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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Is it normal practise to remove G&A during the pushing stage?

49 replies

Mirabelle77 · 15/02/2011 17:13

I ask because last night on O.B.E.M she was still using it while pushing.

I had to give mine up while pushing, although I think the G&A would have been a distraction at that bit to be honest but I was surprised and a bit jealous.

I remember midwife saying no more now you need to push him out, felt very lost without the lovely stuff for a bit!

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cakeywakey · 16/02/2011 11:03

I think it is standard - mine was taken off me for pushing. I only got it back four and half hours later when they finally conceded that DD1 was't going to come out on her own. Bloody wonderful stuff!

Cosmosis · 18/02/2011 17:42

I gave mine back, I found it really distracting.

Checkmate · 18/02/2011 19:40

I've never had it taken away, but then again all my 2nd stages have been very short.

HumphreysCorner · 18/02/2011 19:43

I had mine taken away too.

mehgalegs · 18/02/2011 19:48

I remember being told i wouldn't need it and they were right I didn't. The pain of the contractions disapeared to be replaced by the overwhelming urge to push and the burning sting of crowning.

MumInBeds · 18/02/2011 19:56

I had an epi with my first and no time for anything with the second but for the other three I only ever used G&A for the pushing stage. I had to fight to get it as they didn't understand me doing all but the last bit without but it helped me not to push too hard and tear.

HeidiKat · 18/02/2011 21:17

They kept trying to take mine away during the pushing stage, I wouldn't let go of it so they compromised by getting my husband to hold it and try to limit how much I was using it. I got to keep it for being stitched up as well, but got told off by the doctor for using it too much after the birth.

NickiAndAlex · 19/02/2011 19:42

My midwives said to put mine down for most of the pushing stage. It didn't seem to be helping anyway, except for being something to do during contractions.

hastingsmum · 19/02/2011 20:26

No, I used G&A in two of my 3 labours and it wasn't taken from me. No one even mentioned that I shouldn't use it, but then they were both born very quickly anyway.

And I must agree with IntergalacticHussy, biting on it helped get the heads out

IwishIwasmoreorganised · 19/02/2011 20:28

Mine was taken off me because I wasn't concentrating properly!

I vividly remember wanting to ask for it back but deciding not to because I didn't want to be told no!!

DarrellRivers · 19/02/2011 20:30

They said I could keep it if it helped
Nothing at that point helped so I flung it away in a mega strop dramatic manner
After blaming them all for not letting me have anything else, and sobbing that it was too late for any other pain relief at this point

Littlefish · 19/02/2011 20:35

My midwife took mine away. I was pretty out of it whilst I was using it, so I could see why she would want me to be a bit more with it. I only did 3 pushes, so it wasn't very long anyway.

Muser · 19/02/2011 20:41

Mine was taken away and I remember being put out but then realising I didn't need it. I got it back for the examination and stitches. I think I used it even more for that bit.

NonnoMum · 19/02/2011 20:41

They suggested I put it down with DC1.

I didn't really mind. If you get to that stage on just G and A you are so far gone that it doesn't really matter.

Not having it does help you focus.

(Might have had it with DC2 and 3 but might have thrown it away as had to concentrate on the important business of PUUUUUUSSSSSSHHHIIIIIIINNNNGGGGG!

PinkElephant73 · 19/02/2011 21:24

god I couldnt have pushed DD out without it! (homebirth a week ago) thank goodness the MW did not attempt to take it away.

The second stage was really painful, and took about an hour. it felt like my pelvis was breaking, and then had the full ring of fire experience.

G&A was essential and meant I was able to "breathe her out" slowly, and although had a small 2nd degree tear did not need any suturing.

Violethill · 20/02/2011 10:35

Im very jealous of you pinkelephant!

With dd1, I had just started on the gas and air at around the transition, and was finding it bloody wonderful.

Then the midwife told me it was time to push, and took it off me!! I have to say, she was lovely about it, but I definitely thought this must be standard practice, as I was begging for it back.

As it turned out, having got to 10 cm naturally, and coping (I thought) pretty well, I found second stage desperately painful. Mine lasted for at least 2 hours (this was in a MLU - they told me afterwards I would have been pushed into interventions earlier in hospital) and I found the ring of fire excruciating. So all in all, I would have welcomed some g and a for second stage. It was handed back to me during stitching, and boy, did I make the most of it then!

VivaLeBeaver · 20/02/2011 10:52

I tend to discuss pushing with the woman and warn her that she needs to use the gas differently - that if she breaths in and out on it all the way through the contraction she won't be able to push effecively. So she needs a few big sucks on the gas as the contractions building and then push.

95% of people will either stop using the gas completely of their own accord or at least use it like this and push well.

Some people can't manage and I'll let them have maybe 30mins of trying to get the hang of it. Then I tell them that I'd like them to stop using the gas as its not helping with the pushing, etc. Some people are ok with this and hand it over, others glare at me and keep hold of it. I never prise the gas out of anyones hand. But I do warn people that the Drs start sniffing around after an hour, knocking on the door with a ventouse in their hand. I'm quite good at fending the Drs off as long as is safe/reason(presuming the woman isn't begging for a ventouse) but she needs to know its a possibility that increases if she's not pushing brilliently.

HecateQueenOfWitches · 20/02/2011 10:53

Yes, they snatched it off me too.

bastards.

VivaLeBeaver · 20/02/2011 10:53

Oh and some multips do manage to breath on the gas and air all the way through the contractions and still push fine. It really depends on the individual woman. Primips don't tend to be able to, they need to push longer, harder, etc.

Tarlia · 20/02/2011 18:25

Mine was turned into pure oxygen after 2 puffs :( Which they kept barking at me to use 'for the baby'. We kept losing his heartbeat even with the head monitor, he came out not breathing and blue :(. He is 12 days old today, and a healthy little baby, so it ended well, but very scary at the time.

heavenstobetsy · 20/02/2011 18:35

I only arrived at hospital a few minutes before I started pushing and was given gas and air til my ds was out ...... And then again afterwards while the midwife inspected the damage!

I think whether you keep it through the pushing depends on how long you've been dragging on it beforehand since you need to be able to focus on what you're doing which isn't so easy if you're high as a kite ....

middymee · 20/02/2011 18:43

As a mother...my midwife took it off me. I was pushing fine so didn't see an issue.

As a midwife...I only take G&A away if the woman isn't pushing effectively :-)

PinkElephant73 · 20/02/2011 20:33

interesting VivaLeBeaver - I found it quite manageable to take a big lungful of G&A and then push on the out breath. was worried that Iwas biting on the mouthpiece so hard that I would seal it shut though!

Caz10 · 20/02/2011 20:39

The midwife very nicely suggested to me that the g&a was probably making my pushing less effective, and I was so desperate to get that part over with I flung it back at her! Dh says things really did speed up after that so I guess she was right!

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