When Should I Get an Epidural?
-
Kaely Harrod 0:02
Hello welcome back to Kaely Daily. Today's question is, When should I get an epidural? This is Kaely Daily, the bi-weekly podcast about all things doula Tips and Tips where we answer one question about pregnancy, labor, postpartum, or lactation, in order to have your journey in this parenting world be just a little bit more informed and filled with consent. Hello, and welcome back. I'm Kaely Harrod, the host of Kaely Daily, the creator of the birth prep blueprint, which is an inclusive comprehensive childbirth education that is completely online. So completely self paced, you do it at your own pace, start whenever you'd like. It makes it a perfect class for busy families, or for families who are just feeling a little bit nervous about COVID and don't want to be around folks. It is all taught and designed by me. And you have tons of great resources in the midst of it. So that is the program that sponsors this lovely podcast, Kaely Daily Doula Tips and Tits. So that's how you get all these awesome answers. Okay. So today's question is, When should I get an epidural? And you might be seeing that I have a little mini series on when the questions so this is continuing that this? The answer to this question is it depends, surprise, surprise, right? Because I don't ever answer questions like that. That's ridiculous. So there is no perfect time. That is my official response. However, there's some nuance here. So a few things to think about are one, you want to actually be in labor. What do I mean when I say that? Okay, well, if you're having an induction, for instance, a medical induction, then you want to be actually in labor. And that means you're on in most cases, right, because
Kaely Harrod 2:21
like one centimeter, or when they're not even having contractions, and then their body struggles to actually get into labor, with the loss of feeling the loss of movement, etc, that an epidural brings. There are some other IV pain medications for the earlier stages of an induction, if you're needing something like that, that is not today's question. So. So yes, that's one thing to consider. The other thing is, when do you feel like you need it right? I think, when we talk about pain, medication and labor, we often talk about ability, like, can I? Or how long will I be able to do labor, etcetera? I don't know that that's entirely helpful, because it makes it sort of that you're proving something to yourself, and you can then sometimes be suffering in a way that's incredibly unnecessary. For the sake of proving something, right. And so that I think is unhelpful. The reason I bring that up, is that I've occasionally seen where someone has a specific metric in their mind, typically a dilation. So So I've had clients say, like, I want to make it to six centimeters, or seven centimeters, or something like that. And what that assumes, is that until six or seven centimeters, you're going to be like coping really well, your Labor's not going to be really super long, you're not going to have any kind of complications, right? And so then if that's your goal, and you're at five centimeters, and it's taking you like 30 hours to get there, then you're delaying the relief that you feel like you need for no reason, basically, right? Like for kind of an arbitrary reason. Because really, logistically speaking five to seven centimeters, there's not much difference in terms of getting an epidural. Right now it's easier to get an epidural probably at five centimeters than seven centimeters based on like the intensity of your contractions and how close together they are, and things like that. But in terms of statistics and data around an epidural, doing something to your labor at five centimeters, that it's not going to do to your labor at seven centimeters, not not important, not statistically significant, right. So I will say, generally speaking, you want to be in labor, and ideally you want to aim to be in active labor. Now, most hospitals, which is the place where you would get an epidural right, well, not at met someone before three to four centimeters. Now that is not always the case, right? It depends a little bit on where you live, what the policies are at your facility. In the DC area where I work and a medulla, lots of the hospitals want you to be three or four centimeters. That means you can't be admitted before that, which means you can't get an epidural before that unless you're having an induction. Right. So usually, you will already be far enough along to ask for an epidural if you want one. Now, one little bonus piece of info that is not specifically answering the question of when should I get an epidural? But is I think helpful to know if you're weighing whether or not you want an epidural in the midst of labor.
Kaely Harrod 5:47
If you are in a labor setting, and you haven't yet been hooked to any kind of IV fluids, you are usually going to be required to have some kind of IV fluids before an epidural is given to you. The reason for that is that an epidural is most common side effect is a drop in blood pressure for the person who receives the epidural so the person who's in labor, right, that means that if it gives you fluid before they give it a drawl, they can kind of counteract that a little bit. preemptively sort of make sure you're super hydrated, right? But what that also means is that if you've been laboring with nothing, you haven't had any kind of IV connected to you, then you probably have to have that bag of fluids before the epidural is given. So one thing that you can do if you're on the fence, you're in the midst of labor, you're kind of like, I don't know, do I? Or do I not want an epidural? Am I ready for it or not? Do I want it at all, I'm not sure is Ask your nurse for that bag of fluids, say I'm considering an epidural, I might be ready for an epidural, I want to start that process. So that I can kind of get that ball rolling, right. And then those IV fluids can be started, those take anywhere from like 15 to 45 minutes. Depending on how much of those fluids they feel like you need. Some I've seen some anesthesiologist say, I want that whole bag finished, I've seen some say as long as fluids are happening, I'm happy to put an epidural in right. What that does is gives you this little bit of buffer that is going to be there anyway. And it also gives you some hydration. So if you have a little bit of hydration, and you're like actually, I feel amazing, I don't need the epidural Great, then you can just say no to it. If you feel like after you have that by bag of fluids, then you're like I for sure still want it then awesome, you're closer to being able to get it. So that's one thing that I think is really helpful to know in terms of context, if you're kind of weighing the timing, and you're not quite sure you're ready, but you think you might be. So we are going to have a short series of this. So expect maybe one or two more wind questions. And then we're gonna start diving into a few postpartum things for the later summer. And so that's what you have to look forward to get super excited about that. And then August is all about a new class I have coming. So be excited about that as well. Don't forget to grab your oxytocin guide that is linked in the show notes or the description if you're over on YouTube. And please do leave a review that is the best way for people to find this lovely podcast. And if there's something specific about today that you have really loved I would love to hear that from you. And I would also love to hear what your questions are so that I can review those and answer them for you on the podcast. Until next time, I hope that you have well educated consent to build for you. These episodes are edited and produced by Kaely. Her rod as I'm sure you can probably tell, and our amazing music is credited in the shownotes as well. So we look forward to seeing you on the next episode. And in the meantime, have a wonderful and consent filled birth.
Transcribed by https://otter.ai
If an epidural is part of your birth plan you may be wondering when it’s the right time to get one. Now, as in the case of many of the questions I answer, there is more than one answer to this! It depends one what your plan is and how your labor progresses.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Being in labor is the first goal when getting an epidural - listen to hear what I mean!
Aiming for active labor (5-6 cm or so) is ideal to lessen the chance of labor slowing
Plan on a bit longer of a pushing time with an epidural
RESOURCES
FREE OXYTOCIN GUIDE:
6 Ways to Increase Oxytocin for Labor Progression
https://www.harroddoulaservices.com/free-guide-6-oxytocin-tips
CONNECT with Kaely on Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/Harroddoula/
This podcast is hosted by the Birth Prep Blueprint - comprehensive Childbirth Education for expectant parents to feel calm, prepared and confident about labor and birth. Podcast listeners (that’s YOU!) get 10% off! Use the link below to get that great deal!
https://thebirthprepblueprint.com/offers/884d5a56-9089-4482-a944-6bb7c26c9b04
If you like this episode, don't forget to share it to your Instagram stories and tag me @harroddoula
Kaely Daily is produced by Kaely Harrod of Harrod Doula Services
It is sponsored by The Birth Prep Blueprint Childbirth Class
Music by Madirfan: Hidden Place on Pixabay
