Pain relief options

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I'm really not sure which way to turn with pain relief.

Before being pregnant I was scared and 100% convinced of an epidural.

Now I am pregnant and looking into things I feel more empowered but not enough to just go for gas and air.

I don't want a water birth as I want to be in the hospital (but will ask if I can have a bath maybe!)

An Instagram Obgyn I follow herself had a mobile epidural and it's her job to deliver babies so that sounds appealing. An epidural where you can still be mobile...but an epidural all the same.

Pethidine can only help pre the pushing stage (and plus the downsides of you and baby being drowsy)

I feel like there's an ideal option between pethidine and an epidural that doesn't exist.

Something to help with the actual pushing pain that doesn't completely numb you.

Anyone experienced a few different pain relief options?

Hi I had a tens machine up to 7cm but was in a lot of pain and then gas/air and pool from that point which helped a lot. I can't really advise on other pain relief methods but I wouldn't do anything that takes away the feeling of needing to push. It came so naturally and your body knows what to do. I pushed without gas and air and just went for it! Hopefully someone will comment who's experienced pain relief options. Have you thought about home birth? I honestly think that's why I got to 7cm without lain relief, I was so relaxed!

I had gas and air, then a morphine shot, then an epidural in my endless, non-progressing induced labour. All worked in their own way at the time I had them. I had hit such a wall by the time I had the epidural (exhaustion as much as pain) that it felt like the most miraculous experience of my life.

I would go with the flow when the time comes. You may find that gas and air gets you through the whole thing comfortably, or you may need an epidural. As long as you feel able to make an informed choice it can be an empowering experience.

I had pethidine with my first, it didn't stop the pain in my body only blanked it out in my head, so I was like asleep/ not making any noise but my body was dancing around in pain, when I sort of came out of the trance it was horrible. Baby was definitely drowsy, she slept all night, I just felt completely out of it and couldn't sleep. I Wouldn't recommend. I had the epidural with my second, there were complications and we were in a ward with lots of lovely doctors who recommended it (midwives tend to try and get you to be as natural as you can in my experience) it was lovely, I had it near the beginning of labour and chilled out for the next 20 or so hours until she arrived. It does feel weird not being able to feel yourself pushing but that is far better then feeling it imo. With my 3rd I only had gas and air, by the time they let me into the hospital I was too far gone for the epidural which is what I wanted. So I'd definitely recommend an epi but my pain threshold is terribly low and everybody feels it differently. Hope this helps.

I had diamorphine with my first. Was attempting to do it only gas and air and tried a birthing pool, but hated it. It was the only pain relief they offered in the part of maternity they called home from home i was in. If i had of wanted stronger i would of had to go to the labour ward. I had a relatively quick birth tho around 5 hours and the diamorphone was enough, defo made baby drowsy tho. My friend raved about a tens machine, i plan to use one this time round. If it comes to it tho i'll just take pain relief no point in you going through hell when you dont have too.

My labour was more long than anything else. I was due on the Sunday 30th august 2015, I was booked in for a sweep originally on the Wednesday, but I started having contractions on the Tuesday so I decided to see if things would progress naturally. They didn't so I ended up having a sweep at 3pm on the Friday (40+5).
I got to the hospital at 9 that evening, was in the birth centre by 10.30, had my waters broken around 2am, then gave birth at 6.58am the Saturday morning (40+6).
It didn't hurt or feel uncomfortable at all and it did help move things along (the head wasn't fully engaged so things wouldn't have progressed on their own).
If I’m honest I was more physically exhausted after 4 days and nights of contractions. I think if I hadn’t been so tired I would have dealt with it better.
For pain relief I had my tens machine as long as possible, it really helped me. I started using it at home after my sweep, then took it off to go to hospital. I put it back on when I was settled in the birth centre. I also used the birth ball to try to get my waters to break which helped with pain. The birth pool was amazing, I loved being in there and would have stayed in longer and even given birth in there. But the midwife could see I was struggling and needed to rest before I had to deliver. So I had a pethadine injection so I could rest. It really helped and I felt fine during and after it.
I tried a bit of gas and air but it gave me a bad headache and made me feel sick so I didn’t want it. And I knew I didn’t want an epidural. I wanted as natural a birth as possible, minimal drugs.
I did tear from involuntary pushing and had stitches after. It wasn’t that bad though.
As I say for me personally it was more how long it went on than the pain. Good luck.

I had quick labours and just had gas and air / water.

I will say don't rule anything out, but think of it like a ladder.

Start with gas and air and see how you go, you can always step up the pain relief depending on how the situation goes.

I gave birth in a consultant led unit - this wasn’t the plan (I imagined a lovely water birth with gas and air, building up pain relief if I needed it later on - ha!) but things got a little complicated. I had gas and air to begin with and then remifentanil once I was in active labour. You have it on a drip and you have a button you can push to administer the medication yourself (it locks out so you can’t overdose though!). It’s immediate so you can push the button as you feel the contraction building, but it doesn’t last so it doesn’t make you or baby drowsy. When you have remifentanil you are on a drip and have to be consultant led which obviously has an impact on how much you can move around/availability of birthing pools etc.

My labour was incredibly fast (90 minutes of active labour!!) and I was having 7 contractions every ten minutes. I had to be given meds to slow the labour down as it was distressing my baby and her heart rate was dropping. I didn’t experience gaps in between contractions so I found the whole thing quite overwhelming physically and the remifentanil helped me get through it.
I was very open to the idea that I might need more pain relief and I had already decided it would be remifentanil as I didn’t like the sound of pethadine or an epidural. I then had an epidural anyway to repair the damage DD had done on the way out haha! Having said all that, if my labour had been slower I think I would have been okay with gas and air, so I would suggest you pick pain relief options that you would prefer and as someone above said, think of it like a ladder as you really might not need as much as you think. Or you might! Which is absolutely fine as well.

I would also add that the pushing stage for me was much, much better than the contractions, (even though I had an episiotomy and a third degree tear!). It was important that I could feel what was happening at that point and I didn’t need the meds as much by then, so I was glad I didn’t have an epidural as it helped me get my DD out safely.

Good luck with the birth. However it goes, the important thing is that you are both healthy once it’s over. For me, it was a distant (and actually a very positive!) memory very quickly.

I don’t know if my post was clear - I had an epidural for the surgery after the birth, not during the birth.

I wouldn't rule anything out as you just don't know how things will go. I started with a tens machine but it only got me so far before I switched to gas and air. I gave morphine a go but all that did was make me sleepy so I only had the one dose. I asked for an epidural for 16 hours which I never got and ended up enduring a forceps delivery with just gas and air which was pretty horrific. I wouldn't be too rigid with your plan as you'll likely be disappointed if it then goes completely off track

@africanantelope thank you! Very varied experiences - might be a silly question but how comfortable were you with your third on only gasvand air? If you had a 4th would you go for an epidural again?

Thanks everyone. Completely up for keeping an open mind just nervous that if I choose an epidural on the day I could choose too late.

Does sound like there are a few other drug options I didn't know about so I should probably just stop obsessing until closer to the time!

Honestly, no I wasn't and I'd definitely have the epidural if I was to do it again (I'm definitely done though 😆) but I've got friends who were totally fine with just gas and air and I've got others who rave about hypno birthing so that would definitely be worth looking in to if you are wanting to avoid pain relief. But like a previous poster said I think the best thing is to go with an open mind and follow your own body. Just don't rule anything out

@africanantelope thank you

And @africanantelope keep an open mind about the 4th...lol just joking

Some hospitals or MLUs on hospital grounds have birth pools, if it's something you have considered I would definitely ask! I used a TENS machine with paracetamol and a hot water bottle when I was in labour, and then once in the water used gas and air. Unfortunately things didn't go to 'plan' and I ended up having forceps so had the injection (I think it was diamorphine but not 100%, it wasn't epidural as it needed to be faster acting), and that felt bloody amazing!

Personally I would remain open minded and see how you go, there is a 'ladder' of pain relief, plenty of info on Google that might be helpful.

Hi op, I had planned a lovely water birth, with minimum pain relief. Unfortunately baby needing inducing, which can bring on more intense contractions and had to stay in bed as baby was constantly being monitored so you can't get into comfortable positions. I tried gas and air which didn't do anything for me. I had pethidine and can't remember anything for seevral hours and felt really drugged up afterwards. I then refused to start the hormone drip without an epidural as I was completely exhausted by this point. I'm so glad I did as it meant the delivery was lovely and relaxed and I'd had a little bit of sleep after two days labouring in hospital.
One thing to note, a lot of hospitals don't offer the mobile epidural. It's usually one where you are stuck in bed with a catheter fitted. I was too exhausted to move anyways!
Like PPs said, keep an open mind.

I don’t think you can decide until at the time, all you can do is read up and be informed on the pros and cons of each. Obviously if it makes a difference to where you give birth then yes you do need to sort of decide, but I’d say just wait and see generally speaking.

I went for that approach, had gas and air and then moved onto diamorphine when it got bad. It hurt but I wouldn’t have wanted to make it more medicalised which having an epidural would to me. I also went home after 4 hours after the second too, I doubt that would have happened had I opted for an epidural. I’d rather have more short term pain personally, get out of there faster and lower risk of intervention. I didn’t even tear with either of my births so I felt back to normal very quickly.

😂😂😂

@Backbee had diamorphine too was floating in air 😂

Had nothing at all for #1... and not by choice. Won't give the details as I had a very unlucky/rare experience which you will almost certainly never experience, therefore no point scaring you!

For #2 I had gas and air. Also not by choice... I would have bitten someone's arm off for something stronger, but my maternity unit was very busy and kept turning me away without examining me as they could apparently "tell from the sound of my voice that I wasn't in labour". I had to pretty much force myself into their public waiting room ("fine, wait here... it's a three hour wait for triage though"), and a few hours later I literally had to beg them to examine me/triage me when my contractions were a minute apart, lasting a minute... was finally admitted to delivery suite, grasped gas and air like a drowning swimmer clinging to a life raft... MW popped out to fetch my notes and literally JUST made it back as baby arrived. Not ideal.

Go with the flow. I say. It's unpredictable.. be flexible. Oh, and if you think the hospital might be busy, turn up early! Get any epidural requests in early as well... it can be a long wait if they don't think you're urgent (SIL was told she couldn't have one as there was a three hour wait and she wasn't considered urgent... she had the baby long before that!).

I had an epidural with my first. It was a very long labour where contractions started on Sunday and didn’t give birth until the Wednesday. I was encouraged to have it to allow me to rest as had not slept for days. I didn’t feel the pushing stage and it ended with failed forceps, failed ventouse and then forceps and episiotomy. Luckily the epidural was in already for them as they had to get baby out quickly as was becoming distressed. At that point, I didn’t care, I was just glad baby had arrived safely.

My second was a water birth with gas and air. I laboured at home and only went in when contractions were two minutes apart. This was to try and avoid intervention. It was a lovely experience. The water really helps.

I wouldn’t have pethidine simply for the effects it has on baby. I am 34 weeks with my third and hoping for another water birth. Again, I will try to labour at home until I feel I really have to go in and have asked my partner not to allow me to have an epidural unless absolutely necessary as I felt it slowed things down but when the time comes honestly you just don’t know how you will feel as it depends on babies position, how long your labour has been, how often the contractions are coming so you have no choice but to have an open mind whether it’s your first baby or tenth

Don't have pethidine it's vile. Does nothing for the pain relief and makes you feel really out of control.

Thank you all. Your experiences are really helpful.

Looks like you have to see how long your labour is and possibly get in the queue for an epidural anyway to keep your options open!

I will also ask about a hospital water birth and check about mobile epidural facilities. Xx

It might be more helpful to find out what your hospital offers. My hospital doesn't offer active epidurals but the neighbouring hospital does. It offers remifentanil but not all units do. The midwife led and doctor led units are both in the same buildings so I could have started in the midwife unit and then transferred to the doctor unit if necessary. I actually did the opposite, I was down to give birth in the doctor unit but the midwife in charge of the midwife led unit was happy to have me as my reasons for being high risk were in pregnancy and after child birth not during.

I had a quick labour and was at home until 10 cm with 2 cocodamol! I gave birth in the pool with a bit of gas and air. I was fully expecting a quite medical birth, I was firmly in the "willing to accept any and all painrelief" group, see what you need to get through each hour and go from there. I would recommend the water birth if it's an option my hospital has 2 in the midwife led unit and 1 in the doctor led so it doesn't necessarily rule it out

DC1 was a long birth ending in CS, I had pethidine and it made me feel really stoned and I vommed a lot, I wouldn't have it again. Epidural was good but I felt sort of disconnected from my body.

DC2 was quick, just gas and air. I asked for an epidural but there wasn't time. It hurt but in retrospect I'm glad I didn't have one as I was up and about straight away.

Use pain relief when you need it, but not before! There are pros and cons to all of it.