Did you regret having an epidural?

[Sleepy27]

Baby is due in a couple of weeks and thinking about pain relief I just wondered if the cons of having an epidural led to Mums wishing they hadn't had one. Apart from it being administered wrongly, if it is done right, what would put you off doing it again?

I would also have that I have a small scar on my back - from when they tore off the tape removing the epidural. It's more noticeable than my episiotomy scar (sewn up by a genius though)!

Don't regret it at all.Was induced so really needed it to kill the pain!! It worked well, a tiny bit of pain left on one side but as someone else said, it made me feel human again. Have just noticed this is an old post - you have probably had your baby by now OP.

No. No regrets.

I've had one than one!! Had to have mine redone in first labour as it wasn't working properly. Still didn't put me off. Had one with ds2. Plan to have another with dc3 if time allows!!! Huge fan of epidurals here!!

Well, mostly I regret the general arrangements for my first labour, but the epidural was part of it. Slow progress led to ARM, which stopped my contractions and led to syntocinon, epidural and forceps. No help with DD1 being back to back other than gas and air and then the cascade of intervention.

Next time I did it very differently. Wonderful home birth, with darkness, shouting my head off loud vocalising, positioning to try to move a (probably) wedged baby and an amazing birth in the pool.

When If there is a no. 3, I will be resisting the whole 'bright lights, coming and going, medical environment like the plague, and epidural is part of that. Me, hospitals and labour do not mix well it seems.

I also hated the catheter, having to have the drip in for an hour after birth, the fact that it wore off slowly down one leg (leaving me stranded in a busy post natal ward with no mobility) and that, despite being administered correctly, it didn't actually take away all the pain.

more than one epi I meant!

i was induced as i was 12 days late. actually getting the induction properly underway took 4 days. First they tried a bit of prostglandin gel, then a bit more and then a prostiglandin pessary and then another. I had mild contractions for those 4 days but very little real progress. DD's heart rate started to dip and not bounce back as it should so they decided to roll out the big guns. at 5am they broke my waters and at 7am suggested i have a syntocin drip. Was more than happy to have the drip, if i could have an epidural first. I had read about how brutal syntocin would make the contractions and felt no urge to put myself through that.

Anethesiologist (sp?) came in 20 minutes later, sited the epi and bob was my uncle. I had a mobile epi so i could feel my legs and feet quite well but had no pain. My legs just couldnt take my full weight but i could scoot around the bed. The next three hours were the most surreal but amazing of my life. I could feel the pressure of each contraction roll through but none of the pain at all. DH and i sat in the delivery room having a cup of tea and chatting with our lovely midwife trainee. about 3 hours after they started the drip i said that i could feel a lot of pressure and the midwife checked me and low and behold DD was ready to be born. 5 pushes later she in my arms.

I had no complications from the epi. Was up and walking around within a hour, had a shower etc.

I dont regret it for a moment and honestly beleive it contributed greatly to the most amazing day of my life so far. Am now pregnant with DC2 and am hoping for a repeat performance :-)

I know there are lots of responses to this but just wanted to add my 2 bits. I went through the whole of pregnancy adamant that I didn't want an epidural (mostly because I was so scared about the administration). I ended up being induced and got to the point where I was reaching my pain limit but not dilating and ended up having an epidural after lots of deliberation with DH. For about 5 mins I felt sad that I'd ended up having it but after that it was relief all the way. I topped up twice before it was time to push, by which point it was wearing off again and I was able to feel contractions, the baby moving down and crowning and that was amazing. I hadn't expected to feel a thing so was really pleased to be able to do so and feel like I was retaining some control. And because I couldn't really feel the true pain I pushed super hard and had a baby on my chest in 30mins! Not sure what I would do next time, I'd like to think I can avoid induction and that might mean I need an epidural less but I certainly will be quicker to go for one if I do need one.

No regrets at all. It turned what was going to be a horrific one into a pleasant one. I was induced and within 30 mins of being on the drip was given an epidural. I felt a bit of a wimp until it kicked in and then loved, loved, loved it. I went from 3cm to fully dilated over 6.5 hours (fairly standard) during which I was completlely relaxed and mainly dozed or read Grazia. When the time came to push, I couldn't feel when to push but the MW just moved the monitor so I could see the contractions build on that and then pushed when needed. I feel it made my overall recovery quicker and meant I could focus on DD immediately after she was born.

I regret not having one.

Yes I regret it. I had been induced since early monday morning and this was now sometime on wednesday. I didn't particularly need one, but I can't remember why they recommended it and the MW said I didn't need it.

I then couldn't feel any contractions at all and the whole thing slowed down again. I ended up with failed ventuese and then in theatre just in case forceps failed, which thankfully they didn't.

Next time round I had no pain killers whatsoever and it was a brilliant birth because I could go with my instince which was to walk and walk. The birth was just 4 hours from the start to finish.Yes it was painful but it was such a better overall experience.

I think it is very easy to look back on something and say 'oh i wish i hadnt done that' as once the pain is over, you think you could have dealt with it differently. But when you are in the throes of pain and dont know what else to do, then it seems like a good option! I think the dilemma comes as we dont know what will happen after the epidural, and no one does know. I wish I could have gone a bit longer without an epidural as things might have turned out differently, but then again, it may have gone a lot worse without it! Thats just the thing - you just dont know - you just have to go with you gut instinct I think x

I had no idea about the catheter (they never told us about that at ante natal classes!) and yes further intervention was necessary, but the relief from pain was bliss.

You can only play it by ear. I didn't have an epidural with subsequent births, and am glad I didn't, but my god I loved that epidural with DC1.

NO, NO, NO!

Yes I do, but then I regret consenting to the induction that took place before the epidural was sited.

I regret being stuck to a bed being constantly monitored (tried getting off the bed but they kept losing the trace, it was only when going through my notes again the other day that I realised they kept losing it when I was sitting on the bloody bed as well), I regret not being able to feel anything at all and I regret that not being able to move meant that I gave birth in the lithotomy position with stirrups, an episiotomy which extended into a 3a tear and forceps.

I had an intervention free birth but ended up with a catheter afterwards anyway (because I couldn't do a wee!)

With dd1 I don't think I would have coped without, I'd had 2 failed inductions and then been in labour for a while and I was exhausted. It did possibly mean I couldn't push effectively and that ended up with forceps but I'll never know whether that would have happened anyway given how exhausted I was. I regret that breastfeeding didn't work out for us, which was partly due to the forceps, which may have been partly due to the epidural - but honestly the moment the epidural kicked in was wonderful.

Not at all, didnt want one originally but once I was put in monitors then told I would need syntocin, I asked for one straight away as I couldn't move anyway!
I progressed really quickly once I'd had it, I was so exhausted as I'd been awake 24 hours by the time he was born.
The epi meant I could eat and sleep to get me through to the end.
The only minor downside was that it took me ages to get feeling back in my bladder so I had to be drained.
Other than that I'd have another in a heartbeat!!

I've had 2 epidurals, no catheters and no problems. I absolutely bloody loved them. Would recommend. My friend just had her 3rd baby without an epidural - she had epidurals with the first two. She said it was white-hot pain and wishes even now that she'd not put herself through it. IMO we have these wonderful modern medicines and treatments -of course not risk free- and it's fantastic to know that there's something you can do about unbearable pain. Total respect to anyone who battles through without one though.

Don't regret it at all. I was induced because I had OC with DS, ended up with a forcep delivery as he wasn't turning properly.

I'll have one again with my DD too (31 weeks pg) as I have OC again and will need to be induced again, not only that because I don't do pain either.

I had one with my third and my only regret is that I didn't have one the first two times. I had an induction and the epidural was given at the same time as the sintocin drip so I and a completely pain free 3 hour induction. No intervention, no stitches and my first successful bf experience. I did have a catheter but it was totally fine.

I think there is a place for an epidural... but that they should be the not be on the menu unless they are really needed. If that makes sense. I have seen many women end up in theatre, that probably wouldn't have needed to be there had they have kept mobile and relaxed. I realize that is a sweeping statement and every woman is different.

But I do think with the right support most women can do without. Support is the key. And that means good midwifery support as well as having birthing partners who participate rather that sit in a corner and observe.

I dont regret mine for a second. I had a very long labour, back to back baby and ended up with a section (which once they did it they realised was inevitable due to her position). If I hadnt have had it I would have been in aginy for 20 hours, once i had it (tbh dont even remember it being out in just the feeling of bliss when the pain lifted) I could sit up, attempt sleep and talk normally. I DO REGRET having pethidene which I felt forced into because they said it was too early for an epidural (at 5 hours - got epidural at 11)

Keep your options open and whatever choice you make dont let anyone make you feel bad about it.

Withwoman I think that is an outrageous think to say. I imagine most women who have one feel that they really need one. Do you suggest that a midwife should be making the decision whether or not these women really 'need' one? I agree most women could give birth without one but why should they have to, it should be a choice.

Childbirth for most women is incredibly painful, more painful than we could have possibly imagined before we went through it. I think women should have the choice of having an epidural at any stage in their labour.

I say this as someone who didn't have one and wish that I had. I had a 40 hour labour being induced with the drip. I had been up two nights with contractions before I gave birth at 10pm. I was in too much pain to talk to ask for an epi, all I could do was howl and vomit. I genuinely thought I was dying. I was too exhausted to hold my baby after I gave birth.

Yup. I also had a long back labour and 2 days and nights of contractions before it was established. I got my epidural too late, and by the time the birth came around I was too exhausted by the pain to push my son out. Forceps ensued. All totally avoidable by getting the right pain relief at the right time.