidural but baby A's head popped out in the middle of getting the epidural and he said he gave a spinal instead. I have talked ot some people who said it was better to give twin moms a spinal bc they could do a c-sec easier on b if they had to. I don't know how true that is but just what I heard.


okay I know I am totally ignorant about this....why would a spinal be better for baby B than an epidural? Why is it more difficult to do a C Section with an epidural?

 

I honestly don't know.. I thought the spinal works faster and covers more area (hopefully someone else might know the real answer as I am really not sure...).

 

I'd say if baby A's head was already popping out and you were scheduled for a Csection, they would have to do a spinal or general anesthesia for timing purposes. If you were planning a vaginal delivery, and delivered prior to getting the epi, I'd say if you wanted any pain relief or needed a Csection for baby b, spinal would have to be it.

My anesthesiologist said epis are fine and should be in place pryor to being taken to the OR for delivery (regardless of vaginal or csection) If there's an emergency, they want it already in place.

I've never heard anything about a spinal being better for baby B. That's interesting. I don't know.

 

It can wear off in the event of a vaginal delivery where they administer a pre determined amount of medication. In the event you have a c-section they have the ability to increase the medication since an epidural is administered through a cathiter in your back. For a vaginal delivery there is a window of opportinity that they like to administer an epidural if you choose to have one. once you go beyond that window it is too late, but generally they will not give it to you too early.

There is one school of thought that once a woman is close to reaching the pushing phase of labor they like it if the epidural is not as strong since sometimes an epidural can reduce the woman's urge to push therefore resulting in a higher possibility of the neeed for a c-section delivery.

Try not to worry too much about it although it is easier to say than to actually do... Iknow I worry about the whole process continually and I have delivered before. Every pregnancy, labor and delivery is a unique experience and like I have said before you plan for what your ideal birthing experience will be and you do what you have to to ensure a safe, healthy delivery.

:love0028:

 

QUOTE(AimeeThomp @ Jul 11 2007, 01:49 PM) [snapback]326276[/snapback]
okay I know I am totally ignorant about this....why would a spinal be better for baby B than an epidural? Why is it more difficult to do a C Section with an epidural?

With my singleton I had an epidural which all but stopped my labor, after breaking my water we had a crash c-section, due to cord compression, they said they added to my epidural but once they started on the surgery I was feeling everything!!! So in my opinion it is better to have a spinal for a c-section, which I did for my sked. c-section with the twins.
I think what happened to me was pretty rare but if I ever had the chance to choose I would go for the spinal.

QUOTE
I found out a resident would be doing it. THEN I had issues...I mean, I know everyone has to learn...but not on my spine, they don't! In that case, I demanded it be done by an anesthesiologist, but lucky for us...we never needed it! Not yet anyway!!!


I agree 100%. Ask for the anesthesiologist. It took the resident about 5 times and then the anesthesiologist still had to finish it and that was painful.

 

With my oldest DD I got an epidural late because the nurse there said there wasn't time for one until my OB finally told her to give it to me, despite me begging for it. :angry: So I got mine late and then I was told to push and couldn't feel anything to push. Then they lessened the amount and then I could feel things, I think they lessened it too much. But I do believe it can wear off, but they can give you more.

I did not like the spinal for the c-section. I felt as if I couldn't breathe and it made me sick. :bad:

 

When I delivered the twins I had my epidural put in at about 2 am and they weren't born until after 4 pm the next day. For me it was a continuous flow of medicine. They set it at a minimum level and gave me a little button that I could push to have a little extra. They did have to add more to the pump about 2 hours before delivery as it had run out and I was getting some serious pain. I had it all through delivery and I have to say it was wonderful! All i felt was pressure...no pain.

 

QUOTE(AimeeThomp @ Jul 11 2007, 01:30 PM) [snapback]326245[/snapback]
So if you have a C Section then you get a spinal and if you have them vaginally you get an epidural?


NOt necessarily. I had an epidural and had a c-section... Some hospitals give a spinal for a planned c-section sinceyou can feel what they are doing with an epidural... Not painful but really strange. An epidural is a pain reliever and a spinal is a pain blocker.

 

I haven't had twins yet but with my DS, I got an epidural at 1-2 cm dilated (and after being in labor for 14 hours already) and it was another 12 hours before I delivered. Vaginally.

jenny

 

I got my epidural when I was 6 cent. With in an hour I was in the OR pushing. I couldn't feel a thing, and had a hard time pushing baby A out (Brooke). Since I was having troube pushing, the Anestesiologist (sp?) "turned it down/off". By the time Brooke was pushed out, and Reagan was crowning, it had pretty much worn off. I think that is what they mean by it "wearing off".

 

I had an epi with DS and it was great. BUT, mine wore off because I didn't know that I was supposed to push the button if I felt more pain....first time and they didn't tell me. By that time, I was pushing and ouch! They had to give me a shot during and afterwards of more med. first b/c they thought I was going to need an emergency C section (his heartrate would drop during contractions and they thought his cord was wrapped around his neck, turns out he was holding on to it and would squeeze it during contractions! LOL! He came out holding it!)--but didn't--and then because I could feel her stitching up my episiotomy. But I had a good epi experience. No side effects and it was great.

 

With my first pregnancy - mine "wore off" twice, but it wasn't a big deal because as soon as I told them that I was starting to have feeling again, the anesthesiologist just came in and put more stuff in it, then it was fine.

I should also mention that I was in labor for 36 hours, so it probably takes a long time before it happens! Either way, it's not something that you should worry about

 

Well - considering I am one of the earliest epidurals probably ever given - I would have to say "no"!

Also - it depends. There are several types of epidurals and the one most women get early in labor provides a continous stream (that is what I got). It can be adjusted by the doctor and it can last as long as it needs to.

Also, my experiene was that an epidural did NOT slow down my labor at all. In fact, I dialated quickly. I went from 3 - 8 cm within 2 hours with my epidural.

A lot depends on the skill of the person administering the epidural. If you don't have a skilled doctor putting it in, you can have a lot of issues. But, if your doctor has skill and knows what they are doing - it shouldn't be a problem.

for the record - I got my epidural when I was dialated to 2. I had been in active labor (with contractions) for only 30/45 minutes when I got my epidural and that was with pitocin.