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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Gas & Air

75 replies

Mum2b2BabyRoo · 16/01/2008 11:39

Thinking about using G&A for labour but have read many posts where it has made woman sick! So if you used G&A for labour, please let me know if it worked or made you sick! Thanks!

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hana · 16/01/2008 16:25

loved gas and air - , did make me throw up 2 out of 34 time sthough

hana · 16/01/2008 16:25

3 times , duh

MelissaM · 16/01/2008 16:28

G&A was great for me (and all I could have anyway as HB and too far on for pethidine when called mw). I think if you use it too early it can make you sick.
Actually - thinking about it I did feel sick momentarily, but it quickly passed. I think it was the pain though more than the g&a. If you try it and don't like it you don't have to keep taking it. Good luck.

whomovedmychocolate · 16/01/2008 19:55

I really really liked it but wasn't so keen on the ceiling which had quite sticky tiles I kept batting as I floated round the room

Tis v good for temporary pain relief though. Although I found I got auditory hallucinations from it - which could have been quite scary if I wasn't pissing myself laughing at the tiny goblins scurrying around in the sink

TREBUCHET · 16/01/2008 19:57

It was loooooovely........ I wanted to take the stuff home with me. It was so good I actually sent the anaesthetist away after shrieking for him for over an hour. Beware though, it was like truth serum on me...!!!

pinkspottywellies · 16/01/2008 20:00

I asked for it during my (very quick) labour and the midwife kind of brushed it off and I didn't use it, which was fine. They suggested I used it while they were stitching me however (in case the anaesthetic didn't cover all the right bits) so I did. I was actually glad I hadn't used it during the actual labour because it made me feel a bit odd and dizzy and I think I would have been quite frightened in the midst of all the pain! Perhaps using it earlyish would be an idea to get used to it before the bit where you're just clinging to dh for dear life!

LazyLinePainterJane · 16/01/2008 20:00

OOh I wouldn't mind some G&A right now. This evening is DULL

Wilkie · 16/01/2008 20:01

It was OK, took the edge of the pain cos it made me feel spaced out.

It makes you feel like you have had one too many drinks but then that feeling wears off quite fast (before next contraction).

Nothing wrong with trying it and seeing if you like it

Wilkie · 16/01/2008 20:02

If you use G&A make sure you take lip balm cos it makes your lips very dry!!

RubySlippers · 16/01/2008 20:04

worked for me!

i had gas and air only, and one shot of pethidine during my labour

i found it brilliant

gave me a dry throat though

JoanCrawford · 16/01/2008 20:04

I think you get to a stage where feeling sick becomes the last of your problems. When the going gets tough, thank god for gas and air. I found it wonderful stuff, it enabled me to concentrate on my breathing and it all seemed bearable.

Nappyzone · 16/01/2008 20:06

I loved it, loved biting on the mothpiece and mooing back down it!! Also loved the husky voice i had afterwards as a resultof over doing it . Worth a shot id say !

ChasingSquirrels · 16/01/2008 20:08

farking FANTASTIC stuff - I knew it was hurting, but I didn't give a damn! Wouldn't let go of it once I got hold with ds1, didn't have a chance with ds2
It made my mum sick with my older brother, she didn't try it with me.
Definitely worth a try.

LittleBottle · 16/01/2008 20:18

It didn't make me sick but it did give me a very very dry mouth. Have your birth partner/MW on standby with some water and a straw!

I liked G&A, it made me feel spacey but it helped me visualise all sorts of things to help me through the contractions - waves, climbing hills etc I managed to get fully dilated and push for an hour on just the G&A, but then I got all panicky and had some pethidine to help me finish the job ;)

coby · 16/01/2008 20:29

It helped, but I ended up with an epidural for both labours plus pethidine on my first labour (didn't like the pethidine at all).

G&A really is fab though, I wanted to sneak a cannister home for 'personal use . I get travel sick etc at the drop of a hat and I had heard that it makes you sick. When I first took it it made me woozy with the first inhalation but it didn'e make me sick.

Definitely have a lot of water to drink when you are taking it as it dries you out totally - I was on it for 32 hours though - I needed big drinks for a few hours after the labour too.

hazeyjane · 16/01/2008 20:35

Fantastic for 1st labour (which was loooong!), agree you need lip balm, and a drink with a straw ( very good jobs for birthing partner). Oh, and if you have to have it taken away from you, so that you can be moved, try to restrain yourself from punching someone

Absolutley useless with 2nd labour, when I was induced, had no effect whatsoever on contractions and was begging for an epidural before dh could even whip out the lip balm.

ja9 · 16/01/2008 20:36

g&a was great with my second. no sickness.

didn't work at all for me with my first... perhaps i didn't inhale it properly or it wasn't connected.

betterhalf · 16/01/2008 20:37

I am starting to really look forward to getting to use this gas and air stuff.

Ripeberry · 16/01/2008 20:40

I've had gas and air for both my DDs and found it great for dulling the pain but it did make my mouth very dry.
After the first couple of puffs i felt like i had drunk a whole bottle of wine!
Don't know why they call it laughing gas as i never felt like laughing, but then i was doing something else at the time!
AB

alfiesbabe · 16/01/2008 20:40

G and A is amazing!! Just remember:

don't expect total pain relief. it's more a case of 'taking the edge off the pain', or distancing you from it, rather than stopping it. So if you go into labour with realistic expectations, you won't be disappointed!
you have to really go for it - take deep breaths. But don't over-inhale! I had the weirdest experience with ds, when I over inhaled and hallucinated - not pleasant.
be prepared for the fact that the midwife might take it off you for second stage if it's making you too relaxed and dopey. This happened to me with dc1. I'd managed all the way through 1st stage on G & A, only to have the midwife take it away for second stage cos she wanted me alert and pushing. I cried!!
you CAN use it again after labour for stitches though! I found it great - didn't bother with local anaesthetic, just toked on the G & A!!

hotCheeseBurns · 16/01/2008 20:41

I hated it, the feeling of drunkeness and sickness and being confused and out of control was one of the very worst things about labour.

jetgirl · 16/01/2008 20:42

Worked for me when I had DD, and great for the stitches afterwards too. DH wanted to try it, i wouldn't let him

serenity · 16/01/2008 20:52

I had G&A with all 3 (including DS2 who was an induction) I felt fine, just like I'd had a few drinks, so not drunk just merry/relaxed and not sick either. It didn't take the pain away but it made it copable. Concentrating on breathing in the right place gave me something to focus on as well. I overdid it with DS1 and managed to lose my contractions as he was part of the way out so they had to take it away (not fun!) but that was the only real problem.

I did throw up with all three, but it was during the transition so due to that rather than the G&A.

I'd suggest trying it at least. With DS1 I drew up a list of pain relief and planned on starting at the bottom and working my way up as necessary. It went TENS/G&A/Pethadine/Epidural (absolute last measure for me as I have loads of contraindications for it).

Good Luck

nezelette · 16/01/2008 21:59

I absolutely loved it and couldn't have done without. It also goes well with TENs machine for some reason. If I stopped one or the other the pain got too much, but both were a great combo.
I was a bit out of control though, stripped naked after a few puffs and tried to get DP to try it too as if it were some sort of recreational drug
He was quite unimpressed by that!
But I giggled and danced to the tunes on the radio between contractions and all in all had a great experience even though it was might first baby.
I think birth is what makes you feel sick (I was sick BEFORE G&A), not the G&A!

ChirpyGirl · 16/01/2008 22:15

It did make me feel slightly nauseous but I didn't care!
It was better to feel a bit sick and be abel to move and talk than being in agony....

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