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Epidural wearing off?

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  • 26-06-2010 1:05pm
    #1
    silja
    Registered Users Posts: 2,921 ✭✭✭


    I know there are a few midwives on here, maybe they can explain thus, but of course everyone is welcome to weigh in!

    I read a lot of birth stories before the birth of my VBAC baby and still read some. One thing that keeps coming up in stories where the mama had an epidural is that it ended up being "too short"; ie the mother got an epi early in labor and it wore off by the time painful transition labor started, and/ or the doctor said it could not be topped off towards the end labor. This keeps niggling at my brain because my experience was different, and I wonder if my anestiologist (sp?) just does a weird kind of epidural.

    Basically I had a self-administered epi; doctor put the line in and a first shot and stayed to make sure it worked (he also gave me a light epi, ie I could still move on the bed, get on all fours etc... maybe that was the difference?). Then I had a IV bag on the stand beside me with the epi meds, and a clicker, and I could click it a max of every 20 minutes to get more epi pain meds in- similar to a self-administered morphine drip after my c-section. This meant I could let it wear off a bit if I felt too paralized and as I got ready to push, but also could give myself another shot when pushing lasted longer than 2 hours and I was exhausted, to give myself a little break from the pain, then push again. Is this unusual, or am I just missunderstanding the way some women write about epis in their birth stories?

    I should mention this baby was born in Arkansas, but I have read those epi stories on both Irish and US birth boards.


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    #2
    Nevyn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 43,045 ✭✭✭✭Nevyn


    Please note that professional advice and medical advice can not be given on this site.

    Self administered Epidural is not done in the country at all nor is the walking Epidural and there is a limit here as to how much of a dose can be administered. These are the current policies and best practices in the country.
    There is also a difference in the drugs used for the Epidural as those which are sanctioned for use in the USA may aren't lenience or sanctioned here.

    I had mine topped up once while having my first and there was a concern as to if the baby wasn't born before the second top was done if there was to be a 3rd.


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    #3
    crazy cat lady
    Registered Users Posts: 1,196 ✭✭✭crazy cat lady


    In my experieince, if you have an epidural, you get the booster button to give yourselt top-ups throughout the labour, however the effect of the epidural can still wear off.

    If the epidural starts to wear off, one of 2 things may happen.

    1: If the baby is still a little way off being delivered and everything is progressing well, the anaesthatist may be called to give a top up.

    2: If delivery is close, they may leave the epidural to wear off to make pushing easier.

    I'm not sure what the difference in drugs/dosages are between here and the states


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    #4
    January
    Closed Accounts Posts: 23,865 ✭✭✭✭January


    When I was in the Rotunda on my first daughter I was induced and given the epidural and when I didn't feel it start to work I called midwife and he told me I could top it up myself and pointed at a button that had been slung over my shoulder.

    When I was in the Coombe they put epidural in and I couldn't top up myself... started to wear off towards the end (I was VBAC too) and the would not top it up for me, just kept telling me to use gas and air despite my protests...


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    #5
    ani_mal
    Registered Users Posts: 321 ✭✭ani_mal


    slija

    have you thought about pethedine?


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    #6
    Das Kitty
    Moderators, Arts Moderators Posts: 17,231 Mod ✭✭✭✭Das Kitty


    Well my epidural wore off. Only because no one was monitoring the dose bag and it had run out. They wheeled me in for a section and started with the iodine on my belly and I could feel the cold of it. Thank God I said it before they started cutting! Got a spinal block after that.


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    #7
    Nicki123
    Registered Users Posts: 294 ✭✭Nicki123


    Whilst they don't do the walking epidural here at all ( insurance implications I was told), they definitely do the self administered one. My experience in the Rotunda sounds exactly like what you had in Arkansas, the epidural was sited and I was given the inital dose then I was given a button which I could press once within a 20 minute period to top myself up. I loved the option and it allowed me to let it wear off when it came close to pushing time so I had a better idea of how/where to push.


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    #8
    silja
    Registered Users Posts: 2,921 ✭✭✭silja


    ani_mal: I aready had my birth.


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    #9
    ziggy23
    Registered Users Posts: 1,919 ✭✭✭ziggy23


    Das Kitty wrote: »
    Well my epidural wore off. Only because no one was monitoring the dose bag and it had run out. They wheeled me in for a section and started with the iodine on my belly and I could feel the cold of it. Thank God I said it before they started cutting! Got a spinal block after that.

    OMG:eek: thank god u did!
    I had a similiar experience. Not long after they had given me the 1st dose I complained of feeling pain again and they said no no you cant be feeling anything I kept telling them I was in pain so they checked and turns out the feckin thing wasnt connected properly:rolleyes:


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