Pain Relief

[daftscotslass]

And the second stage of actual pushing was a positive pain as I could finally do something about it and push. I think the first stage feels worse because you can't do anything except wait them out so to speak.

This is so true. I went from total despair (which is apparently very normal in the transition phase when you're almost fully dilated) to knowing that it was now time to get this baby out! I had the G&A in my hand all through pushing but didn't use it (the midwives were laughing and saying I was using it to get high between contractions). I didn't find this stage painful. Maybe I'm weird but like Sherry says it was a pain you can work with and you KNOW it won't be long before you meet your baby. The fact that you can feel the baby move down (and slightly back) with each push is amaaaazing. I was actually laughing and joking with the midwives in between contractions at this point.

 

[debecca]

TENS machine: Labour too fast to be bothered with it. Didn't even remember it til afterwards, so can't help!

Gas and Air: Doesn't particularly do much (didn't make me feel sick though) but it was kind of useful to have something to DO during contractions - sucking ont he nozzle helped even if it did nothing for the pain. I gave up on it when pushing though, it was a hindrance then.

Water: FAB FAB FAB FAB FAB I arrived in terrible pain convinced it could never get better and begging for drugs... as soon as I got in the pool I was so much better and it all became bearable. WATER BIRTHS ARE ACE!!!!!!!!

 

[BabyMagic]

I only 'used' water.

I had a shower at the beginning of the contractions just to freshen up, and then had another one when I swaying and a birthing ball didn't do the trick anymore. I ended up staying there for two to three hours!!!! It was fab! I have an electric shower so the hot water never run out.

Tip: If I was to use the shower for such a long period again I would want to ensure that I had something to lean against between contractions as it was quite tireing to remain standing all that time. Maybe to have a plastic seat or something just to be able to take the weight off legs??? During contractions I liked to stand up and sway. Also, it was pretty tough getting out of the shower as without water the pain really hit me (but on a positive note I hadn't realised how far gone I was, so YES water really helps!!!)

In the birthing centre (in hospital) I used the birthing pool and it was absolutely fantastic! I would highly recommend.

Tip: I had a cool water spray, which my mum used on my face. It felt really nice as the water in the pool is kept very warm. Cool drink worked well between contractions too. My favourite was clear apple juice...

 

[lea m]

Heres my experiences!

Gas & Air = Loved it but not too much! Kinda sweet makes your throat dry, Makes you feel woozy kinda like Poppers ( ) lol
I found it just took the edge off in the earlier stages!

Pethedine = Made me sick sick sick! Didnt react well with this and had ot put on a drip (another one may I add I was wirde up like crazy when I had Joseph)

Diamorphine = works the same as Pethedine but didnt make me as sick! (still a little!) Kinda makes you not really know or care whats going on! I hated it tbh hun! I had it each time as my other options were Epidural and I was scared of them or just G&A and after trying for a long while with Dillon, I couldnt do it! Though all the Diamorphine did for me when I had Dill was make me unable to hold him (as it began working right at the end and so cant remember much) he had to go under the light (which Im guessing was something to do with it)and had to have the sucky thing on him to clear the mucus! Poor boy! Oh and it gave me an abcess at the needle site which left me in hospital for a few days when he was a few weeks old

Water = didnt use it at the hospital or anything but had a long long bath at home with Joseph and was nice but put off by having to get in and out with the others! This time though I can use the baths at the hozzie or the pool!


You know what helped me the most when I was in labour?! Joe putting a cold wet flannel on my head! Strange as it sounds that helped me more than anything else lol!
Im still considering an Epi this time though so hopefully this will be one birth that I can remember more

 

[Sherlock]

It's given me LOADS to think about. I think I'm going to spend this next week properly looking into breathing techniques and stuff. Not that I expect myself to remember them at the time But I think it might help myself to prepare a bit better. I always thought I was prepared, but I'm starting to realise I'm far from it!

How prepared can you be though I suppose?! Hmmm... Thanks again ladies!! Much appreciated advice there! xx

It won't be a case of remembering breathing techniques. Its really simple and clear, just breath in one way, out the other. In through the mouth going up the contraction, out through my mouth when coming down off of it. Worked for me I don't know why people think that labour is a mad panic and everything is going to be a blur or forgotten. Maybe it is for some but certainly wasn't for me.

And you can be very prepared. I know I was And I loved my labour and the actual birth was amazing. As daftsctoslass said feeling your baby move down (and then sneak back up a few times) is incredible. I loved the whole feeling and really gave it everything I could.

 

[Redshoes]

Co-Codomol and breathing up to 7cms with Isaac b2b for 3 days worked perfectly fine for me, as well as my Hypnobirthing relaxation Breath in for as long as you can, whilst its still comfortable, and imagine that breath going down into your baby and pelvis, oxygenated blood makes your uterus work best, so you need those deep, long breaths, then breath out slowly too, and keep your hands relaxed, no clenching anything

After drip induction, went to G&A which did nothing, was like chewing Airwaves chewing gum then moved to epidural, it hurt being administered, but didn't help I was contracting practically constantly, and it left my back black and blue

Spinal block, for in case it went to c-section, Isaac was sideways at 10cm dilated. This caused terrible side effects, in my personal opinion, I was severly shaking and disorientated. I also went numb from the neck down, only had use of one arm and it was hard, not being mobile.

Cannot comment on the others as didn't have/experience them.

I think you're doing the right thing finding out about all options, as knowing your choices will put you in a very comfortable position if you have to make the choices in labour

Forgot to say I also used Homeopathy, although how much that helped I cannot really say as cannot re-do the labour without it hehe

 

[Suzie and Faith]

Most important thing is whatever you have YOU CAN DO IT AND YOU WILL BE FINE

I got to 8cm using nothing but my TENS and I had 4 days in latent labour! BUT I don't know whether the TENS did much or not! I know that i could gradually increase it and yet couldn't feel it any stronger (but it electocuted Matt when he touched it (haha)).

Gas and air is AMAZING
I breathed it constantly when i got to hospital - mainly because i was scared at being rushed to hospital and not getting my relaxing home water birth!
I found that breathing it continuously meant that i was so out of it that i wasn't able to panic too much! but i think if i had a 'normal' labour i'd have been able to just breathe it every now and then. I also found biting on the mouthpiece was rather good!

if i had have ended up in hospital at the right time i would have agreed to an epi because i am intrigued as to how it would have felt!

Next time i will still try for my home water birth!


you'll be fine, be open minded and enjoy meeting your LO xxxx

p.s i didn't find it as painful as i had expected!

 

[dannii87]

OMG daftscotslass... The epi situation must have been awful for you!

I think after reading all your experiences;

- I'll try to avoid diamorphine if I can help it.

- I'll try the G&A (like daftscotslass said, it wears off quickly so I can always try it, plus, if it helps for something "to do" during contractions, even that might help me!)

- I will definitely try to have a bath/shower in the early stages while I'm at home. I lay in the bath tonight after reading some of this and imagined how "light" I felt in the water and can really see how it can take the pressure off.

- I'm not going to bother buying a TENS machine

I so appreciate you all taking the time to explain everything. It's a massive help, it really is

Also, it's nice to know that the pushing part can feel like a relief too. I'll have to try and remember that when I'm sobbing my heart out with the pain!

xxx

 

[lea m]

Also, it's nice to know that the pushing part can feel like a relief too. I'll have to try and remember that when I'm sobbing my heart out with the pain!

xxx

Hahaha Yeh I never got that part lol! Part because the crappy drugs made things harder if anything and also because the pushing part for me was by far the most painful and I didnt have the strength (well I did lol or they would still be in there lmao) but felt like I didnt and each one lasted at least 1.5 hours! Where some people have really short second stage oflabour like my SIL the other day! Two pushes and he was out! Lucky girl!! I hoping this time it will be easier (unless I have the epi when I know it will probably be linger but hopefully pain free haha)

 

[sarah113]

gas and air with abigail, jordan and hayden, it took the edge of the pain, started using it from 8cm dilated with abi and hayden. just used it with jordan on the way to the hozzie because i was fully dilated and did'nt want him being born in an ambalance.
tia, i just used the birthing pool from about 5-6cm dilated then got out just before i was ready to push

 

[nutcase109]

Epidural was such a relief, but was a real bugger to stay still for! They make you hunch over and I felt like I was crushing baby It made pushing v hard too as I couldnt feel contractions. It was quite good when it was wearing off I could feel them for a while so could push better. But then I was topped up. My personal view is try to avoid it if you can manage without, as it interferes with pushing, but saying that, it was a fantastic relief to a long and painful labour, as Id had so many complications by that point.

 

[trixipaws]

i just used water and a bit of gas & air, both sometime after i was 5cm dilated but well before the last half hour or so before i was fully dilated. neither of them took the pain away as such but they relieved it in other ways, ill try to explain:

water: didnt dull the pain but made me feel less heavy and made the contractions less hard work because u cant keep still during one and its very difficult moving about with a mahoosive bump when ur in a lot of pain- the water supports u and u dont need to *try* to move around it just carries u, if that makes sense, so u can just "ride the wave"!

gas & air: doesnt reduce the pain at all, but it makes u feel like ur soul rises about 2 metres above ur body, so its ur body getting the pain and u can still feel it but its down there so its not too bad, almost like its happening to someone else whos on the floor while ur on the ceiling... but u can still feel it tho... very strange! lol i liked it it was like taking half a pill (if youve ever been naughty in a nightclub!)

 

[sparky]

i didnt get any!! booo

used breathing and visulised surfing a big wave over the contractions..when pushing i just visulised my baby and knew each one was one closer to meeting her!

 

[Keira]

I didn't use anything during labour, just focused on my breathing and try to get into my own little world, shutting out everyone else.

I did get in the bath which was soothing between contractions but when a contraction came it seemed more intense so I just got out.

 

[dannii87]

Bloody hell Sparky & Keira! I doubt I'll go into labour and not have anything at all lol! You brave ladies! x

 

[Tangerinedream]

My experience:

TENS: Took me through the first 24 hours of labour at home, I must admit though when i was approaching 4cm the TENS didnt really do anything for me. It was a strange sensation, I didnt like it at first but after a few contractions it really helped. Will be using one next time.

Entinox: Ahhhhh that is good sh*t. I think thats what I said when I first used it I tried the gas and air with the TENS at first but it was horrrible, it was all confusing. I did get a bit attached to my entinox, the MW had to stop me from using it and I got quite mardy when I wasnt allowed it, arguing with her that I needed it because it hurt, her saying it was just pressure Will DEFINATELY be using it next time.

Diamorphine: I dont think it really did much for the pain, but made me feel out of it for about 20 minutes. I think I'll try without next time.

Epidural: I asked for the epidural when I couldnt take the pain anymore, I had to wait for the anaetnatist for about 30 minutes and the pain felt even worse-I cannot describe how painful it was. It seemed like it wasnt just me that was in pain, but the whole room was pain itself- sounds profound, but I dont know how else to describe it. Baby was back-to-back so I dont know if I would have been able to cope with a normal labour any better. I didnt really feel the needle go in, I think I was in too much pain to care. It didnt work the first time they tried. I remember coming out of a contraction that seemed to last an age and just shouted at the top of my lungs "WHY ISNT IT WORKING?????????!!!!!!!" I think I made everyone in the room jump The anaetnetist (sorry, cant spell that word lol) came back straight away and tried again. I was smiling in no time. I do remember shivering uncontroably, it wasnt very nice, but better than the pain I suppose. I had a mobile epidural so could feel when to push and everything, which I was grateful for. I would consider an epidural in the future, depending if they were back-to-back and how I coped with it.

 

[hennaly]

I used a TENS machine and it did help for a while but once i got in a bath had to take it off and got too painful to use again.

BATH...was nice for about 2 minutes then all of a sudden i was in so much pain i had to get out for other pain relief, i think the bath actually brought labour on alot more.

Gas and air....gimme gimme gimme i adore the stuff, i did have a bit too much with my last and was a bit sick after delivery but hey it was worth it

Pethidine.... hate it, i was sick and woozy and would never have it again.

Epidural.....i felt it go in and it made me jump every time,(i have had 5 of them), i do think they do lasting damage to your back and would prefer not to have one again but will if it gets to much this time, it really did work wonders for pain relief and meant i could have a sleep for the delivery.

Havnt tried any other sort and am hoping this time i wont need any

 

[dannii87]

I can't explain how valuable this is to me girls Thank you so much. Can't be nice having to go back to the pain and remember how everything felt lol

I really do feel as though I can go into labour now knowing I have heard lots of varied opinions on all the pain relief. It's really handy to hear the good & bad.

Thanks again, invaluable info there, cheers ladies xxx

 

[lea m]

Well what I want to know is if I have an spi can I still have G&A hahahaha

 

[hennaly]

Well what I want to know is if I have an spi can I still have G&A hahahaha

i did but then i think the midwife was too scared to try to take it off me after my first tantrum
She also said i was only meant to have it as i got a contraction i told her to sod off as i was preparing for the next one