I was gonna say, this was NOT like the epidural I saw my ex-wife get. They didn't bother with any 'does this hurt?' stuff and just stabbed the massive needle straight in while my ex crushed my body in a bear hug and screamed that it hurt. They seemed to think she was over-reacting, or at least that was the vibe I got from them as they continued to stab her. It was pretty quick, at least, not ten minutes.
Mine was painless too, pretty sure they waited until I was having a contraction to do it (I'm like 99% sure but there's always that 1%, especially during birth memory lol, that I might be wrong lol) because I'm terrified of needles in general but I don't remember any pain from the actual epidural. I know they were a bit concerned since I have scoliosis but it was pretty quick. I guess it depends on the experience of the anesthesiologist? And I was NEVER asked if it hurt, they didn't stab me multiple times...holy shit, poor Mandy 😔
As someone who went through labor and had a epidural and have some notes on this!! First, basically you have a “sock” around your entire spinal column and nerves. Within this sock is fluid between the skin of the “sock” and the actual spinal column. The needles goes into the sock and injects the numbing medicine into the fluid around the nerves and does not actually touch the spinal column or nerves themselves. Second. Epidurals numb EVERYTHING below the spot they inject. So for me, i was completely numb on one side of my body and the other side of my body (hip down) was feeling like it was tingly. Definitely not as uncomfortable as labor pains but still unpleasant. No walking, barely able to move, catcher because you can’t walk to pee. Third, you can inject as much medicine as you want. Can’t OD on it. So they give you a button to push if you ever need more of the pain meds. Lastly, what bob was describing as the doctor “poking around” Mandy’s back and trying to find the right spot….that should be looked into as malpractice. The anesthesiologist should know the exact spot and the exact location to inject the epidural. Mine took literally 2 minutes and had no problems with pain. The fact she had a bruise on her back is awful…..hope she recovered well!!
You can't "do as much as you want" you're still limited. I got mine and they said I could self administer but there was a timer so I wouldn't over do it as I got closer to birth (i was given pitocin during this same time too, 4 hrs later i was in active labor). Technically you can OD while extremely unlikely, but you can lose too much feeling and then need an emergency c-section
@Bmay7413123 I didn't really use mine. Only just to understand I knew how it work and I noticed the timer. The drip they had me on was fine enough that I knocked out for a few hours and woke up with enough energy giving birth within the hour.
My sister wasn't so lucky. They must've hit the nerve when they administered the epidural and her back hasn't been right since. It's been ten years and she still can't walk far without pain debilitating her.
No one talks about it. But birth can be traumatic and birth trauma is very real and I wish more people talked about the realities of pregnancy and birth.
Oh absolutely. Not even considering the pain that the mother is going through during the whole process, just the physical act is horrifying. She is pushing a living creature larger than an American football and heavier than a gallon of milk through a hole that is normally the size of a penny, if we're being generous. And no one talks about the afterbirth, either! After the baby is out, she still needs to get rid of the placenta and all the leftover fluids from her womb. How people can call it beautiful is beyond me. Yes, respect the power of the female body and celebrate the creation of new life, but it is a horrible and disgusting process to reach that point.
@@stitchlover4381 No. but because I made a point to learn about it, I don’t want children. People often are unaware of romanticize it. But it’s important to know how dangerous and traumatic it can be.
@@thechugg4372 yeah but there's a difference between being scared of it and actually talking about how awful it is. Growing up as a girl, all you hear adults say about it is along the lines of "🌟The Miracle of Childbirth is a Beautiful Process That Every Girl Should Hope to Experience Someday🌟",
When my mom got her epidural to give birth to me, it was done wrong and apparently, my mom was screaming in pain and the nurses said, "That's normal." My grandmother later found out that the epidural my mother was given was the very first one that the nurse had given. Now my mom's back is screwed up forever. It is such a tedious process because of things like that. I hope Mandy is feeling better after all of that.
@@jammindragon1812 sadly it’s very difficult to actually sue. Not to mention the costs of lawyers, doctors will blame EVERYTHING else, and if it’s been long enough they will try and say it couldn’t have been them if you’re still having pain. My dad tried to sue his doctors once, they broke part of his spine after he had a fusion, and after 5 years of fighting it, due to one nurse claiming the wrong thing the case was dropped and my father was left with nothing. Both of us are still mad about it to this day, he had to get another surgery to correct what they did and was in pain for so much longer than he should have been
On the bright side, it's better than it used to be. Back when chloroform was a thing that was used in surgery, it was used a lot for child birth. The catholic church then ban it, saying "it's the sacred duty of a woman to feel the pain of childbirth".
Mark got the epidural the easy way. From what I understand, women about to give birth have to be awake for receiving the epidural. Naturally. They're about to give birth. they can't fall asleep or be put to sleep. I wonder if Mandy got a med student... Those pokes of the epidural would make me very upset, if not panic. If Mandy kept her cool for that specifically - props to her! I could never stay patient. Now I'm afraid of epidurals. Thanks guys.
Depends on labor process and baby as far as sleeping goes. My sister actually fell asleep (partially due to Benadryl) for about an hour while laboring, which is the main thing that got my niece to actually move far enough down to actually start the active labor process. From all the stories I’ve heard about epidurals Mandy’s experience sounds atypical. Wouldn’t be shocked if it were a student or just an incompetent doctor.
Glad I’m a man and I’ve never needed something like this. I have an intense and crippling fear of needles and I’m 28. I’m damn near a middle aged man and I still get put on the verge of a panic attack the moment a needle gets near me. Getting cut is one thing, but stabbed is a different matter, I have the same fear reaction when I see fish hooks because the thought of getting stabbed and having something stuck in my body is terrifying. I panicked so hard getting blood drawn that I had to close my eyes and I was told that i was so tense and my blood pressure was so high that my arm was changing colors during the whole thing.
You would be correct. I was awake during mine. But for the record, if you're having contractions, you're a bit distracted by those OVER the epidural. I actually didn't feel to much outside of like... a grinding sensation before the poke happened. And it was so fast, I wasn't in any pain pretty much right after.
@@BeckyNosferatu see for me it's the recovering from the epidural that's one of the scariest parts, if you're lucky enough to fully recover from it that is.
I agree with Mark, the way things were handled for Mandy seems off. My anesthesiologist was precise, found the spot between my vertebrae and did in one prick. I am a hefty chick so it would have been difficult finding the sweet spot but nope he was quite knowledgeable on where to place the catheter for my epidural
This part gave me flashbacks to a botched minor surgery I had as a kid. - Basically, the docs didn't know how to numb me right so they injected directly into where the infection was (which was VERY sensitive), immediately ask if I feel anything instead of waiting the 10 minutes you're supposed to, and stick me again when I told them no. After about the 13th injection and no one thinking to ask why it hadn't worked yet, I finally just lied and said I didn't feel anything (again, I was kid and by that point I had sort of forgotten what they were trying to numb me _for_ and just wanted them to stop stabbing me). - What then happened was an operation during which I'm screaming my head off, repeating over and over "Please stop! I'd rather die!" - Edit (and really should have added this sooner): all of this is to say that I really felt for Mandy during this part and I'm glad that she and the baby are better now.
Reminds me of a less severe moment but still the worst health-related experience I had, it was at the dentist. I don't remember if they were pulling a thooth out or dealing with a cavity or something but I needed a part of my gums to be numbed and I still felt pain after the first injection of local anesthesia, so they gave me some more and then I still felt pain but they said any more would take very long to restore to normal and reccomended I try to get through it, anyways, with just the two injections and I did but I still remember it was awful, some of the worst pain I've felt. Actually worse then this time my foot got caught in a wheel when I was on the back of a bicycle- but maybe that was bc of more adrenaline at that moment and I went KO for the worst part of it.
I was so scared to get an epidural while having my baby bc I had been educated on it like how mark explained and I was like NOPE. But I started having fever and severe pain due to my condition flaring bc I was in labor so I needed it. I hated every minute of it. No pain, but I couldn’t feel ANYTHING. I wanted control of my body while laboring, but the meds worked too well. Epidural is a fantastic experience for many ppl who need it, but there’s ppl like me and Mandy who don’t have great times with it.
My mom's friend had an epidural and my mom told me the friend had back issues ever since. My mom claims to have had all 4 of her kids with no epidural and I've managed so far with one kid without an epidural.
@TestSubject6 same with my mom, to this day like 26 years later she still has excruciating back pain from the location they put the epidural. I really wish that after millions and millions of years, the birth process would become significantly better but sadly its barely getting there
All the women in my family who got an epidural have back and leg issues still 20years later, so I'm going to do everything in my power to avoid getting an epidural 😬
Finding the epidural spot reminds me of trying to find the stud in a wall without a detector. (drills a hole) "Nope, not here!" (drills a hole) "Nope, not here!" (15 holes in the wall later) "Found it!"
I’m always afraid of things going wrong, so yeah when they gave me the option of an epidural I was like no you’re not going anywhere near my back. I already have too much nerve damage everywhere else I don’t need that part being damaged too. Also my birthing class wasn’t any help either they just made it sound scarier.
This reminds me of my moms experience giving birth to my brother and me (were twins). He just popped right out, but I needed to be c-sectioned out. She doesn't remember if they gave her anesthesia but she doesn't think they did, or if they did they didn't wait long enough for it to kick in... we think she did have an epidural but she doesn't know. They just started cutting into her and she could feel everything, she was just laying on the bed crying because they were moving her organs around and she could feel it, like she wasn't numb at all or asleep. I honestly think it was medical malpractice, because pain like that has killed people before, but I could be wrong. And while she was pregnant with my sister she was always sick, like she couldn't keep food or water down so she had to take suppositories, but the doctors didn't belive her. Even while she was giving birth to my sister she had to have a vomit bucket in front of her because of how much she was throwing up, and the doctor STILL didn't belive her, the doc thought she was doing it for attention. Which she wasn't. Like who tf wants to put a pill up their butt every couple hours, like idk what was wrong with that doctor.
I can tell you that the method they used is technically proper, it hasn't been standard for a long time by now. The current guidelines say to use a very specific anatomic location in the lower spine (the fetal position they put you in is actually to open up the space between the vertebra), and the way to confirm that you are in the correct location and gone deep enough is by watching the spinal fluid leak out of the needle. Once they have it confirmed, they inject the anestesia and take it out.
Yeah. I've had multiple lumbar punctures, same thing minus the drugs, and they just laid me on my side and hug my knees, used their fingers to feel the vertebral space, told me to hold *really still*, and then poked me. One random one they made me lay on my belly and they used a fluoroscope, basically live x-ray, to check the proper placement before sticking me. The other ones used fluoroscopy too, but laying on my belly on that hard steel x-ray table was uncomfortable as I'm a rather large chested woman. I think they did it that way so it was guaranteed that I didn't move during the procedure because it takes longer to drain off csf fluid than place an epidural cannula and there's a hard steel needle in the very small space next to your spine and if you make a big movement, like a sneeze, you could injure your spine. Mostly the last one protects the hospital from being sued because it's harder for the patient to be dumb.
Not my husband telling me "It looks like a giant sword" while they were injecting me... Super painful for me. They didn't even try to find the spots for me, just chose a spot and stuck it in. Loved the numbness afterward though lmao
The idea of stabbing my spine with a needle is fuckin horrifying to me as someone with a severe phobia of having any form or amount of metal inside of my body.
I am so sorry for Mandy. Whoever was doing her epidural probably was new or simply had no clue what they were doing. Ugh - that is so rough. I’ve given birth twice and gotten an epidural both times. The first time, the guy giving me the epidural (I’m not even going to try to spell anastesi-whatsit) was very brusque and kind of mean. I would jump a little bit when he started poking at me and he’d get after me like I was a dumb little kid. The second time, I had a different guy doing it and he was great. He talked to me and my husband about a bunch of random stuff, which distracted me from the fact he was sticking a needle in my spine and made me relax better, so it went faster. Both times was glad I had the epidural. The first delivery was really rough on me and the baby - 30 hours, plus my son was almost 11 pounds which is a HUGE baby. Things turned out fine - my son is a healthy and happy little boy and I’m doing well. But I would have been so much worse off without the epidural. My daughter’s delivery went a lot quicker and less traumatic. But I was sick the whole pregnancy. So there was a trade-off.
I went to therapy after having my daughter because I was experiencing severe postpartum health anxiety and depression due to complications during labor that were very traumatic. I had panic attacks daily about my health and the therapist told me that the experience during labor couldn’t be enough to cause mental trauma.. and gave me medication that turned me into a zombie. I was so dissociated from my baby because of the meds and they still didn’t stop the anxiety. I was just getting panic attacks but felt like I couldn’t move. I stopped the meds and seeing him after that. I’m doing better now. Mandy is not alone. Being a mother is really hard. She is enough. ❤
The only "fun fact" I know about these is that if you move at all after they put it in, there is a high likelihood you will get paralyzed from the epidural down. I have a cousin who was paralyzed by one (they inserted it wrong and didn't realize till they pulled it out), and an aunt who has lower back issues because of hers. But my mom had 1 and didn't have a single issue with it, but when my little sister & brother came around. Doctor wasn't in for either of their births so my mom wasn't able to even have the option
My poor mother refused to have an epidural because she knew a lady who had one done, but they had done it so badly that she was completely numb. She was unable to push out the baby so they had to try and pull him out with forceps and he somehow ended up with severe brain damage (I don’t know if it was oxygen or if they squeezed him too hard). I think that was somewhere in the early nineties so it probably wasn’t as good then, but it really scared her
Sounds like Mandy had a similar experience to mine. Getting an epidural was the most excruciating experience of my life with my first birth and I have had 3 natural births and spine surgery since then. I swear, getting the epidural was not worth the pain it caused at all. Sorry Mandy’s sucked too. I felt groggy and lousy after it too, and it didn’t take away all that much of the pain really for me, after all that. That’s why I didn’t bother with it when I had my other kids.
My experience (mileage may vary, I was extremely lucky) was no epidural, mild pain killer pills for the contractions (dear God the contractions...) and once baby was born, all pain was gone. Was just uncomfortable due to body. Nurses told me I had a "perfect" birth and I thank every lucky star for it.
I feel so bad for Mandy! I just had my son 3 days ago and I had an epidural and that was the most painless experience of the whole labor process for me
My mom never had good experiences with epidurals, and I HATEEEEEE needles, I couldn’t imagine having one. My DH didn’t think I’d be able to do it without one because I’m a wuss with pain. I did a tens machine in the beginning and laughing gas up to the moment I had to push and didn’t use an epidural. I’m SOOOOO THANKFUL, I had a friend who was due around the same time and she was doing ALL THE THINGS to get ready to go no epidural, learning about breathing exercises, reading books, etc. Her labor was too complicated and she ended up needing one. It just reminds me that everyone has the child birth they have, sometimes your goal, isn’t your body’s goal. I’m hoping that my next one, I won’t need an epidural, but I won’t know until I’m in that labor room.
Oh poor Mandy! That's not normal for an epidural. I felt ZERO after my epidural was administered. The baby was literally crowning when the nurse checked me and she was STUNNED I couldn't feel it.
Oh no, poor Mandy! I had the same experience with mine when I had my kid a couple years ago. My husband felt so bad watching them search around my spine and seeing me in a lot of pain. It was the worst part of the entire experience. I also think I was given too much, they told me they gave me too much and had to dial it back, but my legs were still completely numb and useless past my waist. Afterwards I was really nauseous and they kept forgetting to come back with anti-nausea meds. I puked while I was pushing too hehe. And the spot on my spine where they poked me hurt for months after. Still doesn't feel right.
They did my epidural in the middle of my contractions (I was having back labor too) ... so trying to sit there and be still while they are jabbing your back is almost impossible. ::edit:: Took 5 doses before I was numb and it didnt kick in until after my daughter was born and I was in recovery. I still say my back problems I have to this day are a big part of that epidural.
I told the lady doing my epidural to wait when I was having a contraction because my contractions made me not able to sit straight. We did everything between my contractions and they were super nice about it. I had them talk me through it but straight up was like "DO NOT LET ME SEE THE NEEDLE" 😂 I was so scared honestly
But I'm sorry if your experience was bad! I didn't even want it originally but the pain was too much. But yeah it was impossible with contractions 🫠 also have a bad back from it but my birthing experience was more tolerable because of it
To all of you who got to have an epidural, I am so glad for you (especially if it's a choice you made). Don't have a baby in Japan because if you have a baby outside of "office hours" then no epidural for you because they only do it then! I've given birth to two babies without any pain relief and I wish that on no one. You want an epidural, you go get one. I did however have an in training midwife put my IV line in for being induced with my first and it took her about 5 goes before someone else took over as she was butchering my arm. Sometimes you just get someone with bad aim. Well done Mandy. I hope her recovery is going smoothly. Give that lady absolutely anything she wants for the foreseeable future.
when I got my epidural, it was a nurse in training that did it. They ended up getting it stuck and we didn't find out until it was time to take it out. Then they ripped that thing out like they were rip starting a lawn mower. I've had chronic back pain ever since. If I stand too long, my whole back will feel like it's on fire. But with the complications I had, there wasn't any way I would have been able to give birth without it.
I had it done to me. It kind of hurt having it put in but I felt so much better once it started flowing in. My problem was that my contractions were so bad that it was very hard to keep still. My back's still messed up from having it done.
_When I was going to have_ *spinal anesthesia* _right before a day surgery, and __-I was told I might just feel a push..-__ It was_ *SO PAINFUL* _and_ *TRAUMATIC* _and_ *I CRIED IN PAIN!*
I hope Mandy recovers well. My second sons birth was terrible according to my 3 people I had with me I almost died, they ended up poking me 5 times for my epi, I was numb from the neck down. Your supposed to be numb from the waist down. My heart rates already naturally low it always has been and I've always been healthy. My son's heart was dropping and my heart rate was barely even trackable. Just remember being so tired and wanting to sleep but also so nauseous I couldn't. 10 hr nightmare from hell😅
I got an epidural after a man texting and driving didn’t stop at a red light, caused a 5-car pile up, blew out several disks in my spine, and left me with nerve damage requiring surgery. On epidural day, I lied down on a table, got a couple numbing shots before the epidural, and felt a large dull poke in back that was guided by x-ray. The doc felt it was in a good spot and pushed in the medicine. I felt a dull pressure as the medicine entered the protective sac covering my spinal cord. The doctor noted I didn’t flinch at all with the needle. The thing is that by the time you need an epidural, you are in such excruciating pain that no needle could hurt you. I told the doctor there was nothing he could do to hurt me worse than the man texting and driving. It was the best feeling in the world to have the pain reduced. I passed out shortly after since my body was used to being in such tremendous pain for so long that with some of the pain gone, my blood pressure bottomed out. It was the first “sleep” I had undisturbed by pain in months. My endless gratitude lies with medical providers who have lessen (but never were able to eliminate) my pain and gave me back some of the function I had before the crash
The way so many women and AFAB people are treated during the birthing process is so monstrous and disgusting (and are generally regarded in hospitals in general), poor Mandy.. 💔 For sure that is NOT how anesthesiologists or epidurals are supposed to be. I hope she’s recovering alright :(
It's been four years since I had my twins, I still feel where I got the epidural, and it causes me back pain still. But when they were finding a good spot they used their knuckle, kept digging his knuckle into my spine while I had a panic attack. Poor Mandy, I thought the knuckle hurt but I can't imagine being stabbed with a needle over and over again like that.
I had the epidural during my labor, but it was dropping my blood pressure to where they had to turn it off... RIGHT AS I WAS ABOUT TO PUSH. So I'm pushing for two hours, with nothing to numb or relieve any pain, with no breaks. My body is about to completely give out, I'm on the verge of passing out from exhaustion and the immense amount of pain, and my son is wedged between my pelvic bone an dis unable to pass. They had to give me the epidural again so they could perform an emergency c-section on me. Worst trauma I have ever experienced. I still have nightmares to this day, and even have flashbacks.
My epidural only partially worked. My legs were numb. Hoo-haw was numb, cause I tore something terrible and didn't feel it. But I sure felt every single contraction. I don't remember how they placed it, I don't remember the poke poke thing. But I was awake for about 35 hours at that point.
From people comments it sounds like epidural is more problems than it is worth. It feels like it should be reserved for the people and situations that _absolutely_ need it.
I've had a spinal tap twice and what the doctors are trying to do is get to the space between the spinal bones. My first was done professionally done with them actually using a x-ray machine so they can put the needle in the right spot the first time which you can watch on a tv screen provide. The second time it was done was a student since the hospital was a teaching one and this was done a bed with you lying on your side while there stabbing and poking the crap out of you back trying to get to that tiny little gap. I swear after that I've had back problems ever since which I never had before.
I had an epidural for herniated discs in my back. The procedure went relatively quick. There was a moment of searing pain, like a hot metal rod was being shoved down my leg. Overall it wasn't traumatic because the doctor and nurses were really amazing and comforting. I had told them I was very nervous and they were so kind
For me they just made sure my pain was still muted on one side of my body, just one poke, and they had me compare both sides of my body by applying cold compress to see that one side is indeed a bit numbed
2 out of the 3 epidurals I have had, I also lost all use and feeling of one or both of my legs. Once causing me to almost crash to the floor during first the post baby bathroom break, but luckily the nurse caught be before that happened.
So, I've had 4 epidurals, but of a different kind. When I was 21, a disc ruptured in my back and I was having severe sciatic pain, and part of the process before jumping to surgery was steroid/pain medicine epidurals directly into the spot where the disc ruptured. Well, I had 3 of those in my pain doctor's office (every other month apart), but they were blind epidurals, meaning, like with Mandy, I was curled up on the bed in the office facing the wall in the fetal position with my back facing the doctor, and the doctor felt around for a bit to make sure he got into the space between the discs and then did the steroid/pain medicine injection, but they never worked or helped, and afterward, I couldn't lift anything for at least 24 hours and had to lay down and everything and for some reason had to make sure I drank caffeine, and I never figured out why because as I was in the process of asking why after an injection, I passed out and never got my answer. For the 4th epidural I had, my pain doctor, by this point, recommended me to TOC (The Orthopedic Center) in Huntsville to have a 4th epidural done under dye and x-ray to make sure the medicine went directly into the disc and space it needed for the medicine to work, and it didn't work either, and come to find out, the reason why the medicine wasn't helping my pain was due to the fact that a tiny piece of the ruptured disc was pressing directly onto the sciatic nerve, so surgery was the only option at that point. But yeah, epidurals suck so much.
When my mother was having me she decided on an epidural, fortunately my aunt who is a registered nurse was there monitoring her as my mother's eyes began to roll into the back of her head. Apparently they had placed the needle incorrectly and therefore the anesthetic was going directly towards her brain through her spinal cord instead of downward towards her hips.
Oh man, my dad had to get epidurals like every 6 months to a year for a long time. It can be an incredibly painful process for many if not most, and most people can't walk steadily for like a half hour to an hour after the process finishes. Like, my dad consistently shocked doctors and hospital staff by being able to leave right after it finished because of the pain he was in all the time.
What I got made mine painless, they applied a topical first I believe. They are supposed to do the epidural in the middle, the spine. They asked if it felt in the center then tell them and they could proceed. They had a bit to the right at first. So I told them and then they got it in the middle and it was all good. My mom was so jealous because I slept through my contractions all night. She was jealous because she had a bad experience with her epidural when pregnant. My labor was amazing and I hardly felt a thing.
I had one for a herniated disk. It protruded in such a way that one of the main nerve clusters that run down along the spine and into the leg was almost completely pinched off. The pain was unbelievable. I lost the ability to straighten my back and eventually lost the ability to straighten my legs. They sent me to physical therapy (you can imagine how helpful that was) and put me on increasing levels of pain relievers. The epidural was the last one I tried before the pain relievers would have crossed into the bad addictive stuff. I stopped them at that point. Anyways, I was wide awake for mine and the screen was in front of me for the doctor to see where the needle was going between my vertebra. I got to watch AND feel the pressure of it happening. Joy. Long story short, it didn't help at all and 5 doctors later I finally had surgery to remove the herniated portion of the disk. Permanent nerve damage, degenerative issues and over a decade of steadily increasing levels of pain are the end result of it all. But, hey, as long as it's no farther than my mailbox, I can stand up and walk without using my cane, crutches or wheelchair. I do have to use the furniture a bit, I can't bend over to get food out of my own fridge or stand in one place for more than a minute or two and there isn't a doctor out there who will just declare me disabled already but it's all good. It's only my one life. But, yeah, epidurals, fun things those.
I was helping my wife with those "breathing exercises" when they did the epidural. I recall doing the deep breath.... then "ow." Then deep breath..... then "ow." My mother and law suddenly looked at me and told me to sit down. Turned out I was so focused on syncing her breathing that I forgot to exhale during the "ow." Almost passed out because of her epidural.
its also rare, but does happen, that you can be paralyzed from them poking in your back like that. It can also cause longer than normal numbing and feeling like your lower body is in constant low grade pain. they are trained on where to stick it for each procedure, but that spot is a bit different for everyone else so they can poke multiple times which can cause issues for some.
that's what I was about to say, an improperly inserted epidural can also cause a spinal fluid leak which can cause brain damage. Basically your brain is supposed to be wet all the time, if fluid leaks out of there it dries out parts of your brain and even after it rehydrates it doesn't work right. There's a youtuber I watch called Jessica Kellgren-Fozard and she had a botched spinal tap at one point, she now suffers severe memory loss. It's one of the many reasons I chose not to have kids, spinal stuff can go wrong so quick, but everyone who decides to have one deserves an anesthesiologist who's as careful and well-trained as possible.
I've never had an epidural, but I've had 2 spinal taps; it's the same thing with none of the lower body numbness. Just having that needle hit your spine is so unnerving. The numbing shots are painful, because they give them layer by layer. First the top layer of skin, then a little bit deeper, then deeper, until finally you don't feel "pain" when the needle hits that pocket of fluid. And it's not one shot per layer, it's SEVERAL. It sends a zap down your legs and up to your neck, you can feel it even with the numbing shots they give you, and just having it there makes you so anxious. I almost passed out the second time around.
My epidural worked fine. Took me 17 hours to finally give in and accept it (husband asked twice and was fixing to yell at him if he asked one more time! 😂) 😅 but I agree it was more uncomfortable than anything! Afterward, the pain was no longer an issue 🙂 even better: I'm terrified of needles! However, I almost didn't feel anything. Didn't like my feet feeling numb so I kept moving my feet 😂 nurse was surprised I could move that much lol! Like Bob, my husband was in front of me while I was getting mine. Just to keep me steady though. Keep in mind this all happened on a military base. BEST care I've received any time I went (with the exception of when I was getting meds for my morning sickness) Poor Mandy though 😔 getting poked so many times
Aww Mandy, I feel her pain. My epidural failed when they tried it, they took too long and I had to push without it. Had a massive bruise on my back for a week after
I have a very crooked spine so they couldn't safely inject me in my actual spine, they had to do it to the side. Was very quick, painless and easy... you know, apart from the fact I had a baby's head coming out my body because no one checked me before getting the anesthesiologist in, so in the end I didn't even need it and it didn't work anyway lol
I recently gave birth, and while i didn’t feel it at all, it unfortunately worked *too* well lol I blacked out shortly after getting it and I was out for like 7 hours. And like mark I couldn’t move my legs. Or anything else aside from my head and my arms a little bit. It was hard to breathe, and I couldn’t swallow. My husband tried to give me a little water to help my dry mouth but I just couldn’t swallow it at all. Im just glad I didn’t freak out. I tried pushing but I didn’t even know if I was because I genuinely couldn’t feel anything.
oh that sounds unpleasent. I sometimes have dysphagia (inability to swallow) because of dysautonomia caused by my chronic illness and it is by far my most annoying symptom. I couldn't imagine just having given birth to a baby and not even being able to take a little sip of water.
I had an incident where the doctor couldn’t find the vein in my hand for the Iv for my surgery and she warned me ahead of time that she wasn’t great at it so she told me that she wouldn’t stick me with the needle until I was asleep just in case she missed because she wasn’t great at it and she didn’t want me to hurt. As I’m being put asleep, I feel her repeatedly sticking me with the needle in the back of my hand and before I fall asleep, I felt her get me with the needle like four times before the sleep gas actually knocked me out. After my surgery when I was finally able to take the IV out, I saw that the back of my hand where she stop the needle has so many bloody marks on it because she failed so many times to get the IV in.
Aw im so sorry that happened to her. Mine he gave me a local first then went poking around. So it was pretty painless. What I learned from the whole thing is to have a good anesthesiologist
My mum got one when she had me.. The nurse that did it ‘poked’ the wrong spot around 15 times. Long story short, nobody was happy at that moment, and her mother (so my grandmother) was practically yelling at the nurse in the hall after I was born.. That’s a fun memory for them..
I'm a man and had an epidural for a spinal tap. It was HORRIBLE. It hurt so fucking bad I wanted to die even though I couldn't really feel any pain. Edit: the reason and epidural is different during childbirth, you know with like poking around and stuff, is because they want to find the right nerves. In the case of a spinal tap or something, they know the basic area that they want to get, but if they do it wrong in somebody who is giving birth then like what happened to Mark they can cause a crisis by doing it in the wrong spot
I've had 2 epidurals. The first was very similar to what Bob described. It was torture. The second was super fast, and I barely felt anything. I chalk it up to the skill of the anesthesiologist
I had an epidural when I had an operation on my ankle; it felt freaking weird when they injected, but the worst part was having to curl up on myself for a fair few minutes to allow access to my back. Everyone I’ve told has cringed when I said I’d been awake for the whole operation.
I've heard some women who "supposedly" had chronic nerve damage from pregnancy epidurals. But I've never known if its a rumor or actually has some fact behind it. So just be cautious about it and moniter any sudden numbness or shooting pains she may have out of the blue.
If the epidural is placed incorrectly it definitely could cause that, poking around anywhere their is a high concentration of nerves always poses a risk of nerve damage. This risk is obviously low enough that this procedure is deemed normal but the risk is there
My mom says Mandy had a bad anesthesiologist if they had to spend 10 minutes stabbing her back, when mom had my brother and I hers got both in just one go
I had to be induced because I was experiencing HELLP Syndrome and opted for an epidural after about 15 min of contractions. It took another 15 minutes before they could get down to me. They had to get it in between contractions. Unfortunately, the HELLP Syndrome meant I started bleeding from the site. I had gauze and tape all up my spine. Its also not perfect in terms of trying to get both sides equally numbed up. It does take the edge off, though and was well worth it.
Getting an epidural is nerve-racking because you can feel the needle like scrape your bones as it goes in. But it is nice because the pain control can be extended in case of surgery. I've had 3 c sections and only the 3rd was planned. Fun fact, epidural does not touch pain in your tailbone. Also if you get an epidural not in pregnancy they do constant xrays to see where to put the needle and to make sure it is in correctly. They can't do that while you are pregnant.
reminds me of getting my blood drawn and the nurse couldn’t get the needle in my vein for a solid 15 minutes (i have shitty arm veins, not her fault) and she was getting nervous after having already stabbed my right arm twice and i was like it’s fine just try the other arm. that one worked lol. and thankfully i have a high pain tolerance and am not afraid of needles, so it was fine but jeez medicine can be so finicky at the worst times.
As someone afraid of needles and pregnancy I thought I'd watch this for information to see if it was as bad as I thought it was. I can now say instead of being afraid I am now mortified!
I had an epidural. It wasn't bad. They numb the skin beforehand. And it was weird when they were trying to get the right spot. It would zing on the left and right side. So I told them so they could get it right. And then it still didn't work on one spot. But the nurse fixed it. Then I had too much and didn't feel anything up to my armpits. It happens but they had to monitor and turn it down because well, they didn't want me to stop breathing 😅 They did ice tests regularly all night. So yay! No sleep and having a baby! 🤦🏻♀️
THEY SUCK!!!!!!!!! i had to have mine done while having contractions, and the doctor was getting mad that I kept moving. I was like I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THAT MOVEMENT!!!
I’ve never had an epidural or anything but this just made me think of every time I’ve needed blood drawn. The doctors can never find my veins so every blood draw is that same stabbing in several locations like mandy experienced. Even worse sometimes they’ll start swishing the needle around while it’s in my arm. The worst part is that they don’t listen when I try to warn them or suggest an easier spot. They’re just like “nah I got it” and proceed to stab my arm a dozen times before reluctantly having to admit I was right and do what I suggested from the start.
It took my mom 8 hours of natural birthing to eventually end it with a c section. I was a big girl and my mom was a tiny woman. She said that the anaesthesiologist injected too much anaesthesia into her, apparently proscribed the amount for her without deducting the weight of a baby and after giving birth, she went to sleep for 3 days. An Indian nurse noticed no one was coming to feed me and my mom was still unconscious. So she hid me under the reception desk and fed me formula when I started to get hungry. It was a government hospital so the hospital is not responsible for feeding your baby. I'm really grateful to the nurse and mom, even though she regretted giving birth lol
This reminds me of a horrible trip to the dentist I had once where they were trying to inject the painkillers in the back of my mouth, but he basically stabbed it half a dozen times before injecting, and even after he injected it, it only sorta halfway worked. So they did the operation while I still could pretty consciously feel everything and it definitely hurt like hell, but I couldn't communicate this very well with my mouth full of dental equipment so I sorta just had to tough it out. And now I have a crippling fear of the dentist as a 24 yr old man.
You're not alone. I'm nearly 40 and still struggle with dental appointments. Finding a good, compassionate dentist helps with it, if you're lucky enough. If you're even luckier your insurance will cover sedation dentistry.
Dentists are one of the worst types of doctors as far as informed consent and checking on the patient. I've had to grab dentists' hands and physically push them away so I could speak and tell them something isn't going the way it's supposed to. They always complain people are afraid of them but like yeah, if you're not listening to your patients they're going to be nervous about going back to you. I've found a rare dental office that is really good with clients with fears and phobias, they offer nitrous for routine procedures like cleaning if you need it and they have a system where if you put your hand up they stop and ask you what's wrong.
God, I remember with my third kiddo they kept messing up putting the epidural needle in my back over and over. I kept having intense contractions, so I had a really hard time staying still and and couldn't keep my back straight enough, so they had to keep trying for several, several minutes. The nurse was holding me and comforting as I sobbed after a while, because it hurt so bad between the constant needle stabbing and the contractions at the same time.........wow, I'm tearing up recalling that, I guess that was one of my traumatic birth experiences.....only topped by my second labor, because that was all natural, it happened so fast that they didn't have time to give me an epidural and I screamed and freaked out like I was fighting for my life.... they had to hold me down so I could deliver safely....I went into a state of trauma after for a little bit after the baby was born, it was.....rough....however kids number 1 and 4 were decent labors, so hey, experiences may vary lol.
I was in the room when my sister was giving birth. The epidural suddenly stopped working so they had to pull it out and replace it. I remember blood dripping down her back, and the way they had to tape it down, then retape it because her hair got caught
They know what spine piece they are looking for however you can't see inside the body so I assume that's why they ask "does that hurt" etc, to ensure they found the right location. The same thing happened to me. On the other hand, my sister had a better epidural experience (like 2 minutes and done). I would also like to add here that while the person is poking around in your back they are also telling you, "relax" and "hold your breath" and "don't move" while you have searing pain from contractions. So many times, I wanted to smack the stuff out of that person because they kept saying "hold your breath" and "hold still" exactly when a contraction started! I was hunched over and attempting to hold my breath off and on for like 10 minutes! The medicine in an epidural can reach the baby but it's supposed to be less so than the meds administered via IV. I feel for you Mandy! You are a trooper!
I didn’t get an epidural, just a needle in my lower back to numb a small area for a small incision, but the needle going in does NOT feel pleasant, was not expecting it to hurt that much. Thankfully, it went numb pretty fast afterward
i had to get an epidural once, it was for knee surgery (they refused to make me sleep so that was the only option) and yes they kinda jut stab your back in random spots near the spine untill they find the right one, i was traumatized by it. And yes, usually they keep you awake because they need your response on if it hurts or tingles in any way
They usually ultrasound to find the nerve cluster? I only got my leg nerve blocked during my knee surgery, but I suppose the spine can't be found the same way.
Poor Mandy. Glad mine was not painful. It took probably 2 minutes for relief to come but it felt like an hour because of my pain. I was also given a button to get more numbing if I needed it. Obviously there would be a waiting period and only a small dosage would come out but I fell asleep. Bottom half numb no pain except a few horrible contractions.
My epidural was really quick from what I remember, but I do remember that minutes before giving birth my epidural stopped working… the doctors discussed bringing in another anesthesiologist but it was gonna be at least a 30 min wait and we were at the point where we couldn’t necessarily put of the birth any longer as things started progressing quickly. In the end all was well and now my husband and I have a happy baby boy.
I had a similar procedure (steroid injection for back pain) and it was one of the most painful experiences of my life. The first time I got one done the Dr jolted my nerves and caused my legs to shake bc of the pain. The second time was worse bc they jabbed me TWICE and hit the nerves both times. After my second injection my face was bright red and hot to the touch, I was sweating like crazy, had no appetite, insomnia, and severe chest pain over the course of multiple days. I ended up in the ER (which the doctors did nothing to stop my symptoms) and about a week later it finally wore off.
My epidural was quick and painless. They seemed to know where to put the needle in and I just had to hold still. As soon as a contraction passed, they did the procedure rather quickly and I was numb within minutes. Mandy had a very poor experience and im sorry to hear that!
Poor Mandy. Sounds like she had a poor experience. My epidural experience was very quick and painless.
same here
I was gonna say, this was NOT like the epidural I saw my ex-wife get. They didn't bother with any 'does this hurt?' stuff and just stabbed the massive needle straight in while my ex crushed my body in a bear hug and screamed that it hurt. They seemed to think she was over-reacting, or at least that was the vibe I got from them as they continued to stab her. It was pretty quick, at least, not ten minutes.
@@CrystalisQ painless???? X
Mine was painless too, pretty sure they waited until I was having a contraction to do it (I'm like 99% sure but there's always that 1%, especially during birth memory lol, that I might be wrong lol) because I'm terrified of needles in general but I don't remember any pain from the actual epidural. I know they were a bit concerned since I have scoliosis but it was pretty quick. I guess it depends on the experience of the anesthesiologist? And I was NEVER asked if it hurt, they didn't stab me multiple times...holy shit, poor Mandy 😔
@@ElizabethDarkon pretty much it honestly felt like a bee sting. Them breaking the skin is what hurt not them actually placing everything
As someone who went through labor and had a epidural and have some notes on this!!
First, basically you have a “sock” around your entire spinal column and nerves. Within this sock is fluid between the skin of the “sock” and the actual spinal column. The needles goes into the sock and injects the numbing medicine into the fluid around the nerves and does not actually touch the spinal column or nerves themselves.
Second. Epidurals numb EVERYTHING below the spot they inject. So for me, i was completely numb on one side of my body and the other side of my body (hip down) was feeling like it was tingly. Definitely not as uncomfortable as labor pains but still unpleasant. No walking, barely able to move, catcher because you can’t walk to pee.
Third, you can inject as much medicine as you want. Can’t OD on it. So they give you a button to push if you ever need more of the pain meds.
Lastly, what bob was describing as the doctor “poking around” Mandy’s back and trying to find the right spot….that should be looked into as malpractice. The anesthesiologist should know the exact spot and the exact location to inject the epidural. Mine took literally 2 minutes and had no problems with pain. The fact she had a bruise on her back is awful…..hope she recovered well!!
You can't "do as much as you want" you're still limited. I got mine and they said I could self administer but there was a timer so I wouldn't over do it as I got closer to birth (i was given pitocin during this same time too, 4 hrs later i was in active labor). Technically you can OD while extremely unlikely, but you can lose too much feeling and then need an emergency c-section
@@Thunderfoot10dt i didn't even get the option to self administer. I didn't need to though.
@Bmay7413123 I didn't really use mine. Only just to understand I knew how it work and I noticed the timer. The drip they had me on was fine enough that I knocked out for a few hours and woke up with enough energy giving birth within the hour.
@@Bmay7413123 same I got one shot and first kid it didn’t freeze the left side much and the second kid it was good
My sister wasn't so lucky. They must've hit the nerve when they administered the epidural and her back hasn't been right since. It's been ten years and she still can't walk far without pain debilitating her.
No one talks about it. But birth can be traumatic and birth trauma is very real and I wish more people talked about the realities of pregnancy and birth.
Oh absolutely. Not even considering the pain that the mother is going through during the whole process, just the physical act is horrifying. She is pushing a living creature larger than an American football and heavier than a gallon of milk through a hole that is normally the size of a penny, if we're being generous. And no one talks about the afterbirth, either! After the baby is out, she still needs to get rid of the placenta and all the leftover fluids from her womb. How people can call it beautiful is beyond me. Yes, respect the power of the female body and celebrate the creation of new life, but it is a horrible and disgusting process to reach that point.
I'm guessing you're one of the people who have that trauma.
@@stitchlover4381 No. but because I made a point to learn about it, I don’t want children. People often are unaware of romanticize it. But it’s important to know how dangerous and traumatic it can be.
I don't know must people I've interacted are absolutely terrified of giving birth and don't want to add to the overpopulation anyway
@@thechugg4372 yeah but there's a difference between being scared of it and actually talking about how awful it is. Growing up as a girl, all you hear adults say about it is along the lines of "🌟The Miracle of Childbirth is a Beautiful Process That Every Girl Should Hope to Experience Someday🌟",
When my mom got her epidural to give birth to me, it was done wrong and apparently, my mom was screaming in pain and the nurses said, "That's normal." My grandmother later found out that the epidural my mother was given was the very first one that the nurse had given. Now my mom's back is screwed up forever. It is such a tedious process because of things like that. I hope Mandy is feeling better after all of that.
My mom has permanent damage from an incorrect epidural too. I have a feeling it’s not as uncommon as we think.
@@woofmeow5752 Sadly not as uncommon as it should be, yeah. A lot of people end up with Adhesive Arachnoiditis long term which is Not a good time.
People should start going after hospitals for malpractice
My mom has told me the story of how whoever her nurse was tried like..17 times to give her her epidural and it was horrible.
@@jammindragon1812 sadly it’s very difficult to actually sue. Not to mention the costs of lawyers, doctors will blame EVERYTHING else, and if it’s been long enough they will try and say it couldn’t have been them if you’re still having pain. My dad tried to sue his doctors once, they broke part of his spine after he had a fusion, and after 5 years of fighting it, due to one nurse claiming the wrong thing the case was dropped and my father was left with nothing. Both of us are still mad about it to this day, he had to get another surgery to correct what they did and was in pain for so much longer than he should have been
How little respect there is for women's pain in the medical sector is horrifying. It's killed an unconscionable number.
On the bright side, it's better than it used to be. Back when chloroform was a thing that was used in surgery, it was used a lot for child birth. The catholic church then ban it, saying "it's the sacred duty of a woman to feel the pain of childbirth".
Scary thing is, far too many still feel that way! (and not just Catholics)
Complete BS
@@igvc1876 what..?
@@Hen3349 not true
Mark got the epidural the easy way. From what I understand, women about to give birth have to be awake for receiving the epidural. Naturally. They're about to give birth. they can't fall asleep or be put to sleep. I wonder if Mandy got a med student... Those pokes of the epidural would make me very upset, if not panic. If Mandy kept her cool for that specifically - props to her! I could never stay patient. Now I'm afraid of epidurals. Thanks guys.
Depends on labor process and baby as far as sleeping goes. My sister actually fell asleep (partially due to Benadryl) for about an hour while laboring, which is the main thing that got my niece to actually move far enough down to actually start the active labor process. From all the stories I’ve heard about epidurals Mandy’s experience sounds atypical. Wouldn’t be shocked if it were a student or just an incompetent doctor.
Glad I’m a man and I’ve never needed something like this. I have an intense and crippling fear of needles and I’m 28. I’m damn near a middle aged man and I still get put on the verge of a panic attack the moment a needle gets near me. Getting cut is one thing, but stabbed is a different matter, I have the same fear reaction when I see fish hooks because the thought of getting stabbed and having something stuck in my body is terrifying. I panicked so hard getting blood drawn that I had to close my eyes and I was told that i was so tense and my blood pressure was so high that my arm was changing colors during the whole thing.
You would be correct. I was awake during mine. But for the record, if you're having contractions, you're a bit distracted by those OVER the epidural. I actually didn't feel to much outside of like... a grinding sensation before the poke happened. And it was so fast, I wasn't in any pain pretty much right after.
@@BeckyNosferatu see for me it's the recovering from the epidural that's one of the scariest parts, if you're lucky enough to fully recover from it that is.
@@jahoytodiesforahoy4615 Recovery is totally fine! My dad has had 4 with his back problems. They're generally safe to do.
I agree with Mark, the way things were handled for Mandy seems off. My anesthesiologist was precise, found the spot between my vertebrae and did in one prick. I am a hefty chick so it would have been difficult finding the sweet spot but nope he was quite knowledgeable on where to place the catheter for my epidural
She definitely didn't have a good anesthesiologist. I've had an epidural and a spinal for my births and did not have anything like that.
Yeah. Agreed. Was nothing like that
It's scary the range of skill-levels we pay through the nose for in America. You never know what you will get now.
This part gave me flashbacks to a botched minor surgery I had as a kid.
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Basically, the docs didn't know how to numb me right so they injected directly into where the infection was (which was VERY sensitive), immediately ask if I feel anything instead of waiting the 10 minutes you're supposed to, and stick me again when I told them no. After about the 13th injection and no one thinking to ask why it hadn't worked yet, I finally just lied and said I didn't feel anything (again, I was kid and by that point I had sort of forgotten what they were trying to numb me _for_ and just wanted them to stop stabbing me).
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What then happened was an operation during which I'm screaming my head off, repeating over and over "Please stop! I'd rather die!"
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Edit (and really should have added this sooner): all of this is to say that I really felt for Mandy during this part and I'm glad that she and the baby are better now.
Lesson learned, never lie to the doctor?
so they were incompentent
@@Darke_Exelbirth also try to make sure your doctors are good doctors
Reminds me of a less severe moment but still the worst health-related experience I had, it was at the dentist. I don't remember if they were pulling a thooth out or dealing with a cavity or something but I needed a part of my gums to be numbed and I still felt pain after the first injection of local anesthesia, so they gave me some more and then I still felt pain but they said any more would take very long to restore to normal and reccomended I try to get through it, anyways, with just the two injections and I did but I still remember it was awful, some of the worst pain I've felt. Actually worse then this time my foot got caught in a wheel when I was on the back of a bicycle- but maybe that was bc of more adrenaline at that moment and I went KO for the worst part of it.
@@Stick_and_stone I own up to that lying wasn't my best idea, but I still hold that by that point, SOMEONE should have asked why it wasn't working.
I was so scared to get an epidural while having my baby bc I had been educated on it like how mark explained and I was like NOPE. But I started having fever and severe pain due to my condition flaring bc I was in labor so I needed it. I hated every minute of it. No pain, but I couldn’t feel ANYTHING. I wanted control of my body while laboring, but the meds worked too well. Epidural is a fantastic experience for many ppl who need it, but there’s ppl like me and Mandy who don’t have great times with it.
I feel you! I had 1 patch that it didn't work on but was fixed. Then it worked too well. Up to my armpits were completely numb.
My mom's friend had an epidural and my mom told me the friend had back issues ever since. My mom claims to have had all 4 of her kids with no epidural and I've managed so far with one kid without an epidural.
@TestSubject6 same with my mom, to this day like 26 years later she still has excruciating back pain from the location they put the epidural. I really wish that after millions and millions of years, the birth process would become significantly better but sadly its barely getting there
All the women in my family who got an epidural have back and leg issues still 20years later, so I'm going to do everything in my power to avoid getting an epidural 😬
Finding the epidural spot reminds me of trying to find the stud in a wall without a detector. (drills a hole) "Nope, not here!" (drills a hole) "Nope, not here!" (15 holes in the wall later) "Found it!"
Bless Mandy for going through so much hell and coming out the other side, congrats again to y'all and welcome to the world, James!
Ew a furry
Naw jk, I don't really care what you like lol
Yes welcome James to the gates of hell! Hope you enjoy your nightmarish experience we call life! XD
@@alexanderelderhorst2107 Ew another furry
Lol
Prayers to bob's wife. Hope her body recovers from the childbirth
I listened to this whole podcast and omg when Bob said "so that was the bad part.... and next came the VERY BAD PART"
Epidurals can be so fantastic when they're administered correctly, but catastrophic in the few occasions when they aren't :(
I’m always afraid of things going wrong, so yeah when they gave me the option of an epidural I was like no you’re not going anywhere near my back. I already have too much nerve damage everywhere else I don’t need that part being damaged too. Also my birthing class wasn’t any help either they just made it sound scarier.
Idk I've heard lots of stories from the women in my life that got an epidural for labor and it's always the recovery that's the worst part
I think few is being generous based on all the stories I see here
This reminds me of my moms experience giving birth to my brother and me (were twins). He just popped right out, but I needed to be c-sectioned out. She doesn't remember if they gave her anesthesia but she doesn't think they did, or if they did they didn't wait long enough for it to kick in... we think she did have an epidural but she doesn't know. They just started cutting into her and she could feel everything, she was just laying on the bed crying because they were moving her organs around and she could feel it, like she wasn't numb at all or asleep. I honestly think it was medical malpractice, because pain like that has killed people before, but I could be wrong.
And while she was pregnant with my sister she was always sick, like she couldn't keep food or water down so she had to take suppositories, but the doctors didn't belive her. Even while she was giving birth to my sister she had to have a vomit bucket in front of her because of how much she was throwing up, and the doctor STILL didn't belive her, the doc thought she was doing it for attention. Which she wasn't. Like who tf wants to put a pill up their butt every couple hours, like idk what was wrong with that doctor.
Omg that sounds awful! 😱
@@shellyoss8754 yeah it really was, but thankfully she's never had an experience like that again
I can't believe she had another child after going through something so traumatic
@@Mandy_Moo Yeah, she had my sister first, but even then I'm surprised she went through everything else to have us, the twins.
I can tell you that the method they used is technically proper, it hasn't been standard for a long time by now. The current guidelines say to use a very specific anatomic location in the lower spine (the fetal position they put you in is actually to open up the space between the vertebra), and the way to confirm that you are in the correct location and gone deep enough is by watching the spinal fluid leak out of the needle.
Once they have it confirmed, they inject the anestesia and take it out.
Yeah. I've had multiple lumbar punctures, same thing minus the drugs, and they just laid me on my side and hug my knees, used their fingers to feel the vertebral space, told me to hold *really still*, and then poked me. One random one they made me lay on my belly and they used a fluoroscope, basically live x-ray, to check the proper placement before sticking me. The other ones used fluoroscopy too, but laying on my belly on that hard steel x-ray table was uncomfortable as I'm a rather large chested woman. I think they did it that way so it was guaranteed that I didn't move during the procedure because it takes longer to drain off csf fluid than place an epidural cannula and there's a hard steel needle in the very small space next to your spine and if you make a big movement, like a sneeze, you could injure your spine.
Mostly the last one protects the hospital from being sued because it's harder for the patient to be dumb.
Not my husband telling me "It looks like a giant sword" while they were injecting me... Super painful for me.
They didn't even try to find the spots for me, just chose a spot and stuck it in. Loved the numbness afterward though lmao
This episode truly made me know a lot more about birth thank you bob
The idea of stabbing my spine with a needle is fuckin horrifying to me as someone with a severe phobia of having any form or amount of metal inside of my body.
I am so sorry for Mandy. Whoever was doing her epidural probably was new or simply had no clue what they were doing. Ugh - that is so rough.
I’ve given birth twice and gotten an epidural both times. The first time, the guy giving me the epidural (I’m not even going to try to spell anastesi-whatsit) was very brusque and kind of mean. I would jump a little bit when he started poking at me and he’d get after me like I was a dumb little kid. The second time, I had a different guy doing it and he was great. He talked to me and my husband about a bunch of random stuff, which distracted me from the fact he was sticking a needle in my spine and made me relax better, so it went faster.
Both times was glad I had the epidural. The first delivery was really rough on me and the baby - 30 hours, plus my son was almost 11 pounds which is a HUGE baby. Things turned out fine - my son is a healthy and happy little boy and I’m doing well. But I would have been so much worse off without the epidural.
My daughter’s delivery went a lot quicker and less traumatic. But I was sick the whole pregnancy. So there was a trade-off.
I went to therapy after having my daughter because I was experiencing severe postpartum health anxiety and depression due to complications during labor that were very traumatic. I had panic attacks daily about my health and the therapist told me that the experience during labor couldn’t be enough to cause mental trauma.. and gave me medication that turned me into a zombie. I was so dissociated from my baby because of the meds and they still didn’t stop the anxiety. I was just getting panic attacks but felt like I couldn’t move. I stopped the meds and seeing him after that. I’m doing better now. Mandy is not alone. Being a mother is really hard. She is enough. ❤
The only "fun fact" I know about these is that if you move at all after they put it in, there is a high likelihood you will get paralyzed from the epidural down. I have a cousin who was paralyzed by one (they inserted it wrong and didn't realize till they pulled it out), and an aunt who has lower back issues because of hers. But my mom had 1 and didn't have a single issue with it, but when my little sister & brother came around. Doctor wasn't in for either of their births so my mom wasn't able to even have the option
My poor mother refused to have an epidural because she knew a lady who had one done, but they had done it so badly that she was completely numb. She was unable to push out the baby so they had to try and pull him out with forceps and he somehow ended up with severe brain damage (I don’t know if it was oxygen or if they squeezed him too hard). I think that was somewhere in the early nineties so it probably wasn’t as good then, but it really scared her
Sounds like Mandy had a similar experience to mine. Getting an epidural was the most excruciating experience of my life with my first birth and I have had 3 natural births and spine surgery since then. I swear, getting the epidural was not worth the pain it caused at all. Sorry Mandy’s sucked too. I felt groggy and lousy after it too, and it didn’t take away all that much of the pain really for me, after all that. That’s why I didn’t bother with it when I had my other kids.
My experience (mileage may vary, I was extremely lucky) was no epidural, mild pain killer pills for the contractions (dear God the contractions...) and once baby was born, all pain was gone. Was just uncomfortable due to body. Nurses told me I had a "perfect" birth and I thank every lucky star for it.
Sounds like good prep for having kids. Gonna be groggy for 9 months anyway
I feel so bad for Mandy! I just had my son 3 days ago and I had an epidural and that was the most painless experience of the whole labor process for me
My mom never had good experiences with epidurals, and I HATEEEEEE needles, I couldn’t imagine having one. My DH didn’t think I’d be able to do it without one because I’m a wuss with pain. I did a tens machine in the beginning and laughing gas up to the moment I had to push and didn’t use an epidural. I’m SOOOOO THANKFUL, I had a friend who was due around the same time and she was doing ALL THE THINGS to get ready to go no epidural, learning about breathing exercises, reading books, etc. Her labor was too complicated and she ended up needing one.
It just reminds me that everyone has the child birth they have, sometimes your goal, isn’t your body’s goal. I’m hoping that my next one, I won’t need an epidural, but I won’t know until I’m in that labor room.
Mine didn't work before my daughter decided to make her entrance.
Poor Mandy..I feel for her.💜
Oh poor Mandy! That's not normal for an epidural. I felt ZERO after my epidural was administered. The baby was literally crowning when the nurse checked me and she was STUNNED I couldn't feel it.
Oh no, poor Mandy! I had the same experience with mine when I had my kid a couple years ago. My husband felt so bad watching them search around my spine and seeing me in a lot of pain. It was the worst part of the entire experience. I also think I was given too much, they told me they gave me too much and had to dial it back, but my legs were still completely numb and useless past my waist. Afterwards I was really nauseous and they kept forgetting to come back with anti-nausea meds. I puked while I was pushing too hehe. And the spot on my spine where they poked me hurt for months after. Still doesn't feel right.
They did my epidural in the middle of my contractions (I was having back labor too) ... so trying to sit there and be still while they are jabbing your back is almost impossible. ::edit:: Took 5 doses before I was numb and it didnt kick in until after my daughter was born and I was in recovery. I still say my back problems I have to this day are a big part of that epidural.
I told the lady doing my epidural to wait when I was having a contraction because my contractions made me not able to sit straight. We did everything between my contractions and they were super nice about it. I had them talk me through it but straight up was like "DO NOT LET ME SEE THE NEEDLE" 😂 I was so scared honestly
But I'm sorry if your experience was bad! I didn't even want it originally but the pain was too much. But yeah it was impossible with contractions 🫠 also have a bad back from it but my birthing experience was more tolerable because of it
To all of you who got to have an epidural, I am so glad for you (especially if it's a choice you made). Don't have a baby in Japan because if you have a baby outside of "office hours" then no epidural for you because they only do it then! I've given birth to two babies without any pain relief and I wish that on no one. You want an epidural, you go get one. I did however have an in training midwife put my IV line in for being induced with my first and it took her about 5 goes before someone else took over as she was butchering my arm. Sometimes you just get someone with bad aim. Well done Mandy. I hope her recovery is going smoothly. Give that lady absolutely anything she wants for the foreseeable future.
when I got my epidural, it was a nurse in training that did it. They ended up getting it stuck and we didn't find out until it was time to take it out. Then they ripped that thing out like they were rip starting a lawn mower. I've had chronic back pain ever since. If I stand too long, my whole back will feel like it's on fire. But with the complications I had, there wasn't any way I would have been able to give birth without it.
I had it done to me. It kind of hurt having it put in but I felt so much better once it started flowing in. My problem was that my contractions were so bad that it was very hard to keep still. My back's still messed up from having it done.
ok and putting this on my list of painful things to never ask for unless in worse pain ever
_When I was going to have_ *spinal anesthesia* _right before a day surgery, and __-I was told I might just feel a push..-__ It was_ *SO PAINFUL* _and_ *TRAUMATIC* _and_ *I CRIED IN PAIN!*
Mark: it was fine 😂
Getting an epidural is honestly one of the most painful and stress inducing parts of delivery for me, and it didn’t even work 😅
I hope Mandy recovers well. My second sons birth was terrible according to my 3 people I had with me I almost died, they ended up poking me 5 times for my epi, I was numb from the neck down. Your supposed to be numb from the waist down. My heart rates already naturally low it always has been and I've always been healthy. My son's heart was dropping and my heart rate was barely even trackable. Just remember being so tired and wanting to sleep but also so nauseous I couldn't. 10 hr nightmare from hell😅
I got an epidural after a man texting and driving didn’t stop at a red light, caused a 5-car pile up, blew out several disks in my spine, and left me with nerve damage requiring surgery. On epidural day, I lied down on a table, got a couple numbing shots before the epidural, and felt a large dull poke in back that was guided by x-ray. The doc felt it was in a good spot and pushed in the medicine. I felt a dull pressure as the medicine entered the protective sac covering my spinal cord. The doctor noted I didn’t flinch at all with the needle. The thing is that by the time you need an epidural, you are in such excruciating pain that no needle could hurt you. I told the doctor there was nothing he could do to hurt me worse than the man texting and driving. It was the best feeling in the world to have the pain reduced. I passed out shortly after since my body was used to being in such tremendous pain for so long that with some of the pain gone, my blood pressure bottomed out. It was the first “sleep” I had undisturbed by pain in months. My endless gratitude lies with medical providers who have lessen (but never were able to eliminate) my pain and gave me back some of the function I had before the crash
The way so many women and AFAB people are treated during the birthing process is so monstrous and disgusting (and are generally regarded in hospitals in general), poor Mandy.. 💔 For sure that is NOT how anesthesiologists or epidurals are supposed to be. I hope she’s recovering alright :(
I genuinely shed a tear at this episode. 😢
It's been four years since I had my twins, I still feel where I got the epidural, and it causes me back pain still. But when they were finding a good spot they used their knuckle, kept digging his knuckle into my spine while I had a panic attack. Poor Mandy, I thought the knuckle hurt but I can't imagine being stabbed with a needle over and over again like that.
I had the epidural during my labor, but it was dropping my blood pressure to where they had to turn it off... RIGHT AS I WAS ABOUT TO PUSH. So I'm pushing for two hours, with nothing to numb or relieve any pain, with no breaks. My body is about to completely give out, I'm on the verge of passing out from exhaustion and the immense amount of pain, and my son is wedged between my pelvic bone an dis unable to pass. They had to give me the epidural again so they could perform an emergency c-section on me. Worst trauma I have ever experienced. I still have nightmares to this day, and even have flashbacks.
Oh my gosh.. I don't want my wife to be subjected to that when our baby comes. If she chooses the epidural, I hope they get it right the first time.
My epidural only partially worked. My legs were numb. Hoo-haw was numb, cause I tore something terrible and didn't feel it. But I sure felt every single contraction.
I don't remember how they placed it, I don't remember the poke poke thing. But I was awake for about 35 hours at that point.
From people comments it sounds like epidural is more problems than it is worth. It feels like it should be reserved for the people and situations that _absolutely_ need it.
I've had a spinal tap twice and what the doctors are trying to do is get to the space between the spinal bones. My first was done professionally done with them actually using a x-ray machine so they can put the needle in the right spot the first time which you can watch on a tv screen provide. The second time it was done was a student since the hospital was a teaching one and this was done a bed with you lying on your side while there stabbing and poking the crap out of you back trying to get to that tiny little gap. I swear after that I've had back problems ever since which I never had before.
I had an epidural for herniated discs in my back. The procedure went relatively quick. There was a moment of searing pain, like a hot metal rod was being shoved down my leg. Overall it wasn't traumatic because the doctor and nurses were really amazing and comforting. I had told them I was very nervous and they were so kind
For me they just made sure my pain was still muted on one side of my body, just one poke, and they had me compare both sides of my body by applying cold compress to see that one side is indeed a bit numbed
2 out of the 3 epidurals I have had, I also lost all use and feeling of one or both of my legs. Once causing me to almost crash to the floor during first the post baby bathroom break, but luckily the nurse caught be before that happened.
So, I've had 4 epidurals, but of a different kind. When I was 21, a disc ruptured in my back and I was having severe sciatic pain, and part of the process before jumping to surgery was steroid/pain medicine epidurals directly into the spot where the disc ruptured. Well, I had 3 of those in my pain doctor's office (every other month apart), but they were blind epidurals, meaning, like with Mandy, I was curled up on the bed in the office facing the wall in the fetal position with my back facing the doctor, and the doctor felt around for a bit to make sure he got into the space between the discs and then did the steroid/pain medicine injection, but they never worked or helped, and afterward, I couldn't lift anything for at least 24 hours and had to lay down and everything and for some reason had to make sure I drank caffeine, and I never figured out why because as I was in the process of asking why after an injection, I passed out and never got my answer. For the 4th epidural I had, my pain doctor, by this point, recommended me to TOC (The Orthopedic Center) in Huntsville to have a 4th epidural done under dye and x-ray to make sure the medicine went directly into the disc and space it needed for the medicine to work, and it didn't work either, and come to find out, the reason why the medicine wasn't helping my pain was due to the fact that a tiny piece of the ruptured disc was pressing directly onto the sciatic nerve, so surgery was the only option at that point. But yeah, epidurals suck so much.
When my mother was having me she decided on an epidural, fortunately my aunt who is a registered nurse was there monitoring her as my mother's eyes began to roll into the back of her head. Apparently they had placed the needle incorrectly and therefore the anesthetic was going directly towards her brain through her spinal cord instead of downward towards her hips.
Oh man, my dad had to get epidurals like every 6 months to a year for a long time. It can be an incredibly painful process for many if not most, and most people can't walk steadily for like a half hour to an hour after the process finishes.
Like, my dad consistently shocked doctors and hospital staff by being able to leave right after it finished because of the pain he was in all the time.
I had an epidural for my emergency c-section, and it was literally done in 15seconds. Like they sat me up, made me hug a pillow in my lap, done.
What I got made mine painless, they applied a topical first I believe. They are supposed to do the epidural in the middle, the spine. They asked if it felt in the center then tell them and they could proceed. They had a bit to the right at first. So I told them and then they got it in the middle and it was all good. My mom was so jealous because I slept through my contractions all night. She was jealous because she had a bad experience with her epidural when pregnant. My labor was amazing and I hardly felt a thing.
I had one for a herniated disk. It protruded in such a way that one of the main nerve clusters that run down along the spine and into the leg was almost completely pinched off. The pain was unbelievable. I lost the ability to straighten my back and eventually lost the ability to straighten my legs. They sent me to physical therapy (you can imagine how helpful that was) and put me on increasing levels of pain relievers. The epidural was the last one I tried before the pain relievers would have crossed into the bad addictive stuff. I stopped them at that point. Anyways, I was wide awake for mine and the screen was in front of me for the doctor to see where the needle was going between my vertebra. I got to watch AND feel the pressure of it happening. Joy. Long story short, it didn't help at all and 5 doctors later I finally had surgery to remove the herniated portion of the disk. Permanent nerve damage, degenerative issues and over a decade of steadily increasing levels of pain are the end result of it all. But, hey, as long as it's no farther than my mailbox, I can stand up and walk without using my cane, crutches or wheelchair. I do have to use the furniture a bit, I can't bend over to get food out of my own fridge or stand in one place for more than a minute or two and there isn't a doctor out there who will just declare me disabled already but it's all good. It's only my one life. But, yeah, epidurals, fun things those.
I was helping my wife with those "breathing exercises" when they did the epidural. I recall doing the deep breath.... then "ow." Then deep breath..... then "ow."
My mother and law suddenly looked at me and told me to sit down. Turned out I was so focused on syncing her breathing that I forgot to exhale during the "ow."
Almost passed out because of her epidural.
its also rare, but does happen, that you can be paralyzed from them poking in your back like that. It can also cause longer than normal numbing and feeling like your lower body is in constant low grade pain.
they are trained on where to stick it for each procedure, but that spot is a bit different for everyone else so they can poke multiple times which can cause issues for some.
that's what I was about to say, an improperly inserted epidural can also cause a spinal fluid leak which can cause brain damage. Basically your brain is supposed to be wet all the time, if fluid leaks out of there it dries out parts of your brain and even after it rehydrates it doesn't work right. There's a youtuber I watch called Jessica Kellgren-Fozard and she had a botched spinal tap at one point, she now suffers severe memory loss. It's one of the many reasons I chose not to have kids, spinal stuff can go wrong so quick, but everyone who decides to have one deserves an anesthesiologist who's as careful and well-trained as possible.
I've never had an epidural, but I've had 2 spinal taps; it's the same thing with none of the lower body numbness. Just having that needle hit your spine is so unnerving. The numbing shots are painful, because they give them layer by layer. First the top layer of skin, then a little bit deeper, then deeper, until finally you don't feel "pain" when the needle hits that pocket of fluid. And it's not one shot per layer, it's SEVERAL. It sends a zap down your legs and up to your neck, you can feel it even with the numbing shots they give you, and just having it there makes you so anxious. I almost passed out the second time around.
I hope Mandy is doing okay
And today's installment of why I will not be having children
playig battleship with her spine.
Wades mini recap at the end really solidified in my mind to wait to have children, and adopt, my god im not ready for that crap yet
My epidural worked fine. Took me 17 hours to finally give in and accept it (husband asked twice and was fixing to yell at him if he asked one more time! 😂) 😅 but I agree it was more uncomfortable than anything! Afterward, the pain was no longer an issue 🙂 even better: I'm terrified of needles! However, I almost didn't feel anything. Didn't like my feet feeling numb so I kept moving my feet 😂 nurse was surprised I could move that much lol! Like Bob, my husband was in front of me while I was getting mine. Just to keep me steady though. Keep in mind this all happened on a military base. BEST care I've received any time I went (with the exception of when I was getting meds for my morning sickness) Poor Mandy though 😔 getting poked so many times
Aww Mandy, I feel her pain. My epidural failed when they tried it, they took too long and I had to push without it. Had a massive bruise on my back for a week after
I have a very crooked spine so they couldn't safely inject me in my actual spine, they had to do it to the side. Was very quick, painless and easy... you know, apart from the fact I had a baby's head coming out my body because no one checked me before getting the anesthesiologist in, so in the end I didn't even need it and it didn't work anyway lol
I recently gave birth, and while i didn’t feel it at all, it unfortunately worked *too* well lol I blacked out shortly after getting it and I was out for like 7 hours. And like mark I couldn’t move my legs. Or anything else aside from my head and my arms a little bit. It was hard to breathe, and I couldn’t swallow. My husband tried to give me a little water to help my dry mouth but I just couldn’t swallow it at all. Im just glad I didn’t freak out. I tried pushing but I didn’t even know if I was because I genuinely couldn’t feel anything.
oh that sounds unpleasent. I sometimes have dysphagia (inability to swallow) because of dysautonomia caused by my chronic illness and it is by far my most annoying symptom. I couldn't imagine just having given birth to a baby and not even being able to take a little sip of water.
I had an incident where the doctor couldn’t find the vein in my hand for the Iv for my surgery and she warned me ahead of time that she wasn’t great at it so she told me that she wouldn’t stick me with the needle until I was asleep just in case she missed because she wasn’t great at it and she didn’t want me to hurt. As I’m being put asleep, I feel her repeatedly sticking me with the needle in the back of my hand and before I fall asleep, I felt her get me with the needle like four times before the sleep gas actually knocked me out. After my surgery when I was finally able to take the IV out, I saw that the back of my hand where she stop the needle has so many bloody marks on it because she failed so many times to get the IV in.
Aw im so sorry that happened to her. Mine he gave me a local first then went poking around. So it was pretty painless. What I learned from the whole thing is to have a good anesthesiologist
My mum got one when she had me.. The nurse that did it ‘poked’ the wrong spot around 15 times. Long story short, nobody was happy at that moment, and her mother (so my grandmother) was practically yelling at the nurse in the hall after I was born.. That’s a fun memory for them..
I don't think my mother even had an epidural when she was delivering me. I may need to double-check.
I'm a man and had an epidural for a spinal tap. It was HORRIBLE. It hurt so fucking bad I wanted to die even though I couldn't really feel any pain.
Edit: the reason and epidural is different during childbirth, you know with like poking around and stuff, is because they want to find the right nerves. In the case of a spinal tap or something, they know the basic area that they want to get, but if they do it wrong in somebody who is giving birth then like what happened to Mark they can cause a crisis by doing it in the wrong spot
I once got my nerve poked by accident during a dental procedure - it felt like a shock coursed throughout my entire jaw
I've had 2 epidurals. The first was very similar to what Bob described. It was torture. The second was super fast, and I barely felt anything. I chalk it up to the skill of the anesthesiologist
I had an epidural when I had an operation on my ankle; it felt freaking weird when they injected, but the worst part was having to curl up on myself for a fair few minutes to allow access to my back.
Everyone I’ve told has cringed when I said I’d been awake for the whole operation.
I've heard some women who "supposedly" had chronic nerve damage from pregnancy epidurals. But I've never known if its a rumor or actually has some fact behind it. So just be cautious about it and moniter any sudden numbness or shooting pains she may have out of the blue.
If the epidural is placed incorrectly it definitely could cause that, poking around anywhere their is a high concentration of nerves always poses a risk of nerve damage. This risk is obviously low enough that this procedure is deemed normal but the risk is there
It took my body 4months before the pain of the epidural went away
My mom says Mandy had a bad anesthesiologist if they had to spend 10 minutes stabbing her back, when mom had my brother and I hers got both in just one go
I had to be induced because I was experiencing HELLP Syndrome and opted for an epidural after about 15 min of contractions. It took another 15 minutes before they could get down to me. They had to get it in between contractions. Unfortunately, the HELLP Syndrome meant I started bleeding from the site. I had gauze and tape all up my spine. Its also not perfect in terms of trying to get both sides equally numbed up. It does take the edge off, though and was well worth it.
Getting an epidural is nerve-racking because you can feel the needle like scrape your bones as it goes in. But it is nice because the pain control can be extended in case of surgery. I've had 3 c sections and only the 3rd was planned. Fun fact, epidural does not touch pain in your tailbone. Also if you get an epidural not in pregnancy they do constant xrays to see where to put the needle and to make sure it is in correctly. They can't do that while you are pregnant.
reminds me of getting my blood drawn and the nurse couldn’t get the needle in my vein for a solid 15 minutes (i have shitty arm veins, not her fault) and she was getting nervous after having already stabbed my right arm twice and i was like it’s fine just try the other arm. that one worked lol. and thankfully i have a high pain tolerance and am not afraid of needles, so it was fine but jeez medicine can be so finicky at the worst times.
As someone afraid of needles and pregnancy I thought I'd watch this for information to see if it was as bad as I thought it was. I can now say instead of being afraid I am now mortified!
I had an epidural. It wasn't bad. They numb the skin beforehand. And it was weird when they were trying to get the right spot. It would zing on the left and right side. So I told them so they could get it right. And then it still didn't work on one spot. But the nurse fixed it.
Then I had too much and didn't feel anything up to my armpits. It happens but they had to monitor and turn it down because well, they didn't want me to stop breathing 😅 They did ice tests regularly all night. So yay! No sleep and having a baby! 🤦🏻♀️
THEY SUCK!!!!!!!!! i had to have mine done while having contractions, and the doctor was getting mad that I kept moving. I was like I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER THAT MOVEMENT!!!
I’ve never had an epidural or anything but this just made me think of every time I’ve needed blood drawn. The doctors can never find my veins so every blood draw is that same stabbing in several locations like mandy experienced. Even worse sometimes they’ll start swishing the needle around while it’s in my arm.
The worst part is that they don’t listen when I try to warn them or suggest an easier spot. They’re just like “nah I got it” and proceed to stab my arm a dozen times before reluctantly having to admit I was right and do what I suggested from the start.
It took my mom 8 hours of natural birthing to eventually end it with a c section. I was a big girl and my mom was a tiny woman. She said that the anaesthesiologist injected too much anaesthesia into her, apparently proscribed the amount for her without deducting the weight of a baby and after giving birth, she went to sleep for 3 days.
An Indian nurse noticed no one was coming to feed me and my mom was still unconscious. So she hid me under the reception desk and fed me formula when I started to get hungry.
It was a government hospital so the hospital is not responsible for feeding your baby. I'm really grateful to the nurse and mom, even though she regretted giving birth lol
This reminds me of a horrible trip to the dentist I had once where they were trying to inject the painkillers in the back of my mouth, but he basically stabbed it half a dozen times before injecting, and even after he injected it, it only sorta halfway worked. So they did the operation while I still could pretty consciously feel everything and it definitely hurt like hell, but I couldn't communicate this very well with my mouth full of dental equipment so I sorta just had to tough it out.
And now I have a crippling fear of the dentist as a 24 yr old man.
You're not alone. I'm nearly 40 and still struggle with dental appointments. Finding a good, compassionate dentist helps with it, if you're lucky enough. If you're even luckier your insurance will cover sedation dentistry.
Dentists are one of the worst types of doctors as far as informed consent and checking on the patient. I've had to grab dentists' hands and physically push them away so I could speak and tell them something isn't going the way it's supposed to. They always complain people are afraid of them but like yeah, if you're not listening to your patients they're going to be nervous about going back to you. I've found a rare dental office that is really good with clients with fears and phobias, they offer nitrous for routine procedures like cleaning if you need it and they have a system where if you put your hand up they stop and ask you what's wrong.
God, I remember with my third kiddo they kept messing up putting the epidural needle in my back over and over. I kept having intense contractions, so I had a really hard time staying still and and couldn't keep my back straight enough, so they had to keep trying for several, several minutes. The nurse was holding me and comforting as I sobbed after a while, because it hurt so bad between the constant needle stabbing and the contractions at the same time.........wow, I'm tearing up recalling that, I guess that was one of my traumatic birth experiences.....only topped by my second labor, because that was all natural, it happened so fast that they didn't have time to give me an epidural and I screamed and freaked out like I was fighting for my life.... they had to hold me down so I could deliver safely....I went into a state of trauma after for a little bit after the baby was born, it was.....rough....however kids number 1 and 4 were decent labors, so hey, experiences may vary lol.
I was in the room when my sister was giving birth. The epidural suddenly stopped working so they had to pull it out and replace it.
I remember blood dripping down her back, and the way they had to tape it down, then retape it because her hair got caught
They know what spine piece they are looking for however you can't see inside the body so I assume that's why they ask "does that hurt" etc, to ensure they found the right location. The same thing happened to me. On the other hand, my sister had a better epidural experience (like 2 minutes and done). I would also like to add here that while the person is poking around in your back they are also telling you, "relax" and "hold your breath" and "don't move" while you have searing pain from contractions. So many times, I wanted to smack the stuff out of that person because they kept saying "hold your breath" and "hold still" exactly when a contraction started! I was hunched over and attempting to hold my breath off and on for like 10 minutes! The medicine in an epidural can reach the baby but it's supposed to be less so than the meds administered via IV. I feel for you Mandy! You are a trooper!
I didn’t get an epidural, just a needle in my lower back to numb a small area for a small incision, but the needle going in does NOT feel pleasant, was not expecting it to hurt that much. Thankfully, it went numb pretty fast afterward
i had to get an epidural once, it was for knee surgery (they refused to make me sleep so that was the only option) and yes they kinda jut stab your back in random spots near the spine untill they find the right one, i was traumatized by it. And yes, usually they keep you awake because they need your response on if it hurts or tingles in any way
They usually ultrasound to find the nerve cluster? I only got my leg nerve blocked during my knee surgery, but I suppose the spine can't be found the same way.
Poor Mandy. Glad mine was not painful. It took probably 2 minutes for relief to come but it felt like an hour because of my pain. I was also given a button to get more numbing if I needed it. Obviously there would be a waiting period and only a small dosage would come out but I fell asleep. Bottom half numb no pain except a few horrible contractions.
My epidural was really quick from what I remember, but I do remember that minutes before giving birth my epidural stopped working… the doctors discussed bringing in another anesthesiologist but it was gonna be at least a 30 min wait and we were at the point where we couldn’t necessarily put of the birth any longer as things started progressing quickly. In the end all was well and now my husband and I have a happy baby boy.
Wow!
That's crazier then I thought it would be!
New anesthesiologist? That doesn't sound right.
omg poor mandy they did not find a spot quick enough
I had a similar procedure (steroid injection for back pain) and it was one of the most painful experiences of my life. The first time I got one done the Dr jolted my nerves and caused my legs to shake bc of the pain. The second time was worse bc they jabbed me TWICE and hit the nerves both times. After my second injection my face was bright red and hot to the touch, I was sweating like crazy, had no appetite, insomnia, and severe chest pain over the course of multiple days. I ended up in the ER (which the doctors did nothing to stop my symptoms) and about a week later it finally wore off.
My epidural was quick and painless. They seemed to know where to put the needle in and I just had to hold still. As soon as a contraction passed, they did the procedure rather quickly and I was numb within minutes. Mandy had a very poor experience and im sorry to hear that!