Epidural or not to epidural - that is the question. Advice needed, pro & con from both sides please!

I had an epidural, following 2 days of induction. And the pains that 2nd night were just too much and I was being physically sick. Had diaporhine first but epidural later that day once the drugs had worn off. Worked a treat, apart from a small circle in the small of my back.

forgot to say - Ihad the epi because I was exhausted from vomiting all the way through my early labour (up to 4cm) and had had enough. the pain wasn't the worst bit, the vomiting was awful and I became v dehydrated so had to have a drip.

I had an epidural with ds1 after about 26 hours of labour - I had really not wanted to have one and only gave in as it looked like I may have needed a c-section. I have to say that it was brilliant - I can't believe I let myself go through 26 hours of bloody agony. With my second son, born 5 weeks ago, I was determined to have an epiural as soon as I got to the hospital - if I could have booked in advance I would have!! However, on arriving at hospital he was born 10 minutes later, so no pain relief at all!! I have to say I prefered the second birth as I didn't feel as crap afterwards. (although I didn't liked being stitched this time, as I could feel it)

my story is very similar to bundle. I had an epi, few hours later baby was in distress so i had and emergency section.
1 year 9mths later and decided not to have epi if possible. ended up with another emergency section and since no epi, had to have general so missed baby being born, couldn't believe it when I came around and baby was already 2 hours old! Aslo managed breastfeeding no problem after both epi and general.
anyway I'm all for natural childbirth, but would probably give in and have epi as am a bit of a woos (do kind of agree though that epi seems to slow down bith)

oliveoil
I had an epidural with both my dd and ds.
I think they are wonderful....At the end you can ease up on the amount so you can just feel the contractions.
I liken them to injections you have when you go to the dentist....why go through all that pain when you don't have to...would you have a filling without an injection if the choice is there?!!!no way!....thats my opinion anyway....good luck

I had an epidural with DD1 after being induced and I don't think things slowed down (she was born 12 hours after epidural) although they did use the max dose of cyntocin (sp?) to keep the contractions going. As you probably know, second labours can be very different - DD2 was born less than three hours after my waters broke (nothing before then) and there was no time for any pain relief (only in hospital for half an hour before she was born). It was v painful but only for an hour or so. Why don't you wait and see how things go ?

I had to have an epi with ds cos of pre eclampsia and it was WONDERFUL as I felt nothing!!

However I have been told that the hosp I am having the next one in is not equiped for epi births and so will prob have to have it naturally which I am dreading!!

That wont help you at all but the more I talk about it the more I can psychologically prepare myself for the horror of natural childbirth!!!!!11

oliveoil, not having an epidural for my 2nd labour (dd2 was one last week) is my only regret about that birth. i had an epi when I got to 4cm the first time and yes, I think it slowed things down & brought my already lowish bp down too, so I ended up having a c/s. 2nd time I was booked for an induction, had waters broken manually and not much happened so had canula put into back of hand ready for drugs & bp plummeted (80ish over 40 odd) and had to have a crash c/s. if only i'd had the epi already before anything, I could have been conscious for the birth, but ended up with a general anaesthetic. i'd already agreed wtih my consultant that i'd only have a shortish trial labour (6 hrs) so was disappointed to have a GA after all that planning. I was a bit sick after the GA but breastfed dd2 ok & she had good apgars.