Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

Anyone else have an epidural that didn't work?

38 replies

bottleblonde · 02/02/2007 19:57

During the birth of my ds I had an epidural, hoping for some much wanted pain relief. However it only caused a slight numbness in my back. I had two 'top ups' but this didn't make any difference. I could still feel all the contractions and felt everything when I was being stitched up again. I had complete feeling in my legs and surprised the doctor by jumping off the bed to go to the loo minutes after giving birth. I asked my GP who said she thought it was probably the aneasthist that was at fault as epidurals were pretty reliable.
Would like some information for next time around (if and when that happens)

OP posts:

harpsichordcarrier · 07/02/2007 15:15

oh god Fio a dural tap....
epidurals are not completely reliable. they are reckoned to be around 90-95% effective and lots of women report having a "window" of pain even if it is otherwise effective.
I had an epidural in preparation for a Csection (I actaully ended up having a forceps delivery but that's another story) whoch didn't take at all despite being topped up. I ended up having a pudendal block

Nip · 07/02/2007 15:16

I had one which did nothing, and it was apparent that the trainee that did it had put it in the wrong place !
They then did it again and had to top it up a few times... the whole thing took an hour and a half - it was horrible to sit with contractions, crying my heart out whilst they ran round panicking! I ended up with a CS anyway

I wish i hadnt even agreed to it, and if i were to do it again i think i'd be likely to try and see if i could do it on my own.

fennel · 07/02/2007 15:19

yes, my only attempt at having one, with dd2. 3 epidurals in a row failed, at half hour intervals. The 4th one (or was it 5th one) worked, but really, I would't bother again. and didn't bother the next time. far more stress than it was worth.

Greensleeves · 07/02/2007 15:35

I had two that didn't work with ds1. The anaesthetist was in PJs and slippers, half asleep and spent the entire time gossiping with the midwife about her boyfriend

Neena28 · 07/02/2007 15:53

I did!

Both ds and dd were spine to spine and the back ache was awful.

Never got one with ds but the one I had with dd numbed my big toe a little! Toe felt a bit tickly if that makes sense?

Haven't bothered looking into why not as I know I won't be wanting another one

fannyannie · 07/02/2007 15:57

I had one with DS2 - didn't work and neither did 6 (or was it 7 I can't remember now LOL) top-ups.....but then neither did my 2nd shot of pethidine - and the LA only last long enough for them to do the episitomy was stiched up again (epistiotomy and 4th degree tear) with no pain relief.

LunarSea · 07/02/2007 16:37

Mine worked perfectly - as far as my ankles. But there it stopped - I could feel my feet all the time. They were all shocked when after ds was delivered I said I wanted to go to the bathroom and was able to walk there. Apparently that shouldn't have been possible!

TinyGang · 07/02/2007 16:42

I had one last time.

It didn't work whatsoever whilst my twins were being born. Once they'd arrived my right leg went numb.

3sEnough · 07/02/2007 16:43

Yup - I was entirely numb on left side, no pain reduction in right - jolly odd being in labour!!

FoghornLeghorn · 07/02/2007 16:48

I had epidural with DD1 which completely immobolised me, couldn't even pull myself up the bed and ended in ventouse delivery after 28 hrs of labour because i just couldn't feel when to push.
With DD2, 10 weeks ago, I opted for epidural which didn't work one iota, didn't even numb me and that was with 2 top ups - DD was born after 4 hours of labour with no pain relief as G&A made me vomit.
Had to have anestetic injections for stitches as a further top up failed again

fannyannie · 07/02/2007 18:52

Foghorn - at least you got anesthetic for the sticthing up - Dr. declared that I'd already had far too many drugs pumped into my body in the last 12hrs and I wasn't getting any more !

Millarkie · 07/02/2007 19:05

First epidural only numbed my legs - and I was in too much pain to think to ask for gas and air or anything else. They tried topping up but no effect. But did finally manage to numb the area for my emergency section.
Second birth - same thing happened but this time was already on gas and air. Sadly I once again ended up in theatre being prepped for a section but this time they couldn't get me numb and I was petrified. Anesthetitist decided that my pain was all in my mind and I spent an hour strapped to an operating theatre table whilst being told I was irrational. I asked for a GA, dh refused to give permission (and since I was irrational I wasn't listened to). He asked them to re-site the epidural, they agreed and then found that the b**y needle had fallen out and they had been pumping the drugs onto the table under me. Finally got numb and delivered dd but still have sleepless nights reliving the experience,and will never have another child.

expatmama · 09/02/2007 11:48

I had exactly the same experience as pinkchampagne - a perfect epidural with DS1, and was expecting the same with DS2 last December - it sort of worked for a while - half an hour or so, but there was one area of my belly where it felt like all the pain was concentrated - like a laser beam for want of a better analogy, and then it wore off completely. They were also trying to get me to lie on my side for it to trickle through.

TBH, I wished I hadn't bothered asking for one and stuck with the G&A. That said however, if it had worked like the first one, I wouldn't be saying that.

Is it just bad luck or is it generally down to the skill of the anaesthetist whether they work or not?

Flip

1 2