Birth plan and pain relief

[Annie050408]

I know I am getting to the stage where I need to start thinking about this but I just can't decide what to do for the best.

I am not the best in the world with pain but I don't want to just opt for an epidural until I know how I do on my own. I also like the idea of a water birth but am just not sure if I am brave enough to go for that option.... if I get in to the pool and progress well but then suddenly can't cope with the pain or labour goes on too long and I am exhausted will I be able to get out and have other pain relief?

I don't like the idea of being in excruciating pain and it being too late for any assistance but I also don't like the idea of opting for full pain relief really early and perhaps not progressing well as a result and ending up needing a cesarean.

Can you tell I've been watching a lot of birthing programmes?!

If it's your first child, what do you plan to do and why and if you have had children before what did you opt for last time and would you do the same again?

 

[frances2009]

My first baby is due in August and I'm planning on having a water birth in a midwife led birthing unit in the hospital. I plan to have no drugs except gas and air but of course will just see how things go.

Feel quite calm about the birth, am just really looking forward to meeting my baby! Plan to be active for as long as possible and then get in the pool towards the end. For me, being in water is really relaxing so am hoping this will help create a calm and relaxing environment.

If things go wrong, it is possible to be transferred to the labour ward where further drugs are available but I'm really hoping that I'll be okay with just gas and air and relaxation/breathing techniques.

Only time will tell!

 

[Yodabo]

I just went with the flow with my both my boys, I had gas & air plus pethidine eith my first and just gas and air with my 2nd. I suppose I was very lucky to have relatively easy labours with both of them and it helps to have a high pain threshold lol

I plan on going with the flow with this one too, see how it goes.

Only you know how you will feel at the time, just keep your options open is the only advice I can give.

 

[MrsR]

With DD I went with the flow, after hearing my sisters labour story (48 hours ended in epidural and forcep birth) I was slightly worried. I used the hospitals birthing pool and it was soo comforting and wonderful, I'd recommend it to anyone x I got out though as whilst I was in the pool the mw offered me gas and air which made me very sick. I would of loved to stay in the pool though! I was offered pethidine but declined it as the labour was going very well and progressing quickly. I used the birthing ball too which was really good and gave birth on the bed after 2 hours of full labour x this time I really really want a home birth and don't want any pain relief again x I can't have an epidural anyway x obviously if things go wrong or I can't cope then I'll transfer to the hospital x x I'm going to be doing my birth plan after seeing my midwife at 28 weeks x x

 

[megsmeadow]

Remember even if it's something you've written in your birth plan it's not set in stone. You might feel completely different when in labour. My midwife was very helpful when I wrote mine. I've written the things I would like to try and what order I would like to try them in and things I would prefer not to. She also said to not bother writing things like, 'I would prefer not to have an epesiotomy' as they would only do this if they really had to.

 

[Me, My Girls & I]

I'm useless with pain but I found labour to be a completely different kind of pain! Iblnew I didn't want an epidural but also knew itwas an option if I found it too hard! I had gas and air and pethidine with katie and used the pool in the later stages, which was fantastic! With ella I didn't have any pain relief, but that could have had something to do with having a 2 hour labour

I'd defo go into it with an open mind! Rememer the pool might not necessarily be available, and that evenbif you do get in and decide you want more pain relief you can always get back out! The majority of people labour in the pool but give birth on dry land!

 

[Annie050408]

I'm useless with pain but I found labour to be a completely different kind of pain! Iblnew I didn't want an epidural but also knew itwas an option if I found it too hard! I had gas and air and pethidine with katie and used the pool in the later stages, which was fantastic! With ella I didn't have any pain relief, but that could have had something to do with having a 2 hour labour

I'd defo go into it with an open mind! Rememer the pool might not necessarily be available, and that evenbif you do get in and decide you want more pain relief you can always get back out! The majority of people labour in the pool but give birth on dry land!

We're going to call our little one Ella too - Ella Daisy It's such a cute name.

Thanks for the advice- I think I will go for it and like you say, keep an open mind.

 

[serenitylove]

the only word on my birth plan is epidural lol i had such a comprehensive plan with my dd but it all went out the window things went completly tits up i had a very fast csection done i want to be prepared this time vbac if i can but if simular happens i want to be ready for theatre

 

[Me, My Girls & I]

An open mind is defo a really good idea! Even the best of birth plans can go out the window! I actually didn't even write one this time, which I'm glad of cos my little lady decided when she wanted to come an nothing or noone would stop her

 

[Lacey's Mummy]

With DD i asked for pethadine but didn't really know what to have as my birth plan as i'd never experienced labour before! In the end, i didn't have time for pethadine so only had gas and air and even though it bloody hurt like mad the m/w's said what an easy labour i had! I was only in labour for 6hours, spent 3 of those at hospital but had complications after unfortantly!!
This time the main thing that i'm putting on my birth plan is to have AT LEAST amount of internals as poss as they hurt more than labour!! lol i hated them!!
I want to be more open this time, like birthing pool, walk around more as last time i only wanted to curl up on the bed but now wish i moved more!!!
While your in labour your proberly do things differnet than your plan anyways!

 

[Buttons8]

I'm on my 4th and have never had a birth plan!!!
I don't mean theyre not a good idea but you never know how any labour is going to go. So as long as you, your partner and whoever else is involved knows broadly what you want, then you do have to be flexible and go with the flow. what really helped me was staying mobile. I used to think it would be horrendous but the pain is different and the time also passes different. Good Luck to all

 

[Yodabo]

Yes keep mobile, it really does help things progress! I'm sure that's why I had short labours cos I was standing and rocking most of the time x

 

[NicciLove]

I'm useless with pain but I found labour to be a completely different kind of pain! Iblnew I didn't want an epidural but also knew itwas an option if I found it too hard! I had gas and air and pethidine with katie and used the pool in the later stages, which was fantastic! With ella I didn't have any pain relief, but that could have had something to do with having a 2 hour labour

I'd defo go into it with an open mind! Rememer the pool might not necessarily be available, and that evenbif you do get in and decide you want more pain relief you can always get back out! The majority of people labour in the pool but give birth on dry land!

We're going to call our little one Ella too - Ella Daisy It's such a cute name.

Ella is a lovely name!

 

[Mervs Mum]

I went with an open mind with my first and ended up with the lot! I really regretted the epi and with hindsight I know that contributed to my long drawn out labour (16hrs proper established) and forceps delivery.

My birth plan for my second had one main instruction - NO EPIDURAL! not even if I beg for one I swear that's why I had a 6 hr labour - I was mobile and could get into better positions to move her down - 2 pushes and she was out. I had pethadine and G&A.

My 3rd was at home and I knew I could manage with just G&A. I hated the way the pethadine made me feel so that not being an option was a good thing to me. I used the pool and then G&A and again had a 6 hour established labour and 15 mins max 'pushing'.

Keep an open mind BUT do a birth plan would be my advice. Even if they dont go perfectly to plan your carers can help you have some if not all of your wishes. My 2nd and 3rd plans were followed - 2nd to the letter and 3rd was slightly changed as we went along but at my request

 

[lanny]

with my first after get ting sent home from hospital for 3 day and never getting over 3cm when they finally let me stay I was sooo tired and the pain was bad I had an epidural and after all the hours it was the best feeling in the world for all the pain to go away I did push for what seemed like ages tho cos i couldnt feel a thing but 38 hours of pain was too long and I dont think i would 0f got through it without it. 2nd time around i got pains for an hour before she was born and only had a few puffs of gas and air and with 2 big pushes she was out what in trying to say is my pain threshold was the same at both births but the births them selfs were so different I dont think you really know until it starts and how you feel, im hoping this time is like my 2nd but you never know my friend jst had her 3rd and said it was her worse birth out of all 3 so i wil have to keep an open mine too.