Labour!!

[keelie_b]

I know im asking this really early but as its my first i just want a general idea of what to expect.
I dont understand all these different procedures and it would be good to know so i have plenty of time to make a good informed decision.

So would anyone reccomend (sp?) and epidural?
Iv been told these deal with a lot of the pain but you have no idea whats happening or when to push ect.

Gas and air?
From what iv read its not a major pain relief and just makes you a little wappy. Also i really dont want to be feeling constantly sick i absolutely cannot bare feeling sick (although i am getting used to it)

Water Births?
A lot of women have said these have helped a little with pain what do you think? can you even have one for your first?

Im dont really know much about any other pain reliefs options but id like to know everything.

Oh and if im overdue, these sweeps a lot of you have mentioned bleeding, is this a painfull thing?

I really dont know anything at the moment
Think thats it for now

Thanks all

 

[LisaJ1986]

I had Gas and Air for about 2 contractions. It didn't help me and made me feel awful. But apparently not many people dislike it so you may be ok.
I'm gonna try a water birth next time. My sister had a bath while in labour and she said it made all the difference.
As for the sweep, it's more uncomfortable than painful. There's a little blood but nothing major.

 

[Sherlock]

I had a homebirth (first baby) and can only comment on the things I used

Gas and air?
From what iv read its not a major pain relief and just makes you a little wappy. Also i really dont want to be feeling constantly sick i absolutely cannot bare feeling sick (although i am getting used to it)

I used it a bit, not overly. It does not take away the pain per se, just takes the edge off things are you get a bit high. I found using it to get to the peak of a contraction and then using breathing techniques from the peak and going down again worked well. Didn't make me sick at all.

Water Births?
A lot of women have said these have helped a little with pain what do you think? can you even have one for your first?

Loved using my birthpool and would really recommended labouring in the water and delivering if you wish. Much calmer and nicer for baby also. I didn't use pain relief for much of my time in the pool as I found it good enough on its own. Was very relaxing. And yes you can use it for a first baby.

As for other pain relief, I also used a TENS machine. I found again it didn't stop the pain, just detracted from it. But it was good for pre labour contractions and also for early first stage ones. I never took it up past half way power wise and tbh found it annoying in the end so opted to get in the pool.

Breathing techniques really worked for me also. Visualising and relaxing myu body to go with the contractins, not tense up and fight against them.

 

[Laura_James&Amber]

this is a good thread keelie! I'm 23 weeks and still don't have a clue about what to expect!
I'd also like to know what a sweep is and whats this losing your plug thing all about? everyone talks about it in tri3!
Sorry Keelie! didn't mean to take over your thread!

 

[LisaJ1986]

A sweep is when a midwife or doctor have to sweep your membrane. They use 2 fingers and can only do it if your cervix is soft. I never knew what it was til i booked in for it. I could've had it done at my last midwife appointment but i was measuring too small so needed to be done by a doctor at hospital.
I avoided all subjects on labour. Dunno whether is was a good or bad decision but they don't always go as planned really anyway

 

[charlie84]

I had the pethidine injection and gas and air.

The pethidine just made me sleepy, it made no difference to the contractions they were just as painful.

The gas and air really took the edge off the peak of a contraction. If you have gas and air and start to feel sick you can just stop using it as it leaves your system very quickly.

Check this site out for the different types of pain relief that may be available to you.
http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/l ... ainrelief/

 

[keelie_b]

How Rude Lauren! No im just kidding

Yours were good questions as well would be good to know everything!

Im finding everyones advice really informative thank you all. Keeep them coming if you can though so i can find out as much as possible.

Have a good Birthday Saturday Lauren

 

[Laura_James&Amber]

Thanks hun

 

[hennaly]

Gas and air, gimme gimme gimme, yes it still hurts but somehow becomes happy pain
Pethedin, never again, i hated it, it made me sleepy and sick but still hurt.
Epidural, they can time it so it starts to wear off enough when you are ready to push so you do have feeling when its needed, i must admit it isnt always as simple as this though.
Induction, i never had a problem with it, i was induced with some and not with others and dont mind either way this time just gimme the gas and air

 

[Sage]

My only advice is nothing can prepare you for labour!! If its ya first and you dont know what to expect id go with the flow at the time.

I was planning on only gas and air but i wasnt planning on being in labour for 56hours!

my next my plan will be to go with whatever suits me at the time! that way you dont get the added stress when your giving birth and have been told you cant have what you wanted!

Your body will tell you at the time what you can and can't cope with so i wouldnt worry about it until then.

 

[loz]

I would say be open minded about it all - I used a TENS machine which was good for the start of contractions before I went to hospital. I then used gas and air and a birth pool which was ok. The gas and air took the edge off the pain and made me a bit high, it did make me a bit sick, but to be honest you really dont care when you are in labour! The birth pool was quite nice, but after a while I found the pain unbearable and opted for an epidural.

Next time I am just going to ask for an epidural as soon as I get to hospital!! Believe me it is extremely painful, but very worth it!!!

 

[trixipaws]

i had a little bit of gas&air in the middle of my labour and also was in the birth pool. the gas and air is just like having half an e just feel a bit floaty the pain is still the same but u feel detached from it its like the pain is 2 metres away but still just as bad but coz its 2 metres away it dont matter so much if that makes sense???

the water helps loads. mostly coz its easier to writhe around (u cant keep still during a contraction)

iv not tried any of the drugs, epidural, hypnotherapy or TENS but iv heard good things about all of them except the drugs
iv heard bad stuff about epi's but also some say they are godsends, iv only ever heard good about TENS or hypnotherapy but most people whove tried pethidine etc say it made them sick and/or sleepy.

the bleeding afterwards doesnt hurt, altho going for a wee does! be warned lol

 

[LisaJ1986]

I tried gas and air a couple of times but couldn't stand how it made me feel. So i told them to take it away. They gave me the mouth piece to bite on coz i kept screaming. It kept me a bit quieter. They gave me pethidine but too late. It didn't have time to kick in. So i as good as did it with no pain relief.
I don't think labour is easy to explain as it's all different. Just go with the flow.

 

[Suzie and Faith]

TAKE THE GAS AND AIR
It's amazing stuff. I had a forceps delivery with just that and I don't remember a huge amount and not any pain! I was basically totally drunk on it, i didn't put it down after they gave me it - i took it constantly! (until they pulled it out from the mouthpiece (to make me push)).
I think they should sell that stuff... apparently it made me rather amusing too, i told my OH it was 'lubbly lubbly stuff' and when they put baby on my chest i said 'yuck' lol.

 

[poppy160]

TAKE THE GAS AND AIR
It's amazing stuff. I had a forceps delivery with just that and I don't remember a huge amount and not any pain! I was basically totally drunk on it, i didn't put it down after they gave me it - i took it constantly! (until they pulled it out from the mouthpiece (to make me push)).
I think they should sell that stuff... apparently it made me rather amusing too, i told my OH it was 'lubbly lubbly stuff' and when they put baby on my chest i said 'yuck' lol.

I agree, I found the gas and air to be really effective! I had an epi first which only worked on the left side of my tummy..then I was offered the gas and air. I went from screaming and hysterical to quiet and happy cause I felt totally out of it hehe. You do still feel the pain but you don't really care. Just make sure you have lots of fluids to hand cause it makes your mouth bone dry

 

[DebbieM]

I found gas and air to be a godsend. I loved it!!!

 

[Tillytots]

hello

With regards to Epidural Id highly reccomend it BUT only if you really are not coping with the pain. I had one and it was the best decision I ever made at the time I had a back to back labour and at 6cm I was in agony and tired, I knew I had a way to go and I would be so distressed by the time I got to 10cm so I decided to ask for an epidural ( which I was so against before labour!! ) I think if I hadnt of had it I wouldnt have been able to deliver James naturally and I would've had forceps and such alike because I wouldve been so so tired.

Gas and Air was cool. I used lots of that It tastes a bit like crushed up paracetamol - I was on it alot though It doesnt take away the pain but like Trixi says it makes you feel detatched from it and thus you can ride those peaks and waves. You have to get the hang of it else it wont work, ie. as soon as you feel the slightest twinge of a contraction then get bang on it as it takes a good few seconds to kick in and then it hits when you peak, perfect. For me it didnt make me feel sick at all. Drink lots though as it drys your mouth out and use lip balm to save yourlips. Oh and the mouthpiece is excellent to bite on too

Sweeps. I was sooo scared about having a sweep but I actually enjoyed mine It didnt hurt at all. My cervix was already soft and dilating so thats prob why. I didnt really bleed, just had lots of bitty brown bits make an appearance, then my show and Id had my baby within 2 days of having the sweep

 

[keli]

Gas n air was brilliant didn't make me sick at all. Plus it has no effect on baby at all apart from giving it oxygen.

@ Tillys sweep.. when i had internal to check if i was 10 cms dilated it felt really good!

I would def recommend a water birth i laboured in the pool and spent about an hr pushing in there.. LO was getting stuck. But it was super got in prob was 5 cms and the next 5 cms went really fast and the contractions weren't that bad. Really think it speeds thinks up as the water is so relaxing. I can't recommend it enough

 

[trixipaws]

if u wanna kno what G&A feels like, its similar to closing ur mouth around a 2 litre bottle of coke (with between half and 3 quarters full of coke still) or better, diet coke- and sucking in the air from inside take a rele deep breath! (we got bored sometimes when we were kids! lol) altho i dont kno if its advisable when pregnant- its quite stron stuff, that fizzy pop gas!

 

[elaine22]

Gas & air was great! I didn't have any other pain relief. It detached me from the situation which made it easier to deal with I think. The only thing was it made me feel a little queasy afterwards and I had a sore throat for days because it makes it so dry!