epidural

[jinna]

I am 40 weeks pregnant and my due date is the 14-may - yes tomorrow! But no signs of labour and i think this baby will keep me waiting. This is my second pregnancy - my son is 4. I'm remembering all the pain from the 1st pregnancy - although i hanged on using gas and air - but this time i would like to go for an epidural. Can anyone give me there experience of having an epidural - can you have the epidural any time or do you have to be a certain number of cm's dilated. Thanks in advance.

I had an epidural quite early on in labour...I'm a total wimp when it comes to pain and the pethidine had worn off!
It was totally wonderful. I didn't feel a thing and the midwife helped me push by putting her hand on my tummy and telling me when the contractions were coming (which I could also feel very mildly) I had a long labour which ended up a ventouse delivery. I don't think there was a connection, my ds has a very big head and he got totally stuck in the "u - bend"! I think it helped recovery because I couldn't feel the stitches for a couple of days which eased me in nicely. It's not for everyone but made my birth a happy memory.

Hi jinna

My DS is 9 months old and I had a mobile epi (apparently it only numbs your nether regions and not your legs).

I had mine at 7cm dilated, although I have heard from other mothers that midwves do not usually allow you to have it a such a late stage - must have been my shouting that convinced them, lol. I think you can have one from 4cm upto about 6cm.

It was great for me as I didn't feel anything when the drip was put in or the catheter. Also, one minute I was grimacing, 10 minutes later I was having a laugh and a chat with the MW and DH.

Afterwards, I was not incontinent, had no backache, did not feel woosy or any other side-effects I know that some women have.

So, if you really want it, I would say Go for it!

Maybe the epi has made me look back on my birthing experience with a smile rather than terror(lol again)!

Good luck!

had an epidural at around 4cm of longish labour - ended up having an emergency c-section, so was pleased that I could be awake for that...good luck, can't recommend the epidural enough, if you're lucky enough to have one which works. make sure you talk to the staff about top-ups, I wanted to know how much drugs they were using because I have naturally low blood pressure and wanted to feel at least a bit in control!

Jinna - you should be classed as 'in labour' before an epidural is administered ie. cervix 3cm dilated, regular, painful contractions. As you know, second babies can make an appearance much more quickly than first babies, so the problem is that quite often there is just not the time to administer the epidural and have it working effectively before you have delivered.
You should be able to ask for an epidural at any point in labour, and not have your request denied. However, saying this, if the midwife feels a baby is going to make an appearance very soon, she will explain the situation to you, and encourage you to push instead!
IME ladies in labour, who have laboured before, often get to the point where they ask for an epidural. The anaesthetist is called, the lady rolled onto her left side for administration, then wham, bam, baby makes an appearance. Sometimes the process of turning to have the epidural sited is enough to accelerate labour. Either the epidural never gets sited, or it goes in and never gets chance to work effectively.
Please do not think this is designed to put you off an epidural - it isn't, but realistically things may move too quickly. Always ask if this is what you want - like I said, you cannot be denied (although if the anaesthetist is busy elsewhere, he/she may not be present immediately).
Not all units offer the moblie epidural, so it is worth asking at your unit if this is what you were considering.
I had an epidural with dd after a long, protracted first labour. It was slightly uncomfy as it was administered, but nothing compared to the pain of a contraction! The relief was quick and gratefully received. As is often the way with epidurals I ended up with an assisted delivery (ventouse) as I had no 'urge to push', and consequently found it difficult. However, I weighed up the situation at the time, and an epidural was right for me then. I urge you to do the same - don't make up your mind now - see how you go in labour - and good luck!

Leese, why do can't you have an epidural before the pain kicks in? Any medical reason?

Jinna, good luck! I knew I wanted an epidural with my second child and had asked for it beforehand. When things got going, the nurse asked me if I'd like my epidural now as I was progressing but not in substantial pain yet. YES! The lady came in, inserted the epidural and left me happy as a little clam (assuming clams are happy, that is). The baby came later, happy little guy, and all was well.

Again, good luck. Let everyone know, of course!

Hi jinna,

I agree with leese here. Epidurals are wonderful things when needed but it is not always a good idea to plan to have one before labour has started. You might find this labour completely different and be able to benefit from other means of pain relief such as a birthing pool, which gives you much more freedom of movement. Unless your unit does mobile epidurals ( ours doesn't) - havind an epidural early on in labour can really slow the process, increasing the likelyhood of needing other interventions such as waters needing to be broked and syntocinon needed to improve contractions. With an epidural you need a drip to correct potential fall in blood pressure, continual blood pressure recordings every 15-30 mins and continuous monitoring of the baby.

It is much better to be established in labour with regular contractions prior to having an epidural sited so that the anaesthetist knows he/she has managed an effective block. If it is done too early it can be difficult to assess if it is working properly. There is nothing worse than an epidural that does not work effectively - soul destroying for mother and midwife and results in it having to be resited.

Hope all goes well for you and you have a more satisfying experience this time. Good luck

Jinna, I'm not trying to put you off but be aware that epidurals don't always work - I hadn't considered this when asking for mine, I ended up in a lot of pain and unable to move. At the time I was using all my energy to cope with the pain, looking back I should have asked them to turn the thing off!
Two of my friends have also had epidurals that only partially worked.
I'm not trying to scare you but it's good to have a plan if required.
Good luck.

Jinna, have you had a look at the good birth guide ? You can look at your hospitals stats & also whether anaesthitists (sp? arrgh! long day...) are on call all the time, etc. HTH

Thanks for all the advice so far - i am not sure whether i will opt for the epidural - i think i am getting a bit anxious as the time for labour is getting nearer so the thought that i can have an epidural is reassuring me. In my last pregnancy i was induced and i think this made it very painful - i am overdue this time but they are going to let me wait for another week - hopefully i will go into labour naturally and the pain won't be so unbearable. Elwar I looked at the site you recommended - it provided lots of info about my hospital and yes there is an anethestist 24hrs - they also have mobile epidurals available.

aloha - just to add, epidurals aren't given too early, because as Mears pointed out, they can slow things down. you then end up with a woman who is not in labour, with an epidural sited. The pain is indicative of labour, and therefore the possible need for an epidural. Sometimes however, epidurals are given earlier if, for example, the woman is about to be commenced on a course of syntocinon (to accelerate labour/contractions), as syntocinon (used as part of the induction process if needed) can bring strong contractions on suddenly, and women can find them extremely difficult to cope with. An epidural is therefore an earlier option.

Just to add that I'd decided in advance that I definitely wanted an epidural and I wanted it early - I really couldn't see the point of waiting till I was in agony, if I was going to have one at some point then it might as well be early on ( obviously you have to wait till labour is established - but that said I wasn't in any worse pain than ''period pain'' when I had mine) - Personally I think it was a wonderful experience - I chatted to the midwife for hours in no discomfor whatsoever and then spent 45 mins pushing at the end - and no real pain at all. There is SO much said about 'natural ' being good - and the idea that it's somehow preferable to suffer. Well I have absolutely no problem with others ''going thru it'' if they so wish and it feels right for them- but please don't anyone try to persude me! Prior to having an epidrual I kept looking for the 'catch ' it seemed a bit to good to be true.
Well I accept that it can turn out to be problematic /not work well etc - but it can also be 100% success - I remember telling anyone who would listen for the next few weeks after the birth that for my next career move I was going to work for the epidural marketing board....

Sometimes it's difficult to decide when to have it, though.

I was coping fine at home with the contractions and then all of a sudden, the frequency and intensity changed.

Got to the hospital and found I was 7cm dilated, but before then I thought I had ages to go because although the pain was bad, it was bearable.

So maybe it's a good idea to include it in your birth plan and then if you feel you're coping, you don't have to have it.

Jinna, I am 35 wks pregnant with my 2nd child and my son is also 4 so my thoughts are with you!

I had an epidural the first time round and want to book one in for this time. It was fantastic. One minute I was scared and in pain, wondering how long it would all last and then the next I was sitting up chatting and eating a banana! I think I was about 4cms at the time - too much of a wimp to last much longer - but I just think it depends how quick your labour is progressing. A friend of mine asked for an epidural but by the time the anaethetist (spelling?) arrived it was too late. This is my biggest fear!!

The epidural worked very well for me as it is up to you to get it topped up if you want to. I let it wear off towards the end so I could feel to push and could also deliver on my knees which was much more comfortable.

Good luck and I hope he/she comes soon!

I would just like to echo what Bayleaf has said, I completely agree. I was absolutely terrified about labour however I decided to keep an open mind about pain relief. I ended up being induced and once labour did kick in there didn't seem to be any gentle build up, just full blown pain. I quickly decided that an epidural was for me and I have absolutely no regrets. Not sure if there is a link between epidurals and assisted deliveries, alot of people I know who had an epidural did end up with forceps or ventouse, me included.

There is a link with epidurals and assisted deliveries but it is also a bit like the chicken and the egg, which comes first. Poorly positioned baby that may need an assisted delivery anyway - then it is often a more painful labour where women ask for epidural.
There is no doubt though a lot of women cannot get the hang of pushing properly with an epidural because the sensation is just not there. Much better if the block has worn off a bit for pushing in second stage. The contractions can also be less effective with an epidural which often means sytocinon is needed to stimulate them.

Hi ks,

Babies who are assisted deliveries sometimes look as though they have gone 10 rounds with Mike Tyson! The bruising and swelling is usually superficial although sometimes very dramatic looking. Ventouse babies usually have a swelling where the suction cup has been but that swelling is formed by fluid between the skull bone and the scalp. The brain protected by the skull bones so it is highly unlikely that there would be any brain damage in the situation you describe. Have you discussed your worries with the midwife or GP?
Are you concerned about any aspect of your baby's behaviour or development?
If you are happy with your baby then I think you should be reassured all is well.

ks, dd was an assisted delivery too (high forceps and ventouse) and had a terrible purple/black bruising on the left side of her head and ear. I took her to a cranial osteopath when she was about 2 weeks old and the swelling and mishapen-ness literally disappeared overnight.

She doesn't seem to have suffered any damage at all - the only side effect was that she was very unhappy sleeping on her back as there was a lot of bruising on the back of her head, so I put her on her tummy and worried constantly about cot death for the first year!

The baby of one of the women at my NTC literally had a 'horn' of flesh that flapped over her head from an assisted delivery. It disappeared eventually and she's fine now (in fact she's super-bright!)

I had an epidural with my first,which was just as well as he had to be manually rotated,and i needed forceps aswell.and it was all more or less totally pain free..

I booked another with no2,but by the time i got to hospital it was too late and i managed fine with just gas and air and he was 9lb 2oz.So when i had two more children i didnt bother and just had gas and air..

you can never be sure with your first what will happen,so keep all your options open,good luck..

Do be aware that they don't always work! My friend asked for one after an induction and on the first try it hardly took and on the second try, she still had some pain in one side. But she then wasn't able/allowed to move around, so had to birth on her back, still in pain! Eeek!

And yes, they can slow things down, so you can't have one too early (just like you shouldn't get in a pool too early).