What does an epidural feel like?

Some people experience pain with an epidural. I personally did not have any. The anesthesiologist numbs the site before placing the epidural catheter.

Everyone's different, but I did feel it. My anesthesiologist didn't numb the area beforehand, though. They had me sit on the edge of the bed, bend over (as much as is possible at this point!) and during the height of a contraction, inserted the needle quickly. Someone held me in a full nelson, so I couldn't move, even if I wanted to. With this technique, you are experiencing pain in a different area already, and since your brain can't fully focus on one pain only, the new pain, which is the epidural, isn't really felt because you are already focusing on the contraction, so both pains seem to be dulled. Kind of a sensory overload. If you are asking this question because you are afraid of what pain will come with child birth, fear not! Usually by the time they give you the epidural, your contractions are so painful that you will actually beg for the epidural. Not to scare you, but anesthesiologists seem to be in very high demand, so if you want one, I would ask slightly before you feel you need it. You might find you won't need it-- every woman's different. As soon as you get that piece of heaven, also known as an epidural, ALL pain is gone, and you can rest before you need to push. If you opt not to have the epidural, it has been my experience that the pain goes away entirely when you begin to push. Maybe it's the endorphins; I don't know. But I DO know that I am a big crybaby when it comes to pain, and the epidural sounds scarier than it really is. I have had a few kids, and with my second, contractions never got painful at all, and even though I ended up needing a c-section, when they gave my the epidural, it didn't hurt, only a quick pinch. If you have ever had a needle from the dentist, then you've gone through worse! Oh, and after, make sure they remove the tape and the catheter slowly so they don't pull off a layer of skin. The adhesive tends to be a little strong! You'll have enough to deal with after the baby is born; you don't need a scraped up back on top of it. Good luck, you will do great, and you won't even remember it after.