Did anyone else have severe leg pain during early labour?

[Twinklemegan]

Yawn, it's me again, nearly a year on. I have an appointment to go through my notes with the consultant but going by the letter she sent to my GP she's getting all defensive. I'm not even making a complaint! (yet!). Apparently it's MY fault for having a birth plan stating a preference for a natural, active birth.

Anyhooo, I'd just like to gauge how common, or otherwise, it might be to get agonising pain in the legs as well as the back and abdomen during the early stages of labour. I mean agonising like you feel your leg muscles are imploding in on themselves. My argument being I should have been allowed to have some blardy pain relief.

Cargirl - totally agree about the TENS machine. I was really hoping to rely on that for the early stages. What happened is that I got so confused at the onset of each contraction that I couldn't work it properly and in the end I think it was making the pain worse.

Sorry, just to add, Mears - what level of pain is paracetamol expected to help? Because it doesn't even touch my period pain and my labour pain was a hundred times worse than that. Or is it a way of objectively gauging a woman's level of pain ie if paracetamol makes any difference then she's not in true labour?

yes I too remember a time in early labour with at least one of them (actually probably wasn't even in established labout) and there was absolutely no respite between the contractions - well shooting pains down my legs, I was begging for an epidural etc etc etc and then by contrast my last labour was a doddle very doable without anything but gas & air.

I've never had those contractions that are 6, 8 or 10 minutes apart I was lucky if they were 2 mins apart - lol! Also last time had 6 hours of that and lo and behold my bishops score was still a whole 1!!!!!!!!! I nearly cried but mainly because I'd been there all day and actually not got anywhere - the next lot of gel did the job though it was fab, the 6 hours of useless leg contractions had obviously built up my endorphins lovely.

The other funny thing with my labour was that my contractions started off 5 mins apart, and very very strong, straight after my waters broke, and stayed that way until transition when they reached 3 mins apart. They never got closer together than that thank God - I think I'd have died!

Twinklemegan - in answer to your question I think paracetampl can sometimes help when you have irregular contractions and backache in the prelabour/early labour phase.

At 2-3 cm dilated i don't understand why you were not allowed to go into the pool to be honest. Were you still in the ward?

According to the letter my consultant sent to my GP I "wasn't in active labour". Also they have a policy that you have to be 5 to 6 cm dilated before they'll let you in the pool.

That policy is pants and out of line with current thinking. We used to do that - to discourage women from going into the pool until 5cm. Most couldn't wait that long and opted for morphine therefore couldn't get into the pool at all.

The best time to go into the pool is when you are having regular painful contractions and require pain relief.

Very interesting Mears - thanks very much. Can I just trouble you once more (I think I need to be as well informed as possible before I meet with the consultant)? What's your take on it being too early for gas and air? I gather there is an issue about reaching saturation point if you have too much, and I had said in my birth plan not to offer me anything else. But the thing is, by the time I was allowed to have it I was so panicked and my breathing was shot to pieces that I just couldn't get the hang of it at all. The only time I really felt the effects was afterwards when I was having my stitches.

If you start gas and air too early then you can get to the point that it isn't very effective and you need something stronger.

If I had been looking after you, I would have initially advised that you keep mobile. If that wasn't helpful I would have offered you a bath and/or a pezzi ball to sit on - the choice would have been yours. If none of these things helped I would have offered you the pool advising you that is your contractions weren't regular the pool may make them stop. That would not have been a problem because it would have given you some respite.
I don't understand why you weren't alloed to adopt a position which would help you.

Did you have a midwife with you?

I had contractions in my legs too. My dd2 was back to back, and presented her face first. When I was pregnant with her even the Braxton Hicks hurt my legs.

So do you think it might have been because of my birth plan that they wouldn't let me have it when I asked? Ironically, like I said, by the time I got it it was just too late to feel any benefit.

You see I did have a birth ball but I couldn't sit, I couldn't stand. Every time I had a contraction I collapsed and ended up writhing around on the hard floor.

I think I wasn't forthright enough. I took the refusal to let me have gas and air as telling me that I shouldn't be needing it. Also I don't think DH realised how much pain I was in. People kept asking HIM "is she OK?" and I couldn't answer. It was like I was in one of those dreams where you want to speak but can't. I went along with going for a walk (to the car park) and it was utter hell, and VERY embarrassing. I agreed to try a bath in lieu of the pool but that was just dreadful, but again I don't think DH realised quite how bad it was. Actually it was him saying we should go home that started me screaming come to think of it. I'd never say that to him though - he thought he was helping with reverse psychology .

I'm so sorry to trouble you about this, but you've been very helpful. The GP said she feels that perhaps my labour didn't follow the normal course and that the MWs didn't pick up on that.

Sorry to answer your last question. No the midwives were very busy and they disappeared for up to an hour at a time. When I was in the bath it was just me and DH until he pulled the cord.

Usually when contractions are as painful as you describe, they are more frequent than every 5 minutes and that may be what threw the midwives off.

Was a midwife with you all the time or were you on your own?

Were you in the labour ward at this point?

How long was it after your examination when you were 2-3cm, were you 6cm?

Mears, I can't remember I'm afraid. I've looked back at my first thread on this topic and I've said there that it took around 9 hours from my first examination to when I started to push. My waters broke at 7am ish, soon after I got to hospital. My notes said I was in active labour at 8am, but could equally well have been before as they weren't around at that time. I think it must have been a good 4 or 5 hours perhaps (hopefully I'll find out when I get to see my notes again).

And yes I was in the labour ward. I went straight there when we got to hospital and they didn't turn me away. Well, I think they tried...

I think that there may be a problem here because of your birthplan. You said in one of your posts that you didn't want offered anything other than gas and air. I think this has meant that the midwife has expected you to cope with the pain and under-estimated how much pain you were in. They have tried to keep you away from using gas and air and the pool too early with the expectation that you might need stronger pain relief later - something you had not wanted in your birthplan.

The situation you were in should have been discussed more fully. In my opinion you should have been allowed to go into the pool and to use gas and air as you were so distressed. There would have been no harm done and you would have benefitted from being listened to.

Was there an issue with staffing? A woman should not labour in the pool without a midwife being present.

The consultant might not be the best person to discuss this with - it would be better to be the manager midwife of the labour ward to be honest.

What happened once you were 6cm? What pain relief did you have then?

I think the pool thing is just hospital policy. I'd been told that beforehand.

My birth plan said I was keeping an open mind about pain relief and if I wanted anything more than gas and air I would ask (ie I didn't want to be tempted by something else which I might then regret if I reacted badly to it). I wasn't told when I put the plan together that this in itself could limit my use of gas and air.

When I was 6cm they let me go in the pool and I got gas and air, but as I said I was far too far gone to be able to use it effectively. I think the best pain relief of all was a change of shift and I got the most fantastic midwife who made all the difference.

I've been wondering myself about seeing the consultant. The GP referred me after I completely freaked out when I went for a smear test. She's also referred me for counselling because it's severely affected mine and DH's relationship (ie any pregnancy at the mo would be the immaculate conception). She has said herself that the consultant probably won't be too sympathetic but thought it was important for me to let them know what happened so it doesn't happen to someone else.

I think if (a BIG if) there's a next time, I wouldn't have a birth plan, other than "please let me do/have whatever I feel is right for me at the time, barring medical reasons". You are very much encouraged to make one and I don't think tbh enough information was available to ensure my choices are fully informed. I read lots about natural, active birth and the evils of medicalisation, but I think I needed more practical information about the implications of my choices.

Sorry, that's a long post!

Oh twinkle - after my first two I didn't do a birth plan for my third. I completely get what you mean. You just have to make sure that you go in there confident and, well, and , confident. Get yourself a doula if you are going again (really they are SOOOOOOO much less expensive than I thought). It CAN be better the next time.

I can't quite explain how good it was for me the third time. Really. Second would have been better too but for circumstances beyond my control and a really bad night shift....

Definitely then the person to speak to is the senior midwife/manager of the labour ward. The consultant will have little knowledge of midwifery care in labour. The midwives need to learn from your experience and how you felt about being denied the use of the pool when you needed pain relief. Their guideline needs changing. Whilst it is true that labour should be established before using the pool for pain relief, many women need to get in before 5cm. The worst thing that will happen if they go in too soon is that the contractions will get less. In that scenario the woman gets out and re-enters later.

It is such a shame that you have had such an avoidable experience. I hope that you are able to see the senior midwife too.

It is obvious that your level of pain was not recognised by the midwife and you were left on your own too long. That is also a contributory factor to your need for pain relief. It also means that your contractions and your response were not being observed. Had that been done, you may have got into the pool earlier. Lying back in the bath would have made your contractions more painful if your baby was back-to-back. The midwife would have been able to see this had one been with you.

I am going now but am happy to answer any further questions you may have. Will check in tomorrow.

Mears - thank you so so much. You have confirmed a lot of what I thought. I think I'd better see the consultant since an appointment's been made but I will make enquiries about seeing the Senior Midwife (who as it happens is the one who delivered my DS).

NSF - thanks!

And thank you to everyone else as well - I was a bit caught up with my conversation with Mears - sorry for being rude. I feel so much better now and ready to face the consultant like a grown woman not a blubbering wreck (hopefully!)

Hi, I am new on here.
I have always had pain in my legs. I am now pregnant with baby no.3. I am 35wks+5days. I am having very bad pains in my legs as I speak. I would not be able to say whether I was in Labour or not?
My last child was born too quickly; I had my waters broken because he was two weeks over due. The pain was all in my legs. I did not even realise that I was about to give birth until the midwife realised that I had started to push. Unfortunately I ended up with a third degree tear because it was a surprise to me and the midwife.
It?s good to know that there are others that suffer with the pain in their legs.

I had bad pains in my thighs too...a nice surprise that was! (two weeks ago) I had to ask DH to push in on them and it helped a little, as did staring at the wall for hours. We had called an ambulance (car was a problem at time and new to area so no family), said they'd be there in under an hour, they took 6.5hrs and i arrived at the hospital in agony 9cms with a lip. I pushed within 5 minutes of arriving and tore badly. The gas and air cannister ran out after trying for a few minutes to get the hang and they didnt have time to change it. So all in all a natural but agonising delivery, still in shock with the stitches whilst getting to grips with bfing in a new area surrounded by boxes.....
I still panic slightly everytime i think of the birth and what state i might be in with stitches (i really cant bare to assess that properly yet).
Best of luck Zo3, you sound like you are doing really well.