Birthing positions with epidural

[ChillysWaterBottle]

Hi!

I am 7 1/2 months pregnant and thinking about labour and my birth plan. I always wanted an epidural but I have started NCT classes and they have been very emphatic that certain positions - mostly upright and bent over/kneeling or on all fours - make for a much quicker and easier birth than the traditional lying on your back. They also advise as much moving around as possible to speed things along. Would this be possible with an epidural or are you confined to your bed/one position? I have been given so many different vague answers and I am very unsure. My midwife is nice but useless and shrugs at any questions I ask, and due to understaffing in the pandemic it is virtually impossible to speak to another midwife (they just never get back to you). Does anyone have any experiences to share? Thanks very much

An epidural will make you numb from the waist down. This means you haven't got control over your legs so any position requiring you to kneel is not going to be possible.

It is worth noting that the epidural has to be topped up every hour, so you could miss the top ups and then have mobility after a while.

I had an epidural and was able to get myself up to squat on the bed. This isn’t typical but many women who have had an epidural can manage to move enough not to have to sit to push.

On the other hand the evidence is that for first time mums lying down during the pushing stage gives a slightly better chance of a normal birth and almost anyone with an epidural can manage to lie on their side.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5646262/ Here’s the study in case anyone is interested.

I had a "walking" epidural and I was able to give birth on all fours, leaning over the raised head of the bed. Speak to your midwife and anaesthesiologist

Sorry, I meant speak to them on the ward once you're discussing an epidural

You'll have to ask if you can have a walking epidural as only some hospitals do them. Mine didn't do them and although I could still move my feet and legs somewhat I probably couldn't have weight beared for the amount of time I was pushing.
A walking epidural also only lasts for 1 to 2 hours so may wear off before you're done if it's your first.

My epidural meant i had no feeling from the waist down so couldn’t move an inch. However, i was also having an induction for unexpected pre-ecclampsia diagnosed the day before my due date, so i was a) already hooked up to the induction drip, limiting mobility, and 2) so bloody grateful for relief from the agony i could have kissed the amaesthetist.
Position i was sitting in was approx 650,000,000th place on my priority list at the time

I had two vaginal births- the first without an epidural and the second with- I wanted to be on my back for both regardless so I don’t think I’d let that sway me away from an epidural

I had an epidural, could feel my legs enough to try and get on to all fours, but baby was too low and I didn't have the range of movement to change position as I couldn't bend by that point. But my epidural maybe failed? Ran out? As consultant was confused I could feel the cold spray on my legs.

They wouldn't let me be in any position but on my back after epidural.. I offered to sign paperwork saying understood risk etc... No movement. I was not happy as it was hours after epidural and baby wasn't getting around the 'u bend'

I was told "yeah, sure you can still give birth on all fours after epidural".
Ha. I was stuck flat on my back, lucky to have enough power in one leg to push back against a midwife's shoulder as I pushed hard. No way could I have stood up, been able to bear my own weight or adjusted my position at all.

Like others have said, it’s possible to have a walking epidural. Also your midwives may guide you through the different positions when you’re close to the u-bend - I had a really good experience of being guided on my side to help open things up a bit, then on my back to rest and back onto my side to push with my top leg sort of sticking up (I think a student midwife had a hold of it ) Also remember that although NCT classes are giving something to focus on around what is the best positing, you might find in labour that you don’t want to move into different positions naturally - my instinct was to stay stock still. I had to be persuaded by the midwives to move around towards the end, epidural lines and all. And that was for a fairly calm and well-progressing birth. Hope all goes well for you!

*giving you
*positioning

Beware the cult of the ‘natural’ birth IMHO! My hospital didn’t do walking epidurals but the midwife adjusted the bed so I was a bit upright so gravity could help. For me I felt like I’d rather have a longer labour because of an epidural if it meant it was pain free and I was lucky that my epidural worked well and my labour was straightforward.

Sorry just realised didn’t really answer your question- I didn’t have walking epidural so though I could feel my limbs etc I couldn’t have got up I don’t think, but they angled me so I had a bit of benefit from gravity!

I had an epidural and spent the whole labour lying on my side with a peanut ball between my legs (I was doing this anyway before the epidural). Pushed sat up in stirrups and it was fine.

Irt's highly likely you'll be on your back. You can ask to be moved to you left side, they may do this, but it does have a risk of the epidural fluid moving to one side and you lose the numbness and get the pain back.

I gave birth on my back twice (no epidural) and side once, TBH I didn't notice much difference, I was very anxious and cross about this the first 2 times and with DC3 I didn't mind! I don't think it makes as big of a difference as they say.

Ah thank you everybody - these are really useful. I don't think my hospital offers the walking epidural since it isn't mentioned on their website but I will check when I'm next in. Overall it seems experiences might slightly vary but I definitely can't rely on being able to move or adjust into any particular position once I've had the epidural. To be honest I think on balance I would prefer pain relief above all else so I will still aim for the epidural. I hate pain lol.

Thanks again everyone - you've been great x x x x

To be honest I had to move when I was in labour, the contractions felt so much better when walking squatting or just generally moving.

THEN the pain became too intense when he turned his head sideways so I had an epidural and was just grateful for the relief. Happy to chill out on the bed.

I was on continuous monitoring so couldn't move around like I wanted to. Found it difficult to stay at peace with contracting. The clip to monitor baby's HR from he head failed.
When I got the epidural it made everything easy and I could lie on the bed with monitors attached completely comfortable and had a well needed rest. I needed intervention and stitches anyway so birthing positions and everything else went out the window.

I had epidural and omg I could not move one but I couldn’t even sit up slightly on my own it’s a crazy feeling but yes it wears off and they keep topping you up

When I was pregnant I was told the same about quicker labours when upright or kneeling, but it wasn't true for me. My labour only progressed when I was in the traditional position lying on my back.