Epidurals

[briggsy's girl]

there is no guarantee the epi will work for you hun - usually it will stop the pain of the contractions, but there are no guarantees

the needle is large - not gonna lie to you! but they put local anaesthetic into the area before injecting so all you really feel (or all i felt anyway) was a couple of small pr!cks as the local went in - didn't feel much as the actual epi needle went in. i'll admit it took more than one go to get it in the right space - may have been due to my size (i'm larger) and the fact that you really need to be curled up a lot to get it right which is damn hard when you're pregnant and have a big tummy to work around!!

i took the option of the epidural when things were already going south with my labour - it definitely wasn't a first option. we tried all we could within the limits i was facing (constant monitoring so couldn't use the bath, couldn't move more then X distance from the CTG or the remote monitors wouldn't work, tied to syntocinon drip) and it was only when i was already showing signs of failure to progress. it's not something i'd enter into without a good reason - there are so many other things i wanted to try that were just out of the question due to the induction and all the bits and pieces i was attached to. i would have loved to have been able to have a proper active birth process to give as much chance of a natural birth as possible - it just wasn't possible

do i regret the epidural (or any part of my birth) - not at all. we did what worked for us at the time and i'm at peace with that. BUT, had the circumstances been different i don't think i would have had the epidural if it could be avoided...

as to recovery - i had a c/s, and the epi was last "topped up" for total numbness as i was being stitched up - so around 5 am or just after - i had feeling back completely by 10, had the catheter out around half 10 and was back to looking after myself at that point. well, as much as they allow you to - the midwives didn't like the idea of me taking myself to the loo until they knew i was ok on my pegs - but we got there!

[first_time_mummy]

Man, that sounds kind scary lol, not having control on the lower part of ur body.

[Salad]

it was more funny that scarry my brain was telling me to roll over but I was so heavy and numb I couldnt.
I do not regret my epidural and I loved my birth and I would do it again.
Dont stress too much when you get in there you will know what you do and dont want. I thought I had a really high pain threshold but I could not cope with contractions with no break. You never know you might be able to do it. Dont just focus on epidurals look at all the other options too so you are well informed. You can try other stuff first. I tried the gas but I just could not coordinate sucking on it at the right time, and when I finally got it right the next contraction seemed worse so I stopped using it.

[demongrrl23]

I am personally very happy that epi's are available for us to use! I had them in 2 out of 3 labours...first one was because I had a drip put in to speed things along after labouring for 16 hours and only being 3cm dialated, 2nd on happened quite quickly and the anaethestist (sic?) wasnt available. Third one was due to being induced (post dates) and with the contractions coming on thick and fast, with no respite, they gave me one just to cope with the pain.
I am a complete wuss with pain, needles and the like, and I tend to go into a real flight or fight mode when confronted with it....and all logic flies out the window. With the epi, I was able to gather my thoughts and concentrate on pushing bubbys out...and I really noticed the difference of events with it and without it. 1st DD, (2nd labour) I had gas and pethidine for pain relief, and every time I felt a contraction come on, I was trying to move myself away from the pain, and not getting on with the business of pushing her out.
The only thing that bothered me about it was the fact that when I had to sit up for me to administer them, the contractions were usually 10 times more painful....with my last labour, that was when I screamed the loudest, sitting up and having contractions. I didnt not feel any needles at all go in, and the fact of it going into my spinal cloumn didnt bother me at all...I just knew what was coming at the end....NO MORE PAIN!!!
I have stated with this one to the midwives that if it looks like Im not coping then I want an epi...to which they have agreed....and I warned them that i do become a screming banshee during labour!! We all have our pain thresholds, some more than others, and personally I find it comforting that relief is out there to help us get through it.
Sorry for the long post!!!

[MantaRay]

Just be aware that in your ante-natal classes, you most likely won't get all the information that could be helpful. They will tell you about the small portion of woman for whom it doesn't work, and also the 1/100 who have the needle go in too far and have a massave headache for 48 hours or so. They will also most likely tell you that it will increase the risk of needing a c/sect or forceps/ventouse.

What they most likely won't mention is that you (at nearly every hospital) also need to have a catheter inserted and left in for 12 - 24 hours post birth. And that this introduces a risk of UTI. And it's darned uncomfortable. And then after that's removed you need to wee within a given time frame and have your first 3 wees checked by the nurse.

What they also won't mention is how much better you feel after giving birth without drugs, compared to how you fee after having had an epidural. Having had both I can tell you it's a world of difference. Being able to get straight out of bed for a shower, being able to go to the toilet by myself straight after. Changing my baby's nappy on the first day instead of needing a nurse for everything. And the big one - feeling well and exhilarated afterwards, instead of lying in bed feeling groggy, sore, uncomfortable and like a sick hospital patient actually, instead of a healthy new mum. It's really hard to explain to someone who hasn't experienced it. But you can take my word for it - I know which one I would want to go through again!

Once again, I want to state that I am not against epidurals and I do think they have their place. I just believe that if people had more information they would in some instances make different decisions. I strongly recommend reading up on birthing positions and active birth - it's really the best preparation for giving birth.

[hannahfroodoo]

I have experienced drug-free labour (first time round) and labour with an epi (with my twins). Bear in mind that I didn't WANT the epidural (was sort of railroaded into it on account of having two babies on board) which undoubtedly affected my perception of the whole experience BUT I hated the epidural. It was horrible. I hated being stuck in the bed and not being able to do something simple like just shift my weight in the bed was awful. I felt like labour was happening TO me and that it was something I had no part in.
But my biggest complaint was in relation to after the birth. you can't get up and shower or walk to your room or lie in bed and cuddle your baby because you're still all numb. And remember you'll also have a urinary catheter in, as well as a drip in your arm. So you're all attached to wires and tubes and it's very uncomfortable. It makes the whole post-birth experience very clinical and medical rather than the special, warm, fuzzy experience it was when I had no drugs.
as for the needle going in - well, they put it in your back of course - so you can't actually see it. I didn't even look at the needle because I just didn't want to know.

I think it's a great option when it's necessary but try and arm yourself with some coping techniques that will hopefully get you through instead.
FWIW, before my first labour, when I told DH I wanted a drug free birth, he read some of my books and said "I don't think you can do this." (how's that for a vote of confidence, eh? don't worry, he was sufficiently chastised!) but I guess what I'm saying is I'm not exactly tough when it comes to pain. My DH thought it was a joke that someone like me could do it without drugs but I did and it was awesome. So don't think "I'm not good with pain, I won't be able to do it." It's sooo different from any other kind of pain. You just might be ok.
Good luck!

[Ballerina]

I hope you don't feel blindsided with horror about "The Epidural" with images of endless pitfalls, and walking around with so many tubes you feel like a sea urchin!

It's hard when you're an impressionable first time mum. I basically just stuck my head in the sand when conversations with other mums got rolling in my third trimester because I was stressed out to the MAX about what kind of birthing experience I would have.

Sure there was some wonderful advice, but I found so many of my friends viewed their choices as sacrosanct... which was such a cop out to me because for every report, statistic or investigation quoth to me.... a contradictory offering would appear somewhere else

After an insufferable amount of time wasted looking for my answers, I found talking to my mum satisfied my needs in the end (why didn't I think of that in the first place? lol). She has had four kids, all VB's and the last child was an epidural. She worked for Norman Beischer, a Melb Uni professor of obstetrics and gynecology so she had heaps of books (okay some outdated ) to flick through and lots of loving and unbiased advice.

What can I tell you about my experience?

I hated my labour, the bath was great for early labour, gas was great later, I loved my epidural, I was disappointed that I had to have a c-section, but I loved cuddling and sleeping with my daughter as I recovered.

..and I was slightly jealous of the ladies in the next room that had a natural delivery and went off to jump in the shower! But my mum would wash me twice a day until I could myself

It's funny - people actually feel sorry for what I went through! But my daughter was well, I wasn't traipsing about like the walking wounded so I couldn't quite relate to their empathy. Some people even choose this as their birth plan (epidural, c-section) so isn't so bad that people don't want it......and choose it again sometimes as a first preference.

Aaaand, that's a wrap. Rant over.

[Junglemum]

I've had a labour with and a labour without. I much prefered not having the epi. But if you need or want one, the size of the needle is really no big deal. Yes it is long, but i'ts not like a massive drill or anything, it's a needle. I can't say i really even felt it go in and i wasn't in much pain or distress when i had it, so i could feel it all. I hate needles, but in reality the thought of them is always much worse than the reality.

[Fleur]

I hate needles, but in reality the thought of them is always much worse than the reality.

- totally - if you do decide to have one, just don't look

I would say that at that point, the needle will be the least of your worries!