Comments on: Best Time to Get an Epidural During Labor

By: Hilary Erickson, BSN RN

Hilary Erickson, BSN RN — Mon, 25 Apr 2022 00:34:59 +0000

In reply to Samantha. I would ask for an anesthesia consult ahead of time. THey can be HARD To get, but it should be a possibility. Push your doctor to find out how you can speak with one of them ahead of them. Honestly, I doubt it would affect it, but I don't really know. I hate that talking with anesthesiology in advance is so hard, but it is... maybe your hospital makes it easier.

By: Samantha

Samantha — Fri, 22 Apr 2022 04:15:54 +0000

Hey, my name is Samantha and I’m 22 years old and currently 33 weeks pregnant. I would like to ask you this question to see if you might know anything about it.
About a year and a half ago roughly, I was on a walker and cane, almost ended up wheelchair bound all due to diabetic neuropathy, Well I am 95% recovered from the neuropathy but still have some pains once in a while and balance issues and still don’t have all my strength back in my legs. Like 80% strength back probably? Anyways, I am sooo much better but it’s still there and I am really nervous and scared that if I get my epidural this time I will backslide from it, like I’m afraid the epidural will bring back my neuropathy where I cannot walk again or it will at least make it worse in some way. Like my body won’t remember how to walk and balance itself once it has no feeling. Like it won’t remember what it should or something.
Have you ever seen something like this happen to someone? Or do you have any idea if it is possible for this to happen? Or am I just freaking myself out?
Cause I would highly consider changing my birth plan if an epidural could effect me negatively in the area of my neuropathy coming back.

I have asked a few different kinds of doctors about this before and none of them either understood what I was asking or just didn’t know. So I thought what the heck might as well ask you and see if you knew or could possibly find out?

So what do you think?

Thanks for any info!!

By: Hilary Erickson, RN

Hilary Erickson, RN — Fri, 04 Dec 2020 13:56:36 +0000

In reply to Meredith. Oh no... that's no good. Good advice!

By: Meredith

Meredith — Thu, 01 Oct 2020 15:23:08 +0000

I just had my first baby 5 hours ago! I didn’t request the epidural until I was 7cm dilated, and by then my contractions were coming on so thick and fast I could hardly sit still for the placement….and that meant it was poorly placed and didn’t work…..so I’d say I was too late with the epidural! If I do this again, I’ll request it before I am writhing in pain every 60 seconds!