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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Gas and air - what's it like?

233 replies

mamatomanygirls · 16/10/2011 16:39

Hi, I am due to give birth to no.4 in 7 weeks.

This time I would really like to try and avoid an epidural for various reasons. However I've always been scared of gas and air as I have a complete horror of vomiting or even feeling sick and I've heard it can make you nauseous.

What is it like? Does it really help with the pain? Does it make you feel sick and lightheaded too?

Thanks in advance.x

OP posts:

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FunnysInTheGarden · 17/10/2011 12:46

Loved it too. The best thing about having a baby IMO

mawbroon · 17/10/2011 12:47

Ooooooooh I love G&A.

I first had it when A&E plastered and manipulated my broken ankle. I was pregnant, and they wouldn't give me anything stronger than paracetamol for the pain. Fecking paracetamol. Anyway, when I came round from the G&A (very quickly) there were tears streaming down my face from the pain, and I think I had been effing and blinding at the doc who was doing the plaster. Poor guy!

Then when I had ds2, I couldn't wait to have G&A It makes the room spin a bit at first, but keep sooking. The more you have, the less you care!!

blackoutthesun · 17/10/2011 12:48

ooh gas and air is great stuff, they should sell it in shops!

i'm still miffed that the mw got my dp to take it off me as i kept trying to cross my legs and to roll of the bed

Dirtydishesmakemesad · 17/10/2011 12:53

I used it with dc4 and it was pretty good. I found that i did feel a bit lightheaded but i only had to stop using it for a matter of seconds for it to clear. It eased the pain and i didnt feel sick at all. I am def asking for it for dc5.

ZeroMinusZero · 17/10/2011 12:54

I had an epidural but still carried on with the gas and air anyway and it helped a lot.

ZeroMinusZero · 17/10/2011 12:54

I had an epidural but still carried on with the gas and air anyway and it helped a lot.

MotherOfHobbit · 17/10/2011 12:56

I think it definitely depends on the person. It affects everyone differently. I had it once at the dentist and it gave me very unpleasant hallucinations! I tried again during childbirth and it made me sick.
On the other hand, others as mentioned have found it a real benefit. Unfortunately, you won't know til you try.

Maisiethemorningsidecat · 17/10/2011 12:58

Wonderful, wonderful stuff. I used it in each of my 3 labours (including one ventouse delivery). There was absolutely no way I was having a needle stuck in my spine (it makes me shudder just thinking about that idea!), so used the TENS, birth pool and lots and lots of G&A.

notnowbernard · 17/10/2011 13:00

I bloody love gas and air

For me, it didn't make me nauseous. Didn't stop the pain but made me forget about it for a bit . Also really helped with breathing, 'cos if you don't breathe 'properly' you don't get the effect

Made me feel out of it. In a good way. But quite like feeling out of it

cuteboots · 17/10/2011 13:00

Bloody marvellous stuff! I had the whole birth planned out but in the end Gas and Air was my only choice. They took it off me in the end as I stopped pushing and focusing apparently!

Purplebuns · 17/10/2011 13:01

Gave me something to do whilst I coped with the searing agony of my induced, back to back labour. I was puking my guts up, dying of thirst so drinking lots of water that I would throw up, had a sore throat for a few days after birth because of it, and it did hardly anything for the pain. Oh and it made me feel horribly out of control. I wouldn't give it up at the time though, it was a sort of crutch and when my contractions weren't too bad it did help with the pain.

I have hopes that it will be better this time as I don't fancy any of the alternative drugs.

Nowtspecial · 17/10/2011 13:01

I had it for my DD2, it did nothing for the pain, just made me feel out of control and a bit detached from my body, and more vulnerable.

CailinDana · 17/10/2011 13:05

Loved it

I was 5cms dilated before I got it and the contractions were vicious. I had intended not to get an epidural but at that point I was seriously considering it. Then the MW handed me the G and A, I took a few puffs, and voila I could cope! It didn't take away the pain it just calmed me down a lot, controlled my breathing and sort of took me one step away from everything so that I could get a handle on it. MW said I "used it excellently"

greenzebra · 17/10/2011 13:08

Ive used it twice once in labour where I used it all the way through, for me it split my mind in two. One half was feeling all the pain while the other half just didnt care. The just didnt care part was telling the other part to get on with it. Very funny! I only could hear my DH when Im on it, so the midwife has to talk through him to me. I was told to breathe it in and breathe out while its in your mouth. I agree with the others it helps control your breathing and I found it was easier to just worry about breathing in and out rather than the pain. I would deffinitly use it next time. I did feel sick at the beginning but that was because I wasnt breathing it in properly I was just taking short breaths. If you really breathe it in I found the sickness feeling went away.
I then used it when I fell down the stairs, the ambulance crew gave it to me so they could stand me up.
It does give you a funny voice.

tarara · 17/10/2011 13:09

take it slow, and get into it !
just deep breaths , keep focused and try not to chat or talk too much ! make sure your partner knows what you want and let him do the talking for you, just close your eyes, focus grip that gas mask and deep breaths the minute you feel that contraction coming !
i done this on no.3 and i couldnt believe i managed it without an epi.!
GOOD LUCK

SomethingAboutThisPlace · 17/10/2011 13:12

Great stuff. I do vividly remember hanging onto DH and saying "I'm as high as a kite" but it worked well for me. Don't recall feeling sick, but I did give me a dry mouth so I kept asking for more water.

I think there is a knack to taking it. You need to start to breathe it in right when a contraction first starts so it's working when the pain really kicks in. Took a few contractions to get it "right" the first time I used it but am glad I persevered.

stegasaurus · 17/10/2011 13:14

I loved it. I've never been properly drunk so can't compare to that, but I felt nicely out of it and away from everything that was going on. It didn't make me sick. I barely remember much of the labour and had no idea why I had to be moved from the midwife-led unit to consultant-led part way through though I am sure it was explained at the time. I don't know if that is due to gas and air though or just my memory blocking out the labour.

Mandy21 · 17/10/2011 13:17

As others have said, I think it really depends on the person.

I had pethadene (sorry if thats spelt incorrectly) first time round and I felt as drunk as a skunk, completely and utterly out of it, had no concept of what was going on, really didn't like it.

2nd time around I had gas & air and felt completely in control - didn't feel drunk or sick or even lightheaded. Whether it does actually have an effect, or you just believe it does (in a kind of mind over matter way), its the routine of sucking on the gas when the contraction comes and then resting in between.

I think you can only have it until you push though - I had to stop using it when I started pushing (but that might have just been my midwife?!)

HappyAsIAm · 17/10/2011 13:19

It was fabulous. I first had it for a VE whilst in labour, before being sent home as I was only 1 cm dilated. It was amazing stuff. I knew then that I would be able to do the labour on G&A - it was that good. I had no side effects at all from it, and used it in the birthing pool too. It wasn't like being drunk for me. it was loads better and helped me more than I ever thought would be possible.

DS needed to be delivered by EMCS in the end though, as (I later found out) the cord was wrapped round his neck and each of his legs in a figure eight.

CurlyCasper · 17/10/2011 13:23

Fab stuff, but only works for pain up to a certain point. Really helps you to just forget about the contractions - partly because you feel stoned and partly because it gives you something else to think about. By transition I was looking at it as if it was broken - and they took it off me for pushing anyway. It did not make me sick at all.

matana · 17/10/2011 13:33

Fabulous stuff, i filled my boots. Didn't feel sick at all and at one stage would not let them wrestle it off me. I instead used it as a bargaining tool: "I'll do what i'm supposed to, i promise, just let me keep it".

Wigeon · 17/10/2011 13:39

Used it in both labours. Didn't make me feel sick or be sick or feel light-headed or drunk or stoned or anything. Felt completely in control when I was using it. Took the edge off the pain rather than actually relieving the pain. Did get a very dry mouth when I used it for my first labour, but DH was there with a cup of water and straw to sip between each contraction. Would definitely use it again.

As others have said, the great thing is that if you hate it you can just stop using it immediately and it wears off straight away.

spookshowangellovesit · 17/10/2011 13:46

made me feel stoned which made me throw up.

seasidesister · 17/10/2011 13:49

Loved it. At one point I thought I was a rock god on stage
(wish they had taken my mobile phone away from me though...)

RIZZ0 · 17/10/2011 13:50

I didn't make me feel sick. It did make me lightheaded and take me away from it all while the contraction hit, and then quickly subsided. If you try it once and don't like it then at least the effect is gone fast?

The best way to describe it is to think of Homer when he sees doughnuts

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