Epidural or No Epidural?

**BaronessM** · 06-06-2012 05:58

Subscribing and will put my experience with epidural in later...

**lasirena** · 06-06-2012 06:05

Watch this link. You'll either think the natural birth is beautiful and what you want to do, or think the epidural makes a lot more sense. It may give you a good clue. Reading is one thing. Feeling it through two short video clips in another. It sorted out my decision for me....

http://therealpregnancy.blogspot.nl/...-epidural.html

**Jennybaby** · 06-06-2012 08:08

My advice would be to make no solid decisions before you go into labour. Try to be open to what is normal and right for you at the time. Everyone experiences labour so differently it is hard to give advice on something like pain relief in labour. I was the same before I got pregnant and thought I would definitely get an epidural, but during pregnancy I started to feel differently and when it came to the birth I didn't even think to ask for one.other mothers really need one at the time and it is so cool that is an option. Just make sure you choose. Place to birth that gives you lots of options. You will be fine. :-)

**Jennybaby** · 06-06-2012 08:14

Originally Posted by lasirena

Watch this link. You'll either think the natural birth is beautiful and what you want to do, or think the epidural makes a lot more sense. It may give you a good clue. Reading is one thing. Feeling it through two short video clips in another. It sorted out my decision for me....

http://therealpregnancy.blogspot.nl/...-epidural.html

I think the videos and comments are a little biased towards epidural...that's he only problems with those ones.

**Mrs P** · 06-06-2012 08:33

I was anti epidural Pre labour. I had a very long posterior labour, baby's head was facing up too. Over two nights I got 4 hours sleep and I was in a world of hurt. After way too long I hit 7cm and had a swollen cervix because I only found comfort on the edge of the bed. I ordered the Epi and it was the best decision ever. If I hadn't of had it I'm pretty sure I would have had an emergency c section.

**jesssalee** · 17-07-2012 15:17

I am tossing up, still researching what I want to do too, so I'm not going to be of much help to you.

Reading this thread (and others like it) got me thinking. It seems that mostly women with complication-free pregnancies go au-natural, while those with complications end up with epis. Lots of natural birth advocates seem to blame epi's for an increased rate of c/s or complications, but is it Caused by the epi, or are they given the epi to cope with the pain of the complication??

Wow, I don't know if that made sense?! I hope it did.

Anyway, some great real stories on here. I think I am just going to do as a lot of pp have said, just keep an open mind and do what I need to at the time. If I need pain meds, I'll probably use them, but if I can handle it, I won't.

Good luck with your decision

**Out To Pasture** · 17-07-2012 15:28

Both my boys I had no drugs. Both times when my pain peaked it was too late for any pain relief.
Doing it without drugs though, made me so proud and it surprised me really how long I went without anything.
My reasons for not going for the epi, well, to be honest, I am scared of needles. Lol

**headoverfeet** · 17-07-2012 15:30

Nope no way no how for me! I find the breaks between contractions enough to get me through (people seem to forget that you get breaks during normal contractions) plus I don't find pushing at all painful. I liked being able to move freely- I think that epidurals limit your movement which can actually cause complications. I didnt like the risks full stop. I didn't want my hormones being messed with which can effect bonding and breastfeeding. Plus I didn't go through 9 months of avoiding things I thought were risky to do it in labor.

Each to their own though those are just my thoughts about me and my pregnancies/births I know in seem cases epidurals can help too

**felicia81** · 17-07-2012 15:39

If I had my time over, no I wouldn't get an epidural.

The midwives on duty at my hospital bullied me into getting one, destroying the confidence I had in my body to do its job "oh you've been in prelabour for days and are exhausted you'll never have the strength to push that baby out if we let you labour overnight".

Cue flat on back position, hours of ineffective pushing, vacuum delivery complete with 3rd degree internal and external tearing and bladder and uterine prolapse.

Now require c-section with my 2nd bub so as not to make my prolapse issue worse as they are already requiring surgery to fix them.

**jbish** · 17-07-2012 15:40

With the birth of my daughter I went in wanting to be active and have a drug free birth if possible but it just didn't happen that way.

I was in labour for a fair amount of time. I dont' know what was active and what wasn't but from the contractions being regular and 5 mins apart until birth it was 47 hours.

For most of it I handled with the gas, showers, massage etc. The gas was a bit yuck and made me a little sick. But it wasn't so bad. I think it was around the 30 odd hour mark that they examinded me and I was only 4cm's dialated. They put me on a sytocin (sp?) drip and suggested I have an epidural as I was exhaused and they were worried I wouldn't have the strength to push.

The midwife was lovely and supportive as this wasn't what I really wanted. We went ahead with it anyway and I had it. Slept a little bit and when the time finally came to push, they turned it down so I could still feel the contractions to help me know when to push. That was pretty awesome!

I guess what I learnt was to be open minded about it. My birthplan was changed because the situation changed and in the end I was ok with it.

I think If I was to do it again, I would try to go without but if I needed it, I wouldn't hesistate or feel bad about having one.