Your experiences with pain relief

Hi everyone,

Has anyone had or planning to have a water birth? My partner thinks I'm crazy, but I'm really starting to think it's the best plan. I know it will never happen like I want it to, but I want the birth to be as quick and pain free as possible and from what I've read gas and air and a water birth are a good combination of pain relief, without slowing up the birth too much.

Alternative treatments also sound good Scribbler, but I dont think they offer them in my area.

Sarah

Hey everybody,

There were two things that i wanted when my son was born firstly i was adament i didn't want much pain relief and i wanted to breastfeed.

sooo... i had everything!! Why didn't anyone warn me that I am a wimp and labour hurts!! I was 10 days late and had to be induced as my son was a big baby (9lb 3oz to be exact!) i was induced at 6:45 am on tues 11th july and by 7 am i was having contractions every 2 mins! So they gave me some paracetamol. Then i had gas and air but made me feel so strange that it didn't seem to work (probably because i was sucking it when the contraction had passed!! Duh!!). My partner came up as soon as he could and put my tens machine on and that sensation mixed with the gas and air freaked me out so evey 10 mins i was saying take it off!! I then begged for a c section 2 hours in! What a wimp ay!! My excuse was i knew i wouldn't be able to have him normally. Ten i had pethadine which i didn't think worked but I'm sure my partner and my mum say different! I went on to labour ward and by now i had got used to the gas and air feeling but was still begging for a c section and an epidural! I had the epidural and to tell the truth the pain was so un bearale i don't really remember it (or prehaps that was the drugs!) however they didn't put it in the right place so they had to relocate it so I was in labour for 14 hours when they finally realised that the baby's head wasnt't dropping down and I'd have to have a c section! I told them 2 hours in how come no-one listens to you? I knew my body all the way through. I knew it was a boy, knew he'd be 9lb 3oz and i even knew I'd not have him naturally. However I'm quite glad I had so many drugs and it slowed the Labour down so much as my sons head was trapped at an angle and if I'd stuck to my guns and had no pain relief I'm sure it would have been a different story.

oh and if there is anyone out there who is as much of a wimp as me I'd definatly recommend an epidural as I even managed to get some sleep during labour! It really worked for me so then i was with it when my son was born and wasn't too tired

Hello all I have opted for a water birth,some of my family think I'm nuts. I found wading through the choices with my partner and midwife a bit overwhelming,I think I eventually based my choice on my dislike of needles.I may end up having to have an epidural or some pain relief other than gas and air depends on how it goes I suppose.The baby will come out one way or another with 8 wks to go I'm not sure whether to be relieved it's almost over or panic in case it's going to really hurt!

I started off in the bath to ease my contractions once I got to hospital. Shortly afterwards I had the pethidine. I was still in pain but I couldn't be bothered to do anything about it. This was followed by the gas and air. I then had a mobile epidural which was topped up several times, which did nothing for me. I ended up with a full epidural but still had to use the gas and air as I was still feeling the contractions quite high up. I had to be told when to push - but by that time I was so tired that I didn't care. I am pregnant again and have got no idea what pain relief I want this time. I will just see how it goes.

Hi, I too am fancying a water birth, but at my hospital it is on a first come first served basis, so knowing my luck somebody else will beat me to it! I am trying to keep an open mind about pain relief as am a wimp and usually faint if i'm in pain, so i'm going to have an intresting labour!!

Hi all,

well i had my baby 4 weeks ago (a boy keiran) and i was induced early because my body had been contracting for 7 weeks!

My babys birth happened really quick in the sense that the midwives weren't prepared.... my cervix was already flat against his head before i got the gel. i had 1mg at 8:20pm and by half past i was contracting very strongly, and because the midwives hadn't read my notes they didnt know about my cervix being fully efaced and gave me an injection of morphine to help me sleep at 10pm, well i got up at 3:30 am to pee and then they gave me another injection which just topped up the other one and made me totally out of it....and by 8am i was buzzing because the bed was soaking wet and baby was pretty much coming!

So my husband had only just arrived and i pushed baby out and hour later!!!

Personally the morphine did the trick because i slept through most of my contractions and had gas and air for the last hour or so when pushing.

To be honest if you cant handle pain well have morphine.... its good. But i wish i could have been more with it whilst contracting. So id say go for a water birth and gas and air!!!

Hi has any1 experienced giving birth in a birthing pool? im due 29th sept with my 1st and am hoping to use 1 and was wondering what its like?
Sandy xxx

Hi,
I wanted a very natural birth, including use of the birthing pool. That all went out the window when at 39 weeks my first decided to play up and my blood results were sky high, so abbey came by induction with an epidural after 4 hours, the pain was horrendous. I was induced at 37 weeks with sam due to unusual blood results again, the tablets didnt work so when the midwife put the second lot in she said i wouldnt be having him tonight, less then 45 minutes later sam was born, no time for pain relief, even though it hurt i think i was very lucky my contractions would last a minute with 30 seconds in between this lasted 7 minutes until sam was in my arms before my bed was put into place in my suite. I know the 3rd is going to be the same at least i did it once how i wanted, except the water part. I am not allowed to go into natural labour, but wish i could every time. On your birthing plans, list everythink you would like, if possible, also if someone else is using the hospital birthing pool you might not beable to cause i dont think they allow it to be used to many times a day because of cleaning it. I am putting down everything i would like such as an epidural, but things go out the window so dont set your heart on anything.

Hi all, didn't get my water birth, charlotte decided to come 7 week early and I didn't faint, managed to do it all with gas and air, if I can do it anyone can, good luck all!!!

Hiya all,

I didn't manage to get my natural birth that I wanted and had planned like a military operation for as I needed an emergency caesarean as I was in labour (didn't realise though!) and my little man was lying dangerously oblique and my waters were about to pop!

So, he was born through the sunroof, 5 days overdue on 2nd November 2006 weighing in at 9lbs 14oz!

The doctor thinks due to his size in comparison to mine I would've ended up in theatre anyway having a 3rd or 4th degree tear repaired so it was really the best option!

Maybe if I have any more I'll get my natural birth!! xxxxxxx

Hi everyone. I am only 18 weeks (on friday) but i have decided already that i want an epidurual. My midwife said i can only have a mobile epidurual thou! and now im thinking because i have decided that i am having an epidurual that my birth plan is not going to go to plan and that the midwifes will turn me down for one!

Hi everyone

My son was due on the 26th August 06 and he decided that he was going to appear 3 weeks ealry. I was still at work, it was Friday 4th August i started getting cramps in the morning so phoned the Midwife to get an appointment to get checked out, plus i was seeing the Consultant later on that day as well. I meet with the Consultant and he told me that i was 3cm dilated.... So it was an Ambulance ride down to the Hospital in Paisley. Things progressed pretty quickly, i had a natural birth with gas and air.

I had thought out a birth plan aswell but things happened quickly for me that i just went with the flow.

Gas & air made me be sick with first baby & could not have pethadine so I had a epidural for my 2 births. I am now 7 weeks & 4 days pregnant & plan to do the same this time. You can`t feel a thing from the waist down, why have pain when you don`t have to, but everyone is different.

Claire

Wow great article about labour pain relief. Personally though, I prefer the natural way. Call me crazy but I think the less amount of drugs in your body, the better for your baby.