Epidural over IV pain meds?

Question

My mom watch a 20/20 report about woman having epidurals ands having sever complications and even dying. She dosen't want me to have any pain meds that require a needle in my spine for the fear of getting really sick or dying. But I have little to no pain threshold and the thought of having a c-section and having to be put under bugs me?

One user asked what my mom did when she had kids. With me mom had problems carring me she bled all the time at the time epidurals did not exist. my brother mom went in to preterm labor so many times that when she really started labor there was no time to get pain meds. I had spinal taps as a child and had horrible reactions to them one i can remember left me unable to walk for a week so that is another reason she is worried.

Answer 1

"Women who have pain relieving epidurals during childbirth find it harder to breast-feed than those who give birth naturally, a study published Monday in the International Breastfeeding Journal has found.
Some of the drugs used in epidurals may make their way into babies' bloodstreams, subtly affecting their brains and development for weeks afterwards -- including making them less willing to breast-feed, the study suggests. Siranda Torvaldsen and colleagues at Sydney University studied 1,280 women who had given birth, of whom 416 had had an epidural, involving a catheter being inserted into the spine to allow the infusion of pain-killing drugs. These deaden the nerves that relay sensations of pain from the lower body and legs. The researchers have found that 93 percent of the women breast-fed their baby in the first week but that those who had epidurals experienced more difficulty in the few days immediately after birth. After six months, 72 percent of women who had not received painkillers were breast-feeding, compared with 53 percent of those who had been given epidurals. Sue Jordan, senior lecturer in applied therapeutics at Swansea University, said that the lack of research into how epidural drugs affected newborn babies was "terrible." "A lot more work needs to be done, but we think that drugs can pass into the baby and make it less coordinated, in the jaw and other areas," she said. "This means that it cannot latch on to the mother properly as she tries to initiate breast-feeding. Many mothers get frustrated and simply give up because they think bottle-feeding is easier." Smaller previous studies have supported the latest findings. A study at Toronto University of 177 women, found that they were less likely to be breast-feeding after six weeks if they had been given an epidural with fentanyl. Fentanyl is an opioid drug used widely as a component of epidurals. Such drugs pass quickly into the bloodstream and cross easily into the placenta to reach the unborn baby.
If confirmed, such research could force a rethink over the use of such drugs, which appear to impair infants' development and coordination in the crucial days after birth."

Answer 2

The risk of having complications is very small. You might have a little bit of a back ache afterwards, but that's about it. I've actually never heard of anyone dying from an epidural...they wouldn't give epidurals if they weren't safe.

I had an Epidural (which only lasted about for about 10 contractions) and then they thought I was going to have to have a C-Section (which I ended up not having one), so they gave me a spinal block (Much bigger needle and it completely numbs you from right under the ribs to your feet) They messed up the first time they gave me the spinal, so they had to do it again. I won't lie, the epidural hurts, the spinal hurts worse, but the contractions hurt worse than both of those combined! OnceI got the spinal I felt nothing! It was heaven! They had to give me an episiotomy and I didn't even feel them cut me or anything, it was great! It lasted for about an hour.

Early on in my labor they gave me an IV of some pain medication, but the epidural was a lot stronger and took away more pain than an IV. Even though the epidural didn't work great for me, I still recommend getting one over the IV, especially if you have a low tolerance for pain (I do too!)

Good luck and congrats!

Answer 3

Definately Epidural!!!!

I have had two babies with epidurals and I would not recommend anything else. My first labor I thought I was tough enough to do it by myself with no meds and I tried and gave in after 5 VERY long miserable hours. Once I got the epidural I was in heaven and the rest of the labor weny easy. Normally if you don't have one you are in extreme pain and do a lot more pushing but because I had one the baby was able to come down the birth canal on her own and pushing was easy because my body did most of the work while I was just lying there sleeping. With my second I asked for the epidural as soon as I got to the hospital and I didn't feel a single true labor pain. I had my son in six hours and only pushed once.

Answer 4

Epidural... the pain meds in the IV did nothing for me at all. I have had three epidurals going on four soon and I have not had any sickness or death. These docs know what they are doing now a days. But i'm telling you... those pain meds in the IV need to be like upped dosages just to work... i swear i didn't feel a difference and the docs thought I was going insane when I kept telling them I was still in pain and the contractions were killing me... they gave me all they could before i got my epidural finally. I swear... I haven't heard anything about epidurals going bad or wrong lately. So i am pretty sure you are safe.

Answer 5

I just had a 21 hour labor with my daughter. My parents and husband were the same way, but after 16 hours, I recieved the epidural anyway. I had IV pain medications during the first 16 hours but honestly, they didn't seem to help much. They just sort of make you oblivious to what is happening. I didn't even feel the epidural due to the pain of the contractions I was having. I'm glad I had it done now, it relaxed me and I even watched her be delivered in a mirror. You do what you think is best, but I will warn you, it's not a walk in the park for sure. Good luck!

Answer 6

it's not acutally that common for women to die from their epidural. But your anesthesiologist will warn you of the dangers before he gives you the epidural. During my first labor I had one and everything went so smooth and painless... it was really a wonderful experience. My second labor I had one and it didn't work. I felt all the pain, it was horrible. My cousin also had this happen to her. I would say start with the iv meds and if it's just too much pain then get the epidural.

Answer 7

Do what is right for you. A c-section with no epidural or pain meds seems like more than I could handle. Do some research. What is the percentage of women who die from an epidural compared to how many who don't? One more question, what did your mother do when she had her children???

Answer 8

Epidural ALL the way. There is a very very very small chance that you would have a complication from an epidural. I can't stress that enough.

I have a very high tolerance for pain, but as soon as my contractions brought tears to my eyes, they brought in the epidural. I swear, it was like a gift from God!

Think about it...if they were really that dangerous, they wouldn't administer them so readily. Almost every woman our age (20-40) who I know decided to go for the epidural and NONE of them regret their decision.

Go for it girl...it'll be a welcome relief!



OH..and I forgot to add..my mom was the exact same way, but once she saw me before and after the epidural, she was SO happy I got one. She hated seeing her daughter in that much pain. Good luck!

Answer 9

I was nervous about an Epidural too - but it truly was a God-send. There is a risk, but I think it's much smaller than you would imagine. I haven't had any adverse reactions or complications. Just remember that it is YOUR decision to make - this is your body, your child, and your birthing experience. Do what feels right for you.

Answer 10

Ok....epidural!!!!!!!!!
I just had my third, first two with epidural. My third I wasn't quite so lucky he came in two hours and I didn't get one. OH MY GOSH!!!
They gave me a shot of Nubain right before I started to push, because I just couldn't take it, I'm a whimp! It just made me sleepy, I couldn't even open my eyes to look at my son. I couldn't spit out sentences to explain how happy I was. With an epidural you are completly there, just numb from the waist down.
Trust me....I delivered a 9lb 4oz little boy ( the size of most 6 week olds!). The other two were so nice and easy.

Answer 11

I dont know. I recieved an IV med caled Nubane, and it knocked me out. It wasnt supposed to but it did. There are risks in everything....so think about going in natural and having the meds, or the epidural when/if you feel you need them. and do whichever feels right to you at the time.