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Original poster

Pain management in labour?

34 replies

Hannabee123 · 08/08/2017 12:15

Hi everyone Grin

More labour questions coming your way!

What s everyone's experience with pain management during labour? I'm not sure if I fancy the idea of an epidural I'm not squeamish with needles but it sounds pretty scary. Can you be offered anything else?
What generally worked whilst giving birth?

I'm too much of a wimp when I think about all the pain Sad

OP posts:
Thistledew · 08/08/2017 15:36

I know it is probably easier said than done, but try not to be scared of the pain. Yes, it hurts, but I found it to be a sort of 'useful' pain. If you have ever done really hard exercise you will know what I mean. It is more akin to the sort of pain you get when you are running as hard as you can up a hill than the sort of pain you get from a torn muscle or broken limb.

I found that like with hard exercise the key was controlling my breathing: taking long slow breaths in and out during each contraction meant I kept in control of the pain and didn't let it panic me or overcome me. I had a 'see how things go' birth plan when it came to pain management and the midwife had set up the gas and air for me, but I never felt the need to use it. I did contemplate it when DS was crowning and I had a second degree tear, but then thought "fuck it, I've come this far without pain relief and it will all be over in a minute" so I didn't bother.

That was with 40 hours of pre-labour and 8 hours of 'real' labour and an 8lb2oz baby!

chunke · 08/08/2017 15:41

I felt the same re scary epidural and planned a water birth. By the time of the birth I was in so much pain I went into hospital and begged for an epidural. They said it was too late for anything as the head could be seen and I ended up with nothing. If I could go back I'd have demanded the epidural earlier Grin

Oysterbabe · 08/08/2017 17:41

I had paracetamol and gas and air. It was fine and never felt unmanageable at any point, not nearly as bad as I expected. Try not to worry and just see how you cope.

mummyGof2boys · 08/08/2017 20:59

I have a very high pain threshold and I labour very quickly so Iv done both my labours wth just gas and air. If I didn't feel like I was coping I would have taken anything else apart from an epidural. It doesn't make your labour any less meaningful if you have to take all forms of pain relief. You just go with the flow and take what gets you through it

weasledee · 08/08/2017 21:04

Another vote for gas and air!! I was planning on having every drug they had but in the end gas and air was all I needed! Truly amazing stuff!!! I thought i was flying :)

mummyGof2boys · 08/08/2017 21:07

Also if you can get a water birth then jump at the chance. The water is such an amazing tool. It takes all the weight off bump and helped with pain too

kel1234 · 09/08/2017 13:45

Hi, I had a very long early labour, as the head was not fully engaged. I was due on the Sunday, I started having contractions irregularly on the Tuesday afternoon. I was booked in for a sweep on the Wednesday, but I declined as I wanted to see if it would progress naturally. It didn't, so I had a sweep on the Friday afternoon. I went to the hospital at 9pm, was in the birth centre by 10, had my waters broken by the midwife at 3am, and gave birth at 6.58am.
I didn't need anything until 5pm on the Friday, after the sweep. I used my tens machine, which helped. I took it off to go to the hospital, then I put it back on when I was settled in the birth centre. That was all I needed for a few hours, and I didn't even need the highest setting. I used a birthing ball to try to break my waters, which also helped with the pain. I got in the pool for an hour, which really really helped a lot. After that, due to sheer physical exhaustion from the long early labour, I had a pethadine injection so I could rest. I needed it.
I wanted as natural a birth as possible, without drugs. I did try a tiny bit of gas and air, but it made me feel so sick and gave me a bad headache. I said an epidural would be an absolute last resort for me.
Next time I intend to use my tens machine as long as possible, as well as a birthing ball, then the pool when I need some more relief. I won't be using gas and air, and hopefully I won't need anything else.

0htooooodles · 09/08/2017 14:05

I had epidural during my contractions, as I really couldn't cope. I was wanting to do it on just gas and air, but never worked out that way. When it came to pushing the epidural had worn off to an extent and I ended up doing it semi naturally in the end! Won't lie it bloody hurt 😭

LorelaiVictoriaGilmore · 09/08/2017 14:25

I managed for ages on gas an air, but totally panicked at transition and got an epidural. I had been really scared of getting an epidural but by that point I was in so much pain that I actually wanted to die so it would just be over. In comparison, a little needle in the spine didn't seem too bad! 22-3 hours of labour and had the epidural with about an hour to go! I'm still undecided about whether I would just go for a epidural this time or not. Apparently last time the epidural didn't actually work properly - there were lots of mutterings about it being a failed epidural - but I went from being delirious with pain to coping, so it didn't fail as far as I was concerned.

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