How many of you would not have had your children or wouldn;t have anymore if you could only have gas and air during labour??

[MadameCastafiore]

Obviously labour with intervention that needs additional pain relief not included.

I would have had another, wasn;t a huge issue for me but wondering on the back of another thread whether it would really put most women off of having children.

[SiamoFottuti]

I had an epidural with the first, and chose g&a only for the 2nd. The fact that I chose the same again for the third says it all! I hated the epidural, was awful and I'd never have another

[SiamoFottuti]

should have mentioned that in the 2nd I had an instrumental delivery and should have got some extra pain meds and didn't due to a cock up, but I still chose the same way again.

[maisie215]

I can't have an epidural or spinal because of a bleeding disorder so always knew it wouldn't be an option. Have been very luck to have two quick and easy labours. Nothing but paracetamol. Would happily have had gas and air but was never offered it with either as both arrived within half hour of getting to hospital. Didn't put me off at all (first six weeks did though!)

[MummyGemx]

I had an epidural first time and will be doing anything to avoid it again for various reasons. I used G and A with my second and had a really good birth so will be using that again this time. Hopefully nothing else will be needed. x

[notsuchayummymummy]

I had an epidural with first labour which had complications and was assisted - BUT DC2 was an unplanned HB with G&A only arriving 10 mins before DC did and it was the best labour of the two. So to answer the question if it was G&A only no it would not put me off.

[jeee]

I'd have another baby just for the gas and air. Fantastic stuff.

[lou33]

I only had gas and air with my youngest, and that was for about 5 mins, the rest i had nothing at all. I had four.

[SleepyFergus]

I had an epidural with my DD and if I have another, I will be having and epidural again. I had G&A, diamorphine and an epidural because I wanted a pain free labour as much as possible and I really enjoyed it, wouldn't change it for anything.

However, if G&A were my only option, it certainly wouldn't put me off.

[deemented]

I had an emcs the first time.

Second time i had just gas and air, but ended up with a 3rd degree tear.

Third time i was hoping for just gas and air, but my emcs scar started really hurting and i was told it was either an epidural or a csec, so went for the epi.

This time i'm hoping for g&a again.

[pamplemousserose]

I only had gas and air for the first and would have been dead after the second if I hadn't had a general anesthetic.

Lots of my friends have been very grateful to have had an epidural for labour so that they didn't have to put up with unbearable pain.

[plantsitter]

I only had gas and air for both DDs' and they were inductions.

However I think I would've panicked if the possibility of more pain relief didn't exist. Also, if the midwives insisted on me lying flat on my back any longer than they already did there's no way I would consider having another without more pain relief.

[BooBooGlass]

Yes. I had an epidural with my first, which was induced. But I really believe if I'd had proper encouragement to get up and move around I wouldn't have needed it. With my second I only had gas and air and needed nothing else as I was upright and moving around. I don't understand why active labour isn't more encouraged, since when you've had an epidural you need a midwife there at all times anyway. Give that to women having active births and there'd be far less need for epidurals anyway in my opinion. Lying down was the worst thing I could have done first time round, slowed everything down and made it much much harder.

[BooBooGlass]

But (there's always a but) my second labour was 3 hours compared to a first of 14. If I'd been faced by such a long labour again I can't say I'd have refused an epidural, not necessarily for pain relief, but just to get some rest. I assume now I've had a natural birth I could do it again. But that assumption is based on it being as quick and relatively easy as my last. Noone can guarantee that.

[bruffin]

I was induced with the first and ended up with epidural and ended up in theatre in case forceps didn't work.
It was awful and would not have an epidural again.
Second time I had nothing as g&a makes me sick and it was such a better experience

[exoticfruits]

I only had gas and air for all three.

[GreatNorksOfFire]

I desperately wanted an epidural for my first. The labour was too quick though so there was no time for it and I coped just fine(ish) on G&A - far better than I thought I would do. For my second I expected only to have G&A and that's what I had. 2nd one was a water birth which actually heled far more than any drugs could have - for me.

[AnnieLobeseder]

Gas and air was the only good part about labour!! Having been through two labours with G&A, obviously having to do so again would be fine, except that I don't plan to have any more babies.

DD1 was TENS and G&A, DD2 was TENS, pool and G&A.

But, if made to choose only one of those, it would be the pool, because I tend to lose the ability to move in labour, so floating in the water enabled me to position myself comfortably and optimally.

I'd imagine that everyone's experience is different, maybe some women do suffer more pain, but I was fine with just the G&A. Labour wasn't pleasant, but obviously, looking at a world population of 7 billion, and most women lacking access to advanced medical care, it's absence of pain relief is not a huge deterrent to having a baby!

[notcitrus]

What counts as 'necessary intervention'?
I knew that if g+a didn't cut it for me, it would likely be a cs as I can't take pethidine and was terrified of an epidural. So at least I knew that was an option.

After 12 hours in labour, SPD went from extremely painful to excruciating and as I couldn't sit or lie or kneel or anything without screaming, something had to be done. And the epidural seemed less scary than surgery so I went for that.

booboo - epidurals can be monitored remotely so you don't necessarily get a mw in the room with you. I just had one pop in every couple hours to top it up overnight.

I'm hoping that my next labour will be shorter and easier but I have to admit that if I didn't know I have access to first world medicine with epidurals and cs if need be, I might have decided against another child.

I am very glad I knew before my first labour that g+a is wonderful for me - I think getting a huff of it should be part of antenatal care so women know if it will make them sick or not.

[chibi]

If dd (dc1) was first, as she in fact was...no further children

If ds had been first, no probs, as many as i fancied

If he had been first, i might have thought myself a birthing dynamo, proper hard core labouring with zilch pain relief and then a few huffs of g&a to take the edge off before beginning to push

As it is dd was first, and i had every intervention going, culminating in emCS

Every birth is different, and every birthing woman should be supported in her choices

[Karoleann]

I probably would have stuck at 2. G&A just makes me vomit. So would just have been the TENS machine.

[thisisyesterday]

i would have.

hated gas and air. made me feel horrid.,

had my first with pethidine and then an epidural. but the second 2 were born with no pain relief at all

[sleeplessinderbyshire]

I had forceps with G&A wanted epidural but progressed too fast - arrived in hosp 9pm 4cm, asked for epidural at 11pm anaesthetist arrived got examined - fully dilated too late for epidural. Needed spinal for my retained placenta afterwards though

[funnypeculiar]

Woldn't have been a huge issue for me - had ds with G&A only, dd forgot to have anything (fast labour!) - but agree that knowing there were other options available was hugely reassuring, especially in my first labour.