Pain relief - pick and mix?

[fredandginger]

During my last labour, I had gas & air, diamorphine, syntocinon, 2 failed epidurals and finally a successful epidural

The result of the diamorphine was to stop everything (requiring the midwives to kickstart contractions again with the syntocinon) and make me vomit, a lot.

Would they let me go for gas & air and then epidural from 4-5cm next time because I have already had a go of the 'middle-ground' pain relief which did nothing but cause me trouble?

Very interested to hear what people think about this

Thank you

It can't hurt to ask. For me I went through pretty much all the pain relief available and none of it touched the sides until I had an epidural so i'm going to be requesting the same thing.

There is no reason at all to have to have diamorphine or pethidine before being 'allowed' to have an epidural. It was the one thing I was absolutely adamant about both times - no pethidine. With DD1, I just went straight from gas and air to epidural (also on syntocinon).

They just don't like you to have the epidural too early because obviously you're immobile/less mobile and it can slow things down.