To think that gas and air IS pain relief

[NancyDrewRocks]

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?!)

I have had 2 waterbirths with G&A and a bed birth with G&A and would not consider water or G&A to be pain relief - not for me anyway.

I found the G&A to be a good distraction - I could still feel the pain the same, but felt a bit pissed so it made it more bearable for a few seconds over the peak of the contraction.

All the water did was allow me more privacy, to feel I had more dignity and better ability to move, which probably made me feel better about the whole situation - I didn't feel totally exposed with my arse in the air like I did when on the bed, which probably had a positive knock on effect to my perception of the pain.

Couldn't carry on with the G&A when pushing time arrived - couldn't do both at the same time.

For some people it gives relief and for others not - same as pethidine etc I think - some people say it was brilliant, most say it did nothing.

Meant to say on both occaisions in the pool, even though I was quite hot, I kept asking her to put more hot in so it would relieve the aching in my back, but obv. she couldn't as it would have been too hot for the babys' arrival.

The water was warm which didn't provide any relief.

Mama, i would agree everyone is entitled to make their own choices.

But i feel giving birth with or without drugs is an achievement, one is not better than the other.

Certainly giving birth with drugs is also an achievement. No argument there.

Whilst I wouldn't say that G&A isn't pain relief, and so can't boast that DD1 was born without any, I CAN say that it did sweet FA for the pain and I was in agony during the (ventouse) delivery and fast-moving labour. I was told by midwives that G&A doesn't relieve pain but "changes your perception of it".

It did neither.

(Hey, maybe I should have tried LSD instead! ).

I decided never, ever again and DD2 was born by elective C-section. Spinal block, awake throughout, a marvellous experience. Pain was completely controlled and I was home within 3 days. I'd recommend it to anyone.

YANBU, gas and air is pain relief, it releives the pain, in a different way to other drugs, but it does relieve the pain.

It's like what they say 'natural birth' was the f does that mean? Natural to me sounds pain free and organic and totally chilled, I like to call it vaginal birth, because A - people shudder at the word vagina and B - that's were the baby comes out!

I think gas and air probably is pain relief, although like others I found it more of a distraction than analgesic.

Don't know about you but if this was my friend I'd want to challenge her and bring her down a peg or two. But then I'd be BU because the woman's just given birth, if thinking she did it without pain relief gives her a bit of confidence then let her think it. A few months down the line she'll have the distance to say it's the baby that matters. Either that or she will relate her wonderful labour at the first new mums group she goes to and have her smugness beaten out of her!

Mama, Women who do have pain relief, also do it because they believe it to be in the best interests of their baby and themselves.

Everyone has a different pain threshold, easier or harder labours, longer or shorter etc, etc.

Perhaps the women who do manage birth without pain relief, wouldnt have done if they were in someone elses shoes. Congratulating them on the fact they managed without seems to suggest that others who didnt should have tried harder!

why was she using gas and air if not for pain relief then?

Claw, I agree that women do not need to be congratulated on their choice to use or not use pain relief during labour. In fact, I stated this in my post:

"Not necessarily one that should be congratulated as such, but certainly an achievement of which someone should rightly be proud."

For example, Valhalla, a few posts back, is happy with her choice to have a CS with spinal block, and talks about it in very positive terms. So why shouldn't a woman who has chosen to give birth without pain relief be entitled to the same sense of pride and accomplishment - without being sneered at for 'wanting a medal'?

I feel your sense of pride and accomplishment shouldnt be based on whether you had pain relief or not!

It should be based on the fact, that we all end up with the same result, a baby.

So if the sense of pride and accomplishment should be the same for both kinds of birth, should people not refrain from making negative comments about both kinds of birth? People don't often say a woman who has had a CS acts like she deserves a medal, do they? But it seems like a perfectly acceptable thing for people to say about someone who is proud of their natural birth.

I can see I am not managing to put my point across very well. So I think I will leave it there!

well i gave birth with no pain relief, no gas and air.

and i do think the majority of times this has its rewards as theres less risks involved
and less complcation for the mother and baby.
[not in my case unfortuatley, but still in the majority]

such as pethidine making the mother drowsy and affecting the babys breathing and feeding for upto a week

or an epidural affecting the mothers ability to feel when to push.

well I found that G&A took the edge off the pain, for the three big sucks on it I took before promptly throwing up over DH when having DD.

ds2 was no pain relief at all.. even though I was yelling for some ( long story).

ds1 was no pain relief as such.. as the pethadine kicked in after he was yanked out by the sink plunging device. ( again a long story).

so IME G&A does take the pain away.

but I don't think it really matters tbh.. and would and have advice anyone to get all the pain relief they can get their hands on.
YABU and YANBU all at the same time

I think you should be proud no matter how you give birth.

I had G&A with both of mine and yes it was a very effective pain relief (you need to REALLY inhale it ) and no I would never say I had no pain relief. Because I did. It was G&A. And it was brilliant.

I think G&A is pain relief but I don't think there are any prizes for not using pain relief. I used hypnobirthing for pain relief. Not because I wanted to avoid drugs, I like drugs . But because I wanted to avoid pain - it sucks, why experience pain if there is another option?

To change the topic slightly, YABU if you don't instantly delete her from your mobile phone. I can see how this will evolve...

"Oh NancyDrew, the midwives say my baby does the biggest poos they have ever seen. I am producing so much lovely good milk arent I wonderful"

"Oh NancyDrew, baby is only 3 weeks and he is already smiling, the health visitor said it was definitely a smile and not wind, isnt he advanced?"

"Oh NancyDrew, baby is already sitting and so alert and jolly - I swear he is trying to read as well and he's only 5 months old"

"Oh NancyDrew, why aren't you returning my calls, I wanted to tell you about baby's latest achievement"

On the other hand, we can have lots of fun AIBUs if you don't delete....

I had my DD with gas and air and then pethidine. BUT neither took the pain away; the G&A just helped me focus on breathing and the pethidine allowed me to sleep in between contractions when I went from 8-10 cms as I'd been pushing for an hour before I was checked again and they told me to stop.
If someone asked if I'd had pain relief I'd say G&A and pethidine, but neither stopped the pain for me so its a tricky one!

"I feel your sense of pride and accomplishment shouldnt be based on whether you had pain relief or not!

It should be based on the fact, that we all end up with the same result, a baby."

tenner says someone will now take offence to this and claim that you are insinuating that people who can't get pregnant or else those who have unsuccessful pregnancies are somehow not as good as you because you are now definitively saying they should not feel pride.
then the real mud-slinging will start.

MQ already been done - and all in good humour!

As someone who has been through labour and did not get a healthy baby I am certainly not going to take offence. You'd have to be an idiot not to understand the sentiments of that comment