Just listening to Rhea talk about epidurals and the cascade of interventions today (for the 1000th time lol) and I thought about doing a poll in here.... so if you can relate to your first birth/baby IF you had an epidural, please vote!
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Just listening to Rhea talk about epidurals and the cascade of interventions today (for the 1000th time lol) and I thought about doing a poll in here.... so if you can relate to your first birth/baby IF you had an epidural, please vote!
Do you want to include c/s Kelly?? I had no labour, just a c/s under epidural due to him being breech.
I've never had an epidural so I can't help you from my perspective - but my sister had a episi/forceps after an epidural, after an induction. She calls it the cascade of failures. They kept dialing up the oxy and blaming his falling heart rate on her "being too active" and gave her peth and then an epi to try and "help her sit still".
Sorry hon I mean women who laboured then had an epidural... not elective c/s... but can include emergency c/s.
I had an epi with all 3 and no further intervention aside from helping Ash when he had shoulder dys
I was induced with gels, had an Epi and DS was delivered via vacuum
I was induced, had an epi after a few hours and went on to have a natural, uncomplicated and unassisted birth. Wish I hadn't had an epi though - will try not to next time.
I was also induced and had a vaginal birth with no complications. I'd like a drug free labour next time but have to say I enjoyed the relief. It wore off in time to allow me to feel the cx to push unassisted.
Epi & Vac here!
After 24 hours of natural labour (and trying everything to get my bub moving!!) I was told I was only 3cm dialated!! I then asked for an epi - unfortunately by the time I had it I was so exhausted that I could barely push. I was grateful for my vac!
first labour was induced had peth then epidural, ended up with an episiotmy, horrible birth :(
not induced, epidural, failed ventouse epis and forceps ( i opted for the epi cause i went into labour and nite and hadn't slept 17 hour labour
Induced due to pre e. morphine after 8 hours, then epi 4 hours later, normal delivery 4hrs after epi went in, no extra intervention.
Gee I'm smart!
I answered before I read...
I didn't have an epi. Sorry :redface:
No worries Kelly, that's why I thought I would ask.. didn't want to give you false data :):
You need more buttons on the poll ;)
i wanted to say epi, vac, forceps & extra intervention.
I had a epidural when I was induced after broken waters and no contractions...but it was pretty much turned way down by the time the pushing part began. No other intervention required other then a couple of stitches (which I think would've happened with me regardless of epi or not).
My waters broke and contractions started, I laboured for 28 hours, got to 4cm so had 'failure to progress', they did the drip... then epidural, then attempted vacuum extraction, then emerg. c/s.
I just wanted to clarify natural and vaginal guys... once you've had an epi it's a vaginal birth, as is when you have an artificial rupture of membranes, induction, gas, third stage injection - its some sort of procedure or interference from a natural bodily process. This does not include checks with the doppler etc which is standard care at home or hospital.
I had emerg c/s under an epi..though my cs was nothing to do with interventions or other failures. purely due to issues with Charlotte.
They broke my waters though, other than that, 36 hours with no intervention.
I had an epi after labouring for 24 hours (established labour for about 12 hours). Had to have a vacuum because DD was stuck and in distress and had to be brought out quicker. They had a hard time getting the vaccum to work but after 3 attempts it worked. If it hadn't, I was going to be rushed for an emergency c/s. I don't think the assitance was anything to do with the epi though. My waters broke 30mins before contractions started and things were progressing too slowly which is why intervention was needed.
I was induced with the gel with DS1 and had an epidural and turned out to be 9cm at the time, no further intervention was required thankfully!
Mine ended with an emergency cs...
I also should have mentioned that my epi was not topped up for a long while before I started pushing so I was able to completely feel my contractions at that point. Maybe if it had been topped up I would more likely have required assistance? At the time though I was furious that my OB wouldn't top up the epi because it huuuuurt!!
Double post
I couldn't feel anything with any of my 3 and I didn't require assistance. The first I had a spinal block as well and I couldn't feel the contractions to push, but I used the monitor thing to tell me when I was contracting so I pushed then. The next 2 I just had the epi and could feel the contractions, they were just painless.
I laboured naturally, had an epidural and then an emergency c section
My first birth was 18.5 hours of labour. Midwife broke my waters because it took 5 hours for me to go from 4cm to 6cm.. About 2 hours later i had the epi and Syntocinon to try and turn the baby, then 6.5 hours later i had the vaccum, i was a hairs breadth from having a c/s. Personally i believe that i made the wrong choice with getting my waters broken. My ds was in the wrong position to birth easily and i doubt that it helped any. Neither did lying on my back for hours once i had the epi.
I chose to have an epi after not progressing from 5-6cms in the 3 hours that I had been at hosp. Doc then requested induction, which midwives held off on for a couple of hours, but then gave me as we figured I already had the epi so why not. Vacuum was used as DS's heartrate wasn't stable after me pushing for about 30 mins.
The results here pretty much are in line with the discussion I was part of, that 60% of women having an epidural will need further assistance/intervention to have their baby born... interesting.
What are the stats on assistance/intervention for first time Mums who don't have epidural?
Ta,
Kate
I had an epidural after 50hrs of labour and 2hrs of pushing and the only other pain relief I had was water injection. I was told that I needed one as they were either going to do a forceps delivery or c-section and the ob wanted me prepped before he got there. My baby wasn't distressed but I was and she just didn't want to come out. I couldn't have a vacuum extraction as Olive's head was too swollen from all the pushing so luckily ended up with the forceps. Although it was a highly distressing experience at least I got to push out my baby after all that time with no drugs. I had a third degree episitomy and a third degree tear as a reasult and lost 1.8ltrs of blood but to be honest by the end I just wanted my baby and didn't care how.
i was induced, gels at 8pm sunday night, waters broken monday 7.30am, drip by 10am,
by 7pm not really progressing so had epi.... darling girl delivery EVENTUALLY 3.52am TUESDAY morning with no instruments - thanks god for my epi i never would of been able to labour that long and still have the strenght to push her out without it!!
sorry - not relevant
I had an epi and forceps but I'm not sure I would use the words, "as a result" because it's quite possible I would have needed forceps without the epi IYKWIM. Infact, my honest opinion is that I would have needed the forceps regardless.
Ummm its a known fact that an epidural increases your risk of intervention because you reduce the sensation and effectiveness pushing.... hence why they need to pull babies out with things like forceps and vacuum. I would say even moreso for first time mums who have never experienced the sensation of pushing, but who knows could be the same.
yeah sorry,
like fionas I couldn't say 'as a result' cause I had the epi because they already knew that they were going to be intervening by giving a c-s or the forceps so not sure if mine is relevent either.
Waters broke 11pm and bub hadnt engaged was still 3 fingers high, then was induced with drip, laboured for hours and hours had gas, pethadine, the epidural and was unable to feel the contractions once bubs was ready to come so they had to tell me when to push, also needed to be cut and DS was helped out with the vacuum He was born 8.55pm. Was only 5pd 7 ounces. Thought to mention he was born a few hours before his EDD.
well i was induced, had epi after 12 hours of nothing, ended in epesiotomy and forceps. she was distressed, i prob could of delivered without intervention like forceps, but had to have the epesiotomy
I have had an epidural with both my labours. Both babies have been OP. With my first labour, I had been going with 3 - 5 min apart contractions for 38 hours and had not slept (even pethidine was not easing the pain enough to sleep) and only dialated to 7cm. My body seemed to stopped dialating for a few hours at 7cm so I had the epi and within 2 hours my dd was born with no further intervention. (1 more hour of labour till I was 10cm dialated and then about 45 mins of pushing).
With my 2nd labour I was induced and had the epi because they wanted to put me on a drip to keep my contractions going. I barely had to push with my ds. He worked his way down the birth canal by himself. When they went to give me an internal his head was halfway out. So 2 pushes and ds was born.
Both my epi experiences were very good.
i had my first baby on 26th march and i had an epidural. i must admit it was a very quick labour of only 5 hours!!!!! very lucky!
i managed to grt to 5cm before screaming for the magic drug....which was a good thing as baby popped only 2 hrs later!!! no epi....just internal tearing. easy birth.....i'll be rushing straight to the hospital with my 2nd!!!!