To epidural or to not epidural?

[jumperoo2738]

Second pregnancy here. My first birth was a vaginal water birth. Back to back baby. 27 hours (not pain that whole time but I was exhausted from the length)

I had pethadine and they broke my waters to help dilate. I definitely asked for an epidural at times! 2nd degree tear.

Once baby was here, recovery was okay (minus spd not disappearing straightaway!)

I opted for hypnobirthing and the birth centre because it was covid and hospitals were giving everyone a c section (in my nct group everyone had one but me) but I lived on the top floor of flats so I was realllllly trying to avoid that. So I was never anti epidural but you are forced to pick between the birth centre and hospital.

Second time round I'm intrigued by an epidural aka less pain. It will be my last child.

Other mums make comments like I'm silly as most people want a water birth which I completely get but doesn't mean it wasn't still hard! I wish I was anti medicine more as it would be easier.

Any insights from other mums? Some say an epidural really messed up their backs etc. Not having an epidural would hopefully mean a quicker recovery so I can get home to my first.

TIA xx

@Destiny123 thank you!

All epidurals now days are walking epidurals (just means weaker local anaesthetic). Can't say I've ever seen anyone walk with one in 9y of obs though

Kind of a harsh reply to what was meant to be a supportive comment, even if you didn't find it helpful.

Just had my first. Had been cleared for a water birth in a birth centre like your first birth, arrived to deliver and had high blood pressure, protein in urine and baby's heart rate was high so we had to take ourselves to hospital (no issues throughout pregnancy even a week before). I was put on hypertension medicine and then started vomiting a lot from the pain, filled three sick bowls in one go, then given anti sickness medication.

I had planned not to go for an epidural but was exhausted after the multiple trips, worry about the baby and even with the adrenaline prob after a sleepless night. Labour slowed down and was almost given the oxytocin drip but it then picked up on its own. I was using a TENS machine and gas and air but at 6cm felt too exhausted for the pain to get worse so decided on epidural.

Epidural then failed the first time (be aware to ask for it early, it takes about 15 mins to put in - feels like longer and you have to say when you're starting to have a contraction so the anaesthetist can stop and you stay as still as you can, bent forwards over a pillow sitting up on the side of the bed. Would be much easier earlier in labour). First epidural failed so I was scream-sobbing into the gas and air.

They then redid it which took more time but it was honestly amazing! DH left me for 10 min (I told him to go eat, day and a half in) making a lot of noise in pain and came back to me lolling on the bed smiling puffing on the gas and air saying what an idiot I was for not wanting it.

I could feel the urge to push and the OBS was saying I was pushing really well with it. Apparently my body really wanted to give birth but baby didn't want to come out. Ended up with suction cup 'kiwi'(?) delivery and episiotomy which I was grateful to have the epidural for. Delivered on my back in stirrups which was very different to how I'd planned to be upright, forward, open etc but I just felt completely exhausted and by the point they wanted to use the suction cup, baby's heart rate had dipped.

No issues at all healing from the episiotomy, I took it easy after birth and have healed well. Also no issues being 'with it' or bonding with my baby because of the epidural, which I'd been worried about, and no issues with my back. They put in a catheter at some point while I was in pain because I'd said my bladder was painfully full but I didn't think I could get to the toilet with the contractions I was having being so painful and close so I'd actually asked if they could just put a pad on the bed for me to go there (desperation!). Catheter was honestly great, no issues and took a lot of pain and pressure away too.

I didn't get my plan A water birth and as they suspected possible late stage preeclampsia I don't think I'd be allowed to try it in a future pregnancy either. Part of me thinks it would be interesting to try for no epidural next time to see if I can make it but DH and I were just saying today what's the point really especially if it would likely be a hospital birth in a labour ward anyway.

But honestly only positive things to say about the hospital experience, and I'd gone in dreading the cascade of interventions and assuming I'd be pushed towards a C section. Possibly if I'd been more relaxed labour could have gone a different way but the hypertension, protein in urine and baby's heart rate all being a concern first, I was just thinking I wanted him delivered safely ASAP whatever that looked like (and TBF that's what my birth preferences said as well).

Wow, what an aggressive response to someone trying to help.

I can only assume you're having a bad day and took what I said completely the wrong way - I simply meant, go with your gut, do what works for you, it's 100% your body and your choice. Whether something is right or wrong for others, it doesn't mean it'll be the same for you. That doesn't mean you are wrong to ask for views or insights about others' experiences

The title of your post is literally a question though 'to epidural or not to epidural?' so to say you're not looking for answers is strange. I stand by what I said - there is no right or wrong answer to your question, you do what is right for you.

Good luck to you and I hope your day gets better.

I did, and it was fine. I did need some stitches but I think it’s common if you have had them previously and they didnt give me any trouble after. It was definitely the best course of action for me. The only downside is probably that you can only drink water or orange lucazade once it’s in, and can’t eat, but I didn’t mind and it was only a few hours.

@ANiceCuppaTeaandBiscuit oh good to know re food

Thanks for your replies xx

Thank you for this detailed reply. Well done and congratulations to you - the things we go through to birth these cuties.

Good reminder to really be open! Maybe I won't have a plan but I will remind myself of the Hypnobirthing in case I need to use it. I could be trying to make a decision about something that won't even be relevant.

Statistically, a correlation isn't causation, is it?

Women who have longer, more painful and more difficult labours tend to have epidurals - and have more interventions.
I had both and epidural and a forceps birth with one of mine because after 30 hours of back to back labour he was stuck. That wasn't caused by the epidural. He was a big baby and not in a great position.

As I mentioned earlier, I don't really remember a lot of the information from the bit where I signed the forms for the section - I'd been attempting a VB, but my son really didn't want to come out! But I began vomiting before going to surgery, and I'd been sick for most of my pregnancy, so I'd never presume to blame the epidural alone!

I had an epidural for my first, but not my second or third. It wasn’t planned like that, it just happened that way. First was a big baby (10lbs 2) and experiencing that level of pain for the first time floored me!! I had wanted a water birth but it there were no rooms available to have one in when I went into labour. Second child came 6 weeks early and was tiny, she shot out in 45 mins flat, so epidural wasn’t needed. Third child was back to back and it was a long and painful labour but I did it mostly on a ward and can’t even remember being offered an epidural.

My experience with the epidural was that you lose the ability to move your legs around by yourself. This meant that I was often in the same position for a long time and my back would begin to ache. I remember being not in pain from the labour, but uncomfortable anyway. I self administered the dosage, so I clicked this thing when I felt like I needed a top up. I was paranoid about administering too much, so only clicked a fraction of the amount I was allowed to. While this took the edge off massively, it still allowed me to feel what was going on down there. It made pushing much easier (I got away with no tears somehow despite his size). It also meant post-birth the feeling in my lower half returned fairly quickly and could be discharged just a few hours later.

I’m not sure you can really plan these things, it depends how the labour goes! If you’ve managed a back to back birth without one though then you can probably handle anything they throw at you! IMO the first birth was the most painful. Maybe I would have found it more manageable if I’d been in water though

I don't think this is true. I didn't have an epidural when I had the drip and I have two other friends that never either.

My third was an induction by oxytocin (waters had broken more than 12 hours or so previous, so they wanted to induce) and I also didn’t have an epidural for his birth. He was also back to back.

I needed an epidural for my first. That time my waters had been broken in hospital as he had gone past 42 weeks. Couldn’t stand the pain that time round!

I've had 3 normal quick labours and had the shakes each time so not sure it's just a epidural thing.

Had epidural with my first and it numbed the pain of course but I was sooo uncomfortable as you literally cannot manoeuvre your body at all. However I'd had that awful hormone drip and a very long induction so didn't have it in me to experience any pain. Pushing part was ok, I could still feel when the contractions were but not painful , second degree tear and quite a few stitches.
Second labour, no hormone drip so more gradual with the contractions. By 5cm I was begging for an epidural so they put one in but it completely failed! Like didn't work at all. By this point the anaesthetist had been called to an emergency section so couldn't re-site the epidural. I dilated very fast from then so by the time the anaesthetist had come back I'd already had the baby (within about 1.5 hours). I gave birth on all fours , just a graze and pushing phase was pretty quick and my body just did it.
If I was to give birth again (which I won't be no more children) I'd not have an epidural. The pain is excruciating without one of course but you soon forget it.

Thank you! I forgot to add, allow 45 minutes for the epidural to be put in and to take effect (and potentially more if it doesn't work the first time! My anaesthetist kept apologising though and said this never happens so I don't think it's common. Though my SIL had one which worked only on one side).

Definitely think hypnobirthing was very useful in terms of planning birth preferences. Even when some of these went out the window 😂 But it helped me to have considered lots of options and outcomes and DH was really good at asking questions when any intervention was offered. And the medical team were fantastic at answering as well, discussing benefits/risks, giving us time if we wanted to wait and see for a bit (eg when the drip was being considered)

I've had one out of my 4 due to the hormone drip it was my last baby and honestly I don't know why I didn't before. Got it in before hormone drip started. Went to sleep woke up to push had a little tear (probably would've had that anyways baby was 9lb)

Labour was a total of 5 hours. My others where painful as Labour is but wished I'd had an epidural with the others

most of us say that about 1:8 epidurals don't work perfectly (eg. they're better on one side than the other/they miss a stripe of the body). There is often a bit of tweaking we can do to get it better if it isn't great to start with, but occasionally they're just a bit naff. Depending on where a woman's up to with her labour, starting all over again is an option if the first line tricks don't work, but there's always a small chance the same thing would happen (or that it'd be even worse). Much less common for it to not work at all, but still not particularly rare.

I’ve given birth three times, had epidural for one of them and regretted it so much, made the whole thing harder for me and my backs never been 100% the same since x

I gave birth without the first time, had a late epidural out of exhaustion the second time, and chose an early one the third time. All VBAC with no complications/escalations. My conclusion is they're magic and a true gift from the heavens. Depending on how long/how much you have you'll be able to move more or less. But it wears off relatively quickly. And I've not had any long term issues. I also always felt the urge to push and actually the pushing phase was only a few minutes with the epidurals, versus 30 mins without!

I had an epidural after a long labour and eventually needing to be induced with the hormone drip and fuck me the relief after 24 hours of labour pains and zero sleep, just to no longer feel pain. I was worried about feeling paralysed but it wasn't like that I could still move around into different positions when pushing, and as I eventually had to have forceps and an episiotomy it helped that I was already numb. I guess the only downside was the catheter and having to stay an extra night in hospital, but I wish I'd had it sooner!

Yep that's what I always say. There's an association between epidurals and instrumental deliveries but we don't know if its cause or effect. As people who give birth pre hospitality don't get epidurals and don't go to theatre. For all we know baby was stuck in a funny position and causing far more pain than correctly positioned and that's the association not the epidural. Many without epidurals also come to theatre for sections or forceps so it maybe something you were destined for anyway. And nothing but a healthy mum and baby is important so there's no badge of honour to be in pain unnecessarily

OK but that's n=3. I've done about 2 or 3 days a week of labour ward for 9 years. Can count hmm sub 15 maybe that have had high dose oxytocin without an epidural. You may have only needed a v low dose to instigate labour

Theres a safety lock on all epidural pumps we set so noone can overdose.

Depending on the unit some give a mandatory hourly bolus, some are purely patient administered so chat to the team involved

1 in 10 is the quoted rate for not working perfectly. Normally one side of the body is more numb than the other, normally there's things we can do with it like pulling it back a little to symetricalise the holes it squirts out or putting stronger medicine down it. Sometimes we have to redo them. It's not rare really (little arrogant lol but we can often fix them without redoing them