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?!)

People keep saying that "you don't get a medal," but NancyDrew's friend is awarding herself a metaphorical medal - the "right" to say "how amazing she was and how she did it all without pain relief "

Someone like me, hearing that, would think: oh . . . good for her . . . I wish I could have managed that . . . perhaps I didn't try hard enough . . . but maybe she's one of those people who don't feel much pain . . . oh face it BalloonSlayer you wimped out the first chance you got . . . etc. I would probably feel quite downcast, as I often do when I read the wonderful birth stories on here and realise that I had I known more and done things differently maybe I would have managed to have my first baby vaginally too.

Then if I had discovered that, having made me feel small and sad, she actually had had pain relief I would be pretty pissed off.

A friend, about to have her first, mused to some of us about the difficulty of knowing when she was in labour. Another friend, already a mother, said in massively patronising tones to her "Oh, you'll know" with the authority of one who was a True Expert. I wanted to say "Er, so didn't you go into hospital twice with the last one thinking you were in labour but they sent you home because you weren't?" But I didn't. Wish I had though .

Right with you there, BalloonSlayer.

Third time round I gave birth without pain relief - I am so pleased I have that to call upon when talking to one of Those Women.

Was a doddle compared to delivering full term stillborn induced back to back no. 1 on diamorphine. But some of the birth fanatics don't want to hear about that one, because there are folk out there who like to believe they weren't to a large extent lucky, they did it all by Positive Thinking and Creative Visualisation and whatall.

Elective CSs rock Vallhala. Mine was bliss

I am proud of my epidural and emergency cs, I only wish it had been elective! I have to say that a natural birth was bottom of my list of things to give a toss about, and it makes no difference either way after the event.

Having gone through a birth where my son and I nearly died, I'd say anyone who is " proud" to get through birth without pain relief whatever the definition is very fucking unreasonable. Its birth, not a fucking competition. No-one gets medals for either doing it naturally or having every intervention in the book. It is still one of the potentially dangerous experiences you and your baby will go through.

YANBU. Gas and air is pain relief

Oh mrsg . Sending you hugs for that.

G&A didn't relieve any pain for me but just made me feel sick on top of being in pain.

ah well, I never inhaled so it doesn't count

it did f all for the pain, made no difference at all but I did like being able to bite down on the mouthpiece - that was gooooooood.

one of the last contractions i actually took a deep breath of it and realised what Id been doing wrong . . .nose breathing doesn't really work does it lol

My first labour was without pain relief, but to be honest I was crying like a baby yelling out for it! In the Netherlands they don't have G&A in hospitals at all, so that wasn't an option.

Second labour was an EMCS under a GA so that was completely pain free! Except it wasn't as I had to recover from both, plus DS2 was in NICU for 3 weeks.

I don't expect a medal, but I am more proud (for want of a better word) of how I dealt with DS2's early entry into the world than DS1's 'textbook' birth... iyswim. Mind you, reading the thread on difficult births I am humbled by the stories on there.

But in answer to the original question, YANBU in thinking G&A is pain relief, but YAB a bit U in thinking it matters...

Valhalla & Gobsmacked - with you on the elective section! Fantastic experience - having another with this one!