Hi there. ...

Can anyone share their birthstory incase they had opted for EPIDURAL. How long will the effect of anaesthesia last and at what stage it is used?
How safe is it for the mother and the baby?.Is expertise of the doctor also a factor that one shud consider?
I am from the Jan Board and seeking advise from all the experience-holders.
EDD is 30th Jan.
Regards
Preeti Ritika replied. I say thumbs up to epidural...I took it during my labor which was induced btw...made the unbearable pain go away...:)

I did not get any backache...

I could feel the contractions a lil bit..anyways, thats not a problem at all since the nurses will tell you when a contraction is coming and when to push by looking at the monitor....

You shd opt for epidural when you are atleast 3-4 cms dilated...if you take it right in the beginning, it will slow down the contractions instead...

I had a wonderful labor because of epidural and would recommend it to anybody...:)

take care and best of luck.. hopingfortejas replied. hey ..

i did not have an epidural ..and from the research i have done ..i would recommend keeping it the last option ..i am not completley against it ... but remember that most of the nurses here in US will tell u the advantages but not the disadvantages of epidural ...

it can give backache ..the other thing is since you become numb hip down ... u will not know when u r having a contraction and so when to push ... so it increases the chances of c-section, vaccum extraction and use of forceps ...

as far as the effect..they put a catherer or soething like that in the spine and as long as the medicine is given the effect would last ...

generally they prefer if u r 3-4 cms dilated before the epidural ..i do not think there is any limit after which it cannot be given ..but if u r fully /close to fully dilated ..it does not make sense to take epidural as in the pushing stage it inhibits than actually helping the process ..

epidural is adminstered by anaesthelogist ..so he would have enough expertise on it ....

take care and good luck ,
-P supriyasanoj replied. During my first delivery,so many people told me not to take epidural,it gives backache and stuff.my delivery was so long and for almost 8 hrs i went without epidural.so my gyno knew i will take more long for me so she suggested epidural.i will say it is the best thing ever happened to me.i was totally stressed out from the morning i dint have any sleep the previous night too.so i had a good nap and was so relaxing,by that time i was fully dialated and i delivered.so for my next one i planned that i will ask for it in the begining itself,but my labour was so short there was no time for epidural.
i dont know actually how long it will last.the peson who gave me told that\" she will be receving it along with the IV till she delivers\" .and it was there for more than 9 hrs.
you can ask your gyno about this.and archie will surely help you out.
till now i dint have any side effect of epidural.nutritious diet and excercise will surely help you.take care and wish you a happy delivery and healthy baby.