Did you have an epidural with you VBAC?

palma44 · October 2012

I am just curious if people had an epidural and VBAC success or not, can you share your story?

Leap08 · October 2012

I did. My daughter was OP and my back was killing me. The contractions weren't that bad, it was the constant back pain that did me in. I actually think it helped me progress because I was able to relax. The first IV bag ran out just as I was starting to push, and I asked them not to replace it. I felt my contractions while I was pushing and I think that helped me push.

MAprincess · October 2012

I had one. I was exhausted from being up all night and the pit contractions. I was at a tight 5 when I got it and I was fully dilated an hour after I got it. Pushed for 45 minutes and baby was born.

penguingrrl · October 2012

I had an epidural with my successful VBAC. Per hospital policy I was required to get the epi catheter put in since I was having a VBAC. I needed pitocin as well (I was induced due to high blood pressure and a history of pre-eclampsia with my first), so my OB said it was my choice but she recommended getting the meds since the catheter had to go in.

I will say that my daughter was OP (as was my first, a less skilled OB the first time is why I needed a C for that), but my OB managed to turn her. It took 3 hours of pushing and forceps assistance, some of which may have been avoidable if I could have changed positions, but it was worth it. In some ways I credit my successful VBAC to having the meds because by the time I was pushing I had a lot of energy where had I fought the pain of contractions all day I would have been tired out. They turned the epi off to push, then turned it back up for the forceps when they realized I needed them.

Squirrel29 · October 2012

I did not. My VBAC was a med free water birth. I had a weird reaction to the epi with my DS1 (my cs baby) and so I planned to go without the epi this time around which is why I opted for a water birth as I feel that the water was a very effective form of pain management. My labor was rather fast and furious though so who knows if I could have held out through a long labor (it was five hours from water breaking to delivery).

akbride25 · October 2012

I had been hoping to go med-free, but complications prevented me from being able to use the tub or shower. I ended up getting an epi because I was stuck in bed the whole time. In the end, it didn't start working until right before I started pushing.

Once it kicked in, it was great. I was able to push the baby out in 14 minutes without any pain.

Twizzle · October 2012

I did. I was hoping to go med-free, and I did labor for about 11 hours med free. After about 7 hours I was feeling urges to push with some contractions even though I was only at 6cm. I had to fight the urge to push so I wouldn't swell my cervix, as well as deal with the pain of contractions. After a few hours I couldn't do it any more. VBAC was more important to me than med-free so I got the epidural.

It actually worked great--because it wore off by the time I got to pushing so I still felt that I was able to have the experience I wanted. The epi helped me sleep for a few hours and dilate a few more centimeters.

preg_amy · October 2012

I did. I was hoping to go med free, but I was in labor for a long time and my body starting fighting the contractions.

I got the epi and was able to relax enough to get my cervix dilating more. I give the epi credit for getting me to 10cm. I think I might have had a more effective pushing phase without it, but my first c/s was for FTP, so getting to 10 was my biggest obstacle.

MrsVictoriaB · October 2012

I got the epi and had a successful VBAC! I never planned on going med free

sunnydays99 · October 2012

I did even though I had 18 hours of nonmedicated labor before my c/s with ds. With my VBAC the contractions were so close together I just couldnt recoup any strength or motivation in between so I got the epi. I regretted it bc it slowed my labor way down which made me scared I'd have to have another c/s but eventually my water finally broke and it was time to push. By that point the epi had worn off a lot and I could feel when to push so I was happy overall.