Hi all,

our first baby is due in August and I hav some HUGE concerns about an epidural. Does anyonse feel the same?

I have a small curve in my spine, and years ago I had to have a spinal tap (fluid removed from my spinal cord). Due to the curved spine, it took 5 shots until they got the right spot! And they were VERY experienced!

I am SOOOO worried that if I am in need of an epidural, it will get put in the wrong spot and I will bocome paralyzed. Horible thought.....i know.

Does anyone know of anyone that had an epidural go wrong? What happened?

Thanks
[Edited on 23/01/2010]

MY sister in law recently gave birth to her second child and the epidural didn't go worng as such but instead it only worked down one side of her body. Being numb on one side she found it even more uncomfortable than before the injection as she was induced and it can often be more painful than going naturally.

Talk to the midwife's at your hospital. I have found that they are extreamly helpful with those sorts of issues. Even talking to the anthethsis may help ease your concerns.

i was very scared of having an epidural. my fears only went away AFTER it went in (with no probs whatsoever).

i dont think anything can take that fear away unfortunately. the only reason i went through with it was cos my dh held me to a promise i made him. i am so glad he did though.

I have had two epidurals and I'm pretty darn sure I'll be having another in a few weeks time!

The fear of what could go wrong is always there I think, no matter how many you've had or how many stories you've heard... it's a pretty scary idea, putting a needle into your spine!!! Particularly while you're having contractions which you have no control over!

It does freak me out and I am always apprehensive, but luckily I've had two really quite good experiences which has eased my mind a tad.

The worst I've heard happening is it not working properly and my friend had one (or was that a spinal block? not sure sorry) and she ended up getting a leak from it which was causing really bad headaches etc.
She was fine after they figured out what was going on and sorted it out tho.

Like PP said, chat with the hospital staff if you can, read up on it as much as you can too and also look at other forms of pain relief that you would consider before going for an epidural..

Good luck!

Hi there.

I had an epi with my first labour and found that before the labour I was petrified and opted against having one, however once in labour and with back to back contractions from the syntocinon I was begging for one!!! When you are in pain and your mind is on another level (as it does when you are in labour) nothing much matters I find, epidurals, who see's you naked, whether you do a poo whilst pushing! lol All the worries that you have before labour should ease when you are in labour, hopefully!!

I had an epidural, andit was great. I got induced so had the nasty drug to get things kick started. But once the epi was in, I felt more in control of the labour and was actually able to enjoy it, and now cannot wait to do it again. I must say, the worse part was the 1st part when they put the local in to numb it, that felt funny, but once u r numb, u dont feel a thing. The people who administer the epi r well and truely experienced with it, so dont be too scared of it. Good luck for the birth!

I've had 3 epidurals now and fully recommend it, they are pure bliss!
I only get given enough pain relief through the epidural, to numb the pain and not take away all feeling, that way you can still change position and are not confined to lying on your back, and also you can feel when to push etc....honestly best invention ever!! I think it gives you more control over how your birth goes smile
I have a very long 2nd stage which I don't mind if I'm not screaming in agony for hours!

I had an epi with my DS(First) and it only worked on one side of my body, and but not much. It was crap, but...
With my second i was wheeled into the delivery suite and they checked me (4cm's) i yelled between contractions, I WANNA EPIDURAL!!! So i was vey willing to go back for seconds!!! LOL Turns out by the time they were ready to do it (with in 20 or so minutes) i was pushing (and at 10cm's). So only got the dot on my back and the drip in my arm.
To be honest im glad i didnt have it with my second and will be trying again to not get it this time. But i really needed it with my first and it didnt work... so go with the flow and if you feel you need/want it then go for it. just see how it goes.

I hear you !!!!
I am due in May and was set on having one until I watched a video about it.........it scared me.
I am going to see what other drugs I can get at the hospital smile

hi,

my name is michelle, i have had 2 c-sections and have had 2 failed attempts at the epidural.this time i am just going straight for the general anaesthetic.

from what i have read on the c-section part of the forum, we are rear. everyone seems to have had a dream c-section and epidural. i think it all comes down to the anaesthetist. the first c-section i had was a horrible experience mostly with the epidural. they tried nine times and failed.but the man that did it was hopeless. i think by telling them your conserns and anything u possibly can about your medical history before you go in. is the best thing to do.

with my second c-section i spoke to the anaethetist before i went in and told him about the problems i had with my daughter. he sat with me for 30 mins talking it over with me, i was really scared about having repeat problem. and he was great.even though i still ended up having to have a local anaethetic. half an hour of attempting the epidural. but the difference was this man explained everything he was doing the whole time. and asked me after a few attempts wether i was still happy to keep going.

my advice to you is make sure you have a fully trained and experienced aneathatist. make sure they you make it known if you can feel pain when they are putting the needle in. And always know that it is your body if you don't want them to try any more you can always say no more.
in all my ten years as a carer i have only known of one case where a patient has become paralized by a epidural. but that was a very rare case.

i hope i have helped rather than scared you more. and sorry about the spelling.

Posted by: Alexd2010
our first baby is due in August and I hav some HUGE concerns about an epidural.
[Edited on 23/01/2010]

You should have concerns... there are very real risks associated with epidurals. Here is a great article http://www.sarahjbuckley.com/articles/epidural-risks.htm
about epidurals, it is factual, evidence based and an easy read.

I had a bad experience. The epidural worked in the end, but it did take 2 attempts to get it in. I apparetnly have a curved spine.... it was news to me but this is what the anaesthetist told me after.

I had been in labour for 24hrs with very long contractions every 2-3 mins. i curved my back as directed and had my husband and the midwife supporting me while I contracted. the anaesthetist put the numbing agent in the tried to put the epidural in and I had searing pain like someone had stabbed me in the back and i jumped. at this point the anaesthetist told me he had just hit my spinal coloum with the needle and that he didnt realise my back was curved. I then had to do a near mission impossible move with the nurse and my husband supporting me as I dangled over the bed so the anaesthetist could get a better angle on my spine. the second time he got it in correctly, It is not something I am looking at doing again.

My advise to you would be to get the anaesthetist to check your spine before starting, inform them of the problems you have had and ask them how you can get into the best position.

fingers crossed all goes well for you!

if i was in such pain id say bring it on!!!

hmmmmmm.......well, Ihave decided to go without...BUT...I am going in open minded if things get a bit hairy!

I dont like needles at all but ive had 2 epidurals once for a c/s and the other for a VBAC and i can tell you I would have an epidural over a blood test or even the drip they give you during labor any day. I was really worried about the epidural/spinal block when i had my son but it was fine so wasnt worried about it for my VBAC. Plus this time my DH and i had a rest/nap while i was in labor and i didnt feel a thing. It was definitely worth it as i wasnt tired when it came to pushing. I think too if you are labor for quite a while you would get really worn out from being in pain from the contractions so at least this way you can rest up before the baby is born.

I would never get one unless i HAD to! I HATE needles and going into my spine? **** that! haha. I went drug free first time and it really wasn't that bad.. but everyone is different i guess.
Really, it will always be your choice for an epidural because if anything goes really wrong, you'll be put under for a C-section (at least i think that's how it works?) So yeah, you don't have to get an epidural if you don't want to =) Don't worry. I'm sure everything will go just fine!

Hi there,

I am an anaesthetic nurse & assist anaethetist to do both epidurals & spinals (the one shot needle). I work only 2 nights a week & I'd still manage to do 1-2 epidurals & 3-4 spinals!! I can honestly say that in 4 years since I've been assisting I have seen maybe 2-3 "fail". Sometimes that involved things such as only working on 1 side, or not being enough pain relief. Or getting what they call an epidural headache which can last a few days afterwards for mum & can be uncomfortable. I have NEVER seen anyone get paralysed from one & I think the stats are 1:500,000 (don't quote me on that - I've tuned out a lot when they tell patients over the years!!) You've basically got more of a chance of dying in a plane crash than being paralysed. I myself have had a spinal after the birth of my little boy & everything went beautifully. I have seen both spinals & epidurals put in the backs of people that have severe spinal issues, including severe curvatures & rods, etc. There are definate ways to get past it, whether that means positioning you better, or getting you to push your back out more. I personally have seen enough successful ones to have complete faith in them - even after seeing those that weren't so successful. And being a medical person myself & knowing EVERYTHING that could go wrong, I'd still get one if I needed it!! I hope that helps a little smile

is it possible to have a chat to your ob or middy and getting them to note you have a curve in your spine which will make it a little difficult for the epi, i have had a epi and then a spinal the next time around and for the epi the guy had some issues trying to get it in then he said to me you are a horse rider aren't you? as soon as i siad yes he changed the way he was putting it in and it worked, my best mate had issues the first time as well , she had numb legs and felt everything, but the second time i was there wiht her and i explained she had a damaged back from gymnastics and he changed the way he did it and it went in prefectly and it worked well, so if the docs know in advance they can do things differently to help it go in right on the first try...

I didn't have an epi with my first, so I made sure I got one with my second.

With my first I had no drugs by the pushing stage, and had to have a vacuum extraction. If I had of had a knife I would have seriously stabbed myself in the heart. At the time I wanted to die.

With my second, I got my epi. I didn't feel a thing. The worst part about the eip I reakon is getting the drip put in. Unfortunatley I was one of the few that got a epi headache, and ended up having a blood patch that slipped, so in the end just had to suck it up with a 2 year old and a newborn.

Would I have another eip after the headache...Hell yes. i would let the doctor cut my legs off if it meant the pain was going to go away! LOL.

I had an epidural with my first labour and it was wonderful! I was able to get some well deserved sleep and as i dilated closer to 10cm they turned it down so i could feel all the contractions and knew when to push. I will definately be opting for this again if it came up when i have baby 2 in June. But definately talk to your midwives / doctors about it first and make a decision weather you want it or not before you go into labour as your decision making goes right out the window when you are in paiN!

My God, don't get one then! It is actually normal for women to have babies without numbing themselves. It's better for you, better for baby.... the problem is all about fear of the unknown. We don't see or experience any of the women in our lives giving birth or being in labour ,until it is our own! That makes for scary stuff.
Trust yourself, and make the decision on the day depending on how you are going. Make sure you read up on any interventions before birth so you understand what the pluses and minuses are.

Ladies, don't scare everyone who is about to have a baby. That's part of the problem too. It is actually a nice experience. (in my big fat overinflated opinion)

After 14 hours I got an epidural, which was the best, I did get an epidural headache and had to get a blood patch but it was instant pain relief especially as it was another 5 hours before DD was born. I didnt want to get one but was the best form of pain relief, just keep your options open.

Im not sure Ill get another one this time, but Im not ruling it out

I had an epi with my first...after 3 attempts they said they got it in but went a little too far and my chances of a EPIDURAL HEADACHE was much higher, they told me I should still get the same effect after 30-40 mins nothing had happened it FAILED I was in alot of pain due to ARM and DS being in postierior position...my labour ended in a CS and the next night I got that dreaded EPIDURAL HEADACHE which I do not wish on anyone it was horrible I couldn't get out of bed or sit up, I had to get alot of help from nurses and DH they would take bub at night and bring hm bacj for feeds cos I couldn't move.
They tried giving me panadol for a further 2 days to try and help but it did nothing and decided to do a BLOOD PATCH which is to injet m own blood into the sight where I was leaking fluid...another3 attempts to get to the sight and 10 attempts for getting blood I was a pin cushion they tried to get blood from place all over my arms I had massive bruises.
They told me that procedure would take 10-15 mins I was gone for 1.5hr.

Epidural experience horrible I will never do it again..this time however I'm having elective CS and am going to try the spinal if not I will have the general.

That being said my experience is one of many so it's your choice.

Unfortunately, sometimes they don't work to plan sad
I had my baby on the weekend and asked for the epi as soon as we got there lol. Of course it takes a while to organise and get a free anaesthetist..
So anyhoo, I was expecting this one to go the same way my other two epis - no dramas at all.
Unfortunately, it didn't happen that way...
The poor guy couldn't get it in after trying for about half an hour.. I ended up with a few holes in my back! lol

We thought he might have got it finally, but no.. it gave me a tiny block on my left side, so got him to come back in and try again. Tried again for another 20 or so minutes, but again couldn't get it in properly.

In the end I had a new form of pain relief that my hospital has only offered for the past month and which you can only get if epidural attempts have failed... it was a morphine based drug and it was great!! It really got me thru, so I was happy with that..

DD2 was posterior also, which contributed to the massive pains I was getting in my pelvis..

So yes. They don't always work properly and some people have had bad experiences but with this kind of pain relief option, it is the reality that it's not going to be perfect 100% of the time..

Oh well. I'm here in one piece, as is DD2! smile

I had one with my first, the labour wasn't going well and after 16 hours of back to back contractions, I thought why am I letting myself be in this pain? It didn't have to be, so I asked for the epi, By time the doc was putting the needle in my spine I had been in some much pain from the contractions I honestly didn't even feel it go in and it worked a treat! If I have the same complications this time i will be asking for it again!

I was dead against having an epidural never liked the idea of anything going into my spine, and esp after they showed us the size of the needle at antenatal class. I said to my DH there is no way on earth I am having one of those! Even wrote into my birth plan, only as a very last resort.
Anyway, I ended up being induced and on syntocin (however you spell it) drip and got to 8-9cm dilated without anything but gas, but by this stage my contractions were piggybacking, allowing no break in between them, that when my midwife suggested an EPI I immediately said YES! - I dont think she had even finished the sentence, lol. My DH said "are you sure, I you said you didnt want one?" I said, "I want one now!" and although I was really scared and trying to stay perfectly still through contractions while the Dr put it in, I almost kissed him once it kicked in! (took about 2/3 contractions to kick in)...
It was BLISS! I could finally relax, almost dozed off actually, was lying there talking with DH through all the contractions. The pain level went from a 10 to about a 1 or 2, could still feel the contractions and a little pain, but it was good cos I still could feel what was happening and knew when to push. And the best thing was when my tear got stitched up they topped up the EPI a little so I didnt even feel that! smile
My only regret is that I didnt have it sooner, cos I only had it in for the last 45mins of labour.
Although I did feel a bit like I 'cheated' by having it, as I really only wanted to have gas. So I will prob try not to have one next time.
But I believe you will choose what is best for you at the time. Good luck with your labour smile

if your scared about it or doubting it then dont have it.
You dont have to have it so dont.

I wasnt scared as such but just dont like the idea of them. My DH's cousin had a bad experience with hers and suffered the epi headache which also included her blacking out every half our or so for the first 2-3 days. :S
very scary stuff! But that doesnt always happen as many pp's have said. My bestie had it and would recommend it to the world but everyone's pain thresholds are different and what some can stand others cannot.

Me personally, never even thought about it with my first son even tho I had 3 hrs in the 2nd stage (me trying to push him out) and ended up with a ventouse delivery.
My 2nd son I was induced with the synto drip - horrid!
As pp said it ends up with your contractions piggybacking each other and gives you know lull in between so I was literally begging them for the epi. My midwife kept putting me off tho as she could see how fast I was progressing - I went from 3 cm to 10cm in about 20 mins and pushed him out on my own. It really was the best feeling (I can say that now, lol) anyway afterwards I thanked her from the bottom of my heart for holding it out on me otherwise it would've been given to me for no reason and not even had time to work.

You just never know so dont sign on or off it now, see how things go, a birth plan is not locked in completely - you can change things as things go along!

Good luck!

I was scared but i didn't feel the epidual go in at all....worked great for me...Im due again on the 25/5/10 and i will go in and try to go without it, wouldn't be afraid to ask for it again if the pain got too much

Once you are in the throws of labour, any concerns or pre conceived ideas about what you thought should/would happen go out the window. By the time you opt for an epidural you are in so much pain, you don't feel the epidural or care how they do it. Research the pain options prior to labour, but have an open mind and go with the flow and react accordingly to the situation that is presented to you at the time. Labour is an amazing experience - I have had one baby and expecting another in September and again, although I ended up having an epidural with my son (19 hr labour) I have an open mind for the next one....smile

I had my son just over 4 months ago and I wanted an epidural, but I missed out by the time the anethitist arrived. I ended up having an episiotomy and the vacuum extraction, so I am definately going to have one if I have another baby!