Your experience of an epidural wanted please

[dinny]

Hello,

I am pg with my third baby and have had the first two without any pain relief but I just don't feel capable of doing it again this time. I've never really considered an epidural but am wondering if it is the answer. Could you answer the following?

1. did it make childbirth less frightening?
2. did you have assisted delivery?
3. did you have stitches?

and any other opinions would be great - thanks v much.

oh, and your exp of pethidine too would be helpful.

Gem If it's any help, I was begging for an epi with no.1 at just 2cm, but with no.2 it didn't even occur to me to ask for G&A, until mw offered (45mins before birth) and I turned it down coz I didn't want it to get in the way of my concentration.

ooh snowlightmckenzie, that does sound encouraging.. well, I'm not planning a third so hoping even if it is awful, at least it will be the last time..!

I had a very good one with DS1, which definitely made labour less frightening & as I allowed it to wear off for 2nd stage, I felt to push (so no assisted delivery) & I didn't need any stitches.

With DS2 my epidural didn't work, but again it was a no to questions 2 & 3!

After feeling the worst of the pain when having DS2, I feel I would opt for another epiduarl if I went through childbirth again, and just pray it worked!

DD - had epidual late on in labour after being in agony and out of it on pethidin (which i would never have again). Went to sleep for an hour, was woken up by the midwife, told i was ready to push and 2 pushes later she was born, perfectly pink and gorgeous.

DS - epidural given much earlier in labour as the midwife said if there was any chance of me wanting one i should have it straight away otherwise i might not have the chance. Took the advice and have regretted it ever since. He was totally stuck, they had to take blood samples from is head before birth (he still has the scars) and then after all my begging for a caesaerian??spl?? for around 8 hours, they had to use ventouse to get him out, he wasn't breathing, was the worst experience ever. but i guess 1 out of 2's not bad??!!!!

Gemzooks - I didn't find the pain shocking. It was very painful, but the pain built up slowly and I used breathing techniques to cope. I know that some women don't like the "ring of fire" feeling at the end, but I liked pushing with the contractions and because I had slow labours it was nice to know that something was happening!

The best feeling after my second labour was going to have a shower by myself, and feeling very together. With an epidural for the first I was bedridden and soaked with blood, but not able to do anything about it.

Ring of fire was like having an unbelievable itch and then scratching it til it bleeds with a big metal claw. Painful but oh so satisfying!