Opinions on epidural?

[mumm321]

I don't like anything that is going to make me feel different like spaced out or anything. Does the epidural have any effects and would use recommend it??

Made me stop wanting to fling myself out of the window!

In all seriousness was 6cm and after over 24 hours of contractions I couldn't vope with exhaustion/pain and it really helped me. Had to have forceps but they said cord was round neck twice so probably would have needed them anyway!

Has it been recommended you have one?

Doesn’t make you spaced out at all, it just numbs you from the waist down. No effect whatsoever on your mind.

I didn't have an epidural for the actual labour and birth. I had one after delivery to enable them to get a stuck placenta. No spaced out feelings or anything, but the pins and needles in my legs as it was wearing off was a bit weird.

Instant relief. It was amazing.
I went into labour on Thursday morning and by late on the Saturday DD still hadn’t arrived (contractions kept stopping and starting).
I was exhausted and then a contraction hit me and didn’t ease off. At that point I couldn’t cope any longer so DH told them to give me the epidural. I ended up with intervention (forceps) but that was due to the position of the baby.
The only aspect I didn’t like about the epidural was after DD had been delivered, I couldn’t walk / feel my legs for a few hours.

I had one with my first. I loved and hated it in equal measures. I'd had a couple of days of hideous but non productive contractions (DS1 was back to back) I was utterly exhausted and labour wasn't progressing particularly well. It was such a relief to have the pain taken away. But I hated being in the bright lights of the hospital and (i started off in the birthing centre wing) and having every medical professional talk about me as if I wasn't there. Not being able to move was really frustrating. Didnt make me spaced out though - the pethidine I had before that however made me high as a kite. My son wasn't breathing initially. Which may have been a result of the epidural. He's totally fine now though but was hideous at the time.

My second birth was at home with a couple of paracetamol. But it was a completely different labour.

Just have an open mind either way and make a call at the time.

Have just re read my bit about my son not breathing and looks like I'm insinuating that's what epidurals do. They don't. But they do they that there is a small chance of causing breathing issues. It may have been entirely unrelated.

Loved mine. I had to have one the first time as my BP was high because of preeclampsia. Everyone gave me the “it’s not your fault” speech as though having one was the most shameful thing ever 🙄 Second time I had it because I wanted one and it was amazing the first time. Why feel such pain when you don’t need to. There’s no medal at the end whichever way you deliver, and it doesn’t make you spaced out at all. You can still feel what’s going on, it just helps you get through it.

With my first child I was determined to have a natural birth, but that went out the window after 26 hours of labour. I didn't want to feel spaced out so refused pethidine and gas and air, and requested an epidural. It was amazing. NO PAIN! but I could still feel the pressure of the contractions so knew when to push. It is weird being paralysed from the waist down and I was a bit nauseous afterwards but that was a small price to pay. Second pregnancy I requested an epidural as soon as I arrived on the ward. Again it was great, for me, and again I was quite sick afterwards but the labour was quite enjoyable!

I didn't want an epidural but after 22 hours of contractions and being only 3cm I begged for one. It was great! I needed the drip as I wasn't progressing so it was another 14hrs before baby arrived. The only small issue was it stopped working in the final stages of pushing. Whilst they worked out what had gone wrong they gave me gas and air which made the room spin. So an epidural was the right decision for me. Good luck 🍀

OMG. The relief was immense. The only downside was that labour lasted longer and I ended up with forceps delivery as I had no sensation when to push, whatsoever and my baby just creeping back up the birth canal. This was after I had been doing yoga breathing for nearly 18 hours, TENS machine, gas and air, pethidine, the lot. I didn't want an epidural, didn't want forceps, at least that is what I'd written in my birth plan :-), but quite frankly, the pain only went through the roof after they broke my waters. Until then it was fine, well, sort of anyway.
See how you feel and progress on the actual day.

Gas and air and morphine made me feel spaced out. Epidural didn't. Would recommend.

I am personally having all of the painkillers a hospital can offer a woman giving birth

Laughing gas, epidural, bathing in a tub filled with water, etc. Anything really.

It shouldn't affect your mind at all, unlike laughing gas, so if you're concerned about that, don't be.

My epidural caused a massive migraine they insisted I took morphine for.
After natural drug free births an epidural recovery was hell on earth.

Loved mine too!

First baby was induced by drip and also back to back. She ended up being ventoused out. The bliss of feeling the epidural work!

Second baby also back to back and again had one and loved it really calm chilled labour.

Third baby shot out before I had time to have one!

I would have one again!

I was drip induced, the midwife asked me if I wanted an epidural as they hooked me up, I said no!
5 hours later with contractions every 3 minutes I was begging for one. He had to try and put the needles in between contractions... all fine.
5 contractions later and only half my body was numb, the burning sensation on half of my belly/back was worse than the original pain
In he comes again and has to do it all again in between contractions... all I can say is the midwife was amazing in getting me to stay still and keeping me breathing steady.
12 hours later they turned it off because I just couldn’t push her out. She finally made an appearance 2 hours and 45 minutes after I started pushing. No intervention needed.
My advice is if you are going to have one, don’t leave it too late. The midwife told me afterwards that with the contractions that close together and strong I should have been refused one, never mind two as the slightest movement could have caused injuries to me.
I’m not sure if you can get different sorts, but mine was called a mobile epidural so I could push a button every 20 minutes to top it up, really helped me feel in control.

I needed my epidural as I was induced and the drip made it all very strong BUT... I didn't like not being able to tell when to push, I hated the fact it didn't take properly on my right side (even after being topped up) and I hated the fact that it left two of my toes numb for approx. 6 months. But it was the lesser of two evils.

My epidural was a thing of beauty. All the fun, none of the pain. Didn’t affect anything above the waist at all. No effect on my head whatsoever. No after effects. Wonderful!

No spacing out here either, unlike pethidine. However, like some posters above mine didn't work properly and I had a lot of breakthrough pain. Hours later and after about 6 top ups, they eventually resited after my doula insisted and it was then amazing, however I didn't get any urge to push and ended up having a ventouse delivery with an episiotomy that took ages to heal. Because I'd do anything to avoid another assisted delivery, I'd only have one again if I'd tried everything else first and really wasn't coping.

It was lovely not to be in pain after a long time of being in pain.

BUT being mobile can make birth quicker and smoother as gravity helps, your pelvis is more open and you can wiggle around to help the baby get in the right position. Epidurals can make interventions like forceps/CS more likely plus labour taking longer. Plus it's not so great to be stuck on a bed with tubes all over the place.

I think it's best to plan not to have an epidural, avoid one if you can but not feel bad if you do opt for one. Pethidine on the other hand is filthy stuff, made me feel stoned then sick.