Thinking of having an Epidural..

[CharleneysWishWellingtons]

..Can you come and tell me your experiences of them please?
:)

I had a mobile epidural, which meant I had a MW with me til I gave birth after this and I topped it up when I felt the need too, I had a back to back labour, With a mobile you can still beel the pressure to push when a contraction is coming without the pain of it, would highly reccomend, I was on my feet again with half an hour, really positive experience, but not all hospitals offer a mobile epidural.
The midwife emptied my bladder twice but its not a catherter that stays in.

Well actually, it wasn't that bad. Although I was initially desperate to get home, the time spent in hospital meant I could just focus on feeding DS, so we pretty much had breastfeeding sorted by the time I was discharged. :)

Thanks Memphis, im looking up on mobile epidural's now :).

tinierclanger thats lovely! Makes up for it then :)

I had one but it didn't work properly, It was really strange I had pain in some bits, but not others. I kept telling them and it was only when they thought I was going to have a csection that they topped it up and tested that it was working properly.
Don't worry about the needle, that's the last of your worries!

I've had two, no pain with them going in and yes had a catheter but again didn't feel it. I did feel my contractions with both though but they didn't hurt anywhere like they did before the epi, you just knew when they were there IYKWIM.

Second delivery was induced so had been in labour a long time with nothing happening and was exhausted and in a lot of pain. I hadn't intended to have an epi the second time but was very glad I did, it gave me a chance to have an hour's nap before the delivery. It was a natural delivery of a 10lb baby (no instruments) so was quite grateful for the pain relief!

I had epidurals both times as I had very long labours. They were fantastic, helped me relax and speeded up how fast I was dilating. I did have a ventouse with dc1 but my consultant said it wasn't due to the epidurals as longer, more complicated labours are more painful and that is why those women opt for epidurals rather than it being the epidurals causing complications.

TheSmallPrint 10lb baby!! [shakes hand] amazing!

Honestly, thankyou so much everyone for telling me your stories they are really helping :)

My birth plan only had two bullet points: I want an epidural and I am aware of the side effects (longer labour, bad headaches if you are really unlucky etc..).

It was great, I was just uncomfortable (catheter, drips etc), but the pain stopped within 20 min. Labour lasted a bit longer but there was no need for forceps or ventouse. If I was to have another child, I would go for it again.

I was induced and ended up in labour for about 15 hours - I went mad on the gas as decided on the day i wasn't going to have an epidural. (it is true you never know how you are going to be on the big day). anyway i got stuck at 8cm for 6 hours - in the end I asked for an epidural. i couldnt stand the contractions any longer. to be honest as i'd been through so much pain i didn't care if the needle hurt (i was worried about this before) - but i didnt feel the needle at all (unless that was because i was still high on gas)! the only thing is i didn't get to have the baby naturally as i needed a c section in the end. in hindsight if i were to have another baby i would have an epidural from the start although they do say it can extend your labour as you can't feel to push. it was brilliant - you could control it yourself.

Thankyou GlassOfPort & Humph for sharing your stories :)
I think i am going to opt for one, but then again as some of you have said i wont know till i get there, might end up giving birth in the car on the way . Fingers crossed i can though :)

I loved my epidural. It was pain free and made for a pain free labour (even though I could still feel everything IYSWIM). And when I needed EMCS a few hours later they just topped it up and made it a little stronger so I could feel nothing.

I didn't have any headaches, and didn't even feel the catheter going in and out. I read / slept through a lot of it.

My reasoning was I wouldn't have a tooth out without anaesthetic...

Ah Cheria, i like your logic makes sense!!

I had mobile epidurals with both DCs, they were great. Couldn't feel the pain but could feel the contractions to push, could get up and walk around during labour, go to the loo, etc. No catheters with either one. No interventions, DC1 came out after 20 mins of pushing with a tiny tear, and DC2 after 15 mins of pushing with no tear. And labour with DC2 was super quick (3.5 hrs start to finish) so epidural didn't slow anything down. Recovery from DC2 a lot faster than DC1, but I think that was because it was the second time.

I had one with DD. I had a very long labour and was induced so couldn't move about. When the MW suggested it, I screamed for it. I have a fear of needles, but that didn't stop me!

Basically, the anaesthetist injected local anasthetic into my lower back. I felt the first two pricks, and it didn't hurt at all, then after that I couldn't feel anything. When he inserted the needle into my back I felt a very intense pin point pressure in my lower spine. It didn't hurt at all - but he could only do it whilst I was having a contraction I think, so that part hurt. With the next contraction the pain disappeared and all I could feel was my stomach tightening like braxton hicks. It was brilliant. I slept through labour until it was time to push. Great thing. Would definitely recommend it.

I had epidural with my first. It was fantastic, absolutely fantastic. I felt all the contractions, it' just they didn't hurt. I just felt my stomach was becoming harder in regular intervals. It was them. And I felt the start of the pushing phase of labour. IME it's not like you feel dettached from what your body is going through during the labour. Actually, it was me who called out for the midwife because I recognised that the actual labour started! I remembered from my antenatal classes that we can recognise this by the feeling of intense but painless pressure down there. And it was exactly like that. It was my first, so no previous experience but I could still recognise it. And it took only one push (literally!) for my DD to be born.

If you have a headache do you take a paracetamol to get rid of pain straight away or drink a glass of water and lie down for a while. If you'd rather take a pill I would have an epidural. I thinks it's about personal attitudes to pain relief and knowing your own threshold.

I can say I don't take headache pills I hate taking tablets but as soon as I go into labour I will be looking for an epidural no question. I'm going to research whether my hospital does mobile or walking episurals as seem to be a good compromise

Not sure about that to be honest - I am the first to reach for drugs under any other pain relief circumstances but didn't have an epidural and barely touched gas and air (mainly due to homebirth and thinking labour would last a lot longer than it actually did, wasn't trying to be a hero, just saving the gas and air til I "really needed it", started pushing 10mins after measuring 7cm)

Don't feel pressured either way, it's ultimately your decision and I probably would have gone for it if I'd had some of the labours described in this thread!

I had an epidural with DS, I didn't even notice the needle, (although I did have a bruise on my back afterwards for a couple of weeks which was sore), I was also told I had to have a catheter which didn't bother me at all until afterwards, when I did want it taken out ASAP as I was thoroughly fed up with having things poking in and out of my bits that point! DS was back to back and I was in labour for 30 hours, I knew that I wanted an epidural and asked for one as soon as I got to 5 cms as I was worried about the anesthetist not being available if I waited until I really needed it. In hindsight, this was too soon, it actually stopped my labour and I then had to have a syntocin drip to kick start it. The first epidural I had ran out as it had been in so long and the second didn't work so that wasn't ideal. All in all though, the first one, which worked, was fantastic, I was tired and in a lot of pain, which it stopped and meant I could get some sleep. The way I've always looked at it is that I wouldn't have a filling with an anesthetic so why childbirth? Have you seen One Born Every Minute USA? i think epidurals are standard there and the women look like they're on a spa break rather than giving birth!

hi there, i had 1 with my DS, before labour i had a very very strict birth plan of no drugs apart form g&A, because if women for hundreds of years could have babies without pain relief i didn't see y anyone would want to take the easy way out and quickly get an epidural, especially when ( even tho the odds r low) it can do serious damage) i had a very long labour, i managed to stay at home till 5cm dilated, got to the hospital and i was 6cm... 16hours later i was still only 6cm dilated, baby started to get very distressed and doc said if i didnt get an epidural (which he said can sometimes speed things up) then i would prob end up having EMC, ( tbh after so far being in labour for about 26hours i was more then happy to agree) getting the epidural doesn't hurt, they do it while ur having a contraction and they hurt lol so u don't feel the needle at all! the lady doing mine kept missing (her words) so took several attempts to get it put in i was terrified she was gonna paralyze me! i managed to get 45min sleep before getting woken up with epi wearing off, within 10min the epi had completely warn off and i was 10cm dilated and able to push.. so in my case it did help me dilate rather quickly, was quite a shock to go from no pain to 10cm tho, i then had a retained placenter so had to have an epi top up so i could go into theater to get it removed, i did have a catheter but that doesn't hurt either. im currently 20weeks preg i will be having on my birthplan that if i feel like i need it i will have another epi, but im going to go as long as possible without 1. i think there would be a great sense of pride to do it naturally, i dont think you should go into it thinking ur gonna have an epidural straight away but if u decide u need 1 then get 1! i wish you all the very best :)

I would wait and see how you feel once you're in labour. I planned to have a natural birth with as little pain relief as possible, I was in so much pain though I begged the MW to just give me anything! I had pethidine and while I could still feel the contractions it made the pain tolerable enough that I even managed to sleep between contractions. I had a great labour after being given pethidine and DS was born 2 hours later after only around 15 minutes of pushing.

Thankyou everyone for your stories :) i really appreciate it!

edwinbear It was actually when i was watching One Born Every Minute USA a few nights ago that i noticed that they were all having one! And the one woman i watched (think she had a little boy called Garrett?) didn't make a sound. She look so calm and i thought.. i want that .

And they made such a fuss about the lady that didn't have one, the beautiful young girl, it was obviously a bit of a shocker that someone was giving birth without one!

Ohhh my epidural was utter bliss....!! Like lying on hot sand, DH said all the color returned to my face.