Question on delivery tools

[UCM]

If I have an epidural during vaginal birth (hoping for vbac), do they have to use tools to get the baby out. I know this sounds ridiculous but it just struck me whilst reading the breath baby out thread that if I can't feel anything down below, I won't be able to push etc so how will baby come out???

Hiya
Just to let you know I've got the Ina May Guide to Childbirth, and I have also got Grantly Dick-Read, Childbirth without Fear.
Like lulumama, I am a Doula, so will need them back, but if you want them,email me on
jopowell1 at yahoo dot co dot uk

I have catted you LM and emailed you JoB4.

ta, book is packaged, labelled and ready to post!

Thanks

I had a long drawn out labour, and so had practically every intervention including an epidural (ds was eventually born with via ventouse suction, so I JUST managed to avoid a c-section).

When it came time to push, they actually turned down the epidural, so I could feel more and "know" a bit more what I was doing!

Don't worry about tearing - a natural tear generally heals so much faster than a cut

All the best,

I should have added too that the chances of needing interventions like ventouse / forceps depends on a lot of other factors too, like how big the baby is, and the baby's position. My DS was posterior, hence the "extra" pain and the length of labour!

What no-one on this thread has experienced, clearly, is an epidural with no further intervention.

That's what I had, and I pushed the baby out myself without any 'instruments'. Yes, I tore, but didn't feel it. I also tore with my second birthing, which was wihtout any painrelief, and altohough I felt the stretching pain, which I hadn't felt with the epidural, I didn't feel the tearing that time either.

You can ask for a 'mobile' epidural, which is a bit of a misnomer. In theory the lower dose means that you can move around, but IME you're still trapped on the bed. But you do feel the contractions and are more connected to what's going on. I certainly knew when the urge to push came on, even though it wasn't the utterly overwhelming urge that I felt when I laboured with no pain relief. Also, as one dose doesn't last the whole labour, you can decide when to have it topped up, and can ask the midwives not to top up as you approach the second stage.