any one help me with q's for midwife tomorow?

[elizaregina]

hello

I am meeting mw tomorow to discuss possibility of early epidural - after this meeting i will then finally decide do I want the ELC i have been offered for emotional/mental truama after first birth or opt for this early epi.

Questions I have thought of so far are....

how many times has the labour ward turned people away or been shut in past weeks.....

what happens if get to another hospital will they honour the epidural request

how will they prioritise me for epi - i know obvioulsy emergenices go before me....

if i put this epi plan in place in the worst case scenario should i go into labour quickly and progress too quickliy for elc - will it weaken them giving me an elc on the day?

i wuold be grateful if anyone can add....

How will the midwife team be made aware of my requirement to have an early epidural?
If the anaesthetist is busy (say on an emergency c section) how will I be prioritised?

I wouldn't worry too much about it though, I made my wish for an epidural very clear and told the midwife that I wanted to get a far as I could on my own then have the epidural. The only time that it is 'too late' to have an epidural is if you are literally ready to push. I was fully dialated when I had mine. Your midwife may change during labour due to a shift change, make sure you inform the new one as well.

I would want to know exactly how the MW, or MWs plural if you go through a couple of shifts, are going to be briefed about your early epidural plan? how can you be sure they will be made aware and that they will accept this is an agreed plan and not start making their own care decisions on the day?

That sounds rather negative, I'm sorry. Coming at this as someone who had a CS agreed for my first, and for whom it was all a pretty smooth process, communication was absolutely key. And communication that came 'downwards' from a consultant and Head Midwife too.

I remember there was a poster here who had had an ELCS agreed in advance but when she turned up at hospital, the staff on duty decided she didn't need one, delayed and delayed and eventually she had to give birth vaginally, which makes my blood boil.

My concern would be similar about an early epidural guarantee. We're all adults, we all understand there are a few things you can never plan for (a huge run of emergencies keeping an anaesthetist busy) - but that's entirely different from staff ignoring what has been agreed on the day.

If this guarantee is going to consist of one MW writing your wishes in your notes for different MWs to read and act on, I'd be wanting something with more authority tbh.

sherb and wheres thanks

i read this too late.

i have decided though to still go ahead with the elc as they dont take into account emotional strain of labour still.

however should i go into labour early a nd they do make me give birth - hopefully the epidural request on my notes which i will make sure comes from consulatant is all loud and clear- even though was asking this Head MW about epi - even she was steering me away to the birth pool.

apparenlty my last DD was actaully back to back - i thought there was alot of pain the hte back - i cant belive they didnt tell me! at the time, i remeber saying was this pain in the back normal!!