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Original poster

Epidural - Advantages and Disadvantages

40 replies

MissKhan1990 · 25/12/2020 19:19

Hi, All

I am currently 31 weeks pregnant and thinking ahead of what options l have in terms of pain relief during labour.

I have heard lots of conflicting information about epidurals. I would like to know what have other peoples experience been of epidurals.

Thankyou

OP posts:

Timeturnerplease · 25/12/2020 19:24

Bloody brilliant, wouldn’t give birth without one now. Not even one disadvantage from my perspective - administered easily, allowed me to sleep, catheter meant I didn’t need the loo all the sodding time and DD born perfectly healthy. Left hospital 6 hours after birth fully recovered.

bravefox · 25/12/2020 19:26

Mine didn't work! So erm.. yeah, that was unhelpful

Stepintochristmas · 25/12/2020 19:28

This reply has been deleted

Withdrawn at the user's request

DramaAlpaca · 25/12/2020 19:29

Positive: I was totally pain free after hours of exhausting early labour, which was utter bliss

Negatives: it really hurt having it put in between contractions. I couldn't feel to push. I ended up with a forceps delivery because I couldn't push

I didn't have one with my 2nd and 3rd labours, but I didn't feel the need for one at any stage

Scautish · 25/12/2020 19:31

Absolutely wonderful. Best thing ever. Zero regrets.

Ohalrightthen · 25/12/2020 19:33

Ahhhh my epidural was magic. Hurt going in, but it's a needle in your back, so it's always going to hurt.

Modern epidurals are patient-controlled so you can dial it down so you can feel to push.

I laboured without for 15 hours, and then the pain was so bad that i started to feel scared, and i didn't want to meet my baby scared, so i went back to my original plan and had the epidural. It was awesome. I had time to rest, i had a nap, and started pushing 4 or 5 hours later. It was incredible. I felt powerful and in control and absolutely jubilant - my husband cried when our daughter was born and i laughed and laughed.

catsaysmeow · 25/12/2020 19:34

Same with all the positives- allowed me to sleep, gave DH a rest too, no issues with recovery apart from the "epidural headache" afterwards but caffeine helped so had lots of cups of tea made for me. There was no screaming for an epidural- it was offered to me and I accepted. They got it in relatively quickly - didn't really notice what was happening until it was done and I was pain free.

TaVeryMuchLove · 25/12/2020 19:38

When mine worked it was great, but then it slipped out of position in my back (no one knew this) and wore off which was very painful! Had another one put in and that was patchy. So hit and miss for me.

Yaty · 25/12/2020 19:38

I had an epidural as my labour had stalled and i was put onto the drip to make my contractions stronger. I was 5cm dialated, fell asleep for 20 mins and was 10cm and ready to push when I woke up, so great in terms of not feeling anything for those 5cm! Only problem was I couldn't feel any contractions at all and had none of the urges to push. Midwife tried to guide me but I ended up having to have forcepts delivery. Dont know whether this would have happened anyway as labour had stalled but the epidural certainly didn't help when it came to pushing. After I didn't like the numb feelings and I was really, really out of it but again had been up for 48 hrs and in labour for over 20 so that could have been case anyway. I think go in with an open mind and take the advise off your midwife, you'll know what the right thing to do is.

FTEngineerM · 25/12/2020 19:42

I called my anaesthetist a wizard if that helps describe the relief.

Poor chap fitted epidural on the Monday before leaving work, I was still there Tuesday mid day and midwives said it would be a good idea to stop epidural to feel contractions (was on drip by then) I hated it freaked out.

Same chap came in looking sorry for me s reaching in pain and gave me a spinal. Sorted me right out. Couldn’t feel a fucking thing. Bliss

Clockstop · 25/12/2020 19:48

I've had two epidurals after two very long agonising inductions caused by reactions to the induction drugs meaning it was too level pain every 20 seconds for about 9 hours before they (both times!) Realised the induction drugs weren't safe for me. First was a proper lower block as they were almost going to take me to c section. Second one I requested one with a control button that wouldn't numb my legs.

So the first one was good for pain but bad postpartum. I couldn't walk and DH went home to sleep and no one answered the buzzer so I was left with DD too far away to reach and no one to help for hours and then the midwife came in and demanded I give formula.as I had not feed the baby I was desparate to bf and I persisted but this wasn't a great start and it wasn't nice being so helpless.

Second one was a dream. Brilliant for pain but did have to make sure I shifted about as it would wain a bit if I went to on side too long. I could feel and move my legs and I felt very in control.

So I would advise asking for one you can control that won't block your legs!

Chocolate1992 · 25/12/2020 19:55

Couldn’t feel a thing, no contractions, couldn’t push, had to go to theatre for emergency csection as it was taking too long but begged for another attempt at forceps and they pulled him out on last attempt before csection.

flossletsfloss · 25/12/2020 19:56

Positives - pain free once it works. Awesome.

Negatives - you could be the rare person like me who ends up with a post dural puncture and needs a blood patch. Not so awesome.

LunaL0veg00d · 25/12/2020 19:57

Amazing. The relief after hours of pain is sensational. It can end up in instrumental delivery as you can't feel yourself pushing, but it didn't for me.

Would 100% get it again if I have another baby!

Sandytoes86 · 25/12/2020 20:09

I’ve had two for both my dc . First one had absolutely no feeling to the bottom half of my body so this was quite disconcerting but also no pain . It resulted in me not being able to push so had forceps and large episiotomy . It took about a week to be able to get up on my feet again . The second I had half the amount of epidural which was ideal , I could feel sensation and mild pain which helped me know when to push . I bonded a lot quicker with my second child as a result and was up and walking after birth .
I would have another .

Chanel05 · 25/12/2020 20:16

Absolutely fantastic. Great relief after 19 hours of labour. In the middle of the night at hospital I heard the most horrendous screams, blood curdling even, and I asked the midwife in the room what they were. Her response was, "Those are the women giving birth without an epidural."

Hoppinggreen · 25/12/2020 20:21

Bloody loved mine

SallyCinnamon3009 · 25/12/2020 20:25

Amazing not only pain relief but felt tottally relaxed. Can't understand why people don't get one

ThinkWittyThoughts · 25/12/2020 20:50

Not for DC1

DC2 I hit 4cm and the pain ratchet up so fast it was frightening. Epidural time.

Originally intended to keep feeling in legs but when anaesthetist tried to insert he hit bone

So went to back up position which is higher. I couldn't feel my legs really. I knew contractions were happening and the big ones, I could faintly feel some pain, but it was bliss. I rested. Husband was able to get some sleep too.

At my hospital, they let you keep up the button pressing until you get to 10cm. Then ask you to stop pressing the button for an hour before pushing.

I'm surprised a few PP had problems pushing, because for me I was able to be so much more focused at pushing with the epidural than I had been without.

Each push felt 100x more effective and I felt a LOT more in control than I had without for DC1 (totally drug free). Bare in mind, I'd been in pre-labour for about 4 weeks, active for 23hrs by this point. I felt fully awake & aware of my surroundings.

Baby because a bit distressed (nothing to do with epidural) and because I was so mentally "with it" I managed to double down and get him out fast (not too fast) and without intervention.

I'm not having any more babies, but if I were I would absolutely have another epidural. Bloody miracle things.

Voice0fReason · 25/12/2020 21:29

Highly recommended!

No downsides as far as I'm concerned.

EreLongDoneDoDoesDid · 25/12/2020 21:33

Didn’t have one with DD1. DD2 was an induction so I was talked into having one.... it didn’t fucking work. Was later told that they don’t work on everyone and particularly don’t work on natural redheads (of which I am one). So wouldn’t bother again as it was just unnecessary ag.

physicskate · 25/12/2020 22:20

After three days or early, persistent labour (and no sleep), went to hospital and a sweep broke my waters. Then they augmented my labour but before they did, I got an epidural.

It worked on my left but not my right. Very weird sensation as it felt like I was ripping in half. I was one of those screaming women as by that point I'd been awake for 86 hours and was not coping at all. Gas and air did nothing for me (dh said it was working?). Asked for more drugs but they said there wasn't time.

Couldn't feel enough to push properly. Needed forceps and episiotomy. Pushing didn't hurt at all. Not sure if this was because of the epidural or not.

Will try to avoid in future. But I guess I'd consider if I had to have induction/ augmentation or if I'd been awake for three days...

That first night in hospital was also horrendous as there was no help and I couldn't move well (mostly to do with episiotomy). Oh and the catheter gave me a horrendous uti that I didn't realise for 4 days. Got maybe 20 mins of sleep that night. Fucking horrendous.

drumst1ck · 25/12/2020 22:46

Can't help with personal experience (but do have some midwifery experience).

Statistically you're more likely to need interventions such as forceps, suction and C-section due to reduced feeling during pushing stage and lack of upright movement during labour which allows gravity to help labour progress.

About 1 in 8 epiduals don't work as intended which could mean you need other forms of pain relief on top of that.

About 1 in 100 have the 'epidural headache' which for some can be severe.

However

A lot of advantages as well, for those who have had a very long painful labour it can be a precious relief, giving them enough rest and energy to manage pushing. And for those who just don't want any pain at all that's always a valid choice and one that should be supported!

As with everything, there are pros and cons so I would recommend reading up but being open to what happens on the day and how you're feeling at the time. Hope all goes well!

NomineCornelia · 25/12/2020 22:58

Another midwife here. It was always my plan to have one. Loved it- it was a patient controlled one, and for me took probably the worst 30% off the edge of the pain so I still felt the contractions, which I liked. Had urge to push at full dilatation and pushed DC out. I did and still do work with the anaesthetist who sited it and will love him a little bit forever, he's definitely now my favourite! Although if we are generalising anaesthetists are a pretty lovely lot.

MaryShelley1818 · 26/12/2020 01:09

Like most others on here there were zero negatives for me.
Completely pain free meaning I slept until 10cm when the MW woke me up to push...lol.
Meant I was totally relaxed, calm and focused. I pushed when instructed to and gave birth with no assistance or injury. Feeling was back and in the shower within an hour or so. It was perfect.

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