Is there any one place where I can get lots of info on pain relief options etc for labour?

[hopefully]

Just vaguely thinking about starting to research it (only 20 weeks, but know nothing, so thought it might not be a bad idea!), and I'd like to see some actual stats on things like intervention with epidurals, likelihood of intervention, things like that.

Basically, I don't really know the pros and cons of any of my options, and I'd like to before randomly sticking down 'I'll have whatever drugs are going' on my birth plan!

If anyone knows a good resource, I'd be eternally grateful...

Yes I believe that place is actually a person and she is called lulumama. Don't worry she will soon come

hi, hopefully. I too am sure that lulu will be along shortly

Any of the doulas should be able to advise you, there's lulu, mars, klaw...

Fwiw, my advice as far as your birthplan goes, is don't set anything in stone, things may change as your labour progresses and you may want something you had previously ruled out.

Congratulations

Thank you! I'm quite happy to consider anything (up to and including being thumped over the head so I have no idea what's going on...), so I won't get too stressed at having to have anything, but would be good to know the facts so at least I have an order of preference.

Plus I have no knowledge at all about the benefits of things like tens machines, birthing balls etc etc. Oh god, clearly I am completely unprepared and should not be trusted to give birth!!

tell you what then... don't!

hah! you thought I was serious then didn't you

right, in the absence of someone who knows what they are talking about, you get to see my views:

First of all, it is perfectly natural and normal to be terrified a bit apprehensive about the birth - but you are not to dwell on it. It will all happen regardless of how you feel about it, and if it was that bad, nobody would ever have two, would they?

Birthing ball - you sit on it, roll your pelvis on it, or lean on it, it is like a big, squashy cushion and it does make early labour pains much more bearable. You can buy them fairly cheaply - if you look on ebay under "excercise ball" rather than "birthing ball" they seem to be cheaper.

tens machine: particularly good for back labour. I gave birth to dd2 with nothing but a tens machine (I had a bit of G & A but didn't much like it so stopped) It feels tingly and can be very, very effective; especially if you have a good birthing partner.

g & a: can make you very very woozy. It helps with the pain because it takes you "out of it" so, whilst you still kind of feel the pain, you just don't care any more. Tis like having a really good spliff.

pethidine: made me very, very sick so have no real experience of this, only had it once when I had dd1 and since then it's in my notes not to give it to me.

epidural: there are different levels of this I think. What they do is numb you completely from the waist down. So you don't feel any contractions or birth pains, but you also don't know when to push or not. I had one with dd1 but I believe things have got much better since then. There are risks attached to this procedure, but it is carried out by an anaesthatist, so they are made as minimal as poss. I believe that the necessity for interventions after an epidural are nowadays no more than without the epidural, but back when I had dd1, things weren't so good.

I had another epidural with ds, but had him by ecs so twas different.

mammoth post, probably all crap, but hope I've given you somehting to think about anyway.

I have to second's Squonk's advice re birthing ball and tens machine for back labour. The point of the ball is to help put the baby in the right position (i.e avoid back to back labour) and to tone your muslces. The more you seat on it, especially toward the end, the better. Like Squonk said, don't be fulled by the name "birth ball" as they charge 4 times the price for them. Argos has some cheap one and I think Matalan, Tik Max etc..

Tens are worth a shot and did help me for a long while during my long back labour with DD

Other drug free pain relief methods include: birthing in a pool, hypnobirthing, massage and all the alternatived therapies (using lavender and clary sage, homeotherapy, accupuncture etc).

Apparenlty having a doula also helps a great deal.

For the drugs, you will find that they all have different effects on different people. G&A didn't do anything to me whilst some people swear by it. Same for Pethidine.

The epidural did work but I ended up with a ventouse delivery, and I am sure you are aware that some people believe (and I am one of them) that the more drugs you take, the more likely you are to have intervention and instrumental deliveries.

At the end of the day you have to follow your instinct and choose what is best for you. I think the key to be happy about your birth is being able to make your own (informed choices) as opposed to feeling that things have been imposed on you. I would say read read read, make your own mind and when the time comes choose what you want and stick to your guns

I hope that helps.

Now how come lulu is not there yet?

Ooh, thanks Squonk, much appreciated! Was incredibly cynical about things like tens (on the basis of precisely no evidence), but perhaps I should re-evaluate!

Can you take birthing ball into hospital in case they happen not to have such things?

Loving the spliff analogy...

Muchos appreciation for any more words of wisdom/research on any pain relief methods! Keep em coming!

lulu must be ill to avoid this thread!

I had a tour or local mat unit yesterday and the MW said something about a drug beginning with M that they inject - its like pethidine but not as harsh (or something)

c'mon lulumama we need you!

PS when I had DD, first baby, TENS machine was crap

MamaG you are referring to meptid

hopefully: you need to ask your hospital, most will let you take your own ball but some won't because of their policies re infections. Most hospitals do have balls thougth

the ball can be a really useful thing to have at home, before you go into the hospital.

I totally agree that a doula will be a huge help - you can find one here if you are interested

meptid, thats the one.

Is this your first baby? Are you doing NCT classes? they usually give lots of info on pain relief options.

www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/labourandbirth/painrelief/ has links to other more detailed articles on the pain relief basics - but no statistics. Worth a read.

It's first baby, but am budgetting like a mad lady, so sadly NCT is out for the moment - will have to get by on NHS effort!

It's my lack of drugs knowledge that really needs improving - although I am now contemplating things like renting a tens machine! From what I've heard I don't like the sound of pethidine, and I'd like to know more about mobile epidurals, as they seem like a good compromise.

Oh, so much to learn!

hello ! i am allowed a break, you know !!

lots and lots of option for pain relief, and one of the best things you can do and invest in is a doula . as has been mentioned!!

there are pros and cons to all the methods of pain relief , and worht looking into. AIMS has some good leaflets about birth. in particular, their waterbirth booklet is interesting as it as is their 'birthing your baby' booklet www.aims.org.uk

you can use:

nothing, but you can vocalise and move as you need to which is helpful and your own endorphins will help you cope.

birth ball

alternative therapies

hypnobirthing

water

gas and air ( entonox)

TENS ( not compatible with water )

diamorphine, meptid, pethidine

epidural

epidural takes your birth on a more medicalised route. you will need more monitoring and it does increase chances of intervention,especilly in first time mothers. if you cannot have a mobile epi. you will need a catheter.

opiates can make you sick and they do pass to the baby, but they are a muscle relaxant and help alter the perception of the pain and so aids dilation by relaxing you

water is great , very soothing and helps maintain 'hands off ' birth and you can move a lot more easily into different positions.

best to look into everything now as you are doing and take it from there.

Janet Balaskas, Sheila Kitzinger and Ina May Gaskin all write wonderfully about birth, they do advocate natural birth , but do discuss pain relief options. and Janet Balaskas written great books on water birth and active birth .

Starlight, you are well 'ard and you know it! And yes, I am a details freak.

Lulumama thanks for finishing your break and coming to help me! Will have a look at the Aims website, and one or two of those books.

I'm one of those who just really likes having all the facts, even though I don't really get that stressed about the reality - i.e. I have no particular ambitions to either go through the whole thing on gas and air or get an epidural the minute I walk in the hospital, but I do want to know what will happen with each option!

Weirdly the one thing I really don't want is a water birth - I'm not terribly brave around water (I appreciate that we're talking something more the size of a bath than a swimming pool, but anyway...) and I think it will add stress rather than taking it away, for me.

Hadn't really considered a doula, and to be honest probably couldn't really stretch to it, unfortunately. DP will have to do.

Oooh, rambly post.

hopefully do you have a birthing ball?
I have one I'll send you FFP if you want it.

ooh, starlight, can I guess, can I? can I? can I?

Favourite what? If its poster, then its me defo

I assumed she meant favourite natural birth advocating author-ess

(if she did, I think I know the answer )