Gas, air, home births etc...

[motherinferior]

I am a total wuss when it comes to pain, and leapt at the chance of an epidural last time round (quite honestly, about 5 mins after positive test results). And in the event I was very glad I did - nightmare labour, BUT also all the stop-start elements you'd associated with an epidural (which didn't work very well anyway). I'm contemplating a home birth for my second, just to stay out of hospital; but I really don't know how effective gas and air will be. And I'm scared. 3 months to go. Any advice?

Gas and air helps take the edge of the pain but can make you feel sick and light headed. Pethidine can help with the pain but again can cause sickness. Although you wll not be able to have an epidural at a home birth you might find you will be more relaxed so will feel less pain anyway and you won't feel so inhibited or have continous fetal monitoring so you will find it easier to use change of position and there are lots of natural remedies that help. Now would be a good time to start raspberry leaf tea if you want to use it.

I had a home birth but found the gas and air made me feel sick so I relied on the TENS machine and breathing - it is so much more relaxed at home that it got me through - not pain free but far better than my hospital experience. I had a meptid injection on stand by but decided against it as pethidine in hospital had made me sick

I didn't decide on a home birth until I was 37 weeks - domino up until then. My mw were very supportive and I would suggest discussing your concerns with them too.

good luck

I had a home-birth for my second and used a variety of pain-relief. I found the TENS machine fantastic. I hadn't used it for my first so a complete novice. The trick is to put it on as soon as you realise you are in labour. I only realised how good it was when I took it off to get in bath (but other people say it is useless so trial and error). I then used the bath which was lovely as it supports your weight and def takes the edge off the pain. We didn't have room for a birthing pool but mums I know who have used them said they are great. I stayed in the bath until I felt the urge to push. Then used gas and air for the pushing stage. I got dissy but if you just use it for intense contractions and have a break in between, it should be ok. Another thing I found useful was a birthing/exercise ball. Your midwife can show you good techniques and it is very comfortable to sit on in the latter stages of pregnancy. Finally you can get your doctor to perscribe pethidine which you can store in your fridge for the big day. I had it as a back-up and it was good to know it was there if necessary.

Most importantly, the fact you are in your home environment is the best way of your labour progressing. I was very surprised at how little intervension there was from both midwifes. You are very much allowed to do as you like. You can always transfer to hospital if you like if you find you are not comfortable.

You still have plenty of time so get lots of information (local NCT, midwife, etc). You need to be open-minded though because lots of things can stop you having a home birth, like blood count, being over-due, midwifes might be on another call, breach baby, etc. Does your local health service have a midwife-led/birthing service? This is a service in between home and delivery suite and might be worth considering as well.

Hope that helps.

I don't have any comparison as my first (and only) was a homebirth but for what its worth I felt so relaxed at home that the combo of pethadine at about 3cm (after lots of soaks in the bath and back rubs to get that far) and gas and air got me through to 10cm in about 4.5 hours quite easily and then Stage 2 was only 15 mins. DD was extraordinarily relaxed throughout as well - heartbeat scarcely fluctuated. I felt very reassured that the ambulance would be there in a flash and the hospital only 15 mins by ambulance if necessary.
But the absolute best was being at home together afterwards.
Good luck!

Motherinferior (like the name!) I had a home birth with gas and air and for me it felt like being slightly drunk: I could feel the pain dimly but I just didn't care quite as much as I would have done sober! So I wouldn't say for me it took away the pain but it did help and I was hanging on to it for dear life. I'd have punched anyone who had tried to take it away but maybe that's because I knew there wasn't anything else. I'm contemplating home birth this time round too but haven't quite made my mind up yet. I looked at the hospital notes yesterday though and all the stuff about the visiting times they 'allow' post birth made me think I will do the same again. There were lots of positive things about it. The midwife I saw yesterday said it's completely normal to feel much more the scared second time round, me too!

motherinferior - I had a birthing pool, and I have to say it was brilliant - really made a difference to me during my labour (40+ hour home birth). I loved having it for the end of my pregnancy as well - sinking into a deep warm pool at the end of the day was just soooo relaxing. In fact, I'd really like it permanently installed - I was so sorry to see it go!

During labour, I had one paracetamol (which didn't help much), but other than that I didn't have any pain relief. I'm not trying to sound superhuman (I'm a bit of a wuss too), but I think that the relaxed atmosphere and support that I had at home meant that I was able to cope well - pain relief simply wasn't an issue. I had my mother with me, and she was able to quell my initial sense of panic as the contractions got strong - I can see how I wouldn't have been able to cope if the panic had been allowed to set in.

Hmmm...interesting....particularly about pethidine, which I was terribly anti last time but quite frankly I think I should consider this time round. I'm hesitant about hiring a birthing pool just because it's such a vast hassle and expense (I'm a freelancer - no paid maternity leave for me!) when I know, sadly, that the chances are I'll be screaming for everything available soonish. Last labour was verrrry long, and I know the chances are that this one (10 weeks to go, I've just noted!) is going to be shorter...mind you, it could be cut to 'just' 10 hours and would be a lot shorter. I think I need to keep all my options open..maybe even get a TENS machine...

I didn't bother with the birth pool as personally the bath didn't help me much first time around. I was booked for a water birth first time around though but events took over! I felt good having the meptid in the fri8dge just in case but in the end it was much better that the first time so I hope you are as lucky - lots of people seem to be second time around so dont be afraid!!

Hi Motherinferior

I had a hospital birth first time round but wanted to add a comment about the birthing pool and gas and air.

The pool was fantastic ! I got in at 5 cms dilated and it took the pain away entirely. Contractions that were getting quite painful up until that point almost disappeared.

I used gas and air in the pool for the last 30 mins just for the pushing bit. Not sure it did too much in terms of pain relief but gave me something to concentrate on. Did not have any adverse feelings of nausea or dizziness etc.

The pool allows you to give birth in a vetical position and I did not feel that I ever really had to push, it seemed like he was coming and there was nothiong I could do about it. One last point, all the people I know who have used a pool have had very little damage compared to having an epidural and having to be on a bed to deliver. I am sure the warmth of the water and the upright position really helps.

Whatever you decide, best of luck and stay calm.

Another one for water labour (at home)... in a birth pool - not a bath (sorry it's not the same!)
Birth pool can be hired for £120 so it's not THAT expensive. You can use it for late pregnancy too.
It is a fab mechanism for pain relief and will acccelerate your labour as you are so much more relaxed (and do not produce adrenalin.... which hinders oxytocyn release- hormone that makes you contract)
Second time labours who get in the pool at 5 cm or later... deliver usually 1 hour (max. 2) later. Worth thinking about!!!
I had no gas and air as I hate the stuff but I had fab emotional support and I took a bit of rescue remedy as I was starting to get scared when pain became too intense.

With gas and air it depends a lot on how you use it. My first was very intense from start. Complete shock! I litterally gulped down the gas and air - couldn't get enough of it and it did make me a little dizzy. But DH decided I'd had enough and took it away. My yells brought every MW in the place rushing in to give very black looks to poor sheepish DH!

My second was at home. I was more more relaxed and prepared for what was coming and I used the gas in a totally different way. Because I felt in control I was able to take long deep breaths as the contractions built up so it had max effect at the peak of the contraction. I think it worked better this way and I didn't get dizzy at all. It also really helped me focus on my breathing which is also a good way of getting through the contractions. DH kept his hands off this time!

I found gas and air a complete waste of time - until I realised that if I held my thumb over one end of the mouthpiece I just got 100% gas. Only problem was it had the opposite effect to helium and I ended up sounding like Darth Vader (or however you spell it!)

I had gas and air whilst in the pool, but didn't like it at all. I think I had too much of it, to be honest - I broke the mouthpiece in the end. I felt more drunk than I've ever felt on alcohol - completely out of control.

It must depend on how you control the use of it though, as I know loads of people who said it did nothing for them, and others that raved about it!

I had gas and air and loved it but the so called experts took it away for the final stage of labour so that I could "use the pain of contractions to push" - if I had had a machine gun and the energy to use it!

Definately recommend the gas and air - just don't let them take it away!

Personally, I think that instead of child benefit ,we should get a weekly allowance of gas and air for when it gets really tough.

sis, what ba***s! They tried to do the same to me but saw the look in my eyes and so I had it right til the end. Not fair at all!

Thank you. I really appreciate your suggestions; I've also chatted with a midwife friend (a long way from me, alas!) who said she thinks pools are fab, so looks like it's worth the investment. I'll check out a pethedine injection too, just as backup assurance. Now all I have to do is convince my partner, who remembers it all soooo clearly, and is cynically (probably accurately!) of the opinion that at about 4-5cm I'll be in tears and begging for anything that's going...

Hi Mother inferior. I had pethidine in my first hospital labour and found it very disorietning and nauseating. I lost the plot after the jab and never really got back on track. Ended up in stirrups wiht ventouse.I would ask around as I have heard really mixed results for pethidine and I'm a big believer inthe intervention spiral. 2nd labour at home very fast and comfy gas and air came to late but found home very relaxing and superb midwife (still in love wiht her) only 2 pushes no stitches etc etc. 3rd labour also home but big baby and posterior so long and hard work. Found the rythmic breathing of the gas and air really helpful and got sort of meditational wiht the in out sound of the machine when you breathe. Felt a bit woozy but still able to make all my decisions for me felt really strong and good.

Wish you the very very best and hope you get the birth you want and hope for.

WWW, Thanks for the sympathy, the thing is, I only realised a few weeks ago that they don't always take away the gas and air for the final stage - this knowledge made me mad all over again!

sis - I know what you mean. I had my gas and air taken away from me but then there was a shift change and the next midwife on gave it back to me.

I had a pethidine injection at the end of day one of being induced to bring the labour to a stop so that they could "put me to bed". Unfortunately (for them that is), my body decided not to play ball and refused. I felt furious because I was not given the option of refusing the injection - they simply gave it to me. More importantly for this discussion I'm definitely one of those people that it didn't work for. Not that I'm saying don't use it - more that it can't be counted upon.

HTH

Sorry - the pethidine bit might have been a bit confusing.

Pethidine does nothing for me - it neither removed the pain nor stopped the labour and next time it will be all over my notes that I don't want it simply because I don't see the need for that drug if its not going to do anything.

As a midwife I do not take gas and air away as a routine in second stage. I have however stopped someone if they are over breathing and losing control because it then is not helping. I always kept it when I delivered my babies and used it effectively.

so any suggestions on where to get a pool? Am in London...active birth centre looks good...

BTW I should add that one of my prime reasons at the moment is dp's mum who said - really quite nicely - that at age 40 I'm too old for a home birth...