Ladies pain control options

[Emapot1]

I'm in need to start a thread of what pain relief options women are considering, what's on the approved list and the reasons why. I'm having a consultation with my anesthetiser for labour to discuss remifentanyl and other things

Before I aak for the PCA REMI pump, I'm considering asking for

Co-codamal, dihydracodine, paracetamol and Gas and air.

Any thoughts and what are you choosing? M

Let's face it to 2nd time mums, gone are the thoughts of "I don't want to much pain relief" as that never materialises. I'm going full throttle in a safe and conscious mind for darling baby x

 

[MrsS143]

I think I'm being naive hoping for just gas and air lol

 

[Elliott]

I liked how mw explained it the other day with basically steps on a ladder, start self help, then gas and air as needed then uf still want more the drug i can't remember the name of now haha but standard one and then if still not coping epidural.

I'm hoping for a water birth so that would rule out anything beyond gas and air but I will give up the water birth idea if I feel like I can't carry on. I'm basically ruling nothing out. First timer if you hadn't guessed.

 

[Emapot1]

I just reluctantly didn't want to many opiates but after reading up on them, I want to go for synthetic free drug or at least one that is not so harshly chemically made like pethadine. I believe you can get half and half which is half natural and half synthetic.

With my first labour, my epi failed and I had a back to back labour, my second was fine front labour but was given diamorphine which crosses the placenter and is long lasting and can depress respiratory system for the baby and so my final labour will be questionable as I want a patient controlled pump but want to explore other anelgesias before I go on to opiates. Xx

 

[Emapot1]

I know hand on heart a epidural will really prolong labour and it has not so nice after effects in my head... Yes headaches!! X

 

[Durhamchance]

I had diamorphine with my first and he didn't react well to it. The Epi made me throw up every time I moved.

God knows what I'll have this time? General anaesthetic?

 

[Emapot1]

If only I could have a general! It would make my mind a lot happier so long as baby is ok x

 

[Mayflower85]

I'm hoping for a water birth so that would rule out anything beyond gas and air but I will give up the water birth idea if I feel like I can't carry on. I'm basically ruling nothing out. First timer if you hadn't guessed.

This is me! I've never experienced labour before, I love the idea of a water birth and that's what I am aiming for but I am not ruling anything out. I am staying very open minded and will see how I feel / how I am coping on the day.

 

[El1en]

Another lady hoping for a water birth with g&a here! I'm pretty laid back though and if at the time I hate it I'll take anything they offer. I'm in a midwife led unit so no epi available but if for some reason I need transferring to the city I'll happily have one... I'm no hero

 

[papella]

I've a home water birth planned as water has always been a great pain reliever for me, and pretty much nothing else haha

 

[MrsS143]

I'm hoping for a water birth so that would rule out anything beyond gas and air but I will give up the water birth idea if I feel like I can't carry on. I'm basically ruling nothing out. First timer if you hadn't guessed.

This is me! I've never experienced labour before, I love the idea of a water birth and that's what I am aiming for but I am not ruling anything out. I am staying very open minded and will see how I feel / how I am coping on the day.

Snap
I have fibromyalgia so the warm water will hopefully help with general acheyness
And baby comes out partially prewashed! Bonus!

 

[Emapot1]

I love that... Prewashed baby! Xx

 

[MrsS143]

I love that... Prewashed baby! Xx

Haha
Its true
They come out all gunky
Give them a light rub when lifting them out
Add Johnsons no tears to the water lol

 

[Rooster30]

My epi was absolutely fine so happy and open to using it again. I am very open-minded to pain relief, I'll take whatever I'll feel the need to take. Obviously I won't hop straight onto the drugs and do as much as I can on my own. If needs be, I will use pain relief.

 

[Karenb]

I have absolutely no idea. When should I start considering this?? I'm 32 weeks and don't even know the options, want to avoid epidural if I can... But that's only based on what I see on tv!! Eek! So nieve!

 

[want2bamum]

With my first I started with paracetamol and water (was hoping for a water birth but the water didn't have any pain relieving properties for me lol), then I had gas and air and got to 6cm dilated on just that. Then contractions became very long and not long enough to recover between them so I had diamorphine (midwife said it would have less effects on baby than pethidine) and then I got to 8cm and they gave me an epidural because by this point id been in labour 3 days and they were wanting to start an induction drip but as my contractions were still awfully long they suggested an epidural as the drip would only make contractions more intense. I then ended up with an emergency section so had a spinal block too! Lol.

I think lots of people manage with minimal pain relief throughout most if not all of labour, but I got myself so focussed on what I didn't want that I got myself worked up everytime something didn't go to plan.

My best advice is to listen to your body and take as much or little pain relief as you need xx

 

[bigbee]

Ohhhh.... I'm hoping for a water birth and gas and air, but there is only one pool in my midwife led unit, so will depend if it's available. I don't want an epi... Purely because I am scared it would have a negative impact on me (back, headaches etc). However....I am not ruling anything out completely.

At the end of the day, it also depends when I go into labour. If it's in the morning after I had a massive lay in and am rested and perky, then hoping to get by on minimum.

If labour starts in the evening and then goes through the night, then I guess I'll have anything!

 

[Louise2013]

Having had back to back labour with my first and a two day first stage of 3min apart contractions, I am 100% just planning on going straight in for the epi as soon as I am dilated enough I know it's not for everyone, but I LOVED it. I was naive enough about it all first time around ('How hard can it be? Plenty of women manage on just gas and air!'), so this time I'm just going in for what I know will make the experience the most 'bearable' for both me, and my poor OH who was practically at the end of his tether by the time I got to 3cm

 

[littlemonkey]

Well I'm planning on an elective section this time so it's a spinal or epidural for me.

Regardless what happens, I don't want anything opiate based again. When I had my son I had the hormone drip, two doses of diamorphine, a spinal block, shot of morphine and tramadol within 24 hours. I was throwing up even though I'd been given the anti sickness shot too.

 

[Emapot1]

Oh god that sound quite hard going on your body. I suppose I'm more used to some pain reliever as I've tried most of it before on a non obstretic and obstretic based needs. I do throw up but it's usually after birth and for about 30 minutes and it's not necessaraky neusea but more invulentary vomiting or a reaction. My body clears it out fairly quickly. I would go for an epi but it just didn't work first time round so I need something that will cruise through the labour. X