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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

Gas and Air

51 replies

Trampoline · 02/12/2009 23:15

Has anyone ever found that Gas and Air had absolutely no effect on them at all whatsoever? I told the nurse that it wasn't working, and i got my partner to try it when she wasn't looking - it had no effect on him either, but the nurse insisted that it was working fine! I reckon it must have been disconnected or something. Any ideas?

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

devotion · 07/12/2009 15:17

VengefulKittyInTheManger - thats hilarious, i almost wet myself reading that. could really see that on a sketch show.

i remember sounding like a right idiot. i was sitting on the birth ball and as i inhaled it, i fell to the side as dh caught me and sat me upstraight again as i giggled and said, "this is heavy shit man!" - as the words left my mouth i thought, "i sound like a right d**k!"... I would never say that normally.

g&a makes you say strange things!

chegirlwithbellson · 07/12/2009 15:40

I remember reading that there are a small percentage of people who cannot tolerate G&A at all. They dont have allergic reactions as such but it makes them very ill.

I am glad I am not one of those

NotanOtter · 07/12/2009 23:12

thefallenmadonna - after my second delivery (when i had a mask that covered nose as well) i realised how much more effective it was...

basically not watered down with well 'air' !

NonnoMum · 08/12/2009 13:32

Choosyfloosy THANK YOU - that explains things to me (don't know why I'm so obsessed with Discovery Home and Health - suppose if you are stuck on the sofa feeding then watching programmes of other women labouring is some sort of strange solace).
It seems to me Gas N Air can be a lovely way to calm down woman who come into the hospital screaming "I want an epidural" (Me with DC1 - the gas and air soon sorted me out). I was sick during first labour but think that would have happened regardless on the GnA.
DH did laugh at me as I insisted on taking a lug for my Vaginal Exam (you're worried about the Midwife's fingers when a huge head will be following shortly) but then, I have no sense of humour when labouring...
Our hospital has a whole wall full of Entonox, so no worries over silly little cannisters running out... For that reason, I'm not a home birth type of girl.

Purplebuns · 08/12/2009 13:49

I only had G&A, I used it because it was the only thing I could have at that time. However I threw up A LOT, everywhere and repeatedly!

I didn't like feeling so out of control and I didn't think it did anything apart from messing with my head. I felt like I was being trapped in my own personal hell as I couldn't do anything (move etc) while using, and I was still getting all the pain. However, I couldn't face having a contraction without it.

My labour was terrifying and stressful anyway, so I don't think, I was relaxed enough to use G&A, as I think if you relax into it, it would be better!

NotanOtter · 08/12/2009 21:34

g and a is like a living hell

Original poster

Trampoline · 08/12/2009 21:54

Well, thanks folks for confirming that it can't have been working! What a p*llock I feel for puffing away on what must have been nothing more than a piece of tube for several hours! Mind you, coupled with the TENS machine which I was hanging onto for dear life, it probably acted as another good distraction... Oh well, sounds like I missed out on some giggly fun (forgetting about the nausea/sickness) not to mention a helping hand to ease the pain! I'll know for next time - isn't it funny that when you have your first labour/baby, you believe and do as you're told. I'll ask them to switch it on next time!

OP posts:

Fibilou · 09/12/2009 12:00

Are you supposed to intake from the G&A like you do from a scuba tank ?

Lobyd · 09/12/2009 12:20

When I was in labour I remember thinking G&A wasn't working. When I was being stitched however I could definitely feel the effects, like being drunk in my case. I then said to the midwife, " This is totally different than before - you didn't switch it on earlier, did you?" She laughingly replied that she hadn't! Good job I was taking it at the time, to help me see the funny side...

Purplebuns · 09/12/2009 18:06

Lobyd !!

MamaVoo · 09/12/2009 21:16

Another one here who had no effect at all during labour but a lovely drunk feeling during stitching. I'm convinced the tank was empty but didn't have the gumption to get anyone to check it at the time.

gorge2003 · 10/12/2009 15:07

I HATED it had it with my dd (13 weeks old) but only about 4 puffs cos it made me feel VERY sick and i hate feeling sick...so i gave up and had no drugs!

trellism · 11/12/2009 13:17

I loved it. My ante natal classwent trough the technique, which is important. DH had a huff on it too, after they lost DD's heartbeat and attached a scalp monitor (she was fine). I got a bollocking from the midwife for letting him do that.

santaschristmascakeywakey · 11/12/2009 13:27

I luuurve G&A - the midwife took it off me at one point because I was completely off my face on it! Made contractions much more bearable, and I had it at the pushing stage while the MW and Doc faffed about getting forceps ready - would have it every day if I could!

rubyslippers · 11/12/2009 13:29

I love gas and air - they had to scrape me off the ceiling with both deliveries

never had any sickness or any effects - this time labour was so quick i didn't even get a dry throat

could do with some now TBH

Bumpynose · 20/06/2014 09:22

I was told gas and air wouldn't work when giving birth to my son as he was facing front so his weight was on my spine thus back pain in late pregnancy and contractions very close together from the start of labour. With my daughter it worked brilliantly.

PenguinsHatchedAnEgg · 20/06/2014 12:26

I know this is a zombie thread, but to respond to Bumpy - I don't think that is true. I found it brilliant with b2b babies. Not enough in the case of my first because I was exhausted and about to go on the drip, but brilliant. I am even slightly sad that I will probably never have gas and air again!

ShineSmile · 20/06/2014 12:28

I think it most definitely did work but I felt I loss alot of control - I was very out of it and I'm not sure if that was a good thing. Next time I would probably ask for an epi

passmethewineplease · 20/06/2014 12:28

It didn't really numb the pain at all bit it did make me forget about it.

Made me feel quite floaty?

PourquoiTuGachesTaVie · 20/06/2014 18:25

It completely knocked me out,quite literally. Dh spent a lot of time dragging me back up the bed and reminding me to breathe. The first puff made me throw up but after that all I remember is white fuzziness until I needed to push when the damn thing stopped working - this led to me actually screaming through the pushes which I wasn't aware I was doing outloud at the time as I was still pretty out of it. Apparently I wouldn't let go of it so they kept disconnecting it at the wall. I was so out of it I couldn't move. It was fantastic but my jaw bloody hurt the next day.

As soon as ds was out I "woke up" completely and it immediately left my system which the midwife said was because of the adrenalin rush after the birth.

However, I had never taken any drugs stronger than paracetamol before then and had never even been drunk. I've always wondered if this affected how I reacted to it.

Dh was most upset he didn't get a go on it because I was hogging it.

Boogles91 · 23/06/2014 00:09

Ive had it once nit for labour though as its my first baby lol but i must. Say its brilliant stuff :) and i would second that you have to take it properly, at first. It wasnt doing a ything or me then i took deep slow breaths in and out and dint letit leave. My miuth the. I started to feelspaced out lol its like having too much ventolin....distracts you from the pain your in wich is good in a sense :)

Lucked · 23/06/2014 00:14

No real affect and no relief from pain BUT it's great to have something to bite down on.

Pobblewhohasnotoes · 23/06/2014 20:43

I know this is a zombie thread (dammit!), but G&A did fuck all for me. I was using the mouth piece to bite on.

kaykayblue · 24/06/2014 14:19

I've never been pregnant, but HAVE had gas and air funnily enough! I had in an ambulance after a minor accident as I was in shock and freaking out!

I have to say that I absolutely hated it. It felt like I was drunk and spaced out - like I couldn't think properly. I hated how out of control it made me feel. It didn't make the pain go away, but it just seemed like someone else's problem.

The first few breathes nothing happens, it's only when you take a good few lungfuls that it hits you. I'm surprised they insisted it was working to be honest. I was quite clearly spaced off of my face. If you are still able to think rationally, communicate perfectly well and act normally, then it hasn't worked.

That said, maybe the gas and air they use on pregnant women is much weaker?

All I know is - I sure as hell won't be using it again! I want the hard stuff!

deepbluetr · 24/06/2014 14:35

Not sure if I would recommend the "hard stuff" for labour- can slow things down and lead to complications.

I found the gas and air did work, but equally it was a great distraction and gave me something to bite down on which I needed when hit by a contraction.

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