Did your epidural work well?

[JellyNump]

I have had 2 epidurals and both times they got rid of the pain of the contractions but the pain of the baby coming out (stretching etc) it seemed to do nothng for? Is this 'normal'? It may just be me?

[Hersetta]

I finally had an epidural after a very long 6 day latent labour with contractions every 6 mins which were doing precisely bugger all to my cervix. After my water broke and they went to every 2 mins I asked for an epidural just to get some rest really as I'd not slept except a few minutes between contractions for 5 days. They wouldn't give me one initially as they said it could slow down my contractions so I managed for another 12 hours on a ball and finally with some gas and air.

When they gave me the epidural (and a dose of syntocin) it didn't work at all but they didn't really beleive that it hadn't worked so it took another 4 hours for them to re site it. This time it worked instantly and I didn't feel any pain at all - it was fantatic after almost 7 days of contractions. The midwife was looking at the monitoring machine and said "you're having a contraction". Me, with silly grin on face replied "am I?".

However within an hour they'd decided i needed to have a section as it took me 18hrs to go from 2-3cm. As I's already had the epidural in it was a quick job to top me up for the section and within 20 mins I'd gone from the delivery unit to having my daughter.

When it worked the epidural was fab.

[LOVEMYMUM]

Hi Jojomo.

Just wanted to say that i'm sorry you had such a terrible experience.

[amytheearwaxbanisher]

worked great no pain but could still feel ds coming out in a painfree way bloody well felt the snip and stitchs even though i couldnt feel my legs when i touched them {hmm}

[Pinkchampagne]

First time my epidural worked really well, but with DS2 it didn't have any affect at all.

[expatinscotland]

mine worked a treat!

i'd go for birth in a consultant led unit expressly so i could have another one.

i had a birth with no pain relief - G&A made me sick - and i never want to experience pain like taht again.

i felt trapped by it and had a major panic attack.

[JellyNump]

I can still feel where I had my epidurals and my last one was 21 months ago. The spot where they did them is still quite tender and underneath it feels 'odd'

[jojomo]

The anaesthetist put the needle in too far in my first epidural and had to re-do it - it then worked and transformed the birth experience into something almost pleasant! However, I then ended up with what they called a 'dural tap' headache because of the first epidural which was the most excruciating pain I've ever known. I couldn't even move my head from side to side whilst lying down for the first two days or sit or stand or get to the loo for 9 days without intense pain. I had two blood patches to try and repair the damage which didn't work so that was four epidurals in one week which really doesn't do your back much good. Breast feeding was ruined and the post natal care was pretty appalling (i was made to feel a nuisance because I couldn't look after my baby by myself). It was a horrible experience and I don't EVER want to be at the mercy of the NHS again.

[teeneyweeney]

Hi

I was given an epidural as had previous C section, so my choice of pain relief wasn't even considered. As a result, the pain disappeared along with my desire to push. After a few hours of getting nowhere, I ended up in theatre, having an assisted delivery, although happily not another section.

Had I not had the epidural when I did, I really feel I might have just pushed that little bod out as the urge was overwhelming me.

[teeneyweeney]

Hi

I was given an epidural as had previous C section, so my choice of pain relief wasn't even considered. As a result, the pain disappeared along with my desire to push. After a few hours of getting nowhere, I ended up in theatre, having an assisted delivery, although happily not another section.

Had I not had the epidural when I did, I really feel I might have just pushed that little bod out as the urge was overwhelming me.

[teeneyweeney]

Hi

I was given an epidural as had previous C section, so my choice of pain relief wasn't even considered. As a result, the pain disappeared along with my desire to push. After a few hours of getting nowhere, I ended up in theatre, having an assisted delivery, although happily not another section.

Had I not had the epidural when I did, I really feel I might have just pushed that little bod out as the urge was overwhelming me.

[rebecca24]

I had a epidural on my daughter who is my first it was the best thing i could of ever done it numbed me completly through the contractions and the birth it just made the whole experiance a joy i sat up talkin to the midwife and my boyfreind it was just so relaxed done a few pushes and out she came i wldnt do it any other way.

[Joggers]

I was induced with my first daughter and was advised to have an epidural by the midwife. I needed a top up after 6 hours as I could feel the pain of my contractions and by the time I was ready to push I felt everything, so much so that I was sick.

It was probably a good thing as I managed to push her out in 40 mins with no interventions but I needed to ask for a local for my stitches as the epidural had completely worn off by then.

[Florizel]

twigletmum - I am sorry that you were coping and were persuaded to have an epidural when you didn't need one, but some people genuinely have more painful contractions than others - mine in my first labour went off the piece of paper they were being recorded on by the monitor.

I've done it both ways, and I felt I let myself and my baby down much more when I didn't have an epidural than with my first birth when I did: with dd2 I was so shocked by the pain and loss of control that I didn't bond with her for much longer than with dd1. I got horrid PND after this birth too, though have no way of knowing if it was connected.

Sheep are not people: a baby's head is MUCH bigger than a lamb's in comparison to the birth canal and humans are on the borderline of what is biologically possible in terms of live baby to brain size. It's no wonder it hurts, and epidurals are a godsend to those of us with over-enthusiastic uterine muscles.

I totally agree that it should be the woman, not the medics who decides if she has one or not though - I don't actually think it is a case of 'routine' use of epidurals. They are expensive and mean a much higher midwife to patient ratio - most midwives I have heard of try to avoid the use of them if they can. Too often the problem is there's no anaesthietist when you need one.

[jabberwocky]

tbh, I'm really uncomfortable with the idea that we have to have a sense of achievement or realize full pootential with childbirth. I understand where you're coming from on that one, but I think it really adds to the already stressful situation of childbirth and can put undue emotional stress on the mother. Really, what you want is a healthy baby at the end of it all. Anything else is just icing on the cake.

[ChaCha]

OMG - That's awful! Thankfully that wasn't the case with me though although thinking about it, I was so damn tired and out of it I had no notion to hold him until I had some sleep, wash, clean nighty etc. Once all that was taken care of there was no stopping me.

It is food for thought though...

[jabberwocky]

But, tm, 2nd births can be much easier anyway because your body has a better sense of what it's doing.

[twigletmum]

Don't you think though that routine use of epidurals prevent women from realising their full potential ? And places the baby at extra risk because the chance of a intervention goes up ? I was offered an epidural because I was told I was not 'coping' with dd. Once it was in place the labour slowed right down, dd became distressed but thank god I was able to push her out. Then ds was born at home in a pool and the sense of achievement was massive. Know now with dd that I was not 'coping' cos I was in transition. I was pissed off for ages that I was made to feel like I needed an epidural. I read this thing about an experiment they did with sheep that when they gave sheep epidurals, they didn't want to care for their lambs !!!!

[ChaCha]

Buddanjoe - Snap! When I was on cloud 9 pushing DS around in his cot a few hours after the c-sec he came and asked me if i was okay with a very worried look on his face and thought that I should go and lie down Was nice of him to make the visit down to observation to ask i though esp after DH had given everyone such a hard time about NOT wanting an epidural (as if he had say!)
He made a mess of it the first time, second time was fine, I shivered a lot, remember that well but was constantly topped up, with morphine I think? Is that right? and that with the gas and made the last few hours of the 23 bearable.
I really was on cloud 9 that whole day, drugs!!! "o

[melander]

I had an epidural - LOVED it. Was back to back too. LOVED my epidural for the first hour and then things slowly got more painful. V.good midwife topped me up, still pain, topped me up, still pain, in the end he'd given all he could give and the pain was BACK big time. I wasn't dilating and a c-section was looming. They called the anaesthetist back and he discovered that my epidural had migrated into a vein? and all the top ups were going straight into my blood stream and straight to my head. As a result there was NOTHING I could have except a spinal which I really needed at that stage coz things were really bad and dilation wasn't happening. (Either that or I was a red-head wuss if you believe that theory). The doc said "Didn't you notice you were going light headed??" I said: After 8 hours of this, I've been light headed for ages! Had the second epidural as soon as the spinal allowed (needed that to get the epidural back in) and then had a lovely little boy delivered babushka-doll style.
I was petrified of epidurals pre-labour and ended up getting an appointment with an anaethetist to talk me through the whole thing as DH was petrified of me NOT having one.

Long winded, sorry. Apparently the doctors have to warn you about migrating epidurals but it "never happens".... I was the first in fifteen years at this particular hospital!!
I would still recommend epidurals though.

[melander]

I had an epidural - LOVED it. Was back to back too. LOVED my epidural for the first hour and then things slowly got more painful. V.good midwife topped me up, still pain, topped me up, still pain, in the end he'd given all he could give and the pain was BACK big time. I wasn't dilating and a c-section was looming. They called the anaesthetist back and he discovered that my epidural had migrated into a vein? and all the top ups were going straight into my blood stream and straight to my head. As a result there was NOTHING I could have except a spinal which I really needed at that stage coz things were really bad and dilation wasn't happening. (Either that or I was a red-head wuss if you believe that theory). The doc said "Didn't you notice you were going light headed??" I said: After 8 hours of this, I've been light headed for ages! Had the second epidural as soon as the spinal allowed (needed that to get the epidural back in) and then had a lovely little boy delivered babushka-doll style.
I was petrified of epidurals pre-labour and ended up getting an appointment with an anaethetist to talk me through the whole thing as DH was petrified of me NOT having one.

Long winded, sorry. Apparently the doctors have to warn you about migrating epidurals but it "never happens".... I was the first in fifteen years at this particular hospital!!
I would still recommend epidurals though.

[chrissiejames]

would not give birth without an epidural! Had a mobile epidural at Queen Charlotte Hospital in Hammersmith so I had no pain but could still walk around. fantastic experience as I enjoyed the birth of first baby. Second baby - I waited too long to go to hospital so when I arrived I was already fully dilated and requested an epidural. They said they wouldn't normally give it at this stage as I was ready to push. I was being a bit of a princess and said I wouldn't push until I got my epidural. It arrived 45 minutes later and although it was hard to hold still through the contractions while they injected me, it was all worth it, and turned pain into pleasure instantly!
I had top-ups whenever I began to feel pain, but was always able to feel the contractions and was able to push well.

[2labs]

Been interested to read this (6 months pg) - someone mentioned the anaesthetist has to tell you their success rate, which sounds helpful... but how do they measure their success rate? Does everyone get asked afterwards to score the anaesthetist on a scale of 1-10?

[Buddanjoe]

Reading these I can still feel the place where the needle went in throbbing!! (it's now 2 1/2 yrs later!) I had terrible trouble with an aching back for months after - does anyone else still hurt sometimes in the site of the needle?
Anyway, it didn't work, in fact when they stitched me up I nearly kicked the doctor in the face and they had to give me anesthetic. The best thing about it was that the morning after the anaesthetist - who was rather nice, in a Hugh Grant kind of way - woke me up at 8am and asked if everything had gone OK when he'd gone. Is that normal or what (or maybe I was hallucinating from the Pethidine)???!!!

[Florizel]

Epidural: Best invention ever!


Had epidural half-way through labour with DD1 which transformed me from a mooing farm-animal into a human-being able to chat happily to the midwife. It wore off so the crowning/actual birth hurt quite a lot, but nothing compared with the hell that was my contractions on just g&a. Pushing was easy - felt the pressure and stretching and everything. 6 hour labour.

DD2 came too quickly, about an hour and a half from first contractions, so I had her on just G&A. It was a good birth, but hideously painful and shocking.

Incidentally, when I broke my ankle really badly after DD1 was born, two big, burly casualty nurses took an end of my leg each and pulled hard to try to re-align the bones - unsuccessfully - and all I had was gas and air! I didn't feel a thing, but it doesn't seem to scratch the surface of a proper mid-labour contraction.

If I ever have another baby I'll be doing what my friend (a GP!) said, and scream "Epiduuuraaal" from the car park!

[jessicaandrebeccasmummy]

1st Epidural with Jess worked FANTASTIC!

2nd one with Rebecca took the edge off for about 20 minutes and that was it!

POT LUCK i think!