Epidural - why wouldn't you?

[lbsjob87]

I started a thread on AIBU about pain relief in childbirth yesterday that led me to wonder something. Lots of women said they didn't have an epidural because the idea scared them so much, and I just wondered why?
I am 35 weeks with No 2 and am starting to think about a birth plan (although last time has taught me they are not worth it half the time, but anyway.....)
I'm aiming for a VBAC but may yet be advised to have an ELCS. If I do have a VBAC, I will take it as it comes, if it gets too much, I'll probably have an epidural. Last time, my DD was back to back and had shoulder dystosia and an epidural couldn't come quickly enough.
I know it's personal choice/circumstances but I wondered what frightened people about it? Is it the initial needles in the back, the loss of feeling in the legs or a fear of not being "in control" of the pushing?
Last time was a blur, tbh and I really don't remember much about it.
I'm not trying to scare myself, just wondering what others experiences are.

I did not have a catheter and I was able to walk during, and of course straight after. I know not all hospitals offer mobile epidurals, but they do exist.

I had an epidural with my first, I was induced and tired and ended up with a vontuse delivery. I also now suffer migraines which is on the list of possible side effects, which I didn't really read I just signed the form.

anything else is inhumane

You're being a tad OTT I think. Torture/abuse is inhumane.
Women have been having babies looong before they have been getting epidurals. There's plenty of other forms of pain relief. I have nothing against epidurals but what I do have a problem with is the scaremongering that goes on around women who plan NOT to have one.

I had one. It needed resiting and then 20 minutes later they topped it off as an emergency forceps was needed so I was completely numb from chest down nearly. It was fab. Was able to push very well and didn't need a catheter. Able to get up 3 hours later. Baby wasn't lethargic and able to breast feed easily.
Then I had an emergency forceps with episiotomy - due to cord strangulation. Which would've been horrific without an epidural.

I had a horrendous headache with my first epidural and had to go back in For a spinal tap. But because the pain I experienced before my epidural was intolerable, I opted for an epidural for my 2nd birth which went very well all i had in the room the second time was a midwife and doctor.

For my first birth we had a room full of consultants, went into theatre it was a very different experience, but I was calm throughout after the epidural, before that I was actually mooing like a cow with the pain.

In fact I'll be honest, the first epidural didn't work properly and my whole body went numb which it's not supposed to, so they had to stop it. Then when the pain returned I was urm mooing, so had a second epidural which was fine. The pain was my DS in awkward position so they had to test him whilst still inside me, then they took me to theatre where they were ready to do a cesarean but the surgeon, cut me and managed to pull him out with forceps as he had a small head, which they could do quickly as I'd had an epidural already.

All going well at the start I would not have opted for an epidural and gone for the water birth. But you never know what's going to occur till you are there midst of giving birth.

I was glad I had options and a truly fantastic team of midwives and doctors.

I might add that between the epidurals for my first birth I went through 2 massive canisters of gas and air, sucking like crazy pushing my DH and the midwife away because of the pain, the gas and air did not relieve my pain at all.

It's personal choice and that's all there is to it really.

The needle in the back is a bit but tbh you don't care about that at the time when you are in excruciating pain.

I asked for one with my first two, but was too far to have anything done. And in hindsight, I know I could have done it without, so just as well.

I have no experience myself, but have a friend who has had horrible back trouble because of her epidural.

I don't think anyone can predict how labour is going to feel it's so different for everyone.
With dc1 the midwife told me if I had an epidural it would delay the birth so I didn't have one.With dc2 and 3 labour was much quicker so I didn't get chance to ask for one .

No epidurals during labour here although I had a spinal with my 2 C-sections. I found the pain was less scary than the thought of not being able to feel anything. When I had my first C-section I hated having the spinal and not being able to feel anything (not that I'd have preferred having a C-section with gas and air instead!) or move, it was horrible. Might have felt differently if my labours had been longer. With DS5 I was labouring with the drip in for 4 hours before asking for the gas and air as I wanted to save it until it got really painful.

I had epidural with DS in January as he was back to back and had got himself a bit wedged so needed assistance. Although liked the painlessness, if things go ok with any subsequent birth I wouldn't want an epidural again. Mainly because I wouldn't want to labour on my back (up until I had the epidural I was kneeling up over the raised end of bed), I want to get out of hospital ASAP (postnatal ward was my idea of HELL), I hated not being able to feel contractions and it feeling like I wasn't pushing and I didn't like having a catheter in.

"Torture/abuse is inhumane.
Women have been having babies looong before they have been getting epidurals. There's plenty of other forms of pain relief."

Actually there are NO other forms of pain relief that provide really good analgesia for childbirth in the sense of taking the pain away as an epidural does. Gas and air is useful, and enough pain relief for some but there are lots of women who find it completely ineffectual. Ditto pethidine. (did you know that the Obstetric Anaesthetists Association rates pethidine as a less effectual analgesic than Entonox?)

And I think that making labour - already usually the most painful experience of a woman's life - much harder to bear by making a woman lie still on her back, and then ramping the contractions up with syntocinon. Well, sorry, but I think that it's too much to expect most women to cope with that without access to effective analgesia.

We'll agree to disagree on this I think.

I agree Minifingers. For me gas and air was pain distraction. The epidural was actual pain relief and was blissful! I was induced with syntocin and due to needing extra monitoring and other drips was essentially confined to lying on the bed.

In my second labour (another syntocin induction) I mistimed my request for an epidural and actually passed out from the pain. The crash team were called as the midwife thought I was fitting but I came round asking to go back under as it had been pain free "please don't make me wake up". I generally have a high pain threshold but I did find it barbaric and traumatic (DH likened it to those scenes in films where they amputate with no anaesthetic).

If I had an induction I'd have booked in for an epidural in advance if I could!!!!! Think that's completely different.

To answer the OP- it's quite simply about personal choice. I was very keen to labour as naturally as possible, and didn't see childbirth as a medical event per se, and I didn't want to give birth in a highly medicalised environment with anaesthetists and doctors. I therefore booked into a Standalone MLU for dc1 where I gave birth with just DH, a midwife and gas and air. Yes, it was pain on a level like I'd never thought possible, but I felt it was a good birth which is ultimately what matters.

It's not about value judgements, and I think it's sad when some people just can't get their head around the fact that we're not all the same and we make different choices. I'm glad to live in a country where MLUs still exist and where choice is encouraged rather than a medicalised birh with epidural being standard as in some countries.

Incidentally I had a spinal with dc2 as I needed a C section and that was fine too...my baby was premature and at risk and the consultants advice was CS.

I ended up with forceps and recovery was pretty awful. Labour was longer too.

Because it puts mum at higher risk of an instrumental delivery which puts her at higher risk of obstetric injuries which cause urinary and/or anal incontinence. Forceps also put you at higher risk of prolapse after birth AND later on in life.
Mum is also at higher risk of EMCS which can cause problems in or with future pregnancies.
Both forceps and EMCS are associated with a higher rate of psychiatric injuries (PND and PTSD).

To recap:
Epidural increases risk of instruments which increases risks of urinary and/or anal incontinence and prolapse.
Epidural increases risk of EMCS which increases problems in/with future pregnancies.
Forceps and EMCS put mum at higher risk of psychiatric injuries.

Can I add to pinguina's post that qiite aside from the points she makes, some women (myself included) just see childbirth as something which isn't inherently medical.

It's not about being a martyr, and no, we wouldn't all refuse pain relief if we were having a tooth out or had a broken leg which needed setting. I guess ultimately it's about a mindset which views childbirth as different to medical conditions/ injuries.
I really hope I can say that without anyone jumping on me and saying I'm trying to claim any moral high ground. It's not a moral issue at all. It's simply a difference. I just knew when I got pregnant that the last place I wanted to deliver was a hospital, and that I didn't want to be numbed up; I wanted to feel the experience

I had an epidural with dc1 and not with dc2.

In my experience it made it harder to push; it also meant I ended up needing a ventouse and although dd was fine I had a 3rd degree tear.

Dc2 - no epidural, easier to push and feel- no tear or stitches, no assistance.

I think it's important to remember that not everyone has (realistically) a choice between a medicalised and non-medicalised birth. It must be nice to have a low risk pregnancy and decide where you want to give birth and what you want to experience but some women have more complicated pregnancies and need the medical intervention available in a modern hospital to give birth safely.

I had an epidural with dd2, and it made me keep passing out - giving birth whilst sliding in and out of concsiousness was very disorientating and scary (there seem to be a different person looking panicked everytime i came round)

A friend of mine had a post epidural head ache, which has left her on long term pain medication - I wouldn't wish what she has been through on anyone.

Agree Postereh. My dc2 had to be born in hospital as she was a C section. So no choice about it being medicalised. However the majority of pregnancies fall into the 'normal range' category and In the context of the OP, I think we're talking about where a woman chooses an epidural rather than medical need scenarios

5 babies all Prem, one at 32 weeks, never even offered an epidural and never wanted one.
The last was still an assisted birth with ventouse and we both had a really hard time.
I always left it until the last minute before getting to the hospital so maybe that's why?