epidurals

[soozy]

I had an epidural with my first child and really dont think i could have done it without one. Im definaly wanting one again but 4 of my friends who have just given birth within the last 3 months have all told me they were refused one and 2 of them gave birth with only taking paracetamol! They were not happy about this as they were in hospital with plenty of time to get one and were in labour for hours but were told there was no time!
This has really worried me as i always thought it was up to you if you wanted pain relief and if so what method you wanted. I understand if you are ready for pushing by the time you get there then there wont be enough time to have one but do the hospitals really have the right to tell you you cant have an epidural if you specifically ask for one? its got me really worried now. Im also getting contractions again but waiting to see if they get worse or last for a while before phoning the hospital again. Its my daughters 6th birthday today, would be just like the thing for me to have the baby today lol

 

[vixxie77]

I'm not sure hun, but wouldn't have thought so, maybe they were too far along x x

 

[Amanda W]

Ive been told i may not be allowed because i had a blood clot on my lung when i was 18

 

[Naaat]

I've put it down on my birth plan that I want one. Really hope I get one. o_0

 

[JJ Mum]

I think it's more a case that when in labour, ladies can want one, and it all be planned , but when it gets to the point of having / needing one, the ladies are suddenly past the stage where it's worth giving one, eg baby is literally here, etc or ladies wouldn't be able to keep still enougth while it was being set up (you have to be very careful with spines), or they are waiting for the Annethatist to come down to do it, and then it's too late, or due to suddenly how far you have gone, timewise having one , wouldn't have time to take effect before birth. Labour seems so changeable, so nothing can eb a dead cert plann.

Just be clear you would like one earlier than later, I have had 3 spinals with sections, so haven't laboured so not a great help, but I think some ladies don't like them too early as they then can't be mobile, and labour can slow or stop.

hope someone else can reply and advice more

 

[mumofmany]

I would love one cause my attitude is i wouldn't have a tooth out without anaesthetic why would i have a baby without, but i just dont have the time to have one due to very fast labours. i think as someone else said if you waited too long to ask for one, or the anaesathist is busy on an emergency, or labour waris very busy and they cant round to you yet.

 

[wirenth]

I had one with my eldest and really think i could've done it without as when i had my second i did it with only a shot of pethidine to help me sleep in early stages and then just had 2 co-codamol once i'd got past 5cm. I

when i had my epidural with my eldest they topped it up too late and i couldn't feel anything to push when it was time to start and he ended up being delivered by forceps as i couldn't push. If it is on your birth plan that you would like an epidural then unless it is too late to give you one then i don't see why they shouldn't.

I would mention it to the midwives as soon as i get to the hospital and make sure that they are aware of the fact that you want one and hopefully they should be able to get the anaesathist to see you as soon as they can xx

Hope you get what you are after hun xx

 

[Momma`Kat]

mumofmany - because unlike dentistry, labour is a natural part of life and has been done for thousands and thousands of years by all mammals? lol

 

[amyjayne77]

My me said cos the anethatist costs so much they dissuade women from having epidurals!!

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

I think that it is because there is more chance of intervention or even section with an epidural as the birth is normally longer and like wirenth said if you can feel when to push it could take a while

momma cat I know what your meaning none of us want teeth out lol but we all wanted the baby so there is only one way out lol but i would never say never to an epidural cause all births are diff, where are you delivering momma cat xx

 

[Momma`Kat]

Royal Infirmary Edinburgh

 

[AugustMum]

I was refused an epidural, and even gas and air as I was only 3-4cm and as they dont like to do internals very often when they came to check me 2 hours later (usually you are only checked after 4 hours) it was too late. Id make it very clear when you go in what you would like and keep asking. Otherwise it will get to the point where they will put it off as youll be too far along and wont want to interupt with the pushing stage.

 

[soozy]

Yeah thats what im scared of. You obviously cant force them to perform one so if they keep putting it off until its too late your screwed basically! I would be angry in a way if it happens cos im scared and stressed out enough without worrying about this. It was so easy last time and thats why i had no worries of doing it again until i heard from all my friends who have recently gone through it that they were refused until it was too late.
I have the midwife this morning so i will ask her to put it into my notes so the hospital know as im not writing a birth plan as such. thanks everyone

 

[xxClaire_24xx]

yeah I was just going to say that speak to your midwife and explain that you are really uptight about delivery and that if you feel you needed an epidural then you would want one, dont go in saying i want an epidural but will give it a go without one til I fell I need one not if the midwife feels I do or dont, we all know you def want one but if you look like you are willing to come and go a bit when they give you it it might swing towards your favour lol

I am getting a planned section and it is scaring me sensless so my own community midwife has said that she will take the day off to come in with us xx

 

[Annie050408]

This is what happened to me- I specifically said I wanted an epidural when I arrived at 1.30am but without checking me at all until 9am I kep lt being told I wasn't far enough along. Then when they eventually checked me I was fully dialated so had to do the whole thing with no pain relief- never again! Next time I will cut the politeness and insist on being checked and on the epidural.

 

[Tracey M]

I had it in my notes/birthing plan, not to have an epidural due my back pain history (2 prolapsed discs) but my labour was so long and hard (36 hours), had all the pethadrine they were allowed to give me, gas and air was as much use as a chocolate fireguard and eventually they just took over the situation, got the epidural in and 8 hours later I finally gave birth, The baby was back to back that was why I was in so much pain and I just was not dilating. I can remember the anaesathist leaving the room and me saying in a spaced out gas and air way "anaesthatist rock" and giving him the thumbs up rofl.... The pushing with the epidural was the easiest part of the whole labour. Once I had finally dilated, three pushes later he was out! Oh and I think I only got one top up epidural about 1 to hours before giving birth. They were just about to whisk me away for an emergency section at 8cm dilated cos I had infection, baby was getting stressed and someone went away to get the forceps while someone else was taking my nail polish off. I just freaked, dilated the last 2cm and bingo... Sorry if this was a long post but just wanted to add the time limites that were involved with me. I'm TTC baby 2 and I dill DEFFO ask for epidural again.... Good luck

 

[soozy]

Thanks everyone, i got my midwife to put in my notes that i request an epidural as soon as its possible to do one during labour so its been written down so there should be no excuse unless it all happens too fast and im too late to get one. The gas and air made me so sick last time i couldnt even keep water down, i then had a diamorphine jab which wore off after about an hour so finally got an epidural and loved it lol, I couldnt feel a thing, even when pushing but still managed to push with forceps or anything so in an ideal world this is what i want this time lol