epidurals - to have or not to have? why the big question?

[catftm]

Hi all,

This might be a weird post but my due date is looming and after my nightmare first birth i'm seriously considering having an epidural, i keep thinking why go through all that pain and try and avoid pain relief if i can have a pain free birth. Then i started to wonder why people try and have a natural birth and wondered what your thoughts were about epidurals. Something is making me think it will be easier this time but i think im just forgetting how awful my first experience was so i would love to start a discussion on who had an epidural before, who had both, why you've decided not to have one etc etc.

I wrote my last birth in my diary and i was dead cert on never doing it again without an epidural so whats stopping me now?!?!

Cat xx

epidurals can lead to an increased risk of interventions, that's what made me want to avoid one last time. I'm more afraid of ventouse/forceps than the pain was bad IYSWIM.

hi, i had an epistomoy and the ventouse last time with just gas and air and at that point i practically begged them to do it and get her out so that doesnt scare me haha

i refused it both times.

first time i was encouraged to have it as i had labour augmented with the drip as dd was back to back and contractions were very painful and not very effective.

second time i had induction as was 14 days overdue with ds. again, i was encouraged to have it.

i didn't have it as i wanted to feel myself pushing and work with my body to do so. i also had worries about further interventions ie instumental delivery if i had an epidural. so i just had gas and air both times.

i must say, 2nd time is very different from 1st time, or it was for me anyway. you know there is an end in sight where as 1st time round you just kind of think you will die!

sorry what does IYSWIM mean?

I've had 2 epidurals.
I went in thinking as you said 'why go through the pain when I dont have to' and it worked for me.
First time was induction, long labour and stitches
2nd time was very quick and easy and no stitches, but I still had an epidural and enjoyed it all the more for it

If You See What I Mean IYSWIM

I had an epidural as part of induction. I basically tried to approach the labour with an idea of what I would like to have happen but also open-minded about what might happen. The midwives wanted to start the epidural a lot earlier than the point at which I decided I needed it, not that they made it a difficult decision. It's difficult to say now whether or not you should request one. Once it's all happening, you might feel you can manage without. As others have said, it does increase the likelihood of other interventions.

Good luck.

I've had one labour with epidural (1st) and one without (2nd). It's true that second labours are really different. My view is that epidurals can turn a really bad experience into a good one if you aren't coping with the pain. For me, first time around, it was 100% the right decision. I didn't need it second time. But looking back, I wouldn't say one birth was 'better' than the other. I'd go into it with an open mind and see how you cope.

Good luck.

It is a very personal decision. I went into 1st labour saying no way but 10 hours later I felt very differently, no regrets. With 2nd, had it at earliest opportunity- yes I am a wuss but my contractions are painful yet ineffective. DS arrived by emergency CS 6 hours later following undetected placenta praevia. I would have missed his arrival if they hadn't been able to top up the epidural.
Be open to suggestion- you don't know how you will feel on the day.
Good luck.

It is a very personal decision, I think. I've had 3 births with none, partly as I had a botched lumbar puncture years ago that left me with headaches for months, and I had a friend who had a terrible experience with an epidural that kept her in hospital for a fortnight after it!!! So I was more scared of the epidural than I was of the pain!

I was encouraged to have one/offered with birth No1 as it was 37 hours, back to back, augmented, huge baby (well, almost 10lb), face presentation, ventouse etc .... But chose not to. I was able to move about and I honestly think thats why I didn't have a section.

Birth 2 - didn't need one. It just wasn't sore in comparison to No1! Oh, it hurt, but it was good, productive pain (does that make sense) and really a very "easy" experience.

Birth 3 was a pessary induction and they never offered, I never asked. Tbh, after the induction part it was very similar to the previous experience.

I would say, the second time round might be very different, sounds like your first one was similar to my first, and the second was totally different.

Agree entirely with Bogey, especially that an epidural can turn the birth into a positive experience (especially if you have a manically hilarious australian anaesthetist. "Bang! There it goes, you little beauty!" to describe the needle into my back.)

Had one and hated it. Slowed me right down, though was induced as well so maybe that was it. 12 hours of waiting until fully dilated.

Great until I had to push and really just couldn't feel when to do it.

Had to have an episiotomy and nearly ventouse in the end. Hoping for a more natural and tbh quicker experience next time - fingers crossed.

I have had 2 births, one with and one without. I highly recommend one. I had a mobile epidual andI could feel my contractions and I knew when to push, it just did not hurt. Next time I was too late and Jesus Christ !!! First I was worried I was gona die, and then I was worried i wasn`t !!

another thing to remember is there is no guarantee you can have one - 2 friends of mine had planned to and weren't able to because of staffing/too many women already having one, so s with anything to do with birth, don't hang all your hopes on it because then not being able to have one, might be really distressing.

I had one first time- mainly to avoid c section as I have MS which has fatigue as major symptom so they were worried I'd get too tired to push.

Anyway things moved fairly quick and as they put the epi in I went to 10cm so it didn't have time to work.

Second time labour was a lot quicker and more productive so didn't feel that I wanted one though after she was born I had to have placenta removed in theatre with a spinal which I hated so I would be steering well clear of epidurals/spinals if possible this time.

Though unless you are in a midwife unit where they don't do epis you can just wait and see what it's like at the time?

When are you due?

1st birth I had syntocin induction for total of 19 hours, I only found out it was this long when I saw consultant at beginning of this pregnancy! There was no way I would have coped without an epidural. This time round I am hoping for a better birth but if I am in pain I would have one again no question!

Take is as it comes, there's no right or wrong.

If it helps then my first birth was 54 hours and I was exhausted after the first 30 so had an epidural (also so that if ds had been equally exhausted we could have quickly converted to a section). The second was totally different, 19 minutes start to finish, simple and easy birth with no time to even think of pain relief.

MumInBeds 19 minutes??? From first push or first contraction??! God that's amazing, my first was over 40 hours and horrific and we're thinking of ttc again but I'm now PETRIFIED of birth!!

Anyway sorry for hijack - epidural worked for me after day and a half of rubbish contractions, meant that I could sleep for a few hours before the big push

It was an induction, 19 minutes from the prostin gel to birth.

My first birth was an induction with syntocin. I managed for about 8 hrs with G&A, which didn't really work for me as the contractions were so intense I had trouble breathing deeply enough to inhale the gas.

I was advised to have an epidural as it was clear I had a long labour ahead of me. I think it was the right decision, but it did lead to intervention as I couldn't really push effectively and was flat on my back which didn't help. Ended up with an episiotomy and lift out forceps delivery.

This time I'm hoping for a homebirth all things going well, but I still have an open mind.

Before giving birth I was worried like you about whether epidurals increase risk of intervention. My consultant told me the medical evidence shows that it doesn't increase risk of intervention so long as it is not administered too early, i.e. wait until labour properly established (at least 3cm dilated). I came in open minded about whether I would have one or not, but the pain was getting too much for me but I waited and had a mobile epidural at 3cm. Had a great experience with the epidural, was really relaxed and didn't feel any pain, could even get up and go to the loo, took a nap once I was fully dilated, and when time came to push could feel my contractions but no pain and DS came out in 20 minutes of pushing. Had just a tiny tear with a couple of stitches. Would definitely have it again if I felt I needed it.

there are charts like this

that indicates that when the first thing happens then other things are also likely to happen,
there will be alot of anecdotal evidence for and against.
the only thing that matters when you give birth is that you are happy with the decisions that are made, if you are not coping with the discomfort then have pain relief!

I am in a similar situation catftm although this is my first baby.

I live in Belgium and the only options available are either epidural or nothing at all (no pethidine, no G&A etc. available here). I am relativly petite, I myself weighed 10lb2 when born and at the 24 week scan I was told the baby had a larger than normal head.

I don't know if I will be strong enough to give birth without epidural but I am terrified at the thought of episiotomy, forceps and the other complications that epidurals can cause.

I hoping that mobile epidurals are avilable in Belgium (will ask my doctor at my next appiontment) as this seems a kind of happy medium.

Hi I didnt have one for first birth & felt like I managed ok without one so was not planning to have one for second birth either. However it was a lot more painful the second time - prob due to back to back baby, and I felt like I wasnt coping with the pain. When they told me I was 6cm dilated I knew I could have hours yet so asked for one. They say it works within 20 mins but it was instant relief for me! It wore off after few hours & even a top-up didnt do anything so I used gas & air again at the end but the contractions were bearable so it just took that edge off. If I have another baby I am definately having another epidural!

girlsyearapart - im 31 weeks.

My plan is to play it by ear maybe try water and massage, different positions etc but because my first birth i asked for one and the midwife was really reluctant to give me one, she kept saying "youll have this baby within the hour" then 3 and half hours later i was still pushing and ended up having an assisted delivery. I'm just worried if i put on my birth plan i want to try without they will carry on encouraging me not to have one when i really want one if that makes sense! i want to if i go too long without asking they wont let me have one, i want to have a birth plan this time because there's so many things i do want to happen next time. I like the sound of the mobile epidural!