Epidurals, catheter, actual birth pain.... What's best for me??

[Blackroseuk]

I've read a few things on here and elsewhere online of the epidurals and pros and cons. I plan to go as far naturally with my labour and birth as possible. I'm much more scared of the actual birth. I want to have a hospital birth but I want to put in my birth plan that i want an epidural if I feel like I actually need it...I want to knowvthe earliest and latest I can have it so I can decide on the spot. I'm well aware of the risks of prolonged labour, stressing the baby, terrible back pain and even perminant paralysis from the waist down. Some ppl dont even feel the effects from the epidural!

It effects everyone differently and there's no telling if complications will lead you to need one, but im scared stiff imagining myself not being able to walk or take care of my baby properly!
Also I'm not resistant to pain AT ALL and ive got a serious phobia of needles. I'm not just afraid...I'm terrified and physically sick.
I feel the same about the catheter and the needle in your hand they give you. My husbands had these done and my mother in law has had an epi. None of these were good experiences. I nearly faint at the thought of jabs and even blood tests! My last blood test hurt so much!
I also want to put in my notes I don't want a whatever it's called....where they cut you unless absolutely necessary. I'd rather natural tearing although im dreading that.
Thing is my local hospital has got a bad reputation, especially for childbirth. And the other nearest one (my husband goes to) has got doctors that dont know what they are doing and dont inform the others of what the patients notes say etc. My young uncle was there and recovered from leukaemia as it runs in my dads side of the family and has worked it's way through all but two of my dads eleven brothers. He was a day away from going home and be developed a serious infection from the tools they were using there cos they wernt clean. He asked them to clean them for days but they didn't! He died that day I think he was only 37!

Do you need a catheter with an epi?
Ive been told I probably couldn't handle the birth pain with how I am with pain and hospitals.
I want to go home asap with baby.

What do you think is best for me?

 

[littlemiss83]

Do you need a catheter with an epi?

Yes - as you wont be able to use the bathroom as you will be paralysed from from the waist down.

I dont want to scare you but the epi needle is absolutely massive, its more like a bigger surgical instrument, the needle goes directly into your spine then they put a tube in through your back (if i remember rite), its very very painful to get it put in & it requires an anetestist (sp) you will have to tell them in advance so they can arrange for one to be there. Mines had to get phoned out from his house -it took him 3 attemps to get the needle into my spine by which point my OH was being sick everywhere coz he hates even a normal needle - I've been one of the unlucky ones and i've had very bad back pain since birth & epi (7 years ago) they wanted me to have surgery at one point as my back was so damaged. Its caused me & my OH alot of pain & i'd say you should think really well before deciding. Yes there's lots of good stories about epi's but dont forget about the bad ones.

Yes, its very difficult to look after a baby/child with constant on going back pain & no way of getting rid of it - its stuck for life, only option is pain killers which make you a zombie.

 

[Blackroseuk]

I'm so sorry for your trouble. I'm finally getting a bed after years of going without but as a result I've got a bad back at times and constantly a bad neck. Plus for months now ive needed the loo all the time. So sounds apart from pain relief it's not good for me at all. I am very worried about the pain though, ESP of the actual birth.
If you don't have an epidural do you need anything else such as the needle in your hand whatever it's called?

 

[littlemiss83]

I'm not 100% tbh coz i've never had a natural birth. I remember having a drip in my hand coz I was induced which was obvs a needle. & i'm not sure if they checked my blood too.

How far on are you? Have you had any blood tests already with your MW?

I'm really worried about the pain & the actual birth too.

 

[Blackroseuk]

Wow you havnt got far to go. Good luck please let me know how it goes for you. I'm not actually pregnant but I will be trying soon. I'm just a big worrier and think it's best if I find out as much as possible before actually going. I wont have a midwife though will I if I'm having a hospital birth?

 

[littlemiss83]

Yeah its always midwifes, even if you have a home birth, if you have an epidural or are induced or any type of thing like that, you will have a consultant (doctor) there as well as the MW's.

Feel free to ask away - it doesn't matter if your pregnant or not - your doing the right thing by finding out as much as you can - its an important time in your life!!

 

[Blackroseuk]

Thanks my husband said I'm scaring myself and I'll have plenty of time to find this out during pregnancy. He says they do however improve things every month in hospitals more or less and maybe theyve made the epidural and things better.

 

[poppypd]

blackrose - I don't know if it works in actual labour from first hand experience but i've got the natal hypnobirthing cd and book, it has taken so much of my fear away already by telling you all sorts of facts about where the fear comes from. It may not be for you but I'm glad I've got it from reading about it on a thread on here once, so thought would pass it on. Some of the birth stories on here too have been encouraging from the women who have done it.


xxx

 

[Lacey's Mummy]

I'm the biggest wuss when it comes to pain, I sometimes cry when I stub my toe but I've naturally had 2 babies just with gas n air! The pain is so different and yes not gonna lie, it f**king hurts but for all you know you might be able to handle it. It's amazing how our bodies cope in labour! x x

 

[Jaxx01]

If you have a natural uncomplicated labour then there are no needles involved, you can get by with just gas and air...but they normally give you an injection to help with the delivery of the placenta!? Tbh by that time yu have the baby on you and you are having such nice cuddles and you are overwhelmed that youdont even notice! Once i had the baby in my arms, I didnt notice anything at all!!!!

Its only if there are complications that you will need needles or anything and although the epidural can be quite a frightening thought, trust me I normally nearly pass out at things like that, as long as you dont look at the needle it makes it easier...they gave me gas and air while I had my epidural

You will be absolutely fine hun xxx

 

[Maybe_mummy]

Blackrose, im very much like you I freak out with blood tests (i faint) catheters and drips and a canula. Ive learnt to deal with the numerous blood test by telling the midwife or doctors whos doing them about my fear and then simply not looking. When its done give myself a few minutes to calm down and then im fine. So far and Ive had quite a few Im fine. I like you are scared stiff of a canula and would hate having to have one i had one before and couldnt move my hand to the point it was turning white and going completely numb.

I don't want an epidural (i say that now!! LOL) and the though of a C section scares the hell out of me, I would rather suffer the pain then having the C Section and longer recovery. It makes me queasy but recently my love for my unborn LO is making me think I don't care do what you want to me as long as they get my baby out safely. Im definately going to look into the hypno birthing too as think it will be very beneficial to me.

My Elderley uncle passed away through an infection he got in hospital and yes it was horrid and worries me but there are so many good stories too so Im trying to think positive and that my experience will be different!!

 

[tinkerbell86]

Tbh I was like this and I did give birth naturally and I naturally tore but you have no knowledge of it actually happening! Your too focused on the baby and getting the baby out rather than tearing etc. I ended up with two spinals and neither were for labour and I must admit they were not as bad as I thought and I would consider having one while in labour next time. I had a catheter for only one of the spinal procedures I had but they do it while your numb so don't know about it!

 

[Blackroseuk]

Thanks everyone. I really hope I can do it naturally. I am a total wuss when it comes to everything lol. I have a slight phobia of being sick, and sick in general. So I gotta overcome that cos my LO will be doing that...ALOT lol!
I have a phobia of needles big time...but ive had a large colourful tattoo done (which hasn't overcome my fear) and I had to needle my husbands fistula when he was on home dialysis for years.
I dunno...maybe if I put my mind to it I can do it. I really hope so. I know that I've never experienced anything even close to the pain of labour and childbirth.
But as you say, it's a different sort of pain and with excitement I suppose with it. It's supposed to happen and we are supposed to survive it so I'll try n suck it up! Lol. It's not for ages yet anyway....i need to get a bun in the oven first. come on!!

 

[Blackroseuk]

So what are the pros to giving birth naturally? Less stress for baby and emotional pros I suppose. are there any pros to c section?

 

[littlemiss83]

So what are the pros to giving birth naturally? Less stress for baby and emotional pros I suppose. are there any pros to c section?

Only one I can think of is that if its a planned section you know exactly when the birth will be.

 

[Mrs.s]

I was adamant I was having a natural birth in the pool and that was how my labour started and it was great however things went wrong and I ended up with no choice but to have an epidural and a drip (my waters had been broken for 48hrs and labour wasn't progressing quickly enough) my advice is this go in with a completely open mind labour just isn't something you can plan or control if you have an open mind about what will happen it will much less stressful than if you have this plan in you head and then it doesn't go that way!

 

[jojo_2012]

Although they like to insert catheters with epidurals, incontinence 100% is never a reason to insert a catheter. I for one will be fighting all the way not to get one because they are a direct route for infection, which is the last thing you need.

 

[titch]

I argued with the nurse, and cried and begged not to have a catheter after they pushed me into having an epidural i didnt need. She basically said I wont be able to pee, so Ill need it. No choice at all.

When I had an epidural I had;

a drip in my hand
a permanent blood pressure cuff
2 belts on my bump as i couldnt feel contractions, and 1 to monitor LO
a cetheter
a clip on my finger measuring my oxygen levels
the epidural tube coming out my back

when LO became distressed I also had a screw going into his head (up my foo) to measure heartrate accurately and an oxygen mask.

I was like the bionic woman with 8 tubes and wires in various parts of my body. It was pretty shocking when Id planned a water hypnobirth!

Personally having the epidural was the worst thing for me, but I didnt really want it so I think its very different if you were in so much pain that you really wanted it, you might love it then!

 

[cosmicgirl]

As far as I am aware, a catheter is essential if you have had an epidural as you would not be able to empty your bladder and it would just get fuller and fuller and can be quite dangerous. You can actually damage the bladder. That is why they put one in, not to save your dignity from peeing yourself. x

 

[Hope81]

Am I the only one who would actually like a c section? I saw enough natural birth during med school to decide that I want a c section when the time comes