has anyone actually had an epidural that lets them move around during labour and still push effectively?
i'm on pregnancy no 3 and wondering whether a real mobile epidural (i.e. i'm not keen on being stuck on back on bed and not feeling anything so increasing chance of intervention) is possible. i had a water birth with nos 1 and 2 (although with 1, i was taken out of pool and dd ended up being dragged out with a ventouse). so, i've had 2 natural births with no pain relief. i know what its like. please can anyone tell me whether the idea of killing off most of the pain of the 0-10 phase but still being able to feel enough to push is a myth. at the same time, i don't want to introduce unnecessary risks. i'm just so tempted by the idea that it could be a little less violent and maybe even enjoyable. i know i can do it without but may not be able to use the pool this time due to gestational diabetes.
any experiences would be brilliant. i haven't decided on hospital yet btw, it could be either portland, st thomas or chelsea and westminster. aha, another question - do experiences differ on availability of anaesthetist and skill of jab itself between NHS or private?