To feel vindicated by the D of H report, which confirms midwives are withholding epidurals?

[RevolutionofourTime]

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2020/mar/03/women-in-labour-being-refused-epidurals-official-inquiry-finds

I was denied pain relief during my first labour for no reason whatsoever. When I complained to the head of midwifery, she encouraged me to try a home birth next time. 🤨 I have also witnessed other women in maternity ward being denied pain relief.

Despite this, I have seen it argued here time and again that midwives are not acting as gatekeepers or withholding proper pain relief in labour.

This report confirms what many of us know.

I will be curious to see if this will lead to changes- more specifically, to adherence to the Nice guidelines that it’s never too early and never too late for an epidural in labour.

Interesting.

!0 years since last birth, my plan said no pain relief except epidural in late stages.

i had read around this and apparently this is good as less likely to slow labour down when well established.

I got it too, stayed at home till around 7cm, into hospital, brief mention of maybe try the birth pool? Then I said as in plan, epidural, had that and baby born 2 hrs later, no other intervention needed.

I asked for one but didn’t get it as they didn’t have enough staff to monitor me is what I was told.

When I watch OBEM I’m always envious of those who get an epidural, their birth experience looks so much more civilised than mine.

I needed a ventous as son was back to back and got stuck. All on gas and air.

I think, have it written in your Birth Plan.

Midwives were awful when I gave birth, hence a back to back labour where baby was not progressing due to shoulder dystocia on paracetamol as the gas and air machine wasn't working and she didn't want to make a fuss and transfer me (I was in a birthing centre). I'd not give birth again unless I could afford private, we are both lucky to be alive; so this article doesn't surprise me in the slightest. When I eventually did transfer the medical staff in surgery were incredible, unfortunately the aftercare was terrible once back with the midwives.

It’s interesting that the anaesthetists are blaming the midwives, the midwives are blaming a lack of anaesthetists, the reality is insufficient staff across the board IMO. But obviously there are midwives expecting their patients to conform to their own ideological view of birth which is not okay in the slightest.

I had to demand one, even though it was in my plan and baby was back to back, and it was incredibly painful.
Bloody anesthetist had the cheek to comment 'well you dont look like you're in any pain' to which I replied 'I'm stoic' but actually wanted to tell him to fuck off. My body, my choice!

I was told no pain relief and via begging for a couple of whiffs of gas and air before it was removed - for my youngest. They said it would damage the unborn baby. He was born 31 weeks back to back with his arm over his head. I had corrective surgery a few years later. I will never forget the pain.

First birth had to yell at the midwife loud enough for the doctor's station to hear to get another shot of pethedine when the first one wore off.

Second one I requested an epidural from the off, but no anaesthetist was available (she did pop in and apologise at some stage).

Years ago when I was pregnant with Ds I hired a private midwife.

She came to a hospital appointment with me and was chatting to a hospital midwife and said “you always fob them off about pain relief, always say you’ve asked for it but they are busy until it’s too late and she’s about to push”. All midwives laughing and nodding in agreement.

I sacked her on the spot.

Vile.

It doesnt slow down labour in all cases! I was being induced which was agony, I got my epidural and when they checked me after it was in my cervix was open but not dilated at all. I was told to get some rest as nothing was happening that night but my baby was born 2 1/2 hours later.

Wow this is awful - why are some midwives doing this? I must have been very lucky as despite insisting before I went into labour with my eldest that I wouldn't want an epidural, as soon as I asked for one the anaesthetist was called for. This report is really shocking.

This is no surprise to me. Disgusting. Always comes down to money!

Good to see the truth is out on this.. Finally. They tried to deny me one when giving me syntocin for my stuck back to back baby after two exhausting, failed pushing attempts. I was in extreme distress and told them I'd refuse the drip if they didn't.
I lost a lot of respect for midwives during my my first birth, second one was a highly medical used ELCS. It was pain-free! :)

For both births I found my midwives to be completely dismissive of my views.

what is your expertise? What you are saying directly contradicts the Nice guidelines, which state that You should be able to have an epidural at any point if you want one, including during the early stage of labour.

The poster said it is too early if you aren't in established labour. Not if you are in the early stages of labour. There is a difference.

@MrsPear why did they remove it? I thought gas and air was fine all the way through?

I'd want to avoid a needle in my spine to be honest.

A friend of mine leaked CSF after and had crippling headaches and needed them patched in theatre a few weeks later. She couldn't care for her baby into that time

Of course it all boils down to money

And it will never be a priority because it is a "women's issue".

@Namechangexyz1 well don’t have one then. Nobody is saying they should be mandatory.

@Namechangexyz1 that’s fine, and you’re allowed to feel like that. However, women have the right to the birth they want, and if a midwife refuses pain relief it needs to be highlighted and reviewed.

FWIW I was ignored in my labour. I was induced, their precious monitor wasn't reading the contractions but was picking up the baby so despite my saying "I think something is happening" and seriously going through it, nobody gave a fuck. Head popped around a curtain on the ward, checked baby's trace, checked the damned machine's readings of my uterus rather than listening to me telling them and then buggared off again.

I go quiet when I am in pain.

I managed to give birth on a full ward, having laboured etc with NOBODY. the only reason someone caught my baby is because my husband shouted for someone and even then they sauntered up with "don't panic Mr Dinosaur, she's not even in labour yet"

Fuckers.

I complained.

I'd want to avoid a needle in my spine to be honest.

A friend of mine leaked CSF after and had crippling headaches and needed them patched in theatre a few weeks later. She couldn't care for her baby into that time

I had that (albeit it corrected itself after a couple of weeks without surgery). Still less painful than the induced birth though - as mentioned above, I just ended up screaming continuously at the top of my lungs the pain was so bad.

I was told by my midwife that it’s basically never too late to have one, despite what you might be told during labour.

@U2HasTheEdge, The Nice guidelines are that epidurals should be available at any point, including the early stage of labour. NOT from the point of established labour. In any event, most hospitals won’t admit you unless you’re in established labour, so they should make epidurals available from that point in time.

She came to a hospital appointment with me and was chatting to a hospital midwife and said “you always fob them off about pain relief, always say you’ve asked for it but they are busy until it’s too late and she’s about to push”. All midwives laughing and nodding in agreement.

That’s terrible! Why is it that some health professionals have such a callous attitude? Luckily the majority of the ones I’ve met have been lovely (so far...)