Epidural, please tell me your experiences and explain to me how it will feel.

[GoodGollyMissMolly]

I am 38+2 today and I am under combined MW and Consultant care due to an existing heart problem that I was born with.

I have just gotten back from my appointment with my consultant, and he has told me that I will HAVE to have an epidural. TBH it took me back a bit as I have looked into all the possible pain releif medication and chosen to go only for gas and air and pethidine (Although I was keeping an open mind about an epidural if needed)

I dont like the idea of not being in control of my bodily functions and the thought of being numb from the waist down fills me with terror!! Sorry if this seems to be an over reaction but that is how I feel.

I need to hear as many stories of other peoples experiences with epidurals. The good, the bad and anything else. So that i know what to expect. Please tell me about your experiences.

TIA

Hey - I could not have coped without the epidural (3 lots) I had an induced labour that started on the Monday and DD was not born until Friday! I was in so much pain and so fed up and uncomfortable that I was so greatful that I was having my baby in this century cause I don't know what I would have done without it. (And I had plans of not using ANY pain relief!)
The only word of warning I would give: I thought they just injected you and that was it, i did not realise that they left the tube in incase you needed a top up so when I spotted the tube hanging over my shoulder - I pulled it. Aghh The thought still makes me cringe now and this happened 5 years ago!

A positive story.

I've had epidurals with both my labours and plan to have one with this baby too. I had pethidine with DD1 and it made me very sick and woozy and I have parts of the (32hr established) labour which I cannot remember. With DD2 I avoided pethidine and remember everything and felt much more in control.

I have a problem with my back that meant I ended up having three doses of epidural each time before it took (but the needle only goes in once) as it worked out both times I had 3 x epidural in my lower right leg which took a while to walk off! I dragged myself around the maternity ward after the labour trying to convince the nurses I always walked like that so they wuld let me go home. Even with 3 doses it had almost completely worn off by the time I had had a rest after the births.

I could still feel my contractions and as able to push no problem, even if you can't feel your contractions they will tell you when they are coming.

So glad I had my epidural as it allowed me to relax between some pretty full on, close together contractions and get on with the birth.

Instead of making me feel out of control of my body and the birth, the epidural made me feel more in control.

btw, I am a total wimp and the whole idea of having an epidural scared me to death before the labour

Hi, I had an epidural with my first dc after 17 hours of labour and not much progression. I was a bit of a wimp really, as I was coping with the pain but didn't think I would later. I remember it taking a few goes to get in, but was great after that, had some sensation but not pain, was a good job i had it anyway as ended up with an emcs.

I had a spinal with ds, as I opted for an elective section, and tbh this was much worse than the first time. They tried about 10 times to get it in, it was a horrible crunching feeling in my back and electric shocks going down my legs. in the end they had to call the consultant who got it in first time (by which time I was in torrential tears and very close to a panic attack). I was also left with a lovely huge bruise that looked like a map of the USA, but it did wear off quite quickly afterwards.

If you do opt for an epidural I would wait untill you are in proper labour, going into it cold is horrid imo.

Oh Havalina you have worried me now as I am going in elective cs on Tuesday!

Thank you all for all of your replies.

I spoke to a good friend of mine about it yesterday, she is a nurse and has 2 dc of her own so thought I would quiz her about it all.

I have come to the decision that I will try the pethidine and the gas and air, then if my heart rate starts to go wrong and my bp goes up then I will go for the epidural. A mobile one at first, then they can bump it up to a full one if needed.

I am happy with this sceanario, lets just hope my consultant is.
FWIW I can understand why my consultant has decided on an epi. But he left me thinking that I HAVE to have the epi and that there is no other way. I dont like the fact that the choice has been taken away from me. Petty I know, but I have been adamant from really early on that I do not want an epi.

I have also told both of my birthing partners, as they were all up for me having the epi. I have told them that ultimatley it is my decision, my body and me giving birth and unless there is any immediate danger I expect them to honor my wishes.
Or feel my wrath

Thanks again to all of you for sharing your experiences with me, it has really helped me alot to be able to come to my decsision.

I don't think it is being petty at all to want your own way on something that is so important to you.

Good luck with your labour and enjoy your first cuddles

thanks Coby, I cant wait for those first cuddles

I had a syntocinon drip and they strongly advised me to have an epi, the problem was they did not get it in the right place and it did not work at all. I had another after 12 hours induced labour (ouch) but the second one did not work either. I was daft and was too scared to say anything, it was my first baby and felt bullied that I was making it up that I had no pain relief as they were so sure that had got it in right.

After 19 hours of labour the head surgeon came took one look at me and rushed me into surgery for c-section. I should have spoken up more I guess but I so wanted to do it all naturally and I thought I just had a low pain threshold. The truth was I was getting no pain releif at all.

Not wanting to add a horror story but I would just say its your body, you have the right to do what you want as long as the baby is safe and well (and you are of course!). I tried to keep going but the surgeon said it wasn't about me it was about my baby, he was of course right. I now have a wonderful 6 month old baby girl. Once she was in my arms I could not have cared if I had told me to stand on my head to give birth, she was safe and well and mine. xxx

Sorry haven't time to read all these - but actually having the epidural was absolutely fine although they have to get it right otherwise you may not be completely anaesthetised (as I wasn't) - The anaesthetist was gorgeous though so it took the edge of everything and I didn't have to have it whilst in pain since I was about to be induced. I then had an emergency c-section and had to have a spinal block since I still had a lot of sensation from stomach downwards.........
I too was afraid of the non-sensation thing and that I might be frightened but I am the biggest wuss in the world and somehow once your baby arrives in the world you are so overjoyed with it all and so knackered and so everything else that this fear your having now will probably pale into insignificance. Right now it's very real for you but..the time it takes to wear off will be relatively quick and you won't want to jump out of bed anyway as you'll probably be a bit sore....
good luck !

Sorry empen, I'm sure it won't be as bad for you, I think with me it was a combo of having a ginormous bump, so i couldn't bend forward properly, and a bit of a useless anaesthetic person (can't remember name). Most people find elcs fine.

I have had 3 spinals and 1 epidural, pretty much the sme thing. The first spinal was horrendus it took one dr four goes and a second dr 2 goes, once it was in it waqs fine. The second spinal was pretty similar and took a few goes. My epidural was a nightmre, it took the dr about 40 minutes and quite a few goes only worked on one side and was pointless as I strated pushing when he had barely finished! My third spinal was fanatastic, I was so nervous after what I had been through previously, the dr saw me in his clinic first and was really kind, he got it in with 3 minutes and I barely noticed it being done.

Again - not read all the threads but my epi was utter bliss- no pain but sensation there so I could push and it made the whole birth experience an absolute joy - almost euphoric......