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Childbirth

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

Original poster

Amazing epidural birth on OBEM has seriously tempted me...

64 replies

ahhhhhpushit · 08/03/2012 11:49

With DS I had no pain relief, 9lb back-to-back brow presentation baby, loooooong pushing stage (hours) and borderline 3rd degree tear.

I did ok.

BUT oh my goodness last night's OBEM had an epi birth that was amazing!! She pushed totally fine (not being able to push is the thing that puts me off) and was singing as she did it!!!!! Shock

So I'm sitting here thinking to myself why oh why would I put myself through all that pain again? Come to think of it why did I put myself through all that pain in the first place??!!!

Anyone have an epidural and not end up with forceps??? Everyone I bloody know who had a epi ended up with forceps or c-section. It really scares me...

OP posts:
mummytime · 08/03/2012 14:10

I had a very strong epidural with DC2, because we were literally on the last push and then they'd do a CS (I'd had one with DC1). I couldn't feel a thing but I knew when to push, don't ask me how but I did.
I desperately wanted one for DC3, but that was a very very quick birth, about 1 hour and only so long with the help of gas and air.

TuttiFrutti · 08/03/2012 14:14

The vast majority of women who have epidurals don't need forceps or ventouse. Epidurals are used in 33% of vaginal births. The figure for forceps/ventouse is much lower (can't remember exact percentage but it's very small) and some of those will be in non-epidural births.

In France the figure for epidurals is about 99%, and for forceps/ventouse about the same as in UK.

ItsOkItsJustMyBreath · 08/03/2012 14:15

I am never going to have more dcs but, if I were, I would definitely have another low dose epi. Twas brilliant, I was laughing as I gave birth and I could feel enough to push effectively.

NorfolkNChance · 08/03/2012 14:17

I had an epidural but it had started to wear off when we got to the pushing stage (ventouse) so I could feel to push but it wasn't overly painful.

latrucha · 08/03/2012 14:23

I had an epidural with my second birth (c-section first time) and no other intervention. I could feel every contraction and push.

Whatevertheweather · 08/03/2012 14:28

I had an epidural in with dd1 after only getting to 4cm in 8 hours. Went to sleep for about 2 hours after it went in (bliss!) woke up to be examined and told I was 10cm Grin As I had no overwhelming urge to push and dd was happy they let me wait an hour whilst the epi wore of so I could push properly. Felt contractions to push and she came out after about 20 mins of pushing. Was up and in the shower within a hour.

Dd2 was emcs which means dc3 will have to be elcs but if I did have another natural labour I wouldn't hesitate to have an epidural again.

PufftyMagicDragon · 08/03/2012 14:31

Had an epidural, no foreceps or anything. I loved it and ill be having another again! I love that i remember my birth experience as a pain free, wonderful experience

SecondTimeLucky · 08/03/2012 14:42

I had an epidural with DD1 and would have moved heaven and earth to avoid it with DD2.

Like you, I had an OP baby and slow progress. I only consented to the epidural because, in a classic cascade of intervention, breaking my waters stalled my labour and I was then advised to have syntocinon. Ended up with forceps.

The thing was, once I had an epidural, I had to lie down (no mobile ones at my hospital). I had to keep it topped up to the max and even then the pain relief was incomplete (despite no problems with the epidural). I could not let it wear off enough at the end because the pain lying down was like nothing else on earth, and I would have had to get through that helpless pain barrier to get at all mobile again. For the last hour or so I was on gas and air as well as the epidural because the back pain was so intense (as in, it didn't leave my lips because the pain wasn't with contractions, it was pretty constant).

DD2 was probably similarly positioned, and I had no pain relief except the pool. Positioning, vocalising and support from my doula and husband were better for me in coping with the pain than the supposed pain relief. Don't get me wrong, it hurt like buggery, but it was still better than the alternative Grin. And the high afterwards was nothing like the shell shock and helplessness (I lost feeling in one leg for a good few hours after DD1) I felt first time. I remember the second birth very fondly and it there is a third, I would do the same again.

shagmundfreud · 08/03/2012 14:59

"The vast majority of women who have epidurals don't need forceps or ventouse".

That's not true of first time mothers. It is true of second time mothers.

First time mums who have an epidural are much, much more likely to need forceps or ventouse than a mother who hasn't had an epidural.

The latest Place of Birth study found that fewer than half of low risk, first time mums who gave birth in a CLU had a normal birth. Nearly 40% of this group laboured with an epidural. Emergency c/s rates overall were 13%. Forceps rate were about 1 in 10 (overall).

I don't have the figures, but I'd be very surprised if assisted delivery rates for first time mums labouring with an epidural in place were less than 20%, and not at all surprised if they hovered around 30%.

The 2011 figures of assisted delivery rates in different hospitals come up with a national average of 12.5% for England, but some hospitals have massively higher rates than this. Epsom hospital in Surrey has a rate of 20%. Most of these will be first time mums. There are many hospitals in the London region with rates of 17% and over. And many of these are hospitals with c/s rates hovering around the 30% mark. Shock

Figgygal · 08/03/2012 15:07

I had an epidural and would have one agsin and again tbh!!

I did end up with forceps as i got a temp which could have been from the epi but my waters were gone when checked and I hadn't realised so could have similarly come from that. The temperature passed to Lo and they wanted him out asap so we opted for forceps over pushing. I must say legs in stirrups, episiotomy and forceps were my absolute worst nightmare but it was so quick didnt have time to worry about it and i was off the painkillers within days. Nothing would make me regret the decision to have one and id definitely have one again.

zzzzz · 08/03/2012 15:15

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

NichyNoo · 08/03/2012 15:21

Similar to what Tuttifrutti said, in Belgium the vast majority of women have an epidural. The hosptial I gave birth in has a no forceps policy despite the almost 90% plus rate of epidural.

thefurryone · 08/03/2012 16:41

Nice to hear some good epidural stories as like someone else mentioned everyone I know who has had one has had either forceps or cs.

And the mobile ones don't sound half as bad as the need to lie on your back ones, I still couldn't cope with someone sticking a needle in my spine though.

SJisontheway · 08/03/2012 17:03

I had one with dc2 of 3. It was by far the most positive birth experience. No problems pushing. 2 quick pushes and she just slid out. Would have had one with dc3 - no question - but I was too far along.

PoultryInMotion · 08/03/2012 20:33

Had an epidural with DD. I'd had a long labour and although I was progressing I was pretty tired, so had it mostly so I could sleep.

I did sleep. And watch a bit of tele. And gossip with DH. All pain free and comfortable. Then all of a sudden I could ferl my contractions, not in a painful way but just an awareness. This was my urge to push, and so I did, and managed to get DD out without intervention.

All in all a very positive birthing experience. I remember a cookery programme being on whilst I was pushing and thinking 'ooh, I'd love a chicken dinner', unlike a couple of my friends who I feel really sorry for who'd gone the non pain relief option and were wishing they were dead whilst pushing because the pain was so bad Sad

abrakebabra · 08/03/2012 20:41

"If you had normal levels of oxytocin in your body you wouldn't need syntocinon to boost your contractions, as you pretty much always do with an epidural"

Really? You pretty much always end up on the drip if you have an epidural?

ReallyTired · 08/03/2012 21:14

I had an epidural without syntocinon. Lots of women give birth with an epidural without needing to be induced. I agree an epidural can slow down labour, but not in all cases. Sometime an epidural can speed up labour as it makes the mother relax and happier.

Personally I think the epidural was one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century. With my son's birth having an epidural was the right decision, after 28 hours of labour I had had enough. I was desperately tired and the epidural gave me the break I needed.

With dd her birth was really quick and I didn't even have gas and air. Her birth was relatively pain free and I had a 2 minute second stage. It would had been stupid to have an epidural for that birth. God was kind to me on that day.

shagmundfreud · 08/03/2012 21:15

Pretty much always need augmentation. Also a drip for fluids because epidural can reduce your blood pressure - not good for you or baby.

Poultry - I wanted someone to shoot me at times when I was giving birth to an 11lb baby with no pain relief. But I was absolutely fine afterwards - more than fine. Ecstatic. Pain in labour isn't generally linked to women being unhappy about their births. The opposite in fact.

I welcomed the drama and intensity of my labour. The fact that I was completely absorbed by what was going on in my body. It made it more of a significant experience for me - more of a rite of passage to mark the start of something incredibly important and big in my life. I didn't want to spend my labour chatting about trivial shit with the midwife like I was at the hairdressers or something. But each to their own

shagmundfreud · 08/03/2012 21:16

Really tired - most women need augmentation with an epidural.

ReallyTired · 08/03/2012 21:19

"I welcomed the drama and intensity of my labour."

Trust me, the novety wears off after 28 hours for most of us!

Catsu · 08/03/2012 21:20

I had 2 epidurals and neither time needed any intervention. I didn't need any stitches either
With my 3rd the anaethatist wasn't available so I didn't get the epidural. I felt much more out of control. I didn't push well, my body just spasmed uncontrollably and that led to a quicker, less controlled delivery and lots of stitches!
I am gutted I didn't get the epidural third time round!

abrakebabra · 08/03/2012 21:24

I'm still really surprised at nearly all epidural births requiring syntocinon. I'm not saying you're wrong, but I'm very surprised as I've never heard that before.

Our NCT teacher was a midwife and made damn sure to talk as many of us out of an epidural before we gave birth and gave all sorts of reasons for not having one, but never mentioned the drip.

I guess it didn't really make a difference to me as I didn't end up on syntocinon. It was never mentioned during my birth, hence I guess, me still being unaware of that.

Do you have any stats on the incidence of syntocinon being used in epidural births? I know you said 'pretty much always need' but I'm curious - how many do you mean by that? 99%? 95%? How many?

SecondTimeLucky · 08/03/2012 21:27

Shagmund and Abrakadebra - I'm interested too (although it was the other way round for me - consented to the epidural because I was advised to have syntocinon).

Are the stats for first time mothers, or everyone. And does it take account of women like me, who have both but for the opposite reason?

birdsofshoreandsea · 08/03/2012 21:30

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IHeartKingThistle · 08/03/2012 21:32

I watched that OBEM birth thinking 'Why the fuck didn't my epidurals work that well?'

Had epidurals with both births, both times it took maybe 20% of the pain away max and none of the pressure. AND then had to stay still. Wouldn't bother again!

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