Has anyone regretted having an epidural?

[TheWoot]

I will try and keep this brief. I had my dd in 2011. The labour was pretty short, my waters started leaking on my due date and I was told to go into hospital the next morning to be monitored.
On my way in the next day contractions started. I was given 2 paracetamol at 8cm and went to the delivery suite. My plans to stay mobile and bounce on a ball went out the window as I was in too much pain. I requested pain relief to be told it was too late. I never got the urge to push and when I did push I literally felt like it was bone pushing on bone, not stretching like I imagined.
My daughter ended up being a ventouse delivery.
I felt traumatised about the pain I was in and for months after the birth I would cry thinking about it.
I am due to have baby #2 next week and I'm scared that it will be as painful and traumatic. My partner is not particularly keen on me having an epidural and has researched stories of them not working or causing problems later on.
What I would like to know is, did any of you have an epidural and regret it? Because when I watch One Born Every Minute they seem to be having a lovely childbirth experience after having an epidural!
That wasn't very brief, sorry!

[WaffleWiffle]

God no, never regretted it.

[Azquilith]

Fuck no. Spinal block was even better though :D

[itsbetterthanabox]

My friend regretted hers. It made the labour last longer and meant she needed forceps and episiotomy. Then the second child she had one again but it just didn't work. I think in the middle of it you obviously want one so it's difficult as at the moment even if you think you with you do!

[Crocodileclip]

Had one two weeks ago when having my DS2 and have no regrets. I had a very long first stage of labour (40 hours) with only cocodamol for pain relief (useless!) until I was 7cm. At that stage my waters were broken and everything sped up immediately. I had an epidural about an hour later and it was fantastic. It gave me a chance to rest ( although I could still feel some pain so didn't manage to get any sleep). The timing was ideal as by the time it came to pushing it had worn off some so I was able to feel when to push.
Then when the midwives decided that I needed to stop pushing as they wanted a doctor present and she was in theatre, they were able to top up the epidural to try and slow things down. There was no way on earth I would have been able to stop pushing without the epidural top up!

[SecretRed]

I have had three and don't regret any.

[gamerchick]

Yes I had one with my first and ended up with a ventouse delivery and episiotomy. I haven't had any sensation during sex since.. that was 19 years ago.

I refused to have one with number 2 and 3 and the births were much better... even the induction was fab, I practically enjoyed that birth

[Shahsham]

Ive had 2. 1st was fantastic and may have slowed labour down but still only 8 hours from 3cm to birth (8 easy fairly relaxed hours!)

2nd one wasnt so good. The 1st dose was fab as I was in unbearable pain but it wore off quickly and the 2nd dose didnt have time to work (only 2 hours from 3cm to birth)

I would 100% have another one

[DaleyBum]

I regret mine immensely. It failed, I still felt everything and could walk about but they wouldn't let me, so I spent the last of my labour (4 days, induced, all in my back) in agonizing pain stuck to the bed and not allowed to move about. If I had just kept going I would have been able to walk about and not give birth on my back, which I think contributed to my 3rd degree tear that then got infected. 8 and a half months later and I'm still not myself.

[Rummikub]

I regret mine. It stopped labour progressing and I ended up with emergency c section.

[cluelessnchaos]

I completely regretted it and only had it with my first, the next three I made do with gas and air. I had complications, I felt the pain more intensely as the epidural kept wearing off and my adrenalin had dropped so I had no natural coping chemicals to deal with the pain. I needed a huge dose if drug which was causing dd1s heartbeat to drop, emergency ventouse delivery, after delivery I had a dural tap had to lie flat on my back for 3 data after delivery, couldn't lift dd1 on my own, walk myself to the toilet. Struggled to feed dd1 thereafter as the first 3 days I could only feed her lying down.

[cluelessnchaos]

Subsequent pregnancies I would have chosen a general over epidural

[ThursdayLast]

Mine got bodged and I ended up needing a blood patch a week after the birth, but I still don't regret mine.

If pain is traumatic to you, and you don't have to fear it, then don't.
You mightn't even need one in the end, but don't let the fear pain/labour darken the end of your pregnancy.

[Doilooklikeatourist]

No
Even though I ended up with forceps, an episiotomy , stitches and a blood transfusion I seriously think I would have died with out it

20 years later and I still think of that anaesthetist with gratitude

[Lagoonablue]

Yes prolonged labour. Also couldn't feel an urge to push so delivery was difficult and drawn out. Had just gas and air second time amd though painful, felt more in control and labour much much quicker.

[LBOCS]

My epidural wasn't perfect - I was still in some pain - but it took enough of the edge off that I was able to collect myself for the delivery. Brilliant.

[SouthBySouthWest]

I'm not sure. I had one with my first (induction at 40+10), and the actual labour was lovely. 0 - 5cm in a couple of hours, then epidural. No pain, I listened to music and read a book. Dilated easily. Then pushed for 2 hours and nothing. After that, I had a ventouse and episiotomy. Which wasn't nice, but got the job done. DS was born with a funny shaped head and a frown (but that's just him, can't blame the epidural )

After, I was sore, and swollen, couldn't pee properly, and it took a long time for things to feel normal again. Had the pleasure of peeing in a bed pan in the labour room, because I couldn't get out of bed to use the bathroom and clean up. Oh, and asking for a catheter because I couldn't feel if I needed to pee.

With my second, I went into spontaneous labour, went in at 5cm, and delivered a couple of hours after with nothing but gas and air (despite begging for epidural - not enough time). It wasn't particularly fun, for the 20 or so minutes that shit got real, but quite different. I felt him moving down and out, and, although I tore, I was back up on my feet so much faster. I think I felt connected a lot more to the whole experience (sorry for sounding a bit dippy there, but not sure how else to express it).

So, if I had to do it again, god help me, I might choose to hold off and see how things went.

[TheOriginalWinkly]

Fuck no, it was fantastic. I had a mobile epidural so I was able to walk about, have a wee, bounce on the ball, and when the pushing stage came I was able to push upright. Then DD got stuck (awkward child turned and lifted her head, absolutely nothing to do with having had the epidural) so I got taken to theatre, and they were able to give me a nice fast spinal before my episiotomy and forceps as the equipment was already in place. Bloody marvellous.

[plinth]

Loved mine. It was a mobile one so I could move around.

I also had a very quick labour, all got a bit much for me and it was scary as I didn't know how much more I was going to have to take.

Once I had the epidural, calm descended and dd arrived 40 mins later.

No regrets at all.

[insanityscratching]

No, have had four epidurals and very happy with each birth experience. Epidurals in place before any real pain because of trial of labour and VBAC. Had a fifth baby with gas and air because epidural wasn't offered (different consultant) even though birth was fine with gas and air I would have still accepted an epidural had it been offered. I don't like pain and don't want to be in pain. All were unassisted deliveries and four out of five were induced labours on syntocin drip.

[dreamingbohemian]

If your partner isn't keen on epidurals then he doesn't have to have one.

You go right ahead if you want to.

I had one and it was bliss, no regrets.

[LaBelleDameSansPatience]

An acquaintance of mine, in his late twenties, is still caring for his mother, paralysed by the epidural .... I begged for one, even so, to be told by the midwife, that she would call someone 'in ten minutes' ... repeatedly. Finally it was too late ... I gave birth with gas and air (obviously perfectly do-able) and am very grateful that she stopped me ...

[PersephoneInTheGarden]

No, it was brilliant. Midwife monitored my contractions and told me when to push which I did with no problem. In between pushes I was chatting and quite happy. I'd always said I wanted an epidural and, though it's different for everyone for me it was the best thing and I enjoyed the labour and birth. 10 hours start to finish in labour is pretty good too I think.

[RandomDiva]

No regrets. In fact in France the vast majority of women have them, with broadly similar intervention and CS rates.

Mine meant I could sleep/read through much of my long labour and when I had a CS it was because they realised my baby was too big headed to come out without serious damage.

[PacificDogwood]

Loved mine for induced delivery of overdue DS1.
Found spinal anaesthetic for DS2's premature emCS delivery very odd and did not like it although it did the trick and I had not had any adverse effects from it.
Then had 2x VBACs with G+A only.

What I am trying to say is that our experiences will all be v variable and really don't matter wrt what you should do or what you feel.

Have you been able to speak to your consultant about your concerns?
It is well recognised that an epidural can trigger the dreaded 'cascade of interventions' (which it did for my very heavily medicalised first delivery which was nonetheless a v positive experience btw), but equally having a totally traumatised mother after a difficult delivery is no good to anybody.

[PacificDogwood]

If your partner isn't keen on epidurals then he doesn't have to have one

Totally agree with that btw - what's it got to do with him?!