Gas and air - did it work for you?

[Eeeeeeeek]

I am due to have baby#2 soon and although I used gas and air for a short time during my first labour, I didn't find it hugely helpful, but I'm unsure if I used it properly?

I would like to use gas and air again this time, preferably combined with water, and just wondered how effective you all found it during labour? Also did you use it during the pushing stage and if so, how does it work, as you're meant to breathe it through for the whole contraction aren't you?

Thanks in advance

Oh and if you do use it tell your partner to remind you stretch your jaw now and again. My jaw was agony for days afterwards as I had spent about 6 hours with it continually clenched around the mouthpiece :)

It gave me something else to focus on is all. Very grateful for that.

Loved gas and air and used it exclusively with my 2nd,3rd and 4th.
Number 3 was back to back so that stung a bit mind!

I like the face mask as you just clamp it on and breathe the minute you feel that contraction starting to come over the horizon (you know, that pre-contraction here comes a contraction feeling) and then when you're at tilt and they're seconds apart you don't have to concentrate on keeping the 'bit' between your teeth.

Oh and if you can get yourself in the birthing pool-fantastic only wish I'd done it with all four, not just the last one! :o

I didn't get the hang of it for either of my births. Both times I started with tens (amazing machines, a must have IMO) and then with no 1 I used G&A around 7cm, while I waited for the epidural. I must have taken some in, as I remember giggling like mad, but I don't remember feeling it touched the pain or helped at all. No 2 was born in the MLU, and I was v worried that I wouldn't be strong enough to get through labour on just the G&A, but as it was I declared the mouthpiece 'stupid and ridiculous' and flung it across the room after the first puff and coped fine with just my tens and then the pool

Try it and see what happens - if you don't like it you can try something else. Good lyck

#1 - no real help from G&A but I was induced and made to lie flat on my back in hospital. Pain was continual rather than in waves. I was scared and lonely.

#2 - brilliantly effective. I was at home, labouring on my feet most of the time, much more relaxed and contractions came in waves. It's like having a couple of large glasses of Chardonnay with Sunday lunch - lovely

Worth a go?

Just like to clarify there - #2 was a nicer birth but the rest of it did not resemble a Sunday lunch!!

I thought it was great. I didn't realise how great it was until the mouthpiece came off and I wasn't breathing it in anymore - then I realised it had been doing a sterling job of controlling my pain. I'd also agree it was a great focus.

And I'm a wuss...but it really helped me.

Useless. I assumed that it would actually provide pain relief and was shocked when everyone went 'oh no - it's just meant to make you more distant from the pain so you don't care so much'. Useless.

I have used it three times for birth related things - DD1 I had it for pessary insertions (had SPD so that HURT!) and it just made me sick, with DD2 I used it for 3 minutes of her 4 minute delivery and mainly bit on the mouthpiece so it was useful to give me something to focus on, with DD3 I used it for longer, though mainly in transition so I kept throwing the mouthpiece away as it 'juddered' and then demanded it back so how much I actually got is debatable, I also used it during DD3's delivery and that did help.

In non-childbirth related things it has helped probably because I was used to the way of breathing technique, though I did sink down the largest cannister I had ever seen (about 5ft tall!) when I had pancreatitis and I had had a shedload of other pain relief including morphine and it still hurt worse than having a baby. Worked really well when I had a burst ovarian cyst and I felt pretty drunk .

With DS I found that it made absolutely no difference at all and couldn't understand what all the fuss was about. Only the proper drugs made anything any better, but it was a long and difficult labour. With DD I only had gas and air and was very sceptical when they offered it as I didn't expect it to work again. It was amazing. No idea why I had 2 such different experiences of it, but would highly recommend it as I felt much more in control with DD and also went ever so slightly bonkers in a comedy way.

By the time I got round to pushing, I was allowed to use the gas and air between contractions(!) but had to pass it over to my DH while I actually pushed. I think they told me I was not pushing properly because I was concentrating on trying to get the gas and air!! It was helpful inbetween contractions by that time though and because I was pushing I wasn't too fussed about not having it.

cardamom in that way it's no different to diamorphine/pethidine etc. The only thing that will take the pain away completely is an epidural.

I'd say it doesn't really ease the pain as such, just changes the way you experience it. I like it a lot. First time I used it I hallucinated that I was a seagull. Super weird but quite cool.

Did nothing for me in either birth. I had pethidine both times too and that didn't help either. With DD2 it helped to bite down on the mouthpiece and it gave me something to concentrate on but I didn't feel distant or spaced out at all. I only felt the effects afterwards when I was being stitched up (episeotomy with DD1, tear with DD2) - I was truly flying then - just a shame I didn't get that when I really needed it!

It made me feel drunk and I wittered on as if I'd had several drinks too many. I looked back on the birth like a drunken night out with hazy memory and a faint sense of embarrassment. With number 2 there was no time for it and other than having to remind myself not to make such a noise, and focus on the birthing, it was much better and clearer.

I couldn't use it, I tried but didn't like it so ended going without anything. The taste reminded me of petrol & it made me feel really sick. Strangely though I was fine using it when I was stitched.

I'm not sure it did a whole lot for me on DD1, but it was certainly a psychological help, gave me something to focus on. It definitely worked for the stitching afterwards though when I was a bit calmer.

I would have loved it for DD2, I needed the focus (very short very intense labour) but I was in Belgium where it's epidural or nothing. I missed my gas & air.

DS - no pain relief until emcs apart from Tens, which was useless. He was undiagnosed footling breech.

DD - G&A useless. Pethidine marvellous. Another emcs due to uterine rupture.

DD - pulling drain out a few days later - G&A also useless.

I know so many people who have had more straightforward births with G&A and Tens quite happyly that I suspect it was my babies' particular complications that made the tens/g&a less effective for me.

Used it for a couple of hours during labour, found it amazingly helpful as it meant I could control my breathing and focus on something. That was by far it's main benefit. Quite enjoyed the buzzy feeling just afterwards too, and liked that it wore off quickly.

It stopped working for me in transition, I thought it had been turned off so DH tried it and wobbled over! Didn't use it for pushing, which is probably a good thing as I doubt I would have been able to listen to the midwife! Managed only a minor tear even though DD has her hand over her face. I'm sure this is down to going slowly slowly with the pushing (or I have baggy bits )

Also agree about the TENS! DD was back to back and it really helped me.

No. But it did give me something to concentrate on!

Gas and air for both two.

I felt a bit spacey (with DC2 I asked because the baby was on the way out and I was not in a hospital if I could have a cigarette ). It gave me something to focus on and made it easier while pushing but they took it off me during the last big pushes and just gave me the disposable mouthpiece to bite down on.

Later in hospital when they tried to manually remkve my retained placenta I used LOTS as is was so painful but they ended up taking me to theatre for a spinal anyway :(

Loved the stuff, but I was really glad I'd used it before pregnancy as the drunk sensation is quite sudden. Worked really well as pain relief for me, especially with #2 when we found I was already maxing the TENS on arrival at the hospital. Though being high as a kite on it and having it alter sense of time was very wierd as there was a huge clock in front of me! I think the relief of going from screaming in pain to happily pain-free had most of the intoxicating effect.

Did absolutely nowt for me except make me dizzy (and I properly went for it while waiting for the epidural that never came!).

I did have an utterly hideous, agonising back to back labour though!

Fantastic stuff!

Found it really useful!

DC1 - didnt help at all, just dried my mouth out and made me feel sick

DC2 - amazing! helped tons!