To Epidural or not to Epidural

[Holymoly321]

Hi all, I'm now six weeks away from the big event and am confused about whether or not to have an epidural. I'm not keen on pain, and I have no qualms about not having a totally 'natural' birth - i just want to get the baby out! What are the pro's and con's of epidurals? What have people's experiences been? Would you recommend them - do you wish you'd had one? Did it mean that you had a tear or bigger tear etc etc? Any advice would be most gratefully recieved!

Listen to your midwives and then make your decision.

DD was posterior, I took g&a at 3cm & was sick. Did go back on it later & wasn't sick again. Myconium in the waters meant DD needed monitoring, eventually she became distressed & she failed forceps. I was never having an epidural but in reality I was v.rapidly progressing towards an emergency c-section due to her distress. I took the epidural. My whole body temperature regulation shut down & I began to shake uncontrollably & needed oxygen due to BP drop. Whole body except left hand went numb. Couldn't hold DD on delivery but within a couple of hrs shaken stopped enough for skin to skin.

Due to complications with DD & estimated size of DS, listened to medical advice & agreed with their comments of elective section for DS. Took epidural again, same side effects happened.

However, this time sick from diomorphine & itching & twitching on my face like a cracked up rabbit. Also, allergic to the iodine so constant itching on belly for next 9 weeks.

However, if I had to choose again, I would only take if necessary, but that's IMO.

Sorry for the length.

you will know at the time. but I'd advise asking for one NOT when you think you can't stand another second of pain, but when the pain is such that you think that you won't be able to stand it in an hour. they don't come instantly, those anaesthatists!!

also I think you should think of an epidural as not only pain relief, but as something that will enable you to rest. there is no point being a complete martyr to the pain if in the end you are too exhausted to push the baby out. I'm thinking of labours which may not involve completely unbearable pain, but last for 36 hours. sometimes it is better to have an epidural and sleep, so you can push later (esp with 1st babies)...

There is a lot of evidence to show that epidurals can lead to other interventions - forceps, ventouse, caesarean. However, if it comes to the stage where you feel you can't cope any more with the pain or if the baby is in an awkward position etc.etc., as others have said 99% of the time it does a fantastic job.

Have an open mind - try the less invasive forms of pain relief first but if they don't work for you then move on to epidural.

Haven't read what everyone else has written (need to get making tea) but ...

ds1: pain was bearable but it was the evening & I was told it would be another 10+ hours, so I thought I'd prefer to sleep and not have to manage the pain all that time. So they popped in the epidural and it was wonderful. They sped everything up, ds1 was born much quicker, but I was still knackered, so I dred to think what it would've been like without!

Therefore I was fairly sure I'd have one with ds2.

ds2: started fairly much the same. Got to the point where the pain was bearable, but again I was only 4 cm dilated, and I just didn't want to carry on. So I asked for the epidural. The midwife went out to call the anaesthetist. Then came running back in cos my breathing had changed, and there was ds2. Just like that. So the anaesthetist never even made it into the room!

I had two very positive births. If I had a slow birth again, I would defintely have an epidural. If I had another quicky I would happily go without!

Does your hospital offer them routinely? Ours doesn't, so very few mums round here have them - you might want to double check. I had a ventouse on just gas and air for DS, and then a very straightforward easy-peasy labour (again on gas and air) with DD.

Oh - and I have an INCREDIBLY low pain threshold. Had to have gas and air for stitches in my finger recently, and then squealed like a piglet getting them out again

I was recommended one as I was having twins and I'm so glad I had it. I found the pain before I had it quite bad and once in I just sat there calmly watching the monitor telling me I was having another contraction. Personally I would definately have another one.

Like others with an induced birth, I quickly realised an epidural was the only way forward. I thought I had a high pain threshold (once broke my arm and didn't realise for hours) but admitted defeat when labour kicked in. Mine only partly worked, i.e. down one side, but still helped immensely. It allowed me to have some control of the birth and to be able to 'be there' rather than overwhelmed by pain. I had many fears about having an epidural but would definitely book one if I have another child.

Some people have mentioned catheters. I was very reluctant to have one but I was way more reluctant to have it taken out. It was brilliant to be able to drink what I liked and not have to get up in the night to go to the loo, especially after nine months of bladder compression during pregnancy.

I was induced too and ended up having to have an epidural. I can honestly say it was the best thing that happened, it took the pain away and at one point i could have sat and drunk a cup of tea. They reduced it as time went on which was good because I wanted to and could feel dd being born. My advice is go with the flow and see how you feel, there are no right or wrong ways, you do what you feel is best. Be flexible and let your birth partner know, a friend of mine ended up arguing with her dh because initially she didnt want one and he thought it was his job to stop it hapening, bless him. when will they learn that it's a womans perrogative to change her mind,

In three pgs, I have had entenox, pethidene and epidural, and personally, if I ever got pg again I would book in for an epidural straight off.

1. Gas and air was wonderful, to me it felt rather like being drunk, but it doesn't stop the pain in later stages.
2. pethidene was very good but did make me feel rather drowsy and out of it, I was aware if what wht was hapening but felt a bit spaced out. It dows also make baby drowsy, but IMO this is not a bad thing. It dos baby no harm whatsoever, and after a har lbour a bit of rest, while baby sleeps does you no harm neither.
3. epidural - no pain wahtsoever, completely numb - heaven!! After delivering a 9lb7 baby without the epidural, I've done the vaginal births, and I have a far lower pain threshold now. I would go for the epidural. I had my (breech) dts by cesearean, and it was rather nice laying ther and having the work done for me! If I was to do it again I would have had a epiural every time! Lay back and relax, why not? When i had my dts I could enjoy them ,as neither them or me were exhausted.

I had one and am so glad I did. I didn't feel any pain at the actual birth and I had to have a ventouse. I decided that i wasn't going to be a hero as I couldn't cope with pain. Before hand I wasn't particularly bothered and had no real birth plan as i decided I'd go with the flow. The only thing I wanted was the baby given to me straight away (which I didn't get as she was in distress anyway)

Very glad I had an epidural and would do so again

Hi Smiling

My birth plan consisted of few words - Dear Midwife. Please advise me of what you think is best at the time. And if I disagree please listen to me.

What that effectively meant is "go with the flow" and that is what I fully intended to do, having had no previous experience of birth.

I was induced, and as with all people, each experience is different by a long chalk. I remember the midwife saying to DP "she's losing it, isn't she"? And lucky for me, I had been open in my birth plan, and DP understood this and my feelings about pain relief - I got an epidural in the nick of time. Last thing it did was slow anything down for me - due to the sudden onset of contractions, the anaethstetist barely had time to get one in before baby shot out about half an hour later, but it made it so much easier.

You will get a million different experiences though, and each one equally valid.

My advice is to keep an open mind, and an open birth plan: and let your birth partner (if you're having one) know what you feel. That way you can go with how you feel at the time, and confidently too.

Message withdrawn

I ended up having an epidural because labour wasn't progressing and they wanted to put a syntocinon drip in - also, I was having urges to push with each contraction at only 6cm and I couldn't stop myself pushing. This was after 40-odd hrs of contractions, so I was pretty knackered.

It was a proper no-moving-around kind of epi, so that was me stuck on a bed with a catheter in for the next 9 hours or so until they decided I needed a cs.

I was gutted to be having an epi at the time, because that was the end of my hopes for a natural birth with no interventions. OTOH, I got a bit of kip .

I did find it very strange though knowing I was in labour but feeling stone cold sober iykwim.

When women ask me what to do about pain relief I always say start at the bottom of the ladder and work you way up.

I personally do not think epiduarl as first choice of pain relief is good for first labours as it does cause a cascade of intervention.

Ideal pain relief is mobility, baths, birthing pool. If those are no longer helping try gas and air as well.

If that doesn't help but labour is progressing then try injection.

If labour is slow and painful then epidurals can be very helpful. Poorly positioned babies can cause slow painful labours. In these cases the baby may need assistance with ventouse/forceps anyway - not just because of epidural.

For straight forward progressing labours I find epidural often causes problems such as vomiting due to lowering of BP by epidural. Baby needs continuously monitored because of effects of epidural. BP needs monitored every 15-30 mins so hooked up to BP machine. IV drip needs to be in place to combat low BP.
If put in too early hey tend not to work very well. Epidurals in for long time increase body temperature so more likley to be given IV antibiotics.

Epidurals are wonderful things when labour is not going well. However I think they can cause a lot of problems when first choice for normal, progressing labours.

I was originally totally against having an epidural. Wanted to go completely natural and felt that I had a very high pain threshold so it would be fine. Fast forward 30 hours, 8 of which were contractions one minute apart and the epidural kept me from going insane from the pain. I was actually started to hallucinate at that point (of course, I was on a pitocin drip by then which makes things more intense). So, if you're not really into having a natural birth, etc. I'm tempted to say "Go for the epidural!"

Oh, btw, ds was an undiagnosed breech, so wound up with c-section anyway and can't advise about tears, etc. sorry.

I had the attitude that i wasn't going to try and do something i thought i couldn't and therefore if i felt an epidural was necessary, i would have it.

It took me 20 hours to get to 3 cm with DD, approx. 8 hours of that was with contractions every 2 minutes lasting a minute. By the time i got to 3 cm i was adamant i was having one and demanded the anaesthatist come now.
What i hadn't taken into consideration was i had to take my tens machine off whilst the anaesthatist was at work and i hadn't realised how intense the pain had got. My epidural took an hour to put in so that is something worth bearing in mind. I then had a blissful 6 hours of rest before i was told i was ready to push, pushing lasted well over 2 hours and was horrible, horrible, horrible but a team of crap midwives didn't help that.

Definitely go in with an open mind and as mears says try and work up the ladder. I had tens, G&A (made me feel sick) and pethadine before having the epidural.
Good Luck and let us know how it goes.

oh yes, you DO want an epidural. Mine didn't work either, I could feel pain on my left side, but the helpful, delicious, important, wonderful anaesthetist came and took it out and gave me a brand new one .

The second one worked a treat, but oh my god, that pain I felt when the first one wore off! A bit like chewing off your own arm with jaggedy metal teeth (in styleee of "Jaws" from James Bond films)

I'd like an epidural every day, if I'm honest, and a few co-codamol and some red wine, but then I'm an endorphin junkie

And as for complications - they are ridicuously rare. The doctor has to tell you about them, but the most serious complication that is actually likely is a bad headache, and even that isn't the norm.

I didn't need ventouse or forceps, the pushing was easier than I imagined it would be, baby was out in 45 mins, most of which was spent waiting for contractions. Epidural turned the birth into a very positive experience, unlike that being endured by the woman in the next delivery room, who was shouting and wailing "you're HURTING me". I asked my midwife why the poor woman hadn't had an epidural, she apparently refused it. "Fair enough", I though, as I peeled my banana and flicked through "Heat" magazine..."fair enough"............

Oh and i needed forceps and episiotomy (sp?) YUK

lol @ Mogwai

I was in 'see how it goes' mode and still think that was a good thing, but if i did have another one i would deffo see if it were possible to have an epi. Think it's unlikely as things were extremely quick first time round so the anaesthetist might have to chuck a needle at me in darts fashion as I pull into the car park second time round.

The big plus of sticking to mobility/pool/ tens/g&a (thanks mears ) was that at the end of the labour I was completely myself and pretty chipper pretty quickly. it was almost like a door slamming. The big minus was that it really did hurt a lot. Incidentally I never got to the point of asking for either pethidine or epidural - don't think i was up to words with so many syllables.

I had a fairly large tear (incidentally, I had worried a lot about tearing beforehand, but when it happened I had no idea it was happening IYSWIM) which was eventually repaired under a spinal block in theatre - and wow, that spinal block was truly fantastic. so i think that has skewed me positively towards epidurals. However, the epi goes in at a different point from a spinal block and is not so quick to take effect apparently.

I did a thread on this somewhere, I will go and find it. I didn't have one the second time round but only cos I was in a fast and furious labour. I did politely ask for a "f**king epidural" as I was pushing if I recall , but I am glad that I didn't now.

xx

here it is

xxxx

Yes! YESS! Epidural!!! Why suffer??!

Very long labour with dd and had to have monitors on so was stuck lying on my back the whole time and she was back to back, pain was awful. Pethidine made me sick and totally lose it, it felt like all worst bits of being drunk without any of the good bits! Also forgot to breathe properly so think i was hyperventilating in the middle of it all, staring at my hands thinking wow my fingers are all tingly! So had epidural which didnt take pain away completely, i could still feel everything but it did take the edge off the agony! Which is probably good as i could feel all contractions and when to push but with not quite so much pain. Well i say good, good for avoiding interference etc, didnt really feel it was so great at the time though! And could have punched the anaesthetist when he was poking my back (ow!) and telling me in his most patronising must be patient with the patients voice to keep still, while im having a full on arm chewing, leg chain sawing contraction!
And does every1 always have catheter with epi cos i dont remember that at all, was i really that out of it?!

Didnt realise i was in labour with ds until contractions got relly strong as they were all over the place never regular so didnt have time for anything but g&a when i got to hospital but was fine with that, it was much easier cos i felt much happier and less out of control, think thats what really made the biggest difference to me.