Epi or not epi

[Alibee and Colleen's mum]

Hi.
My First Born.
On the 12th October 2004 my waters broke at midday. I assumed that it was my waters, a very slight trickle down my thigh - confirmed at the hospital. As I had no contractions I was sent off to bed for the night, induced the following morning at nine o' clock. Around midday, the contractions had become painful and a very nice anaesthetist came in, put the epidural in place. Within a half hour, I couldn't feel the pain any more and I laughed and joked with my husband until half past four in the afternoon when it was time to push. A quarter of an hour later Alistair was placed in my arms after a very smooth delivery where I impressed the midwife with my breathing techniques and lung capacity (I am a flutist!)
My Second Born.
On the 14th December 2006 at 2am my waters broke. As for the first time, I felt a slight trickle down my thigh - until I stood up! It was like having a Canadair between my legs. Once I'd finished flooding the whole flat we left for the clinic. The contractions had already started and in the car (which was also flooded) they were one minute and a half apart. On arrival they confirmed that there was a swimming pool at the place where my uterus should be! But, unbelievable, the midwife came and gave me a jag in the rear end which stopped my lovely contractions (4am) I then found myself in a room with my husband next to the delivery rooms where I was supposed to sleep (how on earth!) until 9 am. As my contractions had stopped completely they induced me at 10am. I was due for the epidural once again and it was a relief to think that, as the woman in the next room to me who couldn't have an epidural absolutely screamed her head off from 9.30 till half past one in the afternoon when her baby was finally born. Around midday the anaesthestist had come in to put my epidural in place - such a relief! He had a lot of trouble getting it in but he finally managed it, gave me a friendly pat on the back, packed up and left - such a relief! Yeah right. The stupid prat had knocked it out of place with his "friendly pat on the back". An hour later the epidural was taking effect - ON MY RIGHT LEG and not where it should have been. By two o' clock I was absolutely writhing (apart from my right leg which I couldn't move!) Unable to breathe (where did that flutist get to, ha ha!) the middwife gave me an oxygen mask and when she saw that I couldn't take it any more - I really thought that I was going to faint at each contraction (which were very long with only a few seconds interval between them) she physically opened my cervix so that the baby could come out. To add insult to injury, I pooped all over the place and I was still loosing a gallon of water a minute. By now my body had gone on to automatic pilot and was pushing the baby out all by itself. And that's when the bloody midwife started telling me not to push - yeah, right! So, the baby was already on it's way out, I was incapable of pushing, breathing, understanding anything that was being said to me... And that's when they had to have problems getting the stirrups in place. My left leg was already up in the left one, but they couldn't get the right stirrup in place. I could tell that they'd already spotted the baby's head by the look of panic on the midwife's face and, oddly enough she was screaming too - for me not to push!!. Oh, did I mention that it was round about that time that, because of my anaesthetised leg, I nearly fell off the blinking table. Anyway, and thank God they let men in the delivery rooms now, my husband took DIY matters into hand and got the bloody stirrup into place. They got my leg in, the midwife pirouetted round just in time to catch the baby coming out and then in one magical instant all that was in the world had gone and all that was left was a tiny little cry and this lovely warm feeling on my tummy. My beautiful Colleen was born at half past three.
In all honesty I loved both my births. When I had Alistair he had a few problems after his birth and was placed in an incubator. I had lost a lot of blood and had to be transfused. When I had Colleen we were both perfectly fine. If I were to have a third... Epi or not epi, that is the question?
Love and Peace,
Rachel

[rara]

Its always nice to hear peoples birth stories, shows we're all human!

I had an epidual with my daughter and thought it was wonderful. It took the anaesthetist 45 minutes and 3 attempts to get it in, but he got there eventually. I was losing my patience with him and asked the midwife to check if I had dialated any further as I was prepared to forget the epidural and just get on with it. She said I was still at 7cm so I told the anaesthetist to carry on and hurry!

I then had a wonderful 3 hours sitting on the bed chatting to my partner and my mam. The midwife said I was ready and asked if I fancied a push? Sure no problem...........11 minutes and 7 pushes later my daughter was born!

Epidual for me was fantastic and wouldnt hesitate having another.

xx