Can I have an epidural if I’m low risk?

[Lulette]

Hi all, due my first child in a couple of months and had been planning to have an epidural. However I’m lucky enough to be low risk and midwife led (but in a unit attached to a hospital). My sister in law just told me that when she gave birth she couldn’t have an epidural because this would mean she would need a consultant led bed and they couldn’t spare any. I had no idea about this and it has scared me as I’m terrified of giving birth.

Does anyone low risk have any experience of this? Were you able to get epidurals if you wanted them?

With regards to statistics and analysis, it's based on science. Your muscles are more relaxed and so your labour may slow (meaning they will likely offer synthetic hormones) and you are less likely to be able to push out baby without intervention (you may need a little extra help). It's not dependant on who is reading it or interpreting it, it's fact based information.

There are pros and cons to each and every aspect of birth. There are risks and benefits to each.

Either way, I'm sure you will have a beautiful baby and a great birth. Make sure you choose the birth that is right for you, but it may be worth trying to do some research so you aren't caught off guard

At my hospital you couldn't have one in the midwife led birthing centre, but anyone could choose to have one and give birth on the delivery ward instead. And people could decide during labour and be transferred to the delivery ward.

And obviously it's just anecdotal, but I had a brilliant labour once my epidural kicked in. I dilated from 3cm to 10cm in 4 or 5 hours with no pain, then had 20 minutes of pushing. I couldn't feel the contractions so midwife told me exactly when to push. 8lb 8oz DD born with no problems at all, and I'm sure the fact I was so relaxed was part of that.

Please ignore twotired
There is NOT a higher risk of c- section or tearing, and minimal (thought to be about an hour) slowing of labour
There is a slightly increased chance of instrumental delivery. I recommend the obstetric anaesthetic association www.oaa-anaes.ac.uk/
for accurate information

That is the reason I chose to go hospital led rather than mlu as I wanted the option of an epidural. The mlu though was at a different site to the delivery suites and it was a good 30 minute journey. So I chose hospital led.
It didn't matter in the end as I went 2 weeks overdue and had to be induced. I then had an epidural before I'd even had 1 contraction as my blood pressure was sky high and a side effect / benefit of an epidural is to lower bp.

The pain isn't needed to help the labour progress @zzzzz, but you need your muscles to be working. There are other painkillers.

I'm not against epidurals, but there are more chances of interventions. It's been proven time and time again in the UK.

The op has a choice on what she decides to do. I do think that everyone deserves a choice based on evidenced information.

The birth trauma association mentions this, alongside other well respected organisations. Trying to provide a clicky link but unsure if it will work on my phone

www.birthtraumaassociation.org.uk/publications/epidurals.pdf

If that isn't enough, how about the Royal College of Midwives?

www.rcm.org.uk/learning-and-career/learning-and-research/ebm-articles/pain-and-epidural-use-in-normal-childbirth

twotired that's why I provided a link to the obstetric anaesthetic association, who have studied epidurals. Neither the birth trauma association or the RCM have.
The Royal College of Anaesthetists national audit project a few years ago was dedicated to regional anaesthesia and analgesia. This is where the

Posted before finished!
Risks on the OAA website are derived from.

Hooray, links worked.

I'm not meaning to cause disagreements or arguments, and I'm sorry if I have come across hostile or anything like that because that is really absolutely not my intention. I'm just sad that people have birth experiences that they aren't happy with because they aren't aware of increased chances of other situations arising. I work with people like that all the time.

Every woman deserves to have the birth that they want and the OP has every right to choose an epidural should she wish to. We are lucky in the UK to have such amazing midwifery services, I just wish that more women were positive about their birth experience and I truly believe that this comes from making an informed choice.

My answer was based on statistics and information from official midwifery and childbirth sources. More women that have epidurals are likely to need interventions. The statistics are a fact, and therefore fact based information. You don't have to agree, hats the beauty of the internet and free speech

Sorry @zzzzz I posted before I saw your reply. Thank you for the link in that case, I will have a look. Always willing to look at other research, and it's interesting if it contradicts the RCM. Will read when I eventually have time from juggling my kids.

OP, best of luck with your labor and birth.

You shouldn’t be denied an epidural for any reason. However, if they don’t have space in the labour ward (where you have to be for it) then

My epidural took 4 hours to happen because i was waiting for transfer to labour ward and then the anaesthetist. To be honest, I got the impression that they were assuming eventually I would give up asking and safe them the hassle.... I didn’t haha

1 enter hospital

2 brightly tell anyone who appears to be wearing a uniform that you want an epidural

3 rinse and repeat till that sweet needle slides into your back

4 enjoy skill of midwives and docs as they adjust the dose

5 squeeze baby out

6 write thank you letter to Ms Epidural

Please be aware that although epidurals are often wonderful, they sometimes have side effects including lowering your blood pressure and a diabolical headache afterwards. They stop you from being able to move freely, if that is something you feel like you would like to be doing. In my case, it only took on one side of my body so it was still painful on the other side and I was left with numbness in my right foot for about 6 months after the birth. However, that hasn't necessarily put me off epidurals - they are a fantastic invention.

There are various pain relief options, including epidural. Your midwife should be able to talk you through the pros and cons of each of them.

My first labour I began in the birthing centre (mlu) but as there was meconium in in my waters when they broke I was transferred to the ward. I was actually adament I didn't want an epidural but when my contractions stopped after about 15 hours of active labour and they put me on the drip i relented and baby came out 30 mins later (with the help of a ventouse). When the anaesthatist was on his way the midwife actually told me the consultant wanted me to have an epidural because she knew they'd probably need to intervene. I remember shouting at the midwife 'Why didn't you tell me?!!' she said it was because I'd said I didn't want an epidural in my birth plan so now I advise anyone to include everything in your birth plan!!

Anyway that was a very long winded way of saying yes, you can transfer from the mlu to the ward and in my case it seemed i was getting my epidural within minutes of requesting it at 9cm dialated!

I'm now 32 weeks preg with no. 2 and wondering whether to go straight for epidural this time ??

My only epidural birth ended in forceps. Sigh. I wish I could go back and not have it but it was my first and I was confused and exhausted by the long labour and pain. I guess I made the best decision I could at the time. Next two were water births, just gas and air, and infinitely better. But I think I will have to live with the damage from the forceps for the rest of my life.