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[Katster]

What have you got against epidural Kat? Or pain relief in general?

totally agree with what bunique said, We know loads of expectant mums who go in with all intentions of not having any pain relief, yet the minute they get offered epidural they cant bend over quick enough! My missus slept for 2-3 hours during both labours after her epidural, after a few hours of early stage labour, the break did her wonders ready for the big push later.

The great big jock off needle? The side effects? The fact it might not even work and probably won't work fully?

People should be able to give birth naturally in most situations. Just like animals do. I want to feel pain, and I want to be aware throughout the process. In a weird sort of way I am kind of looking forward to the experience. It is something I never thought I'd do and I don't want to feel detached from it.

As I say though, we'll see. At least I will know I tried.

Bunique> The midwife said that most women get to 10cm and at that point feel they can't go on any longer. But by then the pain should start to subside as the baby starts to crown etc. I suppose it's like a point of no return feeling? Which is kind of what it is!

[bunique]

Yes - I didn't realise that though and in my head assumed I was going to get to hospital to be told I was 4cm and still had hours to go. Looking back, that meltdown was obviously my point of no return, and I think I'll recognise that this time and know it's time to get ready for transition! Again, the feeling of being out of control tipped me over be edge - once I started pushing it was much better.

I swore immediately that I would never do it again (I said to midwife during "why would anyone do this more than once?!" And she laughed and said "you'll be back!") but I am really looking forward to it, bizarrely!

[greenfairy43]

It's music to a midwife's ears when women announce they can't do it anymore & want to go home. It's usually a sign that they're"fully".

Keep an open mind, keep active & stay at home as long as you can.

Take some glucose sweets for an instant energy boost too.

[greenfairy43]

Once you start pushing you can 'use' the contractions in your favour rather than just having to cope with them. Crowing feels like Chinese burns on your nether regions but the birth of the body is a lush feeling!

[midnight]

I was planning and hoping for a nice natural labour, until I was diagnosed with complete placenta previa at 38 weeks. Meep. Apparently happens in only 1 in 200 pregnancies, trust my luck. The best laid plans of mice and (wo)men and all that. So I had to have a C-section, with an epidural. Weirdly enough, that counts as an "elective C-section", I saw that wording on the papers I had to sign and laughed, I mean with my medical problem not having a section would have meant nil survival chances for the baby and a massive risk for me too - "elective"?

[Katster]

Well you still choose to have the C-Section... You still could of refused... It would of ultimately still been your choice even given the risks.

LOL, that's not really much of a choice though is it? Have this C-Section and Epidural and you will both be fine, don't have it and either one if not both of you probably won't make it. Nobody would choose the latter, would they?

[greenfairy43]

Elective is anything other than emergency.

[Katster]

Indeed. I'm open to whatever is needed at the time but everyone apart from one other lady at parentcraft has planned to use epidural. Its that kind of thinking i don't much understand. In an ideal world i will deal with the pain naturally, but if I cant i have options to choose from. I still doubt i will be reaching for epidural though, i hate needles. I nearly passed out when they had to take my bloods when i first got pregnant lol. They had to get me a glass of water and calm me down. Pain though, I'm generally ok with, especially when i know what the pain is. My mum managed on just gas and air which is reassuring but we are all different. It be reet!!

[bunique]

It will. Whether you do it without drugs or with, you'll feel like a superhero after!

[greenfairy43]

This ^^^^

[midnight]

Well you still choose to have the C-Section... You still could of refused... It would of ultimately still been your choice even given the risks.

I'm not so sure about this. After 24 weeks of gestation the foetus is considered to have a reasonable chance of survival outside the womb and that has some consequences (ie abortion is no longer legal, unless there are very specific health risks). If I had refused to have a section, I would have effectively caused the death of the (by then viable) child, and perhaps my own (kind of suicidal). I never really looked into the legal aspects of this, but the former would have certainly made me an unfit parent, and the latter might have been enough to get me sectioned under the mental health act, and then some types of treatment could have been administered without my consent. I've heard about problems with Jehova's witnesses refusing blood transfusions, but I'm not sure how this would play out if they were risking someone else's life, not just their own - I'll have to look that up, it is interesting (in a somewhat horrifying way). Anyway, as an atheist I can't make religious excuses.

[midnight]

Elective is anything other than emergency.

Apparently, and that is very confusing for the general public, particularly if we are then being presented with finger wagging statistics stating that too many "elective" C-sections are being perfomed these days. I mean, come on, if a case like mine is counted as elective (and it felt very much like an emergency to me, anyway), the category is pretty much meaningless!

The consultant told me, in the presence of the father-to-be, that I would need a section before natural labour actually starts. The would-be-father, who didn't like this, asked "And what would happen if we were to try a natural labour?" Consultant: "Your baby will die. We would probably manage to patch up the mother with several blood transfusions." She backed that up with some anecdotal evidence from her years of working in Australia, where some women with placenta previa go undiagnosed (without regular pregnancy scans because they live very far away from a hospital). And according to all reading I did afterwards, she was right.

Elective? Only thing I did elect was to have an epidural instead of a general anaesthetic for the operation.

Sorry, I don't mean to sound morbid in a thread where several of us are looking forward to their babies being born, and I did eventually have a good outcome - a very lively boy weighing in at well over 8lbs, despite being delivered a bit early, to an anaemic and geriatric mother who hadn't put on much weight.

Edited September 11, 2014 by midnight

[midnight]

It will. Whether you do it without drugs or with, you'll feel like a superhero after!

Indeed!

[Katster]

Its interesting midnight, not morbid

[t8yman]

Indeed. I'm open to whatever is needed at the time but everyone apart from one other lady at parentcraft has planned to use epidural. Its that kind of thinking i don't much understand. In an ideal world i will deal with the pain naturally, but if I cant i have options to choose from. I still doubt i will be reaching for epidural though, i hate needles. I nearly passed out when they had to take my bloods when i first got pregnant lol. They had to get me a glass of water and calm me down. Pain though, I'm generally ok with, especially when i know what the pain is. My mum managed on just gas and air which is reassuring but we are all different. It be reet!!

You don't actually see the needle Kat if you don't want to.

I hope you are going to be "live tweeting" from the labour suite?

[Katster]

I've already seen it

I'm hoping not to be on the labour ward, we are planning for the birthing centre. But either way, no. Lol. There will be a select few pics appearing on facebook to announce our new arrival but then that's it. I have decided I don't really want it to be on there. Family and friends will just have to come round and see it in the flesh - if they are interested.

[t8yman]

Totally agree, check out http://www.stfuparentsblog.com/ for horrific levels of "overshare" on facebook. If it wasnt so funny it would be horrifying what some people share on facebook re labour, birthing, placentas and generally being a new parent!

Edited September 12, 2014 by t8yman

[Katster]

Currently in hospital with high BP just waiting for doc to see if i have to stay in overnight. Balls. Hoping not!

[bunique]

You're in the best place Kat - hope you get to go home. Have you started mat leave yet?

[Katster]

They kept me in overnight but just done morning BP check and its back down to 122/82. (Last night at its worst it was 163/103). I didn't even have any tea last night but they did bring me and sandwich when i told them that which was nice. They are being lovely and looking after me so annoying as it is I'm glad I am here.

[Katster]

No not started mat leave yet, might be forced to now.

[bunique]

Yeah, I was going to say, any pregnancy related sickness absence after 36 weeks will trigger it. But that's not necessarily a bad thing - may be your body's way of saying enough!

[Katster]

Bugger, i am 36 weeks tomorrow.

[Katster]

BP creeping up again so they are trying me on double the dosage of the tablets they tried last night. Its a funny thing isn't it blood pressure cos i really do feel fine. They aren't letting me go anywhere though, not yet.

[feral chile]

I got pulled in 3 out of 4 pregnancies for BP, each time I came out with my baby