Wait...why aren't we all having epidurals as standard?

[HeidiHole]

This is probably a really stupid question but I can't help wondering.

I'm (almost) 36 weeks and have been doing my hypnotherapy CD and planning my water birth. However I suppose with the birth looming I'm getting more nervous and wondering how I'll cope with the pain.

On One Born Every Minute I've seen a few ladies opt for an epidural. Then they're all calm, they seem to nap a bit, drowsy and then someone wakes them up, tells them to push and the baby is out! over-simplified

I wouldn't go for a tooth extraction and play the hero and say no no it's OK deep breathing will do me, you can save your anesthetic in the gum for someone else. So why am I doing this with probably the most painful thing I'll ever experience?

Am I missing something? I've read that epidurals are extremely safe (obviously nothing has zero risk but if I was going for an operation/dental procedure etc i'd accept the risk and have the pain relief as would everyone else!)

Startail, you might feel very differently once you are in labour. I had an elective section with ds1 (medical reasons) and was absolutely petrified of the needle going in my back and I was shaking and crying. With ds2 I was in labour and in an awful amount of pain. When I saw the anaesthetist standing there with this huge needle, I could have kissed him, the needle couldn't have gone in any quicker as far as I was concerned!

Congratulations missdee!!

For me being mobile and being at home are very important. That's the plan for number two. I can't pretend my homebirth was painless. Of course it wasn't. I wanted to die at times! Still planning to do it at home next time and without any pain relief (gas and air broke my concentration and weird primal zoning) however if I have to go to hospital I am not adverse to an epidural.

I think making women who need an epidural wait is barbaric. I can remember an episode of OBEM from the first series where a fairly young woman was in a lot of pain and the nursing sister found the midwife and said "I think we need to give her some pain relief now" and the MW said "we'll give her half" and the sister said "no, I think she needs a full dose epidural". The change in the labouring woman after the drugs were astonishing. Suddenly started progressing and she visibly relaxed.

Completely agree with lynlynnicebutdim - and would also add if you want one have one. I do not understand why so many women are made to feel horrendous guilt over having epis. Yes some women can cope - some can't. No one comes to the ward handing out medals after the event. I had one and don't regret it and would have another in a heartbeat if I felt I needed it.

Having had two epidurals I should point out that although there are some very good reasons not to have them, wanting to have a clear head (as per two previous posters) is not one of them. The key difference between an epi and G&A/pethidine is that it is a physical intervention below the neck and if performed correctly will leave you completely compos mentis, potentially rather more sane than you'd be without it, because you can get a few hours sleep and not be distracted by the pain.

OTOH, having had two perfect epidurals I then didn't manage to do the pushing thing at all, and the nice doctors had to move in to do the last bit - which might not have happened without the epidurals . Turns out I suck at giving birth.

agree with steben epidurals exist for a reason!!!

An informed decision is always good though and as OP is wondering why everyone doesn't have one, the thread is bound to throw up some of the negatives as response. But as Steben says don't let it make you feel bad if you choose one, birth is tough enough without guilt thrown in too!

Also just to add that big babies do not automatically mean more pain etc. My DS was 11lb7 and I had him naturally with only tens, then waterbirth with gas and air in 2 hours. He was my third though.

I also had an epidural with DD1 and suffered years of excruciating back pain as a result which several years of osteopathic treatment (not available on the NHS - who's only solution was take paracetamol you've just had a baby ) has only just started to get right. At the beginning I couldn't walk for more than 10 minutes and I still find it really hard standing still for any lenght of time (ie on the train, queues etc). I know it is available for a good reason and should remain so, but I wished I'd known more about the risks when I signed the consent form.

I was induced and had a very early epidural because of an existing medical condition. It was absolutely fine, although they did use a ventouse at the end I wouldn't say it was traumatic at all. I was terrified of the whole birth concept before hand, and if I could guarentee the same experience again I would not be worried at all. There was no way I was having a drug that would affect my mental state (other than gas and air but you can control that yourself!) and it was the perfect solution for me.

First time round I had an epidural due to being exhausted and the baby's position meant it was a back to back labour.
Second time round I didn't have time, I could handle the pain- it was a positive pain and less painful than the first time.

The main difference for me was my recovery. I recovered much, much quicker second time round. First time it was 12 weeks and I couldn't do anything! Second time I was at home putting the washing on and making dinner, I was physically able to and thanks to that lovely post birth 'I just gave birth and I am amazing' high I whizzed about like a mad lady. This is not recommended IMO. :)

It really, really hurts giving birth - some woman say it doesn't, and it might not for them, but I found it hideous. And they wouldn't let me have gas and air! (I still can't forgive the midwife for that, in discussions with my community midwife and my GP afterwards they are both baffled as to why that decision was taken).

Epidural was lovely, however DS has decided to move round in the wrong direction and was always going to need intervention to get out, that might be why it hurt so much more than other woman say (that or they are very brave). I think I'd have been far more pissed off if I'd done it the 'brave' way and then still ended up in theatre.

Just don't let anyone tell you it's a good idea to let it wear off for the pushing stage, that just means you're in pain but can't move your legs. It's a crap idea.

oh, and I normal faint at injections, but again, I had no problem with the epidural!

I had my first dc 12 days ago. I was planning a water birth, gas and air etc. Was totally against epidural. However, I ended up 15 days overdue which meant I wasn't allowed a water birth, I managed with gas and air for about 25 hours until they realised there was a problem as I wasn't dilating properly and I was not progressing at all so I decideded to have an epidural then as I was exhausted. It was amazing. I managed to sleep. I did end up with a emcs but I would have either way regardless of the epidural as I couldn't dilates properly due to a problem with my cervix. Anyway, I found it amazing and recovered really well and quickly.

Well, I can't speak for anyone else, but I didn't want one.

Didn't have one with my first, but they made me have one with my second (because there was a possibility I may have needed a cs, and they preferred to have the epidural in place rather than put me out) however, I told them to stop topping up. I had to keep it in place just in case, but I wanted to feel the contractions. I felt like if I couldn't feel anything, I may not know what to do, I felt like the pain was for a reason, guiding me, and without it, I'd have to be told when to push, etc. (sorry lydia ) I felt like I needed the pain - not in some freaky or showy way but just because I felt like I couldn't listen to my body if I couldn't hear my body.

Epidurals should be available to anyone who wants one, but I don't think they need to be the default and expected and just stuck in automatically.

oh, and the reason I didn't just go for a planned cs was the midwife had previously told me I'd probably die on the table cos I'm so fat.

bitch.

So I was only willing to have one if not having one would likely result in something happening to the baby.

Have one if you want but I sure as hell don't/didn't. It was most definitely not a positive thing for two people I am close to. Everyone is different. Best of luck with whatever you opt for and try not to listen to others too much.

I had one with dd. while labour still progressed and I was able to push very effectively, was numb and buggery and tore very very badly. Was pushing, hell for leather, and I do think the epidural contributed to my tearing - the on back position with stirrups, the fact that I didn't get feedback from my body when she was crowning etc.

Just gas and air/tens with ds1. Nothing with ds2. Though in each of those cases, the labours were shorter, possibly because I knew to try nd ignore early contractions and rested well rather than being wide awake from first pain and for following 36 hours! Didn't tear with ds2. Small graze with ds1 (despite also hang had tear repair surgery 7 months after dd was born).

Have to say though, the relief when the epidural started with dd was BLISS. Had been in agony and panicking before and all calm and serene after. Just the aftermath that was a pain in the neck. Had no intervention either.

Impossible to know beforehand what you will need and want. I had a pre-term induction and dd's head got stuck when crowning, but I didn't feel the need for an epidural; TENS machine and gas did just about what I needed. I didn't have particularly strong views about epidurals, it's just how it panned out. Hadn't trained hypnobirthing and didn't have an orgasmic experience of giving birth- I just felt that the level of pain relief was about right. Could have asked for epidural but it didn't occur.

the only thing i had written on my birthplan, was "i would like an epidural as soon as this is possible - please don't fob me off and say i don't need one, i would like one. i understand that statistically this risks more intervention and i understand those risks". i went in at 6cm and had one straight away, it was a mobile one, i could still walk and even wee but no pain at all. it was totally fab. he was born a few hours later and i went home a few hours after that. i could walk to the loo 30 mins after delivery. BEST THING EVER.
i understand that it's not for everyone, but it was absolutely the best thing for me. i do think the statistical need for intervention thing is more likely with epidurals because they are more likely to be used in complicated births in the first place.
if you want one, ask for one. if i ever have another child, i'll be writing a similar birth plan.

My mother tried epidurals with her first two hen they were just comping in in UK hospitals; both times it only numbed half of her, leaving her still with the pain but unable to move. So going into my first labour I didn't want one. However, for various reasons I eventually cracked and asked for one. Apparently I have a weird spine, because it took an hour and two separate anaesthetists to get it in, during which time I had to lie curled up without moving while they repeatedly stuck needles close to my spinal cord. Over the course of that hour I went from 5cm to 10cm dilated, so I had to go through transition without pain relief AND completely immobile.

I wasn't trying THAT again (they did say that on a subsequent labour they could pull my notes from the first birth and so have a better stab at getting it right, but I wouldn't have wanted to risk it) and in any event my next two labours were pretty quick and quite manageable on TENS and gas & air alone.

first time i had one the pain was unbearable and i couldn't do it any more, i ended up having a forceps. This time the pain was fine never even whimpered it hurt just not to the point i could not cope, and she was here in a couple of hours, it was a positive experience. would never have an epidural again.

I haven't read the whole thread but in my case having an epidural made my labour more painful and traumatic overall (1st baby). Although it does block the labour pains, it also means you're at the highest level of intervention and then have to have other interventions as a result and are stuck on your back, trying to push a baby uphill against gravity because you can't feel anything.

Also, in my case I had epidural top ups until the baby was in second stage, at which point the midwife said 'sorry, no more because the baby is about to be born'. The pain was unbearable because I hadn't had time to get used to it, could not move and was now having drip contractions because my natural ones had stopped due to the epidural. It was hell. My other labours were much easier and I had no drugs for them at all.

Hypnobirthing is great. If I'd known about it when I had dd1 I am sure I would have had a much better birth experience. You should never lie down when you're in labour ime, it's best to keep upright, keep moving and try to relax into the contractions.

I have had 2 babies and one was born 4 days ago and i wouldnt want an epidural.2 of my friends have got back problems from them where they have had to have physio months/years on. i have had 2 waterbirths and i love them and much better imo than being in a bed

The very thought of someone putting a large needle into my spine makes me feel queasy even just typing this... That's why pretty much the only thing my birth plan said was "no epidural"

I didn't want one at all. I don't like the idea of a needle being in my spine, but also I see labour as something you participate in, not something that happens to you. I can see why you would definitely need an epidural in a very long or difficult labour, but for a straightforward labour then I definitely feel, for me, that being fully able to feel what's going and to get feedback from your body is really important. I just used gas and air with DS and it was fine. Yes it was painful, definitely, but it was a good, informative sort of pain, it let me know that everything was moving. Luckily my labour was quite short, 6 hours, so that helped. I moved around the whole time. The idea of sitting in a bed just watching the contractions on a machine seemed a bit odd, like being disconnected from the whole thing.

Good breakdown of risks associated with epidural here.

I have had spinal block twice (2 EMCS) and had quite bad back pain for 3 weeks after my last EMCS 7 weeks ago.

My friend pushed too hard with her epi and had really bad pelvic pains for months afterwards.

Not all labour pains are unbearable, I managed first labour on G&A plus pethidine which did nothing for pain and wasn't in affect when I had attempted ventouse and forceps with only local anaesthetic.

Last labour only used TENS and breathing up until full dilation then a bit of G&A while transfering to hospital and nothing for pushing until spinal block for EMCS.