Do all women get an epidural when giving birth in UK?

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Mireillka@reddit

That is such a weird propaganda to be spread on the radio. What's the aim? Is it supposed to be negative as in, women in the UK are weak and spoiled or something? Or is it supposed to be positive as in, NHS is so good and caring they provide epidural for all births? I'm so confused.

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Watermelonsmoothies@reddit (OP)

No it was a woman praising UK. She said that she tells all pregnant women to ask for an epidural. “Just like in Birmingham and the rest of UK where all women giving birth get it”.

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Mireillka@reddit

Ahhh, so it was more of a hyperbole from the presenter? That's not too bad. Although giving birth in the UK is not that great tbh. There was a (20% of all births)cap on C-section until 2022(I think) and it caused deaths and denagerous traumatic births... And that's just the tip of the iceberg, and just kinda shows the attitudes towards those who give births, that the medical staff was even capable to refuse medically necessary C-sections just to not go over the cap. Maternal mortality is also 3 times higher for Black and Ethnic Minority people than white...

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Nice_Back_9977@reddit

There was never any cap on emergency c-sections!

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Mireillka@reddit

[https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-60462720.amp](https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-60462720.amp) I can't find the NHS investigation paper anymore, but ive got a screenshot from it: https://preview.redd.it/z8r09x9gms2g1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9e4c8dc550d64110a7c7c6722879e25ab87fa0f1

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Ring_Peace@reddit

That is comparing the rates at one trust against the average rates for the whole NHS.

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Mireillka@reddit

Yeah, that was the worst offender and it was one of the reasons the cap was lifted, other trusts weren't perfect, just not as bad.

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Nice_Back_9977@reddit

Show me the bit about the supposed 'cap'?

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Mireillka@reddit

The cap is described in the BBC article I linked above. Just Google it? Like, google is shite rn, I've already gave you enough proof. If you want more or details on how the cap affected emergency C-sections etc, dig through the ads of scurbs head covers, that show cos the word 'cap', yourself.

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Nice_Back_9977@reddit

There was no 'cap', that's why you can't post it. Yes there were issues in some trusts with a culture of trying too hard to reduce c-section rates but there was never any fixed cap on the numbers.

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Nice_Back_9977@reddit

All women are offered it if they want it and its safe in their situation.

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trickiviki@reddit

I’ve give birth twice, asked for one twice but didn’t get one as there wasn’t the staff( they were busy with someone else the second time in emergency). Both were in the night so think less staff on anyway

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hypertyper85@reddit

Yeah it's a bit of a weird thing to spread. It would be ridiculous to think anyone should be made to feel ashamed for having an epidural too. It's no big deal and they've been around for donkeys years.

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peppermint_aero@reddit

You're right, it's a really weird untruth and I wonder what its purpose is

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hughesyg@reddit

That’s not true. Google says 22-31% of women in the Uk have an epidural

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ClarifyingMe@reddit

That is incorrect. You need to read websites and not just the summary on the search page, and I hope you're not trusting AI. [https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-maternity-statistics/2023-24/deliveries---2024-hes](https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-maternity-statistics/2023-24/deliveries---2024-hes)

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Happy-Doughnut-5125@reddit

That gives answers for anaesthetics or analgesic so basically any pain relief at all. Or doesn't give figures for what proportion of that are epidurals. Tbh I think 20-30 per cent is pretty consistent with what I was taught in my NCT class.

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ClarifyingMe@reddit

Yes, you are right and I am wrong. For epidural analgesics, it is 22-30%, and all anaesthetics use, including epidural, is 56% (23-24). u/hughesyg

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hughesyg@reddit

Didn’t think it was that deep, just a question on Reddit 😂😂 If you wanna spend your Saturday morning deep reading websites crack on 👍

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aukwaggish@reddit

Yes but you didn’t have to answer ‘just a question on Reddit’ if you didn’t actually know the answer.

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hughesyg@reddit

I think my answer is correct And it literally is a question on Reddit…

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Barkasia@reddit

I don't know why you're being so petty and defensive, it's literally the first full paragraph on that link. You just seem like a petulant child who can't handle being told their 5 seconds of research may have been wrong.

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RedWife77@reddit

This source seems to group analgesics and anaesthetics all together - are epidurals separated out anywhere? I may have missed it

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Frankifile@reddit

No it’s an option. If they want it it’s available.

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HoundParty3218@reddit

*it might be available If you give birth in office hours the chances are pretty good that staff will be around to administer it but overnight, weekends or holidays you may be on your own.

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Frankifile@reddit

You’re right, Altho there’s usually an anaesthesiologist on site whatever day/time you give birth. But whether they’re available is an issue usually. I was told to ask for an epidural when I go in so by the time I needed it he’d be available. I didn’t want one. All the mothers I’ve spoken to have received one on request, unless they’re too far advanced in labour.

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Nice_Back_9977@reddit

>anaesthesiologist Known as an anaesthetist in the UK

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Frankifile@reddit

I’ve always called them anaesthesiologists, born and bred in the UK

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Nice_Back_9977@reddit

Do you watch a lot of American TV? Because that’s the American term.

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Frankifile@reddit

Probably. Altho to be fair I don’t have occasion to call HCP’s of that status by their official title very often.

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Nice_Back_9977@reddit

Which is definitely a good thing!

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limedifficult@reddit

What? That’s factually incorrect. Maternity is a 24/7 service. I’m a midwife and we always have at least two anaesthetists available at all times. The only time a woman may need to wait for an epidural is 1) there’s multiple emergencies happening at the same that require the anaesthesia team, or 2) she’s too far advanced for an epidural and about to have a baby.

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Lanky-Bug-5656@reddit

Hmmmm... I'm not sure about that. There will always be multiple anesthesiologists in the hospital. Maybe if it's very busy, you might have to be a bit more persistent than you're usually comfortable with being and actually advocate for yourself!

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plankton_lover@reddit

In my experience (4 separate births at 2 different hospitals), it waas offered each time. I chose not to have it the first time, and then chose it for the next two, and had it. I chose it for my final birth too, but progressed so fast the anaesthetiologist (sp?) did not get there in time!

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blueskyswim@reddit

I think that’s a very good representation of what happens. I was offered it each time but didn’t want it; others I know were offered it but ended up not having time.

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PavlovaToes@reddit

I was never offered it, but I did get to hospital already 10cm dilated and told it was too late for any pain relief options lol

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BG3restart@reddit

No, not even remotely true.

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Broken_Woman20@reddit

Nowhere near true. Most of my friends didn’t have an epidural. I had 2 natural births, one with an epidural (first) and one without. I was told in my birth classes that being mobile during labour speeds things along and that giving birth on all fours is the best for an easier birth. With an epidural you can do neither. Also, many UK women like to have a home birth or give birth in water, neither of which is possible if you have an epidural. My experience is that it is more discouraged than encouraged.

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DameKumquat@reddit

You can usually give birth on all fours with an epidural, but your legs may be too wobbly. I did it once but the second time I was more wobbly and the tiny midwife had an injured shoulder, so she and husband couldn't get me in position. For various reasons they don't like you being in water for more than 6-8 hours as after that it can delay anything happening if it isn't. So then an epidural may be called for, especially if you can't take pethidine.

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AskUK-ModTeam@reddit

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PavlovaToes@reddit

No? I didn't, and I'm sure plenty of other women don't either

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DameKumquat@reddit

Not at all. About half do, I think. If you give birth at home or in a midwife-led unit (in a hospital or a separate building) then there isn't epidurals available, just a birthing pool and gas&air and pethidine. I chose a MLU in a hospital so if things got sticky, they could just transfer me downstairs to the consultant unit. And indeed after about 10 hours I was asked how I felt about an epidural, and then they took me down an hour later when the anaesthetist was about to arrive. He grilled me on my medical conditions and decided "I think you'll like this." Another 15 hours I got prepped for a C-section but then baby popped out at the last minute. Next baby I had lots of issues (baby was fine), so arrived at hospital and said I was told to get an epidural immediately. Staff said yeah right, until an intern put his hand up and said he'd seen me two days ago and that's what the boss said. Got it within 20 minutes.

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ClarifyingMe@reddit

As of 2023-24, around 56% of people giving birth used an epidural. [https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-maternity-statistics/2023-24/deliveries---2024-hes](https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/nhs-maternity-statistics/2023-24/deliveries---2024-hes) The latest figures won't be released until mid-December but the use was trending downwards, perhaps it levels out at this point, who knows.

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smoulderstoat@reddit

No, 56% used *some kind of anaesthetic or analgesic*.

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Ring_Peace@reddit

The information on the internet doesn't even have to be wrong, people will still not be able to interpret information without some help.

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FelisCantabrigiensis@reddit

No. 20-25% of women do. If you [google this question](https://www.google.com/search?q=uk+proportion+of+birth+with+epidural) before posting to Reddit, you immediately get [some answers](https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/archiveofnews/2024/may/headline_1074872_en.html).

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Watermelonsmoothies@reddit (OP)

What’s the point of this sub”Ask UK” then? Anyway, I don’t use Google.

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FelisCantabrigiensis@reddit

The point is not to waste our time. See Rule 4 ---> Your failure to use available search tools (there are others than Google if you prefer) is not our problem.

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pikantnasuka@reddit

I'm sure you think you sound very impressive but honestly, you are coming across as a pompous and needlessly nasty person.

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Ecstatic_Food1982@reddit

>If you [google this question](https://www.google.com/search?q=uk+proportion+of+birth+with+epidural) Apropos of nothing, but this is a perfect example of why Google's AI answers are dreadful. On the face of it, it's 60% have an epidural.

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smoulderstoat@reddit

He posted a link to a study that shows that 22% of women had had an epidural. The 60% figure is for women who have any kind of analgesia or anaesthetic during labour, including for example entonox.

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spaceshipcommander@reddit

I wish I could turn that shit off. It is wrong nearly every time I bother to read it.

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neilm1000@reddit

You can add -ai (minus sign ai) after your search query. The downside is you don't always get the other summaries. I wish they'd revert to the previous approach. Earlier today it told me that China and the US were in the Commonwealth.

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Significant-Glove521@reddit

The statistics referred to above were for all forms of analgesia, I couldn't open the excel spreadsheet on my phone but that will presumably mean that epidurals to make up the entirety of pain relief.

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anonoaw@reddit

Nope. Asked for if for both my labours. First time I was too late - my labour had progressed so quickly that by the time I asked for it I was ready to push. Second time I learned from my mistake and asked for it as soon as things got real as I knew my labour was likely to be quick again. Both the anaesthetist and the back up anaesthetist were in theatre. By the time one of them was free (which wasn’t that long later in the grand scheme of things, I just labour really quickly) they only just managed to get it in and then I needed to start pushing before I even got a full dose. It reduced the pain a bit and numbed me when they were stitching me up after but I never got a proper dose and still had full use of my legs.

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Happy-Doughnut-5125@reddit

No not at all, not even the majority. I think the numbers are around 20-30 per cent in the UK have epidurals in labour. A lot of women in the UK have gas and air, interestingly I think in the US gas and air is very rare and epidurals more common. So there are variations by country. I wish I could have had an epidural myself but it was too late in the day by the time I arrived in hospital!

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pikantnasuka@reddit

Of course not. About 20% of births in the UK involve epidural.

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SignificantBoss8445@reddit

In France pretty much all women do. You have an obligatory appt with an anaesthetist at 39 weeks and only get gas and air if you’re allergic to anaesthesia AFAIK (source: I had my baby in France). They see it as equal to having a tooth out without pain relief.

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KittyKes@reddit

And they’re very correct! The part of my labour pre epidural was horrible, with it was manageable

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TippyTurtley@reddit

No. But they can all ask for it and provided it is in their best interest should be given it or told why it isn't possible

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gunnergirlyuffie@reddit

No, offered but took it. fuck me it was sooooo good. Went from feeling my pelvis being split down the middle feeling to “making my way downtown, walking fast m, faces past, la la la..” That might have also been the gas and air

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TrifectaOfSquish@reddit

No, it's an option that is available but it's not the default and is generally discouraged unless there is a need for it

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Unlikely_Plane_5050@reddit

The need being... Being in labour and in pain

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TrifectaOfSquish@reddit

There are other forms of pain relief and epidurals have a lot of risk attached to so it's based on clinical need to balance the risk/benefits https://casereports.bmj.com/content/16/12/e255104 for example. Maybe consider that there is more context to things rather than assuming that I'm saying people in pain shouldn't be given something to relieve that pain, the example I've given there is only one of many potential complications that need to be considered on a case by case basis to make sure that patients receive the right support

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Unlikely_Plane_5050@reddit

I'm a consultant anaesthetist. It is factually incorrect to say epidurals are "discouraged". Women shouldn't be scared off from epidurals. If they want one then that is the "clinical need" - if there are no contraindications they can usually have one. There are risks but serious complications are extremely rare.

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Tattycakes@reddit

As someone who has coded hundreds of women’s births over the past few years, I cannot recall the last time I saw someone have a spinal or epidural anaesthesia that was not related to a caesarean delivery, an instrumental delivery, an episiotomy, repair of a tear, or some other kind of postpartum intervention, like balloon/packing to stop bleeding, or manual removal of remaining placenta. And even some of those are done under local anaesthetic injection instead. It’s not a zero risk procedure to have a needle in your spine. I’m struggling to recall if I’ve ever seen one for a normal delivery

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Wonderful-Cow-9664@reddit

No, that would be a forced medical procedure. Which is illegal 🙄 and comes under assault. Why are you making stuff up? You and I both know that isn’t what you heard. What you actually heard was something along the lines of epidurals are available in the uk IF women choose to have them

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JustaShelly@reddit

I've had three births and was never offered it. It was never even mentioned to me in fact.

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meg7264@reddit

Had one for my hospital births, fell out though and nobody would believe me when I said I was still in pain😅 Just gas & air for transition at my 2 homebirths though.

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feralwest@reddit

You can have one if you would like, but they’re absolutely not something every woman gets. Many women labour with gas and air, in a birthing pool, with no addition pain relief, with pethidine, etc. It hugely depends on the woman’s own preferences, her experience of labour pain, and how quickly her labour is progressing.

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blueskyswim@reddit

I was offered one each time but didn’t want it - gas and air was great though.

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Effective-Eagle-2488@reddit

Nutsy. Given birth twice, not had an epidural for either.

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damadmetz@reddit

Not true.

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Gloomy_Custard_3914@reddit

That is a super weird thing to lie about lol To answer your question no, it's not true. I gave birth twice no pain relief. Option is always there of course but they don't just give it willy nilly.

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Violet351@reddit

They are offered it. My friend said no and then changed her mind but was too late in the day for it

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Mjukplister@reddit

No . My second birth was fairly fast but also bearable ? In simple terms the medication that they give to speed things up makes the pain more and ergo you need an epidural . So when I had a natural birth I was suprised that I could actually handle the ‘natural’ pain .

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PersonalityOld8755@reddit

No my sister didn’t.

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Wise_Huckleberry_116@reddit

It's given as an option up to a certain point in the labour, at which point it's too late to receive it. I asked for it and got it no problems!

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Terrible_Biscotti_14@reddit

It’s an option but no, it’s not true. I considered an epidural during the induction with my last baby but would have had to wait 60-90 minutes for the anaesthesiologist. They're typically not readily available, unless previously planned.

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Repulsive-Bridge111@reddit

Theres a very high percentage that get an epidural for a caesarean birth over a general anaesthetic, but for normal childbirth they prefer you not to have it, although its an open option

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dinkidoo7693@reddit

No its optional, i had one because of complications i didn’t plan or actually want it but i needed it

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RnLee20@reddit

No, it’s an option and only you get to decide.

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MonkeyHamlet@reddit

No, it’s freely offered but plenty of women (including myself) don’t have it.

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neilm1000@reddit

>I heard on the radio here in Denmark that all women in UK are given an epidural during childbirth? Did they mean offered?

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Several-Support2201@reddit

Lol, no

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One-Day-at-a-time213@reddit

Not even remotely true. How odd

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careerfeminist@reddit

No. But it's an option available in the majority of labours, and it is commonly used. All comes down to patient choice.

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