Posted by
happymum
18 yrs ago
Hello to all experienced mums,
I had my #1 without Epi as I had no choice at Youde Eastern hopsital 3 yrs ago. Ten hours in the labour room & only had those "happy gas" they called & passed out a couple of times ON & Off. At the end, not much energy left to have final pushes. So need to vaccum my baby out with a doc when my baby's heartbeat started to drop. The scene I remember was pretty much like in the ER. It was pretty bad.
Now I am having #2 at 36 wks & I go for private this time. My OB Dr Choy persuades me to hv Epidural to 1.) avoid lacking of energy to have final pushes. 2.) and even avoid cuts at the private parts. And 3.) have more control over the pain level & 4.) to shorten time taken.
Hwr, I want some experience & neutral comments from mums out there. I always hear #2 would come out in shorter time & with less pain. Moreover, I m afraid of side-effects in breatfeeding or more. Most importantly, there's some EXTRA substance putting into your body. Pardon my ignorance, who knows what it would do to my baby or myself.
Pls help.....ASAP coz I need to see her tmr & she will definitely ask me again. Coz she sugg me to reserve a good Dr for Epi in adv whom she has been working with RATHER than calling up a on-duty Dr for it when time comes.
Pleeeeaaaaasssseeeee....
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Mag05
18 yrs ago
I had Epidural with my first one and definitely am going to have it with the second one. No pain and no fear through 11 hours of labour -- these are the main reasons why I chose it. However, the Epi doesn't mean you will not need cuts. My baby weighed 4kg so the doctor had to cut my private part and use forceps to pull out the baby. Some people actually say that when on Epi you can’t control pushes and that’s why my doctor used forceps. I don’t care, because for me, giving birth to my daughter was a wonderful PAINLESS experience.
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crj
18 yrs ago
There was an extensive thread on this a while ago.
I wrote a big YES to Epidurals, and my post is the bottom post on this thread:
http://hongkong.asiaxpat.com/forums/pregnancyfertility/threads/76022.asp
But at the end of the day, it is your choice until the doctor says it is a medical necessity. On the thread above there were responses both YES and NO to Epidurals, all very interesting comments.
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crj
18 yrs ago
oh yeah, and I have breast fed for 1+ year so far, so no issues with the epidural and BF for me either.
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Tx so much for everyone's replies.
Mag05, tx for your sharing! As my doc knows that we are planning to have at least 3 kids, she then sugg me to hv Epi to avoid repeated cuts in the future. Well your story (cuts & forceps) tells me to re-think again & talk to my doc for further adv.
I read the thread & yes there're a lot of interesting comments. Tx cri!
Waffle hk, you are right! She's a bit pressuring me a little during last visit. And I'll be meeting her tmr so I guess she would do the same suggestion again. I need to talk to her about my concerns & what Mag05 experienced.
And last tx for re-assuring abt the BF!
Cheers
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I am very much wanting to have an epidural (I am only 15 weeks and already dreading the birth pain). My sister was told that she could not have an epidural as she was too far dilated when she arrived at the hospital (not in HK). Has anyone experienced this in HK? I also heard that some of the public hospitals will not give you a top up on an epidural if you are close to the real pushing stage. Is this true? Sorry to hijack the thread but it is related I guess. Thanks all.
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well as some others said it is a personal choice and mine was a firm NO NO without question!
In France there is a 'compulsory' appointment with the anaesthetist at the 7th month to explain the action/effects & side-effects of the epidural and see whether there are some conter-indications against it or not .. the doc was just stupid and told me that I would beg for it when the time would come.. well I didn't, didn't either for my 2nd one and wouldn't for sure for any 3rd one!
during prenatal classes, women are also explained to get prepared for a labour without epidural because it might medically speaking not always be possible..
and did I suffer more?
certainly not..
I shouted quite a bit and loud but well, if our moms and grandmas survived it, why can't we? I agree that the 'laying down' position doesn't help preventing pain during labour and if women were given more free movement during labour, the epidural would certainly not be necessary at all..
just my 2 cents..
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crj
18 yrs ago
Starbucks2 - I got top ups until I was close to pushing, then they 'lowered' the epidural so I could feel to push. In all it was 30 minutes, with the last 15 being painful.
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my father is an ob.
there is no stage where it is "too late" to have one. However, by the time many women figure out they want one, or they desire to have one - sometimes the most difficult and painful part of labor is already over, so that going through the needles in the spine part is probably not worth the risk - simply because the hardest part is over. so - if you are sure you want one, get it done early on, so that you don't get doctors deciding for you that you don't "need" one. That being said, if you've gone through all the pain and managed - then you can handle the last stages of labor with out. (transition - the baby actually turning and curving and passing through the pelvis is the most painful.)
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Thanks all for the responses. All the more reason to have a birth plan ready ahead of time I guess.
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crj
18 yrs ago
Oh, about a birthplan
KEEP IT SIMPLE.
Mine had four bullet points:
- I want an Epidural NOW!
- Breast Milk Only
- My Husband to be with me at all times
- Vaginal Delivery unless Dr says otherwise
The nurses and midwifes are very busy - simple it might get read, long and it won't get read.
And, yes, I got all four of my requests :)
And I wrote mine after my waters broke before I went to hospital!
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cd
18 yrs ago
I thought in many cases you were more likely to have an episiotomi if you have an epidural, as you can't feel the contractions to help you push more effectively. However I did have one with my first, but it only lasted 2 hours and wore off before the transition stage. But it did leave me with back ache, and without the use of my legs for several hours, so I didn't have one with any of the others.
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crj
18 yrs ago
STB - what you don't realise is I HATE being pregnant, so totally do not get into any of the things I am 'supposed' to do... I only wrote the birthplan after I packed the bag, and typed out a list of important phone numbers!
Now after the baby comes out, it is a whole different story and there I am with my schedules and organising everything...
The only good thing about being pregnant the second time is that we KNOW I will be happy again after it comes out. During the first pregnancy everyone (hubby, family, friends, me!) was worried I would not attach to baby and be a really terrible mood, etc... But an hour after giving birth and holding him for that first feed I was over the moon...
Like night and day!
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Mag05
18 yrs ago
crj--I feel just like you! I mean what you wrote in your last comment. I am also pregnant with the second child and I hate the state of pregancy and delivery for the second time. I also wasn't very excited untill the baby came out. Neither i am excited now. I didn't share it with anyone b/c i thought people would think i am crazy. i am very glad that I am not alone!
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crj
18 yrs ago
Mag05 - NICE TO MEET YOU :)
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mrsl
18 yrs ago
Also hate being pregnant! The labour is the easy part as far as I'm concerned. 9 months of feeling totally exhausted, avoiding all of my favourite foods etc. is something that I would normally avoid like the plague - if it was not for the end result.
On the epi, I've never had one, so cannot comment on the upside, but I'm not planning on having one on my 3rd either. I just work on the basis that, after 9 months of avoiding anything that could possibly harm the baby, I do not want to do a 180 at the 11th hour. I just think that I can handle 24 hours or so of pain. That said, if the doctor thought that I was getting too exhausted and advised that it was in the baby's interest to intervene with pain relief or whatever, then I'd listen.
Just one other thing happymum, you said 'I always hear #2 would come out in shorter time & with less pain'; I'd heard that too - but my experience was very different. My first was out within a few hours of the first contraction, my second took almost 3 days and a lot more pain. I think that my experience was the exception rather than the rule, but unfortunately it does not always get easier for subsequent pregnancies.
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Another vote for 'pregnancy is no fun'.
I am another of those women who had a much harder time second time around. Came very close to asking for an epidural, but kept convincing myself that it would happen 'any moment now'. And sure enough, 56 hours later it did!
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Sky
18 yrs ago
I also used DR Choy. She didn't actually discuss with me about my birth plan and sort of organised everything for me (anaesthetist etc. ) without asking me. But in the end it all turned out well and I did have a pain free delivery, with the birth 7 hours after arriving in hospital. Her anaesthetist is brilliant, I felt no pain having the injections, etc and no back pain afterwards.
She told me she recommends having the epidural from the start before you are in great pain because then the anaesthetist can get the needle in the right place whereas if you are in pain and ask for one it will be very difficult for you to stay still for it. This I can understand.
I had no problems breastfeeding after the birth. In fact, I felt great after the birth which everyone seemed to think was weird.
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Tx, everyone! After all your views & talks with my OB, I will go for it. Cos I don't want to waste too much energy to think about it again & again. Already stressful enough.
By the way, another vote for "pregnancy no fun". I hate being pregnant too as it's too exhausting to handle both work & home (if you already a mother). Sometimes even feel guilty about being unable to do simple housework. Brain doesn't work properly & goes blank when making decisions. Got moody & bad-tempered. Putting pressure to my mum & then feel worse about it. Physically unwell at diff stages & found guilty again becoz my older girl needs me, my hubby needs me & my mum too.
BUT I know the feelings will go away as soon as you see your little one come out.
Anyhow, tx for for your sharings & hope for the best for every (very soon) mum-to-be.
Cheers.
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crj
18 yrs ago
This thread has been great - good to know I am not the only unhappy pro-epidural pregnant woman out there...
Totally envious of you happy all natural mummy to bes... but just not me!
HappyMum- good luck, I am sure it will all go well and you will be happy and enjoying your little one soon!! Until then sleeeeep....
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