I want to try normal delivery with epidural but I just saw the epidural needle is very thick and long. This is my 1st pregnancy and I am already having mental breakdown due to contraction & labour pains. I had nightmares everynight and cannot sleep from 2am to 6am daily! So seeing this thick needle makes me even more stressed and scary now. I am really scared of pain extremely. How do they administer into the spinal or epidural space? Is it going to be very painful when they insert into the spine? Any anesthesia to numb the spine area prior insertion of the epidural needle?