Pain Relief??

[lilarose16]

I have completely scared myself out of an epidural and it really is out of the question for me!

I am really considering Diamorphine, but would like some of your experiences of birth WITHOUT an epidural and the pain relief you used? or what help you get through

My first little girl is due in 10 weeks and im petrified!

I gave birth to my first baby 13 weeks ago and like you was determined not to have an epidural. I chose to give birth in a birthing centre where they weren't even on offer (could request transfer to maternity ward at any point though) and ended up using a pool and g&a. The pool was brilliant, I found it very calming and the g&a gave me something to focus my breathing on.

Have you read up on breathing techniques and hypnobirthing? They can both be really effective ways of keeping pain under control, either as an alternative to or as well as other pain relief options.

No experience of diamorphine but I was pretty keen to avoid that too as I didn't want to feel too out of control! I know some people find g&a makes them feel a bit drunk and detached - it did for me too but it was very short lived, I felt completely back in the room within about 10 seconds of finishing each puff.

Congratulations and good luck!

Please don't be petrified - I know that's easy for me to say but you'll be fine!

I had an epidural for my first and it was amazing! However, I managed without for my second birth and just used the gas and air. Gas and air doesn't take the pain away but it makes you feel detached from it and you don't care quite so much. It wears off quickly so In Between contractions you feel normal. Some people don't get the hang of using it properly so it's not as effective but if you start to inhale it just as you start to feel a contraction coming it can really help.

I also felt like it gave me something to focus on other than the contractions.

Hi thank you for sharing your experience ! congratulations on your little one :)

My partners mum is a hypnotherapist and she completed a hypno-birthing course as soon as we told her I was pregnant so I am going to give that a go, but have always been a little sceptical with the whole hypnotising thing but I am willing to try anything to avoid the epidural! xx

I knew straight away that I didn't want anything, just gas and air. My sister had pethidine with her first and it completely knocked her out so I didn't like the idea of that! I've never liked the idea of an epidural, going in your back and not being able to feel my body. My other sister said the gas and air made her sick. But all I wanted was to actually feel what my body was doing (it was intervention I was more scared of!)

I had gas and air, the first puff made me puke, but after that it was absolutely fine. It took the edge off of the end of a contraction and gave me something to distract myself really. But all I was thinking when I was having another contraction was 'if I just get through this mid bit, then it's over'. I thought that with each one, forgetting there were more to come. I think you have to take each one as is to get through otherwise you'll worry about the next before it's even there. Just breathing through it, or groaning so the vibrations went through me, helped. Letting my body just do it and accept the pain.
Screaming doesn't help because the "energy" is coming from the wrong end, if you know what I mean. That's why they say don't scream when you're pushing, you need that energy.

Don't assume you will need heavy duty pain meds!
My first was born 2 1/2 hours after I got to hospital. A bit of gas and air and a water birth. Best pain relief ever!
I wouldn't rule anything in or out before you are in labour as you have no idea how it will feel.
Good luck.

I had pethidine with dd1. It was good pain relief as it knocked me out and I woke up to push.

I had no pain relief at all with dd2 and although I am a huge wimp normally it wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be. I went into a zone and managed to get through.

You aren't hypnotized! It's actually a silly name hypnobirthing as its not like a stage show, you are just trying to stay as deeply relaxed as possible. I did my first birth the hard and completely clueless way, this time I'm in control with hypnobirthing 😊

Look at the Juju Sundin Birth Skills thread active on this board for people's experience using physiological (body-based) pain coping techniques.

Spinal was wonderful. The diamorphine they administered after birth for my episiotomy and retained placenta was awful and made me itch like hell for 24hours and antihistamines didn't even take the edge of, I scratched my skin raw.

Fyi I gave birth without the epidural but needed the epidural for retained placenta (it was that or general). If there is ever a next time I'm having an epidural as soon as possible.

For the actual birth I had paracetamol and gas and air but the gas and air did nothing, just made my face tingle so in the end I used nothing.

I was very anti - epidural too. Planned to have a water birth. Baby finding had different ideas after a loooong labour I had the works including spinal block for a forceps delivery. Not what I wanted but what I needed. These decisions are not always in our hands so don't vilify certain options otherwise if you end up needing to use them you'll only feel shit about yourself.

For the start I used a tens machine and gas & air. (I thought the tens wasn't doing anything until it turned itself off and I went a tiny bit mental.)

Then pool with gas & air from 5cm. Then he was born within an hour or two. It hurts, but can be manageable.

Second was along the same lines.

That said, if I have another I said I'm having an epidural and sleeping through it to get some rest before the newborn phase. that's how it works right??

I wanted a water birth and started with one but had to get out as they could not monitor the baby properly. Had G&A and threw up everywhere so basically persevered with nothing. You can plan for the ideal but it might not work out. Expecting my second and looking into hypnosis birthing.

Junosmum You had diamorphine for the episiotomy alone, or the other stuff as well? I had crappy Local afterwards for it.

ayria they gave me diamorphine when I was in surgery as a general long lasting pain killer as i had forceps and manual evac of placenta, so all in all very swollen and bruised down there! they didn't even ask me if I wanted it.

OP - don't rule anything out before the birth. It will be far better to go in with an open mind as you have no idea how you will feel until the situation is upon you.

I'd "ruled out" an epidural and diamorphine as I was going to do it all with just hypnobirthing, yoga and the water pool.

When, after a 24hr back to back labour, I ended up with an epidural, diamorphine, an episiotomy and forceps, I felt like utter shit. Like I'd failed. I'd believed that if I trusted my body it would know what to do. It didn't and both DS and I ended up in a very bad way.

This time I'm going into labour with no preconceptions whatsoever, and I feel much more relaxed as a result.

So, yes, don't rule out an epidural! As for diamorphine, it really helped at the time. I needed it, had no ill effects aside from a feeling of confused trippiness (much like being on class As at festivals in my previous life!!) and I'd have it again if I needed it.

Epidural slowed my labour right down with DD1. I just didn't know how to push when the time came. That said, when they turned it off I was in absolute agony and still felt no natural urge to bear down and get on with it.

DD1 delivered by ventouse after a long labour. Needed topping up with the epidural for the removal of the placenta which was in pieces.

DD2 delivered on my own on the bedroom floor. Super fast labour and by the time I called the midwife and the ambulance, (when she was hanging out of me) it was all over. Swift, agonising but all over so quick.

She does have an ASD diagnosis though which I will always wonder if it was partly down to her birth and having no experts present.

My first was a hypnobirth, my second was an epidural birth.

Both were fantastic, and honestly I loved them both. DS1 was over and done with in 5 hours, great position, labored in water then OBGYN delivered in the bed. I found the hypnobirth visualization techniques great and was able to get into the zone all the way through.

DS2 I was knackered from running around after DS1, went into labor at 10pm and hadn't studied the techniques - DS2 also required constant monitoring through labor due to heart scare in my pregnancy, and I wanted to sleep so I requested the epidural. I slept through it all and the OBGYN woke me at 6am to push.

The best decision I could have made for myself was to be completely and utterly open-minded as to the possibility of pain relief. I just told myself that I can handle some pain, our bodies are designed to handle pain. But the minute the pain turns into suffering, then I will ask for some pain relief.

Putting pressure on yourself to labor or give birth a certain way, only leads to stress or the feeling of failure if it doesn't go how you envisage.

DC1 is a week old today. I gave birth in a midwife unit, so no epidural so available. I used my TENS machine at home and then got into the pool once I had been assessed. It was gas & air until I started pushing, then I had nothing but the water.

I'm no superhero when it comes to pain, and DH still can't get over the fact I didn't have pain relief at the end! I was just too focused on what I was doing to really care. You may surprise yourself OP!

I was very anti-epidural as well. Ds1 was gas and air then pethadine with an induced labour. Ds2 i had a spurious labour so didn't even get any gas and air until I was pushing him out. I really shocked myself how well I'd coped with no pain relief at all. Thou I remember my first community midwife saying before the birth to go in with an open mind and there's no medal for refusing pain relief. Good luck whatever you choose.

For me, I wasn't hypnotised. Hypnobirthing just helped me stay calm and breathe through the pain. It also kept me calm in the last few weeks and took away my fear of labour. I went in with an open mind ready to ask for pain relief if I needed it. However I was so comfortable on the birthing unit and that coupled with the hypnobirthing techniques meant that I managed my labour without pain relief. I just breathed and grunted my way through, I have a low pain threshold usually.

I swore I wouldn't have pethidine - Inhad pethidine. It was great as it really did tone the pain down. I was screaming for an epidural but it never arrived. G&a was fab for me when I was about 5cm but quickly lost it's edge after that apart from being something to concentrate on.

Keep an open mind about it all. I went against a lot of my birth plan but managed a birth with no interventions and don't regret any of the decisions I made.

You never know what may happen. I had to have an emcs and was glad I'd had an epidural.