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Hi maria, I'm only at the end of my 36th week but I've heard a lot from others, read a lot and asked my doctor plenty of questions about pain relief during labor. An epidural apparently takes away the pain of contractions but leaves you to feel pressure in your lower back mainly. That's how you can tell you're having a contraction. Everyone's experiences slightly differ when it comes to how the epidural made them feel, some people felt nauseous, some started to shiver etc I'd say try searching the internet for "epidural" and read up on it - the advantages and disadvantages.

ditto to what Jessica said. You also have to take into consideration that everyone has different pain tolerances. What is terrible pain for one, may just feel uncomfortable for another.

I had my baby 9 months ago. i had an epidural...i cant feel nothing but a lot of pressure down there. and i cant feel my baby move inside of me. sOo after i had her, she was a healthy baby girl.

I had an epidural with my son that didnt quite take.I was having back labor and it took all the pain from my back but i still felt a little in my pelvic area. Unfortunatly my sons cord got wrapped around his chest and wasnt comming so i had to have a c-section. Since i was still able to feel in my abdomen they had to knock me out completely for the section. With my daughter i got an epidural toward the end and it worked great. I only felt a little bit of pressure in my pelvic area during contractions and nothing else. Im currently 28 weeks with my third and i intend on having an epidural this time too

I had a walking epidural and they turned down the dose at the end so I could feel to push. At first it was just a lot of pressure but eventually there was some pain and a burning sensation as the baby crowned. The pain was sharp but with every push I felt relief but more pressure if that makes sense. The doctor gave me a local numbing agent at my perineum in case he needed to cut and I didn't even feel that at all as he did it during a contraction. In the end I didn't tear or have the episiotomy and once the head was out the pain pretty much subsided.

My friends and I have all had slightly different experiences with an epidural, but we all loved it! Before the epidural, I was so miserable and in so much pain and labor progressed so slowly that I started to fear I would end up with a c-section. I finally got the epidural and life was once again total bliss. The epidural also significantly sped up my labor. After 6 miserable hours getting to a 3, I was ready to push only an hour and a half after getting the epidural. The epidural took so well that I had absolutely no feeling at all when it came time to push. My body somehow knew what it was supposed to do and I had my beautiful son out in about 3 pushes. I still had no feeling in my legs for an hour or so after he was born! I'm getting ready to have my second baby in a few weeks and wouldn't even think of not getting the epidural this time. The epidural turned a horrible and miserable labor experience into one that I couldn't wait to go through again!

i had one, and the pain was still awful. I was very surprised- after 20 hrs of labor, I was just glad it was over.

I had an epidural and I felt absolutely nothing, while it was working. However it slows down the labor process and so I pretty much stopped dilating. They had to give me oxitocin and take me off the epidural to get me to dilate. At the end of the day they refilled my epidural 6 times (20 hours of labor) and we finally went for a C Section...but the pain between epidural sessions was unbearable. (although I had a really bad labor - amniotic liquid tinted, she was posterior and never engaged, so don't use me as a benchmark)

I just had my baby 4 wks ago and I had the epidural. I could still feel the contractions, but they were'nt painful. I knew when to push because I had just enough "feeling" to tell when I was having a contraction. The only time it hurt was when the baby actually slipped out, but it only last about 2-3 seconds and was over fast. Alot of people say that they don't want an epidural because the baby will be groggy, but my baby was very alert. He spend 3 hours with my husband and I right after birth before being taken to the nursery and he was awake and alert the whole time. I didn't get my epidural until I was 7 centimeters dialated and he was born about an hour and a half later, so maybe if you had one early on and the baby was exposed to it longer they would be groggy, I don't know.

Had epidural with #1, i felt nothing besides some pressure. Nurses had to tell me when to push, I could not really feel the contractions. I could feel when the baby actually came out, but that's about it.

i had an epidural and i still felt my contractions and they were very painful when i got to 9 cm. my other two werent like that at all.

I had an epidural and felt nothing - no contractions, no pains, didn't even know my baby had been born - I felt pressure and the desire to push, but didn't feel a thing pain-wise and I would recommend it to anyone!!

my 1st birth was alful.I had the epidural and it did not take,shame as the pain without it was immense.Hope you get yours ok,let us know how you got on!

hi there thought i would share my experience went i was in labor it just felt like menstrual cramps nothing sever and then when i went into third stage labor when the baby was coming it just felt like pressure and i had no eepidural or drugs it was all as natural as it could be. everyone will have a different type of labor. so don't be scared it may be bad or it may be easy i was only approx.10 minutes in third stage labor 4 good pushes and he was delivered. i konw everyone always went on about how bad it was and that's not always the case. so don't get worried and scared it may not be all that bad. good luck and hope the best my prayers are with you

I had an epidural with my 1st child and i didnt feel her come out at all.