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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Epidural- how many cm were you when you got one?

58 replies

Butterflyrosebud · 18/06/2018 15:18

Hi all,

38 weeks pregnant and worrying about labour/ pain relief options.

I’ve put in my birth plan that if I don’t feel like I can cope using gas and air etc. then I want to go for an epidural.

I want to avoid labour slowing down and interventions which I know can happen. So how long did you wait before getting an epidural? I was thinking 6cm... although I know you can’t exactly plan these things.

Any advice or input would be put appreciated

OP posts:

Tallyhooo · 19/06/2018 06:06

I had the drip at first with no epidural - went 5 hours until midwife 'thought' I was ready to push - called in another midwife and made me push 'her round a corner, keep going' (wtf now btw!!) until I weed everywhere with my legs in the air and eventually they let me stop.

Then they checked me, I was only 3cm dilated...…then I screamed for an epidural (sorry for the horror story!)…..but I'd say get one ASAP!!!

(For me its a Csection this time...)

Mamathebest · 19/06/2018 10:47

I was also given the drip and after 10 hours and only dialating 2cm the contractions came heavy and fast suddenly. Got the epidural about an hour after the midwife strongly insisted I did. So glad I did as it was instant realief. This was put in at 10pm and baby arrived at 5am the next morning!! I had no tears, managed to push without any assistance and at this point epidural had worn off.

I turned down a top up so I could feel when to push. I was up and running around as soon as DS was born and have had no after problems due to birth or epi. Honestly if I could do it again, I would have taken midwives advice and had it done immediately after the drip was put in.

Sipperskipper · 19/06/2018 10:58

I was 8cm. Was managing pretty well with hypnobirthing etc, all geared up to get in the pool, but started bleeding so couldn't. Asked for epidural and it was all in place within 15 mins. It was great. Ended up with EMCS (not due to epidural!)- hypnobirthing definitely helped me keep nice and calm, and I look back on the whole thing pretty fondly.

Jenasaurus · 19/06/2018 11:09

I was 6cm dilated and they told me I was too far on to have an epidural but that was 29 years ago!

LynseyLou1982 · 19/06/2018 16:28

I was 6cm. Best decision I made. I did need the hormone drip a bit later to speed it up but only needed an assisted delivery because he got stuck.

BertieBotts · 19/06/2018 16:44

Try not to think of birth options as optimal/not/etc and just think of them all as tools which are at your disposal. Hypnobirthing breathing exercises - a tool. Syntocinon - a tool. Gas and air - a tool. Epidural, a tool.

Yes, it's worth clarifying whether the tool being suggested or offered is the right one for the job and whether it is likely to have implications over how things are going to go, but there is no need to be afraid of interventions which may help you or worried about which ones you'll need. UK midwives are not known for choosing a sledgehammer to crack a nut, so it's ok to go with the flow. Of course, the more tools you know how to use (The ones you can do yourself, like breathing, positioning etc) and the more you know about the ones you can't do yourself, the more in control you'll feel and the more options you'll have open to you.

Your goal is a safe birth which includes mental safety, meaning that it's about what will keep you calm and as comfortable as you need at the time. Any goals which involve denying or postponing access to any of the tools you might need because of some kind of ideology are unhelpful.

Good luck! I'm sure it will be fine :)

Blue25654 · 19/06/2018 20:47

10cm. Nightmare to put in of course and it kicked in fully after birth 🤦‍♀️

student26 · 19/06/2018 20:56

After contractions every six minutes on the dot for twelve hours I was a grand total of 1.5 cm dilated. I was offered the epidural with the drip and I am so glad I took it! They really ramped up with the drip. The anaesthetist came fairly quickly but for some reason he wasn’t able to do it after three attempts so another anaesthetist tried and got it first time. I barely noticed having it when I was using gas and air as they put it in. Great stuff!

Blondemother · 19/06/2018 21:05

I was induced, got to 6cm then got an epidural. Had a little kip and was ready to push 4 hours later, no assistance needed and just a graze. Very lucky.

I was prepared for the fact that the epidural might lead to other things, but that felt like a risk I was willing to take in exchange for a break from the pain!

cornishmumtobe · 19/06/2018 21:13

As soon as the turned the drip on. Bloody Nora that hurt!

thismeansnothing · 19/06/2018 22:13

1cm.

Had been having regular long painful piggy back contractions for 12 hours, g&a was doing nothing and they were about to put me on a drip. So let me have one to let me rest for a bit.

Ended up with a section in the end with a GA cos not enough time to top up the epidural apparently

Terramirabilis · 19/06/2018 22:15

8.5 cm. Worked beautifully. No additional interventions.

OkyDoke · 19/06/2018 22:18

I think I'd been on the drip about 8 hours before I gave in. Should have done it earlier tbh.

Terramirabilis · 19/06/2018 22:22

Oh, and time-wise I was 25 hours in. Only had 3 more hours to go.

excitedforbaby2 · 19/06/2018 22:28

I had an epidural before I started labour (I've got arthritis & was already in a horrendous amount of pain so they induced me at 37weeks). Labour was fantastic - they did the epidural, put in the hormone drip and 12 hours later I had him. I controlled the epidural, could still feel contractions and knew when to push. I'm really hoping for exactly the same labour this time! Good luck op and try not to worry x

Babykoala1 · 20/06/2018 01:18

I was 6cm, although they may have done it earlier had they examined me before I got to that point. My labour was progressing very fast, I dilated from 1 to 6cm in just over an hour but as soon as I had the epidural it did slow things down. They were reluctant to give it to me but I had such a horrendous natural birth with my first that my mum practically begged the midwife. Even though it really did slow things down, I would definitely recommend it! I could feel when to push and when contractions were happening but they were only felt as pressure and not pain. Good luck 😊

AndInShortIWasAfraid · 20/06/2018 01:37

I arrived at the labour assessment unit at 4cm, was theb admitted to a ward and got my epidural within 15 minutes of arriving. It didn't work but thats a story for another day!

notangelinajolie · 20/06/2018 01:49

DD2 and almost ready to push and I think about 9cm. I was at the screaming/I can't do this anymore stage. After 2 births where I was refused an epidural I was quite shocked when the anaesthetist walked into the room. My daughter was born 5 minutes later. Pain free. I guess I got lucky.

moredoll · 20/06/2018 01:51

I have no idea, but I really recommend it.

UndomesticHousewife · 20/06/2018 02:29

With dc3 I had one at about 4cm but it didn't work, so about an hour later the anaesthetist came in to do a spinal block but I was in too much pain and couldn't sit still. I had to ask someone to check where the baby was, the head was down and I gave birth about 10 minutes later.
Don't really know what went on!

huha · 20/06/2018 02:51

3 and then 4. Both times before the pain got really bad. No time with dc3 and had g&a. Loved that more than the epidural (which just served to make me feel sick).

HennyPennie · 21/06/2018 16:00

remember if you put your order in for one, you can always decide you are OK when the anaethestist gets there. If you wait you might be too late..

PrettyWisdomous · 21/06/2018 16:02

9cm.

CheesecakeAddict · 21/06/2018 16:09

I was 4cm but I had been labouring for a long time by that point, I was having an back to back birth (so no respite between contractions) and they were going to give me the hormone drip which is the devil. The epidural didn't work anyway, as another lady on here posted, no one warned me until it happened.

Original poster

Butterflyrosebud · 21/06/2018 19:23

Thanks everyone.

To those saying the epidural didn’t work - does that mean you weren’t able to move but still felt everything? Can this happen? Or would you remain mobile if it didn’t work. (Hope that makes sense)

OP posts:

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