pain relief in labour - advice please!

[helbo]

Hi all,

Am 28 weeks with DC2 and now starting to think seriously about my pain relief choices in labour (know it's a bit early, but hey...)

Thing is, I'm a bit stuck for ideas.

With DD1 I really wanted to go down the water birth / no big drugs route but it totally failed. I was in labour for hours (three days from first contraction to delivery) and ended up with an epidural and forceps delivery.

I did get into the pool but the water made my labour pains WORSE not better and the contractions became NON-STOP. Unfortunately during the time I was in the pool I did dilate any further at all. So I don't really see that as an option this time.

The other problem was that I tried gas and air as a kind of "lighter" form of medication but I made me throw up everywhere and then hallucinate (really). Plus it didn't take the pain away at all.

So what do I do this time? I really don't want pethidine or morphine as I am pretty much 100% positive I'll throw up / go loopy / get every side effect you possibly can. My body seems to be very sensitive to drugs.

I'd also like to avoid an epidural again if at all possible.

I did find a tens machine really useful in my first labour (and obviously I took it off to go into the pool) but I'm not sure if it will do the trick right through labour.

Sorry this is such a long post - but I'd really appreciate any suggestions.

thanks!

if the TENS works for you , then go with it ! also, don;t downplay the role of your body;s own endorphins that help you deal with the pain.....you need to feel labour , IMO, so you can work with your body....and also being unmedicated and able to move and vocalise and do what you need to do can be really helpful !

helbo, I agree with lulumama. I really surprised myself with DS2. I was all for the drugs for pain relief I could get but managed with just my trusty TENS and gas and air. That combo worked a treat.

I think what made all the difference though was a comination of facters. Firstly, my birth partners (husband & my best friend - she was awesome) and my midwife. I said I had to have a really active birth and she was very supportive of this. She arranged the room accordingly with dim lighting and lots of mats on the floor, beanbags etc (I hated labouring on a bed). My surroundings where calm.

Secondly, I used a birth ball through my entire labour. It took the edge off, and also helps to open up the pelvis and get that bubs head down.

This sounds really earth mother - which I am not - but I had meditation music playing. I found it really soothing. I also had chocolate on hand which I had between every contraction and there was the smell of lavender oil somewhere (I think my friend stuck it on my pulse points or something).

By the time I was ready to push I was as high as a kite on endorphins and felt, dare I say it, great. It was the strangest feeling ever! Almost like I was looking on from the outside. I just let my body do what it needed to do and felt really in control because of this.

I know this all sounds rather crazy, as I'm all for whatever pain relief is on offer but I just found I didn't need it.

There is no prize for being a 'hero' though and you just need to see what happens on the day. I got lucky, DS was in a good position and didn't need any assistance to exit. The whole thing could have easily gone the other way.

My theory is, don't have a birth plan and you won't be dissapointed.

Hope I haven't bored you to tears and you find this helpful. There needs to be more positive stories about childbirth I say!

Lulumama thanks - I'm planning on using TENS again, I think I just needed somebody to give me the confidence that it can do the trick for the whole labour.

Muminfife I've already looked that book up on Amazon! sounds like the kind of thing I'm looking for.

And Palmwoods don't worry about sounding really earth mother. I'm a bit of a lentil eater myself. Its really useful to know what other people found helpful.

TBH I think the biggest problem I had in my first labour was sleep deprivation - by the time I was ready to deliver I was so knackered that I could barely remember my own name let alone push a baby out!

sorry, must dash, but have to say -natal hypnotherapy all the way!!!

third time round I AMAZED myself at how well I coped with the contractions, and pushing him out was enjoyable!

Do you think it will help you to understand how your hormones work to provide pain relief in labour? IE give you added resolve to follow your instincts which sound great! That's from Dr Sarah Buckley's Gentle Birth, Gentle Motherig. I also adore Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and Birthing From Within. They all give you added belief in the female body whcih the medicalised system has eroded.

I haven't tried the Hypnotherapy tricks, or a water birth (althought swimming in PG was HEAVEN) but hope to use them next time.

I also swear by TENS as it helped so much in both my labours. I would suggest tho that G&A must not be started till as late as possible, wait till established labour beyond 5cms, as when I did for my second I was not at all sick or drunk, when I had been for my first.

Hi there - If the TENS worked for you, can I suggest you try the light massage route? Essentially your birth partner uses their finger tips to 'swirl' over your hips / low back / up your back etc - slowly and feather light. Also what I found INCREDIBLY helpful was when my midwife placed her finger tips vertically down my sacrum (triangle bone at bottom of spine) and then rhythmically and lightly pressed one finger (the same finger) 'on' and 'off' as it were. Does that make sense? I found that ym brain snapped on to what she was doing with amazing results actually. You wouldn't believe it.

Don't forget the natural pain relief that your body will provide. Try to keep your adrenalin low, stay calm and believe that you can do it. Know why you're experiencing the contractions - that may help you you stay positive. Breathing techniques help. Certain positions ease pressure on your back and so help with back pain.

I had a home birth and so relief options were limited to an extent, but here's what worked for me:
breathing techniques
positions learned in antenatal yoga
hot water bottle pressed against my lower back
visualisation and relaxation techniques learned from natalhypnotherapy cds
TENS - I got one that had levels of sensation for both stages of labour - mamatens I think - and so was still wearing it when I gave birth

And what didn't work:
a bath - I really thought the water would help but it just didn't
gas and air - it made me feel ill and sucking interferred with my breathing so I wasn't breathing properly through the contraction, which made it more painful!

I agree with Marjean - get yourself 'educated' on the different stages / sensations so that you understand what it happening - fear and anxiety will just increase pain! Breathing is a biggy - your uterus is 'just a muscle' and behaves like all other muscles in the body - it needs oxygen etc to function well and you breathing optimises its ability to function well. I found it really helpful when my DH just breathed in my ear every time he thought I'd forgotten to! It was so less intrusive than him saying 'breathe breathe' and I found myself just copying him. Your body will produce it's natural pain relievers and above all remember that like all mammals, we are designed to do this and midwives are very experienced and will 'catch you' if needs be - in terms of medical assistance. I am hugely sensitive to drugs and my worst thing is feeling sick and feeling out of control / hallucinating and the fear of that was enough to stop me taking them altogether. My contractions were also non-stop and yet I would say that with everything I've mentioned - for me - it was totally manageable. Maybe lateral thinking for the 2nd stage - would sound / music (e.g. really strong choral music / heavy rock(!)) help / sitting on birthing stool / bucket to take the pressure off......??

Helbo, your first labour sounds just like my first labour. I was induced on the monday, by wed dc still wasn't here. Was knackered! Ended up with an epidural and forceps, i too mainly believe it was because i was very tired!

I have just had dc 2, 6 weeks ago. Was worried about the labour thing, tried not to think about it TBH! Anyway, was due for induction but narrowly avoided it and went into labour naturally. I had gas and air only this time. I HATED gas and air when i tried it with dc 1.

I would NEVER have said i could manage on gas and air only but i did, mainly because I was too late for anything else, but if i ever have a baby again, which is unlikely, then i would try to only use gas and air again.

As someone else said, have confidence that you can do it. If i can anyone can,LOL!

Good luck

thanks everybody - this is all brilliant stuff. I really appreciate the advice this is exactly what I was looking for.

I'm feeling quite positive about labour now (even though it is still weeks away), there's lots here for me to really think about and books to read etc.

I don't know why I'd got so stuck on the whole idea of water birth being the only way forward without drugs. But I'm now thinking active birth / good breathing + posture plus a trusty TENS machine ...

thanks to all!

hypnobirthing. normally very sceptical of such things, but the positive attitude and the breathing makes a massive difference. my 1st labour was horrid 32 hours ending with epidural. 2nd was 6hrs and managed without anything. 2nd labours are normally easier anyway, but my attitude was totally different. look back on it quite fondly actually.