Should I get the epidural...

I had wanted to go through labor naturally, no pain meds. But as the contractions got worse, I started to rethink that decision. I wasn't against an epidural but it was kind of like I wanted to prove that I could do it without. I knew that if I opted for the epidural they would kick everyone out of the room again. I thought this would be the perfect time to send my husband home. I insisted on it. By this time it was about 10:30 in the morning and I figured he could go home for an hour or more, let the dogs out, make sure they ate, etc. He reluctantly left me and his unborn son. I assured him that I wouldn't have his baby until he got back.

When the nurse came in again I asked her for the epidural. She said they would contact the anesthesiologist right away. They also had to get a bag and a half of fluid into me through my IV. I was told that it would take 15 minutes. I can't even begin to tell you how upset that made me. Again, irrational. But I was just thinking that in 15 minutes time I would have at least 7 more of these monster contractions. There was nothing I could do though so I just lay there while the IV dripped, dripped, dripped. And I have no idea what the fluid was but it makes your hand and arm freezing cold. Just a strange feeling.

When the IV bags were finally done, they sent in the anesthesiologist. I had to sit up and drape my legs over the edge of the bed. The doctor looked at my back and touched my spine to feel where he would insert the epidural. I flinched a lot. I knew they would tell me when they were going to do it but I was still nervous. My sister-in-law had a very bad experience with an epidural at the same hospital. It was a different doctor administering it but I still had her in the back of my mind. They explained that they would numb the area and would insert the needle. I was told to curl up, well as much as I could with a beach ball for a belly. At this point, my contractions kind of stopped. They weren't as painful and they didn't seem to be as constant. They told me that just changing position can sometimes help with the contractions. Then I thought I should have waited because I was sure I could have handled the pain by just moving around. But here I was curled up waiting for a needle to skewer my spine. It actually didn't really hurt. And once it was in I was asked if I could feel anything to one side more than the other or if it was just in the middle. I was also asked if I could taste metal in my mouth. Apparently those are signs that it wasn't inserted correctly. But I was fine. And I could tell immediately that I was starting to numb and wouldn't be able to feel any contractions from that point on. They taped up my back and had me lay back in the bed.

Once that was all done, I was told that my bladder had to be empty before the delivery. It makes it easier for the baby to come down the birth canal when the bladder can be flattened. I had used the bathroom before they broke my water and hadn't had any liquids since so I was sure that I was empty. But because I had the epidural and couldn't get up, I had to have a catheter. This made me more nervous than the epidural. The nurse did it and I did feel it. I didn't feel pain but I felt a pinching. And I felt it once it was in too. They taped the tube to my leg and had the bag off to the side of the bed. I was amazed when I saw the bag fill up. I didn't even feel like I was going.

Then I was told to lay on my left side but that the epidural worked with gravity. So being on my side would shift the medicine to my left side and might wear off a little on my right side. I was told to get some rest. My parents came back in briefly but then left so I could sleep. Then my husband shows up. He had been gone for less than an hour. I was hoping that he would spend more time at home so the dogs wouldn't be home alone for so long. But he was back so he pulled up a chair and tried to get a nap while I tried to sleep. Meanwhile my legs felt like slabs of meat. I could feel them but they were heavy and numb when I touched them. I didn't like the feeling of not being in control of my legs but I did like not feeling the contractions. I am not sure what I will decide for my next baby but for this baby I was fine with the decision.