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epidural???? yes or no?

im starting to think about the birth now and the pain lol!!!! im such a big baby when it comes to pain so iv been thinking about pain relief!!! whats peoples opinions on epidurals ??? im even scared of having that cause i scared of needles lol!!!!
any advise ???? xxxxxxxxxxxx:\?

Replies

  • hi - I really didn't want an epidural but in the end i ended up having one - to be honest didnt even really notice it going in - there is a weird moment when you feel like something running down your back - but it was fine.

    I didn't have a birth plan - i knew that I wanted to do it on gas and air - but i said they i would go with any recommendations1

    As it turned out I was induced and it ended 24 hrs later in an emergency c section which was the last thing i had wanted.

    However as baby was in distress, and because i hadn't set myself a rigid birth plan it was very unstressful to be able to listen to the advice of the professionals around me and go on their advice.

    I would say dont get to set in what you want to happen have an idea but keep an open mind.

    xxx
  • Agree - open mind!

    I wanted to manage without, but when it came to it I was just in too much pain for too long and on the verge of panicking. Plus I was about to be put on a drip and knew the pain would only get worse.

    I don't think the epidural actually worked, but that's another story.... I didn't even notice it go in as everything else hurt too much!

    Again, next time I would like to avoid it if possible, (esp as once it's in you can't be mobile, and being mobile did help with pain management) - but again, I'm keeping an open mind.
  • As above - epidurals = amazing! x
  • my sister is a nurse and she tells me epidurals can be fabulous if they are done properly. problem is, an awful lot are NOT done properly. if it's done correctly, you should still be able to feel a little pain and discomfort and feel to push. however so many are botched jobs and numb the area which means you can't feel to push, labour slows down and then you end up either with forceps / VT or c section. i'm defo NOT having one. there's no way i'm letting a VT or forceps anywhere near me - i don't want to be butchered and scarred for life like some of my friends. That said, some of my friends have had them and say they are fabulous. totally depends on how they are administered. If the medical team do it correctly i'm sure it's great. but sadly, an awful lot get it wrong.
  • i didnt want one and didnt have one gave birth to a 9lb 11oz baby with just gas and air such an amazing feeling x x
  • i also didnt want one and im so glad i didnt, i managed to have Ellie with just gas and air and it was great. still i have to say i would keep an open mind and if i needed one with the next [if i ever get my bfp!] then i would go ahead and get one but i will tell you that your in so much pain with labour that you wont even feel the needle going in!
  • hi hun i wouldnt have epidural either, this is my 2nd pregnancy im 29+5, my little girl is now 5 and i had no pain relief at all i did it all on my own and that was my first, im going to try and do the same with this next one if possible.x
  • I didnt want one and i didnt have one!!! i used the pool and gas and air and that was fine, this time im considering not using gas and air just use the pool, as i really didnt find it that bad... i am all for natural birthing and im proud of the fact that i didnt have pethadine etc. childbirth is a natural thing so it should be left that way unles there is a need for medical intervention!! it also takes longer to give birth with an epidural as you cant feel contractions etc properly!! If i were you i would just see how it goes and keep an open mind if it gets to it and you really cant handle the pain then you make the desision of what you want!!
    xx
    33+4
  • I thought i had a really low pain threshold so kept an open mind although i really didnt want an epidural. Anyway, i managed somehow to not worry about the pain beforehand, after all, women give birth all the time right? So, i went into labour quite relaxed and managed with gas & air (which was useless for the pain but good as something to bite), my tens machine which was good at the beginning and a shot of pethadine half way through which just put me to sleep for a while. It had worn off by the pushing stage so i guess i did that with no pain relief. For me it was totally bearable. Dont get me wrong, it was very painful (i remember screaming when her head and shoulders came out) but still its kind of a good pain. I cant really explain. My advice is keep an open mind, if you decide when you're in labour that the pain is too much then go for the epidural.
  • I was certain that I would need an Epi, (as I was being induced - my waters broke but contractions didn't start) and loads of people told me to get the epi put in before I went on the drip! I also have a low pain threshold but wanted to see what happened (you never know how you will cope with the pain until it hits). In the end I managed with just TENS and Gas and Air and I was so proud of myself.

    So basically I would suggest that you find out as much as you can about all the different options, so you feel really prepared (also, if you know how they might make you feel, it wont come as a shock at the time - I knew that G&A might make me feel weired and light headed - so when it happened I didn't panic). You probably wont have much space in your head to make decisions when you are in labour - you will just know if you want more pain relife!

    Good luck, you'll be fine hunny!
    Nx
  • Hello, unfortunately I havent had time to read all of your responses, so I am sorry if I just echo the same message... but I say, please dont worry about pain. It is such a wonderful experience that you take it all in your stride... in fact you will surprise yourself, I did. To contradict that however, I had an epidural...IT WAS FANTASTIC! It was a long labour, so I was just so tired and felt it was the only option for me in the end... the needle didnt hurt much at all and the relief was beyond words! I then had a very peaceful and memorable birth. So in fact I highly recommend one!

    Good luck, you must be so excited!

    Rachel
  • i'd say don't decide now, if you need or want one, decide at the time, you might sail through your labour & not need the pain relief, it might be so quick & easy that there'll be no time for the epidural, but if its too much pain, takes too long, its always on option you can choose. i personally wanted to try natural, but i was induced, slow labour, high blood pressure, put on the drip, pethidine didn't work, gas & air, tens not helping anymore, so epidural it was - total bliss. But that was me, you will be different. good luck. x
  • Most people told me they are fantastic but i was scared and didnt want one. Saying that tho i knew i had to keep an open mind. I wanted a mobile birth but didnt get that so im not even bothering with a birth plan next time. I had gas and air and a shot of pethidine and coped fine. I knew once i was in so much pain i couldnt hav sat still enough for an epidural anyway.

    Just keep an open mind hun and dont let yourself worry about it now. You really dont know how you'll be. I was convinced id defo need an epidural and i dont cope well with pain but i did it without and i was so pleased after.
  • I have to add tho that my labour was 7hrs which as it was my 1st i think thats pretty damn good. If it was much longer theres no question that i would have had one ... the woman in the room next to me had already been labouring for hrs when i was admitted and when i had my little girl she was still screaming in pain and not progressing but she wouldnt hav an epidural. I think shes mad and in the end she was so dilusional with the pain they had to give her one and i think she'd been in hard labour for over a day by then.
  • i dint want one and didnt have one to fast labour gavebirth to my little man 7lb 5oz with nothing gas and air made me sick and heard that pethidine can stop baby breathing an make them really sleepy so choose nothing!! very painfull tho

    and i m now planning another a i crazy lol
  • I REALLY didn't want an epidural before my birth - scared of needles! but when the time came I was in so much pain and the g&a didn't do anything for me and didn't want pethidine, so I had one. Really glad I did because I ended up with an emergency c-section (baby was stuck in my pelvis sideways and couldn't rotate) so they could just top it up rather than knocking me out!
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