Tell me about....your epidurals!

[Lemondrop99]

Please share your epidural stories with me.

Did you plan on having an epidural or did you decide during labour when the pain became too much?

Did the midwife try to talk you out of it at all? Did you feel you had to fight for it?

What stage in labour did you have it?

Did the midwives make you wait until it had worn off to start pushing? Did it partly wear off or completely? Was the sudden pain a complete shock? How did you cope?

Did you tear? Did you end up with forceps/ventose/episiotomy? EMCS? How was your recovery?

If you needed stitches, was the epidural still in place and were you able to use it to control pain while being stitched?

Did you feel restricted at all by being hooked up to monitors and drips etc?

What position did you give birth in? Back? Side? Did you manage to get on all fours on the bed? Or anyone have a mobile epidural?

Did yours not work (partially or totally)?

Did you have any delay getting one due to anaesthetist availability? Did you perhaps not get one due to this or because your labour was too far along?

Did you get any after effects? A headache? Back pain?

Any regrets? Would you do anything differently? Or would you have one again?

I'm really swaying towards an epidural but trying to weigh up the positives and negatives. Would be grateful for any stories

I really didn't want an epidural - was absolutely determined not to have one - but after being induced due to high blood pressure i requested one. I was getting no breaks between contractions and with a lot of pain in my back when the midwife told me that they didn't even expect me to be 5cm until 10am (this was at 4am) feeling unable to cope I asked for the epidural. I was really upset to request this as I felt it meant I was failing as i was determined to do it just with gas and air. Epidural was placed very quickly and that was fine. However after it was placed I was still in pain- I was assured that it was just pressure by the midwife. And i just assumed I was being a wimp (first baby so didn't know what to expect) anyway, long story short - dd was delivered by forceps with an episiotomy due to being in distress. Was on my back due to monitor. Turns out epidural didn't work - midwife should have checked it but didn't . Fortunately I spoke up before I was taken to theatre to get placenta removed - nice anaesthesiologist was very apologetic that it went wrong and sorted it so I didn't have to go under general anaesthetic! And once it worked it was amazing - couldn't feel a thing. Had no ill effects afterwards. But what I would say is if you have one make sure that someone checks it works - I wish i had spoken up more (although then wouldn't have felt urge to push and maybe would never have convinced midwife to check how dilated I was she just kept saying she didn't have to check me for three hours!)

Sorry that was a ramble - basically when they work they seem to be amazing - but make sure someone checks it so it's not assumed you have effective pain relief when you don't.

With ds1 I had one had always planned to it was amazing!! I had it at 8cm as went from 4 to 8 really quickly and almost missed my window I almost said it wasn't going to bother as it was perfectly manageable but as it had always been the plan I chickened out. it worked perfectly took all pain away BUT ended up with a forceps delivery an episiotomy and a tear (obviously felt none of it). Did wonder whether it happened because of the epidural or not.

With ds2 I decided I didn't want to have another and fancied a water delivery unfortunately I had such a fast labour (was 8cm at examining on arrival at hospital and fully dilated half hour later) and ds was too high in the abdomen I had a emcs but it was also a wonderfully painless process once the drugs were in

Fan-bloody-tastic. I would have one 10 times over!! Due in Feb and will be having one again!
Had one about 3 hours in? Not uncomfortable once in place, not restrictive, gave birth on my side, no tears!
Honestly, I was so relaxed because I wasn't writhing around in pain. Pushing was slightly harder work but hey! It's hard work anyway!

Can I ask, those who ended up with interventions (forceps/ventouse/EMCS), do you know whether or believe these were a result of your epidural?

I'm 100 percent sure I would have ended up with an emcs anyway. Ds wasn't properly on the cervix (he was stuck too high up). I laboured for a long time without any proper pain relief/any interventions so had he ever been capable of just flowing out of me, he had every opportunity.

Planned due to disabilities. However it fell out! So specialist had to be called back in to work to fit another and that fell out too! They were not impressed! So ended up with full Spinal Block! Which (for me at least, given my position after being rushed into theatre to get her out) meant I couldn't do skin to skin :( Affected our bonding :( x

I had an epidural for my ds. It was fabulous. I never intended to have one, to be honest I had a completely open mind.
I was induced & it was a long difficult labour, having the epidural was an easy choice.
It was no problem actually having it put in, the contractions were overlapping at that point, so didn't really notice.
The effect was absolutely incredible.
The midwife let it start to wear off when I needed to push, I still couldn't feel anything when I pushed him out (very odd feeling pushing so hard but feeling nothing!)
No tears stitches or cuts needed.
Afterwards once it had worn off I was able to have a shower to clean up. I felt amazing.
I had no adverse reactions to the epidural afterwards, no pain or any side effects.

I had one and I can tell you that the pain killing properties are absolutely miraculous, impossible to believe. I can tell you this because it worked on exactly 50% of my body, you could have drawn a line down my stomach and back and half my body was completely pain free and the other side was absolute fucking agony (3rd child, v big baby MUCH longer labour and back to back, made the other two look like a walk in he park). So I have a direct comparison to work with . I'd do it again but maybe not let the junior reg who was herself pregnant do it, go for the most senior doctor available.

Didn't have one with the other two because there was no need. Although I did ask for one at during both labours, at the point my body was transitioning to the actual delivery where you go a bit bonkers and it's all very strange for a few minutes. Or that might just be me.

My forceps/episiotomy delivery was definitely nothing to do with the epidural. Baby was in a bad position from the start which is why I was in such pain and needed the epidural.

Had an epidural due to being induced and not really progressing after 12 hours of contractions. Unfortunately it didn't work properly for me at all. It would just instantly stop working every couple of hours so contractions would hit like a car crash. I was topping up every time I could and the midwives were timing it but it was stopping working more frequently than the top ups. Had it moved a few times but it's just doesn't seem to work on me. My twin is the same and it failed on her repeatedly. We both had a spinal block in the end. Me with EMCS and her forceps.

I've had an epidural four times. First one was because I had a trial of labour as I have a small pelvis. I had it early on when contractions were five minutes apart. No problems,worked brilliantly, didn't feel a thing, ds was delivered within thirty minutes of pushing without any assistance, no after effects.
Second one was for an ELCS due to breech baby, needed pain relief during section as was feeling pain, no after effects.
Third one was because it was a VBAC in case I needed a section. Was put in before I had prostin gel. Best labour and birth,didn't feel a thing, baby back to back but was delivered in three pushes, no after effects.
Fourth one again because of VBAC put in as I arrived at hospital 4cm dilated, worked brilliantly and no after effects.

They are truly lovely, lovely things!!

I was always fairly confident I was going to have one. I was a little afraid of the pain being more than I could handle, and as far as I am concerned, we have pain relief available in this country, so we should use it! I did go in with an open mind that I might be one of those lucky ones where it "hurt but was totally manageable".

I asked for one after I think maybe three hours intense labour after they broke my waters (induction) and the moment I asked the midwife literally put her pen down and went straight out to put me in the queue for the anaesthetist. I had also been asking about anaesthetist availability from the second I walked in the delivery room so I knew there were a couple available so I was practically guaranteed one when I wanted one and my birth plan was fairly forthright in stating I wanted all the drugs.

It was sited without issue, although it was a patient controlled one and I didn't press the button properly, so I had a bonus half hour of painful contractions.

I ended up with a emcs for failure to progress, which I think I would have had anyway as my contractions were tailing off before the epidural had been sited and the surgeon basically told me that my son was jammed against my pelvis and was never coming out the traditional route.

I had it plugged in for 14 hours of my labour, which meant I could sleep, rest etc. I hate to think what my experience would have been like with no epidural. With the epidural, it was an utterly lovely experience!

I was still fairly mobile towards the end. I had to get changed into a surgical gown for my section, and my midwife was shocked that I was able to not only sit up, but sit and swing my legs off the side of the bed. I imagine I probably could still have walked about.

The worst thing about it was the sticky tape they used to secure it. I was taped from shoulder to hip - it was never budging while in situ which is good, but was seriously itchy once they took the tape off!

Epidural=best thing ever.

I Wanted a a water birth- arrived on the busiest night and they couldn't even fit me on labour ward so had to start with a mw in the postnatal rooms!

I used a tens .... when it was getting too much I tried a bath but as soon as the tens came off it was overwhelming and I started to really struggle. It was my mum that convinced me to have an epidural. I am so pleased I did as it enabled me to have a calm birth. I refused to read the card with side effects on and threw this at my husband as I was so adamant when pg that I would never have an epidural!

I had one I could control. So I stopped topping it up a while before pushing. Midwife helped me on to all fours when I was pushing and in the end I had one leg hooked over the top of the bed as had a back to back baby!!!

I did need stitches .... from a more unusual year rather than a severe tear but I spent the whole of labour begging the mw for no episiotomy as I was so scared of stitching!!! (I am very squeamish!) I was so relieved of the epidural for this as it took an hour and I couldn't feel any of it! I wouldn't have been calm otherwise!

Ah you wonderful ladies! Thank you ever so much for everyone who has taken the time to reply in such detail. This is really, really useful stuff to know

I really really felt I needed one as DS was back to back and the pain was out of control. As soon as one contraction started coming down, the next one started building again, and this was at only 4cm! Genuinely thought I'd die.
Lovely midwife agreed to it straight away, I didn't have to fight for it.
It was a shame that it then slowed things down, as I'd been doing pretty well up to that point, so then needed hormone drip to get things going again. This made me vomit and shake uncontrollably. I had the epidural topped up another 2 times as I was in labour so long it kept wearing off.
20 hours later I was told DS needed to come out NOW due to his heart rate dipping and not coming back up. Forceps and an episiotomy later, he arrived screaming! He was bruised but ok. I was stitched and it took a few weeks before I could sit down comfortablly and no longer needed painkillers every 4 hours.
All in all, not the experience I wanted!! But the NHS staff were fantastic and got him here safely, which is the main thing.

This time, I've booked a hypnobirthing course to try and stay in control this time, and I'm hoping for a better experience. But I know the epidural is there if I feel I need it, and there are no trophies for having a drug-free birth.

with DD, I read all the hypnobirthing and natural pain relief books, and was planning to have a serene water birth. Well, water did absolutely nothing. Asked for an epidural as soon as I got to the hospital, and it was just AMAZING.

Mine was a mobile epidural and I could not rave about it enough. Yes hooked up to monitor, but otherwise free to move - sit, stand, walk, bounce on the ball, it didn't affect my legs at all. No pain - I went from sweating and zoning out to reading my Kindle and happily chatting to midwife.

No interventions needed. Gave birth standing up, 3.5 hours from arriving to hospital. Could have gone home straight away, no side effects whatsoever.

I asked for one as soon as I got to the hospital, was on syntocinon drip as my waters broke but labour did not progress.

Had it once I got to 4cm dilated and it was bliss, think I fell asleep at one point.

Couldn't feel when to push really the midwife had to tell me when to push but I didn't mind that part.

Had a second degree tear but it really wasn't that bad, just a lot of blood loss.

Gave birth on my back but was hooked up to so many other things it didn't really matter and wasn't like I was going to start running around.

Couldn't feel one of my legs for a good day afterwards and was relieved when the sensation came back!

Felt like it took aaages to put it in and I remember looking at my OH thinking oh this is taking ages isn't it, but in reality it was probably only 5 minutes or something!

I'd definitely have one again as I don't like being in pain.

Far worse for me was the blood transfusion after the birth - midwifes expecting me to feed baby while having blood pumped into my hand and then moaning at me when the needle fell out like it was my fault, very painful and not nice!

I did hynobirthing and didn't want an epidural. Then I started crying out for one. I was waiting and waiting, the midwife was horrible. Hour and a half went past, no epidural. I ended up getting to 10cms and having to push. I remember thinking nope, not going to push without it! But obviously nature took over. I had a 10lb baby and I was happy at first that I didn't have it as I think perhaps then I would have needed intervention. But now I am just angry I wasn't listened to at all. So if you want one, make sure you have someone to advocate and fight on your side, just in case. Next time, I am making sure I get it if I need it!!

I had an epidural with DS when he turned back to back during labour, I ended up needing an episiotomy and a forcep delivery.

Recovery was long and hard but I also had sepsis.

I don't know if any of the above was due to the epidural but I remember the midwife who did my antenatal classes saying that they can really inscrease the chances of forceps being used.

With DD I was determined not to have an epidural and found the whole experience and recovery much easier

I had it with all three of mine it didn't really help with my last as I have birth just as they put it in. With the others it was great. Only grazed with all of them. Would definetly have it again but seeing as I'm sterilized I'm not going to need it.

Pethadine on the other hand I hated

I've always been a complete wimp and I can't stand the obsession with making birth as natural as possible, so I knew I wanted one (didn't make a birth plan though - births can't be planned, the notion seems ridiculous to me!)

Anyway, DD1 needed to be induced. I asked for an epidural straight away before they started the drip, the midwife said they'd just get me going then get the anaesthetist later.

I genuinely believed that I was going to die because I thought no human could survive that level of pain. I was begging for an epidural. I couldn't open my eyes or move with the pain. DH was in tears (apparently, I had no idea what was going on.) Eventually I had the epidural but it didn't work. Second degree tear.

The euphoria when I realised that the pain was over, and I was alive and well, and I had a beautiful baby who was also alive and well (at first, but that's a different story) was incredible. I felt invincible.

DD2 also needed to be induced. I refused to let them start the drip without an epidural. Consultant said my baby's heart rate was in the danger zone and they needed to start immediately, but previous consultant said if it was really urgent they'd take me for a section so demand the epidural first (she was fantastic).

Epidural happened immediately but again didn't work at all. Having already given birth without a working epidural I knew what it felt like and I knew that my pushes weren't moving the baby. Midwives were totally disinterested and just kept telling me to push harder/longer, even though I was screaming at them that the baby wasn't moving.

Eventually consultant examined me and realised baby had her arms next to her head and she was stuck. They took me to theatre, where I had a spinal block.

It was absolute heaven. All the pain vanished instantly. I remember thinking how attractive DH looked in theatre scrubs! I had an episiotomy and forceps delivery. The anaesthetist said with my history of failed epidural I should have an elective section next time. I laughed hysterically and reassured her there would be no next time!

I've done both. Had much much better experience for my without epidural ones. You've had lots of great info on here so won't go into it but I will say if you feel you need one don't let them tell you it's too late.

With one of mine I pushed for ages me and baby both exhausted etc and they came at me
With forceps and an epidural. After that I pushed one more time (not an exaggeration) and baby pretty much flew out. Obviously in that scenario it would have been better to not bother with one but just goes to show that if you really need one you can have it no matter how far progressed you are.

I think there are a lot of 'and it was too late to have one' scare stories always flying around. I would say give it a go without one and just see what happens. You should have supportive midwives who help with that and if they aren't your DP or birth partner just needs to step up and be assertive about what you need. It sounds a hippy thing to say but honestly you will almost always know best.

Thanks all, really useful replies. Certainly food for thought 🤔

I had one as I was being induced and they put me on the syntocinon drip.

Midwife recommended it, anaesthetist did it with no fuss at all. I'm a massive baby when it comes to pain and it was 'mildly uncomfortable'

I felt hot, sweaty and nauseated just after the first dose, was a bit sick but after about 15 mins I was fine and the further doses didn't affect me at all badly.

I ended up with emcs as I only got to 4cm after 5 days of pissing around. My epidural was nothing to with emcs - that was the 11lb baby who wasn't ready to budge yet.

I'm 10 weeks now with 2nd and hoping for a vbac but will decide depending on whether I'm growing another giagantic baby...

Didn't hurt at all going in, but didn't work (didn't stop pain at all) but numbed legs so I couldn't labour stood up. Ended in c section (which went very well)

I have a 14 month old DS and three eipdurals with him that didn't work the first one worked partially actually, just down one side but the anaesthetist came back an hour later and tried twice more and failed twice more

I'm very restrained and quiet, wouldn't say boo to a goose normally, but when he tried to leave because it was the end of the shift and he needed to handover, I was effing and blinding at him, pointing my finger at him and telling him not to dare leaving

To answer your questions - no I didn't plan on it, although I wrote in my notes that I wanted any pain relief I felt necessary. The midwives suggested it I think, after an examination showed I was 3cm and was really struggling with the pain. However, it turns out that the two latter epidurals didn't work because when he returned to site them I was in the middle of going from 4cm to fully dilated in 40 minutes!

None of the other questions are relevant to me because the cunting things didn't work!!