Yes or no epidural?

Vanessa 2 months ago #2

For me, this is my first pregnancy, but I’d really like to give birth without the epidural. Otherwise, you don’t experience it as intensely, I think...

Uk 2 months ago #3

Hi Lizl,

I had an epidural during my first birth because I got exhausted after being in labor for 20 hours. Honestly, I didn’t notice it at all. For this birth, I wouldn’t choose it myself. But it really depends on the person.

sweet_23 2 months ago #4

I had to get an epidural for my second birth, never again!! First of all, it hurt incredibly, and second, at one point I wasn't allowed to switch sides anymore. Normally you're supposed to switch every 10 minutes or so, otherwise the anesthesia settles on one side. I couldn't do that anymore because they saw a tiny change in the baby's heart rate when I lay on my right side. So I had to stay on my left side, which meant my leg went completely numb. Not exactly handy when you're giving birth and need to pull your legs up. Plus, afterwards I had a lot of pain at the spot where they inserted it. The bad thing is, if they place it incorrectly, you can have issues afterwards. I'd heard that before and experienced it myself. I didn't want to scare you, but my experience was really bad and I don't see the point in lying about it. But know one thing: it's definitely not shameful, and you shouldn't feel guilty if you choose an epidural. There's nothing wrong with it. Some people say you should do it without, that you should just tough it out, but a birth can be really heavy, and I don't think you're weak or anything for choosing this. (sorry for the unnecessary and unsolicited opinion ;-) )

Greetings, Fannytje

Hafsa 2 months ago #5

With my first pregnancy, I was induced and went into a contraction storm very quickly! I asked for an epidural right away because the pain was unbearable. Because of the combination of induction and epidural, I didn’t have any pushing contractions, so I got an episiotomy and the baby was delivered with a vacuum! I wouldn’t recommend that combination to anyone!

I wouldn’t opt for an epidural now because you’re stuck to the bed, can’t walk anymore, get a catheter, and there’s a risk it only works partially. I’m still figuring out what I’d want, but I’m glad I can get pain relief if I ask for it!

Good luck making the right choice.

Hafsa

Olivia-Anna 2 months ago #6

I personally looked into the risks for myself, and given the enormous risks involved, the chance that I would ask for it is extremely slim for me!!
Fainting, permanent paralysis, breastfeeding often doesn't get going, even a baby who had a cardiac arrest due to the large amount of anesthesia... I was really shocked by this.
I think it's important to be well informed; in most cases it goes well, but what if they do it wrong!! I'm not taking that risk! But it remains a personal choice..
Olivia!

Marieke 2 months ago #7

Hi ladies,

But there are positive stories too! With my first, I didn't have an epidural, but with the second I did because I had no energy left. Not because it took so long (she was born in 4 hours), but because I wasn't allowed to eat anymore and I arrived at 6 PM (dinner time!) and was incredibly hungry. At 5 cm dilation (just on the edge for an epidural), I asked for one. I didn't feel anything, but (apart from it being a bit unpleasant to sit still during contractions) because I had to lie back down, I immediately got pushing contractions and the little one was born, so in the end, it didn't help me that much, except maybe with the sharp edges of the birth itself.

I didn't need a catheter, my breastfeeding started normally, and a few hours later, after they tested whether I could stand on my legs properly, I was allowed to walk around again on my own.

And the next day, I went home extremely happy and without any complications.

Now with my third, I would ask for it again, but it depends on how things go. Honestly, I feel more like experiencing it more consciously because with my first, I was so in a trance doing it myself that I didn't really experience it very consciously. And with the second, everything went very quickly, but you don't get to choose when it happens.

And of course, things can go wrong, but that can also happen with a normal birth, and I think it's very personal for everyone. Make sure to get well informed and don't let scary stories put you off too much because it's there to help you! Otherwise, it wouldn't be used at all.

Good luck with making your choice!

* 2 months ago #8

Hello ladies,

I don't know what to do on one hand, and on the other hand I do...
Yes: because you'll have less pain.. and you don't have to come up with the 300 euro risk fee all at once because you're giving birth in the hospital (which I actually find a bit weird since back when there weren't those expensive insurance plans, there was no question of that at all)...
No: because there are a number of risks involved, as described above by a few women..

I didn't have an epidural for the first 2, but I asked for one for the second, but didn't get it because I was already too far along with the dilation. It had been discussed beforehand that an epidural would be possible..

Well ladies, from here I wish you all a very nice pregnancy and good luck to everyone who's giving birth soon... and thinking about the choice of an epidural.

Greetings Ju

Iza 2 months ago #9

No epidurals here, and I'm really glad about that. Because there are quite a few downsides to an epidural, but... if you've had contractions for two days and are completely exhausted, then an epidural can be beneficial for both mother and baby. It really depends on the situation, but I think it's quite exaggerated when women scream their heads off before even having their first contraction that they won't give birth without an epidural.

Olivia-Anna 2 months ago #10

I totally agree with Iza!!
I don't need an epidural either (Risks!!! look it up!) and in my family (9 sisters!!) there are strong women
who consciously say "No thanks".
But one of my sisters was struggling for a terribly long time, going from a home birth
to the hospital. And out of a confident fighter, only a
scared pile of misery was left in the end. The baby was stuck and it HAD to be, he was in mortal danger!!! She didn't cry or scream for a single moment!!
I heard from a close friend that it was unbearable and terrible and inhuman
she described the whole ordeal and I was in stitches when her husband came in
and calmly said: "What's terrible?? You already got a shot before you even properly lay down!"
Yeah that's exaggerated, in my opinion an epidural is fine if it's necessary,

love my girl! 2 months ago #11

I don't know how it feels to have such a birth, but I'm sure I don't want an epidural.
I want to experience it all-natural

boontje004 2 months ago #12

I think you can't really decide right now whether or not to get an epidural. I think it depends on how the birth goes, and no one knows that in advance. You can think about it beforehand, like... what would I do? I always said I'd only ask for an epidural if it's really necessary.

My first birth I got an IV with oxytocin, which led to a contraction storm. After an hour I got an epidural, and our daughter was born 11 hours later. Second time, again oxytocin, again an epidural, and eventually a C-section because I couldn't get past 8 cm. Third time, no epidural, got to 6 cm and then had a C-section. Now I'm getting another scheduled C-section.

They put the epidural in during contractions, so I felt more of the contractions than the injection itself. Other than that, no problems or anything.

love my girl! 2 months ago #13

I think you can already decide for yourself whether you want something or not. I know for myself that I don't want an epidural, with the thought that my mother, grandmother, and many other women in the past managed without it, and that there are also risks involved. I have a high pain threshold myself, but I also know it's going to hurt (a lot), and I don't know how a birth/contractions will feel. We'll see

Women are generally very strong, I think, and many women (from what I've heard and seen on TV) ask for an epidural too quickly. Look at America, for example; those women are just starting out, and they get an epidural without even trying on their own strength first. Well, I don't think that's really necessary.

*m 2 months ago #14

Hi Kaatje,

I’ve had an epidural myself and I can only say I’m positive about it, even though I’d have preferred to give birth without it. Other than that, I’m really happy with it!
The insertion didn’t hurt at all; you feel it, but it absolutely didn’t hurt.
You can adjust the fluid yourself; you have a kind of button by your bed. If I remember correctly, you can press it once every 15 minutes. When I started pushing, the anesthesia had mostly worn off, so I could handle the contractions well. Looking back at my birth, pushing was the least unpleasant part... I was really dreading it, but it turned out to be much easier than expected.
As for tearing, I have no idea if you’re more prone to it... I only had two stitches from tearing; I didn’t notice the tearing itself at all. I did find the stitching unpleasant.
I hope this helps you out a bit and good luck with your decision!

Love,

irma Guest 2 months ago #15

I went without an epidural, and it helped me quite a bit with showering, walking, and getting massages. And just when I was about to ask for one, it wasn't needed anymore because our little boy was already almost here!
I'd say try it without first—my first labor lasted 8 hours.

love my girl! 2 months ago #16

I did it on my own terms, just like I wanted. First baby and my contractions were induced. I was induced due to high blood pressure. I had all my contractions in my back.
My labor lasted 6 hours before I was allowed to push.

Tess90 2 months ago #17

I haven't made up my mind yet about what I want. I think I’d like to keep the option open, but I don’t want it to be dismissed out of hand right from the start. Well, that’s what I’m saying now. I don’t know how I’ll feel in the moment, etc...

What I don’t get is the idea that women experience birth more intensely if they endure a lot of pain—that’s how I sometimes understand it. Many women take a day off or pop a painkiller for the slightest headache, but during labor, some suddenly seem to seek out that primal strength and drive to push out a baby without any pain relief...

Of course, I understand the point in relation to the risks, but there are so many different types of pain relief. If they were all as unsafe as some imply, I don’t think they’d be allowed to be used by so many women giving birth.

The idea that you’d bond less with your baby, or that you’d “fail” if your body “can’t do it on its own,” just doesn’t sit well with me. And while it’s amazing that so many women gave birth without an epidural in the past, I secretly wonder how many of those women would have taken an epidural if the option had been available.

I see it this way: if you have a terrible headache, you take a pill because, eventually, it becomes unbearable. You don’t take the pill before the headache starts. So, you don’t take an epidural beforehand either. But it’s nice to know it’s there if you’ve crossed your limit or can’t cope anymore.

So, I think I’ll first try to see it as my body allows =)

anne greet janssens 2 months ago #18

With my first birth, I didn't have an epidural; I'd already said that beforehand because I was scared of the needle and wanted a natural birth. My son was born in 2 hours. I could handle the contractions pretty well, it wasn't too bad, but I couldn't handle the pushing stage at the end anymore; it was going too fast, I couldn't catch my breath, and at the very end, I asked for the epidural hehe, but by then my son was already here... my mom had predicted that, she said if you really can't take it anymore, it's almost over, and indeed, it was so.

Now that the second birth is getting closer, I'm more scared now; I know what's coming and stuff, and I'm afraid I won't be as strong as I was 5 years ago. I really hope it goes smoothly again, but I'm more open to an epidural if the doctor says it would be better for me and the baby. We'll see, hopefully it goes smoothly hehe, but I'd really rather not have the epidural.

Dromertje87 2 months ago #19

No epidural here for various reasons..
First of all because due to a spinal abnormality my back is very sensitive and secondly because it can be difficult to push if your body isn't completely out of the pain medication yet.

You have more than enough options you can try before resorting to medical interventions..
I had pethidine (injection in the leg) for my son and didn't have a great experience with it because it didn't help me and my son had a really rough start in my opinion due to the pain medication.

I'd rather go for remifentanil now if it comes to that.

Lenita29 2 months ago #20

Well, I did! I’d do it again in a heartbeat. It’s really super convenient. You barely feel anything from the needle itself. I had a huge contraction storm, so I was begging for it. It was already noted in my file that I’d get one anyway. What a relief that was. My daughter was born via C-section, though. Well, the upside was that the epidural was already in place...

I mean, we live in modern times. So why not have pain relief?

Yes or no epidural?

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