Has any one had an epidural that was NOT followed by interventions?

[DivaSkyChick]

My family keeps telling me that there are no bravery points for tolerating the pain, to just go for the epidural. But from what I've read, it seems like epis lead to cutting and finally forceps or ventouse. Is it really "a = b+c" ?

Anyone have GREAT epidural stories?

samam- just beacuse you had a positive experience with an epidural ,does not mean Mumsnet is not for you ! lots of other women swear by them ! just as a lot don;t !

no need to apologise for having a good birth..i spend time giving support to women who have had a horrendous time giving birth, so hearing a positive story is great !

I had an epi after being transferred from a home birth that failed to progress beyond 4cm and breaking my waters didnt help. I asked if it would hurt more putting a drip up(as I had been in constant unbearable pain for 4+hours after my waters were broken) and was told yes so I begged for an epi.....I eventually gave birth 12 hours later (& c.40 hours after labour began) in stirrups after 2.5hours of pushing and a very small episeotomoy (3 stiches)......I was told by every midwife in delivery how well I had done to achieve a normal birth....which was nice...but I didnt feel very "normal" to me .....tbh before my labour was interferred with I was coping quite well with the pain & I will be planning a homebirth again for number 2. Just reading the birth stories on places like the homebirth yahoo group makes you realise just how good having a natural birth is & how if women are able to labour with the proper support it doesnt have to be a painful experience...just a normal biological process that can be uplifting & rewards you with a baby at the end of it . For every horror birth story you will read or hear there are loads of aboslutely lovely ones that will make you cry & yearn for that kind of experience

first birth no epidural ended up with forcepts with no pain relief

second birth brilliant epidural after 3hrs ataying at 7cms and having grade 4 micolum in waters(that had broken @ on set of labour } dp states it was like tar being pured in my lap!!! had epidural at 10.40am at 11am fully dilated however baby was very high so told could wait 45mins later told that i couyld push mw told me 1 time after that did it all myself . my baby was born at 11.53!! i pushed for 7mins only . mw and ward mw said it was brilliant and that i had done really well and that i should be very proud of myself which i am

Samam,

I would argue that it can matter what interventions you have. Cascading interventions can lead to agonizing emotional and / or physical pain for weeks, months and sometimes years. Not to mention incontinence!

Of course the important thing is a healthy baby but I don't think that means carelessly sacrificing ourselves in the process. Ideally, I'd like to be a healthy mom at the end of all this, too!

This doesn't mean an epi is bad, dangerous or wrong. It does mean that I want all the information I can get my hands on so my partner and I can make the best choice for us and not necessarily based on the time slot we're alloted at the hospital, etc. I hope this makes sense!

With DS1 epidural and ventouse. I really beilieve if I hadn't been so sacred the contractions wouldn't have hurt so much, I wouldn't have had an epidural ( which was wonderful) and then needed a vontouse. Please try not to be scared. (I now this is much easier said than done!)Have helpful supportive people with you, stay at haome as long as you can, insist on privacy in the hospital - get them to close the doors of the labour room, and keep the lights dimmed if possible.Oh, and some relaxing music. I had to rally fight for these with DS2, but they really helped. Stay calm and should be fine!

The vontouse wasn't that bad though!

I had an epidural with my first labour - which was 36 hours! The epidural was fantastic, i could suddenly drink water, rest, became human again after hours of feeling like a crazy wild animal. The pushing stage lasted 10 minutes with no interventions.

With my second birth there were more complications, i had wanted a more natural birth, but it was horrendous, no drugs as they said there was no available anaethetist, so when i changed my mind it was tough luck!

I'd say read up on it all and go with an open mind, you may cope brilliantly, but if you don't, then don't feel bad for getting the epidural, for me it was magic.