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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:

SnappyLaGore · 27/01/2008 19:41

nothing to be in awe of!

trust me, if i had time, id be up to the eyeballs in 'em!

i am v v lucky; my babies come out quick n easy. last baby 2nd stage consisted of 2 pushes.

NatalieJane · 27/01/2008 19:41

I don't think the G&A actually did anything for me, felt a bit sick but that soon went, it was just the fact that I had to concentrate to breathe and think about having it in my mouth, it was more of a distraction than pain relieving drugs.

I had an epidural with DS1, it didn't work at all whilst I was in labour, however after I stood up to take him up to the post-natel ward it kicked in and I suddenly couldn't stand up anymore!

Pethadine, I wouldn't touch with a barge pole, I hated every second of it, it left me so completely out of it that I couldn't even tell them not to give me anymore, absolutely hated it.

expatinscotland · 27/01/2008 19:58

i was freakin' when i got to hospital with DD2, found out i was 9cm dilated, and it was too late for jack but that G&A shite.

TuttiFrutti · 27/01/2008 20:24

Epidurals are used in 33% of UK births and forceps are used in a very small percentage. Yes, epidurals do increase the likelihood of having a forceps delivery but the vast majority of epidural births don't need instrumental delivery.

Personally I found an epidural to be fantastic, just amazing instant relief from pain. Not everyone likes them, and not everyone needs them, and you won't know till you're in labour.

Pethidine for me was horrific and I agree with NatalieJane I wouldn't touch it with a bargepole again. Made me feel really spaced out and druggy but didn't stop the pain.

policywonk · 27/01/2008 20:35

I tell you what I hated - I was given some sort of tranquilizer early on in labour with DS1 (something valium-like, began with an 'x' I think). I had no idea what it was, just popped it in my mouth thinking it was paracetamol or something, and proceeded to be truly and utterly out of it in a really unhelpful way for about four hours. It's the one thing about my labours that really pisses me off, because I was NOT told what effects it would have, and it put paid to all my intentions of staying on my feet, active labour, yadda yadda.

Pruners · 27/01/2008 20:39

Message withdrawn

twoplusone · 27/01/2008 20:49

Lizspain- Hi I had my 3rd baby in Germany in July. As in Spain. gand air is not available. I was dreading this as I had ds1 on gas and air. (my epidural failed.)
But everything was fine, I did ask for meptid.. they gave me it but it was too late, ds2 arrived 10mins later before it got chance to work.

Dont know about Spain, but will mention just in case.. to have an epidural in Germany.. (well the area we are) you have to see the anesthiatist (sp!!!) at about 7months to fill in the consent forms etc.. if this wasnt done then you are not allowed one. I did the forms but didnt have one. (ds1and2 were both back to back to.)

carmenelectra · 27/01/2008 21:26

Gas and air is fab. Never seen any ill effects from this for mother or baby(except woman being sick!). Thankfully didnt make me sick. Really does the by getting you to concentrate on breathing.

carmenelectra · 27/01/2008 21:28

Most times pethidine fine too, baby only affected if given very close to the birth. IF someone isnt coping tho, pethidine can make all the difference, however close its given.

Original poster

LizSpain · 27/01/2008 21:49

Firstly Macaco I think your gonna be my life saver!!!! I'm in Andalusia too and am also due in May!!! The plan is to go to the Costa Del Sol hospital in Marbella but I would love to talk to you about all the things you've found out, please msg me

Thanks everyone else this is the first time i've used mumsnet and its great! If I could I think I would have tried just for gas & air but as I can't I guess i'll have to give something else a go!

OP posts:

CoteDAzur · 27/01/2008 22:01

lulumama - I don't know if g&a is a 'bad choice'. All I know is that (1) it spaces you out, and (2) it goes into the baby's bloodstream. Neither seem to me like desirable outcomes.

I agree, all have pros and cons. Still, with epidural, at least you know baby isn't getting any and you are lucid.

Lulumama · 27/01/2008 22:23

epi does cross the placenta, but research has shown neither helps nor harms the baby

for me the other possible effects on the mother are reasons i would not want one

horses for courses isn't it?

mom2latinoboys · 28/01/2008 02:12

LizSpain,

I've never had any pain relief in childbirth, but hypnobirthing is great. Definitely look into it.

carmenelectra · 28/01/2008 09:23

Agree with you Lulu regarding the epidural.

Much rather have gas and air even if it does apparently cross the placenta! Epidural comes with its own set of problems. I have never seen any labours go wrong from gas n air, though many epidural labours end up with a cascade of intervention!!

Sanwi · 28/01/2008 10:22

my birth plan said gas and air only for pain relief but i ended up having the lot, during a very long labour

all of them worked for me - with pethidine i actually slept while having contractions every 3 minutes

in the end the epidural was like magic - all the pain went, and i had no problems afterwards

the only down side was it meant staying lying down once i'd had it, which slowed things down

i think you never know what you'll need until you get there - i would have sworn i'd never have an epidural, as i'm a complete needle-phobe. in the end i was demanding one NOW NOW NOW

macaco · 28/01/2008 10:24

Hi LizSpain, I can't msg you, it comes up as you have chosen to not be msg able on mumsnet. If you change that I'll try again or apparently you can CAT me whatever that means. If you're in the Marbella area why don't you look at mumsinspain.com, it's quite Costa del Sol orientated (I'm inland) most posters live near Malaga. I found this in the birth experiences section. Isn't the CDS Hospital where Melanie Griffiths had her baby?

This appeared in the Euroweekly paper dated 11th October 2007, sounds all very promising!

"Women who give birth in the Costa del Sol Hospital in Marbella will be able to chose the method of childbirth they prefer including vertical, horizontal, in a bath, croouching and with an epidral.

The aim is to make the experience as natural and comfortable as possible and thereby reduce the number of the caesarean sections performed in hospitals. It is hoped that mothers will remember the birth of their child as a happy moment and therefore they should be accomodated as much as possible.

The hospital also has new wards for new mothers so that they do not have to be moved around the hospital, and relatives can stay with them during the birth.

The hospital has undergone refurbishment in the past few months costing approximately five million euros. The Obstetrics Area alone has been expanded by 34 % and now has much better facilities and equipment."

Do you speak Spanish?

Hope that helps, msg me if you have any questions

princessmama · 28/01/2008 11:13

I would recommend hypnotherapy. I had G&A for my first dds birth and pethidine, which I found awful. For dd2s birth I had hypnotherapy and my perception of the pain was so different - I was totally relaxed and in control. I also used water to labour in and found a birth ball useful. Childbirth doesn't have to be frightening - during my 2nd labour I regarded the sensations as intense pressure, but normal and natural.

Original poster

LizSpain · 28/01/2008 14:09

Hi Macaco,

It came up the saem when I tried to message you but I have changed my profile now so you should be ok to message me.

I am learning spanish but have only been here 10 months so I am no where near fluent and especially not familiar with the medical terms!! All good fun!

Thanks for info on hospital and website you've been really helpful, its great to have someone else in Spain! Which hospital are you going to? When in May are you due?

OP posts:

alfiesbabe · 28/01/2008 14:24

CoteDAzure - I still think your post was a bit misleading. As I said before the 'no known long term effects' is a caveat applied to any drug, whether it's a paracetamol or whatever. It certainly applies to an epidural as much as to gas and air. There is no evidence that it has any long term effect on the baby. Which means exactly that.
What we do have evidence about is that an epidural increases the risk of forceps or ventouse being used on the baby, and there is a very small risk of permanent damage to the mother - neither of which are the case with gas and air.
The fact that g and a crosses the placenta is simply a fact - nothing more - just as oxygen passes from the mother to the baby all through pregnancy. It doesn't in itself mean g and a is a bad thing.
If you would prefer an epidural to g and a that's fine - it's personal choice - but I think we need to be accurate about what the risks are.

alfiesbabe · 28/01/2008 15:42

To put it simply, if you ask a doctor about the possible long term effects for gas and air, they will say 'no known long term effects'.
If you ask a doctor about the possible long term effects for epidural they will say 'no known long term effects.' No difference.

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