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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Are ALL midwives against epidurals?!

43 replies

jessicaandbumpsmummy · 12/10/2005 19:56

Silyl question i know, but my mw had a hissy fit today when i said that i wanted gas and air and then the epidural if necessary!

Its written in my notes already because I WROTE IT but my MW just doesnt seem keen and is adament i wont need it.

Just wondered if anyone else had come accross this with their mw's?!

When i had Jess last year at a different hospital I had the epidural within 20 minutes of asking for it!

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

vickiyumyum · 12/10/2005 20:27

you could always relax, get a babysitter, book a nice meal out, get dolled up to go out, that way your labour is bound to start because you want to go out and enjoy yourself with dh before the bay comes!

Original poster

jessicaandbumpsmummy · 12/10/2005 20:31

i think that is the plan for the weekend..... need a night out to be honest!

OP posts:

vickiyumyum · 12/10/2005 20:33

oh well, that'll be the night then! good luck, hope it all goes smoothly and to your satisafction (epidural if you need it)

Original poster

jessicaandbumpsmummy · 12/10/2005 20:34

thanks hun - day trip to reading planning might help!

OP posts:

meggymoo · 12/10/2005 20:35

Message withdrawn

Original poster

jessicaandbumpsmummy · 12/10/2005 20:47

tried that MM..... i tell you - there is not ONE single thing i havent tried im sure of it! (only tried the pineapple once, but that because it makes me heave!)

OP posts:

FrumpyGrumpy · 12/10/2005 20:51

DON'T let anyone bully you! Do what you fancy. I've have natural birth (*) and twins with epidural and I'd go epidural again anyday. It made it an experience to enjoy rather than one that would take 2 years to recover from. Stick to your guns, everyone has their own opinion and only you know what will help you feel your best. Good luck.

FrightfullyPoshFloss · 12/10/2005 20:53

JABM, couple of the more unusual ones I remember...
Blow jobs mean you get the substance better that starts of labour (erm, mine was 3 days later )

And walking up and down the stairs sideways.

I've CAT'd you BTW, might not get it till the morning?

SweetFudge · 13/10/2005 11:03

The attending midwife attending informed me that "I should experience the pain" rather than have an epidural. She followed on that gem by saying that "Some women were howlers but some were better at keeping quiet during the births." She expressed her approval of the silent labours and proudly informed me that she'd given birth to all her children without needing any pain relief.

I'd asked for an epidural after the two prostin gels didn't work and five hours after the induction drip had been put in. I was in a lot of pain by then. The contractions were a minute apart and I was still only 2 cm dilated.

DH had been sent home to get some sleep so I was left to argue with this woman whilst trying to breathe through the pain. Later I found out that the supervising midwife had told her to give me an epidural as soon as the drip was put in!

I can laugh now but this woman wasn't very amusing then when all I wanted to do was scrabble my way out of that pain.

expatinscotland · 13/10/2005 11:04

Sweet
Was she a Scientologist?

SweetFudge · 13/10/2005 11:11

Hah! Could have been. Mebbe we should recommend her for the birth of the Holmes-Cruise baby?

paolosgirl · 13/10/2005 11:19

Our hospital doesn't offer them as a matter of course, and we're all told pretty much at the booking in appointment that it's not a form of pain relief that is routinely offered.

expatinscotland · 13/10/2005 11:21

Paolo
Seriously?! That's amazing! I wonder what their reasoning is behind that? Let me guess . . . it has something to do w/keeping costs down . . .

paolosgirl · 13/10/2005 11:24

No, I don't think so. It's a midwife-led unit, and they offer a birthing pool, all the other drugs etc etc. If it's felt it's needed for medical etc reasons you get it, but not as a matter of routine. I had DS after a 12 hour labour, ending in a ventouse, on just the TENS machine, birthing pool and gas and air - but the midwife was so fab that I coped. DD also just gas and air - and believe me, my pain threshold is low. We're talking sedation for a minor filling....

OrribleOliveoil · 13/10/2005 11:28

I think my epidural led to me having a section with dd1 and slowed down my labour. Still wanted one with dd2 but she wanted OUT too quick and I just had gas and air. Far better and I am major wuss (also have pain relief at dentists!).

I think it was the lovely Mears (where is she?) who said it is better to go up in stages with pain relief rather then jumping straight to epidural, ie TENS, g & a, Pethedine etc.

edam · 13/10/2005 11:34

AFAIK, midwife units don't offer epidurals routinely because that's not a midwife-led procedure - takes it into the realms of medical labour. But you will get one if you want (well, you should, as long as you don't have an irritating know-it-all midwife), although they may transfer you across to a hospital birth unit.

I was screaming for an epidural during my midwife-led birth centre birth. But they fooled me by getting dh to hold ice packs on my back. I kept thinking it was the needle going in and all the pain would go away soon. Midwife was very stubbon about not transferring me across the floor to the hospital centre for an epidural - no idea why except both midwife-led and hospital birth centres were very, very short-staffed. Maybe she knew it would be hours before I saw an anaesthetist anyway? Or maybe she'd read my notes and seen that I'd put that I'd prefer an active labour (although I'm sure I put 'If I change my mind, that's fine).

My sister waited four hours (!) for an epidural as no anaesthetist free. Ow. She was induced so it really, really hurt.

Ask if your labour ward has an anaesthetist on-call - although if there's an emergency you still won't get one fast. Sorry.

JoolsToo · 13/10/2005 11:35

not the ones I had

mears · 14/10/2005 00:23

I have commented on many threads before that epidurals can be wonderful things. However they are a massive intervention in labour and they can disrupt the whole flow of a labour progressing normally. Women need to know that it can make their blood pressure drop, slow their labour, make the second stage longer because the natural urge to push can be lost. There is reduced mobility (unless a walking epidural but our unit does not do them), the need for monitoring of blood pressure and baby's heart rate etc. There are more urinary problems reported post epidural as bladder funtion is also knowcked out as well as the pain. Sometimes it only works down one side which is even more ditressing.
That said, if a woman comes in requesting an epidural and she has made an informed choice, then she gets it if the anaesthetist is available. Women can still have midwife led care in many areas. In fact as a midwife I put the drip up before the anaesthetist comes.

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