Epidural

WWC

Hi,

Hope everyone is good today.

This may sound like a stupid question but v new to all this.
Does going public/private make any differnce to getting the epiduarl.

Just chatting to a girl at work who went public and said she was left waiting too long to get the epidural as staff were attending to private patients?!?

eviltwin

WWC wrote: »

Hi,

Hope everyone is good today.

This may sound like a stupid question but v new to all this.
Does going public/private make any differnce to getting the epiduarl.

Just chatting to a girl at work who went public and said she was left waiting too long to get the epidural as staff were attending to private patients?!?

I wouldnt have thought so but maybe it depends on the hosptial.

I've just had my second child and had the epidural both times. I was public and had no problems getting it. The midwife told me this time that they were given in the order women came into the delivery suite so I only had to wait a few minutes for him to come in. With my first child he was in the delivery room waiting for me!!

January

WWC wrote: »

Hi,

Hope everyone is good today.

This may sound like a stupid question but v new to all this.
Does going public/private make any differnce to getting the epiduarl.

Just chatting to a girl at work who went public and said she was left waiting too long to get the epidural as staff were attending to private patients?!?

I think she probably took that up wrong, women are given epidural in the order that they ask for it. It doesn't go by whether you're public or private. I had to wait half an hour on mine but that was only because he was giving it to the woman in the next room!!!

crazy cat lady

In Holles St they are given in order by when they are asked for. Eg. If you are there for 3 hours and then ask for an epidural after the 3 hours, the woman that came into the labour ward half an hour ago but asked for the epidural 20 minutes ago will be first in the queue.

If you are a public patient, the registrar anaesthatist will site the epidural.

If you are a Semi-P or Private patient the consultant anaesthatist will site the epidural.

How long you have to wait will ultimately depend on the queue in front of you!

My advice would be that if you know that you will definately want the epidural, ask for it sooner rather than later.

Das Kitty

Yeah it's definitely done in order of who asked first, depending on how busy the anaesthetist is it could take up to an hour.

tfak85

i think if you're private and you get an epidural about 300euro goes on your bill but other than that it's the same for everyone...

other reasons epidurals can be delayed are if there are emergencies around the hospital etc....

drBill

Apologies for being a bit off topic but I'm reminded of the story where the midwife asked the a girl in difficult labour how she was getting on and the response came back: "Two words: Epi Dural!".

In our local hospital a few years ago one of the midwifes scared us when she mentioned almost casually that there can sometimes be a situation there where both the anaesthetists could be unavailable if, say, they had to accompany a patient to Dublin in an ambulance. So no epidural service for a time.

January

drBill wrote: »

Apologies for being a bit off topic but I'm reminded of the story where the midwife asked the a girl in difficult labour how she was getting on and the response came back: "Two words: Epi Dural!".

In Wexford General a few years ago one of the midwifes scared us when she mentioned almost casually that there can sometimes be a situation there where both the anaesthetists could be unavailable if, say, they had to accompany a patient to Dublin in an ambulance. So no epidural service for a time.

Hey, don't be scaring us pregnant women with your tales of no epidurals available :P

gowayouttadat

I was public, have a history of spinal problems so the epidural was going to be complicated and they really took their time and paid a lot of attention to me so I don't think it makes any difference. In the end it was too bloody late anyway but that was a midwifes fault and had nothing to do with public v private.

crazy cat lady

drBill wrote: »

Apologies for being a bit off topic but I'm reminded of the story where the midwife asked the a girl in difficult labour how she was getting on and the response came back: "Two words: Epi Dural!".

In our local hospital a few years ago one of the midwifes scared us when she mentioned almost casually that there can sometimes be a situation there where both the anaesthetists could be unavailable if, say, they had to accompany a patient to Dublin in an ambulance. So no epidural service for a time.

I've never heard of there being no anaesthatist available at all. Sure you might have to wait if the anaesthatist is in an emergency in theatre or if siting another epidural, but there should always be an anaesthtist in the hospital, just in case there is an emergency

seire_jayne

I'm not sure if it makes any difference whether your public or private. But i had been asked at my second scan if i wanted an epidural and i said yes. Was in hospital 2 days before i had my little girl and had told them again i still wanted the epidural. But unfortunately it was me who realised I need to start pushing :eek: as my midwife had said about twenty mins before tat it would be a good while before I would be ready. A girl who lives down the road from me had her baby a few hours after me in the same hospital, got the epidural even though she came 2 days after me and asked for it about an hour before she had her baby. She was a private patient. But I'm not sure if that was the reason or was it because she was older, or because she was alot more demanding :pac:

January

Labours progress differently. The midwife may have thought you had ages left before the pushing stage. In actual fact the anesthesist may not have been able to make it in 20 minutes anyways.

seire_jayne

oh i know that you have. to have it half an hour beforehand but she didnt check to see how dilated i was which she really should have, but it was an easy labour, I'm pregnant again not sure whether i will get the epidural this time

fi1979

epidural, pros and cons? anyone...

hacked

crazy cat lady... you mentioned getting the epidural sooner rather than later. How long does it last? My fear is that i'll decide I want one and that it will wear off before im finished!

January

You can get a top up hacked. I got mine at 3pm and it started to wear off around 7pm... they tried to top it up before the c section but were unsuccessful.

January

fi1979 wrote: »

epidural, pros and cons? anyone...

Pros: No pain

Cons: Can't move around during labour or immediately afterwards. Can feel very sick from it.

bogtotty

fi1979 wrote: »

epidural, pros and cons? anyone...

Pros: no pain

Cons: it mightn't work; it might only half work (quite common) leaving only one side numb; it can cause a leak in the dural membrane leading to severe headaches for weeks after birth (rare); it can cause a dramatic drop in blood pressure resulting in fits (rare); you have to have a catheter inserted to keep your bladder drained; you have to have an IV inserted; you will not be able to walk for a few hours afterwards; you will not feel the urge to push so labour may take longer (common); longer labours are more likely to need interventions - forceps/ventouse deliveries and emergency c-sections are more common in labours where women have opted for an epi (see AIMS/Cuidui websites for stats).

So, you might not get a medal for opting for more natural methods of pain relief, but you certainly are taking less of a risk.

hacked

adrieanne__x wrote: »

You can get a top up hacked. I got mine at 3pm and it started to wear off around 7pm... they tried to top it up before the c section but were unsuccessful.

oh duh..can't beleive I didn't know that, thanks!

Honestly, all the risks with the epidural are quite rare. All the women in both sides of my family have opted for them and have never had a problem. Long labours run in my mothers side of the family, so I'll be putting in a request for an epi just in case. I would hate to get too worn out to push!

crazy cat lady

hacked wrote: »

crazy cat lady... you mentioned getting the epidural sooner rather than later. How long does it last? My fear is that i'll decide I want one and that it will wear off before im finished!

Once the epidural is sited there will be a constant infusion of the drug used to numb you. Yes the epidural can start to wear off but you can get a top up if it is not looking like delivery is iminent.

Sometimes the epidural can start to feel like its wearing off as the delivery gets closer. This is due to the huge amount of pressure caused by the baby's head sitting waiting to come out! If this is the case, its unlikely that you'll be given a top up as it will not have time to work before the baby is delivered. It can also be an advantage to feel this pressure as you will know where and when to push. I've not had my baby yet (any day now pg!) so I can only tell you this from a midwives perspective.

Pros and Cons: I think bogtotty covered them mostly!

Just to mention that if you need a catheter, they will just pass one after 2 hours to empty your bladder, and remove it again straight away, then again after 2 hours, and if you are still there 2 hours later they will pass one which will stay in place until your baby is born.

Unless there are any complications after the birth (bleeding, retained placenta etc..) the catheter, the IV line and the epidural will all be removed before you leave the delivery ward.

Its important to know also that the drug used in the epidural does cross the placenta, as does pethidine, which can mean that your baby might be a bit sleepy when born. Its vey safe for babies and even tho they will still be awake and alert when born, they don't always breastfeed as well straight after being born, but then neither do some babies born without an epidural. It doesn't affect breastfeeding in the long run.

fi1979

hacked wrote: »

All the women in both sides of my family have opted for them and have never had a problem. Long labours run in my mothers side of the family, so I'll be putting in a request for an epi just in case. I would hate to get too worn out to push!

Do long labours run in the family, or is it just that everyone is different? If its genetic, I'd better start a poll with my sisters!!
All this talk of labour is getting me a bit panicky, but I think I'm a bit prone to that this week anyway lol :eek:

hacked

fi1979 wrote: »

Do long labours run in the family, or is it just that everyone is different? If its genetic, I'd better start a poll with my sisters!!
All this talk of labour is getting me a bit panicky, but I think I'm a bit prone to that this week anyway lol :eek:

Well, I can't speak for everyone's family...but they do in mine. Not necessarily for all children, but definately for the first. Going back for a few generations, the average labour on the first child is between 40 and 48 hours!! :eek: I'm seriously praying I take after my father's side of the family, as my paternal grandmother seemed to pop them out like Pez. :P

cbyrd

i asked both times for an epidural as the pain was getting a bit much... they chaecked me and informed me i was almost 10cms and get ready to push..:eek: i had the gas and air for both no time for anything else so it would be nice to have the time to decide... only up side to no epidural was i was in the shower and up to the ward within the hour.. and i could've gone home after 6 hours after the last one:eek: (she was born at 6am and i was told i was allowed to go home at noon) my oh wouldn't let me though.. just in case!:D just in case he didn't get any sleep;)
but i really would want it if i was in that much pain and told i was only 2 or 3 cms :eek:

eviltwin

I've had two and I have to say I found them brilliant..couldnt have done it without them

This time around I got to 7cm before I got it and was in a fair amount of pain before I was given the epidural and the relief was just the best feeling ever.

Yes the cons as listed above are true but I have to say girls when I was in the height of my contractions I wasnt in the frame of mind to be walking around...I just sat on the bed and recovered in between them so the not being mobile thing wasnt really much of a loss

The fact that I had an hour of no pain at all before the baby was born was a well worth all the side effects

Just on what CrazyCat says about the pushing, the epi I had this time around did take away the pain but I felt the tightening of the uterus so I was able to feel when the time was right to push. The epi I had with my daughter left me total numb and I had to rely on the midwife to tell me when.

Mind you that was a long time ago now so I think the ones used these days are designed to give you some sensation rather than numb you completely

lalalulu

Pro's: Excellent pain relief (personally) as soon as i got it the pain stopped!

Con's: Way to many wire's,!! I had a drip in one arm for fluids, the epi in my back attached to a hand pump (so i could get more epi every 15mins) and a drip in my other arm for oxitocin (sp?)
I wasn't allowed out of the bed as legs were numb and had to have my bladder emptied by the midwife every half hour which was uncomfortable.
When it came to giving birth, i had had to much epi so i had absolutley no sensation from the waist down and so i couldn't push properly and had to have an episiotimy (sp?) and vaccum assistance. Babs had a cut on her head when she was born from the suction. All of this was because of the epi. Now if they had taken the pump off me say an hour before i had to push then all this could of been avoided. Even the doctor said this.

However if i was to have another baby i would go for the epi again

seire_jayne

was going to get the epidural this time round until read this thread :pac:
My last labour wasnt bad at all hopefully this one will be the same, most people I know found the epidural great but would like to be able to push properly

lalalulu

Defo try and avoid it, i have no pain threshold whatsoever so there's noway i could imagine being in labour without it!

caprilicious

Great thread ladies, its brill to see things from both sides pros/cons of those that have had it before as well as those that have managed without.

Personally I'm going to try not have it, I have a fairly high pain threshold and the hospital have assured me if I change my mind when the time comes then I will still be able to have it.

I think what has put me off personally is the increased risk of C-section. I'd really prefer avoid one if at all possible!
Also I've read that epidural can prolong the labour as the ability to push isn't as strong.

A girl I spoke to recently gave birth to a gorgeous little girl, she used a TENS machine instead and she found it great. She said the best thing for her was that she felt more in control, that if the pain got too bad she could give the TENS a boost/put it on stronger. I'm going to invest in one myself and hope for the best!

hacked

caprilicious wrote: »

Great thread ladies, its brill to see things from both sides pros/cons of those that have had it before as well as those that have managed without.

Personally I'm going to try not have it, I have a fairly high pain threshold and the hospital have assured me if I change my mind when the time comes then I will still be able to have it.

I think what has put me off personally is the increased risk of C-section. I'd really prefer avoid one if at all possible!
Also I've read that epidural can prolong the labour as the ability to push isn't as strong.

A girl I spoke to recently gave birth to a gorgeous little girl, she used a TENS machine instead and she found it great. She said the best thing for her was that she felt more in control, that if the pain got too bad she could give the TENS a boost/put it on stronger. I'm going to invest in one myself and hope for the best!

I'm the same. My pain threshold is high enough, so I'd like to try without it for a while, but I will be putting it down in my birthplan just in case! Like I said in my last post, if I take after my mothers side I'll really want it. If not, I might surprise myself. I'm not going to pretend...just get through it the best i can!

Das Kitty

Yeah I'm planning on avoiding it too fingers crossed. I get terribly claustrophobic when my legs can't move, also not being able to use gravity to help things along would bother me.

All could change on the day obviously!

Getting a loan of a TENS from a friend even if it doesn't make much difference there's a placebo effect of pressing a button.

crazy cat lady

The epidural is supposed to slow down the labour by approximately half an hour. I've no idea how that was worked out, I'd say its longer imo!

Every labour is different tho!

Orlaithc9

Just something I dont think was mentioned in the thread yet about the epi...After having it I found I went extermely cold. My feet were like ice blocks and I was shivering so much

Moonbeam

I avoided it but wish I had known how to use gas and air better:)
I wouldn't get it unless I actually needed it for an emergency c section or similar.

fi1979

I'd be planning the same as hacked, not definately opting for it unless I really feel I need it. I have started researching the tens machines, they don't seem expensive from what I saw on ebay, and have other uses too, so not just for the labour!:D

angeldelight

You can also rent the TENS - I know Boots do it, I'm sure other places do too

houseman

ok i have to ask, whats a TENS machine?

foxy06

I've had 3 labours one with epidural and 2 without. Both times I went without I was screaming for it but didn't get it in time so had to do without. These labours were much faster and I felt a lot better after and could leave the hospital a lot quicker than I could have if I had had the epi.

My advice would be don't go into the hospital planning on having the epi. If you really really need it get it but you might be able to manage without and you will feel a lot better after baby is born and you will be more mobile. There are no medals for going without though so if you or the midwife thinks it may be a long haul you can decide then whether to get it or not.

All the best girls!

crazy cat lady

houseman wrote: »

ok i have to ask, whats a TENS machine?

Its a little machine that has pads attached to it which stick on your back and send little electric pulses through. Its supposed to intercept the pain from the contraction and stop it travelling up the spine to the brain to be acknowledged.

For some women it works really well, especially in early labour. I've bought one, think it was about 25 sterling (got it half price while I was in England), but I do know that there are a few places that hire them out.

If you do buy one, make sure its a TENS machine for labour. These ones come with the boost button whereas not all of them do

bogtotty

I rented a TENS maching from Medicare - they deliver it to you 2 weeks before your due date and send it back after - it's one of the most recommended models. I can't give any feedback though, my labour kicked off fairly quickly and dramatically and I completely forgot I even had the damned thing! Don't get the M0thercare one, I hear the sticky pads have a tendency to fall off. The trick is to start using it the minute your labour begins, as it works by sort of tricking your brain into thinking the contractions don't really exist. If you wait until the contractions have become hot and heavy there's no fooling even the most gullible of brains...

Back to the OP, if you do decide to go with gas & air rather than epi, make sure you do loads of breathing technique practice beforehand, as it makes G&A a much more effective method of pain relief. Get your birth person onside too, so that if you feel you want the epi during the labout they get you to wait another 5 mins, by which time you might have decided you can manage without after all.

hacked

Like I said, I'm going to put the epi down on my birth plan, but wait to see if I will really need it. I could hack the pain if it were a shorter labour!
I do want to use the gas and air anyway though part of it makes me nervous. A lot of my friends got stoned off their faces on it and some weren't allowed hold their babies after because the doctors thought they would drop them!! Is this common? I don't want to be denied my baby!

Vel

eviltwin wrote: »

..couldnt have done it without them

You might think this is the case but you can ! I opted for an epidural but it didn't work at all. At the time, my whole world fell apart as I had mentally prepared myself for it and was desperate for some relief. I was so upset when we realised it wasn't working, however I then went on to have the baby without it and yes, it was hard work and a lot of pain but I did it and was glad in the end that I didn't have the epidural.

Next time around, I hope to go through it without getting an epidural. Its hard to stop yourself from asking for it but definetely worth it if you can do it without

So when you feel like you really really can't go on, you actually can, as I proved to myself!

Khannie

hacked wrote: »

A lot of my friends got stoned off their faces on it and some weren't allowed hold their babies after because the doctors thought they would drop them!! Is this common? I don't want to be denied my baby!

:eek:

Never heard that before. It usually wears off very fast when you stop taking it. I tried some when the midwife left the room last time.

Vel

hacked wrote: »

I do want to use the gas and air anyway though part of it makes me nervous. A lot of my friends got stoned off their faces on it and some weren't allowed hold their babies after because the doctors thought they would drop them!! Is this common? I don't want to be denied my baby!

I didn't really get any relief from the gas and air but what I did find with it was that I used it as a focus, so when a contraction came I would kind of bite down on nozzle and scream into it! When they took it away for the pushing part I wasn't impressed!

I still had my nightdress on when I gave birth so they popped the baby on my chest inside the nightdress with his head sticking out the neck part so he was nice and safe there and of course my partner was close by to catch him if he'd fallen :D:p

hacked

Vel wrote: »

I didn't really get any relief from the gas and air but what I did find with it was that I used it as a focus, so when a contraction came I would kind of bite down on nozzle and scream into it! When they took it away for the pushing part I wasn't impressed!

I still had my nightdress on when I gave birth so they popped the baby on my chest inside the nightdress with his head sticking out the neck part so he was nice and safe there and of course my partner was close by to catch him if he'd fallen :D:p

To be honest with you, thats the main reason I want it. I don't think i will get any releif from it, but it will give me some focus! Like when you have a panic attack, you breathe into a bag. When I have a contraction, I can start breathing in something too.
Glad that that does make sense!

lalalulu

I didn't get any relief from the gas and air. I was light headed and could hear everyone's voices like an echo, it freaked me out. My sis in law has had three kids and went without the epi on all three just used gas and air and found it great.. It depend's on the person and how you handle pain...I also used the ten's machine in early labour and found it good but once i got to the hospital i got no relief from it at all.. It's definitely worth a try though.. I would highly recommend getting in the bath or shower if it's possible i had babs in holles st and the midwife suggested i get in the shower with the birthing ball. I wish i could of stayed in there for the whole labour, i got so much relief from the water.. Unfortunately it wasn't practicul to give birth in a shower

bogtotty

fi1979 wrote: »

Do long labours run in the family, or is it just that everyone is different?

I don't know, I'd say everyone is different, although short labours are fairly common in my family. My mum had short labours - 6 hours for the first, and hour shorter with each baby (she had 5, the last, my brother, pretty much popped out with one push). My maternal aunts were all fairly quick too, 6-12 hours max. On my dad's side they all went a bit longer. My sister was in labour for 16 hours and ended up with an emergency c-section (and is probably responsible for me being anti-epi as everything was going fine until she got it - I know this doesn't happen for everyone but I'd rather a bit of pain than the risk of major surgery). I had my ds in August (my first), 4 hours from first pang to having him in my arms.

Vel

lalalulu wrote: »

It depend's on the person and how you handle pain...

This is true. However, before I did it I would have been certain that I couldn't do it without an epi and as soon as I entered the labour ward I requested one. But in the end I could and did do it without.

So, I guess I am advising people who are in two minds about getting one and would prefer to do it without, that when you get to that point where you think that you just can't go on and that you would rather everything stopped and the baby stayed in there for ever (that did cross my mind at one stage:eek:!!), to just try to 'push' yourself that little bit more and you may just find that you can do it.

crazy cat lady

hacked wrote: »

I do want to use the gas and air anyway though part of it makes me nervous. A lot of my friends got stoned off their faces on it and some weren't allowed hold their babies after because the doctors thought they would drop them!! Is this common? I don't want to be denied my baby!

Personally never seen this happen and I've been with a lot of women in labour using it! The gas and air wears off very quickly in between contractions, and most women will stop using the gas and air whilst pushing so its had even longer to wear off.

Sometimes the gas and air is used after the baby is born if any stitches are needed, or if the placenta is being a bit tricky to deliver. In this case it wouldn't be adviseable that the mother is holding the baby. Daddy is usually getting a little cuddle while the 'tidy up' is going on anyway.

I would definately recommend perfecting your breathing technique if you are planning on using gas and air as you need to be taking long deep breaths, and during labour it can be easy to resort to short panicky breaths. I'm finding yoga great for breathing but I guess we'll see sometime very soon if its been helpful or not!

Das Kitty

Think you might be thinking of Pethadine hacked. Gas and air wears off after a few breaths and doesn't cross the placenta.

hacked

Das Kitty wrote: »

Think you might be thinking of Pethadine hacked. Gas and air wears off after a few breaths and doesn't cross the placenta.

I have no idea to be honest. I just know a friend of mine had a baby 3 months ago and she said she only had gas and air and that she was so stoned that the doc wouldn't let her hold her son!
However, she did have an incredibly short labour....2 hours 20 minutes, and she had a bit of clean up too, so maybe she just wasn't telling me all! (for which i am grateful...she terrified me!)