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There is a small pain when they put in the local freezing before the actual epidural. Putting in the epidural is uncomfortable, but one it is in you don't feel a thing and the labour pain going away within minutes. If it is done correctly, you won't have any labour pain at all afterward.

what is the local freezing...is it a terrible pain when they are putting in the epidural?

From what I have heard, sometimes the epidural wears off and u do experience some pain anyways as a part of labor, and to begin with you feel contractions before the epidural is distributed, so the pain of the epidural being inserted is prob the least amount of pain compared to the above.. Just wait till u get those first contractions :) Its all worth it, think ab that wonderful beauty inside u. I am also 35 weeks preg.

The local freezing is the same type of thing you get when you go to the dentist. It's a needle to numbe the area the epidural will go in. Nikki, you are going to experience pain, one way or another. You can't have an epidural until you are 4 cm dilated and they won't give it to you after you are 8cm dialated, so you are going to experience some labour pain. Decide then if a needle pain and someiscomfort for 5 minutes are worth it to you then. If you want to try it without painkillers, go for it.

I delivered natural with my first. My second i "gladly" took an epidural. I don't even remember the needle or anything about the setting up for the epidural. If you want one..ask your doctor.I cannot tell you wha to do, yet i am in my 38th week and i am like oh so nervous that i won't get to the hospital in time to get my pain relief.....so ....i can deal with a thin needle and the like for the painfree labor......good luck with whatever you decide.

my mum and my fiances mum both had an epidural and they stil suffer from back pains

my sister had that with her first and second baby and she says it's brillant as she didn't have any pain till after her kids were born then she had backache for a couple of days i wished i could of had that with all 3 of my kids but i have fast labours so i stood no chance but i would like to try it all the best ray xxx

My epidural really wasn't painful. Some people say it is, but to me it really wasn't...and I'm not one for pain either! lol. When you feel the contractions, you won't care what the epidural feels like!! lol

I'm having a caesar done in March next year, I want to have an epidural not like my first child where I was asleep and would like to see the whole thing happen, however Im afraid of the epidural might wear off during the operation or the insertion of the needle will be too painful - I am a real sissy when it comes to pain. I know the date that I will be having my baby so I dont expaect to be experiencing any labour pains - DOES THIS EPIDURAL HURT?????? - Really concerned.

i had an operation 2 weeks before i got pregnant...i chose the epidural because i was interested in getting pregnant and wanted to know what the epidural would feel like...plus i wanted to be awake and alert during the operation...they give you a local freeze to freeze the skin on your back before they actually inject the epidural...the local anaesthetic/freeze feels like a cold burn for like 3 seconds... it's a bit uncomfortable but not painful...just wierd...then they inject the epidural...when they stick it in... you feel pressure in your spine but no pain...this pressure only lasts for a moment...then it's done and in minutes you begin to feel dumb..no pain... mine disabled my motor nerves so i couldn't move anything below my waist...the epidural for labor pain allows you full movement of your limbs.. i hope this answers your question... good luck!

I am in the same boat, I hate needles. I really hate them. When I was in labor with my first child, I promised myself that I wouldn't look at the needle because if I did, I knew I would chicken out. Well I didn't look at it, and I am glad. Now if only I can do it again this time!

Hi, It would seem everyone is saying epidurals don't hurt. I was told the same before mine.My epidural was ten times more painful than my labor pains.A year on and I still suffer with a bad back. The Dr insisted that nothing went wrong although it took five attempts to get the needle in. Something definately went wrong but i'll never know what.Never again, I'd opt for a natural birth all day long.

They kind of hurt.

You will only have an epidural if its absolutely necessary. I had one with my first child, because she was 'stuck' and her heart rate went right up. I had to curl up in a ball while they inserted the needle, and afterwards i wasn't allowed to stand up for several hours. My only other option would have been an emergency ceasarian. I was so relieved once the epidural took effect, i didn't feel anything except the urge to push once she was able to move down off my spine. Generally, you will be offered gas or pethidine for pain

No. Just stay still when they tell you. Its dangerous to move around. If you stay still you wont even feel it. Then you can relax from the pain a bit. I waited and suffered for 4 hours before finally letting them administer it, what a mistake, I could have been relaxing and out of pain long before. I even took a nap for a few hours after the epidural until I woke up with the urge to push. I'm scheduling one for my next birth lol. Wouldn't do without it.

Nikki, I am in the same boat as you when it comes to needles, they pretty much make me pa__s out. However, I had the epidural given to me 3 times because they could not get it into my back and I don't remember it hurting at all. Once in, smooth sailing!!