Who had an epidural and could you have gone on without it?

[JeuxDEnfants]

On the back of news that epodurals are being rationed... I was in last star labour for 4 hours when contractions stalled and I needed oxytocin. Without an epidural... I think I would have experienced torture. I had to beg for one. What do you think? Aibu?

I was in a hospital that rationed epiduals.

They were only for c-secs.

And there were no alternatives either. No gas and air, no pethadine. Bugger all.

"we only do natural birth signora!"

I got my epidural as they wheeled me of for a c-sec after 24 hours of screaming agony that took me from 3cm to... 3cm.

I could have done with it 23.5 hours earlier.

I have an only child.

I very much didn't want to have one, but by the time ds was ready to come out I was asking for one. I was told that it was too late, which it probably was, but I remember the pain of tearing fairly badly with no pain relief at all very clearly. I'm glad I didn't have one in the end. I would have liked to have been warned that the take gas and air way from you at the most painful moment, but then if I had known that I probably would have ended up with an epidural earlier, which wouldn't have been for the best I don't think.

I had one and don't think I could have coped without one, I had to be induced twice and was put on a drip to speed up the contractions and they were painful!!! Had my epidural about 8 in the evening and it meant that I could get a bit of rest overnight and my ds was born at 11 the next morning, but the epidural ran out on one side of my body about an hour before I gave birth so at least I could feel the contractions to push!

It's a difficult one isn't it... But I do think, only the woman in labour can decide.

god, Suocra, that sounds awful. I had one, 3 days of early labour at home, which then stopped but had to go in due to waters breaking and group B strep, induced, lasted about 4 hours then epidural, which let me have a sleep for a bit. Had DD about 21 hours later, including 2 hours of pushing before she was ventoused out. There is no way on God's earth I could have done it without one.

Digestives - my anaesthetist was gorgeous to

I did after being induced, I always thought I had a fairly high pain threshold but god it felt like I was being ripped apart. I was sick 3 times on gas and air, didn't feel the pethadine at all, thankfully I had a good midwife who listened to me. After that point I had an utterly blissful birth despite tons of stitches.

Like a previous poster, I would like to try without this time as I feel it was the induction which made it so painful, but unless this baby makes an appearance in the next week, another induction is on the cards.

GoldenSunny - I wonder if they are all gorgeous? The one I had for my c-section was also lovely . Or if they just seem gorgeous because of all the gas & air and pain?. A bit like 'beer goggles'....

I had one with my dd 9 years ago.

It didn't work - only worked down one side. My labour was very traumatic - 67 hours start to finish. Torture every min of it. Even though the epidural didn't completely work it was still 100x better than without.

My ds 11 weeks old was an elective c section. (Another thing the nhs is trying to get rid of - if I couldn't have had one I would have either aborted - awful but true - or had to be checked into a psychiatric hospital. I was that phobic of a vaginal birth).

I think its absolutely disgusting that the nhs seems out to make childbirth as difficult and painful for women at the moment when you only have to pop into an a and e department on a friday and saturday night to see the resources spent on the drunk and silly teenagers of the world. And no I'm not saying they shouldn't receive treatment - but how dare they target women when there are lots of other areas that could be targetted.

It was my birth plan. Nothing else on birth plan, just that.

I have no pain threshold. Period pain knocks me off my feet unless carefully managed with 3 neurofen every 4 hours for 3 days. I nearly kicked the consultants teeth in when he broke my waters.

I would happily have paid for it.

(I also think that you shoud be able to have one if you fly transatlantic in economy )

If you can go it alone good for you. That's great. Everyone should have the birth that they want. But no one comes and pins a medal on your nightie if you tough it out because you think you should.

my baby got stuck high in the birth canal. I was too late for an epidural by the time it became and emergency. I had a big episiotomy and assisted delivery with nothing and it was horrendous and barbaric to say the least.

Bees I've just crossed my legs very tightly. You poor sod x

With DC1 contractions weren't effective and she was in undeliverable position (head down, not engaged and facing sideways). After 12 hours I got to 6cm and another 4 hours later I was still at 6 hours. I was given the drip and here was a good chance I would need forceps/c section if she didn't move so I had an epidural in. I couldn't have gone on without it. Pain was bearable but I was exhausted. I managed to rest and sleep and DD was born without intervention 7 hours later.

With DC2 I was induced by having my waters broken. Contractions where really strong. I was blacking out at the peak of each contraction. I begged for epidural. Midwife tried to persuade otherwise as I was progressing well but I was only 5/6cm so a while to go. The epidural didn't work properly but did take the edge off so no longer blacked out. I still had to use gas and air and it really hurt unlike with DC1 where I felt no pain. DS was born after 5 and a half hours of labour (4 with epidural) with no intervention. I couldn't have coped with another 4 hours of that pain.

The moral of the story is... If you need one... Keep asking!!!

I have a low pain threshold and couldn't have coped without one. I had and epidural with both of my two DC's.

I think it's inhumane to ration them.

And I have to add, I was aware of the risks and, with the first one, I had planned on having a natural labour.

enjoygold it was the most traumatic thing I have ever been through and not surprisingly I ended up with pts and pnd.
some how (in a prozac haze) i decided to have another baby and it was a lot easier second time round. on my third now and hoping to sneeze this baby out lol

Agree, I hope the second one is easier when you know how it all works. First time is the complete hellish unknown...

"Without an epidural... I think I would have experienced torture. "

I asked for an epidural. They tried, 5 times. It didn't work.
(The anaesthetist actually came to visit to apologise the next day).

It was torture.

I didn't know pain like that existed. It was horrendous and I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.

I so wanted to avoid a C-Section but by the end, if someone had offered to cut me open there and then with a knife I'd have agreed.

Why are epidurals being rationed? On what basis?
If this is being done for financial reasons then it is absolutely barbaric.

Bees start sniffing pepper

Yes, financial :(

Was induced at 37 weeks. After 3 painful contractions I calmly asked for an epidural before I lost the plot and half an hour later a lovely anesthetist was stabbing that needle in my back. Im not a wuss but the pain of labour was something else! Thirteen hours later back to back dd was hauled out with "special " forceps after an episiostimy . I felt to push, I felt the local anesthetic go in (luckily not the cut) and twenty minutes later insisted I was getting up to go to the loo as yes I could feel my legs and could manage myself thank you. Maybe I could have managed without but luckily with one never had the fear of the pain which I think helped me the most. Womans choice, not a bureaucrat.

I've had 3, when I got pregnant with my 3rd, I was so anxious about the chance of not being able to have one, I was a nervous wreck by the time I was 36 weeks. Luckily it was fine, but I know in myself I would never have coped in all three births without one. Hats off to those who go without, they deserve a medal.

Well, I suppose that everybody HAD to do without epidurals before they were invented.....But it's remarkable that nearly every poster on this thread had an epidural following some kind of previous intervention,particularly fucking syntocinon/ oxytocin.

I guess what the NCT says about the "cascade of intervention" is often true...

(for the record, yes, I was induced...and ended up having an epidural).

I was offered an epidural before the G&A.
They had being trying to induce me for 2 days, I'd been strapped up & lying down for most of that as DS had an irregular heartbeat...so I don't think DS would've had a safe, intervention free delivery without the epi...although I couldn't get more than one top up as the monitor wasn't picking up my contractions.

If it turned out an epidural wasn't going to be NHS avalible & I couldn't have a home birth I would consider forking out for private.

First labour no pain relief. It hurt, but as I was progressing well, I coped. I knew there was an end it sight.

Second labour with preemie twins at 32 weeks. Had an epidural as was very anxious, not coping, scared, and also Twin 2 was breech which could have resulted in one vaginal birth, one c section. Epidural was A May Zing. Felt SO much calmer, could still feel tightenings but no pains. Progressed well and had two unassisted vaginal deliveries 30 mins apart after 5 hours. Could feel everything to push babies out. Pead said best birth he had ever attended....I was (still am a bit) so proud 18 years later.

I do not support rationing or reducing availability of epidurals, but would welcome more active labour. Although only a narrow view, the recent midwifery programmes show many womens still supine or with stirrups - is this easier for the midwives? I would like to see more moving/squatting/standing. Also would be interested in the theory that scared women have slower labours - what can we do to relay fears and anxieties and hand control back to the labouring woman?

I would be interested in any studies that show home births that have shorter labours (or not?) as the women have more control? Is the intensity of the pain and length of labour connected to the unknown and the fear? Are second labours statistically shorter because women know what to expect? Do midwives have shorter labours themselves?!