Hey great posts everyone, keep em coming, no-ones taking offence to any of it, we're all entitled to our own opinion after all, thats not to say we let it affect our care provision in practice.
Our anaethetists would try and ban this if it came in anyway to be honest, which I don't think it ever will (well not in the immediate future, who can tell whats round the corner??)
It is frustrating when a woman comes in, in early labour and demands (not requests) an epidural. I have seen them given at 1cm, and have sat there for 12 hours at a woman's bedside whilst she sleeps intermitantly throughout her labour, only to return 12 hours later and care for her again, more often then not in these cases we end up down the road (aka theatre). Its annoying how women with epidural at our Trust get longer for descent, and 2nd stage overall, yet women having a natural labour (or different analgesia) are given (well its recommended) that they have maximum 2 hours (it was 1 hour, thankfully its increased) I mean is this fair??? And why do the NICE guidelines recommend active pushing for women with epidural after all the debates around the avoidance of active pushing, should we be doing it for these women?? The fetus may already have had reduced variability, sleepy heart patterns etc as a result all the way through (particularly following 1st dose then top-ups) so why then are we supposed to encourage active pushing???

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