Epidurals

[BlackBerry25]

I had an epidural and I loved it. He got it in no problem. In fact I didn't even feel him put it in! Sure I had to stay flat on my back, but I was in no mood to move anyways. Once I had my epi I was in a great mood, visited with my family, and progressed very quickly. HOWEVER when it came to push I had just had it topped up and I could feel nothing. They had to cut me and use the vacuum extractor. Not sure if I would have needed that if I did not have the epidural, but her heartbeat was dropping and my contractions were stopping. I also had a horrible 3rd degree tear, but I did not know this as the epidural numbed it all. I was fine and I didnt even know that I had a tear until 3 days later when the home nurse came.

I would do it again. A pain free labour with a smile on my face was worth it. I would have been a TOTAL bitch if I didn't have it.

 

[BlackBerry25]

And it doesnt make you feel loopy! Thats what I was worried about with drugs. It just numbs you from the waist down. I could still move my legs, etc. It did make me extremely itchy and cold though.

 

[ryder]

To be honest, the reason I chose the epidural was because I WAS sick and out of it. The contractions made me very nauseated and being in the much pain for a long time can exhaust and stress you.

The epidural I had did not take away any of my control or make me out of it. I had complete control and could even tell when I was still having a contraction. It only took the pain and sickness away and made me more relaxed

Each to their own though. I personally would not be somewhere where the option was not availble, not after the experience I had.

 

[Luhweez]

my epidural was absolutley heavenly, i could not have got thorugh labour without it, the pethidine knocked me right out and i was out of control, when i got my epi i was so relaxed and in no pain at all and still knew when to push and when i was having a contraction, but as ryder says, each to their own!

 

[Hollys_Twinny]

I was like u...My consultant led unit was in the local newspaper for 2 whole weeks before I was due..so I really wanted the double bed, room & my OH 2 stay but...unfortunatly My lil man didnt have the same plans 4 me..! There wasnt enough variety in his heartbeat but my contractions wasnt strong enough so they induced me...and I decided that an epi didnt sound bad afterwards...but there are a few downsides..

1.I was numb for 12hours after giving birth...and I mean bed bound, Couldnt even reach for Morgan who was in his crib next to my bed..!

2.a catheter is needed

3.You have no idea when to push as u dont feel a contraction, which u probably thinks sounds great, but u kinda feel like you aint making any progress when pushing.

BUT.. I would have another one because The pain I was in before it was terrible..and after 24 hours of contractions u get a little fed up.

 

[ryder]

I dont know what it is like in the UK, but here you can request to not have a ton of the drug in the Epidural...

I only had a catheter before I began pushing. Because they want your bladder to be empty before the pushing stage. I did not have the catheter put in after labour as I got up after the placenta delivery and was able to go to the bathroom.

Perhaps it is because im I work in my hospital so they gave me more freedom with decisions... I dunno..

 

[nikky0907]

Epidural was life saver to me!

By the time my water broke and I got to the hospital I was already in labout for 24 hours and they had just put me on pitocin.So I got an epi and I didn't feel the pain one bit which was great because 20 hours later I was still in labour.
And then came 4 hours of pushing by which time the epi had worn off.

I agree witht he girls,the labour is the hard part to get through and I'm glad I got an epidural through it...

 

[Moraine]

I was against epidurals and any pain control. I started out with a home birth, laboured at home, mostly in my birthing pool for around 12 hours before taking an ambulance ride to hospital. By that time the contractions were excruciating, it was like one big contraction, there was no rest in between. I had an epidural when I got to the hospital and it was wonderful! I could still tell when I had a contraction when I would feel my tummy harden up.

I was able to push with the epidural, though by that time it had started to wear off. I also had gas, that was great too, it really took the edge off the contractions when the epidural wore off, as by that time I was no longer pushing as there was no point.

I would probably not try for another home birth, but I would try to do it natural again, but then I would be able to have an epidural if I needed one.

It did not make me feel out of it, and it did not hurt going in. The pain and exhaustion made me feel out of it, the epidural was a relief.

 

[Mrs_Nesbit]

I had an epidural with my first. My contractions started bedtime the night before I was due to be induced. It was bad back labour, no let up, just constant agony and my panic probably didnt help matters pain wise.
Gas and air was useless, pethadine was god awful and made me violently ill. (I felt out of control enough without feeling like a paralitic vomiting drunk) Come daylight I was knackered and still only 2cm dilated so they went through the motions of the planned induction to get my contractions to work more effectively.
The Epidural was a godsend!!
I managed a nice well deserved kip and had stopped stressing enough to get on with the big push. Decided against a top up and got enough feeling back to push unaided.

With my son I'd got over the fear of the unknown, knew the drill..lol and had quite a smooth time of it using only gas & air in the MW unit and plan on doing the same with new bub.

 

[Sarah88]

My mum had an epidural an has back pain from it now. I didn't have one even though I was begging for one, an glad I didn't get it. Felt good to walk around an I gave birth in the shower which wouldn't have happened otherwise

 

[PeanutBean]

My, rather fresh, experience of an epidural was not a positive one. I had a 'window' in my back on the right hand side and another one, erm, across my whole uterus!!! I felt every single contraction right through (all dripped up so pretty strong and painful) and the epi numbed my right leg so I couldn't move it at all and after a top up my left was not much better. This seriously hindered my pushing power and I think is the reason I ended up needing a ventouse delivery. My experience is not one to recommend the epi! I hadn't planned on having it but I've always been open minded, it being my first baby, but I would want to avoid it another time.

 

[nkbapbt]

I had one..yes..even with a mirco preemie..

Once they started inducing my labor, the contractions came on SO fast. I was in PAIN! I didn't think it would hurt so much because clearly Lakai was so small, but I was happy I had it. After being in labor for three days before hand..and inducing my labor (because it wasn't happening fast enough for the doctors and he needed out ASAP or c-section was in order)..and not sleeping for days....

And the stitches...again...I was happy I had it!

Good luck.

PS ALL the doctors and nurses told me it was safe.

 

[Chel]

I had an epidural as I had to have a c-section.

The main reason I wouldn't have chosen an epidural personally is because once you've had one you're really restricted with what you can do - while I was in labour (I got to have both a c-section and a 'normal' labour in one... lucky me My baby was breech and nobody realised until I was 7cm dialted!!!) I was going well on just gas and personally it was enough I felt to get me through it to the end, I was able to get up and go to the toilet between contractions, I was walking around the room, trying different positions and such, which really helped me work through the contractions.

The epidural itself wasn't so bad, I was in a bit of shock when it was given to me... it was all a bit stressful... I had a contraction right as they put the needle in, that was a bit scary, but I got through it and had no side effects from the epidural.

I personally dont think I'd have an epidural with a normal labour, because I know I can handle the pain... sure it wasn't easy, but I feel like you kind of go somewhere else in your head that allows you to just get through it, you just focus on each contraction, get through it and move on to the next. I cant speak for how I'd handle the actual pushing, but I did start to have the first feeling like I wanted to push and in that head space the idea of pushing feels like pushing would be a relief from the pain - because at least you're then kind of moving towards something.

 

[luckyme225]

I loved my epi, it made labor with pitocin so much more bearable. I loved the fact that when I was pushing I could feel the contractions and baby bearing down but I couldn't feel the pain that went with it.

 

[Sweetie]

I had an epidural mainly because the only pain I was feeling was back labour. The guy who did mine managed to get it done in literally about two minutes between contractions. I wasn't dead set against it beforehand either just didn't want it if I felt I didn't need it. Oh and it was fab mainly because I ended up with an emergency section and wouldn't have been able to be awake for it if I didn't have the epi

 

[Always&4ever]

I didn't have one myself but my auntie had one, her son is not 1 and she has had constant pain in her back since the epi.

 

[charliebear]

I wanted to go to the birth centre too but went 2 weeks over so went in to be induced.
Was on the bed anyways as i had pitocin and my epi was the best thing ever. It didnt totally go to plan - it had to be resited and i could still feel on my right side slightly, although this was a good thing as i could feel when to push.
Ended up with forceps and tonnes of stitches (not because of epi tho!!), so glad i couldnt feel them!!

 

[xjade_edenx]

to be perfectly honest i wouldn't advice them to any one, my epidural didn't work and my back still after eight months after giving birth plays up continually

just gas and air next time at home .......... well thats the plan

 

[Lil_Baby_Boo]

I was induced at 15 days late, within 20 mins of them braking my waters my contractions were 5 (could have been closer) mins apart - it was torture! Had they have been further apart then I may have coped a little better. I tried the gas and air and hated it, didn't like the sound of pethidene so my only other option was epi - I'm so glad I did!!!

I managed to sleep for around 45 mins and kept having the epi topped up. Noah ended up getting stuck and they said they'd have to do forcepts but becuse they wern't sure if that was going to work I have to be preped for a section and have the epi which you need for a section (slightly diff to normal epi, i believe) I was taken to theatre and they managed to get him out using forcepts but I was told had I of not had the epi in the first place I prob would of had to have been put to sleep to have a section as there was no way i could have kept still for them to put an epi in 17 hours in to labour!! Not being awake for my own childs birth would have been heartbreaking - my MIL done it when she had my OH, she said it was awful going to sleep and waking up with this baby and not having any memory of the birth of her 1st child!!!

Keeping an open mind is best - every labour is diff!!

 

[Wobbles]

My mum had an epidural an has back pain from it now. I didn't have one even though I was begging for one, an glad I didn't get it. Felt good to walk around an I gave birth in the shower which wouldn't have happened otherwise

Same here although have to say I'm not against having one with this baby.

Like Nikky I had a near 24 hour labour and when I see people say they didn't feel a thing I did so I think mine had worn off but also helped ...my contractions stopped and I needed cut although I felt Caitlin I didn't feel the cut and I'd have hated too