Pethidine v Epidural: can you share your pros and cons with me pls?

[loooouise]

Not due til June but have had several horrid labour dreams of late and am starting to feel anxious. (Yes, I'm a first-timer...) Can anybody share their experiences with these types of pain relief please?

The birthing pool is better than either epidural or pethidine .

Not all units use pethidine as it isn't that great for pain relief. my unit uses morphine which has a more relaxing effect than pethidine.

Babies can be made sleepy by both injected drugs and epidurals. Epidurals increase the need for assistance with forceps or ventouse.

That said, epidural is a great form of pain relief when labour is long and slow.

I had an induction, and epidural was sited before they started the syntocinon drip (yes, I'm a wimp ).

It was fabulous. My local hospital does low-dose epi, although I couldn't move around, but I was entirely pain-free.

Could tell when it was time to push (partly through keeping a hand on my stomach and feeling for contractions), pushed DS out no worries, didn't need stitches and it all took approx five hours.

Heartily recommend it and would do it all again.

Frazzle - you seem to have had a very good birth with no pain!

I did! Can honestly say I really enjoyed it. And that's coming from someone who put off having kids for two years because I was so birth-phobic.

Can understand and respect women who want to do it naturally, be in control etc - but for me, mine was perfect.

I never had pethedine as I worked for a medical company and the doctors there described it as a "terrible drug" and to avoid it if possible due to its effects on the baby.

I was convinced no way was I having an epidural but having one labour with edipdural and one with just gas an air and can honestly say the only way I would ever consider having another child is with an epidural. I found also as you need the midwife to tell you when to push you get more attention.

With G & A I was just given it and left on my own - it was a horrible scarey experience, I seriously thought at the time that I could die, and suffered with horrible depression for a long time afterward.

I did need stitches with the epidural would still I would opt for that to feel more mentally in control

If you dedide you want an epidural though make sure you tell them immediately as both times we had issues getting the anethetist (and obviously one time I didnt get it as a result!)

loooouise - I've skimmed through this thread, so apologies if I'm repeating or contradicting anything anyone else has said.

I had DD1 4 weeks ago and had an epidural - prior to having her I was quite against it (not sure why now), but I ended up needing a syntocin drip and continuous monitoring, which confined me to the bed. Until that point I felt I was coping well with the contractions and felt confident and in control being able to move around, however I was in tears after the first contraction lying down and felt very scared and out of control. So I opted for an epidural at this point as I knew I couldn't continue if I couldn't move around, and as soon as it was in and taking effect I regained control and confidence in myself again. For this reason alone I would recommend one, but I do second what an earlier poster said about taking guidance from the MW throughout.

I'm not sure if the dose was lowered for me towards the end, but I could feel the contractions as a pins and needles type feeling, so this helped knowing when to push.

HTH helps on epidurals, can't comment on pethidine I'm afraid. Good luck with the pregancy and with your LO when it arrives

I agree with zoe with the epidural made me feel in control (and I am a bit of a control freak) between contractions we just chatted with the g & a I felt so out of it and most of it is a blur.

epidural every time! had pethadine first with ds1, he needed resuscitating at birth and didnt feed properly, as a result i wasnt able to bf. I also dont remember it giving me any pain relief!! Then had epi (still ds1) bliss...until it wore off and they couldnt get anaesthetist back as she was in theatre!! Had a reaction 10 days after birth resulting in killer headache, vomiting with the pain. Just had to lie flat constantly. DS2 was induced but fast and intense labour (contractions every 3 mins immediately lasting at least 1min) had epi, only worked properly on 1 side but was enough to take the edge off and make it manageable. wore off in time for me to push properly (although 1 foot/lower leg compleytely numb so MW and hubby had to move it for me) Whilst i would like to think i could cope with the pain were i to have a 3rd, in reality i know that my labours are very intense and unrelenting with the contractions so would prob go for another epi. Good luck!

I was down for a home birth, but after labouring (pre labour really but contractions were strong and close together as they were trying to turn the baby the right way round) for 2 1/2 days the midwife advised me to get to hospital for some pethidine. We got there in the middle of the night and I had an injection and was then able to get some sleep which was a relief. I had another shot the next day after the waters had been broken, and a LOT of gas and air, but eventually ended up in a delivery room on a syntocin drip with an epidural. I just lay there and rested until the midwives told me to start pushing - it took over an hour but I couldn't feel much. The baby was sleepy and I was a bit out of it for a few days but if I'd stayed at home with no pain relief I really don't think I'd have coped.
So the moral of the story is...keep an open mind! Both worked for me altough ideally I'd have had just the gas and air. You just can't tell what's going to happen till it happens.

I was in labour for nearly 3 days so when I got admitted to the hospital i immediately asked for pethidine and landed up having 2 injections...really glad i did it certainly took the edge off the intensity of the contractions and luckily i wasn't nauseaus at all.

I landed up with a c-section cos ds just never engaged into the pelvis, but when he was born he was alive and kicking and definately not sleepy!

As everyone says just stay open minded - the birth didn't go the way id intended but ill definately take pethidine again...

The girl in the bed next to me was induced at the same time and wnet into labour at the same time, here baby was delviered about 15 minutes before mine. I had gas and air and a tens machine. She had pethidine. Both babies healthy and well, but my baby latched on and breastfed immediately and despite the fact the girl next to me was well and coping her DS took 24hrs to get started with feeding. I am not saying it was easier, but her babe slept a lot more immediately following birth. I think the pethidine caused drowsiness. I was sent home and she had to stay another night.

Having said all that, keep your mind open. I asked for Pethadine, but baby delviered and it was too late. I would use it , if i needed it, e.g malpresentation, delayed engaging of head, etc.

can you have an epidural if you arrive at hospital and ares, say, 6-7 cm?

what's the latest you cna have one?

Dinny, I think it can be done that late because my anaesthetist commended me on my sensible early choice because 'it's so hard trying to give epidurals to women who are 8cm and can't stay still' (he said it nicely, BTW).

Whether they'd try to talk you out of it or not, or whether someone would be available to do it right away, I don't know.

Have only given birth once and for that I went into the hospital with an open mind but 'No Pethidine' written on my birthplan as I'd read that it can make the baby drowsy and hard to feed.

Started with TENS and breathing exercises I'd learnt in ante-natal yoga. When my breathing turned into moaning the MW offered my G&A which I took. 6 hours later when my moaning turned into hollering she asked if I wanted anything stronger. I opted for Pethidine as I was nearing the edge of my pain threshold but didn't want to slow the labour down with an epidural. After the shot of pethidine I kept asking DH when it was going to work, he said 'It is working darling, you're not screaming as loudly'. But to me it felt like it barely took the edge off.

Managed to get through the rest of the 1st stage without upping the pain relief. Then when it came to the second stage the MW took the G&A away. I had been using it to 'breath' out the pain and would have been wasting my energy doing that when I needed every ounce of strength to push.

Felt really pleased I'd made it through without an epidural, mainly so that I could use the right muscles to push. It took me 2 hours to get DS out and I imagine that if I'd had an epidural I would have ended up with ventouse/forceps or an EMC to get him out.

Frazzle- they gave me my spinal right when i was having a contraction with no G&A! i stayed as still as a statue [perfect patient emoticon] but i was bellowing like an enraged bull, which might have been a little distracting

Hello. I haven't ready the whole thread as my DD is crying and I have to go up and sort her out! But what I would echo is that although it's really good to try and anticipate what you do/don't want in labour, how you're going to manage etc, when it comes to it, it takes its own course perhaps?

Anyway, beforehand I said no to pethidine, but 12 hours in to a 30 hour labour (having been induced) I agreed to it and found it amazing. I could sleep, the pain was pretty much gone, and it gave me a three hour respite. I was sick but not till much later and don't know whether the pethidine was to blame.

I had an epidural much later, and that too was amazing. I must say that I did have interceptions (DD was born with forceps) but honestly, for me, I think that might have happened anyway due to the induction and so the pain relief truly was a blessed relief.

Hope that all makes sense!

really interesting to see how different everyone's experience has been. i had a 3 day induction with my first and had 3 or 4 epidurals, all of which only worked down one side. ended with a spinal block and forceps delivery and a bad episiotomy. in hospital for 9 days.

refused induction with dd, had a great labour using just breathing and the birth pool to keep the contractions under control. delivered a 9lb baby with no tears and no drugs, felt amazing and left the hospital next day. i guess you could say i'm not a big fan of induction, but i couldn't say how effective an epidural is when labour gets under way by itself.

Just to warn you all. My Friend had her DD2 last week and even though she had asked for an epidual right from the start, she couldn't have it because there was no anethatist avaliable to do it!

I think its great to find as much info as you can. But even given the same drug no two experiences are the same.
What you expect and how anxious you are is just as important.
I had a lengthy 2nd stage labour 2nd time around, i had gas and air. I did ask for pethidine but the timing was too close to delivery for me to feel any effect. That birth was strangely enjoyable, or at least one i look back on with good happy memories.
I was sick btw, i think that can just happen even without drugs, its a big thing for your body tobe doing!

I had pethidine with my 3rd. The labour was not long 3 hours and delivery was very rapid, but i was induced and pain didnt build up slowly enough for me to adjust and so it did become unbearable for a short time. however shortly after the pethidine was given the pain was managable again, and i think i may have even nodded off for ten mins which was lovely! lol.

So a very different birth but again i look back with fond memories, and pretty fresh ones too as she is just 9 months now.
Good luck, its a truly wonderful experience.

Have not read all the replies so sorry if repeating anything.

I had both when giving birth for first time. I only had a small amount of pethidine - it was ok, made me feel a bit woozy and I imagine if I had a larger dose might of helped me to sleep for a bit. I don't seem to remember it lasting that long and had no adverse side effects.

The epidural felt wonderful. I had a long labour and had enough and it just stopped all the pain. However, it may have slowed things down a bit and I had to have the drip to get contractions going. Adverse side effect was having to have a catheter in for a fortnight.

If I were you I would not worry about any of it. I would go in with an open mind and try to be positive and if you feel like you need something at the time the midwives will explain it all to you (that was my experience anyway - perhaps I was lucky and had good midwives). I am looking into hypnobirthing this time.

Hi there,

If I was you I would definitely check with family if they've had pethidine and what their reaction was.

I had it with my first, pushed into it by midwives, and passed out pretty much straight away. Came round each time there was a contraction, but didn't know where I was, what I was doing, or even who i was, and promptly passed out again when the contraction finished. DS got stuck, I'm convinced because I wasn't pushing because of the pethidine, and had to have ventouse which seemed to last forever according to DH. He says the doctor literally had her feet against the end of the bed bracing herself to pull DS out. After the birth DS was rushed off in distress, DH thought I was going to bleed to death and I couldn't walk for days. Not a good experience for any of us.

Afterwards told my mum about it and she said she'd had pethidine with me and exactly the same thing happened to her so she didn't take it with my brother.

For DD my birth plan basically said no pethidine on every line, and I was terrified that I might have a reaction to anything else so very wary of them too. My local hospital has a new a very good midwife led home from home unit with private rooms and birthing pools and anything else you might want apart from drugs (gas and air only). I went in there, had a water birth, and one shot of gas and air when she crowned and I panicked (basically the midwife got DH to shove the mouthpiece in when I decided I couldn't do it after all) but apart from that nothing. And it was so lovely compared to the first time. DH says it's not surprising, considering I didn't have someone shoving a plunger inside me for more than an hour

Everyone's different but do check about family just in case. Midwives can try to push you into pethidine when you're not in a state to make a rational decision, probably because it makes you more docile and easier to handle .

Good luck with it whatever you decide, it'll be great. After all, it's such a short time compared to the rest of their lives

I had pethidine with ds and have said never agin. i don't think it actually did anything but sending me on a trip. The lights in the hospital kept changing colour from bright pink to blues and greens and yellows, I felt very sick and as far as I'm aware, it had no affect on the pain whatsoever. I've done a bit of reading on it and pethidine can send baby very woozey so if given too close to delivery, your baby will need something to counteract the effects. It also can affect bf.
I had the peth because everyone was in theatre and nobody was free to administer epidural, I also have a huge fear of needles so the thought of an epidural is one of the most frightening thoughts and this time I don't know if I'm more scared of the thought of having an epidural or not.
I will not be having pethidine again, I've even written in my notes, under no circumstances are they to even suggest it to me.

I had pethidene with dd, which as someone else has said made me very woosy and drowsy, labour was not a pleasant experience at all, though soon forgotten.

My next two labours were with epidural and I enjoyed them much more, yes you need telling when to push but being pain free was bliss . I'd say No3 was my best as I had slight sensation and could feel him being born which was wonderful, whereas with No2 I felt absolutely nothing (which was not a problem at the time I can tell you!).