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.

Left it too left with my 1st but boy I wish I'd had one. I was in agony and ended up with a ventouse delivery after trying to push for 4 hours.

My 2nd was too quick and 3rd I had at home so not an option.

Keep an open mind!

The midwife thought it was too early. Ds arrived an hour later.

Because I wanted to give birth in the MLU. The hosoital I attended only had the MLU. If I wanted an epidural, I would've had to have transferred hospital. As it happens, DS arrived an hour after I got to the MLU so wouldn't have had time anyway. Managed on gas and air.

I'm pregnant again, and planning on using the MLU again. If I needed an epidural, then I'd have one, but wanted to avoid one if necessary, just because of the potential for more intervention.

Doctors tried to put one in, he couldn't do it. Shame because I ended up with an emergency section and was knocked out for the birth and DH couldn't be there.

*late not left

I already have back problems and didn't want to make them worse. I said I would have one as last resort but no time due to speed of labour

@Cheesenacho123
Glad I didn’t get an epidural because I heamorraged and when they needed to remove the retained products I was able to go under general anaesthetic - something you cannot do if you have an epidural as it’s too risky so you have to be awake

This is not true. You can have a general anaesthetic after an epidural - however given the epidural is already in and most mothers prefer to avoid a general if possible, it makes sense to top it up.

I routinely give a general anaesthetic in combination with an epidural for major abdominal surgery. If you have an epidural for your second but need theatre for removal of products, you absolutely can have a general.

I had an epidural eventually (long Labour) with my first but it ended in an emergency C (would have needed anyway though)

Didn’t need or consider it with other two though. Progressed quickly and breathed through the contractions on gas and air (which is just fab stuff!)

I didn’t want an episi and forceps, I had read that epidurals would lead to assisted births. So I had gas and air, diamorphine and he just wouldn’t budge. I got to 9.5cms and just couldn’t get any further.
So I ended up in theatre prepped for a csection... I had a spinal block... and then they thought let’s give him a tug.
So one espitomeny and forceps later he was here. Whole load of stitches... might as well of had a blooming epidural after all that!!

Didn’t want the increased risk of interventions or slowing down labour. I also wanted to give birth in my local MLU in water. My first birth made me realise just how empowering breathing techniques and a really supportive midwife can be. Oh and gas and air helped take the edge off the pain!

All very different second time round as I needed a CS for medical reasons so obviously it was a highly medicalised birth with doctors and anaesthetists- who are also fantastic when you need them, but not what I would have wanted for a vaginal birth

I had one and ended up with ventouse (against my wishes and without my consent). They don't tell you about outcome chances before you have your first baby properly, the statistics are merged with all those women who are on their 2nd, 3rd etc. The chances of instrumental delivery they say are 25% but actually for a first birth it's 65% and then further births it's about 2%. So an epidural will make the chances even higher.

I wouldn't have an epidural again because if I have another baby it will be a planned c section to avoid something like the horrors of my first birth happening again.

If for some reason I went in to labour and it was really fast and there wasn't time for a c section. I probably wouldn't have an epidural because it makes you much more vulnerable to the staff as you can't move. They can do whatever they want to you.

I had one with my first and didn’t love the recovery afterwards (ie couldn’t get straight up and walk round) so didn’t want one when I had the next two. Having said that, dc1 was a back to back labour, and was born awkwardly star gazing, so his labour was more intense than dc2 and 3, and I appreciated the epidural at the time.

The option didn't arise during either of mine, I had gas & air for the final stage both times.

If things had become unbearable then I assume an epidural would have been offered and I would have likely accepted but it just never got to that stage.

I had an epidural with my first and I wouldn't have one again. When they were putting it into my back I was constantly sick, then there was an air bubble so had to start again and it didn't work at all for me.

It's meant to slow labour down a bit. And I wanted him out fast!

With my first, the anestetist was really busy that day (a lot more c sections than usual) so I pushed on without even though I had begged for an epidural. Worked out ok in the end and I’m glad I didn’t have one now it would have been another thing to recover from.

Second time round I chose in advance not to have one because I was more informed and knew by then that in theory at least the less interventions you have the quicker you could take your baby home. And I really really wanted to get out of there ASAP. It worked. We were out within a few hours of the birth.

I didn’t need one with my second child

I decided it I could not bear it but was at 6cm to stick it out - it was the right call as he was born 3 hours later and I felt a lot better for not having had one

I was frightened of the potential for more interventions and also the idea of not being able to feel my legs. And possible side effects. I thought I didn't really fancy al of those things with a new baby.

To balance out all the horror stories, I had two epidurals, no instrumental births and no bad back after. In my second epidural I was able to move around and control the dosage myself so I could feel everything but it took the edge off the pain. Didn’t hurt getting the actual epidural which takes about five mins and you are not left with a needle sticking out of you which seems to be a misconception. Each to their own but I have never understood this need to struggle through a natural labour in order to prove your womanhood or something like that.

Just keep an open mind, things change, I had a very long labour that started of naturally, took paracetamol, had a bath, used tens machine I found this great for contractions. Then moved onto gas and air with the tens machine. Then I had to induced to move labour along the contractions were very close together and I wasn’t coping well asked for epidural which partially worked however baby was too big so I had to have a section as my epidural wasn’t working I had a spinal which didn’t work on me so had a General anaesthetic for the section. All this wasn’t in my birth plan just have an idea of options what you may like but nothing is in stone.

Ps no bad back for me either.

I just didn't feel I needed one. I never ruled it out, but was fine with a tens machine and pethidine.

To balance - I had "mobile epidurals" in all 3 of my labours. I could still walk and move around but it made the pain much more manageable, allowed me to sleep in little bursts and therefore made bonding and bf a million times easier for me.

I had one with my first but it meant I needed assistance. 2nd time I didn't and was able to push. The pain first time was much worse though so I thought I needed it!

My labours weren’t too bad so I didn’t use any pain relief. I also had home births so didn’t have the option.

I didn’t like the idea of the needle going into the spine or the sound of the complications that could occur. I would have had it had their been a strong medical need but not for general pain relief.