Can you buy gas & air?

[Vine]

I have had 2 vaginal births and the second time the MW denied me gas and air when I first asked because she did not want me to burn all my bridges quickly!? When I did eventually get it (after begging) I managed fine and did not have an epidural. I may/may not have another child but wonder if you can buy entonox+mouthpiece to use at home in the early stages of labour? Probably a stupid question and the answer is no but I don't think I could cope with no gas & air until the later stages.

Nope. I'm pretty sure it's a controlled substance. And more's the pity really, I could do with a toke every now and then. Gave me the giggles something terrible

no.Entonox prescription only (nitrous oxide 50% oxygen 50%)

why do midwives do this? happened to me too-grrr!!

We you could untill very recently but now it's illegal.

We had loads at one point. My H is a club promoter and they used to sell it in balloons and make an absolute killing financially.

We used to have tons of the stuff in our bedroom

It's a real shame that it can't be bought off the shelf.

My wine bill would go down considerably I can tell you.

The balloons were a lot of fun ;)

I love that stuff. My main disappointment in having no more DCs is that I probably won't get to use it again!

With my last baby the MW were laughing as I wouldn't let go and stop using it; not even after the birth!

I bought some at a festival once many years ago, the man I bought it from said he got it from a cash & carry and it was supposed to be used in ice cream machines! I'd buy it if I could its lovely stuff!

onepeice that really made me laugh.......I wish, I wih

Great stuff. Made me looney but kept the delivery suite entertained for a goof few hours (I had a very extended second stage).

I'd pay good money for some.

I'm sure it wouldn't make me throw up if I wasn't actually in labour.

I kept telling DH to try some when the midwife was out of the room, but he wouldn't. He's so square!

Marjee if comes in little canesters that you put in a pressurised container. It's supposed to be used for propelling icing or cream or icecream or something. You need a licence to but it for catering now.

We just used to inhale it... LOTS of it.

No, cereal I expect that you thought you kept the delivery suite entertained for a good few hours. They probably wished (if you were anything like me) that you would just SHUT UP and give birth!

OH, I was very witty on the gas and air.

I had a fab 2nd birth. I refused to hand the mouthpiece over so the mw and dh took over while I laughed and cried and thought I was being funny.

The icecream man supplies website has just crashed! Wonder why?

It is fab stuff I would dearly love some in my bedroom. Why on earth is it illegal now though? Surely it's safer than alcohol?

Gas and air is fab - almost makes me broody (luckily a full nights sleep is better!)

helium used for balloons isnt same gas as entonox.entonox is prescriprtion only

What about the stuff that goes in the icecream machines scottishmummy?

I would ask the icecream man but he might be a bit

It can make you pass out if you keep inhaling it, I think. That's why they won't let your partner hold the G&A mouthpiece for you - you have to be physically able to hold it yourself or they deem you too intoxicated

They used to sell it in bars around here too but it got stopped.

I loved it too, would be brilliant for the "please stay at home til the baby's head is hanging out stage"

You could probably get it off some medical students. They always had the best parties at uni...

God, that entonox is amazing stuff, and I speak as a partaker in the Rave scene many years ago

I'll be planning a VBAC hopefully, and one of the reasons is to get my hands on some. When my epidural was fitted to have my emcs, apparently I made a grab for the mouthpiece to have one last suck....

I dont suppose this is very helpful to you OP, but if anyone knows where to get some, please do feel free to share

Blimey - gas n air secrets. V 'sciting.
Always feel sorry for American women that it's not licensed over there - it seems to be go natural or epidural.

I think over here you have to be over 4cms before they'll let you have it?

We are not talking about helium.

Thy banned entinox because people died inhaling it straight out of the pressurized canisters, I comes out freezing.

That's why you have to put it in balloons first.

I can vouch for the fact it can make you pass out..

scottishmummy - using balloons is how nitrous is used recreationally, it's not the same as helium balloons.

In all seriousness though, if you book a homebirth they will bring you out some. Then you could transfer in if you didn't fancy the idea of a home birth after all.