apologies if this is like the millionth thread on the topic but i searched and could not find anything on GS about it
I wanted to know ur views on epidural… im having second thoughts.. im thinking i may do without it… dunno
Re: epidural
well i heard that its help alot:) mine was a C-section so dont know abt it that much.
Re: epidural
Saddzzu: where have you been?? You come and go and never really stay with us....:(
Khair, here is the thing sicne i just had my baby 2 months ago.
Before epidural i was never ever going to even think about having another child but once the epidural took effect....i restarted to think of siblings for my first child.
Really, it's not as bad as ppl have made it out to be. Well, everyone is different and the meds woirk differently for everyone. I was the same mindset before i went into labor that i could do without it but trust me once those contractions are 3 minutes apart...you just want to take anything that would give relief.
Good luck in whatever you decide to do but really it's nothing to be afraid of.
Here is what my nurse said to me when i was lying there indecisive. She said, if there is an option for pain relief and to enjoy your delivery why put your body through so much agony. And, at the time all her saying made sense.
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hey mahru!!! :)
hows ur bundle of joy??? congrats between... hows ur bubz? i havent been on for awhile so not sure what you had.... so tell me!
actually im still for epidural... i always thought i would get it. Ive been thru enuff kortisone injections to know how painful needles can be.. but im becoming a wimp... i went for my diabetes test a few days ago.. and man that needle hurt.. she said it would be a small prick! felt like a huge jab instead...
im still probably going to take it though... just a bit wimpy at the moment :(
Re: epidural
LOL you'll welcome the needle at that time :)
But serioulsy , it worked out great for me. Once the serious contractions started , it was a no-brainer. I was undecided about it too , but shukar alhamdulillah I had a good experience with it.
You still feel the pressure though , but majority of the pain is taken away.
I was afraid the the needle in your spine thing as well , but when I think back , I cant even remember the actual needle prick ( 5 months ago), so it couldnt have been that bad. I do remember jumping out of my skin when they put the ice pack on my back before it, and I do remember asking the nurse if that was it.
Best of luck.
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Epidural works well and more and more women are opting for it, but, if you get those headaches afterwards they are worse than labour pain, tu aap ainda epidural sey toubah ker lain gi.
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all the needles and the pain i hear about, it makes me want to go and hide under my blankee 
may Allah(Swt) bless you women for going through these things and ease your pain..Ameen 
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Sadzz,
Have you taken any childbirth classes yet? If not I definitely recommend it, they break out each type of drug possibility to use, as well as pain management techiques (Bradley & Lamaze techniques). I would definitely look into those. There's also Epidural Light...which is like the name suggests, a lighter dosage...so it can ease the pain, but you can still feel the contractions/pushing pressure. I myself am in the same boat as you, due Dec 22nd. I want to avoid any drugs if possible, BUT open to anything if pain gets unbearable. May Allah give us strength to get through this and have healthy babies. I now want to stop thinking of labour, makes me nervous and it isnt good to be nervous, i'll deal with it wen the time comes.
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I have 3 kids…well for last one it was a C-section…but for other two I never took any epidural n I’m glad I didn’t. Specially after when my hubs friend’s wife lost her memory when epidural was administered. two years on…the woman is still not fully recovered.
waisay coming to think of it…contractions don’t really scare me that much …n I wouldn’t mind having a hundred more kids…but only if they came potty trained 
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I certainly share your sentiments Ms Afia!! Lol, esp about the potty training!!
I have this rather irrational fear of needles, never even considered an epidural. Natural labor really isnt too bad. When they use Pitocin it gets really nasty. But still, I endured three times. If I didnt have this fear of needles, I might have considered the epidural but then again - really, they're sticking a large gauge needle into your spine! The most common complication is when spinal fluid leaks out. This causes the worst headache you could ever imagine. Personally, I'd rather go natural and use a bit of Nubain. This is an alternative to demerol, the other painkiller they use. But it works. All I ever heard about demerol is that it makes you groggy and nauseous. But Nubain is safe and effective. I got half a dose of it for each delivery and it was a real help. I got only the half-dose because half goes in the IV, the other half is a big needle in the hip. I told them no thanks for that half of it.
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Sister Saddz-
I have written a paper on the topic of maternal satsifaction with pain relief in labour- and here is a small section taken from my paper re:epidurals in particular.
*Epidural analgesia is one of the most commonly used obstetric anaesthetic techniques, and is considered as being the most reliable means of providing effective analgesia in labour. Maternal satisfaction is quite high, yet there is much concern regarding the possible adverse side-effects of epidural anaesthesia. Documented side effects/problems have included- prolongation of the first and second stages of labour, increased need for instrumental delivery, hypotension, urinary retention, and motor weakness. Studies on the whole have found epidural analgesia to be extremely effective, yet some comment that further research is needed to investigate adverse effects. *
On the whole, the more importance u give to pain relief prior to having your baby- the more anxious u become and the more likely u r to make a wrong choice. Just wait till it is time, and then only take something if u need to!
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You can make your mind to not get it but 90% of the women change their mind during the labor and get it. My wife did that too. It for sure has side effects and you can avoid it or not? that totally depends on your threshold.
I’d recommend that you (and other expecting women) listen to this very informative NPR discussion on “Fresh Air by Terry Gross”
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I would say go for it and i had it almost 8 months ago for my 1st child and i'm glad i had it. I didn't even know when doc put needle in and when he pulled it out. And it took xactly 20 seconds to get in effect (i.e. after it i stopped feeling the pain).
After that i slept in labor room whole night...till my honey bee finally decided to grace the world with her presence...:) coz i was up for 40 hrs coz of contractions...
I wud say go for it....All the best....Allah B with U...All will turn out JUST FINE...INSHA-ALLAH
TC........
Ash...
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eventhough I'm not married I was with my sister when she was in labor the whole time...Offcourse unless I personally go through pregnancy n labor I won't know exactly how bad contractions can be but I JUST know when you'll have those you won't be able to concentrate on anything else. Regardless of the size of needle you won't even feel it. I'm confident that any woman who researched abt epidural and knows that it will take away THAT kinda pain will go for it in a heartbeat...I know you'll take it without any doubt :)
One thing though, after you take the epidural you won't feel contractions, you won't even feel some parts of your body so it will be very difficult for you to push the baby out...The doc will probably have to use intsruments and might even cut you to ensure safe delivery of the baby. Occasional back pains are also common after delivery, they come and go even after years of delivery. My sister has them too once in a while.
anyways, best of luck with everything :)
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My wife's an OBGYN and she says that when she has a kid, she's gonna walk into the room backwards and bent over, ready for the epi.
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rotfl Mr A!!!
I was so scared of that darn needle (which they try to talk you into in the USA) that I stayed home WAY too long! Baby came 20 min after we got to the hospital!! lol! GOOD THING I didnt have that second cuppa coffee!!
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Well not xactly ...ofcourse after epidural u can not move ur legs or lower part of body but u still feel a very slight tingly sensation when some one touches u but feeling is so minor that u do not feel the pain when doc give u episiotomy (cut) during delivery process (which is common for 1st or sometimes for second time delivery). Besides when comes to pushing doctor lets u know when to push besides u also feel the pressure down below and feel like pushing...so its all normal and inshalla u will do just fine...
TC........
Ash.......
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Are there any side effects?
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Well there is a myth that there are side effects...but no...there are not...usually ppl say....after epidural they start having back aches....well i do not agree....if u see and observe closely usually 98% ladies already have back pain for one reason or another..secondly after pregancy and especially after delivery most of the ladies they do not take proper rest and especially do not take proper diet becuase of house hold chores or coz of tiredness and fatigue of labor they just feel like xhausted but they forget to take proper care of their diet espcially there back and body sitting standing postures......as a result the back which has loosen up its joints because of delivery process and exertion...gets worst ...and ppl end up blaming epidural for that...
Keep it in mind...epidural only controls muscular pain that exist in body flesh and muslces and not pains related to bones...so i never believed this myth thats why i took epidural.... its been 8 months now all is good. My sister took it at teh time of her twins and its been 8 years she is all fine too. I'm all for epidural.
So i would say go on internet do research urself...and satisfy ur queries.
TC.........
Ash.....
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thanks girls!
I spoke to my bhabhi lastnight about it as she had a baby 4 weeks ago and she reckons it doesnt hurt a bit... she said the one they gave her in her leg hurt more than the epidural itself...
i guess i'll be in so much pain at the time i wont care what they give me... Inshallah things will be ok... seeing ur baby after all that takes all the pain away... so ive heard :)