Why is an epidural a big deal

[Muddytoes1]

Currently 30 weeks with my second and spoke to midwife today about the possibility of having an epidural this time round and she was all “well lots of options to consider before that” and started talking about the nice lighting etc in birthing room and aromatherapy etc. Didn’t want to be rude and point out that nice lighting isn’t the most effective pain relief option out there - she is really lovely and only trying to help. I didn't have any pain relief other than gas and air last time because NCT and midwives had made out that was the best option and yes I got through it but it wasn’t some amazing experience where I had a huge sense of achievement it was horrid. It hurt like hell and I don’t see why if there are better pain relief options out there I can’t use them? The main downside I can see to an epidural is not being able to feel pushing so increased likelihood of intervention but I never felt a pushing sensation anyway just lots and lots of pain which I think if anything was hindering the process not helping as I was fighting against it at every contraction rather than pushing. Anyway not really looking for any advice, just wanted someone to vent to and maybe reassure me that it’s ok to ask for pain relief in labour if I want it. Thank you x

@bigonesmallone women who are more likely to require intervention are more likely to have an epidural not the other way around. Epidurals are routinely offered during protracted labours and before inductions hence there is more of a chance that a woman with a complicated labour will have one. It’s not a causal link though, it’s coincidental.

@OP I’ve had one birth with an one without. Quite frankly by the time I had one the worst bit was over anyway (for me anyway, the active labour wasn’t particularly painful). But once I did have it I was immediately pain free (unlike with gas and air for example). However, epidurals do carry risks and will require a catheter and extended hospital stay so many people opt not to have one. I also found labour without less stressful because I was more aware of what was going on and more in control. With the epidural I needed a lot of instruction when to push etc. Without the epidural I didn’t have to do anything but wait. I could feel that the contractions were strong enough without me pushing, felt the head crown so didn’t push at the wrong moment etc.

Monster - wow have never heard of aromatherapy injections?! I thought aromatherapy was all about smell? Sounds like quite the experience but well done for getting through it. Very strange how much they try to resist people. I wonder if maybe anaesthetists are super busy and stuck in theatre a lot of the time or do you think it’s other reasons? The money thing is interesting.

If that is what you want OP you are certainly in your rights to ask for it when the time comes for sure!

Plenty of women have amazing experiences with them.

However, I really didnt and shall be trying to use whatever I can to avoid having one this time round. Wont go into details but there were complications that I still have issues with now.

Some of these stories are making me feel really angry. Why are women denied pain relief they are begging for? Just another example of women's health needs not being taken seriously (there was a long thread about this a few months ago). If they were honest and said 'We can't afford enough anaesthetists to be able to give you one sorry', 'we'll have to check on you more often and we're too busy sorry' or 'we think that women should be forced to give birth in agony' that's one thing, but all this trying to put women off for hours, saying they'll think about it later then denying it or just ignoring women full stop when they're at their most vulnerable is appalling imo.

I've never even had an epidural (though I did have spinal for my c sections, apparently that's deemed painful enough to deserve pain relief) but I'm so cross reading these replies!

@racecardriver is that the classic correlation doesn’t equal causation comingnin again then? That does make sense. Hadn’t considered extended hospital stay so that is something to bear in mind.

@twittlebee thanks - it is always good to get both sides so thank you for that.

@Roomba I think this is what I’m trying avoid. If I can’t have one so be it but I don’t want to be in a situation where I am having to beg or try and convince someone. If there’s a legitimate reason in my personal circumstances why I can’t have one I want this sorted beforehand. I know labour plans change constantly (mine certainly did) but an epidural is listed on the NHS website as one of the main forms of pain relief during birth so just find that strange if they are so desperate not to let people have them.

@Racecardriver
Epidurals can increase risk on intervention

I had my second 2 weeks ago. I had an epidural with first, it was amazing.
With my second I knew I wanted one again and just told them that- no one tried to convince me otherwise and when I got to hospital in labour they arranged it for me.
It didn't work- at all- and I found my whole labour bloody horrendous. But obviously that's one of the risks. I didn't have any issues with getting one but I never phrased it as a discussion I just informed that's what I wanted.

I had some many of the well documented side effects of an epidural and didn't enjoy them at all and when it ran out they came to do the top up and I said no. As a pain relief it was very effective and if I hadn't had the side effects it would have been great.

I didn't have to fight for the epidural but they did comment, as they were carrying out, that I hadn't needed one first time so were surprised I did this time.

I had an epidural and I waited til the bitter end for one, I didn’t want to do it but I managed to wait til what turned out to be 8cm and it was bliss.

I do think waiting til the ‘end’ meant I don’t have forceps etc but he did have a massive head and I asked for an episiotomy which they gave me after I insisted I wasn’t getting his head out.

I’m not having any more children but I would do it again if time was rewound

@betterbeslytherin I guess that will always be a risk and just have to be prepared for that though good you didn’t have to beg. Sorry that happened though, doesn’t sound fun.

@grasspigeons sorry to hear you had bad side effects, that. Sounds horrid.

@bigonesmallone of course you are right but not the the extent that most believe. I meant more that the risk of intervention isn’t necessarily substantially higher because of the epidural itself but more the surrounding circumstances. I wasn’t very clear. I merely meant that the relationship between the two isn’t as straight forward as it is presented to be.

If you want an epidural put your foot down and make your Midwife note it in your maternity notes. Put I want an epidural in your birth plan. Make sure your birth partners are clear on your wishes and will advocate for you if you are fobbed off. As soon as you arrive at the hospital in labour state that you want an epidural.

Oviously if there is no anesthetist available then that can’t be helped. However, many women get denied pain relief as the midwife does fee that they need it. I know from bitter experience. I was denied any pain relief when I was induced with a back to back baby and Midwife didn’t feel that I needed any and was coping well!

I had an epidural the first time round, but not the second, and would have done anything to avoid it. I found the needle going in the most frightening bit of the whole experience, and then had a reaction to the drugs in it that caused my whole body to spasm so much I couldn’t hold DS when he was born, and they had to inject me with something to make it stop. Never again. DS was born with forceps, but I suspect that would have happened anyway, and I suppose without the epidural that would have been awful.
Soft lighting, water birth and gas and air the second time round was a much more pleasant experience.

Tried to get an epidural with my first and they didn’t believe how much pain I was in and kept offering paracetamol...then they checked me and I was fully dilated. The midwife came to see me after it was all over and apologised 😬

Had my second at a diff hospital and made very very clear I was aaaall about the epidural and they gave it to me as soon as I asked for it (after a lovely few hours high as a kite on gas and air 😂). My second labour was an absolutely lovely experience because of this. They eased off the epidural for the pushing stage so I could feel something....but not too much 😁😁

I am an absolute wimp mind, but I love them!

As a midwife it's great looking after second (and more) time mums especially who have an epidural, usually all of the benefits and none of the downsides, I certainly don't want to restrict access to them. However I am wary of letting someone believe it will definitely be possible to get one when they've had a vaginal delivery before as subsequent labours can progress extremely quickly and at the weekend and overnight an anaesthetist might not be available and even in the week if the unit is busy.

I had epidural and ended up having vontouse

I never struggled to get an epidural... in fact the 2nd time the epidural guy was in the labour room before I got there...6cm in triage. Neither time they worked however. My first only partially worked so I still had pain at top left of my bump. 2nd baby they tried 3 times and ok I ended up crowning and delivering in 1 push whilst the guy was still trying😁

Just smile and nod when she says these things. However if that's what you want then go ahead.

I had one with my induced back to back labour, it was amazing. Honestly the best thing ever.

I didn't get to the pushing part as had to have an emergency section and can't comment on how quickly I cld get up as I was pretty ill after. Oh although I do remember them asking me to lift my legs up an hour or so after and I cld lift them a little.

I had no back pain or problems with headaches or anything.

If you do go ahead my one tip is, if it stops working down one side don't get them to adjust it. Ask for it to be done again as it doesn't really work properly and starts fading again.

I was induced with my first and by the time I decided I wanted an epidural it was too late - so close though, the anaesthetist was literally prepping my back and the midwife stopped him. Ended up with an episiotomy anyway and a tear which had to be repaired in surgery so ended up being given a spinal in the end anyway! Baby no. 2, all through my apt's I said I wanted an epidural. I ended up seeing the midwife that delivered my first and she said you don't need an epidural, you managed fine last time - I said I know I don't need it but I want it! As soon as I got to the hospital I asked for it, had to wait a while but that was due to the availability of the anaesthetist (thank god for autocorrect). Got it in time and it worked brilliantly! I could still feel pressure so knew when to push but felt no pain at all. Baby was born in the middle of the night and I was home later on that day - could have gone earlier but wanted help with breastfeeding.

No more babies (planned) for me but if there was I would definitely be getting another epidural!

I had epidural on all three of my induced births. The midwife said the oxcytoin drip can make the contractions very intense and she wasnt lying!
They had to turn off the drip when it was being inserted. It wasnt painful just felt cold.
It worked very well for me and I would use it again.

I had an epidural for my first - b/c there was a shortage of anaesthetists and because she hadn't fully engaged & I had already lost my waters over 24 hrs previously there was a strong possibility that I would have needed an emergency c section. When they had an anaesthetist available they wacked the needle in even though I had yet to go into labour. It was horrific - not because of the pain (it was good at masking that) but because I could not do anything. The needle was huge, I couldn't get out of my head that it was going into my spinal cord and the associated risks of that so I was shaking so much I had to be held down. I remained in shock for hours after my dd was born. Even 17 years later I find it really difficult to put to bed - it is the only thing I have what if scenarios going around and around my head.

Having said that I think they made the right choice given the circumstances I was in. I just wish I had had a bit more time to rationalise it and make a choice - as it was I had all of about 5 minutes and most of that was spent going to the loo and striping off.

For my second - had gas and air. I kept a "I'm not in pain I'm not in pain " face on for the labour - just in case they did the same. Fortunately he threw himself in to the world. If he had been more reluctant I would have considered an epidural despite the experience of the first.

I appreciate this is not the experience everyone has. It really is different for each and every labour - don't base your decision on other people's views.

I'm very sceptical of the epidural = intervention argument. I just don't think it's as straightforward as that. Yes, there may be labours where, but for the epidural, intervention wouldn't have been required but I think there are an awful lot of labours where the intervention was inevitable and the epidural incidental.

If you have a long back to back labour I would suggest it's more likely you will opt for an epidural. It is also more likely you will need intervention. I would say it is likely that the difficult labour itself is more likely to be the cause of the intervention as opposed to the epidural.

I had quite a complex labour (waters broke, no contractions, induced, lasted 9 hours on the syntocin drip with just gas and air, finally got epidural (bliss!), failed to progress, baby in distress, emcs) and I definitely think the epidural was the right choice for me.

I made it known throughout that I was keen on an epidural and I got one as soon as the anaesthetist became available! Definitely the right choice for me personally.

I was really keen to have a natural water birth with my first. Did all the hypnobirthinf, affirmations, massage, candles, breathing...all was well until the ‘proper’ contractions started ie when your face properly grimaces. I had an epidural and it was amazing. All pain gone. I did have a ventouse delivery but not because of the epidural and I had no stitches.

I’m pregnant with number 2 and an epidural has been listed as my number 1 priority.

Thank you all so much for sharing your stories, it’s so good to hear about the range of experiences. Just like everything to do with pregnancy, birth and babies everyone is so different!