on my first I didnt have the chance to have an epidural, midwife would not let me have one....so I would say if you really think you need one during the birth you have to push for it, dont be bullied into doing it au natural if you dont feel like you can. That said not all hospitals even offer guarenteed epidurals, so you also need to check what the situation is at your hospital, best to be prepared. I am having my second baby now and am petrified that I will be denied an epidural again, amd personally I must say the first birth was horrednous for me, some people just dont get on with virth pain and some do, its all very personal and you have to try to get the treatment you feel is right for you. That said even after my awful first experience (had lots of stitches 2nd degree tear and episiotomy) I would still not opt for a c section unless absolutely necessary, it is a major operation and has all the risks that go with that, recovery is not as quick either. Most places dont do elective C Sections, there has to be a medical reason or person has to have real birth fears.

you don't have to have a catheter if you have an epidural. I opted for an epidural after 16hrs of labour and it was great for the pain but baby reacted to it and it ended up causing me lots of problems.

The catheter for me was the best part... I had loads of grazing (little tears with no stitches) and I kept the catheter in and didn't have to wee until nearly 24 hours after she was born     The midwives are great at doing it too because they do so many, and I was surprised and said 'is it in?'  after she'd done.. and when they take it out she just deflated the little ball that sits in your bladder and she said to cough.. and it popped out.  So there was never any pain at any point with the catheter. 

i had an epidural with my first baby n it was brill for pain relief.i didnt even feel them puttin the needle in my back.i had a full epidural where i was numb from waist down but i didnt have a catheter in.they just gave me one they wheelchair things with the toilet in the middle(cant mind the name of it lol)the only down side is u cant feel the contractions and u cant really feel how hard your pushin so alot of women who have one usually need help to get the baby out with forceps or ventouse.i had to get a ventouse as baby was gettin distressed!

i only had gas n air with my 2nd though as i was only in labour for 1 hr 20 mins n dint have enough time for an epidural,though im glad i didnt have it its worth the experience i think!!!xx

Don't worry about the catheter at all.  It was quite funny with me as I would get this real horrid nausea wave and the midwife would say, 'oops, bet you need a wee' and next minute she did something down there and was collecting my wee!!  I did not even feel a thing and it took seconds if that.  Then I would feel fine. 

I had never intended to have an epidural as they scared me off at my antenatal classes with stories like you won't feel your legs and catheter thoughts.

Must say though, everyone is different and it didn't work for someone else on here.  My friend is a doc and he said it is all down to how good an anaethatist (sp?) you have and whether they get it in the right spot.  Mine must have been pretty good.

Nothing to keep you busy? lol... they must be good. If I had an epidural I think if it were that good I would be sleeping and getting my energy up.

I don't really know much about the after effects of an epidural, all I know is that I didn't fancy having a cathator, that really put me off!

I had a vaginal birth and epidural.  I went into labour at midnight and decided to have epidural at 11am as was only 4cm, my dd arrived at 8pm.  I'm hoping to have another this time round as found it really suited me.

I couldn't move around but I could feel my legs and they turn it down loads when you are pushing so I could walk really quickly after my dd was born.  I got a slight graze but only as dd came out in a superman style pose with her arm next to her head.

The only thing is that it is a bit boring in labour as there is no pain to keep you occupied! ha ha

hi hun..... im really scared 2, but i think a cesarian is even more worrying 4 me, i nearly had 2 have 1 with my son, but luckily they induced me at 37 wks, id hate 2 have 1 n would do anything i could 2 avoid it, cos of the recovery etc, i also said if i need 1, id want 2 b asleep, i had an epidural with my son, but it wasnt that sucsessfull, only numbed 1 leg, so i was still in agony but couldnt move at all, my leg was like a usless heavy brick, im gunna try n go in with an open mind this time, n try 4 a more natural birth, i dont really think u can decide untill ur going thro it, n im not gunna make a birthing plan, id bring up how ur feeling with ur mw and see what she sugests 2 stop u worrying so much, i know 4 sum ladies they opt 4 a cesarian as they carnt face natural birth, but ive heard lots of good storys about epidurals if ur worried about the pain, goodluck 4 whatever u decide  xxxxx

Is there a reason why you have to have an epidural or a c secton? Is there a complication with the pregnancy?

All I know is that you are better having a epidural and a vaginal delivery that a c section as you will recover better if given the choice.

I had pethadine with my first labour..... what a load or pants. The whole experience was awful!

So second time I went without any drugs and it was amazing!

A c section is by no means an easy way out. I was in labour for over 20+ hours with my first to then end up having an emergency section. Dont get me wrong it went fine and i was glad to get it over and done with. But its bloody hard work after a section. I recovered quite well but for the first few weeks its very very hard. I found breastfeeding impossible and had to bottle fed and express in the end, i had to ask somone to take my baby before i could stand up cos it was impossible to stand up whilst holding him, i needed help getting in and out of the bath and in the first few days i couldn't even laugh. I got an infection in my wound which did clear very well with antibiotics but well what i am trying to say is that with a newborn baby these are all little things you can really do without and would do without if you had a vaginal birth.

As for the epidural mine was wonderful. I had it at 6cm and i felt nothing. Cos my lo was being constantly monitored though i was restricted to the bed so the epidural i was given took all feeling away below my chest.

Go in with an open mind. You could end up having the most wonderful labour with hardly any pain relief and be up and about within the hour. Everyone worries about it its only natural. Good luck with whatever you choose !!

i had an epidural when i was in labour and i thought it was great. when i went into hospital i was put in a cubical by the time they examined me i was 6cm dilated so they put me straight to labour suite. they had already given me what i think was a codine tablet,it was some paracetomal( i was like just give me anything,lol). and gas n air, when u start using that properly its brill. cos at 1st i was getting frustrated cos i wasnt doing it properly. by the time the were putting the needle in my back, it all felt a bit hazy , felt knackerd already. but as soon as the epidural kicked in i felt fine id got my energy back and i relaxed for a while. the machine that was next too me gave readings of when i was getting contractions, but the midwives told me when to push anyway. it took me about an hour to push him out. at the last minute th emidwife says if u dont push him out soon will have to cut u, iwas like f*** that!!!! an gave an almighty push and out he come. they do say epidurals slow down the labour, but from my 1st contraction till when he come out was only 10hrs. which i thought was good for a 1st child. everyone has different experiences though. my pal had an epidural as well and she loved it . hope it all gos well for you, and everyone is terrified about delivery its just the unknown.

i had epidural with second baby but i didnt  want one, it was because i was having big baby 10lb 1oz they said i had to incase i needed c section. i cant believe u might want a c sec the thought of this terrified me. i waited as long as i was allowed until i had the epidural and the pain was bad by that point so i didnt feel a thing when they gave me it. i could feel everything even mild pain, it was on a button and when i felt the pain coming back i would press it and it would give me some more,  this was good cause as soon as i knew everything was going fine i was able to stop pressing it. i know your proberbly scared and yes it is a lot easier when you cant feel a thing, but thats the thing you cant feel the experience of having a baby. with my first i had a little gas and air but didnt like it so i went the rest alone and that is what i intend to do this time. its really not that bad you know, and after you forget all the pain, its what your made to do everything will be fine.*** alt="" src="http://my.bounty.com/library/images/forums/discussionforums/icons/goodluck.gif" />

I have to admit i have only ever had gas and air in my 2 labours.  Im planning no3 at home.  I defo wldnt go for c sec unless its a must.  A c sec is major abdo surgery which carries aditional risks.  Vaginal birth is natural and is what our bodies are made to do.  Once you have had the baby you can get up walk around and feel like youve never had a single bit of pain!!

The pain is there for a reason, if you listen to your body you get through it much easier than if you try and run away from it, pain relief can often mask sysmtoms, and you are more likley to need stiches if you have pain relief.  We are all anxious when we have our first as we dont know what to expect. 

I would defo agree with trying hypnosis or reflexology if you are anxious about the birth.  I would also talk to your midwife and go to as many class as you can.  The more you know the better you feel.

Good luck with it all x

Hi

I had an epidural with ds. When i got to hospital i was in pain but was only 1cm dilated,so i went for a bath. You can have an epidural when you are 4cm dilated. Dont worry about the pain of the needle because they give you local anaesthetic and to be honest you wont even think about that with your contractions. I think you can get ones where you can move around, but i was in bed the whole time because they put belts round my tummy to keep an eye on the baby. I went to sleep for about 4 hours. I didnt feel anything once it was in, i would definitely recommend it! The only downfall was when i was actually pushing i couldnt feel the contractions properly, so didnt know the right times to push.

hth xx Laura

You sound really worried about childbirth hon!  If you are that frightened that it is causing panic attacks and you'd rather have a c-sec then you need to get your mw to refer you to a consultant who will assess you and see whether you can have one.  Psychological issues with childbirth is classed as a medical reason to have a c-sec, but a c-sec is by no means an easy way out!

I had an epidural when I had dd1 who is now 3, because I don't have a high pain threshold and I was terrified of actually pushing her out.  They won't usually administer one if you are further than 7cms as chances are you won't have it in quick enough to make a difference - ideally they do it once you are on delivery suite so between 3-6cms.  There are two types - a spinal block where you feel virtually nothing from under the boobs down (like what you have when having a csec) and there is a mobile epidural which is usually the one of choice.  You can still move around after having this, and can still get the urge to push etc.  I told them it was really important to me to be able to move around as I'm claustrophobic, plus I wanted to be able to feel the urge to push and feel my baby come out but with as little pain as possible.  ok so I felt the pain of her coming out.. but its not put me off doing it again..

What are you so frightened about?  Have you thought about preparing with hypnotherapy or reflexology? 

Vicky 31+2 pink bump

Hi everyone,

Could anyone tell me when epidural is normally administered while having a vaginal birth? Is it when you get first strong contractions or when the baby is actually being born? Also do you need to be laid down or can you still move around? Can anyone tell me about the whole process? I've got panic attacks and this is my first baby and would like to know exactly how it is with epidurals? Or shall I go for a c-section?

Thanks for any advice!