2nd birth - am worried that it will be too fast for an epidural - has that happened to anyone?

[babybore]

It's a good few months off yet but with dd I had a standard agonising 24 hour labour. I'd aldways planned an epidural as have ridiculously low pain threshold and when I started vomitting after each contraction, i asked them to give me the (mobile) epidural. I'm sure it delayed the labour but it was like heaven once it went in and I managed to deliver 'naturally' without forceps etc.

I'm really scared this time round that things will happen really quickly as tends to be the case 2nd time round and I won't get an epidural. My chosen hospital (Queen Charlotte) is now about 4 miles of heavy London A40 traffic away. Whereas first time round I was more 'wait and see' when it cam to an epidural, this time I have more of a fear of giving birth without one.

Has this happened to anyone else? ie you had an epidural and then you didn't with the 2nd? Was the labour part more difficult or less? I think I'm probably worrying about something that will be out of my hands but hey that's pregnancy hormones for you...

It happened to me.

I had an epi the first time round and didn't realise how far I was gone with DD2.

I got to hospital at 9cm dilation and baby was born 26 minutes after arrival.

How was it expat? I'm worried that it will traumatise me for weeks after the birth (it happened to one of my friends with an equally low pain threshold).

Same here - 36hrs and epidural first time.
Second one like a dream - only a few (truly!) painful contractions and ds born 25mins after I arrived in hospital.

I was really worried about the possibility of giving birth second time without an epidural. The hospital I was supposed to go to was different to the one I had DS1 in and gave very few epidurals but had a very high c-section rate so I got myself in quite a state about it, especially as the the hospital as about 15 miles from home.

However, DS2 came so fast that by the time I realised I was in established labour and should go to the hospital it was too late, and not only did I not have time for an epidural, I didn't even have time to get to hospital.

It was really great. I amazed myself by coping and not panicking a bit!

Don't worry about it too much. Hopefully, yours will be as easy as mine second time around, without the need to call an ambulance and have a paramedic deliver your baby of course.

Thanks Spatz - is the labour part not as bad as the contractions then?

i had similar 36 hours and an epi with DS1

DS2- 22 minutes after arriving at hospial
DD3- 30 minute after arrival
DD4- due June, I dread to think

Thanks Niecie - that's reassuring. Am worried that the actual labour will be EVEN more painful than the contractions (which were soooo bad prior to the epi).

I thought it sucked, tbh, baby.

G&A made me puke and gave me a panic attack.

I did not like the experience at all and I would make sure I got to hospital asap and hung around to get the epidural as soon as.

Thansk for your honesty expat! G&A made me puke last time round as well, didn't get on with the TENS and don't want pethadene so epi is only real pain relief open to me.

This happenned to me as well. Had lovely epidural with ds1 and normal delivery.
Was induced with ds2 so already at the hospital. Waited two days with no contractions etc. Dh went home and an hour later contractions started, telephoned him to come back. Midwife said I won't check you yet as induction can mean false labour. Half an hour later with me saying 'I need to push' she checked me to see I was fully dilated! ds2 two born eighteen minutes later as we exited the lift from the ante natal ward to delivery suite!
Although if I was to have no.3 I would always keep epidural in mind for a longer labour, it really wasn't so bad and it was over before I was able to say 'epidural'.
My amusing moment looking back though was the lovely midwife saying to me 'you must have a really high pain threshold' and the small logical part of my brain that was still working thinking 'oh my God they have me confused with someone else!'

I've been too fast for an epidural both times so chances are I will be too fast again this time. The pain is horrendous at the time but at least I know I can get through it.

I REALLY wanted an epidural the first time but by the time the MW realised I was in established labour I was pushing without realising it.

Just ask for an epidural the minute you arrive. Answer every question they ask you with "epidural please"

Yikes! Think I will ask for an epi the minute I feel like a contraction...my reasoning has always been why feel the pain when you don't need to!

i'd ask asap because you may wait hours for one.