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epidurals

Hi,

I was adamant i didnt want an epidural for one reason. It may be too much information but the biggest fear i had in labour was that i would poo in front of the midwifes. Epidurals can make you not feel down below or so i have been told, so i didnt want one incase it increased the chances.
I has a water birth with gas and air, and i have to say a very easy labour so i didnt need anymore oain relief. But saying that if the time came and i was in a lot more pain maybe things would be different. In the birth centre were i went i was told i wouldnt be allowed a water birth if i had pethidine, and if i was to have an epidural they would have to move me to the surgery ward. So that is another reason why i only had gas and air.

Sorry its long.

Karen xx

Replies

  • With my first I was adamant that I WAS going to have an epidural as I thought that I had a low pain threshold, yet when I got to hospital I was 4cm dilated and had had Sophie within an hour, the anaethetist arrived to give me an epidural when Sophie was an hour old!!

    I planned a completely natural home birth with William as I knew I could do it and the idea of the side affects of pethidine and epidural had worried me. I ended up in hospital due to high blood pressure but had a water birth there which was fantastic, didn't tear at all despite him being 8lb 10oz!

    Think it goes to show, just do the research but don't actually plan anything!!
  • I never wanted one but wished i had,sorry to confuse things.
    Like Emj said you might want one but it arrive to late,and also plan ahead but dont expect it to go to plan.Plan for everything and nothing.
  • Agree with the two Emmas here, PLAN FOR NOTHING!!! My first two births were v.natural and v.quick. However I found the second birth much more painful!!! Towards the end of my third pregnancy I was ill for weeks on end with a chest infection and sinisitus. When I got to hospital to give birth I was exhausted and begged for an epidural as I just couldn't cope. I had one, it was amazing, I would recommend them wholeheartedly and would have one again without hesitation.

    Every woman, every birth and each situation is different so keep your mind and your birth plan open. Try not to imagine it being a certain way too much and you won't be disapointed. As long as you get your baby safe and happy and well it doesn't really matter how. Bear in mind that you will need plenty of time in order to have an epidural, check this with your midwife as if you arrive too far on in your labour there won't be time. But by then if you have coped well you may not need one. When are you due? Feel free to pm me if you want any other info!
  • It will be fine. By due date with Luka was 7th Jul last year!! He came 6 days late...friday 13th lol!!! Are you going to go to ante natal?? The classes are usually good and you might make some good friends. I still have one now 9yrs later xxx I feel v.nostalgic about my first pregnancy. The others are alot different when you have toddlers in tow! XX
  • Hi, I was determined to have a natural water birth but ended up with a spinal block and elected C section!! This was due to several things, an infection in my thigh, labour not progressing and a baby estimated at 12lb 10oz!!! Goodness knows what happened to the birth plan that we carefully thought out! Next time I doubt I will bother!!
  • It is perfectly normal to feel anxious and excited, but make sure you enjoy it all as it's over far too quickly and I still miss my bump - 3 years later!!!

    P.S Enjoy your sleep now too!! lol
  • Hi just to say with the movements you sound pretty normal, they will have wakeful and sleepy times so as long as you feel them several times a day thats fine x
  • With my first labour I had an epidural. I thought it was great as I couldn't feel a thing, the gas and air did nothing for me but make me sick so I wasn't coping very well. I had a very long labour so I was able to get some sleep before it all kicked off!!

    With my second labour I asked for an epidural but the midwife said 'no you don't want one of them have some pethadine instead' so I did and it was great!! She gave me an anti sickness injection too so I could use the gas and air without throwing up everywhere. With the pethadine you still feel the contractions but you really don't care about it, it is so strange.

    The thing that I didn't know before hand is that with an epidural as you are numb from the waste down after the birth you have the HCA wash you down!! To them it's there job so they were really good and tried to put me at ease but I had no idea that happened. With the pethadine I was able to shower and sort myself out afterwards and I prefered that.

    A friend of mine had no choice but to have her daughter with only gas and air. Her first labour lasted only 2 hours from start to finish and took the midwives completely by surprise. You can plan as much as you like but sometimes this can change.
  • I really didn't want to have an epidural with Cameron, but i didn't rule it out completely. I really wanted to have a water birth, but in the end wasn't able to as there was meconium in my waters so had to be monitored constantly.
    In the end i coped well with morphine and gas and air, and it really wasn't as bad as i expected. Like Zoe mentioned above it was great to be able to get out of bed and go for a shower within an hour of giving birth.
  • I loved being in bed for 6hrs til the epidural wore off!!! Im glad I've had natural births too. But next time would have an epidural again without doubt. Luckily as I had delivered first thing in the morning I was home by 7pm, and in my own lovely bubble bath (no HCA's trying to clean me up!) xxxx
  • Gas and air made me sick too, and also made me laugh. I just kept looking at Ian and he made me laugh. I felt like i was on a night out and very drunk and it worked really well for me.
    Like Zoe said you can plan your birth down to the last detail but there is no guarantee it will go the way you want it to.
    I didnt plan a water birth but the pool was free so they asked if i wanted to use it. With the next one i hope i will be able to have another water birth it was great.
  • Hiya Jenn

    I had a c section with Ethan so Amber was actually my first labour and i was absolutely sure that i would need an epidural as i have a low pain threshold. On the day i had slight contractions for the whole day then finally went into full labour at 8pm ish, it was all very quick and amber was born at 11:05 and in the end i had no pain relief not even gas and air, that was so unexpected!!! I had just found breathing in my own way had helped enough. Had it been a longer labour i think i would have needed more help so i say go with an open mind. xx
  • I didn't even think about having an epidural, i think if my labour had been really long i might have thought differently!
    I went into labour at 5am and had Jessica at 8.45am, i had pethadine and gas and air, but mum took the gas and air of me when i was ready to push, so that i did not go sleepy.
  • I had one when i was having my son as i couldn't take the pain and gas and air just made me sick.The only side effect i had afterwards was back ache for a few weeks after. Other than that it was the best for me because i was already preped for an emergency c-section as my son when into fetal distress.So i didn't have to have a general.
    Wanted one second time around but i was too dilated to have one.
  • I didnt want one with my first, and asked to be put to sleep if i needed a c-sec, but was ignored. I was unable to object when the time came, but had it administered on my side (much better).
    When it came time for my second, the consultant agreed that i could have it on my side, the aneathatist (spelt wrong i know) said it would be ok to have it on my side. I was scared of being in conrol of my own movements with a needle in my spine.
    When i got into surgery, they said they couldnt, only if doing it while sat up was not working!!!!!!!! So i was petrified. I explained again my fears, and was again ignored. I asked the nurse to keep hold of my shoulders untill the procedure was complete. The doctor was doing what he needed behind me, and the nurse was infront of me, holding my sholders. He said that i should keep really still, and the nurse held my shoulders, then let go!!!!!!!!! The doctor was still saying keep very still!!! i was petrified.
    They had to raise the amount of anestetic so that i was numb from the armpits down. I found out after that the lady in before me had 3 needles broken on her back, argh, glad i didnt know that before hand!
    The chances of me having another baby is slim, but even more so as i may have to have a c-sec as first 2 deliveries were less than 12 months apart. The fears held then still hold now.
  • I had to have a spinal when i was taken to thearte straight afted delivery and had no pain either am im doing just fine.
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