Remifentanil as pain relief in labour?

[midori1999]

Has anyone had this and if so, how did you find it, especially if you can compare to other types of pain relief?

I will end up being induced unless I go into labour myself in the next week (hoping I will, managed to avoid induction in my previous 5 births... ) and don't want, although would be very unlikely to be able to have anyway, an epidural.

Remifentanil is offered at my hospital and would be my preferred choice after G&A due to its short half life and that because of that it doesn't affect the baby like other opiates do. I'm wondering how effective it is though as the anaesthetist mentioned it doesn't take effect for a minute or so after administration.

Probably the same, I had fentanyl (sp?) on a pump as I can't have an epidural and morphine was doing nothing. It was great. gave me a proper spacey 2hr rest during a very painful no gap between contractions induced labor. I am going to ask for it again.

Mixed review here. Was aiming for VBAC so knew I had do avoid an epidural as being on my back was likely to grind everything to a halt. Pethidine did nowt except give me a sore leg where I got the jab! I was properly off my face - I do remember talking complete and utter bollocks but at the same time, being aware I was talking mince. Very different from the lovely calm pain free epidural! At the time it seemed like the button was just a distraction but clearly the fact I was off my tits means it must have been doing something. My contractions were closer together than the gap between shots of remifentanil but this was a concept I couldn't grasp at the time! So every 2nd contraction I should have got pain relief but instead I was often frantically pressing the button, looking for relief and instead would give myself a dose just in time for the gap between contractions .

When it came to the pushing phase, I was too away with the fairies (though I had no natural urge to push, which may have been the bigger issue?) so they had to leave me for an hour with no pain relief in order to get me off cloud cuckoo land. That meant by the time I was meant to start pushing (still no natural urge) I was exhausted and DD was born by forceps with an episotomy. Looking back I don't see what other option would have worked better TBH but at the same time, I wouldn't rush to recommend it.