Precipitous labour and pain meds

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Posting for traffic…has anyone had a precipitous labour and had pain medication that works? I had one very fast labour with no pain medication other than gas and air, and am dreading giving birth again.

How fast was your first?
My entire labour first time round was four hours from first little twinge to delivery. I had no pain relief. I hadn't planned on having an epidural and I was OK with it.
Second time round it was under 3 hours from when I suspected I might be starting to delivery about with only 90 mins of contractions and pushing. It was incredibly intense. I did ask for pain relief when I arrived at the hospital but there was literally no time.

If it is very fast there isn't really time. I was at the pushing stage when I arrived at the hospital.

Nope, sorry. After my first three hour labour on two paracetamol, I asked the midwife at the second to please get the gas and air ready, as I was not in labour long last time. She laughed and told me her shift ended in twenty minutes and she'd be home having a cup of tea by the time I needed anything.

So now that's two deliveries on a combined total of two paracetamol.

Water - if you can get it filled up quick enough.

TENs machine- atleast you can control this yourself.

Mine was about 4 hours. Just remember almost blacking out from the pain! Really am not looking forward to doing it again 😫it’s so traumatic.

You could request an induction where you are admitted and an epidural sorted prior to your waters being broken. Though if you needed any pessaries for cervical ripening before the ARM you run the risk of labouring on an antenatal ward, and still not getting pain relief. It's worth asking for a personalise birth plan with a consultant, your community midwife should know the best route to access this.

For what it's worth my 2nd labour was longer, but less painful, than my fast 1st birth

No.

First one - 90 mins

Second one (twins) - consultant told me I wasn't in labour at 8.15 despite having quite strong twinges - consultant fecked off at 8.20.- Twin 1 born 8.33, Twin 2 born 8.46. Consultant deigned to make a reappearance for T2 but only time for 2 mouthfuls of gas n air.

I was definitely more nervous second time round because I knew what to expect. For me I think I could deal with the contractions but the crowning was excruciating. I was dreading it the second time but it wasn't as bad.

Just gas and air with all four. Not through certainly not for the first one who was only 4 hours from waters breaking to baby, they sent me home but I was in agony (I knew it would be painful but not that bad at the start, contractions on top of one another right from the off I was so scared) I remember by the time DH got be back to the hospital I was almost incoherent. They told me to lie on the bed with the G&A as I was only 1cm and as this was a 1st baby I could be hours. I thought I was dying, there was no break in contractions, one would go, the next one was straight on it. Apparently I started making pushing noises and they rushed in to find me 10cms in under an hour and pushing. No time for anything else.

No2 was a planned homebirth, I had diamorphine on standby but managed with just G&A, about 2 hours from first contraction to baby, still very intense. No3, another homebirth, DH delivered her as MW hadn’t even got her gloves on. Again very very intense but only 45 mins. No4 was the best of the lot a planned induction but it only really hurt for the 4 minutes after I asked them to break my waters until he was born. No intense contractions like the other ones.

The thing with fast labours is everyone tells you how lucky you are but they are horrible in their own way, so painful and intense and afterwards it’s as if your body is trying to catch up, and goes into a kind of shock. After pains can be tough.

I would recommend a Tens machine, they at least give you some control. I found gas and air useless.
Realistically availability of an epidural is down to luck, especially if you're short on time.
I would speak to your midwife about your options and make some decisions about what you would ideally like. Pethidine might be an option?
You need to have it made clear in your notes that you have a history of fast labour and need to be admitted as early in labour as possible.