How do you use gas and air?

[scaredbuthappy]

This sounds a silly question but how do you use gas and air?
Ive heard a few different things. If you have a mouthpiece do you inhale through your mouth then breathe out through your mouth aswell back into the mouthpiece or do you breathe out through your nose? And if you use the mask do you just breathe in and out through your nose or in with your nose and out with your mouth? Or do you have to take the mouthpiece/mask away when you are breathing back out?
I know the midwife im sure will tell me this but just wanted to know in advance roughly how to use it and when is the best time to use it i.e at the start of a contraction or just before the start or another time?

Thank you

 

[sarah2807]

They tell you at the time hun.
I had the mouth piece and was told to breath in when you have a contraction and out through your mouth into the mouth piece. Hope that helps.
xx

 

[Sylvie]

Never managed to use it
Was already in trouble trying to breathe properly, so never mind breathing in and out a mouthpiece

 

[LisaJ1986]

I had the mouthpiece and i breathed in just as my contraction started, then just back out. I was making noise though as i was breathing out so don't think i was doing it properly! Lol. Plus my midwives weren't really giving me time to breathe out so i thought i was gonna pass out! I hated it so after 2 contractions i was given just the mouthpiece to bite on.

 

[Becky]

It comes as natrual as labour

Hahaha

I tried the gas and air too late, I couldn't concentrate enough on the breathing and found it a distraction.

 

[maybebaby]

I wasn't offered gas & air until far too late, I reckon I must have been 8-9 cm dilated already. I had about 2 puffs and it just made me feel really lightheaded and made my mouth dry. I hated the stuff, but I'm hoping I'll get the chance to try it when I'm a bit more with it this time round as I know some people swear by it.

 

[mum's the word]

I found it a good distraction, I didn't use it properly I'm sure! I bit on the mouthpiece a lot rather than sucking in the air and took in a very big breath of it just before the contractions peaked. I have used it during 2 labours, luckily they were over in a couple of hours so i had few side-effects. If you go to ante-natal classes you can try it out.

 

[Suzie and Faith]

when is the best time to use it i.e at the start of a contraction or just before the start or another time?

Thank you

they tell you at the start of one but sod that I didnt stop sucking on it ..when it came to the push aswell my teeth were hurting more than the contractions as I was biting it so hard they had to try and remove it from my teeth haha

ditto - my mouth was sore for days after!!!

I breathed it in constantly, in and out through the mouth and it was AMAZING I wouldn't let go of it so they disconnected it and just left me with the mouthpiece (they wanted me to push and i was so spaced out i wasn't listening). I didn't get the gas and air until 8cm but i progressed from 5cm to 8cm in a 5min ambulance journey!

I love the stuff and thoroughly reccomend it! You feel really drunk, a bit woozy, it hurts still but you don't care, it was rather surreal! I think i would have hated labour had it not been for the gas and air as it meant i wasn't too bothered that they were pulling so hard with the forceps.

 

[clairescunny55]

oh i cannot praise gas and air enough. it is fab. had it with both my labours. i had the mouth piece which was great for biting when pushing lol

 

[LisaJ1986]

I'm pleased i tried it. I got to hospital at 7cm. But i'd only been in labour for 1hr 30mins by the time i got there. I'll never have it again. They say its quite rare for people not to like it. I just hate the feeling of being drunk, so i hated the feeling of no control. I just kept mumbling rubbish! 2 contractions were enough for me. But i was out of it til the second i gave birth.

 

[simhaz1]

Gas and Air is the worst thing in the world for me anyway, i would not reccommend it to my worst enemy.

they do tell you how to use it all you have to do is breath normal there is not a rule just to breath

i had the mouth piece and i snapped the plastic and was sick so they took it of me hooray,

i had an epidural fantasic little thing it is

bobs xxx

 

[DebbieM]

Suck, suck, suck!!!

I used it from 6cm and didn't stop til the MWtold me off and made me put it down! LOL!

I was floating around the room, its good sh1t as I text to Gemma that morning!!!

 

[BeckyJ]

i was already 9cm by the time they examined me (they wouldnt believe i was in labour)

they gave it me right at the end when they used the forceps but i just bit on the mouth piece

 

[daftscotslass]

I loved it! I actually chose the mask over the mouthpiece and thought it was great as I didn't have to think about whether or not to breathe in through my mouth or nose. I was told at one point to go easy because they were worried I wasn't getting enough oxygen! I actually had it when pushing and the midwife was laughing that I was just using it to "get pished and have a laugh" between contractions

I would definitely go with it over requesting an epidural next time, given that my experience of an epidural that didn't work was a disaster and a half.

 

[mummykay]

haha I breathed it out and right back in again, was high as a kite after about 3gulps

 

[Sherlock]

I bit on the mouthpiece, breathed in deeply as I needed at the peek of the contraction, took the mouthpiece out then exhaled through my mouth slowly while coming down off the contraction.

 

[trixipaws]

i had the mouthpiece and u breathe thru it and back out into it during contractions to take the edge off them.

i got my G&A taken off me for "abusing" it! i enjoyed the feeling it makes u feel all floaty like youve eaten half a disco biscuit so i was sucking on it ALL THE TIME lol whether i felt pain or not! the MW mustve noticed that i was using it still after i'd finished squealing and writhing and screwing my face up (u still feel the pain but u just feel separated from it so its ok) and she said to me "are u having a contraction?" and i paused on the g&a for a moment just to say "no!" then went back to it and she said something about ur only supposed to use them for contractions and took it away from me!

so i had to do the last few cms and the pushing without any pain relief- all the hurtiest bit! twas my punishment i suppose let that be a lesson to y'all lol dont abuse the entonox hehe

 

[Suzie and Faith]

apparently if id have gotten my homebirth my midwife would have run out as she only carries 3 cannisters wen they did take it off me i was begging for it back!

 

[Tillytots]

like midna says it will come naturally

take massive breaths of it to get the best effect... dont breathe normally as it wont do anything. In and out with the mouthpiece nicely gripped in your teeth. As soon as you get the slightest twinge of a contraction get on it and dont stop until its over! It takes about 15 seconds to kick in so at the first niggle...GET SUCKING!!!

I loved it at first, it had me in fits of giggles but when the bad boy contractions came it just became a distraction and I was glad of something to bite on - my lips were blue and purple when Id finished with it

Keep yourself hydrated too because it really dries your mouth out and use tons of lip balm.

 

[poppy160]

I didn't have it until much later on, cause I had an epidural first which I regret. I was screaming in pain until I got the G&A..then I calmed down and shut up I found it worked best if I used it all through a contraction. Would definately choose that over en epi...never having one of those ever again!!!