Epidural or not

[LolaBumble]

Hi all,

I am a way off giving birth yet, only 24 weeks, but just wondering what people’s experiences have been!

On one hand like the idea of a water birth, and on the other hand I think I’d rather have an epidural. First baby and really have no idea what to expect!

Bastards indeed. Sorry you had that experience. I actually suspect our anaesthetist was also trying to say 'so please can you just let me do it now while I'm here?'

@AlltheFs sorry that happened to you but actually that’s a good point. I had to wait an hour (appreciate others have it worse) once I’d decided I wanted it, as the anaesthetist was doing a c section, and there was only one due to skeleton staff (I was induced late on a Sunday night). So it may be a wait even once you do decide!

Thank you, I've been attending sarcasm yoga lately. Looks like it's working

Here's a 🥇

Keep your options open.
I didn't have an epidural with any of my 3 but I would have done if needed.
I used a TENS machine and gas and air which was enough.
I liked being able to feel the overwhelming urge to push as it meant for me that I really went for it!

I had an epidural with my first. I had already decided to have one so labour pains never really kicked in, and it was completely effective so I never felt any pain at all. No other interventions, no forceps and no tearing/stitches. I was fine resting a bit after birth, I had no need to get up and about straight away. I don't have any fear of needles or anaesthetic.

I had elective c-sections with the next 2 pgs so obviously needed epidurals then. No issues with the epidurals then either and no back pain afterwards.

My epidural was delightful! I had a little nap, it was so relaxing. I'm not wild about needles but frankly they could have shot that thing into me with a crossbow.

I had an epidural, after trying to brave it out for a few contractions. Then I realized that there is no reward or advantage to not having an epidural and got it. I feel like it let me concentrate on what I was doing without being in so much pain. I mean, it's wonderful either way because those little womb gremlins are worth anything and everything, but I certainly do recommend it.

I had an epidural as my first method of induction was unsuccessful so was told I'd be going on the hormonal drip. Since I hadn't slept in 2 days and I'd heard the drip is supposed to be more painful, I opted to get the epidural first. The experience was horrific. They numbed my back first and then put the cannula in my back but I could feel every part of it, I was yelling out in agony and started to feel faint, I felt sick and my hearing and vision went funny as the pain was that bad. They took it out half way and numbed my back some more to try again. The second time putting it in I could still feel it! Then later on I could still feel the contractions really badly on one side so I had to have the epidural cannula put in for a third time. I was so scarred from the first two times I was shaking with fear but after numbing my back that time, I felt nothing. I'm convinced they weren't doing it correctly the first two times!

I had an epidural both times.

The first time my labour stalled at around 6cm and I ended up having an emergency C-section. I think this had more to do with the fact that I was induced for reduced movements and my baby was badly positioned than anything to do with the epidural.

The second time I went into labour spontaneously, spent most of early labour in the bath, then had a lightly dosed epidural at 3cm and then a straightforward, unassisted vaginal delivery two hours later.

I found being in the warm water nice and relaxing but it did seem to slow things down for me, and once I went into active labour it wasn't really cutting it for me anymore pain wise.

If I ever have another baby I will get an epidural again.

Its personal but no way did I want someone putting a needle in my back! I managed without pain relief, really was fine - trick is to keep moving rather than lying in bed. Those big balls you can rock on are great

No offence to you but I find this absolutely wild.

What's the issue with a trained anaesthetist putting a needle in your back? Is it the idea that it is going to be painful, or fear of being paralysed, or what?

@MargotBamborough Really? It's surprising to you that someone wouldn't want a needle (held by a trained person or otherwise) anywhere near their spinal cord? 🤔

In the context of giving birth, which is inherently scary, painful and risky?

Yes, to be honest.

Epidurals are safe and very effective pain relief.

@MargotBamborough I was definitely more afraid of the needle than giving birth. But what's wrong with that anyway? I didn't want an epidural so I didn't have one and coped fine with the level of pain I experienced. Other people feel like they need one so they have one and that's fine too :)

I'm not criticising you, I'm just saying I find it wild.

Like, OK nobody likes the idea of someone sticking a needle in their back but then the idea of a baby coming out of your vagina is pretty fucking terrifying too when you really think about it.

Almost all women have epidurals where I live and I never hear these kinds of comments about needles here. It's just accepted as a normal part of the process, one of the wonders of modern medicine which takes away all or most of the pain of childbirth.

There seem to be a lot of scare stories about epidurals in the UK.

I had no plan for my labour, it's how I cope with anything scary as I just go with the circumstances. I did fancy a nice soak in the warm tub though. Good job I didn't plan as my waters were green, I became high risk, had the drip so went from 4cm to 9.5cm in an hour. The midwife had carefully worded her language to suggest I may want an epidural as it was going so fast and as it was the middle of the night and the anaesthetist was doing a section so may only have a small gap to be able to do it.

I survived on gas and air and was absolutely high as a kite. I couldn't take in what was being said between contractions they came so fast so couldn't make a decision. I had previously told my husband due to back issues I didn't want one so he ran with that. Had I known I would end up strapped to the bed, with episiotomy, ventouse delivery and a 9lb+ baby, I think I may have made a different decision...

New baby due next week, I'm definitely more open to having one this time, the gas and air worked wonders but I felt so high I actually can't remember most of the labour and it felt like it only lasted a couple of hours (actually was 7 hours). I'd like to be a bit more present next time, be able to move around a lot and get in some better positions.

@MargotBamborough I think the difference maybe is that birth is generally a natural process which billions of people have gone through before. It's the end of the pregnancy which we all knew would happen one way or another when we got pregnant. The baby has to come out and we've had nine months to get used to the idea.

Epidurals to me feel like an add on to that process, not bound up in it. They're a choice so maybe they're scarier as they're optional and, as with everything, there is a risk involved.

So I think I'm saying, birth is a risk we signed up for when we got pregnant. Epidural is a chosen risk that isn't actually necessary.

But remember, epidurals are a bit of a recent thing and baby coming out of your vagina is going on for millions of years. Often, having no intervention is far better than having some. I'm not entirely against epidural, but if somone is happy with the risks, then why not? Go for it!

Have an open mind. I had my LO 6 weeks ago and I was absolutely determined that I wasn't having an epidural there was no such thing as having one in my head it was 100% no.... well i tell you I screamed and I begged and I shouted for the epidural at 2cm 🤣 unfortunately tho it didn't work for me...

It's a natural process that millions of women and babies have died going through.

Every single medical intervention connected with childbirth is an add on to that process, but we can largely credit these add ons with the fact that either the mother or baby dying during the process is now incredibly rare in the developed world.

I also struggle to think of other medical events where people routinely decline anaesthesia on the grounds that it is better to suffer through the pain if you can possibly manage it.

There does seem to be a certain school of thought in the UK that if you can manage with just a bit of gas and air or warm water then you are somehow having a "better" birth which seems to be rooted in Old Testament misogyny, i.e. childbirth is supposed to be painful and this is women's lot in life, and if you choose not to experience that pain you are somehow not playing by the rules. It's an attitude which doesn't really exist where I live. On the contrary, if you suggest that you might try giving birth without an epidural most people look at you like you've grown another head and just say, "Why?"

@MargotBamborough What I was told about it was that you're more likely to end up with an instrumental delivery if you have an epidural which I think is statistically accurate? And also that people have to spend longer in hospital as it takes time for an epidural to wear off, which I found out for myself when I had to have a spinal block for surgery following my son's birth 😂

Yeah, I have heard this but I don't think it's true.

I used to think it was true, but then I started to wonder why the rates of instrumental delivery and emergency C-section aren't significantly higher in countries like France where the overwhelming majority of women have epidurals.

I'm now convinced that the data on this is flawed, and that the reason studies from countries such as the UK appear to show a correlation between epidurals and other interventions is because women in these countries who go into labour spontaneously and have uncomplicated labours which progress well are actively discouraged from having epidurals. As a result, only women who are induced or who are already having a complicated labour for other reasons tend to have epidurals.

Oh and I've never had a spinal block so can't compare but I was up and walking within about two hours of my vaginal delivery under epidural and could easily have gone home that day. I'm pretty sure my epidural had mostly worn off by the time I was pushing actually.

I was crying for an epidural by the time I was 4cm dilated (natural labour). I was not prepared for the revolting pain of the contractions. I had no negative experiences with it at all. The only regret I have is that I wonder if I'd been able to move around and actually feel the urge to push then maybe I could have avoided the episiotomy but I'll never know.