epidural or no epidural?

[MummyToAmberx]

I dont think you can plan such a thing, labour is so unpredictable. Until the day your in it you just dont know how pain will go, could feel fine and find out your 7cm.
You could get such intense contractions by time reach hosp your ready to push or could like women on show i watched yesterday contract for 12hr and still not dilated once she got epi in 30min went 1-7cm.

Epi for me doesnt come into it unless i am truely exhausted or chance of c section is highly likely.
Epi scare hell out of me, thought of being numb and having no feeling or control is not for me. Plus all other risks too.

I had tough, long first labour but i still stood by the above. Also i wanted to be out of hosp the same day and like ti be on my feet the whole labour.

My second labour was more intense and thought of epi did cross my mind but it was due to pain from spd not the contractions once got refocused i was in transition hence reason why it crossed my mind.

Have you thought about water birth?
This is my plan this time, hoping it will help spd and the pain.

 

[Spiffynoodles]

I haven't read all the other posts, but I'm sure I'm in the minority when I say that I loved my epidural! I had one both times, and it was a life saver. I was able to rest during labor so that I had energy left over for my baby after birth. My SIL's OB put it this way: "You wouldn't get a root canal and ask for no anesthesia, so why not with birth, which is more painful?" But everyone has personal preferences, and should do what they feel more comfortable with.

 

[claudinator]

I haven't read all the other posts, but I'm sure I'm in the minority when I say that I loved my epidural! I had one both times, and it was a life saver. I was able to rest during labor so that I had energy left over for my baby after birth. My SIL's OB put it this way: "You wouldn't get a root canal and ask for no anesthesia, so why not with birth, which is more painful?" But everyone has personal preferences, and should do what they feel more comfortable with.

If my epidural didn't work they were going to put me under.

My anestatist was awesome I was really upset as everything backfired and she said "this isn't your mothers time (mams 74) you have a choice you'll get no prize for not taking it, you have a choice and this is your right choice" she was awesome!!!

 

[RaspberryK]

No chance in hell are they going near my spine with a needle that big!
Xx

 

[BlaireUK]

I was 100% against epidural and csection in my first birth plan. After 16-hours and being told I needed an emergency section the epidural was the most amazing relief ever. It's now up there over all the other crap I tried like pethadine etc for my impending labour.

I think it's worth understanding the pros and cons of all aspects of labour & pain relief but having experienced such a long arduous labour myself I now wouldn't rule anything out.

 

[RileysMummy]

I'll be going in with an open mind, I hope to avoid one. I managed just with the tens machine and gas & air with my daughter, I did beg for an epi at some point but by then I was 8cm so they refused ha ha. X

 

[EmzyJA]

I won't rule it out if I need one but want to try without. I was induced with my first and wasn't progressing. They put me on the drip to try to speed things up and told me as I was bed bound with the drip that I may as well have an epidural as the contractions would have been far more intense too and they were bad enough for me at the time. So I had one. But saying that it was a nice relief and I pushed her out within an hour. I didn't need help but did have a second degree tear and a graze. My recovery was fine though. I have birth at 5.09 am and was out by 3 pm that day, and wasn't too sore really either.

 

[katherinegrey]

I had an epi with my son, I didn't have the best experience to be honest, but I'd still recommend one!

Firstly, it bloody hurts. It REALLY hurts, I thought the contractions would be so bad I wouldn't care. They waited for a contraction to stop, then did it, so it's not like I had contraction pain to distract me, I'd just endured one wave of agony, just for different pain to be inflicted!

Then, it failed. I was still in agony an hour on, I think the midwife thought I was making it up until my sister asked if my waters had gone because the bed was all wet, I knew they hadn't, and when she checked, it was the epidural fluid that had leaked all over the bed, it had come out of my back.

So they had to perform it again. I cried when they said I'd have to do it again. BUT once it worked it was magic. I'd gone from being in excruciating pain to feeling mild pressure every time I got a contraction. They put a drip in to strengthen the contractions, and it was still magic.

The main reason I'm glad I got it is my baby became distressed. They needed to get him out as quick as possible, and that meant episiotomy, ventouse and when that failed forceps.

Due to the fact he was distressed I really don't think they'd have waited to perform an epidural and waited for it to kick in before they did all these things, so I'm pretty sure I'd have to had it all done with no pain relief, which I can't even imagine, I know ladies do cope without it, but I'm so glad I had some serious pain relief for it or I imagine it would have been even more traumatic.