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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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Inspirachion · 17/10/2011 20:08

Loved loved loved it. Wanted to bring it home.
Also hate to feel/be sick so declined morphine etc. Took the epidural but it only worked partially so never let go of the gas and air.
Try it you might like it

notasupermummy · 17/10/2011 20:09

I loved it, I used a tens machine and then combined it with gas and air for the pushing stage, really helped me. I Dont think I would have coped with the stitches afterwards with out it to be honest. I give it a big thumbs up and intend using the same this time around.

befuzzled · 17/10/2011 20:11

LOVE that stuff! did 3 births with just G and A and had to have it prised out of my hands once the baby was out

mrsm123 · 17/10/2011 20:19

Hi OP,

i have had 3 kids.

1st one - had gas and air and pethidine or diamorphine in thigh, easy labour
2nd one - terrible labour, baby back to back - had everything
3rd one - fast labour due to sentocin drip (speeds up labour) but just had gas and air and pethidine or diamorphine.

3 very different labours despite wonderful plans. had gas and air with all 3 which was a real real help and took the edge off contractions but could still really feel them which was good cause then i could push at the right times.

but to get to your main point - i was very sick after all 3 labours and it couldve been due to the gas and air. i normally hate being sick too and infact it doesnt happen often, i have quite a strong stomach. but do you know what? it didnt bother me. you are so out of it or tired you just tilt your wee head into the sick pot. it was never a problem. it was almost nice, like a release which i know sounds horrible but after what youve just been through it is absolutely nothing to just sit and be sick for a while. also, if my memory serves me correctly they can give you something to help you stop being sick? i think?

anyway, hope this helps. good luck when your time comes x

mrsm123 · 17/10/2011 20:21

ps just to clarify, the gas and air did not make me feel sick during the births, it was after them. and it couldve been the morphine.

Flisspaps · 17/10/2011 20:45

I loved it. It's the only bit of childbirth that I am looking forward to.

Disclaimer - meeting the baby doesn't count as childbirth, as far as I'm concerned the birth bit is done by the time you get a cuddle

grumplestilskin · 17/10/2011 20:46

for some people g&A makes just makes them feel sick and pethidine hits the spot
for others pethedine just makes them feel sick and rough and G&A does the trick

sorry, but you will be none the wiser as to how your body will react to these for THIS birth no matter how many BSs you get here.

FlappyBaps · 17/10/2011 21:00

Hm - must say it made me feel detached - not sick apart from after the first inhalation - but certainly don't think it did much more than give me something to do! Had a complicated birth but gas and air was fine even if not sure it had the desired effect...give it a try!

KenDoddsDadsDog · 17/10/2011 21:04

I loved it to start with as I had been in slow labour at home for 2 days and was desperate! Was completely off my rocker rolling around on a birthing ball.
It made me sick in the end. I think the fact that it's widely advertised in Sunderland Royal that it won't run out made me greedy.
Would love another go !

cara2244 · 17/10/2011 21:06

You're in control with g & a - if you've had too much or are too spaced out, you stop.

LaVitaBellissima · 17/10/2011 21:08

I loved it

brdgrl · 17/10/2011 21:09

it did nothing for me, pain-wise, and i hated the idea of it anyway.

but on the other hand, i was petrified that something would go wrong and they would not give me my epidural. which i did get, and was very happy with.

BabyGiraffes · 17/10/2011 21:22

Forgot to say that I was incredibly sick all throughout dd1's 30+ hour labour... had nothing to do with the g&A at all (was very sick before I had any). No one told me this could just be a reaction to pain/stress/ not having eaten for 20 odd hours etc. I felt very cheated because I felt awful enough already, without throwing up..
So G&A was a welcome distraction and why are some people so opposed to feeling a bit spaced??? Honestly. Childbirth is no contest, you know.

josephinebonaparte · 17/10/2011 21:23

G & A is well good shit.

girlsyearapart · 17/10/2011 21:24

Sorry haven't read all the posts

Also pg with number 4 - 8 weeks left to go.

Can't wait to get some gas & air!

I liked it because you can 'come down' from it very quickly which made me feel much more in control.

Also liked biting on the mouthpiece & it gave me something to focus on.

Does make you spout a load of crap though!!

herethereandeverywhere · 17/10/2011 21:37

I really didn't get on with gas and air. It didn't make me feel sick, just very scared and out of control - like when you've had too much to drink and the room is spinning and you're disconnected from everyone else and feel like no-one understands what you're going through. It didn't have any effect on the pain either. And some hospitals (St Thomas's in London being one) don't allow pethidine as policy (or diamorphine) so you could be very limited with your choices if G&A doesn't work.

bridgingtheabyss · 17/10/2011 21:43

I second josephinebonaparte. Try it, if you don't like it the effects will soon wear off.

ReshapeWhileDamp · 17/10/2011 22:04

I used it with both labours - until an epidural with DS1 and until DS2 was born. I wouldn't have been without it - it was great to have something as simple as breathing to concentrate on, and biting on the mouthpiece was a good outlet too! I felt a little bit sick with DS1 and sat there dribbling for a few minutes, but it passed. With DS2, I didn't feel sick at all. What I didn't like was the taste - can't remember what it was now, but either musty or cheesy (??). Or aniseedy?? Anyway, not particularly pleasant, but you stop noticing/caring after a while.

I only took too much in while the MW was doing my stitches after DS2, and that was quite unpleasant room-spinny.

HotBurrito1 · 17/10/2011 22:04

Had gas and air first labour, was sick and felt quite stressed and disconnected. Second labour held out and had nothing. Felt much better and completely switched on... hurt though, and ended up hoarse through screaming

akaemwahahahafrost · 17/10/2011 22:06

It made me feel sick and floaty and NOT in a good way.

I get terrible panic attacks and tbh it reminded me of them. I only took one breath and that was enough. I grabbed the epidural with both hands though thats for sure .

MrsWajs · 17/10/2011 22:24

Personally I loved it, didn't really do much for the pain but as others have said made me feel disconnected from it all. And also helped keep my breathing controlled. I was on it for a loong time though and started to see little boys cheering me on from the corner of the room, although that could also have been a side effect of the morphine I had so I could get a rest!
I was sick once but think that was more a result of a VE and the shock of labour in general!

I did forget at one point that I was actually having a baby
I didn't bother with it for pushing though, too much faffing around! Thankfully for me after a 27 hour first stage, second stage was only 25 minutes!

NotnOtter · 17/10/2011 22:32

devils work
stick with epidural

banana87 · 17/10/2011 22:33

It feels like you've had a few too many glasses of wine and therefore very very relaxed, and not so worried about the amount of pain you are in. It wears off too quickly though.

oldenoughtowearpurple · 17/10/2011 22:37

I have a full tank of g&a right here right now. Any offers?

NotnOtter · 17/10/2011 22:37

i have never found it to actually relieve any pain

it makes your voice all low and odd and makes your ears reverberate horribly - it takes away all strehgth of character and turns you into a slumped wibbly wreck....

vomitting profusely is a normal side effect for me

as others have said it does wear off very quickly....

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