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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

labour with just gas & air?

114 replies

nataliekristin · 26/02/2015 17:25

my mum thinks I'm mad for thinking I'll be alright with just gas and air! i really don't want an epidural and would prefer to do it using only gas and air, obviously this is just my ideal situation and things can change. I'm a first time mum so I can't imagine what pain I'm in for!!

OP posts:

Interrobang · 26/02/2015 17:28

I had gas and air, TENS machine, and laboured in water. That was all. I think go for it, just be prepared to have intervention if absolutely necessary.

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 26/02/2015 17:29

My plan with both of mine was "use the drugs I need as and when I feel I need them". I hoped to be able to use as little intervention as possible but certainly wasnt putting that type of birth on a pedastal.

Dc1 - horrific labour, g&a did nothing, had diamorphene, epidural, forceps deliver in the operating room. Heinous.

Dc2 - 20mins, G&A very effective, was as active as possible, two pushes.

Use what you need as you start to feel you need it. Hopefully you will only need G&A but dont feel disheartened if you need to asl for something stronger.

OsMalleytheCat · 26/02/2015 17:31

Good luck!
You might be able to do it with just gas and air or you might get five minutes in a be begging for an epidural, for what it's worth I was utterly convinced that I'd give birth using gas and air in a birthing pool but after 70-odd hours and a back to back baby I threw the towel in accepted my epidural and happily had a c-section.
My point is have a plan but don't feel guilty for changing your mind once labour starts, keep an open mind about pain relief!

NormHonal · 26/02/2015 17:31

The important thing is to research your options (ante-natal or NCT classes can help with this), discuss them with your midwife if needed, and write a birth plan, but understand that situations can change and you may need to change your plan. This is where being educated about different types of pain relief helps.

I had two straightforward-ish and short-ish labours/births that did not need anything more than a TENS machine and gas and air, but if either baby had been back-to-back, the pain would likely have been far worse.

As it happens, the one thing I absolutely did not want was an episiotomy. I ended up having an episiotomy anyway, it was just what was best for both of us at that time.

thoughtsbecomethings · 26/02/2015 17:32

Gas and air with my first emergency c section with 2nd. Keep an open mind as you never quite know what will happen or how u may feel
Good luck

Gnome134 · 26/02/2015 17:33

I have had three on just gas and air, so it is most definitely possible! Be prepared to accept more pain relief if you need it, but don't assume you will.

ginmakesitallok · 26/02/2015 17:34

I had both mine with just gas and air, perfectly possible. But on my birth plan I had the option of pethidine if i asked it.

Interrobang · 26/02/2015 17:36

To add to Norm's and O's posts, my baby WAS back to back, and I did still manage without any intervention, so it is sometimes still possible.
I think though, had I been in hospital, I may well have had some interventions - as it was, I was at home, so there was nothing for me to have, unless I wanted to be blue-lighted in, which it didn't end up coming to.

Good luck!

softlysoftly · 26/02/2015 17:36

Doable but don't pressure yourself to the stage you feel "failed" if you do need more drugs/intervention because it depends on the labour and your state of mind at the time.

DD1 back to back 3 day labour and she was in distress i lost the plot and an epidural was medically necessary.

DD2 & 3 I did hypnobirthing (highly recommend marie mongan book happy to post it to you if you like! I'm done with babies ) and slept through DD2. Had her head sauntering into hospital. dd3 was harder as she was back to back and forehead first but still stayed calm didn't need pain relief and only had G&A at pushing stage (its awesome stuff! ).

Isithappening · 26/02/2015 17:39

I had just gas and air and both babies were bigger than average and both labours were quite quick and painful. I did have pet hiding written as a back up on my birth plan but by the time I got to the delivery suite I was too late to have anything except gas and air.

CurlyhairedAssassin · 26/02/2015 17:41

Pet hiding!

Bobian123 · 26/02/2015 17:46

Echoing other posters-go for it, but keep an open mind!

I managed with gas and air with DS and was in a pool for the pushing stage (hugely recommend). He got a tad stuck and I ended up getting out of the pool and going down to delivery suite for a ventouse delivery. I was pretty gutted for a while about it, as it was all going so well but can now reflect that it was just the way it went.

Everyone has different labours but there's no reason at all you should plan for a G&A birth. As PP said, massively recommend hypnobirting too. Good luck!

Snowflakepie · 26/02/2015 17:47

You're not mad, but don't think this is a deal breaker. However your baby gets here, as long as they are safe and well, is all that matters. By all means research the options, decide if there are any that you really don't want and make sure your partner knows too, but in the throes of labour you never know how things will go. An open mind is your best bet. Trust your midwife and get them to explain if you need them to. They have been through it all many a time!

Fwiw, I had dd with just gas and air, and a local injection for the episiotomy when forceps were needed. So an epidural isn't always needed even if you have some intervention.

DS I had nothing at all, hurt like hell but what option do you have when it happens so fast only your DH is there?!

And it does all stop when they're born, truly amazing. Good luck. Enjoy the gas and air

chillychicken · 26/02/2015 17:48

I'd go in with an open mind. I'd planned a water birth with just G&A and ended up with meconium in waters so no water birth and a back to back baby. I had G&A and pethidine in the end.

Twunk · 26/02/2015 17:49

I had an induced labour (with syntocin drip) which was 4 hours from a standing start. No pain relief at all as they don't do entonox in dutch hospitals. Twas painful but not so bad I didn't get pregnant again 8 months later.

PunkrockerGirl · 26/02/2015 17:51

Keep an open mind. You haven't failed if you need more than gas and air.

fattymcfatfat · 26/02/2015 17:53

I had two back to back babies with just g&a so its possible it all depends on your reaction to pain I suppose.
just be prepared to take more relief if needed.

ShadowsShadowsEverywhere · 26/02/2015 17:54

I've had two births with only gas and air. First was back to back. Second was 5 day stop start labour and DS got a bit stuck. So yes it is totally possible. My top tips.
Start breathing in the gas and air BEFORE you feel a contraction coming on, when the contraction peaks stop breathing it in and just exhale. All contractions peak and then fade so if you can get through that increase of pain and the peaking then you know that one is over, makes it more manageable. Once I hit transition I breathed it constantly and completely detached. Just sort of let my mind wander away from the pain. Don't tense up, makes the pains worse, don't be scared of the pain, it's a positive pain because it is actively doing something, it's helping the baby be born.

Most of all be open minded. I kept this idea at all times of "just one more on g&a and then I'm having the big drugs" and this meant that if I'd have needed intervention I'd have been open to it, I wouldn't have felt let down or disappointed if I needed forceps or an epidural, but also I found that just one more got me all the way through.

fattymcfatfat · 26/02/2015 17:55

oh and mine were face first (both of them )

ShoeJunkie · 26/02/2015 17:58

Two water births with gas and air.

Both times DH and I had discussed what I did/didn't want in terms of pain relief (no pethedine but epidural ok if the need arose) and what would happen if a c section was needed.

I think as long as you're aware of your options (and the fact that the decision might be taken out of your hands) then it's fine.

UnicornFart · 26/02/2015 17:58

As everyone else has said, keep an open mind.

My birth plan was to give birth in hospital & take all the drugs I wanted/needed, just as long as DS came out ok. I ended up giving birth at home, without even a sniff of paracetamol!

It's amazing what your body can do

LooksLikeImStuckHere · 26/02/2015 17:59

That's what I said too!!

I didn't research other options properly and really regretted it. Gas and air did nothing but hurt my throat. No pain relief at all. I therefore asked for something else and was given pethedene (sp?). If I had known more about other available options and what the side effects of peth are, I don't think I would have chosen it.

As others (everyone I think!) has said, by all means aim for this but you have no idea how it will all play out so be aware of your other options.

Good luck

Original poster

nataliekristin · 26/02/2015 18:02

Thanks for all the responses and advice! I will definitely keep an open mind, 2 weeks to go now so I'll find out soon enough

OP posts:

APlaceInTheWinter · 26/02/2015 18:03

Yy it's possible but just depends what happens. I was induced and only used gas and air. It was really effective for me. I also listened to a hypno-natal birthing CD at home for the last few weeks of pregnancy which was great for breathing and relaxation techniques
However, gas and air made my DSIS vomit, she ended up using pethidine. It's impossible to predict so don't pressure yourself either way.

sanfairyanne · 26/02/2015 18:03

pet hiding would be a brilliant distraction from the pain

i used tens only for one birth (v good) and gas and air for other one. imo it just gave me something to do, i dont think it did much for the pain. the pain is ok though. i felt panicked at one point - that is transition.

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