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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Being stitched up without gas and air - advice?

40 replies

Peelspeelspeels · 04/10/2021 21:02

Sorry this is long but there’s a backstory to explain. I had my son 3 years ago - induced via pessary, first and second stage went really well, used tens machine and bath water for pain relief.
But I lost quite a lot of blood from bleeding tears and needed to be examined by 4 people (including a consultant) to determine if I had a 3rd or 2nd degree tear on my perineum. They decided it was a bad 2nd, along with clitoral and urethral tears, and to stitch me up there and then to stem the bleeding. However they made me use gas and air continually (about 60-80 min total) whilst being examined and stitched and, having not used any in labour, I felt very out of control on it and like time was going in circles and I couldn’t escape. I felt very traumatised by it, cried for days after, it contributed to PND and only resolved after counselling sessions about 9 months post partum.
I’m now pregnant again and whilst having contractions doesn’t phase me, pushing the baby out, and having to be repaired after does. I refuse to use gas and air again. I’ve got a consultant appointment coming up, due to the extent of previous tears but midwife suggested:
A) I could have an epidural so don’t feel the repair afterwards. But there’s no guarantees someone will be available to administer one and it might be a v quick labour going on my first one. Plus I know epidurals increase the risk of tearing and I don’t want worse tears either
B) I could go to theatre after to be repaired. But again, if they’re busy and it’s not a bad tear, I fear I might be fobbed off.

Of course other thing I could do is request a C section, which is a possibility, but I haven’t totally ruled out a vaginal birth again yet.

So: Has anyone had a vaginal birth, torn and been stitched up but not used gas and air at all for it? Can’t seem to find any other experiences like this, so would love to hear it’s possible! Thanks in advance.

OP posts:

DuchessSilver · 04/10/2021 21:07

Yes I has a second degree tear stitched up using only local anaesthetic.

SiobhanSharpe · 04/10/2021 21:10

I had a local anaesthetic and after the injection was given i don't recall feeling much if anything.
(Had pethidine for pain relief during labour plus some gas and air. )

ChipsNCurry · 04/10/2021 21:16

Yes I had just gas and air to be stitched up with DS2. His birth was so quick I hadn't had any pain relief at all till then.

It seemed to be over quite quickly though, I don't think it was a big tear. Tbh I was probably in shock and pain anyway as I'd had a 30 minute very intense Labour which seemed to go from 0-60 in about 30 seconds.

Im sorry you had such a rough time.

MaverickDanger · 04/10/2021 21:17

I had a second degree tear & was told to take gas and air if I needed to, but honestly didn’t feel I had to. Think I was just high on adrenaline but the midwife did say that I must have a crazy high pain threshold!

ChipsNCurry · 04/10/2021 21:19

Sorry posted too soon- was going to say that with DS 1 I had quite a bad tear and they only used a local anaesthetic, no gas and air as I'd specifically requested not to use it during the birth, I hated the sensation of it.

notasillysausage · 04/10/2021 21:19

Sorry you had such a tough time first time round. I had local anaesthetic for my 2nd degree tear, can you ask your midwife if that’s an option?

staffieslobber · 04/10/2021 21:21

I had an injection of local anaesthetic. No mention of gas and air being an option even.

Anoisagusaris · 04/10/2021 21:25

I had a 3rd degree tear, an epidural that didn’t work, gas and air, and possibly local anaesthetic (I remember the midwife telling the consultant I definitely needed something as she could tell the epidural hadn’t worked). And I will still never forget the pain of the stitches.

Essexmum321 · 04/10/2021 21:28

Yes terrible first time, I was in such a state I felt like my arms were pinned to my sides, I couldn’t move them even to hold DD, but second was a walk in the park in fact he was born late morning and I was out about 4.30 in time to pick up DD from nursery

CovidCorvid · 04/10/2021 21:29

You could also ask about a pudendal block. It’s a better method of administering local anaesthetic and gives much better coverage than just injecting local. A dr needs to do it rather than a midwife and you wouldn’t need to go to theatre.

Essexgirlupnorth · 04/10/2021 21:29

I had a local to stitch up my 2nd degree tear. I had used gas and air in labour and had pethidine which probably had worn off.

Essexmum321 · 04/10/2021 21:29

(Second degree tear and stitches both times)

Babdoc · 04/10/2021 21:30

Entonox (gas and air) is unlikely to provide sufficient analgesia for surgical repair of birth injuries. It is only a 50/50 mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen.
Surely your obstetrician or midwife infiltrated local anaesthetic such as lignocaine, before suturing?
I can’t imagine how painful it would be to suture a clitoral tear without it - you would have been screaming in agony.
You really need to discuss this at your antenatal appointment and insist that it is documented on your case notes that you do not consent to any stitching without either fully effective local, (infiltration)
regional, (spinal/epidural) or
general anaesthesia.

Fucket · 04/10/2021 21:33

I sympathise I had to shout and scream at the midwife to stop trying to stitch me up or I would punch her. Eventually she went and got someone who could Administer a local anaesthetic.

I don’t know on what planet anyone thinks gas and air is going to cut it for stitching together someone’s clitoris. I think there are some sadistic midwives out there.

lilacdinosaur · 04/10/2021 21:36

I had a 3rd degree tear and had a spinal block before I was stitched back up. You have every right to refuse gas and air, can you ask your midwife what other options you have if you were to tear again?

KeyErro · 04/10/2021 21:39

Sorry you had such a bad time. Just to be clear, did you have local anaesthetic in addition to the gas and air?

BaaBaaEmily · 04/10/2021 21:40

I had a query 2nd/3rd degree year with my second child, I was given gas and air for the examination but found it did nothing for me so could barely let the consultant look at me. As they couldn't tell properly I was taken to theatre, had a spinal and a proper repair (it was third in the end). I think you should ask the consultant to have it out in your notes that adequate pain relief is needed if you do need stitches. It's barbaric the pain that women are expected to go through

Original poster

Peelspeelspeels · 04/10/2021 21:48

Thank you for all your responses, they’ve been really helpful. To clarify - yes when stitching they did also give me local anaesthetic but they also wouldn’t let me stop using the gas and air. I had a birth debrief with a senior midwife about 3 months after birth and she said something about the location of the tear(s) meaning local anaesthetic couldn’t be placed so as to give total pain relief, so they made me keep using gas and air to give some additional pain relief as well. I’m not sure if that was for the clitoral/urethral tears or the perineal tear though. And when I say they made me have the gas and air, if I tried to remove the mouthpiece to say I didn’t like it they’d make me put it back in.
Thanks again for your help. I think I’m feeling worse about it because I’ve not met my “proper” consistent midwife yet and the last one I had was a bit business-like and didn’t really empathise, so I felt a bit like I’d been sent back to the delivery room with no one listening to me. (I’m fully aware everyone was trying to do their best by me and stop me bleeding, but it was still traumatic).

OP posts:

Skysblue · 04/10/2021 21:54

Wow OP sorry that happened.

I had a drug free home birth with a tear. The midwife then gave me a small amount of gas and air and did some stiches, but when she realised it was a third degree tear, she transferred me to hospital. Hospital made sure me wait for 4 hours but then took me to theatre, gave me a painkiller injection in my spine so I couldn’t feel a thing there, and redid the stiches.

I was very happy with the hospital experience which wasn’t at all traumatic and the stiches were very well done, I didn’t feel a thing and can’t really tell I had them now (although needed laxatives for 10 weeks after birth). I feel lucky to have had the doctor do it and I don’t think I’d let a midwife sew me up again (judging from the doctor’s reaction when he saw what she’d done.)

Best wishes I hope it goes well for you xx

stayathomegardener · 04/10/2021 21:58

I had tens and gas and air only during labour which was fine. I still remember the stitches afterwards without any anaesthetic were horrific and that was 23 years ago.

Lougle · 04/10/2021 21:59

I had a 2nd degree tear with DD1 but didn't tear at all with DD2 or DD3, if that's any encouragement. DD1 came out in the 'hi-5' position, so the midwife said she knew I was going to tear, it was just a case of trying to minimise it.

mocktail · 04/10/2021 22:01

I was stitched after a 2nd degree tear. They told me to use gas and air while they injected the local anaesthetic but that's all. I think it would have been fine without given that it was only for the injections.

Itsbeen84yearss · 04/10/2021 22:01

Gas and air doesn’t work on me so don’t waste energy trying to inhale it. You can’t feel being stitched up because they put local in

Itsbeen84yearss · 04/10/2021 22:02

Sorry should say I didn’t feel it with local in

Cameleongirl · 04/10/2021 22:04

I'm similar to @Lougle, I had a 3rd degree tear with DD but a tiny one with DS, literally two stitches. I didn't have any pain relief for DS's birth and hardly noticed the two stitches.

So you might be fine this time around. if you do have a tear, perhaps a local anaesthetic?

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