To think that no NHS hospital should be in short supply of gas & air!!!

[YouWinSomeYouLoseSome]

A family member is in so much pain, in labour. First baby and can't have G&A because there's a short supply and she has to wait until she's on labour ward.

AIBU to be fuming ??

Why are YOU fuming?

I thought it was quite standard to not be able to access pain relief until on labour ward and in established labour?

When I was induced, there was no gas and air available until moved onto the labour ward, only paracetamol - may just have been my hospital though!

I was induced and Entinox was only available once I was on the labour ward. I think that's quite standard.

That isn't good but my one wouldn't let you have anything until on labour ward anyway

It was have a bath or take tablet painkillers until they moved you

It's always been that way.

@Zebraaa

Why are YOU fuming?

Really?! 😒

I had G&A on prenatal ward. I'm shocked they have a limited supply as well.

I ageee with everyone else that this is pretty standard IME.

The FACT is, she could have it if it wasn't in short supply.

Only pain relief before labour ward was paracetamol, tens (if you brought that yourself) or a hot shower if it was quiet enough (only 2 showers available though for 20 beds).

It's possible to have gas and air on a home birth and ambulances have it so I think it's strange they can't offer it. Is she in a birth centre at the hospital?

Could this be anything to do with the increased demand in medical oxygen for Covid patients on ventilators? (Gas and air is nitrous oxide and oxygen isn’t it?).

@Truelymadlydeeplysomeonesmum

That isn't good but my one wouldn't let you have anything until on labour ward anyway

It was have a bath or take tablet painkillers until they moved you

Yep same here. The time it took me to reach that all-important 4 fucking cms dilated so I could finally have some goddamn gas & air felt like a lifetime. Up until that point it was paracetamol, codeine, tens machine, bath.

I'm glad I didn't have to wait until I got to the labour ward for gas and air as there was no labour ward available for about the first 18 hours of my labour. I spent my first pregnancy in and out of hospital due to ill health and they were so short of labour wards that occasionally someone didn't make it to the labour ward and gave birth in the ward with the curtains pulled. I was terrified of that.