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Childbirth

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

Original poster

How many of you would not have had your children or wouldn;t have anymore if you could only have gas and air during labour??

79 replies

MadameCastafiore · 29/08/2011 12:28

Obviously labour with intervention that needs additional pain relief not included.

I would have had another, wasn;t a huge issue for me but wondering on the back of another thread whether it would really put most women off of having children.

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Abcinthia · 30/08/2011 17:19

I could only have gas and air because of a fast labour. To be honest, I'd never have gas and air again. It made me feel sick and didn't do anything for the pain.

If I have any more children, I'd like to try pethidine a try. But I have another fast labour and can't have it, I'd prefer to give birth without gas and air.

SouthernFriedTofu · 30/08/2011 17:46

pam that's good that was my only issue with hypnobirthing and I am glad th eperson helping you hasn't given you that feeling at all.

All that said, you will probably have a lovely birth and not need anything.. and you will massivlely regret not getting to experience the awesomeness that is gas and air Grin

Its fecking brilliant

matana · 31/08/2011 17:27

Gas and air did little for the pain, but boy did i have a laugh with my DH in between contractions. Humour is a great distraction. Providing there were no complications i'd definitely just go with gas and air again if we had another. Epidurals are too clinical for me. I suppose i'm a bit of a naturalist at heart. The pain was never really bad enough to warrant more than gas and air (or rather, it was, but by that stage they would never have given me anything else anyway - another minute and it's all over).

breatheslowly · 31/08/2011 19:12

I'm another who won't be having another unless I can have a CS, so I will be expecting not to just be using G&A for that and for the spinal to work on both sides before they take a scapel to me.

rubyslippers · 31/08/2011 19:15

Like another postr I wasn't allowed an epidural becuAse of a bleeding disorder

I had gas and air with both deliveries

What nearly put me off was the stitches after the first delivery

LoveBeingIgnoredByMardyBra · 31/08/2011 19:31

I only had g&a with dd and ds is due next week. I will be trying not to rely on it too much this time as it defo took my focus away from getting her out and how I wanted to deliver.

happyjules · 01/09/2011 00:37

Didn't get as far as gas and both times, happy with tens and subsequently the birth pool. Now if somebody said I couldn't give birth in water that would be an entirely different matter!!

Pang · 01/09/2011 00:52

With last child I had nothing. There was no time he was born as the midwife walked through the door. Very painful but there is no getting around that. What's a few hours of pain compared to a life time of joy.

NasalCoffeeEnema · 01/09/2011 00:54

Gas and air makes me sick so never had it after the first try with firs babyt
give birth without anything anyway so yes I would

flangeismyfaveword · 01/09/2011 00:57

I only had gas and air for my first but would have gladly sold my soul for an epidural had I not been in complete denial about being in actual labour and left it too late.

donthateme · 03/09/2011 11:48

Yes, I had only gas and air with my first, and I think if you can get through your first birth, which is likely to be the longest and most painful, without epidural, then you feel confident you can cope with anything.

I found the second birth (with a few whiffs of g and a) much easier.

I have a few friends who had an epidural for the first one, and were then very keen to try to manage without for the next baby, so I think there must be quite a strong urge among many women that natural is best if possible

Supersunnyday · 03/09/2011 18:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability · 06/09/2011 19:59

I only had entonox with DS and had an episiotomy and ventouse. I am hoping not to need anything more than G&A with DC2 either.
So if you're only including "normal" labour, it wouldnt bother me at all

seeker · 06/09/2011 20:01

Loads of women only have gas and air.

SansaLannister · 06/09/2011 20:15

G&A just made me vom.

Had epi with two of my births and nothing with one.

Nothing on this Earth could induce me to have another baby, though.

Sofabitch · 06/09/2011 20:16

I only had gas and air with all 4 of mine.

exexpat · 06/09/2011 20:27

I had both mine in Japan despite knowing beforehand that Japanese hospitals do not offer any pain relief in labour, unless the medical staff think it is necessary (ie if there is likely to be serious intervention or c-section).

There was one foreign-trained doctor in Tokyo who made a very good living out of offering epidurals to scared expat mothers, but who also had an American style c-section rate - well over 50 per cent, based on people I know who used him.

I went to a normal Japanese hospital, and it was fine. I think if you know what to expect, you just get on with it.

Georgimama · 06/09/2011 20:34

I only had G & A for birth 1 and would happily have repeated it, but had horrible tear and DD was breech so she came out the sunroof instead.

I'm not having any more babies because I can't stand pregnancy. Labour/c section is a doddle compared with nine months of anxiety.

Tempingmaniac · 07/09/2011 12:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ohanotherone · 09/09/2011 14:40

I had nothing the first time and G&A the second time so would happily give birth again with just G&A!

DrCoconut · 09/09/2011 19:17

I had G+A for DS2 plus local for an episiotomy (does that count as just G+A?). He was an instrumental delivery as he got stuck. It was too late for an epidural so the obstetrician just got on with it and got him out safe. Not at all pleasant at the time but I recovered well and have not said no way to more children. But DS2 is only 5 months so too soon yet. DS1 I had G+A then pethidine. It was good but I was much more out of it after. I liked being completely clear headed so soon after DS2.

Poley · 09/09/2011 23:15

I had just gas & air with dd and found it extremely hard going and traumatic and in the moments after she was born asked the nurses and midwives if I could have a cs the next time and they just laughed haha
She was my first though, have been assured that the next time (if there is one!!) it will be a very different story so would just have g&a again in that case!

PotPourri · 09/09/2011 23:20

I had a selection of g&a and diamorphine/pethadine. While I was glad I had done a g&a, I was much better a little bit removed (both during and after the birth). However, I had an open mind and would have done it with g&a - especially since I knew I could do it...

I think most people would get over it and do it anyway tbh. I had hideous morning sickness, which got worse each time, then SPD kicked in as the morning sickness eased off - again, worse each time. And yes, on the face of it that would put me off. But if I wanted another baby or fell pregnant by accident, I would just get on with it and think "I've done it before, I can do it again"

emmyloo2 · 10/09/2011 14:21

I had only gas and air. It was ok. I had morphine shot in bum during my 36 hours of labour but it was well and truly worn off by the time by DS arrived.

cambridgeferret · 10/09/2011 15:46

I had a fast labour with DD1 and was given that wonderful new drug fresh air. They had connected the mouthpiece up incorrectly so it didn't actually work. Thanks guys.
Had the real thing with DD2 but would have really liked more pain relief. But things again went so fast that there wasn't time.

Not anticipating a next time but I really wouldn't want an epidural - made me very sick when I had one for an operation.

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