To ask why you didn't have an epidural?

[sachabloom]

Currently 17 weeks and up until today has made the decision I wasn't getting an epidural, until someone asked me why I wasn't and to be honest I was a bit stumped! I guess my main reason is the fear of a bad back after... but I don't even know if that's a myth or truth?!

I haven't had a pain relief discussion with my midwife and as this is my first child, I'll be honest I'm quite in the dark.

Just curious really to hear of people's experiences as most people I've spoke to say no to epidural but I've never really asked why.

FWIW, absolutely no judgements from me, I think we're all fabulous however we do it.

Had once with my first, didn’t like it so decided against for my other two. I disliked the restrictions on movement, as my trust didn’t offer mobile epidurals. It didn’t work particularly well either.

Had it been necessary with my last two labours I’d have consented to one in an emergency (my birth plan was “avoid needles if we can”) but I’m lucky I didn’t need to. I find gas and air quite effective when I use it correctly, and it was enough to get me through.

All that said, I’m all for decent pain relief. If it works, crack on!

Not available in my living room.

My contractions were agony. I was crying before I was 1cm dilated. An epidural gave blessed relief and I could sleep for the first time in more than a day (I was being slowly induced). Gas and air just made me throw up.

I could still move and I felt DD coming out. I told the MW she was there and that I was going to push. No interventions. No side effects.

Not everyone needs an epidural, hopefully your labour will be less painful like lots on this thread. But it’s not a failure or sign of weakness if you need one.

I did some reading, the potential to have long term issues with back pain after having one, increased risk of interventions during the birth and then just the fact you are effectively turning something that can be a largely natural process into a medicalised procedure wired up to drips and machines etc I just didn't want one. Also a quick google of the needle and you think better of it.

I very nearly ended up with one and an instrumental delivery with my first child, even after 24 hours in labour and my baby stuck I still wasn't keen. I think the threat of an epidural and forceps gave me a wave of energy that got my baby out. I think "no way" were my words when the anaesthetist walked in wearing scrubs.

First labour I didn't want one as wanted water birth, mobility etc. Ended up with a ventouse but still managable on gas and air. Recovered fine from it though, no lasting effects. But I couldn't feel my legs!

Second birth I didn't have one for the same reasons above but also because I had a retained placenta after dd2 and they gave me an epidural to remove it. I hated tge sensation and being unable to move so knew an epidural definitely wasn't for me.

I never wanted one whilst pregnant as I was terrified I would be the 0.0001% (or whatever tiny proportion) of women who end up partially paralysed by it and I didn’t fancy increased chance of further intervention.
When in labour I changed my mind and was screaming to get one. But it was too late for it!

Complications from epidurals are rare.

I'm an anaesthetist, so had done hundreds of epidurals before I had DS. I was completely open to having one if I needed it, but aware that there are potential downsides so wasn't going to automatically ask for it.

As it turned out, I didn't need it - was induced and progressed quite quickly, was 6-7cm by the time I got to delivery suite and managed fine with gas & air. But if I hadn't been coping, or if labour had been lots longer, I'd have taken it.

The bit about recovering was supoosed to be after the second paragraph, as it isit makes no sense to read.

I don't want it to increase the chances of intervention and then affect my chances of bfing successfully.

I had one with my first when my labour became really slow and I had to have interventions to help me dialate. Recommended by the midwife and I did as directed. It was a mobile epidural so i could still move and feel. I had a lovely birth experience. I didnt have onevwith dd2 despite being induced because everything progressed quickly and I just didnt need it. I had a lovely birth experience (except for the cord being wrapped around dd2's neck, but the midwives were amazing and all was fine.)

Birth 1: 27 hours labour, back to back, I had an epidural and it was the best thing ever. Made recovery harder, but couldn't be helped.

Birth 2: 25 hours labour, I was shattered and had an epidural, it was the worst thing ever. Most traumatic part of all three births. An angry man shouting at me to keep still while he pushed a massive needle into my spine. I was sobbing, delirious with pain and fatigue, and terrified. 11 years later I am still upset when I think about it. Awful.

Birth 3: No epidural, no drugs, too quick. She whooshed out like the log flume at Alton Towers. Best birth ever. Best recovery ever.

To offer a different side of things I didn't intend to have one, well was open minded actually but assumed I wouldn't have one.

i was afraid of needles in my spine - I actually barely felt it, my cannulas were much worse! I even thanked the (slightly bemused) anaesthetist after.

I worried about lack of mobility - I started with a mobile epidural so could still move my legs and move myself around.

I didn't want a catheter - it's only just occurred to me that I can't remember the catheterisation happening at all, how odd. Anyway, the catheter was out as soon as possible (about 12 hours after spinal block).

I did end up with an emergency section, but that was because I never dilated beyond 4-5cm. I declined an instrumental as I was far more worried about that than a section, not sure why. I was up walking and showered within 12 hours.

Just flying the flag for an epidural if needed - do what feels right for you and I would say don't write anything off, the last thing you want is to feel like you've failed because you had something you said you wouldn't, whatever way that baby comes will be the right way 

It was never mentioned during labour.

First time, I ended up locked into Planet Pain by pethadine and I was too disconnected from reality to be able to tell the MW that I was on fire from my ribs to my knees. Maybe discussing epidurals before she broke my waters and sent my contractions through the roof for the next 8 or so hours would have been handy, rather than then mentioning the pethdadine that I had been reluctant to have from the start at the point when I'd have happily sacrificed kittens and puppies if I was told it would relieve pain. I think the department was too busy to willy nilly offer epidurals. It took an hour sobbing over a ball in the waiting room before they had space to admit me to a labour room and the staff ratios on postnatal were very poor after being bumped off HDU to free up the MW.

Second time, I had a detailed birth plan. I was open to an epidural if things became prolonged again and I reached a point of being beyond active labour anyway. 40 hours of regular contractions plus EMCS wasn't much fun, but fortunately second time was much quicker with only 3 hours in hospital. G&A was fine until I was whipped off to theatre for a spinal block and forcep delivery (they were expecting EMCS but baby had just made it past the point of no return)

I explicitly banned pethadine under all circumstances and forbade DH from being able to consent to it (I realised from notes that he'd consented to the second round of the stuff because I was too fucked to consent myself). I stated that dealing with the pain was far preferable with a clear head (which indeed it was, and that was with two back to back labours)

I wouldn't rush to have one at an early stage, but if you're getting exhausted and beyond active labour, you'll still be experiencing the drawbacks anyway but without the benefit of effective pain relief, plus it's in place if it looks like you're heading towards interventions.

Fast labours
Don't like the idea of not moving or being in control
Do able with just gas and air

I had one with child no.1. Initially I didn't want one as I had fairly romanticised views about doing the whole thing unassisted, but I changed my mind as the birth got closer - partly as a result of a frank conversation with another mother who correctly pointed out that no-one gives any medals for pain. In the end, DC2 was occipito-posterior and got sort of stuck, and an epidural became virtually unavoidable anyway. I still remember the blessed relief and suddenly feeling human again.

With nos. 2 and 3, labour was much more straightforward and in practice too quick to allow for epidurals. I felt really quite panicked with no. 2 when I was told I was too far along, and certainly the birth itself wasn't a pleasant experience - but of course afterwards it was great not being numb from the waist down and being able to walk around easily.

Because by the time I got to hospital dd was crowning and there wasn't time.

I didnt want one - then I did the closer it got - then decided I'd try with gas and air first .... I didn't get any of them options so done it with nothing

I preferred not to have one as it would increase risk of intervention. However I would have had one if I had struggled to cope or been induced. Labour started on its own and was pretty rapid. Didn’t feel the need. I wanted to feel in control and like I knew what was going on in my own body. Plus I wanted to be able to move about.
But if you need one? Have at it. It’s a valuable pain relief tool for many people.

This exactly

I didn't, for similar reasons to PP - I reckoned I'd try with gas and air. In the event I didn't even need that.

I had it written all over my notes that I wanted an epidural at the earliest convenience.

I got one just after they broke my waters and had a lovely snooze.

I didn't feel the need to feel the pain of childbirth. In the same way I wouldn't need to feel the pain of having a tooth out. 🤪

No complications or horror story here.

My thought was, if my body was going to split in half during childbirth, I'd really rather not feel it. 🤣

I gave birth on Friday and a sweep made me go 4cm to 10cm in an hour. I had time for 3 contractions worth of gas and air and then he shot out.

I didn’t want a medicalised delivery and wanted to be mobile. I wanted to see how bad it was before I made that call. My sisters had epidurals and took forever to deliver - this put me off.

I was lucky and had easy, short labours where I walked around and felt in control.

Epidural just wasn’t for me. I have friends that think they’re the best thing ever.

First baby I begged for one towards the end... it was such a long Labour and I was knackered. Midwife told me it probably wouldnt work as baby was back so i didn't bother. Not convinced she was telling the truth.

No2 I had an amazing, quick water birth! Loved it! My body just took over, the midwife never checked me to see if i was "ready' to push just told me to trust in body.

If i have another I'll defintely be pushing for another water birth. It was amazing!

Personally I was adamant I would have anything but that. I once had a lumber puncture and was one of the small percent of people that have a bad reaction and get what is called a “spinal headache”. It’s the worst thing I have ever experienced, I couldn’t stand, eat or open my eyes for days. I found out you can get that same reaction to the epidural and it frightened the life out of me, I would never have been able to care for a baby.

They were full on the non midwife led side so there was no room for me to have one. So I had to just get on with it.