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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

pain relief for homebirth

31 replies

agalch · 06/02/2006 16:32

Does anyone who has had a homebirth know what pain relief you can have at home? i assume its only entinox? Am considering for my 4th (and last) baby. Thanks

OP posts:

Rhian101 · 06/02/2006 17:30

It depends entirely on where you are. I think you'll have to ask your midwife. You can definately have entinox and some places let you have pethidine type drugs (not necessarily pethidine). I had a waterbirth at home and found that very relaxing too. You cannot have an epidural however. Hope that's of some help

Blu · 06/02/2006 17:32

TENS, pool, entonox, and possibly pethidine.

BonyM · 06/02/2006 17:38

I had TENS, birthing pool and entonox. Could have had pethidine as well but opted not to.

Original poster

agalch · 06/02/2006 17:47

Thanks that gives me some much needed info.I am worried that as with my other 3 births i was fine until 6/7 cms dilated and then i really needed something else ie diamorphine.Just worried i won't cope with just entinox etc.Maybe being at home i'll feel more relaxed anyway which i think helps with pain anyway.Will ask mw when i see her on thursday.

OP posts:

BonyM · 06/02/2006 20:07

agalch - I am the world's biggest wimp and have a very low pain threshold - had an epidural when I gave birth to dd1.

Being at home definitely made the pain more bearable when I had dd2 - I still can't quite believe that I managed it with nothing stronger than entonox.

Trust me - if I can do it, anyone can! .

Good luck.

Original poster

agalch · 07/02/2006 07:19

Thanks for the reply BonyM,gives me confidence that i could cope.my friends who were my birth partners for no3 said they were amazed at how well i coped so am definitly speaking to mw about the possibility of a homebirth.It was origionally ruled out as i thought i'd had a 3rd degree tear but it turns out it was only 2nd degree so heres hoping!!

OP posts:

RosiePosie · 07/02/2006 08:18

Not every area is happy about having pethidine at homebirths. The MW's here say that they won't use it. I'm not sure though, if push came to shove and I got a prescription from the GP whether they'd help administer it or not. However, not an issue for me as I hate the stuff. I coped okay with a TENS and plenty of G&A.

Bozza · 07/02/2006 08:31

I just had TENS and G&A (only for about last 5 minutes though). However I had a prescription of pethidine in the house - midwives round here won't carry it. Seen as how I managed with just TENS and g&a on my first birth I wasn't expecting to need it but thought it a good idea to have it as an insurance. DH had to witness the midwife flushing it down the toilet afterwards! Being at home helped me immensely btw.

BonyM · 07/02/2006 10:04

agalch - btw, for me, the best pain reliever was getting into the birthing pool - don't think I would do a homebirth without it if we were ever to have another. It was absolute bliss and really helped to relax me. Didn't actually give birth in it though.

Original poster

agalch · 07/02/2006 11:52

Thanks again girls.Am dying to see mw on Thursday now.Dp not keen on the idea so need her to be really keen and supportive.If she says no because of tear i may cry,i am so keen on the idea now.

OP posts:

Original poster

agalch · 07/02/2006 11:54

Would deffo think about the pool,we do have underfloor heating tho?? Who did you have at your birth? I think my kids would like to be there but not sure,wouldn't want to scare them.They are 14 and 10.DD is 18 months so she'd be elsewhere hopefully.

OP posts:

sweetkitty · 07/02/2006 12:28

I had a homebirth 12 days ago and had gas and air although I did have morphine present just in case. I had to get a prescription from my GP for it and Boots had to order it in especially.

Bozza · 07/02/2006 14:17

I had one midwife and DH, with DS downstairs watching Tweenies video. Wasn't planned like that....

Should have been one more midwife and no DS.

MissChief · 07/02/2006 14:17

ditto BoneyM & others - pool was the best pain relief - esp because in yr own environment so felt so relaxing, natural, not clinical at all..I'm also a big wuss and I found the combination of great midwife, pool to hide in & both water & gas& air for pain relief got me thro' fine..I swear I could not have done the same in hospital! Looking out my sitting room window (from the pool) at my cat &garden birds while coming up to transition was really good for the soul! We had underfloor heating too btw, not a problem but check with yr pool supplier. We used the Active Birth Centre.

BonyM · 07/02/2006 15:11

I had 2 wonderful midwives (local policy states that 2 are required for a waterbirth) and dh.

My parents came to collect dd1(who was 7 at the time) - I am glad they did, because I screamed a lot! Also, I haemorraeged after the 3rd stage so there was a lot of blood which I wouldn't have wanted dd1 to see.

Rhian101 · 07/02/2006 15:35

Just one word of warning about a waterbirth, I had one a couple of months ago at home and had heard that the water could speed up delivery: After a very long first labour I was all set for a very long one and got in the pool at 4cm dilated. Well after about 10 very intense contractions, an hour later, I was holding ds2 in my arms! Would definately have a waterbirth again but would bare in mind that it really can get things going!

RosiePosie · 07/02/2006 15:51

I wouldn't mind a pool, but we have absolutely no where to put it, and we don't fancy faffing around with an inflatable one when I'm in labour. I managed fine with Tens and G&A at my last homebirth - it hurt obviously, but I did it, and so I know I can do it again without water this time ( 37 wks today )

dancey · 25/02/2006 20:30

I wasn't in on this original conversation, but thought I'd ask if anyone is still reading this.

Has anyone used their own bath at home as a birthing pool?

RedZuleika · 25/02/2006 20:36

It doesn't work the same way. I used a bath early on, but it doesn't allow you to get into the sort of positions you might want to adopt.

Adding to the original thread, I'd say you can go a long way on a birthing pool, hot water bottles and ice packs...

birthfriendly · 17/03/2006 21:03

anything apart from an epidural! I've planned 3 homebirths and have used:

-birth pool
-bath/shower
-aromatherapy
-homeopathy
-accupressure
-hypnobirthing
-TENs

I didn't use gas and air as I'm claustrophobic and didn't use pethidine as I'm scared of drugs but both were freely available to me!

Go for it!!

Sarahx

pupuce · 17/03/2006 21:06

Agalch - BonyM is right- confoortable surroundings make the pain far less of an issue as you are less scared. A good birth partner would help too... someone who makes you feel secure.

Aero · 17/03/2006 21:08

Hijack

pupuce · 17/03/2006 21:10

I did... so did you obviously ... I look better in real life and my name was mis-spelled!!!

Aero · 17/03/2006 21:13

I only has entinox as my GP refused to prescribe anything to have in the house and my midwife wouldn't have been happy to admininser pethadine anyway, but like everyone else says, being at home in itself, and being relaxed, is the best painkiller going. I was so much more able to cope with the pain in my own home with a midwife who filled me with confidence than I was in hospital with my previous two births.

Aero · 17/03/2006 21:15

Nice article. I thought I recognised the name and of course the occupation which kind of confirmed it.

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