AIBU - to be really pissed off that epidurals are being restricted?

[christmasmum]

Was just reading an article in Mother and Baby magazine saying that epidurals are classed as an 'abnormal birth' and that they should be restricted in the future to avoid women having caesareans.

What is this all about? Why should women not be free to make their own decision on pain relief, while being aware of the risks involved in every form of pain relief? And is it not the case that women having diffcult births in the first place are more likely to BOTH have an epidural AND end up having a c-section anyway??

Before giving birth to my DD I bought into all the information from the NCT, books and magazines etc and was determined to go for a 'natural' birth. I ended up being induced and despite being told by every woman I have ever spoken to who has been induced, that I should have an epidural the midwife advised me that I would not need one. After 10 hours of intense contractions and finding out I was a huge 2cm dilated I decided enough was enough and had an epidural.

I was instantly relaxed and started to actually enjoy the process, 2 1/2 hours later (despite the consultant arriving to prep me for a c-section) I found out I was fully dilated and delivered my wee girl after 5 minutes of pushing to a room that was full of people laughing and singing Christmas carols.

I obviously only have my own experience to go by but I am absolutely convinced that the relaxing effect of being out pain helped me deliver my baby naturally.

What is this pressure on women to be in pain and suffering to be 'real women'. And why is that every new Dad I've spoken to with wives who did not have pain releif seem so proud of them? Is this just another example of male oppression of women? Even subliminally??

AAGGGHHHHH. Rant over.

Lenin -- wasn't she allowed to go with you?

It's also worth remembering that for every woman who wants an epidural,and is quite happy with that level of intervention, you only have to read MN to see that there are as many women who aren't happy having gone down the medical route.

Which is why education about birth is so important, plus ploughing funding into staffing etc so that women are not left labouring without proper support.

I also wonder whether these things are cyclical, and having had the invention of the epidural, and 'normalisation' of it to a large degree, whether women will begin to reject it and return to more natural methods?

Again, not a value judgement, purely an observation, as often these things do go in cycles.

kathy.. I have to say i am slightly irritated by your comment
"A normal progressing without complication labour needs nothing more than coping techniques and a supportive midwife"

We live in a western society where thanks to medical developments women are able to experience painfree labour if they so choose to.

Thanks to medical developments also us and our children no longer need to have our teeth extracted without "coping techniques" and "a supportive dentist".

What has been said about your risk for a homebirth ?
Can you afford an independent midwife to be with you at all times ?
It can only be better than last time that's the way I would look at it.
If we get another baby (not straight forward at all) I will go for a home birth simply because last time I got to 4cm's without feeling a thing, the pain only started when I reached the hospital and the fear/flight thing kicked in.

Well BB I would suggest that is going to be the way it is looking at the plans so get used it. Unless you want to go private.

There is no restriction on epidurals as far as I am aware. I think the article the OP referred to is just an opinion.

The problem is that sometimes there isn't an anaesthetist available the instant a woman requests an epidural. Some times they don't work. Sometimes they are contra-indicated.

We have introduced Remifentanil for women who are not suitable for epidurals - so far women have liked it.

information here

mears... What is Remifentanil? How does it work?

I suspect in your position I'd be tempted to go for the elec CS, Len (not saying this is the 'right' thing to do, just that I wouldn't be able to bear so much uncertainty).

I guess you've hung around on the VBAC threads on here?

oops, X posts.. thanks

You're very brave about it - you always sound very calm when you talk about how you're feeling. I hadn't realised you had this big 'thing' in the background. (I know you'd given me the basic story before but I hadn't appreciated how bad it was last time.)

I just don't think they like giving pregnant women epidurals, not sure why, perhaps they think we deserve the pain

When I was in labour with my dd (now 12), I put in my birth 'plan' that I wanted an epidural. I was in labour for 24 hours and was told that the anaestetist (sp) was 'on his way'

I was in absolute agony and the farking doctor who I kept badgering to go find the epi-man, at one point, told me to shut up!!

Absolute nightmare and some of the reason why I think I developed PND.

Strangely enough, second time around with the twins, they couldn't do enough for me. Weeks before my due date, they were asking me, would I like a c-section?, would I like an epidural?. I said a big no to all of the above and in the end I had to tell the epi-man to make himself scarce!! Mind you, I asked the MW to go and find him after a few hours

The more I read on here, the more I realise how stupendously lucky I've been WRT my labours and experiences with hospital staff. The idea that a woman in labour would be told to 'shut up' by someone who was supposed to be looking after her - it's disgraceful.

Yes, you're right, it won't be like last time.

I have to go to bed... but really, I do think you're very level-headed about it all.

I was induced with DS1 (he was overdue) and I went through a long and agonising labour at a hospital that didn't do epidurals . He was O/P presentation, large 9lb 9oz, with a big head (39.5 cm). I ended up having an emergency c-section.

Afterwards I had a pelvimetry scan and they decided my pelvis was ok but borderline if a large baby again/or poor fetal position. With DS2 they scanned at 36 weeks and decided the baby I was carrying was going to be 7.5lb at term with a 32cm head at term. They thus recommended a VBAC under timed conditions. I had a spontaneous, fairly fast labour on due date and ended up, after failed ventouse, with a mid-cavity forceps delivery and a 3rd degree tear (epidural this time). DS2 was 9lb 9oz (the same as DS1) and he had an even bigger head - so don't believe a word of thos estimating scans. With a very bruised pointy cone on top of his head from the forceps and bruised sides of head from forceps, poor poor chap.

DD and DS3 were elective c-sections and were lovely, calm experiences.

Lenin - My body is utterly useless at birth. Don't take any notice of my experiences.

i was wishing and hoping for a natural delivery, but i started having small contractions on wednesday, so i waited, and went to the hospital, they checked on me and said it was just early labour pains and it would probably be another day or so. i returned home and was in pain, not really bad pain but pain, which i couldn't take anything for and which i couldn't sleep through. as it started to get worst a couple of days later ,on Saturday i went in again. without even checking how far along i was the MW was ready to send me back home. i was furious, as i hadn't slept for days and really was in severe pain, i insisted she check. when she did i was 3 cm dilated so they got a room for me and dh. decided to have a bath and was in the water for over an hour, by the time i got out i was 6 cm, but i was so drained and just knackered from the pain and tiredness, i asked for an epidural, they tried to convince me not to so i held on for 2 hours in agony but still wanting a normal birth, after 2 hours and no further in dilation they gave me the epidural as i was so tired that i was falling asleep even during contractions. after the epidural i just KOed, this was about 12am and i sent DH and mum home as they looked in worst shape than me. Sunday morning, still 6cm Sunday afternoon, 6cm. i had at least 8 check on my progress. at 2pm, they decided to do an em cs as DDS heart rate was fluctuating and she could get brain damage if we waited any more, and all they had to do was top up the epidural and she was born at 2.15 pm. i was later told my the midwife who spent the whole night with me that i should have had emcs since the morning as a failure to progress was noted since 8 am, if i didn't have the epidural in already as it takes quite a while to place, DD may have not been so lucky, but i sometime think it was the epidural that slowed it down as i was dilating fine before i had it, but i might not have had the strength to push when the time came.