epidural experiences

[Charlottethevet]

Hello everyone :)
I was just wondering if any of you had any epidural birth stories.
I have been told that due to having a chest deformity that would inhibit my breathing, particularly if i was in a lot of pain / stressed, I have a couple of options for the birth, on e being an elective section OR I could have an epidural birth. The Dr said she would consider giving me an epidural early on and maintaining it throughout the birth

What were your experiences with epidurals?

(I'll be giving birth at the Derby Royal NHS hospital)

Thanks guys xx

Loved the epidural. Had a fast-ish labour and had to wait to move to labour ward, so only had it in and working for the last 90mins or so, but it was an incredible relief. I could feel to push and had a straightforward birth with an episiotomy and some stitches 20 mins after I started pushing. All healed beautifully. Got up 90 mins after birth, had a shower, home 12 hours after birth, all very straightforward.

@CaramelWaferAndTea just curious, how long does the episiotomy/stitches take to heal? I’m 37+1 and it’s one of my biggest worries.

I think epidural = intervention is a bit misleading.

Undetected complications = longer labour/more painful labour = epidural.

Correlation rather than causation.

Bloody brilliant inventions. Was induced via a drip so was advised to have one. It was the kind where you push a button - oh how I loved that button - and was up and showering only a couple of hours after birth. Was home 12 hours later.

I had a mobile epidural with DD1 - it was great at the time as she was a back to back baby and the labour was very long and unremitting. However I squatted to push her out and one of my legs went completely numb. I remember asking MW whether I should stop with the squatting that point but she encouraged me to continue. I knew immediately afterwards that I had a problem but was too naive not to be fobbed off by "you've just had a baby of course you'll feel weird" and at the 6 week check "it's proabably sciatica". 17 years later and I am still in pain on one side, can't run, can't walk for too long, find it difficult to get comfortable when sleeping etc. I have spent I don't know how much money on private osteopaths, therapist, chiropracters etc as the NHS didn't want anything to do with me. ANyway, if I had the choice again I would probably do it again as the pain relief is incredible and I could not have continued the way I was, but I would be VERY careful about positions for delivery if I was utterly numb. 3 years later I delivered my second baby (a 10 lber) at home in a both pool with no pain relief at all. Every labour is very different! best of luck

I'm still numb from mine (15 years later!). Apparently it's one of the things that can happen. I didn't have one with my second child. I definitely wouldn't recommend

Had my first without any pain relief and so my second I asked for an epidural straight off the bat 😅
It was bloody lovely, got it at 7cm before things got too painful, so the whole experience was a lot calmer than the first time. As a pp said, I could feel the contractions but not the pain, I kind of wish I had topped it up for the stitches though!

The catheter removal was the worst part I’d say. Would have another epidural in a heartbeat!

I would one million thousand percent have an elective. But only because of my own experience.

There are a lot of risks that go with epidurals - I got about 90% of them
There are a lot of risks that go with ELCS - I didn’t get one.

Weird huh.

Good luck, it sounds like you’re being taken seriously which is always reassuring

@Moongirl10 about 2 weeks? It was fine. Did too many long walks which didn’t help, but that won’t be a problem in lockdown.

I used the spray from my expert midwife and a lot of cold pads (cover in water and freeze) to get relief, kept it very clean with water only, and took regular paracetamol and ibuprofen for the first week or so. Did lots of pelvic floor exercises. Overall my pelvic floor and core is actually better now than pre baby after all this attention

@CaramelWaferAndTea thank you! That’s reassuring to hear

I loved my epidural. DD was back to back and the pain was off the scale, and unrelenting. It took from 6pm to midday the next day to get to 1cm. I’d been begging for an epidural for hours. I had it put in at 2.30pm and by 6.30pm I was 10cm and pushing. I can only imagine that I relaxed with the epidural and my body was able to do what it needed to do. The only side effect I had was a shaky leg.
Unfortunately DD rotated from back to back to sideways, and was becoming distressed (they think placental abruption) so I ended up in theatre with forceps. But none of that was caused by the epidural. For me it was a lifesaver.

Sorry, I should say - the shaky leg stopped as soon as the epidural came out.