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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think that gas and air IS pain relief

114 replies

NancyDrewRocks · 16/12/2009 07:10

OK so it is none of my business...and no woman deserves to be judged on how she gives birth and her method of pain relief...blah...blah..blah.

But got off the phone to very proud friend who tells me how wonderful her DC's recent birth was, how amazing she was and how she did it all without pain relief and I congratulate her, tell she is fabulous and how there is no way I could have managed, she must be so proud.

I then laugh at how I almost swallowed the gas tube so desperate was to cram it in my mouth...at which point she says "oh well I did have gas and air".

Now in my books that is pain relief so AIBU (or just jealous that I missed the opportunity to mention how utterly fabulous I was to give birth without pain relief because gas doesn't, apparently, count?!)

OP posts:
Awassailinglookingforanswers · 16/12/2009 07:14

well I had gas and air for 2 of my births - was crap the first time round (made me sick) - great the second........but it didn't help with the pain - it was more of a distractant (well ok it didn't distract from the pain at all and I was demanded an epidural just before I started pushing - of course too late) if I'm honest I could have been cramming a bone into my mouth to chew on and it would have done exactly the same for the pain - so YAB a little U imo

ohmeohmy · 16/12/2009 07:26

YANBU according to the aneasthetists... www.frca.co.uk/SearchRender.aspx?DocId=1188&Index=D%3a%5cdtSearch%5cUserData%5cAUK&HitCount=8&hits=3 +d+5f+c7+128+131+143+28a+

belgo · 16/12/2009 07:28

YABU and YANBU because it's possible to be both when it comes to judging women on childbirth.

What really really annoys me is when water as in a water birth gets called 'pain relief' when it is absolutely not!

littleboyblue · 16/12/2009 07:29

I wouldn't call gas and air pain relief. I had my 2nd with just G&A (my first was forcep), but I wouldn't say I had him without pain relief. I know that doesn't make any sense at all.........let me see if I can word it better.
If you asked me if I had pain relief, I would say I had G&A. I wouldn't say I did it on my own because I think the G&A helped me as it distanced me from the pain, but it did not take the pain away iyswim.
I do have to say, I think you are being slightly UR for the fact that it just doesn't really matter. The important thing is the baby was delivered safely and both mother and baby are well.
Personally, I couldn't care less how a baby was delivered as long as everything went well.

PrincessToadstool · 16/12/2009 07:34

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thesecondcoming · 16/12/2009 07:48

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Adair · 16/12/2009 07:53

Ahhh, I agree, I definitely want a badge for doing the second with no pain relief (and no, no gas and air either) - though water WAS amazing...

Didn't intend it that way - had a marvellous epidural the first time and would do it that way if I had a choice the next (and yes, I would sacrifice the badge ).

Obviously, the happy, healthy baby is the point!

belgo · 16/12/2009 07:54

Happy now ?

claw3 · 16/12/2009 07:54

If she told you 'what a wonderful birth' i suspect she was on some heavy duty drugs, let alone gas and air!

Adair · 16/12/2009 07:56

at claw3. THough mine was pretty amazing and wonderful (and have conveniently forgotten the whole labour process that lasted two days of me being in agony thinking I was in pain from kidney infection)

Numberfour · 16/12/2009 07:58

only read a few posts but i always wonder why any woman must be congratulated on going through childbirth without ANY form of pain relief or why she should feel proud for that reason?

Why on earth is that an achievement???????

shootRudolphinthehip · 16/12/2009 07:59

I have this problem re the birth of DS- I gave up on the G&A but still had it initially. So was my labour technically pain-relief free? Nope. Did it hurt like buggery? Yip. So which was it? Pain-relief free or not? Was it a huge flipping achievement after a drug filled disater area that culminated in a EMCS like my labour with DD did? Yes it was. So what's the answer?

Oh and if we're giving out badges, can I have one?

YABU

thesecondcoming · 16/12/2009 08:05

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

claw3 · 16/12/2009 08:05

Adair, although my ds's were wonderful, I would describe the process of getting them here excruciating, they certainly didnt walk out on their own!

izzybiz · 16/12/2009 08:05

I had G&A with my last labour (no3) had completely pain relief free labours the first 2 times.

My last labour was horrendously painful compared to the first two, I ended up having G&A for the pushing stage, it was rubbish, did nothing except dry my mouth out and give me something to bite down on!

Ds2 was born weighing 10lb 10oz, after 2 7lbers!!

Do I feel proud of myself? Yes I bloody do!
Not really bothered how anyone else gets through it, but I will take a badge thanks!

BouncingTurtle · 16/12/2009 08:08

I had no pain relief towards the end of labour - I had half a dose of dihydrocodeine, about 3-4 hours before I gave birth, which allowed me to catch a couple of hours kip as I was knackered from on off contractions for nearly 3 days (for which I was told I could NOT have the G&A grrr).
Believe me it was NOT through choice, I couldn't get the blinking G&A to work, and my 2nd stage labour happened too fast for an epidural - bastards wouldn't let me have one though I was begging for it!

I agree with PT - YANBU in that G&A for most people IS pain relief, but you are still coming across as a wee bit judgy. Giving birth is not a competitive sport you know!

Awassailinglookingforanswers · 16/12/2009 08:09

I dunno - maybe it's because we're the only creature in the world that has the luxury of getting drugged up for birth.

You know as I wrote that the only image I have in my head is of a giraffe..........and wtf it must be like have those long legs and neck moving around inside you for however many months they're pregnant - and then the prolonged agony of

"there's the head.....................flipping heck how much more of this neck until we get the body"

Original poster
NancyDrewRocks · 16/12/2009 08:09

Interesting point if you have pain relief and then stop or it is ineffective.

I have had three very different labours the most physically painful was the one where I was off my face on morphine. The least painful was the longest labour but only gas and air.

The middle labour involved a failed epidural and even though it was ineffective I would never claim I didn't have pain relief.

OP posts:
Kayzr · 16/12/2009 08:09

I'm not sure if you are BU or not. G&A never took the pain away(especially with DS2 as the pipe was leaking so didn't get hardly any) but it was a distraction. But I would not want to go through labour again without my tens machine.

OtterInaSkoda · 16/12/2009 08:10

I couldn't agree with you more, Numberfour.

Says the woman who, despite finding the idea terrifying pre-labour, begged for an epidural

YANBU OP. Although ime G&A was pretty lame as pain relief goes, it did take the edge off (once they started pumping opiates into my spine). Water was lovely too for a while, but it doesn't count as pain relief because it doesn't numb anything nor does it make you spinny-outy.

claw3 · 16/12/2009 08:15

Well i had gas and air, epidural and anything else that was on offer, so im guessing i shouldnt feel proud of myself!

pins i am a cowardly failure badge on and feels strangely proud

sarah293 · 16/12/2009 08:17

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gobsmackedetal · 16/12/2009 08:18

YANBU OP, G&A is pain relief,but I generally find the whole idea of being proud for managing childbirth without pain-relief ridiculous. As if it makes you a better mother or something. ...

claw3 · 16/12/2009 08:23

Riven, i failed on that too, sod the badges, shall i just get the gin out and we can drown our sorry arsed sorrows!?

Awassailinglookingforanswers · 16/12/2009 08:24

"As if it makes you a better mother or something. ..."

hell yeah

oh - wait hang on - that must mean I'm a shit mum to DS1 (CS - no labour), an okish mum to DS2 (VBAC but assisted delivery and lots and lots of failed pain relief), and a pretty damn good mum to DS3 (just G&A).

  • that doesn't quite work does it