Various boring childbirth questions

[lazyeye]

Okay, 6 weeks to go so suppose I should be getting my head round it a bit.

This is my 3rd. Both previous births have mananged to 'go' myself. DS1 on time, DS2 10 days late and needed help of sweep.

I seem to have very loooooooooong 1st stage. DS 1 I honestly couldn't put a time on - I was having contractions for a week before hand, but ended up on a drip to speed things up. DS2 13 hours but only 10 mins pushing. Anyhow waffle, waffle, here are my questions I hope someone can help with:

1. For ds1 maybe cos of drip with syntocin or whatever they gave me some sort of pill to stop me feeling/being sick or pooing myself. With ds2 -no drip, but no pill. I can stand pain but I can't stand pain and feeling very very sick as did during ds2 - can I request this pill??
   
   
2. As 1st stages seem to be long, I end up having pethdine/diamorphine as I get really, really tired (both labours been through the night as well). Do they really slow you down? I'm not trying to be brave, but I'd do anything to speed things up a bit....plus they probably knock out poor babba.
   
   
3. Have repeated bouts of mastitis which put me right of b/f - any tips to succeed this time? This will be my last baby and I want to b/f for a while if at all poss
   
   Many thanks girls.

[lazyeye]

Anyone? Bumping. Sorry

[eefs]

hi Lazyeye, congrats on your impending birth.
I can relate somewhat as my first stages seem to go on forever (although the hospital only seem to time it from when the contractions got quite painful even though I'd been having them for quite a while before hand.) My second stage with DS2 was not even ten minutes - just time enough to get out the words "i need to push" through gritted teeth!
I used a tens machine for both of mine - i found it really helped with the early contractions, plus it gave me a feeling of control over the pain. Have you tried one before? I think the key is to put it on early in stage one and it seems to build up the pain relief.
in any case I did have an injection of pethadine for DS1 but nothing apart from the TENS for DS2 and I coped just as well.

[michellefromlakeland]

they seem to encourage you to eat these dyas - it all changed between ds2 and 3.

i scoffed a mars bar and walked around loads and that got it going

also look at the " i know breastfeeding is the best but I hate it" thread I bottled ds2 and staged a real comeback for ds3

[Bronze]

the only breastfeeding tip I can think of is to feed them as soon as possible after birth so that they learn the correct way to latch on straight away
Good luck
Bron

[JeniN]

I had a long first stage with dd too, and syntocin but no pill...things I heard to prevent mastitis (don't know if they're true):

wear a well fitting bra, not underwired
change breast pads regularly
try to empty the breast before moving on to the other
if you get blocked ducts (I did and it caused my mastitis) have a hot bath and then express/feed until the yucky stringy bit comes out and clears the blockage.

HTH