Midwives say women should pay for epidurals

[TheDullWitch]

At least £500 a baby it says here

I really do think that the reason I got through my second labour was the fact that I had a m/w holding my hand throughout and listening to me wailing on.

She was a tower of strength and far more efficient than any needle could be.

Whaaaat? This is mad, surely midwives don't think this? Will read the link now.

I wouldn't have a tooth pulled without pain relief, so why should a baby be any different ??

Agree with tribpot, an induced labour is a very painful labour.

Just told DH and he replied so much for the caring profession.

It is mad, I agree that epidurals shouldn't be handed out 'like sweeties' because of the reasons already stated, increased risk of intervention etc but they have to find a better way than charging women for them. Better training for midwives, better support during labour, more support for home birth etc.

Ive recommended this thread to Flamesparrow as she having the labour fun now. Nice balanced opinion she'll give

In the bad old days, midwives were expected to ask "fallen women" in labour who the father was. Could this be a similar exploitation of our weakest moment, to get a bit more money for the NHS?

Dreadful idea!

If the intention is to reduce the number of epidurals given, why not charge the midwives £500 quid for each one they request on a patient's behalf?

Thedullwitch - did you not read my message, my epidural as well as my consultant were instrumental in the birth of my twins, ds1 and dd2 were necessary as with ds1 I couldn't cope, and dd2 was induced - which hurts more. Why should women have to go through the pain of labour if it is too much for them? It is fact that people can tolerate different kinds of pain, so just because YOU can do it, do not expect everyone else to do it!!!

i don't think that they are suggesting this because they want to punish women but rather because vof what research shows about unecessary epidurals (see article).

however, i don't think this policy should even be under discussion until there is one to one consistent midwife care for every pregnant woman in this country.

BTW - do you take painkillers when you have a headache?? I actually only take paracetamol after hours, as the last straw!!

I didn't have one and managed with only a TENS machine but I did have a relatively straightforward and easy labour. It helped enourmously that I was fit (had been riding out daily till 7 months & dog walking twice daily until the end) and that I wasn't scared of the whole giving birth thing. I do think that epidurals and other pain relief are offered too quickly (infact it is almost assumed one will have an epidural) which is part and parcel of the whole over-medicalised birthing attitude of the medical profession. I also think that it would be a disgrace to charge women for an epidural. Talk about creating a two-teir helth service.

i say BOLLOCKS

I had an epidural with Jess after being induced, and bloody good job too.......

Had one with Becky too but it didnt work, she came out back to back and face first..... that bloody hurt!

Er, Smelly, I think if you read what I said, I wasn t judging anyone who has one. Of course they are necessary for bloody induction which is not natural labour, but agonising, mad chemical speeded up labour. I was saying, in many cases, if women were better supported and helped thru labour, they might get through without a huge great needle in their spinal cord.

Indeed.

Where is SuzyWong when you need her ??

OK, now I've read the article. I absolutely agree with sophable.

I didn't plan to have epidurals with either dd1 or dd2 - but they were both back to back and never fully engaged. Dd1 was yanked at by forceps and dd2 was born by emergency section 2 weeks a go. I would have loved to have uncomplicated births but without an epidural either myself or at least one of the dd's wouldn't be here - in my case a medical necessity - you don't have tp pay for a heart bypass or other medical necessities do you!

with dd1 I paid for a doula, who was worth her weight in gold, but I still had an epidural, so in effect I had someone with me constantly, but still needed the pain relief. I actually slept though 2 of my labours!! which will probably wind you up more

But I had no intervention with ds1 and dd1, only intervention with twins as they were twins. In fact dd1's birth was my best experience ever, because I had the pain relief before the pain kicked in. I recovered from all births incredibly quickly.

I do wonder about the difficulty in some parents (mums and dads) bonding with babies immediately when they have just gone through all that immense pain. I really do not agree with suffering needlessly.
My sis gave birth with just gas and air, and when she saw me do it with ds1, she said she doesn't know why she didn't have an epidural!!

Wht a bloody cheek. If women were given decent conditions to labour in, if they were treated with compassion and respect instead of contempt and indifference and in some cases downright cruelty, many of the epidurals used now would be unnecessary, because they wouldn't need to enter the "spiral of intervention" caused by the process of giving birth in hospitals in the first place.

IMO there is a great need for education about labour and what it is really like. There are so many horrendous old wives tales floating about and fear causes it all to hurt more.

If women got better midwife care they wouldn't need drugs as much. I think there should be better birth planning and easier access to water, massage, activity and other drug free pain relief. People should know the drawbacks of epidurals before they start but should be able to rely on them if they need them.

How could it hurt any more???

Ooh Caligua, you saved me a post.

Outrageous idea.I didn't have one because I was fully dilated when I got to hospital but I still have nasty flashbacks of my second stage....will definitely consider one if there is a next time....

Caligula - couldn't agree more.