Epidural advice please

[mumm321]

Would you recommend an epidural?? I'm petrified of giving birth. Will this make me feel drugged up or anything?? And is it sore ? I'm petrified of needles too!

If you're at the stage where you think you need one then I think all other concerns go out of the window! I had one with both births and with my second was still quite mobile so think I had a lower dose. Excellent stuff!

I had one, it was non negotiable for me due to an existing health problem. It was great. Paperwork says I was in labour for 8 hours, I was aware of about 8 minutes of it! Bit of a team effort as I couldn't feel any contractions but the midwife told me when to push and it was all fine

I had one with my first baby, and it was great to not really feel the pain. However, I feel that it did contribute to me ending up needing forceps and an episiotomy, and the recovery from that was not great.

I've just had my second baby 3 weeks ago, home birth, in the pool with only gas and air. Yes, the birth itself was a lot more painful than last time, but despite having a second degree tear, the recovery was a breeze by comparison. I felt pretty normal 3 days after the birth and would definitely choose the second way again.

It will not make you feel drugged up, OP. It’s local anaesthetic, injected into the epidural space in your spine, to block the pain of contractions by numbing the pain nerves. The dose isn’t high enough to block the motor nerves to your muscles, so you can still move your legs. There is no effect on your brain.
It’s not painful to insert, unless the anaesthetist has difficulty locating the space - eg if you’re morbidly obese, they may briefly touch the needle against the sensitive periosteum lining your bones, before repositioning. Sometimes they may ping against a nerve on the way into the space, causing a brief sensation like a mini electric shock down one leg, but this is uncommon.
They will infiltrate local into the skin before inserting the epidural needle and catheter, so you should just feel them pushing, rather than pain.
Discuss it with your anaesthetist on the labour ward - they need to get your informed consent anyway, so will go over it all with you before proceeding.

You need to do your research on it really! I'd keep an open mind and not definitely choose yay or nay at this point.

It doesn't make you feel drugged up. You won't care about the needle going in, though staying still while they do it is less than fun.

Having one means you're immobile which can make it harder for the baby to descend as your pelvis is in a more closed position and you can't use gravity and movement to help things progress. It can also make it harder to push and soften muscle tone so the baby doesn't have a firm surface to push against!

So you're opting for less pain in birth but higher risk of intervention i.e. forceps/ventouse with episiotomy or a c-section, plus possibly a longer labour all in all and the experience of being stranded in bed with lots of wires on, possibly a catheter, needing help to pick baby up to begin with etc.

If it was a total no-brainer then everyone would either have one or not have one, better to understand pros and cons and see if it's worth it for you on the day.

I'm pretty sure you wouldn't get a hospital to give you one from the very start of labour in any event.

I had one after three days of early labour contractions and no sleep. It was wonderful. I slept through a good chunk of my active labour, which gave me the energy to get through the last bit and the pushing. Without that sleep I don't know if I would have coped. The insertion didn't bother me, having the cannula put into my hand was worse, although I had gas and air for both which helped enormously. The hardest part was sitting very still between contractions so they could get it in the right place.

Some things to be aware of though, you cant eat once you have the epidural in, just in case you do end up needing a c section. Also I ended up staying in hospital an extra night because the epidural left my right leg entirely numb, which meant that I couldn't walk. It got better quite quickly, enough for me to be able to move about, but It took several weeks for the feeling to come back fully.

Despite that I've requested an epidural this time around, I cant see the point in suffering needlessly. I'm aware of all the risks, but the benefits outweighed them for me. You obviously will need to make your own assessment.

I loved mine
I didn’t have one with dd and it was bloody awful - then I had one for placenta removal and I thought “ I should have had one of these earlier”
With DS I decided I was having one as soon as I saw the line appear!
I stated to every medical person who came near my during my pregnancy I wanted one but still during labour they tried to fob me off. The MW said “ oh no, I’m sure you will manage fine without one” I asked for a note of the time and asked it to be put on my file that X (MW) has refused by request for an epidural. I had one quite soon after that. I chilled out, had a nap, chatted to DH then pushed twice and DS appeared. 4 hours later I stood up and walked to the shower. 2 hours after that I went home
Not everyone has a great experience of them but mine was

I've two children and two epidurals.
I didn't feel drugged at all. I felt very little from the waist down obviously so needed to be told when to push and when not too but had two relatively 'easy' births.
I was able to get up and move and feeling was back fully after about 30 mins of giving birth.
I requested epidurals in my birth plan and told the hospital staff when I felt I needed them.
One of my biggest fears is feeling drugged up and mentally out of control but I honestly didn't with epidurals.

I had one and loved it

When I asked for one (pain got too bad) I was 8cm

Also, agree with pp's who say the sitting still part is the worst part if getting the needle in( I hate needles too do I didn't look at what they were preparing behind me). I can't say I found it sore. The contractions were strong so my mind was elsewhere!.

Three good friends had all had 2 babies each before I was having my first. I asked them separately for their one best piece of advice about childbirth. Each one of them said have an epidural. So I did. It was great. Such a massive relief when the pain of contractions stopped. No problems with the birth but I couldn't feel anything working when I was trying to push!
DC2 no pain relief at all. I had thought the pushing out bit would be more painful than the contractions but it was ok... From previous experience, I knew I had to keep my head through the pain and get on with the job. Obvs lucky not to have any complications.
I say, be absolutely open minded to an epidural, but see how you get on in labour. You don't have to decide in advance- but do take time to read up and think about things for when you do have to make decisions.

I had it with my first and won't be having it with my second if I can help it. Only because I felt it contributed to having to have a forcep and episiotomy delivery which made me have a long recovery time. I also didn't realise I had to have a catheter with it which I hated. But it didn't make feel drugged up at all and it did completely take the pain away from an horrible induction labour. Anyway I can only advise to keep an open mind about it as you have no idea how your birth will go.

I am evangelical about my epidural. There is no way I could have coped without it. Pain immediately went and they reduced it down when I was fully dilated so I could feel the contractions to push. I could still get up to use the loo so didn’t need a catheter which was lovely! And because I could feel where to push dd was out in 45 mins with no instrumental help at all. Couple of small tears. Definitely having another if I have a second baby!

I had one and the pain relief was amazing. The EMCS and complications were not so great. Having an epidural does increase the risk that you need other interventions.

I had a "walking" epidural for a long back to back labour. Had to stay near the bed but could stand up and delivered on all fours on the bed. My midwife turned it right down so I could feel to push and I had no interventions. But you do need a midwife who can help you manage it effectively

I knew going in I wanted one even before labor really kicked up. I was surprised how much contractions hurt for me and I have a very high pain tolerance. The epidural went in and the OB asked how the contractions were. I said I'd let her know when I had my next one. Apparently I was having one that moment, I just couldn't feel it

Before that, I'd been pulling my hair out in big clumps. After that, I sat and had a chat with my OB and the entire (22) NICU staff waiting in the room for early DS. I remember childbirth fondly. Didn't feel drugged up, DS came out in great health. Afterward my left leg felt heavy for a little bit so I had a nap and then woke up for a wee a couple hours later. Walked to the loo unassisted. No complications. Barely a pinch going in. Highly recommended.

Keep an open mind. My first labour was long and hard and I couldn’t manage the pain of the drip. In that labour I absolutely needed an epidural. I’ve just had my second which was drug free and quick (albeit a bit scary for different reasons). Totally different experience. If I’d only had births like my second, I’d have no appreciation of what a hard labour could be like.