mum's who've had epidurals - would you have another one?????

[liznay]

I'm having my first baby in 12 weeks or so and having watched around 100 births now on Discovery H&H i'm convinced that I'm going to have an epidural.

Why is every (wo)man and his dog trying to talk me out of it though? I don't understand why someone would want to be in that much pain when you can choose not to?
I know there are risks attached to having an epidural but some people have said I won't be able to push the baby out.
I was under the illusion that women have given birth whilst in a coma, so why wouldn't the contractions ease the baby down the birth canal?

If you've had an epidural or if you had both a natural birth and an epidural to compare the two - would you have another one?

Good grief thisisyesterday, you're a brave lady!!!

I had one because they refused me pethadine as I'd already had my 3 doses and apparently they dont allow more than 3 doses - just wished I'd known that at the time I would have tried to hold off it for a while longer.

not at all, it's gotta come out somehow hasn't it? lol
the worst bit is when the head crowns.

I did say at that point "i'm not pushing any more, it's going to hurt too much"

and my lovely midwife said, ok, don't push this time.

and it hurt so much to not push that I just had to and then all of a sudden there he was

DD1 - normal delivery after about 9 hrs - no epidural just diamorphine and gas and air. It was Ok but hurt like hell when I was delivering (and only pushed for about 10 mins)

DD2 - normal delivery after about 16 hrs - epidural (but it must have been a 'mobile/light' one as I could still feel a lot of pressure and move my legs. No real pain with it though. Pushed my DD out in about 5 minutes - could feel the urge to push but NO PAIN. It was amazing. Up and about a few hours later after a wash in bed by the midwives who woulddn't let me get up (even though I felt as though I could).
Would defintely recommend this kind of epidural - it meant I got some sleep (was totally knackered by this stage) and had a pain free delivery.
Small tear but no stitches needed at both deliveries.

Currently pg with DC3 - unless my labour is very fast (which I doubt) I'll be asking for an epidural the minute I arrive at the labour suite!

See how you get on . Good luck. You might cope much better than you think you will.

No - the first time wasn't a pleasant experience. Only worked on one side, made me shivery and sick, then splitting headache the next day. Second time round did it with G&A and felt much better.

I didn't have epidural with dd1, I had gas and air and tens.

With dd2 I did have one, after a 3 hour wait while consultant took a break, 3 failed epidurals which all took half an hour to not work, and then one successful one. So my experience was of a 5 hour gap between requesting an epidural and it starting to work. When it worked it was good - a mobile one. But the 5 hours of waiting and expecting it to work weren't fun.

So with dd3 I stuck to the gas and air and tens again. My experience with the epidurals wasn't good enough really to be worth the end result of all the intrusion and waiting and hoping leading to a lack of pain 5 hours after asking for it.

thisisyesterday - , I too thought you were brave having the 2nd at home (and such a big baby).

I have bought a hypnobirthing cd/book (mongan) but i'm not totally convinced that its for me as I'm sure i'll be demanding pain relief as soon as push turns to shove (excuse the pun!)

Really interesting reading the replies from all those that have 'been there, done that' everyone makes a lot of sense.

i had one with dd1 as was induced. it caused me to not feel contractions couldnt push she came out not breathing and took long time to get her going. i was really determined to avoid one if at all poss with dd2. i did. pain was completely bearable and she came out crying whole thing SO much nicer. but that is just my experiences. depends on so many factors...

Thanks MoonlightMcKenzie, they are very good points.

I am more nervous of an instrumental delivery than I am of the pain of labour.

I wasn't aware that some or most women can't physically walk after an epidural (as opposed to can walk but feel sore/weak as they would do after a birth anyway, with or without an epidural.

Sometimes the valid points such as MM's get lost in the midst of the non-epidural women who believe that the pain is a necessary part of the process. (It may be to some but not to all).

yep, defo. I have a high pain threshold (or so I thought) there's no point in being a martyr when you can relax and enjoy it! good luck with your birth.

well, my first was biggish too, 9lb 1 so I guess I just make big babies, and they do say that you won't grow a baby you can't birth.

it is hard, but you just have to trust in your ability to do it, that your body can do it.

personally I think the associated risks of an epidural are too big for me to want to do it again, and if I had fully understood the implications first tiem round I would have thought again about having it.

you're more likely to end up having an assisted delivery.
it can artificially push baby's weight up (bloating) which then has implications with weight loss after birth
it can have implications with breastfeeding

now obviously plenty of women have epi's and have none of these things, but you are at a higher risk of them

I had 2 - first one totally dumbed pain and need to push and I fainted afterwards when trying to stand up too soon. felt I'd not really experienced birth as it felt quite out of body and detached really - no pain whatsoever at any point. second baby it was a much lighter epidural, so felt baby crowning, numbed searing contractions (baby back-to-back and quite stuck) and I couldn't get her out anyway, needed forceps and big cut, so the epidural took the edge off that but still felt the forceps to some extent.
both times have had serious bladder problems afterwards - don't know if related? On balance though would go for an epidural again as I certainly couldn't have withstood the forceps pain without one!

I've had three children and three epidurals -wouldn't consider them as not being natural births though.

I pushed the babies out myself, and was up and ready to go quite soon afterwards despite having three top ups with each labour. DD1 was born at 2.30am after a 32 hr labour (all mine have been back to back) and I was up, dressed waiting to go at 7:30am.

You really can't decide what you want until you are in the process of giving birth - each birth is different. I'm always a bit when people rule something like an epidural out when they have no idea what the whole birth thing is going to feel like. It's a very personal choice and only you know what will be best for you so ignore anyone who tries to tell you what you want.

Good luck with the birth and your new baby

Megbusset I had a trainee doula. She was perfect for me and I would happily recommend her!

I'd also recommend the Edgeware Birthing Unit. Fab fab fab place! Go for a look round if you don't believe me!

As a mummy who has done it both ways, - see above, I do feel that there are some ladies out there who feel superior for having done it without an epidural. And I do know several such women who definitely think others who have had an epidural are slightly pathetic in comparison and obviously just 'can't cope' which is so patronising. Grrrrr. There is so much more to it than that.
(eg, you probably won't need an epidural for a quick labour, as many people can cope with severe pain for a relatively short time, but if you are progressing slowly and painfully for 12 hrs plus the pain starts to get to you and you can be exhausted. This is when an epidural can become a sensible option (IMHO anyway). Also many other situations when it is sensible/recommended but this is just one of many.

This subject always annoys me because everyone is different and there are NO MEDALS handed out on the postnatal ward for the mummies that have bravely 'suffered' the most.
It's just ridiculous.
Don't give a stuff what anyone else thinks, listen to your body.

[gets down off soap box and stops scowling]

I don't think pain is necessary at all, but a lot of women do have a desire to experience the birth process as naturally as possible, and also, a lot of women don't want to take the risks associated with epidural. They may be small risks that you will need further intervention, but they are risks nonetheless.

I had an epidural for a csection, but 2 natural births without. Personally I feel that an epidural automatically makes the birth a medicalised experience - even if you are happy with your anaesthetist etc - the fact remains that it is a high tech procedure, you will need to be closely monitored - it's very far removed from the birth a lot of women want. I also think a lot of women really want that 'high' that comes from giving birth naturally - I have never felt so empowered.

I think epidurals are fine if you really don't mind the birth process being a highly medical event, and if you can't cope with the idea of the pain.

Sometimes people say 'Well, you wouldnt have a tooth out without anaesthetic' but I think that's missing the point entirely. Birth is intrinsically different from other types of pain. If it were as simple as that, then every woman would just opt for an epidural and have a pain free birth wouldn't they? But obviously many of them don't, and feel empowered and happy with their decision.

I had one and it was great - fabulous.

All these moo-ing screeching ladies and there's me reading a magazine and eating a banana.

Husband is an anaesthetist - risks are minor

Moonlight I'm booked in at the Ridgeway, Chase Farm as I live very near there. Would you mind posting your doula's details, or emailing me? mog basket @ hot mail.com (no spaces)

mogwai- your post made me laugh, i have a great vision of you sat up in bed reading and eating your banana whilst your baby just popped out!

I work with a lot of surgeons day in day out and most of their wives seem to have epidurals. I've drawn my conclusion from that (amongst other things)

Yes yes yes. 'Natural' labour is over rated Mine didn't work 2nd time so having tried both ways I'd definatly have an epi. Although it was great having a bath and being able to go home...

Well, I'm not a doctor, but having had 3 epidurals, I'd say it must have been a pretty cack-handed anaesthetist to leave someone numb for 24 hours.

The idea of an epi is that they give you a bit of anaesthetic, and when it starts to wear off they top it up a bit again (there's a big syringe sellotaped to your back and they squeeze a bit more of the drug out when you ask them to.

My experience each time was that I had the epidural because I was failing to progress, and the epidural speeded up dilation. This is just as normal as the contrary according to the (different) doctors. The first time the doc told me to let it wear off for the pushing part so I could feel it better. Stage 1 was pretty painless (apart from the first few hours before the epi which were horrible), I hung out with dh, watching a DVD! The second stage was hideous agony. I was up and about immediately afterwards with no side-effects at all. Second baby: dilation suddenly happened very fast as soon as I had the epi, so I was still pain free when I felt the baby crowning. Could feel everything but it didn't hurt. One of my legs felt tingly for about 3 hours afterwards. Third baby: was crying with pain before I had the epi. Up and about straight afterwards, with no side effects.

These were in three different countries by the way, not the UK. The anaesthetist was present all through labour everytime.

You're welcome Gettingbiggernow!

For me, it is about increasing my chances of an easy, faster, more relaxed, supported birth with a lesser risk of complications or post-birth problems.

I wasn't prepared to have a conveyor-belt, brightly lit, timed birth with a variety of strangers barking instructions at me and equipment beeping at me, with my DH not able to always be there, for a longer (if pain free) labour.

THAT to me, is more scary!!!

To answer the question regarding 24 hour paralysis:

I had what can only be decribed as a dense epidural I was totally numb from the boobs down and asked for it to be topped up several times.

I felt nothing for at least 8 hours and was unable to walk (unassisted) for about 24 hours an even then was very weak.

So maybe I was the exception

I had an epidural - probably because I was just exhausted after 18 hours and only 4cm dilated. I believe the tiredness made the pain less easy to cope with.

The epiduarl itself was great and it was lovely to have no pain, however, I didn't like the fact that I couldn't 'feel' to push (although I managed to push DS out in 20 mins), and afterwards it was a good 8 hours before I'd regained all feeling in my legs.

I really really hope not to have one next time round, I am hoping to have a water birth.

I wouldn't say a big NO to epiurals but I would like to do it without.

HTH

Yes I agree with googgly - epidurals sped up my labours because they allowed me to relax. I was so tense due to my strong contractions that I just did not relax enough to allow the contractions to do their job. As soon as the epidurals took effect my babies heart rate settled to a better rate and I started to dilate properly - I also felt more in control and DH felt more relaxed so it was all a win-win situation for us.