Mobile Epidural v's Epidural ---- Copied from Ask a Mum.....

[SuziQ]

Hi,

Has anyone had a 'mobile' epidural.
I am sorting (trying too..) out my birth plan, and recently went for a tour around my local hospital.. and was interested in a mobile epi, over a normal epi.. IF I should decide to have one.... But this hospital doesn't offer the mobile one.
I was just wondering if the mobile ones are so much better, or if you had an epi, was it the normal one?

Just a bit of info on each would be great please.
I am not intending to have an epi.. but want one avavilbe, should I want/ need one.

Thanks
xx

 

[KJL]

I plan to have a mobile epidural as it takes away the pain of the contractions but still allows you to move and having feeling in your lower body. I don't know how many hospitals offer the mobile epi as I have mentioned it on here before and it doesn't seem that many people have experienced it. It seems my Dr. has implied that at the hosp I am at they only switch to the normal/non-mobile epidural for a cesarean. I think mob epi's are fairly new still so not readily available everywhere. For me the benefits of a mobile epi far outweigh those of the normal epi.

 

[sunnyday]

I know my hospital doesn't offer mobile epi's, I'm hoping I too can cope without an epi as apart from the obvious concerns about the needle etc, I don't like the thought of being hooked up to several machines (blood pressure, catheter etc) and not being able to move about.

It's my understanding that even with a mobile epi your movement can still be very limited, at best you can move from the bed to the chair or manage to go to the toilet with help, but I don't think you can literally be pacing the corridor or changing from one position to another.


Sorry probably not been much help, just thought I'd share my thoughts!