My labour was classed as 'quick' with apparently 2.5 hours of active labour. The thing was that I was examined and told I was only 2cm dilated and could be in this latent phase for 24 maybe 48 hours. I told them all the women in my family go from 2- fully dilated very quickly and that I was in a lot of pain. I was found my best to talk calmly, after (excuse me) emptying myself from both ends completely! And getting short gaps between contractions to be able to talk. I felt like I was a fraud and that noone believed I was having the baby, and I was treated like a child who was complaining about a grazed knee. I refused to go home as I knew I couldn't make it to the car, after just over an hour on the ward (of sleeping women, I felt very guilty as I couldn't keep quiet, and had to kneel on the floor of the toilet for most of the time in tears) I begged to be reexamined and the midwife said calmly 'just breath' I felt like I was totally alone as my husband was sent home. Anyway, they examined me and suddenly realised I was 7cm or more and had had no pain relief. I was honestly in agony. I have had root canals without pain relief and thought that was nasty but that was nothing!! The gas an air that I eventually got did nothing except make the little gap between contractions ok, but that wasn't what I wanted, I wanted pain relief! I asked for an epidural so many times it felt like noone wa listening, they said I could have a birthing ball!?! Are you kidding me, I was under the impression if you asked for it in time you could have it. I even remember begging them, I said 'I am begging you please' and I am not that sort of person, I had zero dignity in saying this and I felt like no one thought it was that painful. One midwife even said 'you chose to have this baby!!!!!' how can people talk to you like that. I had quite a bad tear at the end and had post traumatic stress, I could barely talk and couldn't talk about the labour for weeks after, even now I feel like I new want to go back into hospital, even though I want more children. I felt like they thought I was being dramatic and that labour was nothing. Even though I held most of the noise in by biting through my lip so that it was brused, bleeding and swollen and I cracked my front tooth.
Please, anyone who knows how to make sure that you get an epidural, tell me! Even afterwards there was no reason given why I didn't get one. They just kept delaying it until it was too late. I felt like a child. Only women who have felt pain like that know what it's like, I try to tell my husband, I would have done anything to stop the pain and I have never felt anything close to it. How can I make sure I get proper pain relief? I don't even want to get pregnant until I know and I hate th hospital. I want to be 100% sure that I won't experience that treatment again. It scares me to think that no-one listens and you can't do anything yourself. Thank you anyone who can help or if you have had a similar experience, I feel alone in this and feel really down.
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Childbirth
Fobbed off with no epidural, how do I guarantee one next time?
37 replies
Riva27 · 27/10/2012 15:38
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