Anyone have any experience with Self Administered Epidural?

[Cajadaem]

Hi, i am being induced, and having an early epidural. At my hospital appointment this week, when i made my birth plan, we discussed the epidural, how it works ect.
This is where i found out i will be having a self administered epidural, not something that had even crossed my mind, so of course now i am wanting to hear from anyone that has had one, especially if in UK.

 

[LisaL79]

Self administered as in you hit a button to give yourself a boost? I had that with my first. I could only press the button once every couple of hours if I wanted which I did. Just had no desire to feel labor lol.

 

[Cajadaem]

yes its a button you have to press, which can be done every 30mins apparently. Just wandered what it was like, as i was set to thinking it was administered and would last a few hours or something, so this has got me thinking

 

[luz]

I thought that's how all epidurals were? With mine i had a little button i could push if i started to feel pain or anything, but i never felt like i needed to. However, i did push it once right before pushing, just to give a little bit of an extra boost to get me through.

 

[misspriss]

That was how mine was with my c-section, I just thought they were all like that!

 

[mwah_xx]

Yep mine was like that (the whole hour I had it before being rushed off for emcs )

I could push it ALL I liked.... but it was only dispensed every 15 minutes.

To be honest mine hadn't taken full effect before I went to theatre (I could still transfer myself from bed to table)

But it's did mean I had the pain off the contractions!

 

[misspriss]

Yep mine was like that (the whole hour I had it before being rushed off for emcs )

I could push it ALL I liked.... but it was only dispensed every 15 minutes.

To be honest mine hadn't taken full effect before I went to theatre (I could still transfer myself from bed to table)

But it's did mean I had the pain off the contractions!

I guess they do them differently if you are going straight into surgery, mine took full effect within minutes! They probably give you a much stronger dose if you are doing it right before an EMCS. I didn't even feel any pressure, let alone be able to move! Felt like my legs were floating away...

 

[MeaganMackenz]

... I had no button

 

[mwah_xx]

Yep mine was like that (the whole hour I had it before being rushed off for emcs )

I could push it ALL I liked.... but it was only dispensed every 15 minutes.

To be honest mine hadn't taken full effect before I went to theatre (I could still transfer myself from bed to table)

But it's did mean I had the pain off the contractions!

I guess they do them differently if you are going straight into surgery, mine took full effect within minutes! They probably give you a much stronger dose if you are doing it right before an EMCS. I didn't even feel any pressure, let alone be able to move! Felt like my legs were floating away...

I'd guess so, I wasn't meant to be going to surgery and then when I did they just did more drugs down the epidural site and it was a Spinal. Totally can't remember what it was like was major emergency Just that I was screaming cut me......

 

[Zephram]

Yep, mine was like that. I just hit the button whenever I felt I needed a top up. I think there was a lockout period, i.e. you could only hit the button every so often and if you hit it more often then nothing would happen, but I don't remember how long it was.

 

[Cattia]

the one I had when I had my daughter was like this too. I don't remember all that much about it, but I do know that I had no pain. The only trouble was pushing her out as I couldn't feel anything so I didn't have a clue what I was doing!

 

[misspriss]

Yep mine was like that (the whole hour I had it before being rushed off for emcs )

I could push it ALL I liked.... but it was only dispensed every 15 minutes.

To be honest mine hadn't taken full effect before I went to theatre (I could still transfer myself from bed to table)

But it's did mean I had the pain off the contractions!

I guess they do them differently if you are going straight into surgery, mine took full effect within minutes! They probably give you a much stronger dose if you are doing it right before an EMCS. I didn't even feel any pressure, let alone be able to move! Felt like my legs were floating away...

I'd guess so, I wasn't meant to be going to surgery and then when I did they just did more drugs down the epidural site and it was a Spinal. Totally can't remember what it was like was major emergency Just that I was screaming cut me......

That must have been so terrifying! Mine was an EMCS as it wasn't an ELCS, and I had severe pre-eclampsia so time was of the essence, but it was not a real emergency, I mean I guess it was as I didn't realize the gravity of the pre-eclampsia situation while I was in it as I wasn't having any symptoms, but having read now what could have happened, I think it was more serious than I thought, but it wasn't the acute emergency "have to get the baby out NOW" kind of emergency.

 

[mwah_xx]

Yep mine was like that (the whole hour I had it before being rushed off for emcs )

I could push it ALL I liked.... but it was only dispensed every 15 minutes.

To be honest mine hadn't taken full effect before I went to theatre (I could still transfer myself from bed to table)

But it's did mean I had the pain off the contractions!

I guess they do them differently if you are going straight into surgery, mine took full effect within minutes! They probably give you a much stronger dose if you are doing it right before an EMCS. I didn't even feel any pressure, let alone be able to move! Felt like my legs were floating away...

I'd guess so, I wasn't meant to be going to surgery and then when I did they just did more drugs down the epidural site and it was a Spinal. Totally can't remember what it was like was major emergency Just that I was screaming cut me......

That must have been so terrifying! Mine was an EMCS as it wasn't an ELCS, and I had severe pre-eclampsia so time was of the essence, but it was not a real emergency, I mean I guess it was as I didn't realize the gravity of the pre-eclampsia situation while I was in it as I wasn't having any symptoms, but having read now what could have happened, I think it was more serious than I thought, but it wasn't the acute emergency "have to get the baby out NOW" kind of emergency.

They are very good at playing it down even when it is a have to get the baby out now sityation! must have to be very calm to be a doctor!