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Both sides of the epidural debate

Epidural or not? Women share their stories

By
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Originally published in Today's Parent April 2008

Omigod, I don’t know if I can do this. There was a point in each of my labours where this thought ran through my mind. With my first child, Paige, this thought occurred 15 hours after being induced, 10 hours after getting an epidural and two hours after I started pushing. I was exhausted. When it entered my mind in my second labour, I had been pushing for about 15 minutes and was just a few moments from delivering baby Zoe — without an epidural. This time the thought came because of pain.

Of course, I did end up delivering and my fears were washed away with the joy of holding my babies. But I learned that choosing whether to have an epidural isn’t just a simple question of pain relief. With Paige, the onslaught of intense contractions due to induction made an epidural almost a necessity. With Zoe, the freedom of walking around the hospital actually helped me deal with the contractions.

There are many aspects of the birth experience that can be affected, positively or negatively, by either choice. Who would know these pros and cons better than women who have experienced both?

First, a caveat: Each of the many women we spoke with had a different experience and a different take. So what you’ll find here is not a definitive answer, but insights that may help you make the right decision for you in the unique circumstances of your labour.

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