Epidural or not to epidural - that is the question. Advice needed, pro & con from both sides please!

[oliveoil]

I had an emergency c with dd 18 months ago and have been umming and arrhing about my second due in August. Midwife and docs I have seen say that 'there doesn't seem a reason on your notes' not to be able to have a vaginal birth this time round, it was only dd being in distress that meant she had to come out pronto.

I am not sure whether to go for an epidural again this time round, I think it may have slowed down my labour and may have caused the problems I had (m/w reckons not however...).

Thoughts needed from both corners please - have you had two labours and had an epi for one and not the other? How do they compare?

Also thoughts from the experts Mears and Prufrock and any other midwives or doulas etc please.

Bearing in mind I have a VERY low pain threshold and am a wuss so this may be all academic reasearch in the end.

Bloss - I had similar feelings of 'failure' in the first few months, I wanted to hear 'oh, I can see the head' etc but instead I was out cold on an operating theatre. But I honestly don't have any bad feelings from my first birth now, if I had to have another section I would only be worried about how it will affect me looking after dd, not that I had failed again. My dh was affected by the birth like your dh, he keeps mentioning a elective section, don't think he wants to go through what we went through again. It's hard, I want someone to make the decision for me.

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Hello everybody i had a 17 hour labour went without any drugs for the first six hours. Then i felt like i was dieing. I had an epi and it felt really good, wished i had taken it from the out set. I wont be hanging around with the pain with my second baby.

I gave birth to my DS on Friday, was pretty keen to avoid epi or any intervention - ended up so exhausted by inco-ordinate (sp?) contractions that I opted for an epi after about 14 hours on gas & air & TENS, sitting on birthing ball, and only getting to 7cm dilated. I agreed to the oxytocin drip (to try to make the contractions more effective) on condition that the epi was put in.
It was absolutely the best thing for me, and did remove the pain of the contractions. Was a bit disappointed that my body wasn't able to do the dilation thing itself, but by that time, I was so knackered I'd have done anything for a respite!
I was able to feel some of the pressure later on so that I could push, so it must have been a good one.

During my pregnanacy I refused to even entertain the idea of an epidural. I hate needles and I have heard some awful stories about back pain and paralysis following failed attempts.
However, an hour and a half into labour following induction I was offered an epidural, even though everyone knew I had said no before and that time there was no way I was going to say no!!

Hi. I had an epidural - I was offered pethidine and a hot bath and i was like 'no way, an epidural please!'. It didn't work down one side so I had to have another one but once it was working the relief from the pain was incredible and I went on to have an epistiomy (sp) and stitches and din't feel a thing - I would definitely have one again That was 5 weeks ago today and stitches have given me no trouble apart from a little soreness at first and no back ache as yet (touch wood!)

Had an epidural after 36 hours contractions (can't call it labour can you unless you're 4cm - try telling that to someone in pain!). Am convinced it slowed my labour down.Ended up having to switch it off after 2 hours because it had risen up to my chest (Knew nothing about this previously and wish I had!)so ended up in my nightmare birthing plan - forceps in theatre, episiostomy(sorry about spelling) and no contact with my baby for 45 minutes.
Second birth - no epidural. Gas and air. 1 and a half hours in hospital and he was on my chest after 5 pushes. From the worse birth to the text book. I really think it was the epidural that slowed it all down and me not being able to then feel the contractions to push properly or stand up, etc to try and help.

I had an epidural with DS1 after 20 hours of labour and no sleep for 2 days. I was extremely fragile and felt I couldn't take anything more. So when a sweet little MW informed DH (not me as was in middle of contraction) that my contractions were getting weaker and further apart so they'd hook me up to a drip to make them stronger and quicker, I pointed out (quite forcefully as DH remembers) to sweet MW that this was not happening unless I had an epidural. And that helped enormously. I literally came back from the brink into sanity and was able to cope and fathom what was happening to me. I did push for 2 hours but I seriously couldn't feel a thing. In the end the epidural was topped up for c/s. With DS2 I wanted to give VBAC a go but was willing to have another epidural rather than feel so fragile again. I did ask for one after 8 hours so they checked how I was doing and found I was 10cm so I carried on stoically on gas and air. PUshed for 2 hours without joy (but significantly more pain than for DS1). No progress meant a spinal block and ventouse with an outside chance of another c/s. At this point I was desperate for the spinal block and again the effect was fantastic. DS2 was pulled out with ventouse. Labour for me was an experience and very painful, in both cases there came a point where I'd had it and desperately needed for the pain to go. An epidural did that for me.

I think an epi is good if you've been induced or its going to be a long labour. I had one with my 1st, in fact I had 2 as the first one only took on one side, and was in labour all day with loads of intervention (foetal monitor, drip, episiotomy, ventouse etc).
With the 2nd it was a dream, no comparison, - an injection and gas and air and she came v quickly. I felt in control once I'd gor the hang of the gas and air and was thrilled to have a "natural" birth.