Gas and air V Epidural - honest opinions please

[Trying4baby2021]

Hello everyone,

What are the thoughts on gas and air versus an epidural? I would like to have a water birth which I know you can't do with epidural. I'm worried it will be too painful with just gas and air. I'm a first timer - any advice would be welcomed x

I had an epidural with DC1 because I had a long labour and really needed it. It was bliss but led to needing a forceps delivery because I couldn't feel to push.

With DC2 & DC3 I only needed gas & air. If you time it right (which takes a bit of practice) it takes the edge of the contractions and makes you feel a bit spaced out. I loved it - if I could I'd go through labour again just to experience the effects again

Keep an open mind. Every woman and every labour is different.

Had gas and air, I found it more of a distraction from the pain than anything else and that helped me. My husband just kept bringing my focus back to the gas and air. I did ask for diamorphine but she came 10 mins later.
The thought of an epidural terrified me.
Everyone is different and everyone's labour is different.
My advice is to be aware of what options you have and your birthing partner also and then do what you need to do to in labour.

I had gas and air and went into the pool and 5 mins later I begged them to get me out of the pool as the pain increased from about 6 to 10 in that 5 mins. I asked for stronger meds and they said it was too late and then I asked for an epidural which was arranged in 40 mins. After having the epidural, I just honestly thought to myself what was the point in suffering until nearly 8cm, I wish I just had it earlier and fuck the pool. This was my experience op.

Gas and air was great for me. I got to 10cm but unfortunately it ended in forceps and a spinal as he wasn't in great position to be pushed out after almost 2 hours of pushing. The spinal i had for theatre was great also, couldn't feel a thing but I felt less in control. Id spent my whole labour walking round and dont know how i would have felt having to lie down for a lot of my labour

Honestly just be open minded and take what you are offered/what you need at the time.

I wanted a lovely natural hypnobirthing-style waterbirth and ended up with an emcs. I'd thought that was my worst case scenario but honestly it was fine. You just do whatever is safest for your baby.

I’ve had everything going I think

First I had gas and air followed by epidural which I found great did end up having EMCS though

Second had morphine, pethadine, gas and air, epidural, spinal block followed by a general EMCS

I was out my nut for a couple days after the second I think I had so much. Didn’t know what was going on.

Congratulations

Gas and air was useless with both of mine.
I was only allowed an epidural with DD2. It was fantastic and i would 100% get one again. I was up and about a couple of hours after.

I had an epidural for my first as I was scared the pain would be too much. I hated it , I couldn't move, couldn't change position , couldn't stand up or go to the loo for ages afterwards and needed a catheter. The epidural slowed everything right down too, so ended up in labour for 30 hours. I had three more babies with just gas and air, I found It much better being able to get in the pool, or walk around etc etc. And being able to get up and shower after the birth was great too! They were all much shorter labours aswell, between 5 and 8 hours.

I found it truly depended on the situation at the time. With my first I had g&a, mepthid, then a spinal and prepped for emcs however ended up an assisted forceps birth. With my 2nd g&a was absolutely fine and he was born in under 45 mins.

I had both my DC with just gas and air in the water. I always had an open mind and would happily have moved on to an epidural or pethidine if I was finding too bad.

In the end I was lucky and it was absolutely fine with just gas and air.

@MrsFluffyMuff

I had an epidural for my first as I was scared the pain would be too much. I hated it , I couldn't move, couldn't change position , couldn't stand up or go to the loo for ages afterwards and needed a catheter. The epidural slowed everything right down too, so ended up in labour for 30 hours. I had three more babies with just gas and air, I found It much better being able to get in the pool, or walk around etc etc. And being able to get up and shower after the birth was great too! They were all much shorter labours aswell, between 5 and 8 hours.

Yes I found that too with the epidural. Having to be monitored and being able to move around. And I think it slowed my labour down too much.

I should add, I had a small dose of the epidural and gave birth on my knees and was able to move around enough to get comfortable.
They don’t always make you completely numb from the waist down.

I used TENS and paracetamol up to 4cm
Ended up being induced and had gas and air alone up to around 8cm
My experience with gas and air is the same as @Gumps - I loved it and was uncontrollably laughing between contractions 😂
Once the pain intensified I asked for pethidine which helped but according to DH I was "out of it" - not bothered by this.. you do what you got to do to get to the finishing line 😃
Mine wasn't a long labour so would have maybe asked for more had I been uncomfortable for longer. Active labour was only 5.5hrs once induced
Good luck OP go into labour with an open mind. I wanted a water birth and it didn't happen but I'm not disappointed with my labour, all in all it was a positive experience. 😊

I had 2 vaginal births with G&A , used water with the first. Worked very well for me.

Ps.... Highly recommend TENS for early labour, it was a godsend for me and had it on over 24hrs in total!! 👍🏻

I love gas and air. They were going to take it off me with DD2 as I started heaving when I first used it. No way was I giving it up and I settled very quickly. It makes me feel a little out of it but more distanced from what's going on than out of control. You know you can just stop breathing it and you get back to normal very rapidly. Pethidine (I was talked into it with DS1) was horrible. I was off my face and didn't know what was happening to me. I thoroughly recommend gas and air if you need stitches down below after as being zoned out makes that easier to cope with. I've never had an epidural so can't comment.

I was adamant I didn't want the epidural, it was in my notes and I made sure everyone knew who would listen that I didn't want it. I wanted my water birth 🤣. I managed fine on gas and air for both of mine but everyone is different. I am a wuss with pain as well so I shocked myself but I didn't want to stay in hospital for long after having them both and wanted out of there! Honestly, yes it hurts, but once baby is in your arms you forget about all the pain you've just gone through. No one could take that gas off me and got growled at if they tried, it took most of the pain away and the water birth really helped with the pain as well.
Don't overthink it, just go with the flow, you'll know what's right when the time comes and your going through it xx

Very different things
G&A just makes you feel spacey so you don’t notice the pain as much (in theory)
Epidurals are heaven - but not without risks and/or possible side effects
I’ve done it both ways and if I ever did it again ( not happening at my age or with the teens here 24/7) it would be epidural every time

Epidural first time round following a long induction process. Massively regretted it and I believe it contribute to my need for an assisted birth (forceps). Very stressful and traumatic. I also felt pressured into having the epidural as a midwife who hadn't read my notes kept telling me I wouldn't cope with the pain. I still feel very angry about that.

Gas and air second time round. Amazing experience. Was in water until the very end as DS's heart rate dropped slightly so they got me out. They took the gas and air off me at the end too as I was apparently not pushing properly 😂 but overall it was just such a good experience.

I'm not planning any more children, but if I were I would 100% avoid an epidural. Gas and air was enough for me.

I had gas and air and diamorphine. I must have not reacted to it well because I dont remember a thing apart from pushing. The pushing took a long time, probably because I was off my bloody face!!!

I have had 8, gas and air and pethadine with dc1, made me feel sick. Just had gas and air with the others, was fine right up until 8 cms when the pain gets really bad (especially if your waters haven't gone yet) but was very close to delivering so no time for anything else

I ve had gas and air, pethadine and my last delivery, 26 years ago, an epidural. I wish I had an epidural with my first two. Absolutely fantastic and no complications

My labour was more long than anything else. I was due on the Sunday 30th august 2015, I was booked in for a sweep originally on the Wednesday, but I started having contractions on the Tuesday so I decided to see if things would progress naturally. They didn't so I ended up having a sweep at 3pm on the Friday (40+5).
I got to the hospital at 9 that evening, was in the birth centre by 10.30, had my waters broken around 2am, then gave birth at 6.58am the Saturday morning (40+6).
It didn't hurt or feel uncomfortable at all and it did help move things along (the head wasn't fully engaged so things wouldn't have progressed on their own).
If I’m honest I was more physically exhausted after 4 days and nights of contractions. I think if I hadn’t been so tired I would have dealt with it better.
For pain relief I had my tens machine as long as possible, it really helped me. I started using it at home after my sweep, then took it off to go to hospital. I put it back on when I was settled in the birth centre. I also used the birth ball to try to get my waters to break which helped with pain. The birth pool was amazing, I loved being in there and would have stayed in longer and even given birth in there. But the midwife could see I was struggling and needed to rest before I had to deliver. So I had a pethadine injection so I could rest. It really helped and didn't make me feel sick or anything. I felt really relaxed after it.
I tried a bit of gas and air but it gave me a bad headache and made me feel sick so I didn’t want it. And I knew I didn’t want an epidural. I wanted as natural a birth as possible, minimal drugs. I just hate the idea of an epidural so I knew it would have to be an absolute last resort. Also I knew I wanted to give birth in the birth centre not on the labour ward, so that was another reason for minimal drugs and opting for more drug free options. I loved the birth centre, it was my own room, en-suite, built in birth pool. It was more like a spa so I felt so relaxed there.
I did tear from involuntary pushing and had stitches after. It wasn’t that bad though.
As I say for me personally it was more how long it went on than the pain. Good luck.

Gas and air just made me feel drunk and sick. I used the pool til things got too intense then had an epidural. If there were to be a next time (never !) I would go straight for the epidural.

Imo gas and air is pointless. Doesn't take the pain away and made me feel sick and out of control of myself. Tried it once with my first as they were trying to push it instead of other medication but was sick and refused. Didmt even try with the second because j felt sick enough.
As for epidural I was refused with my second and kept waiting for 35 hours with my first so but the time I had it he was born withing the hour so it didn't take the pain of the actual birth away either, just the contractions, which I didn't realise wasn't normal.
Some people swear by gas and air though. Everyone is different.