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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Slightly scared of gas and air - am I being silly?

40 replies

NewMama2Be · 30/08/2019 23:40

Just that really. I'm 36 weeks so starting to think about labour.
During a recent visit to maternity I heard a woman in a neighbouring cubicle on gas and air, and to be fair, it sounded like it made a huge difference as she was in pain and struggling to begin with but was chatting away to her husband after about 10 minutes of gas and air, was obviously working for her.
My fear us around the sick / dizzy feeling that I've heard it can cause, slightly put off by the thought of that.
Anyone have any experiences they can share?

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ChildminderMum · 30/08/2019 23:41

I've had three and it made me really nauseous with the middle one but not with the other two. If it doesn't work for you, you have other options.

FaithInfinity · 30/08/2019 23:43

The great thing with G&A is if it doesn’t suit you, you just stop and it wears off quickly. I’ve had it twice, not during labour (DD was so speedy I didn’t get chance) but when I had stitches and when I had a Colonoscopy. It just made me feel more comfortable and relaxed.

xSharonNeedlesx · 30/08/2019 23:45

I loved gas and air!! I did get a bit swirly in the head like when alcohol first hits you but didn’t feel nauseous and it helped me cope with the pain.

Mumoftwoyoungkids · 30/08/2019 23:45

I am tempted to have a third child just so that I can get my mitts on the gas and air again. Love the stuff. Love, love, love it.

Think the best time ever of being drunk and able to stay at exactly that point.

The mean midwife took it off me giving some ridiculous comment about how I was only supposed to use it when I got a contraction - not constantly.

StillDumDeDumming · 30/08/2019 23:50

Hi. It wears off really quickly. I was told to take it in just when each contraction is getting stronger and stop at the peak - then let it wear off until the next contraction comes. Don’t just keep sucking on it!! It’s completely usual to think over every detail by the way.

DramaAlpaca · 30/08/2019 23:50

I loved the gas & air. It made me feel high as a kite & very giggly. Which was a welcome distraction from the contractions. I was gutted when it ran out just before I started pushing out DC3, and there was no chance of any more because I was having him at home. I didn't actually need it any more at that stage, just liked it a bit too much

MarySibleysFamiliar · 30/08/2019 23:52

I bloody loved it. Well I had little other choice as my maternity hospital didn't offer epidurals for any of my 4 births and getting pain drugs was treated like I was asking them for their liver! I once got diamorphone and once pethidine. Both were rubbish.

thenightsky · 30/08/2019 23:52

God its lovely stuff! DH couldn't believe how fast I could get that dial to spin when I was inhaling!

OneHanded · 30/08/2019 23:53

Not for kids but having fallen eight storeys. Magical stuff! I react badly to most IV painkillers though

rubyroot · 30/08/2019 23:54

I enjoyed gas and air but it made no difference to my pain and I had an epidural and many many top ups instead. Seriously when you're birthing you won't care you'll take any pain relief that you need at the time. For me I needed epidural as had horrendous induction with that god awful drip. I swore I was not going to have an epidural.. In the end I was begging for it.

Bambamber · 30/08/2019 23:54

If you don't like it, it starts to wear off pretty much as soon as you stop inhaling it. You also control how much you inhale

Original poster

NewMama2Be · 31/08/2019 00:00

Thanks everyone, I feel a bit more relaxed about it already 🤗👍

OP posts:

Cattenberg · 31/08/2019 00:03

I loved gas and air! Someone once said that it doesn’t take the pain away, but it takes you away from the pain. I think that’s a good way of putting it.

In particular, it really helped me during the midwife’s examinations - I hated these. It also helped me with contractions, although I eventually had my waters broken to speed things up and gas and air seemed significantly less effective after this.

Gas and air didn’t make me feel sick, but it did make me feel dizzy, light-headed and “drunk”. I actually liked this. It also gave me a bit of a dry mouth, but this didn’t really bother me. The only drawback from my point of view is that I burbled non-stop in the early stages and I dread to think what I told the midwives!

The effects of gas and air wear off quickly, so if you don’t like it, just stop inhaling it. You can also control the strength of the effects by varying how long and how fast you inhale from the mouthpiece. It’s good stuff, in my opinion.

AllTheWhoresOfMalta · 31/08/2019 00:04

I bloody love gas and air. Would have another baby just for that 😂

HabbyHadno · 31/08/2019 00:06

I was dreading this too as I get quite anxious if I feel out of control in any way but it's AMAZING. I didn't feel any sickness or dizziness at all, the only slightly annoying thing is that it makes your mouth very dry but you can alleviate that with water. It was my saviour.

BizzzzyBee · 31/08/2019 00:06

I wasn’t sick or dizzy. It barely even took the edge off the pain though!

Coffeeandchocolate9 · 31/08/2019 00:07

I like gas and air. As others have said it only really takes effect while you're breathing it and wears off very quickly once you stop. I also preferred the whooshy headed feeling to the pain I was in! And that only lasted a few seconds when I had really sucked in a few lungfulls (I had it for a broken leg and sucked like a demon when they said they were going to straighten it out!)

rubyroot · 31/08/2019 00:08

Haha that's a thumbs up for gas and air. Although I think it's probably more useful for a works night out than for child birth 😂

mintich · 31/08/2019 00:10

Only problem with it was that I couldn't stop laughing when the consultant was trying to talk seriously to me!

Kaddm · 31/08/2019 00:11

It’s good stuff op. Breathe it in and enjoy it. I felt drunk on it when having ds. I was sick but hey, who cares!

rubyroot · 31/08/2019 00:11

I made some god awful jokes to my consultant and started getting a bit rowdy if I'm honest 🤦‍♀️

LatteLove · 31/08/2019 00:12

Oh god I loved it! It doesn’t take away the pain but makes you not give a shit about it it reduced the pain between contractions which made the contractions easier to deal with/less tiring.

I found it like just getting to the nice part of being drunk and staying there.

Was gutted when I had my second and didn’t get any because I dilated from 2 to 10 cm in less than 2 hours so it was too early and then too late!

Jojobythesea · 31/08/2019 00:15

I loved gas and air but had something else as my labour carried on for a while and it made me feel pissed and out of it. Gas and air I felt fine with though. Just cheerful and a bit out of it. The other thing I felt pissed and ready to be sick. 🤔🙄

JellyfishAndShells · 31/08/2019 00:15

I loved it - like getting a bit tipsy without the hangover. It’s sort of you still have the pain but you don’t care? It helped me go with the contractions rather than tensing up.

LatteLove · 31/08/2019 00:16

I bloody love gas and air. Would have another baby just for that 😂

I said all through my 2nd pregnancy I was only doing it for the entonox! I felt cheated! In fact I whinged about not getting it so the MW let me have a couple of sucks just to shut me up 🤣

First time my baby was back to back and I had to go on my hands and knees and wiggle my bum to try and get him to turn. On the G and A I was singing “I see you baby, shaking that ass” (Renault Megane ad that was on tv at the time!)

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