When I was at the MW yesterday I was telling her about how scared I am about labour and I mean I really am scared.

I was originally planning on giving birth in the MW Led Unit on Level 7 of the hospital, which is absolutely lovely (we had a tour last week). But there you can only use the Birthing Pool, have Gas and Air or Meptid.

Now the Delivery Suite is in the same hospital, but down on Level 2, just not as nice and not as personal, but there you can use everything.

There obviously is the option that if everything got too much on Level 7 that they can take you down to Level 2 for more pain releif if needed, but they can't guarantee to be able to take you down...and the MW at Antenatal Classes said if you think you would like an epidural then just go straight for Level 2.

Ideally I dont want an epidural, but at the same time im so flipping scared that the pain will get to much and that I wont be able to cope without one.

So what would you do, would you go for Level 7 and take the chance of not being able to go downstairs or would you just go for Level 2??!!

I'm of the mindset that if you want an epi have one, you get no prizes for being a hero, athe ed of the day as long as the baby gets here safely then who cares how. I gave birth without one though because I wans't allowed and honestly it was fine so I'm sure you'd be ok if you wanted to go to level 7 x

Personally I would want to go to level 7 and have a nice environment, but the only thing I'm thinking is hun that you have high BP, they may not let you go to level 7 and take you straight to level 2 so they can keep a closer eye on you etc. I would wait and see what happens xxx

Personally i loved labour would do it again anyday (i know i am werid lol). But then again my Labour was for 3 1/2 hours. You can never predict how labour is going to happen.

The best advice anyone could have given me is that the fear of birth causes the pain more than the actually pain. Its all about composing urself and positve thinking.

If u are really scared then i will go for level 2 as everything is there if u need it.

Good luck i think u will be fine.

Char

Hun
I'd go with level 2 just to be on the safe side. You can't be sure that you won't need. Hopefully you won't need it but you never know.
When I had my first I wasn't going to have any pain releif. I ended up with everything lol and then an emergency c section.
We're all different and all cope differently.

Hope all goes well
x

Id personally go for level 2, just because there is more available to you.

Id go level 2! Im sorry but to me in the throws of labour that epidural mattered more than a few nice cushions and a homely look to the room! I got offered a Epidural due to BP rising so from a medical point of view I liked the fact is was available reasonably quickly without needing moved about. x

If I was choosing I'd go for Level 7 as I had such a flipping long labour I would like the nicer surroundings and for it all to be more personal. However I completely understand you being scared. I was but I'm sure almost all the girls will tell you, you go into "the zone". Honestly it's wierd, you're just so focused on what you need to do. I admit there were times when I thought I couldn't cope with the pain but then I told myself firmly how it was only 1 day (or so lol) of my life and although it hurt it was all worth it and also how scared I was of the needle lol. If they need to get you in on level 2 they will, in terms of if they have any concerns. The only thing you could possibly miss out on is the epidural. x

I agree with LisaG I would go for the Level 7. Think positively, it's normal to be scared but you will probably really surprise yourself. The adrenalin really does take over and you may find that because it's not that readily available (epidural) that you won't need it anyway and they probably will get you down there if you absolutely need to go.

WOW jade! Just noticed your new ticker!
Congratulations xxx

i would go for level 7 ,,, i thought i was going to die giving birth ( prior to doing it ) i was so scared of it

now out of my 3 children i have had gas and air and injection i feared the epidural more than i feared giving birth ( pain wise ) , i believe meptid is a version of pethidine ? ,,,, i promise you this hun , if you are in sheer agony and take that jab wow !! ok the pain is still there but nowhere near as bad !i loved it
i have a very low pain threshold but managed fine and would go back again

ggod luck with your decision hun x x

Oh yeah they have said that if they had any concerns about me or the baby they would have me in the lift and onto Level 2 quicker than I could say Boo!

Think I might have a chat with her when im there this afternoon xx

its completely normal to feel this way.

but just think you are lucky you are already in the same building if need be. most birthing places are far away from hospitals and if anything did go wrong you'd be rushed in an ambulance.

I've given birth and it was an easy birth, very much painless until the pushing stage.

but i know as much as everyone else not all births are the same and i'm dreading this one.

start off on level 7, so what if you then decide you want an epidural they'll take you down. dont feel bad for wanting one.

i know your scared and its normal. i met a mum at a baby singing class when rowan was 5 months old she was so scared of giving birth she went through therapy before hand and was still scared so she had a C-section.

you do what feels comfortable to you. if you change your mind then its ok. it's all about you and your baby. not anyone else.

I would go level 7, the option for level 2 is there if you need it. You may find you cope completely fine on level 7 and may regret going straight for level 2 xx

i would go to level 7 having been forced to bypass it and go to stupid gross labour suite last time!

I have this option also and been discussing it loads with hubby. With us it's just across the hall rather than diff levels. Think we've come to the conclusion tht as long as labour starts naturally and i'm calm we're going to go for the natural and see where we go from there. I had an epidural with Imogen in the end but really fought it cause i was determined not to, but as labour stopped basically half way through i had to be given lots of drugs to start contractions again which apparently makes it more painful. Anyway I don't regret the epidural.
I would also say try not to be to scared. We all feel it but when the time comes i think you just get through it. Natural instinct just takes over, or at least thats what i felt. I'm awful with pain, but i just got through it and i can't even remember much of the pain now. xx

ohhh and also, did you get your blood results yet?

Aww thanks ladies! Well if my BP stops messing around I think I am going to go for Level 7. The MW I saw today assured me that they can transfer me downstairs should I need an epidural.

Well the good news is that my bloods were all fine and also little miss has dropped a little bit more, so she is now 3/5ths engaged and in the perfect position for labour too.

My BP is still slightly up 130/80 but not as high as yesterday and again when rechecked when I was lying down was fine (120/80).

So basically I just have to have my BP checked again on Monday and take it from there.

Oh and had nothing in my urine. xx

I'd go the the level 7

I wanted to be in the MW centre but having OC meant I couldnt, ended up in the huge maternity ward in the next town along - NOT NICE in comparison. I transferred to the MW centre for one night and it was fabulous!

I didn't 'want' or 'need' an epidural - yet at one point I asked for one, cos I thought I couldn't cope - and why did I ask? Because it was there Thankfully it was too late to have one, and how pleased am I now that they said no because I would have been so annoyed with myself for giving in! Im sure I read a study that showed woman are much more likely to take an epidural if it is freely available, yet when its not there they manage fine!

So my opinion is that when you are faced with not being able to have something then you tend to try that little bit harder to get by without it.. Im sure if there was time they'd have said yes and given me one - but it wasn't needed, I did it with no pain relief and I didnt die Honestly it really wasn't that bad.

Have you thought about self hypnotism? Not only does it help massively with the pain control, but also is very good for relaxing you and that means you can stay focused on the job in hand, your options and not feel scared.

I am going to use it next time for sure as I wouldnt have got through labour without it, and I didnt even need to try, what I'd learnt just happened. (I think the way you are taught teaches your brain and body to start doing it when the pain starts)

That's great news!

I suppose we'll all just have to wait patiently for little miss to arrive now
xx

i think there is a lot to be said for epidural being available, like lisa said, i knew it was too late as soon as (very fast!) labour started so it didn't cross my mind hopefully mondays results are fine too and you can have a nice errrm run of the mill (?) labour!

I am clearly a huge wuss compared to you ladies!!! My hospital only offers epidurals mon-fri 9-5 and I panicked I would labour in the night or on a sat and not get one. Had stuart been able to drive I think I would have gone to big hospital in belfast were they do epidurals 24/7.

In the end the consultant decided I needed an epidural due to BP so I didnt have to ask - but I did jump at the chance. Maybe had I not been offered, or it had been a sat Id be sitting here now saying im glad I didnt get one. If I did it again though tbh I still think id have one.

Sounds good the way they in same building. I suppose it makes sense to give level 7 ago if thats what you want x