Hi Everyone,
I have had 2 c-sections (1 was epi and 1 was spinal) and a vaginal birth with 3rd degree tears requiring an epi and spinal to stitch it up.

A spinal will completly numb and paralise your lower body. U will not feel a thing! An epi can be a bith 'patchy' in that u may be able to feel things (and pain) in your lower body eg. your left leg may be completly numb but u may have feeling in your right leg. This is not that common but it can happen. Personally I had fantastic pain relief from an epi with my first child.
I think they are usually used when a woman is in labor as they can be topped up regulary and the dose of medication can be lowered when it is time to push so that the woman can feel what is happening.

I also had fantastic pain relief from a spinal. With the epi I couldn't feel pain but I could feel a weird pins and needle feeling when I was touched on the legs and feet. With the spial I couldn't feel a thing!!! The spinal is a once off dose of medication. I can't quite remember how long it lasts for but I think its only about an hour or two. So thats why it isn't used in labor..... who really knows how much longer someone will be in labor for?

From memory my spinal wore off quicker than the epi after DS was born.

I then had a vaginal birth with 3rd degree tears. My ob wanted a spinal to repair the damage but I have a dodgy back so after 40min the anethiasist (sp?) put in an epi, numbed me a little, put the spinal in and took the epi out..... ANyway I didn't feel them stitching me!!!

I think hospitals usually give a spinal for elective c-sections then they don't have to worry about 'patchy' epi or tubes (with an epi they leave a small tube in your back to allow more drugs in when needed).

I hope u have a wonderful birth!
Jules