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Childbirth

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

Original poster

Pethidine or Epudural

53 replies

ClaireCanale123 · 23/10/2020 20:40

Hi everyone I'm due in 5 weeks time and just wondering what people would recommend epidural or pethidine? I would like to go to the birth centre and possibly just try with gas and air and pethidine but not sure that will be enough? Maybe I should just opt for the labour ward and get an epidural. I realise I don't have to make a decision now or even until the day but just wondering what everyone's experiences are.....many thanks!!

OP posts:
Lululemonade38 · 23/10/2020 21:50

I had pethidine and gas and Air. Pethidine was amazing for me, my birth was completely pain free. Fell asleep after the injection, woke up to wanting to push. Might have been the adrenaline or something but I completely snapped out of the wooziness once I got in the birthing pool and had the baby. I would do it again

lilmishap · 23/10/2020 21:51

A water birth if available is a totally 'best' experience (I've had three deliveries and only one water birth) the truth is labour WILL hurt.

But it's over as soon as baby is out. Keep telling yourself this truth, it only hurts like hell until the baby is out

Heartofglass12345 · 23/10/2020 21:52

I had pethidine, all it did was slow down my labour, so I wasn't in pain because nothing was happening lol. I would see how you go, you might surprise yourself. I was a fan of the gas and air, and it was handy to bite down on during contractions too lol

MiniMum97 · 23/10/2020 22:01

@SunInTheSkyYouKnowHowIFeel

Why not keep an open mind and see what happens and how your labour goes? If its a straightforward and fairly quick labour you might find gas and air does the trick, but then again if you've been in labour for days and the baby is back to back or something maybe you'll want something stronger. I'd see how things start off and at the point you go into hospital you can see how you feel and be guided by your midwife. If they examine you and you are already 8cm you are going to feel less need for pain relief possibly than if you are in agony and then they tell you your only 2cm. Just see how things go?
My labour was straightforward and fairly quick but was excruciatingly painful (in fact that doesn't even cover it) and I did not cope with it at all. I felt traumatised by the experience. And I don't say that flippantly. I actually think quick can be worse as there's no build up, no time to adjust and get yourself into breathing etc, the contractions came on really strong, very quickly and I panicked.

I also think it depends on your personality, the pain you experience (which from talking to different women is very different), and your pain threshold.

Quick and straightforward doesn't mean it's easier to cope with:less pain necessarily. Just different.

PatchworkElmer · 23/10/2020 22:06

I had half the ‘normal’ dose of pethidine as I’d been awake for over 30 hours and just needed some rest. They did the half dose because I was really reluctant to have it after being scared off at NCT. It was brilliant- was able to rest between contractions, but it wore off for pushing so I didn’t feel out of it then. Would absolutely have it again.

Jalfrezi · 23/10/2020 22:07

I regret having pethidine with my second baby. Just remember feeling drowsy and wanting to sleep when he arrived and missed out on those precious early moments holding him in my arms. I actually coped much better than I thought just with gas and air and wished the midwife hadn't been so quick to suggest pethidine as in hindsight I could have carried on without it. It was a relatively quick labour so can see it might be needed when you are exhausted. I had an epidural with my first. Amazingly pain free but drawbacks are being confined to bed for monitoring and having absolutely no idea when I needed to push or indeed even how to push.

MyCassiopiea · 23/10/2020 22:26

I had pethidine but nobody told me you could only have one dose so I was gutted when it wore off. I was also too late for an epidural by that stage. If I have another I'll do pethidine again as my labour was 6.5 hours so not too long - but I'll have an epidural if the labour takes longer.

Northernsoullover · 23/10/2020 22:31

I bloody loved the pethidine. It was worth the labour pains to get legitimately smashed.

Smellbellina · 23/10/2020 22:31

I always thought no to pethidine but one DC was back to back and before the delivery suite it was that or paracetamol Hmm
So had it, it was pretty great.
All clear by the time DC was born and just had gas and air but only because I was too scared of an epidural, which was a good job as it turned out but not a normal situation by any means.
My advice would be, decide on the day and trust your instincts.

Smellbellina · 23/10/2020 22:32

I bloody loved the pethidine. It was worth the labour pains to get legitimately smashed.

Grin Same! But with gas and air, it was like my first rave night in years!

Horehound · 23/10/2020 22:33

Epidural. No question!

SexyGiraffe · 23/10/2020 22:34

I didn't have anything and it was fine. Painful but straightforward. I realise this is not the case for many women, and I ended up going the natural route kind of by accident, but my point is that you just don't know until you're in the room!

GetOffTheFrog · 23/10/2020 22:38

Pethidine made me hallucinate but didn't take away the pain. Bloody terrifying experience.

My epidural was amazing.

Best of all was the water birth with gas and air though.

Good luck op

Oblahdeeoblahdoe · 23/10/2020 22:38

Have the happydural! There was no way I wanted to be out of it while giving birth. The way I thought about it was would I have a tooth pulled with a local anaesthetic, nope was the answer...

jeannie46 · 23/10/2020 23:55

Had epidural for last one - great, only thing that works. I've tried others previously, they don't!

happymummy12345 · 24/10/2020 00:08

I knew I did not want an epidural. For me it was an absolute last resort. I wanted as natural a birth as possible, minimal drugs involved.
I had a long labour, 4 days and nights of contractions.
All I had was my tens machine for as long as possible, the birth ball. Then the birth pool. I did have pethadine as the midwife could see I was physically exhausted after the long early labour. It helped me rest and I felt fine, not dizzy or sick and I remember everything. (I tried a tiny bit of gas and air but that did made me feel I was about to be sick, and gave me the worst headache, so I said I did not want it at all).

zeddybrek · 24/10/2020 00:21

I had it and loved it. Felt like I was super happy, very chilled and sort of high and didn't notice the pain. It allowed me to sleep during what ended up being a very long labour. I ended up having an epidural as well but for me what helped was having another dose of pethidine until I could have the epidural. Keep an open mind. It's very hard to predict how it will go but you will feel more in control if you know what all the options are.

Viletta · 24/10/2020 09:50

I had gas and air and found it was enough.. also had a pool, followed hypnobirthing and pregnancy hormones kicked in. I'd try midwifery unit with gas and air, you can always transfer to the labour ward if you decide you need an epidural. Pethidine transfers through placenta and makes the baby drowsy I think they need to time it well so that they don't have breathing problems when out.

Original poster
ClaireCanale123 · 24/10/2020 10:10

Thank you everyone! Obviously I'll have to see how things go on the day but for now I think I will gp to the birth centre rather than the labour ward and just start with grand air and If I'm struggling with pain I might ask for pethidine or whatever they advise me to take! The midwife scared me with all the tearing chat Haha did anyone have any experience with this? Does it hurt when babies head and then body comes out ? Obviously it can't be pleasant but is the pain really bad or our contractions much worse? I realise everyone experiences pain differently so it's hard to say....

OP posts:
Smellbellina · 24/10/2020 10:30

It really stings when the head comes out but it’s like a short sharp pain so manageable, huge relief when the body slithers out.

LynseyLou1982 · 24/10/2020 11:45

I never tried pethidine but I did have an epidural at 6cms before that I was just using a TENS machine. Best decision o made. All done in 20 mins and no pain whatsoever. Yes it's weird not being able to move your legs or feel to push and you have to have a catheter to pee and I did get the shakes a bit but I'd rather have that than suffer. I did end up needing a ventouse delivery and episiotomy but it was fine.

cosmo30 · 24/10/2020 12:01

@ClaireCanale123

Thank you everyone! Obviously I'll have to see how things go on the day but for now I think I will gp to the birth centre rather than the labour ward and just start with grand air and If I'm struggling with pain I might ask for pethidine or whatever they advise me to take! The midwife scared me with all the tearing chat Haha did anyone have any experience with this? Does it hurt when babies head and then body comes out ? Obviously it can't be pleasant but is the pain really bad or our contractions much worse? I realise everyone experiences pain differently so it's hard to say....
Personally I found the contractions worse than pushing. I was quite young and didn't even consider contractions and if they would hurt as I was so terrified at the thought of pushing a baby out of my vagina 😮 so boy did I get a shock once they ramped up. I had an epidural, didn't want pethidine as heard it can make you feel out of it, and the gas and air knocked me about as it was. Once I had the epidural I was chilled as anything eating chocolate! The pushing didn't hurt (probs because of the epidural) and was only pushing for 45 mins after being in labour for 18 hours, but it was hard work. When the baby crowns it stings bad ! But that was quick and over with and imo nothing compared to the contractions which really do take it out of you. Just be open to anything happening basically as things can change!
cosmo30 · 24/10/2020 12:04

Forgot to say, baby felt like it just slipped out once the head and shoulders were pushed out (as horrible as it sounds)

PatchworkElmer · 24/10/2020 12:12

Crowning really stings but I was ok with that because I knew it was nearly over then (was pushing for over an hour and absolutely knackered!)

Original poster
ClaireCanale123 · 24/10/2020 13:05

😬😬 thank You everyone! I’m definitely not looking forward to the pain but I’m so excited at the same time !

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