With an epidural, you might be able to feel contractions — they just won't hurt — and you'll be able to push effectively.
For women with epidural anesthesia who do not feel the urge to push when they are completely dilated, delay pushing until the urge to push is felt (up to 2 hours for nulliparous women and up to 1 hour for multiparous women).
Complications from epidurals are extremely rare, and pushing with an epidural is generally not a problem because you will still be able to feel pressure (rectal pressure, that is!) despite not feeling any pain or contractions.
You'll likely still feel the pressure of your contractions (which will be helpful when it's time to push) and be aware of (but not bothered by) vaginal exams during labor. And you'll still be able to feel your baby moving through the birth canal and coming out.
Some people describe the feeling as being like intense period cramps, others say it feels like a tightening or pounding feeling in your uterus or across your belly, others describe the feeling as being like very intense muscle cramps, while still other people describe contractions as being like the sort of wrenching ...
“Labor often intensifies after your water breaks, since there isn't a buffer between your uterus and the baby.” The act of your water breaking doesn't hurt (and if you've had an epidural, you likely won't feel it at all, unless the water reaches up your back), but expect those contractions to ramp up almost immediately ...
In most cases, however, an epidural will not be given until the mother is at least 3-4 centimeters dilated. Once the mother is fully dilated most doctors and hospitals will consider it too late for an epidural to be given.
An epidural is a tiny tube that delivers pain medicine directly into the area in your back around your spinal cord. The effects of the epidural usually wear off within 2 hours after the epidural medicine is stopped. After the epidural wears off, you may have some cramping and vaginal pain from childbirth.
But if you're close to 10 centimeters dilated the research suggests it's not an issue. Evidence suggests it's more of a theoretical fear that just adds additional stress and in some cases results in an epidural (or a higher dose of epidural) to mask that urge.
This is very common in birth, but a tight cord can be squeezed, leading to oxygen loss to your baby. Your doctor or midwife might tell you to stop pushing and to breathe through the urge so they can turn your baby and slip the cord off their neck.
Until recently, women have been asked to start pushing as soon as the cervix has dilated to 10 centimeters, but as long as you do not have a fever and your baby's heart rate is normal, there are many benefits to waiting to push until you feel the need to push.
For first-time mothers the average length of pushing is one-to-two hours. In some instances, pushing can last longer than two hours if mother and baby are tolerating it. Normally, the baby is born with his face looking toward mother's back (referred to as an anterior position).
Pushing Can Feel Like Relief
Your baby's head may press on nerves that desensitize the pelvis, and many people report feeling a numb sensation before the "ring of fire" (when the baby's head begins to emerge from the vaginal opening, a stage known as "crowning"). Some even say it feels good, similar to orgasm.
Women that receive an epidural should be encouraged to use a peanut ball or other positioning aid during side-lying positions for enhanced labor progress. Squatting can decrease pain during contractions, open up the pelvis, and allow the perineal muscles to relax.
Myth: An epidural can interfere with the birth experience. Fact: Some women express fear that their legs will be numb and they won't be able to walk, feel a contraction or push properly. In fact, your legs should not be so numb that you do not feel them.
Most of the time, you can walk within a half hour or so of your epidural injection. However, you will not necessarily be walking normally at this point. Most clinics and hospitals monitor you for 15 minutes to an hour after an epidural injection. During this time, they will likely ask how you feel.
Recent research has suggested that 6 cm of cervical dilation should be the threshold for the active labor phase, and it has confirmed that epidural analgesia (EA) is a safe method of pain relief during labor.
Epidurals are usually done during the first stage of labour. After an epidural, you'll need to stay in bed because your legs will be weak, and so that your health and your baby's health can be monitored.
Most women find the most painful part of labor and delivery to be the contractions, while some others may feel pushing or post-delivery is most painful. Pain during labor and delivery may also be caused by pressure on the bladder and bowels by the baby's head and the stretching of the birth canal and vagina.
While slightly more than half said having contractions was the most painful aspect of delivery, about one in five noted pushing or post-delivery was most painful. Moms 18 to 39 were more likely to say post-delivery pain was the most painful aspect than those 40 and older.
Transition phase of labor
The end of active labor is sometimes referred to as the transition to the second stage of labor. It's when the cervix completely dilates to a full 10 centimeters, and is the shortest – but generally considered the hardest – part of labor.
It's typical to have your first postpartum bowel movement between three and five days after giving birth. But that's just an estimate. Some women might go the same day they give birth, while for others, it can take up to a week. There's a wide range of normal!
When your baby is ready to begin the journey through the birth canal, your cervix dilates from fully closed to 10 centimeters. This process can take hours, days, or even weeks. But once you hit active labor – about 6 cm dilated – it's usually just a matter of hours before you reach full dilation.
Aside from pooping, moving through the different stages of labor may bring a whole host of other bodily fluids, from pee to amniotic fluid. During labor, you may pee a lot, especially if you get an IV at the hospital.