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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

birth experiences from those who used hypnosis/tens/gas and air please

25 replies

notsoslimnow · 02/08/2008 10:41

all stories welcome.would love to hear peoples experiences of giving birth with any of these pain relief methods.

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mumof3lovelykids · 02/08/2008 10:45

No Pain relief for me and it was the best experience ever. Had my 2nd at home and 3rd in hospital (not out of choice... not enough midwives on call on Xmas Eve!)

If you can just breath through the contractions and stay calm, you may only need gas and air, but that made me sick with my first which ruined the experience. Also had Pethadine with my 1st, my leg was numb for a year afterwards so wouldn't recommend that!

Elmosgirl · 02/08/2008 10:48

I had both my DD's with gas and air worked fine for me although there is a knack to using it. Need to start as soon as contraction starts and slow deep breaths.

what exactly did you want to know?

Lizzylou · 02/08/2008 10:49

Gas and air with both births, used tens with DS2. LOve Gas and air, would use it all the time. Had so much with DS1 (48hr labour)that my lips swelled up like Mick Jagger!!!
Found tens really good as had horrific time with DS1, not sure if it was actual pain relief or just mind over matter or simply having something else to focus on, but Tens was great.

mellyonion · 02/08/2008 10:51

hi. i used a tens machine with my first...it was ok...didn't find it did much i don't think...it just irritated me really! lol. moved onto gas and air then...made me feel a bit giggly and woozy, but i liked it!!!

used g&a for second and biggest baby (10lbs)with no probs at all.....but it did make me very sick and felt kind of full up of air...i kept burping! lol that passed quickly though after about 30 mins, and had the same experience with number 3.....

i really found the best method was focusing on breathing...not sure what the gas does for the pain tbh, but it does act as a welcome kind of distraction, and also the mouthpiece is comforting to bite down on....!

Original poster

notsoslimnow · 02/08/2008 10:54

well im 33 weeks, planning a homebirth.have been going to hypno birthing courses and would really like to give this all ive got,use my breathing techniques//gas and air and birth pool in a box.felt petrified about the birth before my hypnosis began but im feeling really good about it now already!really just looking for some reasurance birthing wothout pethidene/epidural etc is do-able and im not just caught up in my hypnosis.cant explain how frightened of nthe birth i was a short time ago,but ive foung the hypnosis great for making me feel really positive about giving birth.

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Original poster

notsoslimnow · 02/08/2008 10:56

thanks for all your experiences so far ladies

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Tigerschick · 02/08/2008 10:56

I didn't have any pain relief.
Gas and air made me feel drunk - and not in a good way; in a 'I've had too much but it's too late to do anything about it' way.
It's impossible to know how you will react to any pain relief, or how you will cope with labour until you are in it. It's best just to be open-minded and go with the flow, imho.

RubySlippers · 02/08/2008 10:57

i had gas and air, plus one shot of pethidine

all fine

good thing is that the G & A leaves your system quickly

i cannot remember large chunks of my labour either!

Elmosgirl · 02/08/2008 10:58

Is definitely do-able to just use those as pain relief. I think part of the battle is thinking positive and trusting that your body knows exactly what it is doing and not fighting it.

Original poster

notsoslimnow · 02/08/2008 11:01

thanks elmosgirl....i tried my tens out on my arm last night and it felt amazing! cant wait to be able to put it on my back during labour.although ill probably let dh get the pool all ready then decide i dont want to use it as want to keep tens on instead!!!

OP posts:

Egg · 02/08/2008 11:02

I had just gas and air for DS1 and for DTs. I loved it. It worked better with DTs as I had learnt that shouting out during contractions means you are not sucking down the air, hence not getting the pain relief at the most important time! Both times I did say "ok I think I might need an epidural" but both times I was fully dilated by that point so no need / too late.

Isabellasmam · 02/08/2008 11:07

i used just g+a and it was brill, loads of fun, makes you laugh. Also really helps you concentrate on your breathing. I think they had to pry it out o my hands at the end. Even used it during my stitches.

FrannyandZooey · 02/08/2008 11:15

just gas and air for ds2
it ran out as well - bit of a grim moment but not much I could do about it!
I had superb support from a doula and from dp
they basically held me and supported me through every contraction
in fact they were much more effective pain relief than the g+a
having had epidural and forceps with ds1 it was wonderful to actually feel my body pushing ds2 out
an incredible overwhelming feeling and not something I wanted to mask with pain relief

littlerach · 02/08/2008 11:24

G&A then Pethidine fro dd1, she was prem, all a bit scarey! Monitored and on my back htroughout.

Dd2 nothing at all.
Like Franny said, there was no need to try and cover the pain as I could feel her coming out, and was quite odd, still bloody painful mind!!
I was squatting for dd2 which I think made a huge difference.

laura325630 · 02/08/2008 12:04

My labour was really quick - 2 hours! I had my heart set on an epidural but only had gas and air and that was when I was ready to push! It is fantastic and made me space out!!! Everyone I have spoken to has also loved it and I would defo only have that next time. I cant wait

TuttiFrutti · 02/08/2008 13:19

TENS did nothing for me.

Pethidine was horrible - made me feel drugged out and sick, like being really drunk and not in a good way. It made the room spin.

Was never offered gas and air.

elmoandella · 02/08/2008 13:28

ds: g&a great. felt like smoking pot (not that i've ever done that in my youth)

4 injections of something. lol not sure what as was so out of it. these were great. worked straight away. got 1 in each leg and 2 in stomach. managed a wee sleep with these (v long back to back labour)but cave me crazy nightmares.

edidural. fantastic. was numb from waist down but could still move position(not all epidurals go this great. sometimes you cant move, sometimes only one side numb) however. couldn't walk about. had a wee sleep on this too.

but epidural made me really sick. was constantly puking when pushing. and i mean i was actually spewing like exorsist when pushing. bowls everywhere. poor dh covered covered by some.even after when everyone was cooing over baby i couldn't as was busy puking.

dd: g&a great.

got morphine but when they rolled me over to jag in my ass the baby started coming out without any warning. 6 mins later she was born before it even kicked in.

flamingtoaster · 02/08/2008 13:28

I had pethidine with ds - just made me feel sick and too spaced out to complain but did nothing to reduce the pain. The Tens machine wasn't working or I would have used that - and I would have loved to try hyponosis but that wasn't available.

lalalonglegs · 02/08/2008 14:06

Was convinced g&a didn't work, was just a way of distracting you until I had ds without it...

MKG · 02/08/2008 14:07

I used hypnobirthing with my induction with ds1 and it was great, I pretty much slept through the whole thing, and was really only "awake" for the last 15 minutes of pushing.

With ds2 things went really quickly so it was more difficult to concentrate on hypnobirthing, but it was wonderful anyway.

lalalonglegs · 02/08/2008 14:08

Should add that I had water births with ds and dd2 and that was very calming although not entirely without pain.

ajm200 · 02/08/2008 14:08

I'm currently studying hypnobabies and find it helps me to really relax. Much deeper than simple breathing exercises. I'm going for a med-free homebirth this time so intend to try it. Check out the yahoo . hypnobabies group for some great birth stories.

Last time I had all sorts of complications and they suggested that i have an EPI to reduce my BP as it was dangerously high. It was that or risk a C-section. The labour pain wasn't too bad, just crampy pressure prior to the EPI. My SPD on the other hand was agony, I felt like I was being ripped apart.

I was in transition when the needle was put in and shaking so hard that the EPI didn't take properly so could feel the top of my tummy and my groin but not my left arm... very odd. Wouldn't do it again

elmoandella · 02/08/2008 18:44

oh and i had water pool for ds. hated it. felt like i was in sauna.

policywonk · 02/08/2008 18:51

Both of my boys were born with TENS and g&a - in fact DS2 was really just the TENS, as I got to hospital about ten mins before he was born so barely had time to inhale before I was pushing.

I found the TENS machine really fantastic - very effective for me indeed. Would hate to give birth without one. As someone else said, g&a is very like being stoned, except that it wears off very quickly when you stop inhaling it.

I really enjoyed both births, particularly the second (when I was much more active, on my feet most of the time and gave birth on all fours, instead of DS1's birth, during which I was flat on my back a lot of the time because of a stupid tranquilising drug administered by a midwife who didn't explain to me what the effects would be).

However, I think I'm lucky in that I don't have very painful labours.

pickie · 02/08/2008 19:01

For both DC I used a TENS machine and i would recommend it - make sure to get extra pads in case you get in and out of the bath

G&A I used it for DS but more to bite on the mouth piece when a contraction came then for its actual medical purpose.

Also used acupunture with DS (waters broke and nothing happened and induction through acupunture meant I could stay home - it worked!) She also set needles to stay calm and pain relief and TBH I wish I'd done the same with DD as similar birth but DD was very very painful whilst Ds was a breeze. (might not have anything to do with acupunture but I think it has)

Both were born in our bath (water is the best pain relief IMO)

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