pain relief? (in labour and birth)

[leckershell]

Which pain relief options did you have when you were in labour/giving birth?

I went to a Labour Workshop today which explained the +'s and -'s to Entonox (Gas and Air), Pethidine and Epidural, and also the benefits of Water Pool as pain relief either before or during birth...

Just wanted to see what your experiences are really. I would prefer the Water Pool and Gas and Air, but I suppose at the time things are different and you might have the urge to just take everything on offer?

Michelle x

 

[Minxy]

You're doing the right thing keeping an open mind.

I was in for 3 days before giving birth and ended up having everything.

After the classes the only thing I said I definitely DIDN'T want was pethidine, as the feeling sick idea scared me.

I ended up having it on the ward as you only get the G+A in the delivery suite and I needed something earlier.It was FAB! I had another lot in delivery.

The epidural was fine but I'd avoid that again if I could as it contributed directly to us having the assisted (ventouse) delivery, which was horrible.

I'd have loved to bring a cannister of G+A home

 

[Paula+bump]

Well i used the water pool and gas and air, which them both used together was enough, won't say it was not painful still but the gas and air takes your mind away from the pain and the water helps your back, that is what i am planning for this one as well as giving birth in the pool too which is just a magical experience all round

 

[trixipaws]

i had a water pool and entonox, both were fabulous at first (gas&air makes u feel stoned!) but i think by transition stage they werent even takinh the edge off the pain lol i had some meptid in the cupboard and i wanted it but i was in so much pain i couldnt even speak apart from saying "help me please make it stop" lol so the MWs didnt kno i wanted it

 

[Gemma & Jake]

I had gas & air, diamorphine(like pethidine) and an epidural. I thought that the gas & air was good but not strong enough to get me through the whole labour. I probably wouldn't have diamorphine again as it made me sleepy and i'm convinced that's why I didn't remember all of the birth and felt like crap for days afterwards. I thought that the epidural was brilliant and I would have that again without a doubt. It was instant pain relief and meant I could actually enjoy my labour from then on. I must say that the first time I had diamorphine was overnight when I was in slow labour and it did help but it was horrible when I had it during labour.

KEEP AN OPEN MIND AND YOU WILL BE FINE

 

[mrs_tommo22]

Im like you michelle and keeping a open mind.But would love to try the birthing pool with gas and air as i had an epidural befroe and didnt have a good experience with it.
But you never know whats going to happen so im personally going to go with the flow.

 

[Sammystar]

it's SHOCKING that all you women take these decisions to have drugs. Women have been birthing for thousands of years without any drugs, it's so 'uninformed ' of you to want drugs............



Sorry, just kidding. I've had three babies, the first was with pethedine (yuk, not a good experience) the second was with NOTHING, not even a parecetemol! (also not a good experience!) and the third was epidural because I just couldn't face going through it all again.......

I'd go for number three anytime!

 

[Eblinx]

well i had some paracetamol and then went to sleep so that was all i had - once you get pushing the pain isnt really there to be honest - i didnt think so anyway (maybe thats just me!)

 

[kellie80]

Water helped for me but only up to about 5cms. After that I had lots of gas and air. I tried pethadine but hated it, I didn't have a clue what I was doing and kept falling asleep. I have had an epidural with my 1st but I don't think I would have one again after doing it just on gas and air.

 

[rhian85]

well ihad a big baby almost eleven pounds and i had gas and air which was good made me feel pissed i also had pathadin a few hours befoe he was born but that did bugger all for the pain but made me feel very very sick and sleepy.

i wasnt allowed anything else such as an epidural as i had very low iron/platlets so the anaethatist refused to do it.

so yeah i had a 10lbs 14.5oz baby just on gas and air - i refused a second shot of pethadine as i felt so sick with the first one.

 

[Joy and Ben]

I was very open minded but secretly wanted all the drugs possible! However, ended up being given gas and air and then midwife discovered I was already 9 1/2 cm so it was too late to have any real effect. Therefore, I kind of gave birth without any pain relief! It wasn't as bad as I had imagined.

 

[Emmylou]

I had gas & air from 6cms (made me sick) and epidural (heaven ).
Like you I went in open-minded, I def didn't want a water birth though as my friend had a bad experience int he birthing pool so that put me off.
However, saying that I got in their bath at 3cms, came out at 6cms, and that worked a treat! I had nothing for the first 6 hours, then had the epidural as it was 'now or never' and at that point I couldn't even entertain the idea of not having an epidural to take the pain away as I thought I was dying

 

[Minxy]

it's SHOCKING that all you women take these decisions to have drugs. Women have been birthing for thousands of years without any drugs, it's so 'uninformed ' of you to want drugs............

Hello, naturalmummy!!

 

[rhian85]

it's SHOCKING that all you women take these decisions to have drugs. Women have been birthing for thousands of years without any drugs, it's so 'uninformed ' of you to want drugs............

Hello, naturalmummy!!

 

[Redshoes]

I wanted a natural and drug free birth but as LO wasn't born until 86hrs after my membranes rupturing, circumstances kind of lead a different path for me.

During labour I just used relaxation and breathing techniques which got me to 7cm dilated with little discomfort. However, LO wasn't budging so ended up being induced with an oxytocin drip (there's nothing natural about an oxytocin induced contraction!!) which caused excessively strong contractions and so all prep had to go out the window and it was an epidural unfortunately.

All drugs are available so just educate yourself on what they do to you and LO so you can make an educated choice Gas & Air did nothing for me personally, it was like breathing after chewing some Airwaves chewing gum

 

[Vicki83]

To start with i had gas and air, but to be honest it didn't really help me, i then tried the water pool which made my contractions 10 times more painful, then for the epidural, which was total and utter bliss! OH had said i went from a mad woman to a chilled woman very quickly!

 

[mrs_tommo22]

it's SHOCKING that all you women take these decisions to have drugs. Women have been birthing for thousands of years without any drugs, it's so 'uninformed ' of you to want drugs............



Sorry, just kidding. I've had three babies, the first was with pethedine (yuk, not a good experience) the second was with NOTHING, not even a parecetemol! (also not a good experience!) and the third was epidural because I just couldn't face going through it all again.......

I'd go for number three anytime!

Thats defintely a natural mamma quote and pissing myself laughing!!!!

Drugs all the way!

 

[Babylicious]

when I had paris I decided to have a complete natural birth, but omg it hurt so I soon had some pethedine then an epidural then gas abd air!

Going to try a water birth this time

 

[kellysomer]

I had no pain relief except a water birth which is exactly what i wanted BUT am i that brave this time???? hmmmm me thinks not....

 

[cloud9]

I had gas and air i am not sure if it did anything or not but it did make me extremely thirsty.