Anyone been induced and not used any pain relief?

[teaandbiscuitsforme]

I'm being induced with DS on Friday because he's overdue. I really didn't want to be as I was induced with DD and was hoping to go naturally this time but doesn't look like it's going to happen.

With DD, I ended up having the drip but didn't have an epidural, just gas and air and one dose of pethidine.

This time there's no option for G&A or pethidine, it's going to be epidural or nothing. I've got a tens machine (loved it in early labour last time) and I can go in the water for pain relief but can't give birth in the pool.

So just wondering if anybody else has done it without pain relief? Particularly any second inductions?

No gas and air??? That was the only good thing about any of my labours!!!

I was induced with first DS and was terrified when I needed induced with second birth. First had been the works ending in high forceps long labour and drip etc. Second labour I had a sweep that didn't work well then when went for induction I had my waters broken immediately and then no further action was necessary. Dd was born less than 6 hours after my waters went and although I had gas and air I reckon I could have coped without if I'd had to. Could you have paracetamol and codeine as an option? Or champagne? (Gas and air makes me feel like I am drunk on champagne!)

I had no pain relief with my induction for DS but my labour was very short (1hr 10m). I intended to labour without pain relief and I beleive I'd have been fine. DS was also back to back and only turned in the birth canal, and I laboured on my back due to them being unable to keep track of his heart rate if I moved, so it was pretty intense.
Everyone experiences pain differently though, so if you need the epidural, take it. My friends had epidurals and pethidine, and honestly I don't care. They gave birth to beautiful babies and they used the available tools and drugs to get them through what is honestly a really tough thing to do. Cliché, I know, but it's called "labour" for a reason.

Yes I was induced both times at 12 days overdue. With ds (dc1) I didn't have any pain relief, with Dd I did have morpheine but she was born 5 minutes later . I had to have my waters broken and then on the drip etc. I didn't find it that bad - dd's birth was much more painful but that's because she had an enormous head, and was back to back. The induction side of it was fine.

Yes, I was induced early for medical reasons for both DDs. Had an epidural first time round.

With DD2 I just had gas and air. I laboured in a sort if seated position most of the time. Just kept telling myself "one more contraction, then I'll ask for the epidural". That was enough to keep me going. That and lots of shouting and swearing.

Ps flogging I was advised to try to avoid the epidural as DD1 was a horrendous forceps delivery and epidural increases risk of instrumental delivery. DD1 attended hospital for 2y to treat her injuries. Wanting to avoid the heavier end of pain relief made sense for me.

Was induced for DC4, contractions started immediately after the pessary and labour progressed fairly rapidly. I was given paracetemol which I threw up .The delivery ward was very busy and they didn't realise how far on I was so I didn't get gas and air until the end ,(couldn't have it on antenatal ward) but as this also made me feel very nauseous I had to stop taking it and just rely on gritted teeth and saying Hail Marys to see me through in the finish!

It was a better delivery than DC1(3 days of labour, tens,pethidine,epidural and then a Keelans rotation forceps delivery) or DC2( pethidine and G&A,) or DC3 (half dose of pethidine and G&A ) which all started naturally, so I don't think induction makes it worse. Also if your body has given birth before I think subsequent induction are often quicker?
I wasn't opposed to taking any particular pain relief if I neded it, I think you just have to play it by ear, every labour is different .

Flogging there are risks attached to pain relief during childbirth. Depending on the drugs used, they can result in an increased risk of requiring assisted delivery and therefore the significant risk of injury that goes along with that. The majority of drugs will also pass over to the baby via the placenta. Babies affected by pain relief can be excessively sleepy for a while after birth which can also affect breastfeeding attempts etc.

So, actually, there are a lot of reasons why a woman would opt against pain relief.

That said, there is no shame in using pain relief if you need it. I certainly did towards the end as I was just so tired after 36 hours. But it is a decision that should be made with full knowledge of the benefits vs risks and it's certainly not comparable to taking aspirin for a headache.

I was induced with DS1 & had epidural.
He ended up being foreceps delivery - but nothing to do with pain relief, it was due to the fact that his head was tilted and stuck, basically not coming out but pushing into one side of the birth canal.

DS2 was also induced, epidural again, normal birth.

DS3 - spontaneous start of labour, no pain relief whatsoever as there was no time, he was born 30 mins after we arrived at the hospital.

DS4 - ECS as he was footling breech

DS5, DD & DS6 - all VBAC, all spontaneous onset of labour, all epidurals - no problems and all born within 12 hours from first contraction.

Hope this helps.
I love epidurals

I wanted pain relief but it didn't happen that way. Paracetamol at 10pm, begged for something else at midnight, before getting anything they thought I was going to need an emergency cs so prepped me and removed the pessary, after that baby's heart rate stabilised and they were happy for me to labour naturally. Asked for an epidural, was told I wasn't in established labour, asked again and was examined to find I'd gone from 3cms to 9cms, was too late then. It was painful but manageable. Certainly far better experience than the c-section with my second birth.

tea yes, this was me last week! Pessary to induce - got to 7cm on paracetamol. Got in the birthing pool at 7cm, an hour later DS was here. I did have some g&a in the pool but as someone else mentioned mainly to bite the mouthpiece!

Very different from my first labour on the drip with mobile epidural, following the whole cycle of interventions. I wanted an epidural this time but never managed to get there.

My youngest was induced, drip started on Saturday morning 8am and increased all day until 6pm, nada! Next morning started again at 8am, contractions started 1.30pm and DS born at 3.15 no pain relief offered (no gas and air, nothing) and I didn't think to ask for any. My others were all drug free and I honestly don't think that the induced birth was any different in terms of pain.

I was induced and had an epidural but it had worn of by the time I got to the pushing stage. I was up moving 30 minutes after birth. Midwife helped me to the toilet and bath but got myself out on my own and felt fine. Walking round the ward not long after

Yes, I had syntocinon with my first birth with only G&A. I don't know if I would do it again, I was in so much pain I was actually screaming. Had a natural birth second time around which was much more manageable. If I had to be induced with syntocinon again I think I'd ask for an epidural.

Mincepie I did Daisy Birthing with DD- bloody brilliantly! Couldn't do it this time round but I'm hoping it's all going to come back to me once we're in the middle of it all.

Me.

Midwife didn't believe me that I was in established labour (precipitous labour after induction) despite the fact I was vomiting from the pain of contractions which were almost continuous. Eventually another midwife agreed to check me and I was 8cm.

Was too late for an epidural or any of the good stuff, I was offered gas and air but it did absolutely sweet fuck all so I chucked it away.

Although I did then get a local anaesthetic into perineum before the episiotomy if that counts.

In hindsight, it was OK.

Just in case anyone is interested, I started having contractions last night, regular and painful but not close enough to be properly in labour. But I'm already 3cm! So I've had the tablets this morning and really hoping that this will mean I don't need the drip and can cope with the pain!

Thank you for all your stories.

Good luck OP!

Blurbird, Have you any evidence for any of this: "there are risks attached to pain relief during childbirth. Depending on the drugs used, they can result in an increased risk of requiring assisted delivery and therefore the significant risk of injury that goes along with that. The majority of drugs will also pass over to the baby via the placenta. Babies affected by pain relief can be excessively sleepy for a while after birth which can also affect breastfeeding attempts etc. ".

My understanding is that epidurals are correlated with increased assisted delivery but no evidence of causation has been proven. So eg a poorly positioned baby is more likely to require instrumental delivery and is more likely to cause an excessively painful labour hence the mother is more likely to request an epidural.

You also seem to be lumping all risks together. Epidural medications are not administered to the blood stre and are not shown to have access to, let alone cross the placenta in the normal course of things. Pethidine on the other hand can indeed cause the sleepiness you mention (and is actually a pretty poor pain reliever as well).

sycamore this isn't a pain relief debate.

Good luck tea!

You're right. It isn't a debate but an evolving conversation. If it were a debate, your posts calling people bitter and judgemental would also be off topic. Why do you dislike me correcting some of the obvious falsehoods on this thread? You are scaremongering by claiming things like a 100% incidence of back pain later in life as a result of an epidural.

Why wouldn't you just wish the OP well now that the thread has moved on? I didn't quote those statistics but you're giving off bitter vibes by getting so defensive here. My personal anecdata (which I never ever claimed to be anything other than my experience) is obviously going to feed into my pain relief decision.

OP has posted now she is in the process of being induced, you should let it go instead of trying to incite an argument on a thread that has moved on.

I always get induced at 38 weeks. First was scary and difficult - and the epidural and was grateful. Forceps birth and was still up and mobile straight away.
Second - just g and a. Fine.
Third - g and a and an injection (pethidine I think? OR diamorphine?!).

G and a is useful as it numbs pain a bit but more than anything gives you something else to focus on. Maybe paracetamol and come up with something to replace the gripping and breathing during contractions?

Hope all goes perfectly xxx

Just G&A for me.
1st pessary at midday, 2nd at 8pm. Waters went at midnight, had a couple of paracetamols.
DS born just before 6am. He was just under 10lbs.
I did ask for something stronger but it was just as his head was emerging!
Wasn't too bad!

I've had to go for the epidural. I know I would've been ok with G&A but it's tough without it! TENS did me well, got to 7 cm. Hopefully baby won't take too much longer.