Alcohol for pain relief in labour!

[Bethbe]

I'm trying to find out about use of Alcohol as pain relief for the first stage of labour and can't find a thing about it! Can anyone help?

If I feel like it I'm planning to down a half a bottle of wine (maybe more if it goes on too long), or perhaps take the odd shot! I can't find any information to say that I shouldn't........can anyone help?

Bethbe

Don't be too harsh! If I could have been pissed during labour, trust me I would have been!

if you are particularly anxious about the birth, have you talked to the midwife about your anixieties?

do you find it difficult to relax without using alcohol?

Bethbe as a fellow Due in November poster (yes she is a regular ladies! And a very nice one at that)

I have just googled it and can't find anything about it to give you more information only that it used to be given in small amounts during the very, very early stages of labour for mild backache and to help mothers to be sleep but isn't anymore as it can react with other medications should you need them.

If you are worried about the 1st stage, then after drinking to combat that what on earth would you suggest for the next bit? I found a good crossword/sudoku saw out the 1st stage quite well with my 1st labour.
It really hurts in transition when you start to shake and often vomit.
and when the head crowns - if you had any inebriation at that point when control is everything...
plus it would compromise the use of other drugs which you might need in an emergency - epidural, pethidine - or anaesthetic in c section - risk of vomiting and choking.
Very unwise
Plus I once broke a toe when drunk - I cna categorically and emphatically tell you it make sno difference to pain - it DOEs make a difference to what pain relief you can have
No brainer

BAT,

I didn't just do hours of reserach into alcohol consumption, I did it in many areas of advice. I am a scientist and by nature do not accept things without questioning!

For example, I know that:

Liver/Pate/Vit A - is NOT dangerous for your unborn child, - only at certain times in the pregnancy and in certain circumstances!

Codeine - is NOT dangerous either except in the third trimester when it could lead to breathing problems for the baby!

And there are many more instances where we are told something that is not stricly true for the sake of a simple patronising message!

I only want some proper evidence on use of alcohol during labour. Rhubarb's suggestion of there not being an antedote is the most sensible case against that I have read, although I wonder how she knows for sure that this is true!

Bethbe - consider this thread as your research. Not one of us (so far!)finds drinking during labour a good idea. Doesn't that tell you something?

sorry i didn't want my post to sound quite as scathing as that.

what i meant is that i have heard lots of women who say they have researched whether they can drink during pregnancy and i just cant understand it. surely when your pregnant you just do as your told. if my Dr told me that wearing a yellow top and pink shoes would help theni would probably have done it.

i think some people will keep searchinf until they find teh one peice of research that reaches teh decision they want it to, they then dismiss the other 3000 papers and follow blindly the one that says what they already want it to.

im not saying you have done this, just that to me if your pregnant you do whats best for your baby not you.
everyone knows that labour and childbirth are relativly painfull and this is known way before you fall pregnant....why when they get pregnant do they have to find ways of avoiding it?

women have been giving birth for centuries, it can't be that hard to manage without pain relief!

Piffle: Your toe story made me laugh - (sorry) - but in our classes, they say that one of the main elements that make labour hurt more than it could is that the woman is not relaxed (that's why they give you pethidine which does nothing for the pain but just relaxes you)!

I thought it might be the same with alcohol since I am allergic to pethidine (well it makes me agressive and very very cross - alcohol doesn't!)

I thought too, - that this could enable me to stay at home a lot longer without needing to go into the hospital, so in this case gas and air is not an option either....

Hope that explains a little......

Still keen on any research links etc!

BATtymumma: There is nothing wrong with seeking pain releif during labour. Yes, women have been giving birth without pain relief since the beginning of time, women have also been dying in child birth since the beginning of time, still are in many countries.
Pain relief during labour is a great thing for many women.
Also: To blindly follow the advice of a professional is also not always a good idea. Wish I had more time to discuss this, this is becoming a very interesting thread.

Hi Bethbe,

I have worked as a substance misuse specialist ( not saying you have a problem... just giving you my credentials) and liased with maternity services when clients have had babies. Alcohol is definately not recommended in labour .

You would need to drink quite an amount to get any pain relief and as some other posters have said, it is a central nervous system depressant and might interfere with any other opiate based medication that you might need during labour.

There is no antidote to alcohol. It needs 1 hour per unit to leave the body. A dextrose/saline drip can help speed up this process but not by much.

Hope this answers your question.

Ps. Codeine can be addictive if taken long term in pregnancy. I have worked with women whose babies have gone into mild withdrawal following birth.

Battymama: as I understand it, generally speaking the baby will take what it needs from your body. So if you don't look after yourself odds on it will be you that suffers, not the baby.

I'm with belgo on her point 'To blindly follow the advice of a professional is also not always a good idea'. As intelligent, educated women, we have a responsiblity to get second opinions/back-up research.

Which, I assume, is why Bethbe wrote her OP.

I am pregnant because I want to have children, not because I wanted to have my body taken over. It's something that has to be gone through in order to have children, but that doesn't mean we can't do everything in our power to alleviate the misery, surely. (I'm having a rotten pregnancy, btw). And I don't mean at the expense of the baby.

Bethbe is looking into this issue precisely because she cares. If she didn't care, she wouldn't bother.

I don't know when you are due but have you considered yoga? There are ante natal classes

If you search hard enough on the internet you will always find something published which supports your poijt of view or what you think is right ..but there is a lot of erroneous information, it is wiser to look at labour from the point of view of what is best for mother and baby

TENS machine

water - birth pool or bath

birth ball

aromatherapy

hypnobirthing

relaxation & visualisation

staying mobile & active as long as you can

all these things can enable to stay at home as long as possible

and your state of mind is so important...believing you can do it...believing your body can birth this baby...being able to listen to your body and do what your body is telling you...

scientifically...you might find a piece of research that says moderate alcohol consumption in early labour is great...but you've got the resource of 100s of women on here ....and so far ..alcohol as a pain relief is not being recommended!!

Bethbe - the midwives told me about the antidote for pethidine whilst they were offering it to me when I was in labour with my first.

I'm surprised if you are a scientist that you don't know about that? After all, you only have to google pethidine antidote to find that out. Probably googling pethidine itself would have told you.

Of course pain relief is a good thing, im ust not explaining myself very well.

what i mean is that if teh general opinion is that something is bad...i would asusme that its bad.

obviously if there is a specific reason why you would need alternatives (like BEthbe) then yeah do some research but its those people who spend hours researching a subject in the attempt to fin d one peice of writtng that defends their own stance.

My ex's neices were both born addicted to heroine. his nephew was severly underweight and il from various other substance misuse.

because of that i am probably a little over carefull with what i take during pregnancy. seeing a 3 hour old baby screaming from withdrawle pain is the most unpleasant thing i have ever seen or heard.

but i just meant that there is no real need for pain relief its done for our benefit not the babies. therefore if you can manage without then please try.

As i said with my first i had an epidural. i had the most horrendous birth, it slowed everythign down, made my baby lazy and i couldnt feelwhen to push. both baby and i were distressed and tired.
i ended up with an epesiotomy and clamps after a 73 hour labour.

with my second i had nothing, not even a paracetemol. she was out within 30 minutes and i can honestly say if i had another i wouldnt touch pain relief.

no it wasn't pleasant but next time i will know i can do it, i will be much more relaxed and i am certain i will actually enjoy the experiance.

OH, and i can assure you i am no earth mother/hippie/loony

Thanks Laidback,

That's helpful information and will make me consider carefully when/if during labour I drink (a picture seems to emerging that suggests you want the least amount in your system when you actually go into hospital/get near the end of the first stage - and I presume it's the same arguments for/against druing pregnancy in general before this)

p.s I took codeine just twice at week 15 when paracetamol just wouldn't do! I began my research into other areas then, because I was angry at having to feel guilty for going against advice that was incorrect!

i have also heard of an antidote to pethidine- for use when baby born precipitously (sp) after administration as baby can be born very drowsy and slow to breathe and feed....

i fully agree we should not blindly accept what the medical profession tell us...if i had, i would not have had my VBAC! and yes, we should question what we are told and research our options....

but if no research is forthcoming...does it not suggest something?

of course you don't actually know how long your labour might be so half a bottle of wine or more may be 15 hours before baby is born or it may be half an hour before baby is born

I think making yourself confident about your ability to manage labour is the best thing to do...

That's helpful information and will make me consider carefully "when/if during labour I drink (a picture seems to emerging that suggests you want the least amount in your system when you actually go into hospital/get near the end of the first stage "

`Bethbe- you won;t know how long your first stage is...some women go from 3 - 10 cms in 30 mins...some take 24 hours....you can;t judge how far along you are that accurately ..the timing and strength of contractions can indicate progress.....but you won;t know if you will go the last few centimeters in minutes rather than hours!

TBH- this is actually really interesting and is certainly making me think! sorry for earlier

rhubarb, bethbe said she wondered how you knew there wasn't an antedote for alcohol not for pethidine.

'Rhubarb's suggestion of there not being an antedote is the most sensible case against that I have read, although I wonder how she knows for sure that this is true! '

she was complimenting you

x post with zippi !

alcohol is only useful for pain relief in the post-labour period .. you know from about 3 months on

one tequila
two tequila
three tequila floor

Thanks Whoo, I am just trying to get to the bottom of this, not stir!

BAT, I'm afraid the problem I am having is that I can't find any research either for OR against alcohol in the early stages!

(Well, obviously I can find articles on babies born to alcoholics, and I expect they drink during labour)

Sorry Rhubarb, what I meant was how did you know there wasnt an antedote to alcohol, - but Laidback has answered!

there isn't an antidote for alcohol

"Alcohol affects the brain by latching onto signalling molecules called GABA-A receptors. There are several subtypes of these receptors, some of which are linked to the effects of alcohol, such as memory loss and poor balance.

Memory loss in particular appears to occur when alcohol binds to a certain subtype. Professor Nutt says it could be possible to design PA molecules which can bind to GABA-A receptors and prevent alcohol from having an adverse effect.

Such PAs already exist as bretazenil and pagoclone, which were developed as anti-anxiety drugs.

An antidote to such drugs exists in the form of flumazenil, which is used as an antidote to overdoses of valium. It could also, in theory, be used to neutralise the effect of alcohol.

Professor Nutt said: "You could envisage the situation ? at a party where PAs are taken and before the end of the night, revellers take a flumazenil and they sober up, so they can drive home. "