Yes or No to Epidural

[Mummy Bean]

I went in with an open mind, and started in mid wife centre and was doing well on g&a in a pool but at 8cm he turned back to back and pooped so i had to be on a bed and monitored anyway...so i opted for one. Was surprised they let me have it as was so far dilated.

But i loved it, only had a low dose so could still feel my body doing it thing, i have no prob with needles and didnt feel it. Also loved the catheter as meant i didnt have to worry about going to the loo...all in all it meant i actually really enjoyed ths last part.

Main downside was that i had to stay over night....but would have had to have done that anyway due to bubba pooping.

Gonna do the same this time go in open minding and see how i handle it...wud rather not have this time as hoping to be home same day.

 

[bekkie]

I got the epidural, I was induced and contractions came on full blast... nurse said 'if you're going to get one, you might as well do it now, why suffer!'

the needle was uncomfortable... but I'll never forget the anesthesiologist saying 'you're going to feel a cooling sensation down your back' and then... 'you're having a contraction now, do you feel anything?'

When it came time to push I was able to joke with my husband and I was fully aware of what was going on around me without being distracted by the pain. It had already been a long and exhausting day and I can’t imagine how I would have made it through if I had needed to deal with those contractions that entire time…

It’s all personal choice – there’s no right or wrong way… as long as baby comes out healthy then the journey really doesn’t matter (IMO). I’ll be getting the epidural again though, for sure.

 

[XJessicaX]

I had one of each (sort of)
1st my daughter was a persistent posterior (back to back refusing to turn) so my labour was long and terribly painful. I opted for an epi and while it worked it was the most amazing thing EVER! Complete relief and I laughed and chatted to my husband and thought it was brilliant! However it didnt stay great as it was pulled out by doctor fiddling with it as an hour later I could feel everything down one side and the pain was awful, plus I had a catheter in and had to stay in bed and because I wasnt allowed to move my daughter stayed back to back and I needed a spinal, cut and suction cup....ughhhhh that sucked!

2nd labour I was hopeful not to need an epi. Used a TENS machine and then G&A and then when contractions very suddenly became agony I stopped using the G&A as sucking in was really annoying when in so much pain! I asked for an epi but then started pushing and she flew out. I LOVED being able to jump out of bed straight away! Felt great!

 

[Cupcake.Star]

I'm gonna keep a open mind but I'd prefer not to have one unless I really need to (ie need c-section). I just don't like the idea of that needle going in my back, and something going wrong

 

[DLA]

Also wanted to add. If you are going to consider an epi, ask your provider exactly what kind they do. There are different degrees. When I had mine, I was pretty numb but could still feel enough to push. This worked out great for me and I delivered with no problem.

 

[kerrie24]

I haven't had an epidural but my mum did with my youngest brother and it only numbed one side of her body,my friend got it and it went up instead of down and stopped her heart a few times it was touch and go,and my sister got it (I was at the birth with her) and it dramatically slowed down her labour and she ended up with forceps as she couldnt feel to push properly.
I wouldnt get it if I had anymore babies.

 

[aimee-lou]

No, but only because I'm petrified of the concept. Needles and spinal spaces shouldn't mix according to me. If I need one though I'll have one.

 

[DLA]

I think it's awesome if a woman wants do a med free birth but I think it's important to know that it's OK if you need some pain relief. I've seen a lot of misinformation about epidurals on this forum. If an epidural isn't for you, that's fine but if you're considering it, do the research and speak with a medical professional about the reality. It does NOT slow down your labor, that's been proven a myth. Actually if anything they see that it can speed it up (did with me) because your body can finally relax. As for being at higher risk of assisted delivery, that depends on the type of epi. I had a lower dose epi, so I could completely feel myself pushing. I only pushed for about 20 minutes or so. And lastly, it's not been proven that having an epi leads to C section. When I was pregnant with my son, I was freaked out about all these things and I'm so glad I asked my OBGYN and did my own research on it because I found out most things I was worried about turned out to be myths. If you decide to choose against the epi, that's your choice and absolutely nothing wrong with that, but just make an informed decision Good luck!

 

[kerrie24]

I think it's awesome if a woman wants do a med free birth but I think it's important to know that it's OK if you need some pain relief. I've seen a lot of misinformation about epidurals on this forum. If an epidural isn't for you, that's fine but if you're considering it, do the research and speak with a medical professional about the reality. It does NOT slow down your labor, that's been proven a myth. Actually if anything they see that it can speed it up (did with me) because your body can finally relax. As for being at higher risk of assisted delivery, that depends on the type of epi. I had a lower dose epi, so I could completely feel myself pushing. I only pushed for about 20 minutes or so. And lastly, it's not been proven that having an epi leads to C section. When I was pregnant with my son, I was freaked out about all these things and I'm so glad I asked my OBGYN and did my own research on it because I found out most things I was worried about turned out to be myths. If you decide to choose against the epi, that's your choice and absolutely nothing wrong with that, but just make an informed decision Good luck!

I'm sorry to argue but it certainly DID slow down my sisters labour.She went into hospital at 5pm(1cm dilated) and was progressing well,she got to 7cm at 1am and then they offered her the epi.They TOLD her it can slow down labour.
On the promise of being able to sleep she took the epidural and although the pain was gone the pressure still meant she was wincing and unable to sleep at all.At 4.30am they checked and she was fully dilated but her contractions had more or less dropped to none existent.They ended up delivering my niece by forceps at 7.56am after the contractions stopped completely.I absolutely believe if she hadnt had the epi it wouldnt have taken so long or ended in the assisted delivery.

 

[DLA]

I think it's awesome if a woman wants do a med free birth but I think it's important to know that it's OK if you need some pain relief. I've seen a lot of misinformation about epidurals on this forum. If an epidural isn't for you, that's fine but if you're considering it, do the research and speak with a medical professional about the reality. It does NOT slow down your labor, that's been proven a myth. Actually if anything they see that it can speed it up (did with me) because your body can finally relax. As for being at higher risk of assisted delivery, that depends on the type of epi. I had a lower dose epi, so I could completely feel myself pushing. I only pushed for about 20 minutes or so. And lastly, it's not been proven that having an epi leads to C section. When I was pregnant with my son, I was freaked out about all these things and I'm so glad I asked my OBGYN and did my own research on it because I found out most things I was worried about turned out to be myths. If you decide to choose against the epi, that's your choice and absolutely nothing wrong with that, but just make an informed decision Good luck!

I'm sorry to argue but it certainly DID slow down my sisters labour.She went into hospital at 5pm(1cm dilated) and was progressing well,she got to 7cm at 1am and then they offered her the epi.They TOLD her it can slow down labour.
On the promise of being able to sleep she took the epidural and although the pain was gone the pressure still meant she was wincing and unable to sleep at all.At 4.30am they checked and she was fully dilated but her contractions had more or less dropped to none existent.They ended up delivering my niece by forceps at 7.56am after the contractions stopped completely.I absolutely believe if she hadnt had the epi it wouldnt have taken so long or ended in the assisted delivery.

We can agree to disagree as I don't know anything about your sister's labor. When I looked into some of the concerns of epidurals, I found no conclusive studies of epidurals being linked to longer labor. My OBGYN attested to her experience of delivering babies for over 20 years and said the same thing. She explained how unpredictable labor can be and every labor is different. As for an assisted delivery as I said previously, that has a lot to do with the strength of the epidural and type. I had walking epi, which helped the pain but I could still feel enough to push and required absolutely no assistance. I don't think the epidural is for everyone but based on the research I've done, I don't personally think it's as black and white as "epidurals slow labor". But I'm a science/medical person (I work in the research dept for a med school/hospital), so I'm big on peer reviewed studies to convince me, but that's just me. If someone isn't comfortable with an epidural for whatever reason, they shouldn't feel pressured to have it. I just encourage speaking with medical professionals that you trust to make an informed decision. I understand some will disagree with me and that's totally fine

 

[solitaire89]

I think it's awesome if a woman wants do a med free birth but I think it's important to know that it's OK if you need some pain relief. I've seen a lot of misinformation about epidurals on this forum. If an epidural isn't for you, that's fine but if you're considering it, do the research and speak with a medical professional about the reality. It does NOT slow down your labor, that's been proven a myth. Actually if anything they see that it can speed it up (did with me) because your body can finally relax. As for being at higher risk of assisted delivery, that depends on the type of epi. I had a lower dose epi, so I could completely feel myself pushing. I only pushed for about 20 minutes or so. And lastly, it's not been proven that having an epi leads to C section. When I was pregnant with my son, I was freaked out about all these things and I'm so glad I asked my OBGYN and did my own research on it because I found out most things I was worried about turned out to be myths. If you decide to choose against the epi, that's your choice and absolutely nothing wrong with that, but just make an informed decision Good luck!

The NICE guidelines (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) which are issued to the NHS and other clinical establishments in the UK state that an epidural "is associated with a longer second stage of labour and an increased chance of vaginal instrumental birth" (full guidelines are HERE). It does also state that "It is not associated with long-term backache", and "It is not associated with a longer first stage of labour or an increased chance of caesarean birth". But to be perfectly honest, I do have an element of distrust of the NHS's "opinion" of things, as most people here will know!

 

[DLA]

I think it's awesome if a woman wants do a med free birth but I think it's important to know that it's OK if you need some pain relief. I've seen a lot of misinformation about epidurals on this forum. If an epidural isn't for you, that's fine but if you're considering it, do the research and speak with a medical professional about the reality. It does NOT slow down your labor, that's been proven a myth. Actually if anything they see that it can speed it up (did with me) because your body can finally relax. As for being at higher risk of assisted delivery, that depends on the type of epi. I had a lower dose epi, so I could completely feel myself pushing. I only pushed for about 20 minutes or so. And lastly, it's not been proven that having an epi leads to C section. When I was pregnant with my son, I was freaked out about all these things and I'm so glad I asked my OBGYN and did my own research on it because I found out most things I was worried about turned out to be myths. If you decide to choose against the epi, that's your choice and absolutely nothing wrong with that, but just make an informed decision Good luck!

The NICE guidelines (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence) which are issued to the NHS and other clinical establishments in the UK state that an epidural "is associated with a longer second stage of labour and an increased chance of vaginal instrumental birth" (full guidelines are HERE). It does also state that "It is not associated with long-term backache", and "It is not associated with a longer first stage of labour or an increased chance of caesarean birth". But to be perfectly honest, I do have an element of distrust of the NHS's "opinion" of things, as most people here will know!

That's interesting. Here is a pretty recent study on the duration labor being linked to epidurals:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3299112/#ref3
Then this is bit more extreme because this doctor is clearly for epidurals (but actually I'm not even sure if that's the way to put it, he may just be passionate about informed decisions and dispelling what he believes are myths)
https://www.epiduralwithoutguilt.com/
I haven't read his book just because I feel pretty secure in my knowledge on the subject from my first pregnancy. While his opinion on the matter is obvious, he does have science/medicine to back up his claims so I don't think he should be totally discounted.

I guess it's all in what you trust or believe. I'm not to familiar with NHS so I can't really comment too much on that. I just know that all the medical journals I've looked through that exhibited this subject presented no evidence of a lot of these claims (longer labor, assisted delivery etc). Regardless, it's personal choice every woman has to make and what's right for one woman, may not be right for another.

 

[solitaire89]

That's interesting. Here is a pretty recent study on the duration labor being linked to epidurals:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3299112/#ref3
Then this is bit more extreme because this doctor is clearly for epidurals (but actually I'm not even sure if that's the way to put it, he may just be passionate about informed decisions and dispelling what he believes are myths)
https://www.epiduralwithoutguilt.com/
I haven't read his book just because I feel pretty secure in my knowledge on the subject from my first pregnancy. While his opinion on the matter is obvious, he does have science/medicine to back up his claims so I don't think he should be totally discounted.

I guess it's all in what you trust or believe. I'm not to familiar with NHS so I can't really comment too much on that. I just know that all the medical journals I've looked through that exhibited this subject presented no evidence of a lot of these claims (longer labor, assisted delivery etc). Regardless, it's personal choice every woman has to make and what's right for one woman, may not be right for another.

Actually - contrary to popular belief, I agree entirely! It is personal choice which a woman has to make, but my worry is that people are not being presented with all the facts - the NHS state that hypnosis is not effective. I beg to differ! I am not against a woman having an epi if that is what she chooses, just so long as she is making that choice armed with the facts, and not just going off "what the doc says"

(ETA: When I say a choice made armed with the facts, I mean a choice like you made, having done your research)

 

[DLA]

That's interesting. Here is a pretty recent study on the duration labor being linked to epidurals:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3299112/#ref3
Then this is bit more extreme because this doctor is clearly for epidurals (but actually I'm not even sure if that's the way to put it, he may just be passionate about informed decisions and dispelling what he believes are myths)
https://www.epiduralwithoutguilt.com/
I haven't read his book just because I feel pretty secure in my knowledge on the subject from my first pregnancy. While his opinion on the matter is obvious, he does have science/medicine to back up his claims so I don't think he should be totally discounted.

I guess it's all in what you trust or believe. I'm not to familiar with NHS so I can't really comment too much on that. I just know that all the medical journals I've looked through that exhibited this subject presented no evidence of a lot of these claims (longer labor, assisted delivery etc). Regardless, it's personal choice every woman has to make and what's right for one woman, may not be right for another.

Actually - contrary to popular belief, I agree entirely! It is personal choice which a woman has to make, but my worry is that people are not being presented with all the facts - the NHS state that hypnosis is not effective. I beg to differ! I am not against a woman having an epi if that is what she chooses, just so long as she is making that choice armed with the facts, and not just going off "what the doc says"

(ETA: When I say a choice made armed with the facts, I mean a choice like you made, having done your research)

Totally agree! And I didn't mean to imply that you are "anti epi" or anything like that. And I wouldn't trust any old doctor too, because as many amazing doctors that out there, there are bad ones. It makes me shudder when I hear women being pressured to do it "med free" when they want some medication to help, then the guilt omg. But It's no different than the women that want to do it med free, and get crap about that and pressured into that. Whatever your choice is, it should be respected.

 

[solitaire89]

I hate the fact that whatever you do you come in for stick from someone about it. I mean, chose alternative therapy, you're a hippy, choose drug free, you're a martyr, choose epi and where do you want to start with the labels!!! freedom of choice? What's that then

 

[xsadiex]

If you have an epidural you are more likely to be immobile and on your back - therefore more likely to need an instrumental birth. I have no doubt this is true! Using gravity and hip opening positions can really help. Not all hospitals in the uk do low dose epidurals.