Experience of mobile epidural in UCLH?

[March24baby]

Hi Mumsnet,

I'm wondering if anyone had a mobile epidural at UCLH (or if not, any hospital in London) who might be willing to share their experience? I searched this forum and found two old thread but the actual experience was shared by DM / went unanswered so I thought I'd try again :)

I would like an epidural but have concerns about losing the ability to move or feel. From what I understand, at UCLH the mobile epidural dose/rate is fixed and patients are given control to top up (and therefore one can do this less frequently to reduce the dose), but the midwife said with time often legs become too weak to continue moving around or be on your knees. Also our baby is measuring quite big which on the one hand makes me definitely want to get an epidural but on the other hand wondering if delaying labour (which supposedly the epidural does) will lead to more interventions in the end.

Am wondering if anyone might share their experience, and specifically:

• were you able to continue walking with the mobile epidural, and for how long?
• were you able to choose your delivery position or did you have to deliver on your back?
• did you find you had sensation for the 2nd stage of labour? I would love to be able to feel when it comes to the pushing stage
• would you choose to use it again?

Many many thanks in advance for any thoughts!

Hi OP

I had a mobile epidural in March last year, not in London but in Darent Valley in dartford so not too far away. I didn’t go into labour naturally and had my waters broken by the midwife as part of my induction due to a suspected large baby (I was dilated naturally but not contracting, so avoided pessaries/ rods etc).

Contractions came on thick and fast for me having waters broken and my contractions were lasting 90 seconds with a 15 second break, so I opted for the epidural after 4 hours. It didn’t actually work on one side of my body for most of the rest of labour, which can be a risk, though having half the pain made an absolutely huge difference. Occasionally I would lay on my side and it would work on both sides, but very intermittently.
I was encouraged to labour on my back due to the epidural, though I could still feel my legs and I was sat up, and I could also definitely feel when to push. I topped up the epidural very very sparingly, only when I really couldn’t manage. I wasn’t allowed to walk around as the straps to monitor baby’s heart rate didn’t work and so a clip had to be put on his head. Like I say though I could definitely feel the contractions, and also (to the surprise of the midwife) I could feel the clip moving between my legs when his head was there and ready to push (they thought I’d be a lot longer to dilate). From the epidural to baby being born was another 4 hours, so 8 in total from waters breaking, so relatively quick, especially for first baby and that I wasn’t in labour when they broke my waters.
It also made a huge difference in that I couldn’t feel a thing when they stitched me up afterwards, which was brilliant. I walked back to the post labour ward a few hours later.
Its not for everyone, but I would have an epidural again in a heartbeat!