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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Pain relief?

70 replies

LizSpain · 27/01/2008 12:33

Help!!!

I'm an expat living in spain and this my 1st pregnancy, they don't offer gas & air in Spain and always cut to prevent a tear, I have a very low pain threshold so is it best for me to have an epidural?

I've heard epidurals mean you have to have a forceps delivering? What are the risks with this?
I've also heard that you can feel quite spaced out with an epidural which might prevent bonding with the baby straight away is this true?

I've read about hypno-birthing has anyone tried this?

OP posts:

scorpio1 · 27/01/2008 12:35

you do not have to have forceps, just the rates are higher amongst epidural births.

I don't know how having one feels, i have never had one. I do know people that have had epidurals, and they have been fine, no issues with bonding and are able to BF straight away.

Can you have Pethidine there?

carmenelectra · 27/01/2008 12:40

hello, Can you have anything like pethidine or morphine in Sapin? Sure you can. Although they may make you spaced out. Surprised about the lack of gas and air as i have a Spanish midwife friend and she didnt mention this when she has her baby.

Epidurals do not make you spaced out at all and does not mean you will have forceps. Just an increased risk of an instrumental delivery. You are perfectly likely to be able to push baby out yourself!

madmouse · 27/01/2008 12:52

Are you sure you have such a low pain threshold? So many women say that about themselves. I think you need to have a little more faith in yourself and your ability to give birth! . If you are at all interested in hypnobirthing I would say have a good look at it.

expatinscotland · 27/01/2008 12:53

No, epidural does not mean forceps delivery.

I have a low pain threshhold and I'd have an epidural if I knew I were going to have an episiotomy.

Original poster

LizSpain · 27/01/2008 12:55

I don't know about pethidine or morphine i'll have to ask when I go to docs this week.

Feel abit happier about epidural now as like I say I have a really low pain threshold or should I just say i'm a wimp!!!!

Is it normal to have an epidural?

OP posts:

scorpio1 · 27/01/2008 12:57

umm, im not sure what you mean by 'normal'.

lots of women have them, lots don't, its just down to individual choice really, or sometimes nessecity.

Don't feel bad because you want one, it may help you meet your baby in a way that is best for you.

expatinscotland · 27/01/2008 12:57

in the UK, no. but in other countries, yes.

it can be difficult to get one in the UK even if you're in so much pain you request one and are still not too far dilated for it to be too late for one.

i requested one at 4cm dilation with DD1, but had to wait for a couple of hours.

luckily, i did - was only 5cm by then - because DD1 was face up and had her hand up by her head.

expatinscotland · 27/01/2008 12:58

FWIW, I had nothing with DD2, as I got to hospital too late.

And when I tried G&A, it made me sick to my stomach, so I couldn't even use it.

alfiesbabe · 27/01/2008 13:49

Depends what you mean by 'normal'. Most women in the UK don't have an epidural, but a lot do. It doesn't necessarily mean you'll have forceps but does increase the likelihood. I agree with madmouse though - a lot of women think they won't be able to cope but are absolutely fine! In fact IME, a lot of women who are absolutely set on having a natural birth, minimal pain relief etc tend to be the ones who end up having a very medicalised birth whereas women who are more 'chilled' about it and don't have a set idea, sail through. I wouldn't say I'm great with pain, but managed mine without epis. Oh btw, the episiotomy is a very scary concept - it was the thing I felt worst about before giving birth, but I promise it isnt that bad. The midwife cut me with my first, and as I didnt have an epi, she just gave a shot of local anaesthetic which numbs the area, so you won't feel it. I defintitely wouldnt go the whole epidural route just for the episiotomy - it's literally a few seconds procedure.

carmenelectra · 27/01/2008 16:55

Agree with alfie about those who think they are going to go all natural are often the ones with most intervention.
You definitely dont need an epidural just for an episiotomy. I had an epis with first baby and it was absolutely fine!

Ask about the pethidine and morphine as im sure they would be a good option.

By the way, i thought i had a high pain threshold and still do, but labour wasnt how i expected!

Dont worry in advance, you really cant predict how your labour will go and how you will cope, but i do understand about your fears having a baby in Spain as i know its very medicalised.

CoteDAzur · 27/01/2008 17:05

It is the gas & air and pethidine/morphine that make your spaced out. Epidural does not go into the blood and hence does not go to the brain. Leaves you completely lucid.

G&A (anything you inhale, really), pethidine, and morphine all go in your bloodstream. They go to your brain. I would also suspect they go to the baby. Not sure why they are allowed in the UK at delivery, given that you are not given any other painkiller than paracetemol for 9 months of pregnancy.

jumpyjan · 27/01/2008 17:06

Hi Lizspain

Have not read the other posts so apologies if repeating. I had gas & air, pethidine and an epidural! (was planning a water birth at a midwife led centre!)

I was also cut to prevent a tear.

I had a great experience with the epidural and definitely recommend it. I did not feel remotely spaced out and was really with it and very relaxed. I managed to push DD out myself without any intervention and was fit to bond/breast feed etc straight away.

Personally I don't think gas & air is up to much anyway.

carmenelectra · 27/01/2008 17:09

Sometimes women do have other analgesics in pregancy if in severe pain. Occasionally doctors precribe it if a woman is admitted to hospital. Ive seen someone in pregancy with severe migraine have pethidine. The difference is in labour a midwife can just give it without being prescribed.

Gas and air totally harmless to mother and baby though.

SnappyLaGore · 27/01/2008 17:11

ask about 'mobile epidurals' too. supposed to take pain away but still allow you to walk around or get up on hands and knees or move position in general. this ability would help your chances of avoiding intervention as you feel more in control, and therefore can handle pain better.
also, walking about in early labour helps as the gravity presses the baby down on cervix to open it better (or whatever the terminology is!)

SnappyLaGore · 27/01/2008 17:12

are you sure they always cut? cutting routinely does seem a bit strong tbh. not everyone needs to be cut. i didnt.

alfiesbabe · 27/01/2008 17:20

Gas and air has no detrimental effect on the baby. If it did I'm sure it wouldnt be allowed!! Yes, it does make you a bit spaced out - that's the idea! It doesnt work by blocking the pain, it alters your perception of it. Some people love it, some don't.
In terms of possible side effects, an epidural won't affectly direct the baby, but the fact that it leaves you numb, affects your ability to have an active labour and increases the likelihood of instrumental delivery. Also, in the (very) rare occasions that something goes wrong, it goes spectacularly wrong - eg very rarely women have been left with partial paralysis. Whereas I've never heard of a woman suffering long term negative effects from g and a.

CoteDAzur · 27/01/2008 17:26

Gas & air crosses the placental barrier but no known serious side-effects.

re "If it did, I'm sure it wouldn't be allowed" - I don't know where it is allowed other than UK. Not allowed in Spain. Not allowed in France.

And it's not because they don't know where to find it.

expatinscotland · 27/01/2008 17:33

i'm telling ya, that G&A did utter FA for me!

didn't alter my perception at all.

just made me vomit.

i had a drug-free delivery not by choice and i still remember the pain so bad it gave me a panic attack.

don't have any bad memories of the epidural, however.

policywonk · 27/01/2008 17:42

I'd thoroughly recommend a TENS machine - over here you can hire them from Boots and Mothercare. I found it a brilliant way to deal with contractions.

motherinferior · 27/01/2008 17:47

Even though an epidural increases your likelihood of a forceps/ventouse delivery, it's still very likely that you won't have one; the studies IIRC (from when I last wrote about this) suggested that intervention rose to around 12 per cent (from eight per cent) and that, obviously, includes both the 'old-style' epidurals that completely numb you (I don't, however, know what's available in Spain) and complicated long drawn out labours (like mine) which are frankly more likely to go to epidural in the first place. However, I think those stats apply to the UK, so again you may want to find out the corresponding stats in Spain. HTH.

motherinferior · 27/01/2008 17:48

Oh and by the way I spent my first pregnancy saying I had a low threshold and being told Oh You May Find Labour Fine, and errr actually labour hurt like hell. (Sorry.)

alfiesbabe · 27/01/2008 18:10

CoteDazure - I'm not quite sure what point you're making. Yes, gas and air crosses the placental barrier. It has no known harmful effects on the baby. I have no idea why it's not 'allowed' in certain countries. But then some countries have a very different culture when it comes to giving birth - as the OP says, in Spain it appears that episiotomies are always given, whether medically necessary or not, and I know in some countries Csection rates are exceptionally high. The fact that gas and air isnt used in some countries does not make it a 'bad' option. As I said, it works for some, and some people hate it.

CoteDAzur · 27/01/2008 18:13

I have a high pain threshold (stitched up a cut on my arm once) but have to agree that childbirth hurts like a bitch. I had epidural, by the way and still felt like God's giant hand was squeezing me like a lemon.

To OP: Even if you now think you will not need epidural, make sure an anesthesist is still in earshot.

policywonk · 27/01/2008 18:13

I bloody loved gas and air... but then I used to be a right stoner and I think it's a bit similar...

policywonk · 27/01/2008 18:16

Not to reprise that giant 'how painful is childbirth' thread, but I don't think one's pain threshold is particularly relevant in labour; it's just that some labours are much more painful than others, and you won't know how yours is going to go until you're in the thick of it. I could NEVER stitch myself up as Cote describes, and I would definitely describe myself as a wuss about pain, but I had two thoroughly enjoyable, joyful labours.

As someone said below, the best way to approach labour is to keep a completely open mind.

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