Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Epidural, or Not?

Kali pertama mengandung dulu, dari awal lagi aku dah setkan dalam fikiran nak ambil epidural masa melahirkan nanti. Padahal bukan tahupun sakit bersalin tu macam mana, cuma tahu melahirkan anak memang sangat menyakitkan. I’ve read a lot about epidural from several websites (whether or not the sources are reliable, that’s something we need to consider too) and have been consulted a lot about epidural by my sister (who is an anesthesiologist) who also opted for epidural when she gave birth to her children. 

So when I was admitted to labour room after my water broke, I was asked by the anesthesiologist there (who is my cousin-in-law) if I wish to receive an epidural. I was just 3cm dilated at that time and the contraction is still bearable so I was quite reluctant at first, but soon after she said “Nanti akan lagi sakit tau!”, I terus cakap “Okay okay, nak epidural”. 

She then asked me to sit with my back facing her, dan dia suntik something at my backbone (kot), rasa macam kena karen kejap tapi taklah sakit sangat macam yang diceritakan orang. And poof! Hilang terus rasa sakit. Serious hilang! Best sangat perasaan masa tu. Apa yang I faham, epidural ni berfungsi untuk menghalang rasa sakit sampai ke otak. Means contraction tu still ada dan makin kuat, tapi since epidural dah block the nerve signal tu dari sampai ke otak, kita tak rasa sakit pun. 

They said sepatutnya epidural works until kita betul betul nak bersalin dan bahayanya epidural ni adalah kerana dengan tiadanya rasa contraction menyebabkan kita tak ada urgency nak push baby keluar, walaupun dah 10cm dilated. Tapi ianya tak berlaku pada aku. At 7-8cm dilated I already feel a very strong contraction, banyak kali la panggil nurse suruh check bukaan and still 8cm, banyak kali call Kakna suruh call anesthesiologist kat sini suruh increase dosage of epidural sebab ya Allah, tak tahan sangat! I was alone at that time so I only depend on my sister, on the phone T_T. They did increase the dosage anyway, tapi tak berkesan langsung. Kakna cakap, kemungkinan besar masa aku kononnya baru 7-8cm dilated tu, I actually dah 10cm tapi nurse tu tak pandai check kea pa entah. 

During labour, I still feel the urge to push but fail many times sampai I dah kehabisan tenaga, so they decided to use vacuum to help the baby out once the baby’s head is visible. So that’s it, Ammar Yusuf was bornt, spontaneous vaginal delivery with vacuum. 

Pernah terbaca, pengambilan epidural membuatkan proses bersalin tu delay lebih lama, mungkin betul sebab proses bersalinkan Ammar Yusuf memang lama. Tapi boleh jadi disebabkan faktor kelahiran pertama, sebab dengar pengalaman bersalin orang lain pun untuk anak pertama memang lama dan lebih susah. 

Pernah baca, pengambilan epidural ada side effect pada baby, because epidural is one kind of drug if I'm not mistaken, tapi tak tahulah kebenarannya macam mana. Pernah dengar orang cakap, pengambilan epidural boleh mengakibatkan sakit belakang berterusan in future. Yang ni bagi aku, too subjective la. Sakit belakang can happen to anybody. Salah tidur boleh sakit belakang, angkat barang berat dengan cara yang salah boleh sakit belakang. Depends pada rutin dan diet harian juga.

Pernah juga baca, pengambilan epidural membuatkan kita tak ada pressure untuk teran thus instrumental delivery (vacuum, forceps) has to be involved, yes I have to be assisted with vacuum, tak pastilah kalau ianya adalah side effect of epidural sebab aku memang kurang tenaga because if you remember it was Ramadhan and I haven't eat anything (except Sahur), cuma sejak awal dah dimasukkan air dalam badan la. Dan aku juga tak pasti disebabkan kesan vacuum tu ataupun sebab pattern dia tidur masa awal awal kelahirannya (dia tidur meniarap), kepala Ammar Yusuf agak loncong sedikit. Mula mula rasa macam pelik je tapi bila Mama cakap “Kepala macam tu la cantik!” so, okaylah. Dan yes, episiotomy lebih sakit compare to anak kedua. Lambatnya nak sembuh, tapi mungkin disebabkan cara aku berpantang juga. Other than that, Alhamdulillah everything is fine. 

For my second baby, I memang confident nak ambil epidural. Patut request awal awal, tapi dah dilate 5-6cm baru nak minta, only to hear the doctor said, “Sini tak pernah ada epidural puan. Tak pernah.” Gilaaaa mana aku tahannnnnnnn!! At 7cm dilated (maybe dah tak tahan dengar aku asyik minta epidural), they decided to pecahkan air ketuban and zasssss terus 10cm! Terus dikejarkan ke labour room, terus suruh teran bila when the contraction comes. 

This time is a lot better, mungkin sebab dah anak kedua, or mungkin sebab suami ada bersama. Tapi masih failed juga bab teran baby, kejap keluar kejap masuk kesian Adik. But Alhamdulillah, I managed to deliver my second baby totally natural, no epidural, no entonox gas, no vacuum/forcep whatsoever. Rasa macam bangga la masa tu, I’m actually strong enough to bear the pain. Lepas bersalin, tak sampai sehari dah boleh discharged tak payah nak stay hospital lama lama. 

Masa berpantang juga lebih mudah, jahitan episiotomy tu cepat je sembuh (mungkin sebab makan Ephyra + vitamin C + habiskan semua vitamin doktor bagi), 2 minggu je aku di bawah jagaan ibu bapa, lepas tu dah balik rumah sendiri uruskan 2 orang anak. 

Nevertheless, for the next baby (which might be 10 years from now HAHAHA), if you asked me whether or not I’m going to use epidural, I will still consider it as a better option. If my friend is asking for my opinion, I will still encouraging her to go for epidural. It’s just my personal opinion though, knowing how painful the labor pain is. Tak paksa untuk setuju pun. Dah ada kemudahan untuk kurangkan sakit, why not? Benda benda perubatan macam ni sebolehnya jangan bergantung pada sumber dari internet saje, because we never know if it is reliable and trustworthy. Kena banyak baca dari buku, refer pada doktor pakar. Tapi yang boleh tahan without epidural, janganlah judge orang lain yang pakai epidural. Yes I get it you’re strong blablabla, get over it please. It’s our personal choice anyway. 

For me, tengoklah macam mana. Epidural has always been my preference, tapi manalah tahu mengandung dan melahirkan anak ketiga nanti lebih dipermudahkan, maybe I can survive without epidural lagi, who knows? ;)


6 comments:

YanaHime said...

Alhamdulillah, utk kedua2 delivery husna. Disebabkan overdue, akak dipaksa beranak dan ada pengalaman dgn entonox. Luckily, bidan yg assist ms bersalin terangkan elok2 psl entonox jd takde epidural laa masa tu. Only entonox. 2 jam menahan sakit dgn gas yg x berapa kuat. It really helps a lot during delivery. Kalau guna epidural, rasanya lg lama laa dlm LR tu

Engku Artini said...

Me.. yes !! Epidural for first delivery.. 2005.. lepas tu unt yg no 2,3,4... it was normal delivery without epi.. alhamd.epi or not? Epi ok tak epi pun ok..:)

Husna Hadzarami said...

Entonox gas to kita dapat masa dah bersalin, masa tu kena tahan kejap dalam posisi mengangkang tu sebab doctor detect ada cist and ada bleeding yg non stop so masa check tu punyalah sakit, kena pakai entonox. Khayal je rasa kan? Tapi pening la kepala lepas tu..

Husna Hadzarami said...

Whoaaa 2,3,4 normal delivery! Itulah maybe anak first susah sikit kot. Harap harap untuk next baby kita in future nanti bolehlah natural without epidural juga ;)

ily♥ said...

I guess it all depends on the person's pain endurance dan bahagian masing2 yg ditentukan oleh Allah. Some people mmg super high pain endurance, tak rasa sakit pun, kalau sakit pun, still bearable to her. Ade org yg pd certain people nmpk mcm sakit sikit je, but to her dah sakit sangat dah tu.. Bahagian masing2 kan. Ada yang Allah mudahkan proses bersalin, ada yang susah sangat nak deliver..Apepun, semoga Allah permudahkan setiap urusan kita, insyaAllah, ameen..
p/s: were on entonox gas for both delivery. yg 1st tu rasa mcm entonox tu x membantu lnsung. the 2nd one quite helping jugaklah. maybe sbb 1st delivery lame sgt amik masa nak push out the baby. Alhamdulillah yg 2nd baby went smooth...

Fatimah Al-Attas said...

Masa pregnant consider jugak nak epidural or entonox gas, takut sakit sangat sbb ramai cakap first baby lama and susah, Masa masuk labour room tu cakap dekat husband "kita try la dulu kalau tak tahan baru request". Bila rasa macam nak try epidural, panggil nurse dah 10cm dilate, terus deliver hahaha Alhamdulillah easy delivery kot, tapi tak de rezeki nak try mana2.