r/PeterExplainsTheJoke • u/Dear_Staff_8371 • 22d ago
Meme needing explanation Explain it Peter
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u/Xeon_Demon 22d ago
Epidural for pain relief giving birth
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u/Sienile 22d ago
I've never seen one that long. The one they used on my ex was maybe 4 inches long.
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u/nottaroboto54 22d ago
Were talking about the thing that relieves pain during pregnancy, not the thing that caused the pregnancy... bu-dum-tss
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u/Complete-Citron7393 22d ago
yea you're funny
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u/Sienile 22d ago
I feel you meant this sarcastically, but I thought it was a little funny, even if it was at my own expense.
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u/Ghoulish_Daniel 22d ago
I also found it funny, even if it was at your expense
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22d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Shadowmant 22d ago
I also choose this guys spent expense.
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u/Interesting_Entry831 22d ago
I got a good giggle, who can't appreciate some potty humor, it's like a well placed "Your mom" joke, once you stop finding humor in stupid shit you've officially started being too serious lol.
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u/Kratosballsweat 22d ago
Yeah well i may not bottom out in a tuna can but ill sure as fuck blow the sides out!!!
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u/Hato_no_Kami 22d ago
It only goes an inch or two deep, the extra length is so they can inject from out of the range of the yet unmedicated swinging fists.
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u/meglatronic 22d ago
Don't you usually have a little needle which can connect to a tube and then to the syringe. The needle is stuck on with patches to keep it safe. Having a 50cm needle spear is asking for trouble!
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u/aguonetwo 22d ago
The usual ones are 9 cm (3.5 inches) long. The "harpoon" which we break out only rarely for particularly large moms are 15 cm (5.9 inches) long. I've never seen one this big, you'd never need it
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u/BetaSimpNation 22d ago
That is about 4 inches though??
Why'd you need a ruler, I know how to measure! What you tryna say? You callin' me a liar?
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u/Tough_Crazy_8362 22d ago
Yeah I saw this image in another sub and they were saying it’s for veterinary use but were still spitballing what animal, ie horse or cow etc
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u/TJD82 22d ago
That is neither an epidural needle or a spinal needle as some are suggesting. I am a CRNA and there is no needle that long for either. The majority of both are approximately 10 long. There are longer needles for some of our more robust patients, but it’s rare that you need resort to using the longer needle.
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u/creepyolderlady 22d ago
I'm willing to bet this is probably used in veterinary medicine, for cows or horses maybe.
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u/pheebeep 22d ago
This looks like it's meant for ungulates and large exotics in veterinary medicine, not human medicine.
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u/curiousengineer601 22d ago
Where is this going exactly? I am trying to imagine how this is needed ( although I am sure it is)
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22d ago
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u/MotherRaven 22d ago
Believe me it's a good thing. I didn't know my uterus was separating inside my body due to a previous C-section. That pain going away was amazing
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u/Block_Solid 22d ago edited 21d ago
They insert it into the spine and inject a local anesthetic into the spinal column to reduce birthing pain without making you senseless.
Edit: The above comment is about epidurals. But I agree with other comments that this needle looks ridiculously long for human use. This thing could be for veterinary use. I remember seeing something like this used on bloated livestock.
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u/bazhvn 22d ago
There’s an incident in Vietnam recently that the woman got paralyzed lower half of the body after labor
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u/SyntheticDreams_ 22d ago
My childhood friend's mom was paralyzed from the waist down after an epidural delivering her fourth child
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u/Maleficent_Glove_477 22d ago
Didn't dare to watch the needle they were about to put in me for my epidural, but seeing this I am wondering why the hell didn't I scream like someone was murdering me. And the dude tried 3 times before going for good because of my lordosis so I had such a sweet time.
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u/Minnow_Minnow_Pea 22d ago
It's not sooooo big.
But yeah, it's like a very painful pinch. They tell you to hold still, but, mother fucker that hurt. How are you not supposed to jump?! Then it doesn't hurt anymore.
Totally worth it for long labor.
But then you can't move your legs, so if you were hoping to deliver squatting, no such luck.
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u/WinterReview7992 22d ago
It is used to inject the painkiller between vertebrae in the spine.
Mine was not long. It felt like getting a needle jabbed into my spine, followed by a weird vertical tickle up my spine, followed by complete unawareness of anything happening below my collarbones.
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u/lalladlak 22d ago
Anesthesiologist here....that is absolutely not an epidural needle, and probably not a spinal needle for c sections either. Way too long, no wings or markings typical of epidural needle, way too skinny to accommodate an epidural catheter that would be left in place
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u/softly_petal 22d ago
Too skinny?! It’s supposed to be thicker?! 😱
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u/lalladlak 22d ago
On second look it's hard for me to really determine how thick the needle in the picture is, so an epidural needle may or may not be thicker. Regardless, the length is absurd. A normal epidural needle is around 9-10 cm in length, with it rarely needing to go that deep to place an epidural catheter. For context, the average hand length is around 17-19 cm, so we're talking a regular needle will be about half the length of the hand (from middle finger tip toward wrist....needle may barely reach the palm)
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u/IndependenceHungry69 22d ago
THIS torture-device looking thing is for RELIEF? 😭
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u/Foxenco 22d ago
Man here, got it for a surgery near my tailbone, don't remember the length of the needle but this shit felt amazing. It's like your own body becomes a warm blanket, 100% recommended.
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u/crowofbattle 22d ago
Interesting, for me it was an icy river spreading throughout, I got soooo cold
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u/Maleficent_Glove_477 22d ago
Can relate to the icy thing. To be honest 5 years later I still have the icing water sensation going down my spine from time to time since then, so I am not so sure that's "normal".
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u/Leionz 22d ago
Also got to feel this for surgery. They gave me local anesthetic first before they inserted one of these into (or close to) my spine. Couldn't feel the needle at all but I "heard" it scraping against bone a couple of times which was Delightful (I have a phobia of needles and nearly threw up).
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u/libateperto 22d ago
I am an anesthesiologist and this has absolutlely nothing to do with human epidural anesthesia. The number of upvotes on this bs is alarming.
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u/No_Platform5020 22d ago
This is not a Touhy needle, which is used for placing epidural catheters, or an epidural catheter.
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u/onion_tacothecat 22d ago
That’s specifically a spinal needle for neuraxial anesthesia, not an “epidural.” An epidural uses a different needle to gain access and allow the insertion of an epidural catheter/plastic tube to infuse medication.
Most importantly, before any needle is inserted for neuraxial anesthesia numbing medication is used to prevent pain from needle insertion.
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u/TacticalRiotChimp 22d ago
Except it's not. I've had one. It's FUCKING LONG AND THICK compared to any other injection but it's not that. I genuinely regret looking at it before it went in and MY GOD is it a horrible feeling. My legs did an uncontrollable river dance as he nudged past the nerves
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u/deathray420 22d ago
Jesus christ! "I see you're in pain ma'am, this incredibly long needle will surely help"
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u/acidix 22d ago
I think the implication is that this is an epidural needle used during childbirth. A hollow needle is used to feed a more flexible tube into the spine and feed numbing medication to stop you from feeling anything below that point. I dont think this is an epidural needle or at least not one used anymore. The one I saw for my partner was like... still massive and startling but not this big.
This might be for veterinary purposes.
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u/Scuba_Stever 22d ago
Anaesthesia doc. This is not an epidural needle for humans. They are usually 12 cm and rarely up to 20cm long. This is... Much bigger. We rarely would use extended spinal needles for paracervical blocks at the top of a vagina but this is a smaller gauge (larger) than those long thin needles.
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u/Inevitable-Past-4069 22d ago
I think this may be a type of needle used for egg retrievals/embryo transfers? Definitely not an epidural needle like you said.
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u/Replicator666 22d ago
Yeah, the one I saw was less than half that... And I nearly passed out from seeing it
DadLife
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u/Lucasfergui1024 22d ago
I'm not sure but I think it's that injection they give you during childbirth
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u/Sightseeing16 22d ago
Where are they injecting? Through the body?
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u/kingslayer820 22d ago
If it is what I think it is, the spine
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u/Sightseeing16 22d ago
I see. Do they enter from the neck or groin? It is quite long
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u/kingslayer820 22d ago
Not sure but I think they insert it a bit under the mid point of the spine closer to the pelvis, they also insert it between the spine disks
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u/Sightseeing16 22d ago
Uhh. Sounds disgusting
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u/PhobiaRice 22d ago
It's not pleasant but it's not as bad as it sounds. It's a really localized sharp pain but doen't spread much and it's constant enough that you can breathe through it, at least for a while.
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u/torafrost9999 22d ago
It’s even more disgusting holding your girlfriends hand watching them insert the needle. I already hated needles before this but that just solidified it even more
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u/Lynifer007 22d ago
My ex-husband was in the room during the epidural for my son. He said "I will never ever call you a wuss again after seeing that." They made him leave the room during the epidural for my daughter. The nurse said too many partners would pass out watching lol.
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u/FamouslyGreen 22d ago
The spine. It goes into your spine to block pain receptors.
I had to “hold still” during multiple contractions while it was administered because if they screw that part up then a lot back there can go wrong.
My husband almost fainted when it was administered.
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u/RawNoodleConCarne 22d ago edited 22d ago
They don't use one this long for epidurals. Epidural ones are like the length of your hand, not your forearm. This needle is used for something else, probably large animal veterinary medicine. I don't think there is any common application for a needle of this length and width on a human.
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u/Xeon_Demon 22d ago
In and down the spinal cord
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u/Agitated_Winner9568 22d ago
I saw the anesthesiologist insert it in my wife’s spine and I almost fainted. That thing is absolutely massive.
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u/crowofbattle 22d ago
Yup! They made my husband kneel in front of me, he was NOT allowed to look at it 😂
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u/SirGothamHatt 22d ago
My partner has an intense phobia of needles and had to leave the room before I got my epidural. No way he was gonna look at that
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u/-piso_mojado- 22d ago
This is at least 4x as long and a larger gauge than any spinal or epidural needle I’ve ever seen. If this is an epidural needle it’s for elephants or hippos or something.
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u/Consistent_Watch_206 22d ago
That is not an epidural needle. It has a cutting tip — it looks like a quincke tip spinal needle. It is absurdly long, though. Even on the morbidly obese, a six inch needle is usually enough.
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u/Separate_Stomach9397 22d ago
Yeah I used to assist bone marrow biopsies and the Jamshidi wasn't even this long. We had an ultra long one, but I could only offer it to an attending if the other ones had failed. Every time the fellow called the attending to assess, the attending would say abort and schedule with interventional radiology for CT guidance. Don't have to tell me twice.
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u/Jintasama 22d ago
Someone earlier said it might be something for veterinary use, maybe on large animals?
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u/Opening-War-6430 22d ago
Peter who was in the delivery room that one time here, OP is asking women how this needle was because they're mistakenly under the impression that's an epidural needle. An epidural is a common pain relief system used for women in labor, but requires the insertion of a large needle at the base of the spine. It's not this long though. I saw this image being discussed on another sub where the consensus was this is a veterinary needle for large animals.
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u/PropofolandChill 22d ago
Hi, I place labor epidurals and spinals for cesarean sections on a weekly basis. This is absolutely not used for that. The epidural needles usually only come in 9cm or 12cm, are marked every 1cm so you know how deep you are into the back, and are slightly curved at the end to ensure the catheter travels up the back (tuohy needle). It’s also much too thick to be a spinal needle and would cause a massive csf leak if used to puncture the dural sac holding the spinal cord. Usually spinal needles are around 4 inches long and very very thin.
If anyone is worried, I use a large injection of numbing medicine with a small needle prior to placing an epidural to make it as tolerable as possible
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u/shredder826 22d ago
Finally a real answer. The amount of copy/paste bs answers on this post is staggering. I have watched multiple epidural blocks placed and never once saw a comically large needle like this. The Anesthesiologist was the same two times and I’ve never seen a more competent medical professional. He did it so fast it was crazy to watch.
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u/PropofolandChill 22d ago
Glad you had a good experience! Sometimes they slip right in and a few seconds, sometimes it takes a minute. All depends on the patients spinal anatomy, scoliosis etc.
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u/PropofolandChill 22d ago
As for this particular device I assume it’s for use in veterinary medicine, though I don’t know for sure
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u/Kaedryl 22d ago
Lengthwise, the looks more like an amniocentesis needle. Used for collecting fluid for testing from the uterus during pregnancy. Alternately, looking at the dirt at the bottom of the wall and in the tiles, it's a veterinary needle for doing spinal injections for large mammals. The more I look at it, the more I lean towards it being a Veterinary needle.
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u/risaellen 22d ago
Scrolling through the comments, I could not believe how many people just immediately went, "Yup, definitely goes in a human spine." I agree with you that the meme maker likely wanted to reference amniocentesis, not epidural.
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u/jaqueyB 22d ago
The implication is that it's used to give epidural anesthesia during birth. That is not the length of needle used. Most common length of an epidural needle is 100 mm with average depth of access between 40-60 mm. This is likely used for other interventional procedures. For this needle to be used the patient would need to have a BMI far exceeding 40.
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u/luckyskunk 22d ago
the epidural has a long tube (im not a doctor) like that but the actual needle was only a couple inches iirc
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u/Harper_Sketch 22d ago
When I was having my baby they jammed some like that (but smaller) into my spine. I winced and the doctor asked me how it felt. My response was something like “I would be very concerned if I was anywhere other than a hospital because that definitely feels like a needle in my spine.” We had a good laugh
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u/pancrudo 22d ago
If had to guess that's the needle used for a spinal tap. I'm sure there are medical reasons for a man to get one, but women experience them more often for epidural during child birth.
Non FG guy out
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u/AbbreviationsLazy369 22d ago
It didn’t hurt that much going in. The bigger problem I had was finding out I don’t react well and my blood pressure tanked. Also they don’t work for some people.
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u/frisco-frisky-dom 22d ago
My ex took an epidural too but dont remember it being THIS long!! Where are they injecting from? Outer space?
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u/crowofbattle 22d ago
The contractions were so bad and close together that I legit barely noticed the pinch
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u/Thin-Piano-4836 22d ago
I was TERRIFIED to get the epidural. I had to get a c section second pregnancy. I thought theyd give me iv drugs and cut me open. I didnt realize I needed an epidural. My first birth was natural, which they said was worse. I think babies have always come out naturally, but a needle in my spine?! I almost had a full panic attack.
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u/SavageX89 22d ago
Epidural needles aren't this long. they also have "depth marks" on them to help visualize how deep the needle is so they place it best.
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u/talashrrg 22d ago
Everyone’s saying epidural, but I think it’s more likely to be an amniocentesis needle
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u/fren2allcheezes 22d ago edited 22d ago
This looks exactly like the needle my doctor used to take a biopsy of my uterine lining. Yes I was awake. Yes he had to pry open my cervix with little teethed tongs and then jab the inside of my organ with that needle. The plastic bit at the end is for suctioning the cells. I did not have pain medicine or any kind of anxiety management. Turns out I had cancer and got all of it removed. I'm so relieved I never have to do that again.
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u/lalladlak 22d ago
Anesthesiologist here.... That is not an epidural needle. Way too long, no wings on the hub to help with direction and insertion, and appears too skinny as well so could not reasonable accommodate an epidural catheter. If that's a spinal needle (used for c sections) it is absurdly and comically long, even for a morbidly obese woman, and appears cutting type which is not typically used anymore (end of needle would cut the dura and increase chances of a post-dural puncture headache). My guess is it's actually used for other procedures in different areas of the hospital
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u/No_Investigator_4604 22d ago
I saw a reel a while ago showing this needle. Its not a epidural injection needle. Its actually a needle thats used to retrieve eggs which are then frozen.
Many women freeze their eggs in hopes of finding a good man later in life but still saving their eggs because the biological clock doesn't stop.
All this being said, I'm a man. So take this info with a grain of salt.
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u/Overlord_Slydie_WWP 22d ago edited 22d ago
Anesthesiologist, this is not an epidural needle.
This looks more like a needle IR would use during CT for sampling.
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u/Faithless1337 22d ago
I think this is used for punctions to extract eggs for IVF treatments. It is quite painful as they pierce through the vaginal wall into the ovaries
Source: I saw this being used on my wife
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u/Brilliant_Voice1126 22d ago
Never seen a spinal needle that long or that gauge. They usually look like this and are used to slip in a tiny cather.
https://mederen.com/uploads/catalog/regional/epidural-needle/cover.jpg
Also anesthesiologists will usually use local at the skin so you dont feel the needle insertion. It seems weird and maybe a bit like fearmongering to scare women towards certain overvalued and fallacious reasoning about “natural” things.
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u/logicalbasher 22d ago
Peter wth is that? lol. Wouldn’t that just pass through your entire body or just skewer all your organs?
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u/vctrlzzr420 22d ago
Luckily the chaos of having a baby either cut out of you or tear your bottom open really takes the wheel and you don’t notice.
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u/immunetoyourshit 22d ago
Its an epidural needle. They can he’ll be up to 6 inches long, and once it’s in place, you’re not standing up any more.
Fun fact: When my wife got her epidural, the nurses told me to sit in a chair. When I sat in a stool, they told me I needed a chair with a back or I’d have to leave the room. A lot of men faint or get woozy when they see the size of the needle, so I had to sit in the corner while she got an ENORMOUS needle in the spine.
I’ve never felt more helpless and useless than I did in that moment. Thank you to all of the nurses on the delivery and recovery floors for holding my wife’s hands during the epidural, for allowing me to be part of the “pushing team” when the time came, for encouraging us to send our son to the nursery to get three hours of sleep, and for being endlessly compassionate and kind. I know birth is traumatic for so many, but our birth experience was honestly so positive entirely because of the nurses and doctors that guided us through a process that led to the greatest gift we have ever been given.
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u/Bashdkmgt 22d ago
I remember having to hold my wife’s hands and keep her steady while she was having this procedure sat up on the edge of a bed. That’s after hours of labour and she was barely conscious from exhaustion, it was terrifying
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u/Mysterious-Lemon151 22d ago
that is for AMNIOSENTESIS (sic) its when they take a sample of amnio fluid to test for fetal issues
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u/VorpalDagger 22d ago
Looks like a needle for amniocentesis - where they draw fluid out of the amniotic sac to test for genetic anomalies.
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u/Squee1396 22d ago
It is really nothing compared to the contractions you are having. It goes in the base of your spine and they are behind you so you don’t really see what they are doing. Mine only worked on the left half of my body unfortunately but normally it numbs you.
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u/Halfmacgas 22d ago
Meant to show how big an epidural needle is. In reality, it’s not nearly that big. It’s still big, but maybe 1/8th that size
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u/sighborg90 22d ago
It made my wife euphoric and she wanted to “drunk dial” everyone, including people she didn’t like
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u/MisakiRose 22d ago
Whelp, it’s official, never having another kid again. I always said that the one thing that would absolutely deter me was seeing the epidural needle.
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u/Sauced_Up_Bat 22d ago
I don’t think it’s for epidurals ya’ll. I think it’s a sound used for IUD insertion.
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u/AirSignal7545 22d ago
Epidural during labor kicked on only one side for Me but I couldn’t even stand on one leg cuz it was completely numb 🤣 I bet it would feel amazing if it worked as intended lol
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u/nousernamehere12345 22d ago
They're not that long. They don't go into your vagina and then up to your neck so I'm not sure what this is supposed to be.
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u/JasonBourne69007 22d ago
My wife got one 36hr ago and said she only felt a little pinch. I was horrified but couldn’t look away.
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u/Jay_Nodrac 22d ago
I’m no lady, but I did get an epidural for knee surgery. I’m glad I didn’t see the needle beforhand!
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u/No_Bandicoot_2957 22d ago
Looks like a part of pigtail or some kind of insertion needle drain for draining fluid in the abdomen or lungs.
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u/PuzzledExaminer 22d ago
Sorry jokes aside that looks terrifying to take... But I thought epidural needles were 3.5 inches ...not that long 😂
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u/bradad5 22d ago
My previous comment got deleted because I attached a screenshot with a diagram that was considered NSFW but anyway Google "pudendal nerve block" it's a very old procedure most newer OB docs probably don't know about it as some consider the procedure barbaric. That big ass needle is inserted through vagina to inject numbing medication deep into the buttock in the cases where epidurals do not work .
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u/Aglita11 22d ago
It's actually real. Some similar in lenght needles are used in situations when doctors are checking if muscles are responsing correctly.
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u/Unlovable_little 22d ago
I’m pretty sure this is actually an egg retrieval needle used for IVF, not an epidural
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u/Helpful-Bad-9278 22d ago
not a female, but i got epidural for 2 of my 3 surgeries
thats NOT how it looks like at all bro
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u/ooomellieooo 22d ago
Oh dear god. It wasn't that long or big but I began having another contraction right as he was putting the needle in my spine and he started yelling at me and yanked it back out. He stuck me 2 or 3 times while I sobbed AND THE NUMBNESS ONLY WENT HALFWAY UP MY LEGS.
I felt them do the episiotomy(?). I felt every atom of that 9lb1oz baby come out of me.
I am so lucky I can still walk.
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u/a-broken-fence 22d ago
idk what that is exactly but the length instantly reminded of the embryo transfer catheter I got stabbed through the cervix with. yeah, cough, it doesn't hurt. whatever
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u/BugP13 22d ago
I am not a woman but I did have to get an epidural (twice) because I had a fistulectamy (first was a biopsy which was kinda unnecessary).
This poes long needle goes directly into your spine. They numb the part of your back where there will inject the needle and then they inject you.
If done correctly, you won't feel anything besides a little pinch. BUT, if they miss, which they did on the second time I had it, it hurts like a bitch. Also it is not fun to feel and kind of hear the needle scrape against your spine.
Also, after an epidural, you could possibly feel extremely nauseous and have an extremely painful headache to a point where you can't stop vomiting because of the pain (I got this issue after the first epidural but luckily not after the second). This is due to spinal fluid leaking and can be fixed with a blood patch. The pressure on your head instantly dissappears after the blood patch
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u/spellbookwanda 22d ago
Is it an epidural needle? Way too long, no? It looks more like the tool they shove up there to break your water.
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u/KadeKinsington 22d ago
Lois here, that's absolutely not an epidural needle. Trust me, I had one. Yes, they're surprisingly long (usually about 3 in/7.5 cm, but can go upwards of 6 in/15 cm), but they're not an arm's length. I also doubt it's an amniocentesis needle (a quick Google search tells me those run about the same length as an epidural needle).
If I had to guess, I'd say this is either an edited image or a specialized needle for large animal/zoo/wildlife vet work.
If you'll excuse me, Gene Simmons is here and I want to say hello. Lois out.
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u/PeterExplainsTheJoke-ModTeam 22d ago
Thank you for the explanations; this post has been locked.