Gas and air during pushing. Did you have it/want it, was it taken off you if you wanted to keep it etc?

[DontSweatTheSmallStuff]

Just wondering about this after watching some OBEM's and reading the transition thread. Lots of people seem to have had G&A during the pushing stage.

Mine was taken off me at transition with some comment like "you don't need it now". Well I bloody wanted it!! but at the time didn't know any better, just assumed that's what happened at transition and just went with it.

Am planning to hang on to it with a vice like grip this time. Am I likely to to meet resistance from the midwives again?

[MolotovCocktail]

If you want it, don't let them take it from you!

Fwiw, I didn't want it during pushing. I couldn't concentrate on pushing and breathing it in, IYSWIM.

[VivaLeBeaver]

Possibly.

As a midwife I'd advise a woman who isn't pushing well that she'll push better without the gas and air. But if someone insists they want it still I won't prise it out their hand.

Its difficult though - if you're breathing on gas and air throughout your contraction you're unlikely to be pushing well. Saying that some people do manage it - normally not if its their first baby though. Easier with subsequent ones.

I've then had women who have prolonged second stage and then go and get the co-ordinator who comes in and snatches the gas and air out the woman's hand and then baby's born 10 minutes later. And the co-ordinator is like at me as she leaves the room.

[MrsMagpieCovetsShinyThings]

I was given it not long after I rocked up at the hospital. Midwife didn't seem to think I was very far along as contractions slightly irregular (I was 6cm then actually Mrs Midwife!). Tried to get me to wait an hour to check if it was really my waters that had gone, I lasted 20 mins before the gas and air was brought out and I had gone to 8cm then!

I had it all through the pushing stage and it saved me going to theatre to be stitched up as I just about managed to cope by breathing it in like my life depended on it, and I was encouraged to by the doctor doing the stitching and the midwife. They had to tell me to go extra hard on it for some parts!

I had no other pain relief apart from my tens machine so if someone had tried to take it off me I would have killed them I think!

[DontSweatTheSmallStuff]

Thanks for explaining, that's makes sense. (think i was annoyed it was taken away withut any explanation), Wouldn't it still help if I could puff away on the g&a while the contraction built up and then stop to push.

[DontSweatTheSmallStuff]

magpie - i was tempted to batter them with it.!

[emsyj]

I was really concerned about this, so I asked my midwife about it beforehand and she said that I could have it for pushing if I wanted it, but it wouldn't help. She didn't try to take it away from me, but I just naturally stopped using it as it made no difference to the sensations and they weren't really painful anyway, just overwhelming and intense.

[Littlemissexpecting]

My mw said its standard practice at my local hospital to take it off the mum during the pushing stage if its first child but if its second, third etc they generally let the mum keep hold of it as they can push better. Guess they can't make me though....

[AnyaKnowIt]

It was taken off me an I was biting the tube instead of pushing

[Offcolour]

They took it off me at some point during pushing, not sure when. I pushed for 2 hours (ds has massive head). My second child but first vaginal birth as vbac after emcs. I never knew before why they nicked my g&a!

[RoomForALittleOne]

I didn't start with G&A until I was in transition with DC3 (always refused it before as didn't like it and it didn't kick in until after the contraction ). I completely lost it and it was the only way that I could calm down and not push while the co-ordinator (hadn't been assigned a midwife) got her gloves on and a cot in the room (no idea why that was important to her). There was no way that I was going to push without the G&A as I knew exactly what was about to happen. I managed to push slower with the G&A rather than firing DS out. No tears/grazes so it was a good thing for me.

There is no way that I would have wanted/been allowed it with DC1 as I was delivering at 34+6 and her heart rate was showing up as being in the 40's on the CTG. I needed to push, breathe etc when and how I was told and wouldn't have managed that if I had G&A. For DC2 I rejected the G&A in favour of trying to bite DH

No idea what I'll do for DC4 (currently 35 weeks and freaking out a bit). Ideally I won't get off my face on G&A and miss out on DC4's first minute of life like I did with DC3, but I won't rule it out!

[FeelingHorse]

I had it throughout, but I didn't "push" it was more like "breathing" the baby down. I had a hypnobirth and had trained myself to do this though IYSWIM-so the MW had no problems with me not being able to "push" as I was just breathing down.

I was happy that they let me keep it. I bloody needed it for the gazillion stitches afterwards too!

[lookingfoxy]

They tried to take it off me....... they didn't suceed !
Now I realise why.

[TheYamiOfYawn]

I didn't want any.

[intheshed]

Ha this sounds familiar- one of my overwhelming memories of the birth of DD1 is a horrible bossy woman who turned up out of nowhere, got me out of the birthing pool and snatched my gas and air from me! She also told me to stop wasting all my energy on screaming and concentrate on pushing . DD1 was born about 2 mins later.

Kinda makes sense now...

[Yawner247]

I had gas and air to the end if they'd have tried to take it off me they'd have been throttled quite quickly!!! I also had a tens machine on....I was even offered it whilst she checked me afterwards to make sure all was well down there as I was a little uncomfortable!! I liked my gas and air

[jammiecat]

Room - I tried to bite DH too (glad I'm not the only one!)

[cakesonatrain]

It wasn't taken off me for pushing. All a bit hazy, but I think I breathed the G&A between pushing.

[TwirlyCat]

The midwife was reluctant to give me gas and air, when I finally got it I only had it for 5 mins before they took it away again so I 'could concentrate'.

[StarlightMcKenzie]

I found gas and air (when in an upright position) help me control my pushing and slow the descent resulting in good stretching and no tears.


When on my back with no contractions being yelled out however, the gas and air wasn't helping, but I needed to escape the yelling.

[Lamour]

It really helped me during pushing. Not sure if it eased the pain or not but I had a good few breaths at the start of a contraction and then pushed, and then a couple of puffs before I pushed again. DH said it was useful too as they knew when I had a contraction and would be pushing

[janji]

Had gas and air during pushing but didn't really inhale any of it; just kept the tube in as something to bite down on (midwife gave it me as a memento and it was mangled)!

[janji]

Also had my TENs machine on and left it on!?! Dd was out after 5 mins!!

[HullMum]

I loved it.

And no one took it off me, they wouldn't have fucking dared

[HullMum]

got me through a really horrible back to back labor and I didn't want it initially.. My midwife convinced me to try it.


she was lovely

[josiejay]

I had it for some of the pushing stage, but my midwife asked me to try without once baby had started crowning, to help me focus on pushing - it really bloody hurt but I think going without it did help because I was getting a bit lightheaded with it. Also I knew it was very near the end which helped.

Oh and my tip is to remember to ask for the g&a back if you need stitches!