Epidurals

Hi.
I have been hearing mixed comments on epidurals, and whether or not its a good idea to have one.

I am very bad when it comes to pain, and was wondering if the epidural is an okay proceedure to go with to reduce pain?
Are there side effects to the baby? Is it a pain ful needle, as i am terrible with needles.
What is the risk of hitting the spinal cord?

Please let me know your opinions on the epidural and whether you think it is a good choice for pain relief.

I was told that you need to know whether you plan to have an epidural before you go to hospital, as they usually wont give one to you, unless you have discussed the chances with your midwife beforehand.

i didn't discuss the Epi until the pain became nasty and i was getting to the point of being "beyond" it and other pain relief wasn't working. i had the Ob explain what would happen, and then the anaesthetist - and we went ahead with it. i had a 'text book' epidural in that it took away the pain of the contractions, but not the sensation - was fantastic

keep in mind though - once you have the epi in, you're likely to need constant monitoring. you'll also be restricted to the bed either on your side or sitting up if possible. it's not really something you want if you're aiming for an active birth - it will likely lower your blood pressure, may slow your contractions, and prevents you using gravity to help the progress of your labour

i don't regret having the epidural when i had it - i'd been fairly restricted due to induction and constant monitoring bacause of pre-eclampsia - i also had other issues to take into consideration. i did, however, fight the urge to give into the "pain" until i had no choice as i was coming close to blacking out from lack of energy - my labour had slowed progress etc.

it's not something i'd enter into lightly as it does increase your chances of further intervention - but for what it does, it works damn well!

i had no nasty side effects from my epi but i was warned of some potential issues - so i would definitely discuss with your care providers early if you think this might be something you want - it's not something you want to be discussing at the height of labour - at least for me, due to it being an induction, they were able to turn the drip off and my contractions (which had already slowed due to bubba being stuck/not descending) slowed heaps more and i was able to have a rational discussion with the midwives (2) Ob and Ob registrar, and the anaethetist before it was administered.

hope that helps

BG

research shows that an epidural shouldnt be used as pain relief.
it should how ever be used as an anathsetic(sp) for procedures
Like bg said it increases the need for monitoring and leaves you attached to a bed(therefor going against how your body is designed to labour)

I recommend that you read New Active Birth. It is a fantastic book for helping you to understand labour and things you can do to help labour progress and positions that help with pain relief. I read it before DS2 was born and had a fantastic labour with just gas for pain relief (and in reality, I probably didn't need that either).

I really wish I had read the book before my first labour, as I really wasn't prepared or informed enough. I ended up being talked into an epidural, which I have regretted ever since. It caused a whole cascade of interventions, and I still have some of the effects as a result. Having since experienced labour without an epidural, I regret having had one the first time even more.

I think epidurals can be really helpful in some circumstances, such as during long, complicated labours. But I think our fear of pain causes them to be overused, and things like optimal positioning and staying active should really be tried first. Epidurals do increase the risk of complications such as foetal distress, which then often results in forceps, vacuum extraction or c-section. Forceps or ventouse are nearly always going to result in tearing and/or episiotomy and therefore stitches, and obviously c/s results in stitches too. It might be that you experience less pain during the labour, but then more afterwards! And more serious damage can be done by pushing while lying on your back without being able to feel things properly - pelvic floor damage and haemorrhoids to name a couple.

I don't write this to scare you, or to try and convince you not to have an epidural. Rather I am hoping that by sharing my experience I can help you to explore your options and be aware of the things that the hospital might not tell you. GL hun.

Why don't you check out Calmbirth or Hypnobirthing classes? There are other options than simply 'epi or not'.
No one is very good with pain, and there is pain in labour like it or not ;), but it is a different kind. Trust me.
If you can try to change your approach to pain and labour and not fear it too much you may not need feel the need for an epi at all.

I HATE needles so much I chose the pain over the needle in the back..and it wasn't that horrible after all ;)

I had to be induced because i was 9 days over and there was very little fluid around the baby. My contractions started at 1am and increased really quickly at 4am there was really no break in between them, I had no sleep because the lady in the bed next to me snored all night. At 6 they took me to the birthing suite and I had a shower, by 6:30 I couldnt talk or function I was exhausted, they checked how far dilated i was at 7am and I was 2cm. I ended up having an epidural after that and had to stay on the bed to be monitored I did not mind this at all I was really relaxed after this and thoroughly enjoyed the experience, my husband and I had some great conversations. I could feel the contractions but there was no pain. At 11am they checked how far dilated I was because the baby was in distress and they said I might need a c section. When they checked the babies head was right there and they told me to start pushing. 9 mins later she was born. I could not feel when to push because I was so overwealmed that my baby was going to be born so the nurses felt my belly for the contractions and told me when to push. I had to have an episiotomy because they had to get her out fast, but didnt feel any stitching up coz of epidural.
In my honest opinion I would do it again tomorrow. It does not matter how your baby is born as long as they are safe and well.
I did not feel the needle go in I just remember feeling **** then unreal.
Like I said I really enjoyed my birth and I dont care what people think of me for having drugs in labour. As far as we can tell Georgia had no side effects from the epidural.
It is not for everyone and there are risks involved which will be explained to you anyway. Just go in there well researched and you will know at the time.
I hope it all goes well.

I was terrified of having an epidural as I was freaked out about them hitting my spine and it not working and I HATE needles.

Anyway - had to have an emergency, non-laboring section and so had no chioice. It went in first time, no pain getting it in and it worked instantly so I was able to have the section quickly.

Honestly I was obsessed with how I didnt want an epidural as I was so scared of it! Ended up being the least of our worries!

I would be surprised if any hospital would expect you to make that decision before you actually needed the epi though. Are you sure this is right for you hospital? I would check it out because I would be sure that you wont need to make the decision until you are in labor. Good to gather information about it before hand though so you know what you are saying yes/no to.

Good luck!

I think aim not to have one by looking at ways of managing your labour through calmbirthing/hypnobirthing or a book that I read by Juju Sundin.

Have a few things up your sleeve.

And be aware of the risks of having one. It can make pushing the baby out harder because you can't feel as much and restricts your birthing positions making it more likely you will have to try to push baby out flat on your back. That also means that interventions such as forceps or ventouse are more likely.

Having said all that, I found the thought of an epidural immensely comforting. And in the end it was great. I had a very long prelabour/labour meaning I had very little sleep in three days plus DD was a posterior baby. I was exhausted and wanted a break from the pain and the chance to rest which is EXACTLY what the epidural gave me.

I needed help pushing DD out but I think that was more down to her position than the epidural and I did end up with forceps but only two tiny stitches.

So my advice again is to do everything you can to equip yourself for labour with some pain management techniques but to see the epidural as a last and very good, weapon in your arsenal if you need one.

FWIW, my ob reckons it's normally the length of the labour that determines whether you will choose to have an epidural or not and I agree. The problem is that no-one can tell you beforehand how long your labour will be hence it will always be an unknown until the actual day(s).

I would clarify with the hospital whether you need to decide beforehand - that doesn't seem right to me. I certainly didn't.

PERSONALLY..
I LOVED my epi...no issues and the best pain relief ever (IMO only)

I had only discussed it with DF before hand... i just asked for it when i wan't it.

Hey first time mummy ;)

My experience with an epidural was no problem at all, I'm not a huge fan of needles either but - in my opinion - it was the easiest part of my labour.

I didn't specify for an epidural in the first instance, and unfortunately for me the anesthetist had quite a backlog of patients that day. I waited for about 4-5 hours, but that's probably a rare occurrence.

If you aren't too sure you can always go in with an open mind, and if on the day you feel you want an epidural I'm sure you will get it. Good luck to you and bubs - how exciting!

And first time mummy....

Don't be scared of epidurals, or other birthing options for that matter.

They all have their positives and negatives. If it is suggested that c-sections are more prevalent in those who opt for epidural analgesia then so be it.... I did have a c-section, but I healed very well, I had no other complications and a few steri strips that remained on my wound for two weeks.

Walked out of hospital as good as gold.

That's about it, and although I wish I could have had a natural birth the natural way it wasn't the worst thing that could happen. So....good luck, good luck, good luck!

I went into the labour/birth not wanting an epidural... I was scared of all the horror stories ect. But to be honest it's like most things, you hardly hear of the good ones and only hear the bad ones.

I had the epi and loved it, due to Brendan being pre-term I wasn't able to hold him or try BF or anything he was taken away immediately. I slept off my epi.... have no idea how long it would have taken to wear off because I slept for hours and hours LOL.

I didn't feel the needle, the contraction pain was far worse than the needle... the only 'issue' I had was trying to keep still LOL.

I am really interested in this thread. Personally I have had two VERY different, quick natural labours - no drugs or intervention. However, I am seriously considering an epidural as an option this time (particularly if this labour is anything like my first). Personally I am aware of all the arguements for and against - But I am particularly interested in hearing about others who have actually experienced an epidural, and how it worked (or not) for them.

After a drug-free 1st birth, I ended up having an epi due to needing constant monitoring & drip which effectively left me strapped to the bed ....but it only worked on my legs!!! DOH. So i had the full pain of contractions in my uterus and was unable to move around. That seriously sucked. Ithink it may have had some effect right "down there" but I needed a needle for the stitches. I won't be asking for one third time round.

Don't know if this happens alot or not??

good luck

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Hi.
I was told that you need to know whether you plan to have an epidural before you go to hospital, as they usually wont give one to you, unless you have discussed the chances with your midwife beforehand.

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I'm not too sure about that but it is definitely a good idea to investigate it thoroughly before labour - as briggsy's girl said it's not something you want to be discussing at the height of labour.

With my first I went in hoping I wouldn't need it but ok with it if I had to ...and after a few hours I did. It worked beautifully, I even got to sleep a bit! BUT... it did restrict me to the bed, and possibly did slow the labour, I know by the end they were concerned that things weren't progressing as they should. Overall though, it did what it was supposed to and i had no nasty side effects.

With DS1 however I went in with the same attitude - if I need it fine , but I'll try & get through without it - and I managed without it. TBH I would much rather labour without an epidural...it allowed me a much more active birth, I used the shower for pain relief which was fantastic! and my overall feeling about things was ...better. It was only a three hour labour too which helped.

Although DS2 ended in CS, I laboured for 8-9 hrs with just gas before hand (and with my Mum in my ear going 'surely you want an epidural by now? :rolleyes:) - I think knowing that although it hurts, you do live thorugh it helps a LOT!

My advice to you is just to research it and keep an open mind.
You don't want to decide that you definitely aren't having one and then feel disappointed if you change your mind in labour...but also don't go in thinking that you WILL need one...you might do fine without it. Check out some of the other pain relief options which are less likely to result in intervention, and talk to your Ob about epidurals...when you make your choice know that it's the right one for you :)

Good luck!

FTM,

Just wondering if you have booked into your hospital yet? My hospital sells these two great little booklets one for mum and one for dad - you usually get them when you start your prenatal classes (26-30 weeks) I happened to just have the money on me on the day and pre purchased mine.

It goes through all the different treatments for pain relief and the procedures that can be done etc in great detail. Maybe at your next Ob appointment ask about it, its Preparing for birth: Mothers and Preparing for birth: Fathers

Personally I am waiting until we get to the classes before I start worrying about what type of pain relief I want etc that way I can ask whatever question I need to at the time.

Nae x

so does the epidural affect all women differently?
Is it 100% guarateed to reduce pain. after reading water wl80 said about it only working in the legs!!!?? That scares me.
So i could have the needle, and it may not even work 100% where its needed....yiikes.

Im just very interested in knowing a bit about it before i go into have bub...like you said, i dont want to be at the peak of labour and have to decide, cause im pretty sure my answer at that point will be bias...lol

Is it a large thick needle? It looks very long and thick on the baby shows i have watched on home and health channel :(

I didnt even see the needle I was so out of it lol
I was numb from the about just under breasts all the way down to toes. I could move my arms but when I had to roll over in the bed I needed the nurse and my husband to help me coz I just could not feel my legs or work them.

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!

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

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.

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!!!

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.

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!

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 :doh:

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 :rolleyes:) 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.

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.

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

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- 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!