Reply to At what point during labor did you get an epidural?

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[quote=Anonymous]I didn't have one myself, but have worked with a lot of doula clients who have had one.  In my experience, the impact of an epidural on a labor is very hard to predict.  Some women get epidurals "early" (maybe 2 or 3 cm) and everything is smooth sailing from there.  Other women get them at that point and it stalls the labor, resulting in the use of pitocin, which can either go perfectly fine or can stress the baby, resulting in a cesarean.  Some women get epidurals later in labor and it really helps them relax and seems to speed up the dilation process, while for others it does not.  Some epidurals offer really great pain relief, while others do not work and result in breakthrough pain which can be really difficult to deal with (especially as your mobility is limited once you have the epidural in place).  Some epidurals can make it very difficult to push effectively, while others do not seem to negatively impact the pushing urge or process at all.   Some hospitals give very large doses of medication, resulting in a lot of numbness, while others give smaller doses.  Every labor is different, every woman is different, and every epidural is different.  I found this thread very interesting as it is good to read about the range of experiences that women have had, and their feelings about those experiences!

Having attended a lot of births and seen things play out in many different ways, if I were going to be induced with pitocin, I'd likely do my best to go as long as possible without an epidural (making sure I had a doula with me to help me through), but would not be disappointed in the least or hesitant in the least about opting for an epidural if the sensations became unmanageable.  Some women are about to labor without pain meds when pitocin is in the picture, while for others, I really think that the intensity, duration, and frequency of the contractions can get to the point where it literally seems almost impossible for traditional comfort measures to work and for women to be able to relax and open.   [/quote]

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