Epidural or no epidural

[BEO]

For context : first pregnancy and only 23 weeks but trying to prepare.

I am wanting to hear people’s opinions on epidurals. I am not ruling one out but don’t particularly want one if I can do it without. Just wanting some more info on the pros and cons on them.

The reasons I’m not so keen are that you can’t move about , you can’t feel when to push and you may be more likely for intervention (forceps etc).

Obviously the pros are obvious, no pain!

I know some people have the opinion ‘why put yourself through unnecessary pain when you can have an epidural’ but I would rather try with just the other pain killers and gas and air.

be interesting to hear from people who have had multiple births, and have experienced both with and without epidural and what they prefer x

@NamiSwan thanks for this. Yes I think if I feel I need one or want one I obviously will get one but if I can manage without then I will try to do that. So will keep an open mind.

Also 23 weeks - I have decided I am 100% asking for an epidural the moment I arrive. Not sure anything could change my mind aha!

I had three pregnancies , the last one being twins which I had an epidural with. It was by far a better experience. I labour quickly though, back to back contractions, vomit up everything I've ever eaten. Second stage with no.2 was ten minutes long. So an epidural slowed everything down nicely and meant I didn't vomit, wasn't spaced out on gas and air/ diamorphine, it felt much more relaxed and calm.

This is entirely a personal thing.

My son's birth was fine. I didn't find the pain unbearable so I didn't have any pain relief.

Others will say they were in a lot of pain so they did need something.

You won't know which camp you fall into until you experience labour and see how it feels for you personally :)

I agree with others up thread who have said it's a decision you need to make when you're in labour. I did with DD and TBH I don't think I could have made it through that labour without an epidural I was in so much pain. DS I had a waterbirth with gas and air. It's almost impossible to say at this stage.

Dc1: only pain relief was pethidine due to mismanagement (apparently I did not scream enough to be taken seriously). Ended up with ventouse delivery and a spinal block after for perineal repair. Hated the spinal block, was debilitated for a good 18 hours afterwards. Plus it made me itch all over, had a catheter in for the first day, and of course precautionary heparin shots which are not fun.
Obviously an epidural is a much lower dose than a spinal block, but I believe it's the same drug.

Dc2: no pain relief as the gas and air made me sick. Actual labour was grim, but I felt fully human again straight after, was such a difference. I was home thar night as no ongoing care needed.

Neither birth was in anyway enjoyable or empowering, although both kids got out healthy so I try not to complain.

You may find that they try and encourage you to try other things first such as gas & air. I had to be quite firm and insist that I didn't want gas & air or paracetamol, I wanted an epidural.

@SouthLondonMum22 oh really! I'm not in the Uk and when I was at the birth suite last week (for complications) they were quite encouraging about it . Friends have said similar.

I won't be backing down and I'll ask my partner to advocate for me too.
I think gas and air would make me feel more sick :/

I would say I felt the same as you when I was pregnant with my first, more leaning to not having it if I could help it.

I ended up induced and found it very painful! I had pethidine but wish I'd had epidural now looking back. I don't think they really took me seriously when I mentioned it as I was quite quiet.

I got to 10cm but baby didn't turn so I couldn't push him out and ended up in theatre with spinal block and forceps.

I'm pregnant with my second and its looking like a csection. But if I have to give birth naturally I'll be asking for the epidural. Feel like I couldn't go through all that again - it left me quite traumatised. I know everyone is different though!!

That's good then.

I feel like in the UK, the attitude is epidurals are a last resort. You should try to manage with paracetamol, gas & air etc and if you can't, then an epidural will be suggested.

I had to fight hard to just have an epidural as soon as possible without trying to manage without.

I was lucky in my hospital. Didn't have to fight for one. Got one once I was 4/5cm dilated.

My epidural only worked properly on one side (later was told this happens 5% of the time) and made me very itchy (they were able to eventually give me a Piriton to help with this). However I think it was still preferable to not getting one. I had it done just before they broke my waters/put me on the induction drip as the contractions were already about reaching my pain threshold and knew they'd be getting a lot worse. I still ended up in emergency C-section and would probably just opt straight for section/spinal block next time (long story but I had obstructed labor), that said I don't regret trying out the epidural at all.

I had one with my first but the labour was long and protracted but the pain was unbearable!! It was a relief to have it however, 2nd and 3rd were still painful but nowhere near as bad so didn't need. All labours are different and I learned after my first to keep my birth plan very open and flexible and went with the flow and didn't rule anything out.

All that was on my 3rd birth plan was I wanted to see the sex of the baby for myself and not have them tell me and was open to whatever I needed to have at the time.

Obviously in the minority here but I didn't have a good experience with my epidural. I would avoid one next time unless I really really couldn't handle it or needed it. They kept "topping up" the epidural until I could feel absolutely nothing. I couldn't push, was there for hours trying. Ended up with forceps and episiotomy which have caused me ongoing pain and complications. Obviously I don't know how things would've gone without the epidural but I believe my labour was prolonged due to it. also hated having the catheter the next day/being unable to move and being kept in hospital longer. As others have said though, you might find it becomes necessary, so difficult to plan one way or other. Every situation will be different.

As everyone has said - just keep an open mind as you won’t know until you are in the middle of labour. I had an epidural for my first and it was a fucking medical miracle- best thing ever after a very long painful labour.

Most important thing is to let your partner (or whoever you have with you) know that despite you insisting now that you don’t want an epidural, when the time comes and you decide you do, their job is to say “whatever you want” not “but you said you didn’t want one!”

@Tootingbec oh I’m not insisting I don’t want one, I haven’t ruled anything out and will be telling my midwife the same. I will have whatever I think I want/ need on the day that I am able too

Labourpains.org is a really useful website, discusses risks/benefits of all analgesia.

I have had 2 labours without an epidural. I begged for one first time but I was already fully dilated when the midwife examined me. Second time I didn't actually need anything other than a bit of gas and air during transition.

Labour is just so unpredictable that it's best to be flexible! Also bear in mind that (most??) Units only have one anaesthetist on at a time so if they are in theatre then you will have to wait until they are available

I had one with ds1. Tried without but it was a long labour and all getting too much for me and was v grateful for it.

Didn't have one with ds2 - the birth was quicker and much easier than expected (though I do remember mooing/making more noise! 🤒) . I felt that I recovered much quicker the next day.

So advantages either way but echoing the poster above. You will know on the day.

Best of luck.

I went into labour with a very similar mindset to you OP. I had no prescriptive birth plan but was hoping for a low intervention tens / gas and air / water birth.

Baby had other plans and I contracted quickly and was loosing blood so was admitted straight to the labour ward and hooked up to monitors (bye bye water birth!). I have a very high pain threshold and umm-ed and ahh-ed for about an hour during labour of whether to go for an epidural or not. In the end I said sod it and went for it. Baby was back to back so contractions were incredibly intense and because of my bleeding and monitoring I couldn’t move around which was agony. My waters also hadn’t broken at the point so it was only going to get more painful.

Anyway, I’m so glad I went for it! Obviously I’ll never know what the alternative experience would have been, but me and DH both had a nap whilst waiting for me to fully dilate, I was totally in control of topping it up, so only actually topped it up once so I could feel the sensation of baby pushing but zero pain. I felt great after birth and was up and about almost straight away (a bit tingly legged). My overall experience was so positive, I remember thinking that I could have 100 more babies 😅. Good luck, which ever direction your birth goes I hope you have a positive experience!

I would keep an open mind and actually decide once you are in labour.

I was like you and leaned to the side of not wanting an epidural but I needed to be induced at 40+5 after 3 days of regular painful contractions and only dilating to 3cm.

After the above I was already exhausted and opted for the epidural, as I was being induced. The epidural was painful going in, despite the numbing spray and the epidural completely failed. I could feel everything! DS was stressed and had a rapid drop in heart rate so I needed an episiotomy & forceps. I then had a PPH, and felt it ALL. Being stitched back up was nearly worse than labour. I could barely hold my newborn son afterwards.

I'd never ever go for an epidural again and I'm saying that even after going through a hell of alot of pain. If going natural I'd max out on other pain relief first but tbh in hindsight I'd of opted for a C Section if I knew that was the way it was going to go! I know I am in the minority of posters but I guess it's best to find out about as many experiences as possible. Of course there is 5% of people epidurals don't work for and I was in that 5%.

I was also stuck in hospital for 3 nights after birth with a catheter and required physio etc.

Just go with what feels right for you at the time. Good luck OP ☺️

First had epidural as had done 20 plus hours without it - amazing!
Second - had epidural and then progressed really quickly, it stopped working on one side and then completely but helped me get some energy for an hour.
Third - didn't have time but recovery as much quicker and easier.

Go with what you feel like at the time but if it was me for a fourth time I wouldn't hesitate to have it as soon as possible. Why be in pain if you don't need to be?

Hi @BEO , I was induced for my first labour and are due a c section for my 2nd in a couple weeks.
I was set on trying just gas and air and absolutely did not want the epidural, but during the 48 hours labour I was in I changed my mind and decided I wanted literally every pain relief method I could have😂
unfortunately by the time I got into the delivery room I was ready to push so I only ended up having pethidine and gas and air anyway, I was gutted. Luckily I didn’t need any forceps and only had a first degree tear.

I think you’re very wise to educate yourself fully on all available help and to realize that the best laid plans can go kaput in childbirth, so you need to be flexible and not set on any one thing.

Having said that, I highly recommend epidurals!! I had 3 and had 3 lovely pain free and calm births. My nurse told me when to push and did the countdown with me and I pushed for less than 5 minutes with all 3. #3 was out on second push.

My first birth was a bit more challenging as the labour was longest, cord was around his neck and his heart rate dropped, but even that was well managed by my doctor.

@CityKity so glad it was positive for you, I hope mine is the same, I guess that’s all I can hope for really 🥰

@Unic0rnSparkle0405 Awh thank you, so sorry it was such a painful experience for you!! I think the same; if it’s going to be awful I would rather opt for a section but don’t want to do that just because I’m scared of Labour. Rather give Labour a go unless they advise a section then I would deffo get one. Just rubbish how you can’t see the future and don’t know how it’s going to pan out and then it’s too late! So going with an open mind and going to try to enjoy it as much as possible (if that’s even possible) 🙈