worried about epidurals

[Kimbo]

Right i'm due next sunday (whether she comes or not is a different story! )
but i really don't know what to do about an epidural.
my midwife said if i want an epidural then i have to let her know by this wednesday.
the reason is, is that the maternity unit at my hospital is moving to another hospital in spring.

I really don't know what to do, because i really don't want an epidural, I thought i might be able to manage on g&a and pethidine!

but the other day when i was texting happy_chick, she said the contractions were so bad that she could hardly breathe, never mind talk

it's made me think, blimey, is the pain really that bad!??!!

i would have an epidural so i wouldnt be in pain, but i'm worried about the risks with it, and the problems people have afterwards.

i know its very rare, but i can't help panicking that the 1 in 100,000 chance or whatever the statistics are, that i will end up being the 1

this scares me too,

Rare complications, such as residual numbness or weakness from needle injury to nerves (almost 1 in 10,000)10, delayed respiratory depression with epidural narcotics (up to 12 hours later)8, and brain damage and death (extremely rare)11

http://childbirthsolutions.com/articles ... /index.php


I'd really really love to have a birth without one, but i'm worried in case it's so bad that i will need to.. i'm just scared of the risks.

what shall i do???

 

[lisa&alex]

im not gonna lie to you... it is very painfull.. but gas n air n pethadine are great pain relievers,.. with every pain think... im closder to meeting her. its your choice and i think you are strong enough to do it without.. if thats what you really want.. believe in yourself xx

 

[Nic'n'Keeley]

I was in labour 37hrs i did the first 15 on my own with nothing.. i then had gas and air and if i'm truthful it didnt really help.. the pain got too much for me and i asked for an epidural and as soon as i did the pain felt like it went away... i could sleep...there was still some pain there like in my lower back and bum but it was 85% better . If i have another baby i wil be having an epidural again

Can you not say yes to your midwife about the epidural but mayb not use it when your in labour... you wil never know if you want it til your in labour

 

[maria1976]

I think you have to go into it with an open mine TBH. Im suprised that the midwife has put you into so much pressure, you shouldnt have to make a decision now especially with your first honey. If she is puttin you under pressure then I would say yes ok tell her you will have it, then when it comes to the birth you dont have to have it do you but at least you will know its there as back up.

I was so glad I had the epi as gas and air did sod all especially when your induced and the contractions come from no where!!

Good luck

 

[Red_Fairy]

i had an ep. and to me it didnt make that much difference (it numbed one side but not the other) - i was still in agony.
Saying that im deffinatly gonna have it again - as i feel maybe if i didnt have it id have died.

 

[Fluffy Bunny]

I was worried too - I am the worlds biggest wimp when it comes to pain.

I really didn't want an epidural but knew if it was offer at the hospital I would be demanding one as soon as I could! I took pretty drastic action and basically chose a birth centre where I knew the only form of pain relief on offer was gas and air and/ or pethadine. Yes, labour hurts like hell but I managed on gas and air and I am now so glad.

I would never say any form of pain relief is right or wrong, its what works for you. Have in your mind what you'd like in an ideal world but be ready to be flexible. Good luck

 

[Kimbo]

thanks everyone for ur replies..

thing is im worried about the needle slipping and leaving me paralysed!
i'd love for me to beg at the end and then they tell me it's too late, because then i know i'd have no choice but to carry on without.

so all you who are pregnant again / who already have kids.... you would have one straight away if you were to give birth again?

 

[Sherlock]

Well a friend of mine who is an anesthetist said to me to not rule one out. I'd not want one but realise that it might be better. I don't like the thought of no feeling and so on and would rather avoid all that.

He told me to leave the door open and to never say never. His suggestion to me was to explain that while I didn't plan to have one as part of my birthing plan, I did want the option of being able to have one, should I change my mind.

I think talk to your MW and say while you ideally would like to get by without one, can she request one for you, but if you don't use it is that a problem?

That's what I'd be doing if I was having a hospital birth now anyways. The hospital should be flexible so even if you say yes, in principal you may well want one when in labour, you can still refuse when the time comes. They cannot complain or mind. Its your choice.

 

[Squiglet]

I think the worst complication I have heard from someone concerning an epidural is that they had a bad back afterwards.

I had an epidural in and tbh it was the best thing I could have done..

As midna said we take risks everyday.. All I know is that one of my reasons for selecting an epidural above all other methods of pain relief is that it doesn't translate onto the baby. Any form of pethidine or morphine goes straight across the placenta and effects the baby, and I haven't been a good little girl for 9 months, not drinking or smoking or even taking paracetamol, just so I can dope my kid up at the end. Pethidine etc... will work out of the baby's system in about 3 hours, but if you take it and give birth in under that time, then there can be risks.

At the end of the day, labour hurts... and yes the first time round you think you will die from the pain... but you don't and its only short lived.

If you don't want an epidural then choose not to have one.. but look at other things that can help you .. such as gas and air or a birthing pool.

I'm still in two minds myself over whether I will choose to birth with no form of pain relief whatsoever or to have an epidural. I'd tell your midwife that you are considering it as a definite option in labour... because tbh when the pain kicks in you beg for anything and its much better to have it than not in my opinion.

 

[lauramleigh]

when i had my son nearly 7 years ago i went in with the attitude that there was no way i was going to have an epidural cos of complications...
Well i ended up having one.. the gas and air did nothing for me apart from space me out .. pethidine did nothing but make me sick lol!! So in the end i had the epidural . i would honestly say it was the best thing i could have done..

This time round i definatly wont be ruling an epidural out.. If i need one believe me i will be having one lol

 

[lisa&alex]

thanks everyone for ur replies..

thing is im worried about the needle slipping and leaving me paralysed!
i'd love for me to beg at the end and then they tell me it's too late, because then i know i'd have no choice but to carry on without.

so all you who are pregnant again / who already have kids.... you would have one straight away if you were to give birth again?

no i wouldnt..although id deffo want a water birth.. 'if' theres a next time..

 

[Fluffy Bunny]

thanks everyone for ur replies..

thing is im worried about the needle slipping and leaving me paralysed!
i'd love for me to beg at the end and then they tell me it's too late, because then i know i'd have no choice but to carry on without.

so all you who are pregnant again / who already have kids.... you would have one straight away if you were to give birth again?

no i wouldnt..although id deffo want a water birth.. 'if' theres a next time..

Waterbirth for me next time too hopefully. I used a birthing pool but came out to give birth, would like to stay in next time.

 

[kitten1102]

I had just G&A when I had Tim, and if I'm honest, I had never even thought about wanting other than that. I had looked into all the forms of relief, but wanted it all to be as natural as possible.

The idea of an epidural scared me coz I would have to keep very still, and at the time, that just was NOT going to happen!!

I don't think I would have an epidural next time round, but thats just me!

 

[Kimbo]

also, i dont like the thought of not being able to move around.

how long after the birth do you get feeling back?

can you actually move your legs while on the bed? or can u not move at all?

i think it would drive me mad not being able to move.

i'm gonna tell my midwife that i want one, then it's there if i need it.

i want to go in there and think "if i need an epidural then i can have it",

but all im thinking is "if i need an epidural then this can go wrong, that can go wrong etc"

 

[clairescunny55]

I didn't want an epidural because I wanted to stay active, I just had gas and air with both mine and I thought it was brilliant

 

[Nic'n'Keeley]

thanks everyone for ur replies..

thing is im worried about the needle slipping and leaving me paralysed!
i'd love for me to beg at the end and then they tell me it's too late, because then i know i'd have no choice but to carry on without.

so all you who are pregnant again / who already have kids.... you would have one straight away if you were to give birth again?[/quote]

The person who does the epidural( i can remember what they are called ) probably does so many epidurals a day.. you shouldn't worry about things going wrong

And yes i would say yes straight away to having an epidural if i have another baby

Edit: dunno whats happened with me quoting Kim

 

[trixipaws]

it is true, contractions hurt so much u cannot talk and barely catch ur breath. but i did it on just g&a (which they took away after not very long anyway) and if i hav another baby i probably wont even bother with that, ill do it without anything. so that says something, its not that bad!

 

[Red_Fairy]

Pah! @ trixpaws post

I couldnt walk the next day anyway (nothing to do with the EP) due to stitches and being too weak (i was very anemic) You never know what type of birth you'll have anyway, so to me not moving for 24 hours after was normal

 

[Tangerinedream]

I had a B2B labour... If I had another one of those I would deff ask for the epidural before I'd even got me gown on!

I dont know how bad a normal labour can get so cant say whether I would go for one then.

IMO epidurals rock

 

[Babylicious]

thanks everyone for ur replies..

thing is im worried about the needle slipping and leaving me paralysed!
i'd love for me to beg at the end and then they tell me it's too late, because then i know i'd have no choice but to carry on without.

so all you who are pregnant again / who already have kids.... you would have one straight away if you were to give birth again?

my needle slipped and 'm not paralysed - mind you it didn't slip far. Epi's are good espesh is baby is in bad position, do you know what position Leah is lying in?