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all the epidural does is make the pain go away..i could still feel my legs..they were just a little tingly..the epidural will NOT make you feel high at all..now if they offer something thru the iv like stadol..that will definatly make you feel high..i was in labor and talking about going swimming and all kinds of crazy things..lol..the epidural is the better choice definatly..and it doesnt hurt when they do it (they numb the area before they put it in) good luck!

I am just lie you, I hate taking medicine, and I often react strongly to the side effects. But I had epidurals with both my pregnancies. They completely took the pain away but did not make me completely numb or drugged up, overall I just felt pleasantly relaxed. If you feel sleepy it'll be because of exaustion, not because of the drug - often sleep is hard already at the end of pregnancy, and sometimes if it's a long labour you will feel exhausted. For me the epidural allowed me a bit of rest. I still had some feeling in my legs and could feel when the baby was coming, but it was a feeling of pressure - not pain. They numb your skin at the insertion site before they put it in, so all you will feel is a bit of stinging in the middle of your back (when they numb the area), then a bit of pressure when they insert it. Then you will feel a gradual pleasant numbness spreading down over your lower back and legs. After you have the baby they turn off the epidural and you will gradually gain full sensation back in a few hours or so. Of course it's a personal choice, I know people who went without epidural, and trust me I did try both times too...anyways you will see what I mean once you are in labour.

The epidural's most common side effects are itching or nausea. However it's less common nowadays. With my second I did have some mild itching all over my body, but to me it was still MUCH preferrable to the incredible pain of going without. (I also know a few people that said the epidural wasn't effective for them, but I think that's not too common either). Also the epidural may slow your contractions, for me this happened both times, so then they put me on the IV hormone pitocin to speed it back up (this won't upset your stomach either, most moms get this in their IV, it just helps your uterus contract) and eventually the doctor broke my water to speed up labour. Once they do this the baby usually comes fast, for me it was 20 minutes after they broke my water. Again if you have the epidural these procedures won't be painful.

It's all up to you but if you choose to have it the doctor will inform you of all the side effects before you have it, feel free to ask any questions you want. You have to consent to it before they give it to you. Good luck with everything and wishing you an easy labour!

you dont feel drugged up on it, and you dont even notice that your legs have gone dead cuz u cant move them at all, you are basically completely 'dead' from the boobs down, i have had 2 of them and i would seriously recommend it as i'm the same as you.

just keep in mind that when you have an epidural your more likely to need an assisted delivery (forceps or vontouse), i would say that pethidine would most likely upset you if you took it as it does make u feel quite spaced out, just like your really really tired and cant keep your eyes open, it makes u go really heavy too, so that might not suit you, but the epidural wont make u feel spaced out.

it will make you feel numb from mid boob down to your toes and you will not be able to move your legs but it will make you feel nothing at all and they check you with ice they run it up your body until you say ya i can the cold....and it can give you head ache but that is rare....they are so worth it because you can sleep and be ready for the baby because you will need all the energy you can muster. good luck

It just makes you really numb from your boobs to your toes

You won't be drugged up or groggy at all

Only narcotics make you feel drugged and groggy

Epidural's are temporary paralytic drugs -