What are your thoughts/ views on Epidurals?

Hi everyone, has anyone had or got any views on Epidurals? I have 'endured' 4 induced labours with just gas and air, I can't take any strong analgesia as I get very sick despite anti emetics. On my last I had decided early on that I would opt for an epidural as soon as I was dilated enough , I asked for one and unbelievably the anaethetist was there within minutes however baby became very distressed and I had to wait for them to take blood from his head which after about 30 mins she still hadn't managed, then all of a sudden I had an urge to push and he was born about 5 mins later.
I plan to have an epidural this time as I am fed up with feeling so 'drunk' through the whole experience I would love to be alert and remember it without my OH having to remind me, I hate the feeling of the gas and air although I could never have coped without it
So any thoughts?

personaly i wouldnt on the advice of friends that have had them, 1 friend said she woudlnt again as she didnt no when to push so she was pushing for over 2 hoursby got distressed and she had to have emergancy c section and another said she woudlnt again as she couldnt hold her baby for over 2 days as it didnt wear off for 6 days! but u dont hear many stories like this, i think its unfortunate that its happened to my friends but if u feel its what u want to do then do it, your baby your labour x x

It was a godsend 4 me. The midwife does have to tell u when to push but no pain whatsoever. I'd 3rd degree tears so no way could've done without it. It wore of by the next day & I was all back to normal. My boy was 10lb 4ozs...

I'll definitely ask 4 one this time round so thumbs up for me

I think that it's proven to slow down labour by about 25% but I'd imagine that effect is worse in first deliveries. Given that a fifth delivery should be relatively fast, it probably wouldn't slow you down too much.

The pushing stage has always been the easiest part for me, so even if I can't feel the contractions yipee!!, as long as they tell me when to push I am sure I will be fine. I just want to be able to enjoy the whole experience really, Gas and air although fantastic makes me sooo groggy I really don't have any concept of what is going on I would really like to be more 'with it' as well as enduring less pain. But I always keep an open mind, I am assuming I will be induced on this one too due to my spd but if I go along fairly quickly then I won't bother, I actually don't know anyone who has had one believe it or not so I am grateful for your replies

I had an epidural after about 11 hours of induced contractions, and as soon as I had it dd started to behave distresses and I was soon taken for a c-section.

I feel and think this was a direct result of the epidural.
Women who have epidurals are more likely to have a section, and some baby's don't get on with it well and it effects thier heart rate, giving dr's cause for concern.

It does take away the pain, I could still feel the very peak of the contaction but was not half as painful, but i feel it had a direct negative effect and my labour and baby resulting in a section.

If I am to have a successful vbac I will not even consider a epidural again.

I have also heard other women say they would not have one, or not again, but it is totally your choice and you so do what feels right for you on the day!

Thanks Mummytummy, as I say I have no experience or no close friends or family who have either so I really need to hear the negative as well as the positive comments. Half of me is thinking that I have managed before and I know I can do it, I am just hoping for a more relaxed experience. But I will have to decide whether its worth any risks really. Thanks again, all comments taken on board

I'm with mummytummy on this one, if I have any chance with a vbac then an epidural is not an option. Your situation is slightly different though, as you'll be on your 5th natural delivery chances are baby will come very fast so the epidural shouldn't affect your labout so much.

I have had an epidural and I can honestly say it was the most horrific pain I have ever had.

I was having an ovarian cyst removed and due to the size and shape (4lb/20cm) they had to give me an epidural to help with the pain relief for the next 48 hours.

Now because I was in no discomfort when they inserted it, I screamed in pain when they were running the liquid through to check it was in the right place (it also took 3 attempts to stick it in) now they think as I have very strong back muscles (gymnast as a child) it affected it and the anaethatist said he had never ever seen anyone react the way I did to an epidural (and I think I have quite a high pain threshold)

I am now nearly 9 weeks pregnant and every now and then I get concerned about my scar and being able to hold the pregnancy to full term (it runs from belly button to bikini line), the alternative to epidurals cause I really don't want one and if they say because of my scar I need a c-section then back to the alternatives.

Now as others have said, everyone reacts differently, but following my experience I would never want to do it again.

If your labours are quick I honestly wouldn't bother...as LauraLoo says above, if you keep doing deep breathing when the gas and air isn't in your mouth you'll go back to "normal" or something like it in between - I had nearly two full tanks of gas and air to myself and can still remember quite a lot of my labour. I had an epidural in theatre because I had a very very long labour and ended up needing a c section and it was brilliant for that, but if I have a VBAC next time I won't want an epidural, I'd put up with the pain (which I have experienced, I'm not too posh to push baby just wasn't having any!) rather than be stuck in bed for 12+ with a catheter in. Does that make sense?
Anyway, depending on how busy the hospital is you might find baby is out before the anaesthetist gets there anyway I'd say see how you get on, but definitely discuss it with your midwife.

A lot of my friends have had problems after epidurals but then they were all first deliveries, I expect it is different on a fifth.

LauraLoo, I was induced on the first 2 as they were 10 and 13 days overdue and I suffered from severe SPD on the last (which I now suffer from long term )so I was induced early on them, its that feeling when you are coming to and can hear yourself talking utter c**p that I want to avoid. I will keep an open mind I think, cos I know I would be recommending to anyone who had asked this question just to stick with what they know, 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' sort of thing. Maybe I will go into labour by myself this time and then as the contractions won't be so severe I may manage better, we will see Thank you all for taking the time to reply I really appreciate it

I had an epidural as had to be induced. Without it and just gas and air it was unbearable, when the epi was in I was so chilled I was even posting to minimins on the iPhone, I couldn't feel where to push til the midwife applied pressure in the right area so I could locate my foofoo! Lol

however I would say my babs had trouble staying awake at all the first few days and it did affect how much she drank/ my supply, I will always wonder if she'd been a better feeder if I hadn't been injected withpsin meds on and off for the12 hrs b4 she was born. Saying that, the induced labour pains were so strong I would not have been able to stand 12hrs plus of those. If I had had the choice of a natural birth I wouldn't have had an epi as it was, it made a trying time bearable