What do you think of Epidurals?

[Jodiash]

Hello

Has anyone decided on an epidural or had one? My due date is in two weeks and I have an unclear mind as to what to do! I don't mind needles at all, I suffer from panic attacks and I am worried that with the pain I will have one!

Suggestions please

Thanks
Jodi

 

[jools85]

i had one after a long drawn out labour, it was a great decision for me.
believe me you wont even care about the needle if you get to the stage where you need one!
Im so glad i did as it made my labour actually quite enjoyable!
I had a nap, was able to chat, text on my phone...there was absolutely no shouting or screaming, i was glad that this wasnt the first thing lo heard!

however, they do make it more likely that you will need forceps etc as you cant work with gravity, you are stuck to the bed. you can get mobile epidurals but my hospital didnt do these.
also means you will need a catheter which isnt very nice, and also instrumental deliveries mean you need an episoitomy and can cause after effects with your pelvic floor (ie leaking!)

There are lots of pros and cons, it all depends on how your labour progresses and how you cope with the pain. I had one as after 3 days in active labour I was afraid I wouldnt be able to push and didnt want any other pain relief (ie pethidine) as I wanted to remember everything.

hope this helps
x

 

[Jodiash]

i had one after a long drawn out labour, it was a great decision for me.
believe me you wont even care about the needle if you get to the stage where you need one!
Im so glad i did as it made my labour actually quite enjoyable!
I had a nap, was able to chat, text on my phone...there was absolutely no shouting or screaming, i was glad that this wasnt the first thing lo heard!

however, they do make it more likely that you will need forceps etc as you cant work with gravity, you are stuck to the bed. you can get mobile epidurals but my hospital didnt do these.
also means you will need a catheter which isnt very nice, and also instrumental deliveries mean you need an episoitomy and can cause after effects with your pelvic floor (ie leaking!)

There are lots of pros and cons, it all depends on how your labour progresses and how you cope with the pain. I had one as after 3 days in active labour I was afraid I wouldnt be able to push and didnt want any other pain relief (ie pethidine) as I wanted to remember everything.

hope this helps
x

Thank you that's great to know. I have been asking a few of my friends they have mixed opinions and keep saying go for natural. I know what I am like with pain and think I would prefer not to stress and have a panic attack as that wouldn't be good for the baby! I really don't want pethidine either as its meant to be risky for the baby.

I think I will go for one! I know you have to be 4cm dialated to have one, but do you know when you can't have one?

Thank you xx

 

[jools85]

You cant if you are over 8cm i think.
Dont let anyone try to bully you into a natural birth if you dont want one. See how you go but better an epidural than a traumatic memory...its there and it works!
I would say that if its what you want make it clear to hospital staff. Ive heard of some instances where they try and delay people until its too late and they dont have a choice.
I was practically following my midwife round the labour ward reminding her!x

 

[Jodiash]

You cant if you are over 8cm i think.
Dont let anyone try to bully you into a natural birth if you dont want one. See how you go but better an epidural than a traumatic memory...its there and it works!
I would say that if its what you want make it clear to hospital staff. Ive heard of some instances where they try and delay people until its too late and they dont have a choice.
I was practically following my midwife round the labour ward reminding her!x

Ok thank you it's so daunting the unknown I only have 2 weeks left!

I will be definitely pestering her then as soon as I go in!!

Thank you
Jodi xx

 

[chuck]

I think epis have their place...if you have interventions. If you labour is uncomplicated then you don't NEED an epi.

You can equip yourself with numerous ways of coping with labour but once you get an epi you are more likely to need further intervention and the possibility that the lack of sensation may be more disturbing than having it.

Look at natal hypnotherapy or hynobirthing to work through your fears and give you relaxation techniques for labour, think about a water birth or at least labouring in a pool the water is bliss.

 

[Jodiash]

I think epis have their place...if you have interventions. If you labour is uncomplicated then you don't NEED an epi.

You can equip yourself with numerous ways of coping with labour but once you get an epi you are more likely to need further intervention and the possibility that the lack of sensation may be more disturbing than having it.

Look at natal hypnotherapy or hynobirthing to work through your fears and give you relaxation techniques for labour, think about a water birth or at least labouring in a pool the water is bliss.

Thank you. I think I will be in the bath when the contractions start as I have heard water is amazing then I'll see how it goes, if I start to have a panic attack I will have to have one. I wish I could control them but they really take over at times, I am going to try my hardest though!

Jodi x

 

[newmommy23]

My advice for you is to not worry about it right now! You never know what will happen in labor and its best to just keep an open mind about it. I didn't want one but I ended up having a very long labor and so I got one at 7cm. Which is good because I didn't have my daughter for 12 hours after that and I was tired. but yeah, don't let anyone decide for you. It is seriously not the end of the world if you get one! No worries. Don't let anyone push you anyway

 

[Jodiash]

My advice for you is to not worry about it right now! You never know what will happen in labor and its best to just keep an open mind about it. I didn't want one but I ended up having a very long labor and so I got one at 7cm. Which is good because I didn't have my daughter for 12 hours after that and I was tired. but yeah, don't let anyone decide for you. It is seriously not the end of the world if you get one! No worries. Don't let anyone push you anyway

Thank you...Your are right. I am so worried about labour as its my first baby, which I suppose is natural. I will do what's right for me at the time, just hoping it goes as smoothly as possible - can't wait to meet my baby though! x

 

[lynnikins]

you might be surprised how much natural pain relief your body can give you if you go with it and stay relaxed through it. i suffer from panic attacks and it didnt affect my labours at all with either of the boys caus i was able to focus on what I was doing

 

[dan-o]

You might cope just fine without, I had really intense contractions, & I only started asking for an epidural when I was fully dilated (not knowing how dilated I was!!!)

So glad I didnt have one, as I was able to push really well (pushing stage didnt really hurt for me) and get out of bed right after giving birth to use the loo and have a shower! I think having a natural birth made my recovery a lot quicker too

 

[dacosta]

unbeknownst to me at the time i had a back to back baby and was suffering with unimaginable pain; i was so dead set against epidurals as the thought of it terrified me. however, the MW's said it was likely i'd have one as i was induced and that often hightens pain too. i held out as long as i could until the pain became just too much - the epidural was a godsend! absolutely amazing.

all i can say is listen to the advice of the MW's on the day and try and decide what's best for you then. when it came down to it, the epidural was nothing and it relieved a lot of pain and allowed me to rest.

however, i'd still hold out as long as possible with the next one as once i had the epidural i couldn't move and therefore prolonged my labour as i was stuck on my back for the rest of the process (worst thing to do with a back-to-back baby but i didnt know that at the time). i actually believe the epidural combined with being induced resulted in me having a c-section. had i been left to my own devices and not induced, things wouldn't have snowballed like they did, and i think things would have turned out differently.

 

[chuck]

Jodi I really wold consider doing some hypno, you can just buy the CD's rather than do classes as they're expensive.

They can help you with relaxing before you get to full on panic attack and dealing with labour in general.

 

[rwllgoodchild]

I had an epidural after 9 months of saying "under no circumstances am I having one"

My waters broke at midnight and contractions started half an hour later, but I wasn't dilating, I was 2cm the previous day and 2pm I was at 4cm so at 3:30pm they told me they were going to have to put me on the drip to get things going, they warned me that it would be painful (I was already guzzling gas & air and had the dia-morphine jab) so I had an epidural. It was amazing - I was numb within minutes but... my contractions stopped, my BP plummeted and I had a room full of doctors and specialists. Everything eventually went back to normal and at about 1am the epidural started wearing off slightly, by 2am I could feel every one of the pains in my vagina when I started to push.

I do have some niggling back pains still since having it, but nothing I cant cope with.

I will be trying to go with just gas and air next time, but if needed I will be having another epidural.

Just make sure you read the disclaimer before you just jump in, then decide what is best. Good luck hun xx

 

[tristansmum]

i think just go with it on the day. my labour went nothing like my birth plan but my baby was delivered safely. if you decide on an epi then don't feel bad. everyone has their own experience. someone who managed a wonderful waterbirth may not understand another woman needing one and visa versa. everyone experiences their own labour and pain threshold. best thing to do is do as much research on epidurals and other pain relief as possible. the pro and cons. also see if you can find out about your hospital's policies and waiting times ect.

 

[Jodiash]

you might be surprised how much natural pain relief your body can give you if you go with it and stay relaxed through it. i suffer from panic attacks and it didnt affect my labours at all with either of the boys caus i was able to focus on what I was doing

Thank you! I know this is the thing I might be absolutely fine I hope anyway! Panic attacks are horrible I feel like I can't breath and tremble all over! Because I know that the outcome is good I hope not to panic as much.

Thanks xx

 

[Jodiash]

I had an epidural after 9 months of saying "under no circumstances am I having one"

My waters broke at midnight and contractions started half an hour later, but I wasn't dilating, I was 2cm the previous day and 2pm I was at 4cm so at 3:30pm they told me they were going to have to put me on the drip to get things going, they warned me that it would be painful (I was already guzzling gas & air and had the dia-morphine jab) so I had an epidural. It was amazing - I was numb within minutes but... my contractions stopped, my BP plummeted and I had a room full of doctors and specialists. Everything eventually went back to normal and at about 1am the epidural started wearing off slightly, by 2am I could feel every one of the pains in my vagina when I started to push.

I do have some niggling back pains still since having it, but nothing I cant cope with.

I will be trying to go with just gas and air next time, but if needed I will be having another epidural.

Just make sure you read the disclaimer before you just jump in, then decide what is best. Good luck hun xx

Thank you too! Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do don't you! Its really good getting everyone's opinions! I'll have a read and see what's best. I just hope it will all go ok! I know when I hold my baby all of this will be forgotten but it's first time nerves! I have heard some horror stories about labour which hasn't helped with my nerves but I am sure it will be ok! Thankyou and take care xx

 

[Jodiash]

i think just go with it on the day. my labour went nothing like my birth plan but my baby was delivered safely. if you decide on an epi then don't feel bad. everyone has their own experience. someone who managed a wonderful waterbirth may not understand another woman needing one and visa versa. everyone experiences their own labour and pain threshold. best thing to do is do as much research on epidurals and other pain relief as possible. the pro and cons. also see if you can find out about your hospital's policies and waiting times ect.

I know, you are totally right thank you. Everyone is different, personally I have a low threshold of pain which is not so good! I will try my best though! Wish it would hurry up! xx

 

[Mummy_2_1]

Originally I wasn't going to have one but I ended up having to be induced as my LO was big, and the drip made my contractions sooo painful. I had the EPI and it failed first time, so the anaesthetist had to come back and do another. It was heaven having it and really relaxed me! The way I look at it is, you don't get any medals for bravery in labour x

 

[Jodiash]

Originally I wasn't going to have one but I ended up having to be induced as my LO was big, and the drip made my contractions sooo painful. I had the EPI and it failed first time, so the anaesthetist had to come back and do another. It was heaven having it and really relaxed me! The way I look at it is, you don't get any medals for bravery in labour x

He he very true we don't get a medal do we! Although us mums probably deserve one! I have heard about them failing too - would just be my luck he he! It's good to know it worked for you too! Thank you for you reply xx