Re: Epidural--Too Numb to Push??

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However, I think most people in LDR units have enough experience with the epidurals to know how to adjust the dosage and timing to have the minimal interference on delivery and pushing. And I think they have improved them greatly during the past few years.

With my last baby, my doc gave me a para-cervical block during the last part of labor, and it was very helpful. I think these are not as popular now as they used to be, so your doc may not do them (and if he does - don't look at the needle!!!). I also had a pudendal block during delivery that took the edge off of the pushing pain. And then I got a local for my episiotomy repair. I had lots of lidocaine during that delivery (it took several injections to numb the perineum for the repair).

With baby #1, I had nothing besides a shot of demerol which seemed to do nothing but make me stupid during the delivery and leave me with a sore spot on my rear for several weeks. And then the local for the repair again.

There are lots of options, but get facts from your doctor or childbirth instructor.

Good luck

Andrea

At Wed, 21 Jun 2000, Mari wrote: >
>A friend of mind recently had a baby and opted to have Demerol in her IV
>rather than an epidural in her spine. Her labor lasted for a full day
>as she slept in between contractions. She said that she'd felt all the
>pain but was very sleepy. She also said that she didn't choose the
>Epidural because she feared that the numbness would prevent her from
>pushing.
>
>Is that true or common?
>
>I know that when I go to the dentist, after being given Novacaine, my
>mouth gets so numb that I start to drool.
>
>Is the feeling after an epidural similar to the novacaine mouth?
>
>I'd never thought until my friend had her baby that an epidural might
>work against pushing.
>
>If the expectant mother is too numb to push, can the epidural be removed
>and then replaced by some other pain reducer?
>
>Are there any other options besides the epidural shot in the spine and
>Demerol in the IV? Maybe something that takes away the pain but doesn't
>leave the mother too numb to push?
>
>Thanks.
>
>--
>Mari
>

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