Mobile Epidural - Can I have one without catheter??

[Twinkie]

Can any one help me - I can't have a catheter put in so it looks as though a conventional epidural is out of the question - can I have a mobile epidural/spinaql block and not have to have a catheter??

Or is there catheters made out of a different material than latex? (Which I am allergic to!!)

Am not deffo having an epidural but want to know just in case.

Thnaks Chapesses XXX

Twinkie - you do not automatically have to have a catheter because you have an epidural. Some women can pee anyway.

There are catheters which are latex free as well. Have you been formerly tested for latex allergy? There is a difference betweem allergy and sensitivity. If you have a latex allergy it is very important that is highlighted in your medical notes and that everyone is aware, incase you are exposed to other forms of latex such as the sterile gloves used for internal examinations etc.

Thanks Mears - thats all I wanted to know really.

I had a reaction - swelling and breathlessness which ended up with me going into shock when I had DD. They also put a tourniquet round my arm but as they did not have a proper one made one out of a latex glove - arm swelled and pinged off the offending item as they poked in a needle and I ended up showering the whole room with blood - freaky when you are not really with it anyway!!

My notes do say in big red letters that I am allergic to latex so hopefully it won't happen this time.

A friend had a mobile epidural which only affected her as far down as her thighs, she was able to walk and move as much as she wanted to, and did not have a catheter. So it must be possible!

I am confused about epidurals - when I see them on TV (a la Portland Babies) the women have no pain yet are able to move around and labour fairly normally.

I was given two epidurals in my last labour - neither of which worked. Despite this I was not allowed off the bed in case my blood pressure dropped and/or my legs gave way (risking injury to myself and the baby).

What is the difference? Why are some epidurals so "21st century" and other seems to archaic? Is it cost or the method of setting it up, or do the actual drugs differ?

Mobile epidurals are very low dose and allow women to walk around. We do not have them at our unit because, when they need topped up it has to be done pretty quickly or the effect is lost. We do not have midwife top-ups at the moment so the workload would be too great for the anaesthetist. Certainly the ones we use are pretty low dose and the woman can move very well in bed. So the answer is yes, it is a different dose of medication in them and it depends on the expertise of the staff.

Thanks Mears - suppose that's the beauty of going to a place like the Portland. A bit steep at £4000 if you ask me - I am happy enough with our local hospital as I know that I definitely do not want an epi this time round.

I had mobile epidural on NHS.It's just a different combination of drugs to the other. Makes your legs all warm but still feel them 100% but no pain. Bizzare but divine!! Could walk about and feel when to push. Had to be monitored every now and again and put on a drip while being topped up. Didn't have catheter. Had epidural for about 4 hours.