Analgesia/anesthesia and birthing preferences

[thefragile7393]

1st wonderful waterbirth but he was face up...which we didn't know until he came out. The back pain was horrible and I finally asked for sterile water injections which really really dulled the back pain so I could focus on the front pain.

2nd was a homebirth and everything went well with that....no back pain this time but my thighs really hurt....I wish I had an epidural for my thighs at that point oddly. It hurt but...it is the way to go for me unless there is a real emergency...which is why I will always utilize midwives

[FaithManor]

I can't say what I prefer because I never had an epidural or other meds. This is because I HATE needles, IV's, anything that would tie to a bed, etc. I hate monitors, you name it...I am a very, very bad patient. I guess due to the position my babes were in, I was FAR more uncomfortable in bed than standing, walking, or rocking in a chair. On top of which, I really don't like a bunch of people around me when I'm in labor - I'm a rather private person when I go through something of this nature and feel like I'm an exhibit on display - the OB zoo. So, adding an anesthesiologist and monitors in order to have the meds would make me truly wicked. :D

 

More power to anyone who has them. I'm sure it has to be a LOT better than the pain I went through. But come near me with a needle that I absolutely do.not.need. and look out, Mr. Hyde is out for blood! :lol:

 

Faith

[BrookValley.]

I didn't answer your poll because I ended up having a C-section. I did make it all the way to pushing without drugs when they determined that I had to have a C-sections though.

 

This was me exactly!

 

Congrats to the OP!

[WishboneDawn]

I have not seen a difference between my 3 non-epidural babies and my 5 epidural babies. My sleepiest was my 37-weeker and he was non-epidural. The other 7 were wide awake and alert, with or without epidural.

 

I'm not sure why sleepy is deemed undesirable anyway. Birth can be traumatic and tiring for both mother and baby and it seems to me a sleepy baby can be an advantage with some births.

 

I'm sceptical of anecdotes on message boards anyway. How do we know a correlation is aything more then coincidence anyway?

[annandatje]

I'm not sure why sleepy is deemed undesirable anyway. Birth can be traumatic and tiring for both mother and baby and it seems to me a sleepy baby can be an advantage with some births.

 

I'm sceptical of anecdotes on message boards anyway. How do we know a correlation is aything more then coincidence anyway?

 

 

:iagree: I was wondering same thing about why sleepy newborns seemed to be viewed negatively.

 

Generally newborns sleep a *lot*, so how uncommon could it be for them to arrive ready for a snooze?

[FaithManor]

:iagree: I was wondering same thing about why sleepy newborns seemed to be viewed negatively.

 

Generally newborns sleep a *lot*, so how uncommon could it be for them to arrive ready for a snooze?

 

 

:iagree: I think that if I got squeezed out a hole the size of a lemon after several hours of intense squishing, I'd probably be pretty dang tired myself! :D

 

That said, there is a difference between sleepy and lethargic - as in slow or minimal reponse to stimuli. But, sleepy, just sleepy...that's a good thing. Matter of fact, after giving birth, look out to the lowly nurse, lab tech, or house keeping staff member who has the audacity to arouse me from my nap! Woe, to that individual.

 

Faith

[butterflymommy]

I've given birth 4 times w/o meds of any kind including a homebirth. I've given birth 3 times with epidural, 2 of those were inductions with pit.

 

The pit inductions with epidural once I couldn't tolerate the pain well were amazing, amazing experiences. It seemed like a miracle to give birth without pain or uncertainty about when I'd go into labor. This is the only way I would ever want to give birth, having been on both sides.

 

I was a natural birth type until I had a horrifically painful 4th birth that knocked me right off the crunchy train.

[nova mama]

I've been given epidurals for all four deliveries, but #2 and #3 (I think) were given so late/babies came so fast that I didn't get to enjoy them. But I was grateful for and delighted with the relief during #1 and #4. I didn't feel at all groggy or drugged, just relieved! :)

[Matryoshka]

I've had two births, one with epidural, one completely au naturel.

 

The first one was twins, second twin breech, and Dr. wouldn't let me attempt a vaginal birth without en epidural. I was happy to avoid the c-section.

 

Second was at a birth center in a tub, med-free.

 

I voted wrong on the second choice - I voted "prefer epidural" - but I meant over other anesthesia. After my first birth, I was very happy to be med-free. I'm glad I had the option of an epidural for my first birth, but for the vertex singleton option, I'd rather not.

 

But no way I would have ever wanted the other meds that "take the edge off". I've heard too many stories from friends that said those either put them to sleep or made them loopy, hallucinate, or otherwise be completely out of it between the contractions, then have them be in just as much pain as ever during the contractions. They said it didn't stop the pain, just make them not care (and not be mentally present when they wanted to be). Maybe they don't affect everyone that way, but after hearing versions of this story from multiple people, I wouldn't want to risk it. I also seem to have odd reactions to pain-killing meds (either under- or over-reactions).

Edited August 23, 2012 by matroyshka

[Sara in AZ]

Four out of four unmedicated. The last was at home. We took Bradley classes during the first pregnancy which were invaluable in helping both of us prepare. I have pretty fast, intense labors. The hospital births were great, but my favorite was the home waterbirth. If we have another, I think I'll do that again. Kuddos to you, OP for thinking about next time already!

[Dory]

:iagree: I was wondering same thing about why sleepy newborns seemed to be viewed negatively.

 

Generally newborns sleep a *lot*, so how uncommon could it be for them to arrive ready for a snooze?

 

 

I liked my babies to be awake enough to eat once before crashing for few hours. I expected them to sleep most of their first month away except for eating and pooping otherwise. That first nursing was amazing though and great for bonding. Although I am basing that opinion off of my mom's experiences mostly since I only got to do that with my last one :tongue_smilie:. My dd was really early and was rushed out. I didn't even get to see her until she was a few hours old.

[Mommy22alyns]

I know this is rather unpopular here, but after five pitocin-induced labors (my water would break and I would not start contractions on my own), and over 60 hours of active labor, I would choose an epidural every single time. I have no regrets at all. One baby was posterior with horrendous back labor, one was 10.5 lbs....I am an epidural-loving mama! :lol:

 

And I know I am an anomaly, but every time I got an epidural, my labor sped up. I think I have issues with relaxing!

 

I'm pretty sure this is what happened to me too. The epi allowed me to relax and my body to work without me being fearful of pain. I dilated very quickly and pushed very briefly. And (anecdotally) she was wide-eyed while being measured.

[blondeviolin]

I've had four births. For #1, the epidural only worked on the left side. It was a fairly easy labor, though at the time I didn't know what to expect. With #2, I had an epidural, it worked great, I was happy, baby nearly slid out. By far my best birth. With #3, she came too quickly for much of anything and I had a really dumb nurse. No epidural and it was a difficult labor for me. My #4 was an attempted epidural, but he must have been sitting on a nerve, so it didn't help with much. It did all flood to my legs AFTER I had him, though.

 

I definitely prefer an epidural that works, but my experience has been that that doesn't happen often for me. For this purpose, I'm trying to prepare myself for a natural birth (which I'm dreading). I'm definitely looking up hypnobabies after this. If anyone wants to PM me info, I'm definitely :bigear:. lol

[FO4UR]

I have had both ways. By far, the best birth and *recovery* was without any medication at all.

 

 

I'm preggo now, and I'd just like a little something to take the sting off of the Ring of Fire. Other than that, my labors are so fast (when not stalled out by meds:glare:) that I really don't need/want anything for the labor.

 

 

My epidural birth was highly complicated - couldn't feel a THING - couldn't feel to push - had bad Bad BAD recovery from episiotomy/forceps/etc. I couldn't sit normally for months - MONTHS!!!! *So* not worth that few hours of relief from labor pains.:glare:

 

My completely non-medicated birth was over and done with within an hour and I felt like *me* again that day. I was able to walk and sit normally the next day. I was able to care for my nb, 1yo and 3yo at home that first week without much help.

 

 

In the middle there, I had demerol and a local. It went fairly well. I will repeat the local...if we can make it to the hospital in time. (My last birth was completely unmedicated entirely b/c I was already 10cm when we pulled into the hospital. ;))

[Mom2Es]

I've done epidural with vacuum delivery, pit induction with no pain meds, and 100% "no-tech" in the water.

 

The verdict? There are definitely pros and cons to every option. There's a document out there somewhere that I think Penny Simkin wrote about the distinction between pain and suffering. I had more physical pain with no meds, but more mental "suffering" with my epidural experience.

 

I would like to see U.S. hospitals use more low-tech options, like laughing gas (my mother had this, but it's fallen out of vogue), sterile water injections, birthing pools, and TENS machines.

[Shellydon]

I've done three with an epidural and 1 without. My without birth was fast 3-4 hours total. The pain upon pushing and the subsequent tear and stitches was the stuff nightmares are made of. My other labors were 24-48 hours long and I had an epidural a few hours before each birth. For all of those labors significantly sped up after the epi (no pit given). For my third, I was stuck at 7 cm dilated for 12 hours before giving up and getting an epidural. Baby arrived about an hour after it took effect. My midwife was impressed.

 

My 4th arrived 15 minutes after the epidural after being at a 7 for 6 hours.

 

 

I would probably get the epidural a lot sooner if I were to do things again, which I'm not. :D

[happypamama]

:iagree: I think that if I got squeezed out a hole the size of a lemon after several hours of intense squishing, I'd probably be pretty dang tired myself! :D

 

LOL! True, though, even without any drugs, my newborns have all been pretty sleepy for the first day or so. They do wake to nurse, but it's not much. A couple of them have slept 6 hours straight the first night. After a couple of days, they wake up a bit more and are hungry a lot -- which is when my milk comes in.

 

I do think I've had relatively easy labors, which probably makes it easier to go drug-free. I don't really think someone can quantify someone else's pain; I think sometimes some people just get lucky, and labor/birth is relatively easy. I do think there are some things that you can do to help stack the deck in your favor, but in the end, I really think it's luck of the draw, and there's just not a whole lot you can do about the kind of labor you have.

[dbmamaz]

my first was induced in the hospital, 24 hours, and they gave me very mild pain meds (like tylenol #3 they said) - which mostly allowed me to nap between contractions. The second one was 2 days at home, and yes, it hurt more . . . the third was born 10 minutes after i got to the hospital and hurt less but was more intense.

 

I really believe that going through the intensity of birth helps us be really ready for the challenge of parenting. but its got to be what works for you - at one time, fighting for pain relief during child birth was a women's issue, and then fighting for the right NOT to have it was a women's issue . . . how about some choice!

[Scuff]

Epidural with the first, nothing with the rest. While i don't regret getting the epi ( i was exhausted with my first and it let me rest), I much prefer eithout. With it, i pushed for 3 hours and had to be told when to push because I couldn't feel anythi g. Without, I KNEW when to push and had the baby in minutes.

[Annie Laurie]

Thanks!

 

I guess I should contribute my own experience since I asked the question:D This was my 5th birth, I've never used pain meds--that's why I'm really curious about the experience of those who have done both. Seems most of the people I know are either all one way or all the other. I've mostly been really happy with my babies' births, except that pushing with the last two has been really, really difficult and painful. Which has me wondering if I want to do it the same way next time ( yes, I'm already thinking about a next time...)

 

--Sarah

 

I have a similar experience with pushing being horrendously painful. I had a 22 labor with my last (fifth) baby and while labor was painful and it was not fun, I can handle labor pain, but pushing pain is something else. (And I've found that very few women know what I'm talking about, they assume I mean the ring of fire, but I can handle that, this is like being torn apart and I don't know why I experience this. It seems like there must be something off balance internally.)

 

Anyway, I have had 2 medicated births and 3 unmedicated. I prefer the unmedicated because I can be at home, and I'm concerned about the affects of drugs during labor on the baby. But my labors have gotten longer, instead of shorter, and very painful. So I would be tempted by meds next time, which is one reason, among many, that I know I am done having babies.

[LisaKinVA]

5 vaginal births, no meds. I'd probably never be given them, either. Other than birth #1 (which I thought was a breeze), things tend to move too quickly, once they get moving. My only hospital birth I was told I couldn't possibly be in labor...then, they said, Ooops! We were wrong, you are in labor, but it's going to be a long, long, time...next thing you know, 15 minutes later, the baby was flying out. (this is the short version ;))

 

So no. No meds for me. Let me also add, that if I had to endure 5+ hours of what I had to enure for the 15min to 1hr for my babies...it might be a different story.

[*lifeoftheparty*]

I gave birth with no meds, no inductions, 3 hours after I got to the hospital.

 

I am due in 12 weeks with baby #2 and I do NOT want any meds, especially the epidural.

 

I don't care what other people do, my reasoning is made out of pure fear, LOL! I am scared to death of needles, I *HATE* needles... I almost pass out just getting blood drawn!

 

I have seen that epi needle AND where they put it!! I'm pretty sure I would have a heart attack before they could get it anywhere NEAR my spine! I'm thinking the anxiety would force the baby to pop right out.

 

It doesn't help that my sister had the epi and still can't stand bend over all the way. She had back pain so bad from it that she couldn't get out of the tub and the ambulance/EM's had to lift her out. Apparently, they didn't place the needle in the right spot and it messed stuff up. They had to inject her with dye to do the x-rays and she had to stop breastfeeding b/c of that. It was a mess.

[Shellydon]

5 vaginal births, no meds. I'd probably never be given them, either. Other than birth #1 (which I thought was a breeze), things tend to move too quickly, once they get moving. My only hospital birth I was told I couldn't possibly be in labor...then, they said, Ooops! We were wrong, you are in labor, but it's going to be a long, long, time...next thing you know, 15 minutes later, the baby was flying out. (this is the short version ;))

 

So no. No meds for me. Let me also add, that if I had to endure 5+ hours of what I had to enure for the 15min to 1hr for my babies...it might be a different story.

 

 

3 of my 4 labors were more than 24 hours and one was a full 48 hours. Pain for few hours is manageable. Pain for 2 days, not so much.

[LisaKinVA]

3 of my 4 labors were more than 24 hours and one was a full 48 hours. Pain for few hours is manageable. Pain for 2 days, not so much.

 

Ouch...I can imagine that even with meds that would be tough (exhausting, too).

[Sara in AZ]

3 of my 4 labors were more than 24 hours and one was a full 48 hours. Pain for few hours is manageable. Pain for 2 days, not so much.

 

:iagree:

 

I'd totally rethink the drugs if I had to go over about 6 hours of hard labor! My longest was 5 1/2.

[ILiveInFlipFlops]

...I can handle labor pain, but pushing pain is something else. (And I've found that very few women know what I'm talking about, they assume I mean the ring of fire, but I can handle that, this is like being torn apart and I don't know why I experience this. It seems like there must be something off balance internally.)

 

Yes. That's what I felt like. I was completely unprepared for it. It felt like I was going to split apart from the inside. I don't even remember a ring of fire, everything was so mixed together. I do remember feeling her turn and slide as I pushed, though, which was pretty amazing...for a second :lol:

 

I don't know what the difference is either. I just know that I went in feeling like Superwoman, like I could conquer anything, and I came out feeling very out of control and defeated. I'd like to think I'd be better prepared for the next one. I also think if I could have delivered in the water, I'd have been much happier. Getting out of the labor tub was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do!

[Hope in God]

Oh man! I have to do this whole giving birth thing in September and I am trying to push it out of my mind (no pun intended).

 

With the first I had a shot of Demerol and that just made me stoned and completely useless.

2nd was au natural. I distinctly remeber the ring of fire but it was way better than the previous birth

3rd was a c-section and that was the worst of all. Throwing up like crazy after having your abs cut apart is not a fun experience.

4th was also au natural- VBAC

 

I would like to do this one drug-free as well but you just never know what will happen. If I have wicked back labour or any other strange complications all bets are off.

 

I will say that with the 2 drug-free births the baby was crying like crazy when only the head was born. The first time I had no idea where that crying baby noise was coming from. I thought that it was in the next room and the walls were really thin or else that someone was rude enough to bring a baby in the birthing room while I was trying to give birth.:lol: The second time it happened I was wise to the location of the noise but the baby's shoulders were stuck so I was screaming as much as the baby.:tongue_smilie:

[Ellie]

Lamaze was a bunch of hooey when it came to my labors and didn't help in the least. Had I stuck just with that it's very likely I would have ended up with c-sections due to my labor just stalling out. I think each person is going to be different and thus have different requirements for labor. It's kind of like homeschooling, one size does not fit all.

I prefer Bradley, but truly, Lamaze made a big difference for many women back in the 70s. More recently, many women are opting for the things we fought against, such as more drugs (epidurals). The less medicated and medically handled the birthing process is, the fewer C-sections and the better infant and mother health.

[Cricket]

With my first I asked for an epidural because I was in transition and didn't know it. While waiting for the anesthesiologist, I was checked by my m/w and deemed 10 cm and did not get the epi. I was glad I didn't and the next time I was prepared for what transition feels like.

 

When I gave birth with my first, I was induced. After about two hours of labor I told the nurse I wanted pain meds or whatever they would give me. She kept telling me that my contractions weren't regular so they couldn't give me an epidural, just breathe through the contractions, this was only the first stage of labor. The nurse never bothered to check me. I remember thinking I was going to die if that was just the first stages! Much to my surprise I was actually in transition at the time and my dh almost had to catch the baby because no one was ready. :glare:

[LizzyBee]

Each thing you introduce during labor elevates the risk factor. That includes epidurals. And when medical intervention starts, the more likely it is that there will be "complications" which will lead to c-section. It is why the U.S. still has the highest number of c-sections but one of the worst infant mortality rates.

 

Lamaze or Bradley childbirth classes really help cut down on the need for drugs and otherwise medically-messed-with labors.

 

And then sometimes complications arise before any medical interventions are introduced. Without medically-messed-with labors, my life was at risk with two of my pregnancies, so I'm just thankful that interventions are available.

Edited August 23, 2012 by LizzyBee

[scrappyhappymama]

I've done epidural and no epidural and prefer no epidural (with Hypnobabies hypnosis).

 

Me too!

 

Regarding the bolded - I had two friends who felt they couldn't handle labor anymore and had epidurals. It turned out both were in transition but didn't know. They both said if they would have known that it was almost over they would not have asked for the epidural. This surprised me because I thought they didn't give epidurals that late into labor.

 

My first baby is the only time I've had an epidural. When my water broke, there was meconium and I was progressing slowly so they put me on Pit. After many hours I was just done and asked for the epidural. Actually, they checked me and I was at a 6 and I'd been at a 4 when my water broke, so I felt like I just couldn't do it any longer. I had the epidural and boom! The baby was born 20 minutes later.

 

Matter of fact, after giving birth, look out to the lowly nurse, lab tech, or house keeping staff member who has the audacity to arouse me from my nap! Woe, to that individual.

 

 

I totally agree! My first two were both born in hospital and even though my second was a waterbirth with a midwife and otherwise went really well, I was SO annoyed by the all the people disturbing us at all hours of the day and night. I'd just get the baby settled and asleep and someone would come in the room, flipping on the lights and banging instruments. I think that was my number one reason for wanting out of hospital births for my subsequent babies- so we could enjoy that first sleepy baby day actually sleeping!

 

3 of my 4 labors were more than 24 hours and one was a full 48 hours. Pain for few hours is manageable. Pain for 2 days, not so much.

 

True. But it is still doable! I have really, really long early labors. Like over 24 hours of active labor just to get to 4 or 5 cm. I have actually never been checked and found to be over 6 cm in any of my five labors. For some reason it takes me *forever* to get to 6 and then I progress rapidly from there to pushing. My fourth baby was born over a toilet because we all thought I had a long time to go and was on my way to the birthing tub and stopped to use the restroom real quick. He barreled out with no pushing whatsoever. That was awesome.

 

On the other hand, I've always said that my first labor, epidural and all was my hardest. And that was true, until my last one. He was sunny side up and had a nuchal arm. So... I had 2 1/2 days of labor, and even with my awesome Hypnobabies techniques, there were some times I nearly lost it. Especially because my dilation pattern was all over the place, even going down significantly two different times. We knew he was malpositioned, but not for sure about the arm. Toward the end, I pushed for two hours and wasn't making much progress. That was *really* discouraging since I didn't have to push at all with the previous baby! Finally, my midwife checked me and said I was only a 6! We were all shocked and everyone else started discussing what they needed me to do next. I just kept saying No No NO because I knew it really was pushing time, even if my body wasn't cooperating. Finally, I agreed to get up from the tub and go to the shower. I only made it up to my knees upright before I gave the primal scream (my husband saying- I recognize that!) and Boom, pushed baby out. I found out later that a nuchal arm is considered breech and an automatic c-section in a hospital. I won't lie. I loved my homebirth and am glad for how everything turned out, but if I had known going in what it would have been like this time... well, let's just say I have a lot more empathy now for women who make different choices!

[Tammi K]

I've had 6 vaginal births without pain relief: 1 birth center, 2 inductions, 2 home births - including 1 water birth, and 1 car/parking lot.

 

For me, not having pain relief was a powerful way for me to feel like I was in charge of the experience. It was a very empowering thing (for me)

 

At one point, I would have been militant that everyone should go that route. But, I've mellowed over time and appreciate that many women just don't want the particular aspect of the experience. My feeling now is: To each her own.

[stansclan89]

I had my first two with no meds. I labored all night with both and stayed in transition for 3 hours each time. From then on I had epidurals and loved them. I still labored all night though (and stayed in transition---forever).

[IsabelC]

At one point, I would have been militant that everyone should go that route. But, I've mellowed over time and appreciate that many women just don't want the particular aspect of the experience. My feeling now is: To each her own.

I wouldn't describe myself as exactly militant about this issues, BUT I think that women considering pain relief drugs need to be informed (as in, informed from their own reading, not just what the anesthetist tells them).

 

Many women seem to think that epidurals are "safe", whereas there are well documented risks for all forms of anesthesia/analgesia. Of course that doesn't mean that you shouldn't use it - there are scenarios where those risks might be less than the alternative - but it does mean that it should be a seriously considered decision where you investigate a range of other options. There are far too many people around who consider cesarean-vs-vaginal and drugged-vs-non-drugged to be nothing more than a personal preference, like chocolate or vanilla.

[akmommy]

I had stadol with my first and third, but dont really think it had any effect on the birth experience. I've never had an epidural. I had told DH that did not want an epidural unless it became medically necessary and was glad i had. With my first they tried to pressure me into having an epidural, but because i had already had the stadol the decision was Dh's to make. He stood his ground and refused to sign the form. A half hour later I was holding my baby.

[Love_to_Read]

Oops, I should have submitted an answer for the last three. I've done everything, lol. Epidural, non-epidural analgesic, and nonmedicated. I prefer non-medicated.

 

Both of my medicated babies took longer to catch on to nursing. The one with the epidural took a frightening long time...I think it delayed things significantly. It almost turned into an emergency c/s, and that one was my smallest baby! So, it wasn't size, and I don't think it was presentation exactly. I think it was being stuck in bed with nurses who thought I shouldn't walk because maybe my legs were numb. And then there was the doc trying to stich up the episiotomy with the assumption that I was still numb, after the epidural had worn off. :(

 

The analgesic birth went a little better, but like I said, I think it did affect nursing, and possibly my recovery time. And I was loopy.

 

The non-medicated births went pretty well. One was easy, and one was hard, but I think being non-medicated was helpful to both...helpful in knowing when to push, being able to change position, etc. Both those babies nursed well right away, and I recovered pretty quickly.

 

I'm sure there are cases where things are different. I've read of other babies who nursed fine/poorly with the opposite decisions by mama, and I've read of mamas who needed the epidural to relax enough to give birth...but, I think those are the exceptions, and I wish I'd gone into my first birth a little less open-minded about "maybe I might need the epidural." Could have saved us from being a statistic in terms of having the typical problems related to being drugged. But, when the nurse asked me for my final decision, in transition, that open-mindedness and bad timing of the question was enough to convince me that maybe I was one of the mamas who would be fine....and I wasn't.

[WishboneDawn]

I've had 6 vaginal births without pain relief: 1 birth center, 2 inductions, 2 home births - including 1 water birth, and 1 car/parking lot.

 

For me, not having pain relief was a powerful way for me to feel like I was in charge of the experience. It was a very empowering thing (for me)

 

At one point, I would have been militant that everyone should go that route. But, I've mellowed over time and appreciate that many women just don't want the particular aspect of the experience. My feeling now is: To each her own.

 

There's also the point that for women, pain relief does not mean they are not in charge and may even help them gain control.

[WishboneDawn]

nm

Edited August 23, 2012 by WishboneDawn

[Carrie12345]

Epidural with one, stadol with another.

Nothing with three. (Labored in water with one of those three.)

 

I prefer nothing.

[jenangelcat]

All three were planned homebirths, the first ended with a c-section, the second was a med free vbac in the hospital for the 2 hours of pushing and the third I ended up with an epidural and forceps after 2 hours of pushing.

 

All my labors were horrid posterior labors with 2 hours of pushing. If I ever change my mind and have another I'm going to book the epidural in advance.