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?

Didn't have either (so maybe I shouldn't be posting!)
But agree with the person who said that its prob the length of labour that might influence your decision at the time.
I remember being really adamant in my mind I wouldn't have pethidine - luckily it never was an issue.
Re. crowning: It is the most bizarre feeling, like a stretchy burning - but by the time you've managed to say 'oh my goodness' (polite version), it's over! In other words - really and honestly, don't give it another thought - it will happen, and you'll do it, and you'll move on - all in under a minute!
I really think one of the best ways to approach a first birth is to understand a) your body can do it, b) you're stronger than you realise, c)as someone else said - focus on being excited to meet your baby, that will help the endorphins to flow which is natural pain relief in itself! If you like the idea, don't rule out waterbirth - so unbeliveably effective as pain relief!
Best wishes to you.

Sorry, forgot to add: as others have said, focus on getting people to help you be as relaxed as possible, know what your options are as opposed to planning - there's a difference!

so ask for epidural as soon as you get to hosp?

If you really want an epidural, then I wouldn't waste any time making it known!
My hospital has a dedicated anaesthetist for the maternity ward, but on a busy day they're obv in demand.

Thing is, I know some friends have decided to see how they go, and then ended up not asking for it because they felt they could manage without. And others have lasted a while, then asked for their epi and got it.

Depends on how you feel: I approached it (even before the induction) scared of the pain and just wanting it taken away ASAP. I do see what independiente and others are saying about your body being able to do it and so on, I was just too scared to really trust that IYSWIM.

chloe I seem to remember another thread of yours where you were saying you had a huge fear of needles and weren't sure you wanted an epidural. Am I right?
I'm the same.
The pethidine injection was ok because it was quick and they told me it'd help (lying b*ards), but when in labour your main aim is to get that baby out and that baby's main aim is to get out and I really believe the pethidine had a huge part to play in the length of my pushing stage (2HRS 58MINS) and is 1 reason we needed intervention and ended up with a forcep delivery.

I did also mean to say that my labours were induced so I had no gradual build up to full on labour, it was from nothing to full on pain so perhaps why the gas & air was so hopeless for me.

I didnt need ventouse/forceps or an EMC and my labour was really short but I did suffer terrible dehydration (worst headache ever!) so make sure you drink enough aftwards.

Yes agree with Dinny if you decide you really do want an epidural make them aware as soon as you get there.

I was convinced no one was "going near my spine with a needle" but would do the same again tomorrow even with a needle anxiety!

I'd taken pethidine before pregnancy and it caused me to vomit all night and be spaced for days, so I was advised not to have it in labour. I had been terrified of an epidural but my pelvis fell apart and it was the obvious solution which suddenly seemed like a good idea. Gas+air had dealt with the contractions just fine.

The anaethetist was lovely and it worked a treat - didn't feel any pain after that, except an ache when due for a top-up. No idea if it slowed things down - I could feel the monitor wiggling when I pushed.

I did vomit loads just after the ventouse delivery and then have diarrhoea, but I suspect that's just me and most drugs. Avoided the painful post-birth poo problem at least...

I haven't had pethedine. I was also put off by the fact it affects the baby (or may do it it hasn't had a time to wear off before birth) and by my boss who reckoned she was out of it and was bearly aware her DD had even born. Apparently she just looked at her when she was born and rolled over and went to sleep for 2 hours!

As a complete control freak I did not want anything like that.

I had an epidural which was fantastic although I did end up with a forceps delivery which wasn't ideal but I had pretty much recovered within a week. I don't have a needle phobia admittedly but if it is going in your back you don't see it and I can honestly say that I didn't really feel the insertion of the thing at all. There is so much else going on that I just was glad I was not going to be in pain any more.

I didn't feel crowning either and I gave birth to my second child without any pain relief. I know some people do but to me it was no big deal, honestly. Maybe you will be lucky. Tbh, it is such a small part of the whole thing and you will have already been in labour so long that even if you do notice it but you will be able to cope with it, knowing you are seconds away from having your baby.

i had an epidural with my ds and it worked wonderfully for a few hours but it wore off about half an hour before he was born which was quite disapoointing, i could feel contractions but nothing else which is good i think, got told when to push and three pushes later he arrived, no stitches either and no intervention! he was only 5lb 11 as he was 4 weeks early though!

I had both types - an epi for my EMCS and a spinal when i was operated on again 12 days later. Hated the spinal as didn't like not feeling my legs and it took much limger to wear of and left my legs tingly for a while. The epi was great - could still lift my legs up and down and wiggle my toes etc - didn't feel quite as helpless. Both were the same pain releif wise and i was sick in recovery with both - much sooner with the spinal where I vomed over my bed within 10 minutes of leaving surgery (and peed myself as they'd not bothered to give me a catheter)!!

Just in response to the op - if you suffer from horrendous period pains then imo you'll be very used to the pain. For the vast majority of my contractions it just seemed like a horrendous period and I was fine with paracaetomol.

When the pain started getting too much I had pethadine and it was fantastic. I was even falling asleep between the contractions. (Much to the amusement of H and the midwife!)

Ds was born and everything was fine.

Unfortunately though, I then had to have an epidural due to stitches for a 3rd degree tear! And given the choice this time I absolutely would stick with the pethadine and gas and air. I hated the feeling of the epidural and the lack of sensation in my own body.

If you can relax (I know, easier said than done!) and understand that the pain is a means to a (very special!) end, you will be ok. It will be over soon enough - keep telling yourself that.

Honestly, for most people, it's never as bad as you imagine. I promise!

"The birthing pool is better than either epidural or pethidine"
Nonsense I was in the birthing pool when I started to beg for an epidural.

I agree with WilyWombat:
"the only way I would ever consider having another child is with an epidural"
"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"

I couldn't feel contractions with the epidural but with the midwife telling me to push and some machine which seemed to beep a lot when a contraction was coming it didn't seem to be a problem. They thought they might need to use the ventouse but I managed to push him out, all 9lb 7 of him!

All this advice is incredibly helpful. I'm definitely much more disposed to an epidural after reading through the threads. (Though I have to confess that pethidine sounds like it might be a bloody good laugh in any other circumstances!)

The birthing pool certainly doesn't work for everyone but it is certainly worth a try before opting for an epidural as first choice for pain relief in a first labour.

No side effects at all on the baby. I have seen many first time mothers birth in the pool and totally enjoyed the experience.

Oh yes, completely agree you should try it - it felt amazing to begin with and it must be lovely to actually give birth in the water. For me though, it was too painful.

Hi Loooouise,

I'm also an anxious first time pregnant person (due early March), so no experience to share, but some things that have helped me are - NCT antenatal classes - they tell you all about the stages of labour, so you have an idea of what to expect. Transition is actually part of the 1st stage of labour, when you dilate from 8-10cms (10cm is fully dilated) and when baby's head starts to leave the womb. This is apparently the point when you are most likely to want to go home and not do this after all. As you've got a few months to go, you might like to think about signing up for the classes - there should also be NHS ones available in your area.

For some factual info on the pain relief options and pros and cons, I've just found this on NHS Direct. I found it really helpful.

www.nhs.uk/planners/pregnancycareplanner/pages/Choosepainrelief.aspx

And, forgot to say, the dreams are really typical. I found it helpful when somebody asked me what might the positive message be that my brain was trying to tell me - like one of the other posters said, it might help you to focus on finding out more about the bits that are most worrying you, or give you clues as to the things that are most important to you (e.g. for me it was moral support from people close to me).

Hope helps and best of luck!