Epidural - positive and negatives please

[lucybrad]

Hi All

I am currently pg 30 weeks, and previously had twins by elcs.

I am getting worried about labour now, but have been assured I can have an epidural if wanted.

Now I was wondering, if an epidural takes away all the pain, why doesnt everyone have one? I take paracetamol for a headache so why not get rid of the pain of this? Can anyone give me real life experience of the good and the bad points please...

sorry - NEGATIVES - I can spell just a typo!

There are risks to them (nb: there are risks to ALL birth choices and don't let anyone tell you any different). You have to have a local anaesthetic before they give you the spinal. The anaesthetist (sp) inserts it into the spinal fluid. You might not get the full benefit, it might not work or it might only work on one side.

Epidurals restrict your ability to move around. Less so than it used to however. It's not a block. I could feel my legs and move them.

It might have some side effects e.g. random numbness, headaches afterwards.

They can slow labour down (not always a bad thing).

The good news is if they work they stop you feeling pain. They calm everything down so you can have a rest and everything becomes a bit clearer and less frantic.

Recent evidence suggests that the use of epidurals is associated with fewer bladder problems in later life

There is no firm evidence that an epidural increases the risk of caesarean. Look on Cochrane for the details here.

I had an epidural. I would have one again. I had a pretty pain free labour.

The received wisdom is that epidurals can lead to longer labours and a 'cascade of intervention' ie. your labour is longer, you're more likely to get tired / not be able to push effectively, therefore you're more likely to need an episotomy or emergency section.

In truth, there is an increase in episotomy in women who have had epidurlas (not sure about section?).

However, plenty of women labour successfully and without further intervention. I can think of loads of anecdotal evidence for you - of friends who had quick, easy labours under epidural - but the best thing to do would be to research it for yourself, keep an open mind and see what happens.

I had two epidurals. They removed the pain completely, left me totally clear headed (I was a wreck on G&A) and I even got some much-needed sleep. But I didn't manage to push either child out (one EMCS, one forceps) and I think that's meant to be the chief risk - I'm sure someone will be along in a minute with some data.

Epidurals are brillaint! They take away all pain! Why doesn't every body have one?

Some people just don't need one; they can manage to labour without.

Some peoples labours are too fast, and it's not possible to have an epidural administered.

The down side is the lack of mobility, especially if the labour is long, the need for a catheter, and the increased possibility of the need for ventouse/forceps.

Yes, epidurals are brilliant, but if I could manage without one, I would.

Negative story here I'm afraid:

I had an epidural for the 1st time when I was in labour with my 1st baby and would I have it again next time? No way.

My labour was long, OP baby, contractions were irregular and inefficient so had to go on the drip to speed things up so I requested and epi. It failed to work for the pain in my back which was excrutiating, despite it being repositioned 3 times. I came away thinking if I am ever in that much pain again then I would prefer to be able to move around rather than be paralysed and in agony. In the end they had to give me a spinal block to help with the pain and it was heaven- for about an hour or two then it wore off. I had an EMCS in the end so the 2nd spinal was bliss too.

I wouldn't have another as I would be scared of it not working effectively and me not eing able to move to alleviate the pain in my back.

Hi, another negative. i had an epidural and first of all it didnt work. could feel everything which is not the best experience especially with a prolonged 2nd stage of 36 hours. as well as not providing any pain relief from then on it totally slowed contractions etc right down. ended up with episiotomy forceps and 3rd degree tears with so much damage i can only ever have cs in future. so if i could have avoided it i would have preferred to then it may not have gone the way it did?

I loved my epidural. However, I hated then having an EMCS under an epidural as opposed to a spinal block. You know with an epidural you can feel everything but the pain? Not so nice when you can feel every knife cut.

I also still suffer with problems with my epidural site - if I catch it or the boys bash it even 2 years on I feel physically sick and it gives me a headache.

However, it was worth it and if I ever got a chance for another baby I would have an epidural.

I had an epidural 1st time and wouldn't have one again. It slowed the labour down and I couldn't feel the contractions to push. Ended up in theatre ready for an emergency cs if forceps didn't work, which thankfully they did.
Next time I had no pain relief whatsover and it was so much better, one of the reasons was I was allowed to walk around which was my instinct, which I hadn't been allowed to do with the epidural because I was constantly being monitored.

I have had three epidurals. All worked fantastically and I wouldn't hesitate to have one again.

Only downsides for me are holding still during contractions when they were being sited (quite uncomfortable), and that the hospital I was in had a policy that you had to stay in bed for 12 hours after getting the epidural.

So even though I felt fine and mobile the midwives were funny about me going to the toilet etc and gave me a bedpan.

I've had 2 epidurals and loved them.
They took away all the pain and caused no problems whatsoever. Would def have one again if the time came

Had an epidural with DS1, didn't with DS2.

Pros: when you get to the point of totally giving up, it provides the best relief. Being able to give birth whilst laughing and in a very relaxed environment. Giving birth without pain is fab, very exciting.

BUT, having ventouse wasn't nice and not being able to get up out of bed after the birth was a drawback. I felt so much better after birth of DS2 and was 'with it' much quicker. In hindsight, I'm glad I managed without an epidural second time. But if you need it, you need it.

It may not work, but you can still be left with the complications. This happened to a friend of mine - the epidural only worked down one side, she was still in a lot of pain, but couldn't move around and ended up needing ventouse.

There is also the risk of side effects, such as incapacitating headache from leakage of spinal fluid.

I'm unclear on the difference between an epidural and a spinal block - I had what they called an epidural after 3 days of induction (at full strength on oxytocin - I just couldn't deal with the contractions any more, and morphine hadn't made a dent), and it was such a relief I couldn't wipe the grin off my face.

I did end up with an EMCS (turns out his head was at a funny angle, which is probably why he wasn't decending, and nothing was progressing) for which they topped up the epidural until I couldn't feel anything below my chest HOWEVER - my head and shoulders were shaking uncontrollably (I always assumed that the women were cold in videos, but it seems this is a potential side affect) to the extent I was worried when my baby was brought near incase I head-butted him. Also whilst there was no pain, you could feel all the tugging/pressure (which was very rough).

It had largely worn off in an hour, although they left my catheter (for pee) in until the next day (actually, pretty handy not having to get up to pee when fresh from abdominal surgery - I was in no rush to get rid of it).

The initial insertion is tough - although I found the shock of the cold worse than any pain from the needle. In fact, the most painful part was the nurse ripping the tape off my back to remove it!

Chunky, in my case I had DS1 by Section under a Spinal. I couldnt feel a single thing from the boobs down, and didnt even know they'd started until they pulled him out!!

With DS2 he was a real rush job - I was literally wheeled from delivery to theatre with a midwife holding him up and they set to work immediately. The epidural meant I could feel all touch, but no pain - so I could feel the contractions and feel to push, but this also meant I could feel the whole operation. Whether this was because he was a real rush job and they didnt top it up or what I dont know - all I know is it is an experience I never want to relive again. I didnt see my son for 30 minutes as I couldnt stop shaking and being sick, I had my eyes shut and a midwife looking after him for me.

Hmm - interesting - so it sounds like mine was an epidural maybe, although I couldn't feel touch, I could feel the yanking. I was definitely topped up (went from just not being able to feel the relevant bit, to being numb from the nipples down)

It wasn't pleasant I agree - shaking and throwing up from the force on my stomach. My partner stayed with the baby while I was wheeled to recovery until I was able to raise my knees on my own (like I said, about an hour)

OP - they're really hot with the non-cs epidurals now though - they aimed it perfectly for me, the only numb bit was the painful bit, I could feel my legs/everything else just fine.

Slowed my labour down, couldn't feel when to push and nearly had to have ventouse.

Really easy until the pushing stage IME when I just didn't know when to push and it was really really hard to get the baby out in contrast to my recent experience of only G and A.

They are great as pain relief but wouldn't take one first before seeing how I got on with other approaches first - which is what I did recently.

I had an epidural because my latent phase of labour (before you get to 3cm) had been painful and lasted 3 days. On the fourth day I went in to hospital at 6cm and tried the birthing pool but didn't progress at all so had to have syntocinin (sp?!) drip which I'd heard was more painful. I was exhausted and after no sleep for days I was able to relax and doze. I believe if I hadn't had it I wouldn't have managed to push my baby out - as it was I had a ventouse delivery but baby was in a funny position which was why my labour wasn't progressing. The epidural my life saver and even though I couldn't feel anything when it came to pushing and I had to rely on the midwives to tell me when to push but I'd regained some energy to get DD out as if not it would have been an emergency section.

Could still feel legs and move toes and after a few hours even though I was wobbly I managed a trip to the loo on my own.

No side effects either. Arguement against is it can slow things down but after 4 days that wasn't an arguement that would wash with me! This next time I will not have one though unless labour is slow again. Am hoping the second will fly out!

I had an epidural with my first as so exhausted and fed up. As I heard the women either side of me screaming I was saying 'thank God' for an epidural. This was after being adamant I wouldn't have one.

I was completely paralysed from belly button down - no sensation at all. Made pushing difficult - somehow it happened.

I'm convinced my inability to sit down without pain for 2 years was caused by having to give birth lying down (damaged coxix - sp?)

With 2nd had no epidural and gave birth kneeling up. No 'sitting down' problems. But boy, I screamed the place down in the last 40 minutes.

Positive story-
My baby was back to back and i wasn't handling the contractions well at all. I had a walking epidural so i could still feel my legs and although the pain was taken away i could still feel my contractions.
After my epidural I completely relaxed and went from 4cm to completely dilated in a few hours. I then pushed out my dd in 45mins, and while i could feel what was going on the pain wasn't excruciating.
For me it was brilliant, for some women awful.

i had one and it didn't work, next time i won't be having one because for some women they dont work and i think i'm just one of them. i think there should be better teaching of breathing techniques in antenatal classes (mine didn't cover it at all!) and i think all women who plan to have an epidural for a first time birth should at least have a fall back option for how they will manage the pain- because how do they know it will definitely work? or how do they know the anaesthetist will be available, enough midwives available (as you need to be monitored more closely), or that they won't have a super fast labour and not have time for one...etc etc. i think it's all well and good to plan for an epidural but i think it's risky to rely on it without a fall back.

I had to go through the epidural procedure twice as there was an emergency just as they had me all wired up. That was hell in itself but the epidural itself was blissful when finally administered.

And yes you're immobile (which I didn't realise and was hobbling around on numb legs 20 mins later)but evidently not entirely so.

I had one, when my waters broke there was meconium, so baby had to be monitored and I couldn't handle the contractions when I couldn't move around. I had a nap and went from 4 cms to fully dilated in 2 hours.

However, I did have a forceps delivery but not sure if this is a direct result of the epidural or because I was too exhausted to push effectively.

Am not planning more children, but if I were to have more, I would have an epidural again.

PPs have already mentioned links to further intervention, injuries during pushing and chance of epidurals not working. To illustrate this last point...

My mum had 4 epidurals, one with each child and none of them worked. So, she ended up being not just in pain but stuck on her back in pain with no further pain relief options.

Apparently, if you experience one failure you are more likely to experience another in future.

I chose HB so epidural not an option without transfer. I didn't wish for one at any time, including during transition. I think that my mother's experience made me warier of epidurals than most. I also wondered whether there might be some structural anomaly in her back which I might have inherited and might make me more likely to experience epidural failure too.

Having experimented with different positions during labour, I can say that contractions which might be manageable when in the pool or marching up and down stairs, can be agonising if you're lying down.

Great option to have for the most people but definitely not for everyone.

They cocked up my sister's epidural. They punctured her spinal sac. She was flat on her back for 2 weeks with horrendous headaches.

They tried to fix it with blood patches twice but it did nothing but leave her black and blue.

Aparently this is very common something like 1 in 100, don't know the figure exactly.

I had my two kids before this, but I wanted to try and avoid at all costs a needle going anywhere near my spine, my back is bad enough as it is.