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Pregnancy

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

Original poster

Pain relief in labour

41 replies

Bythefire90 · 11/04/2021 12:44

What was the most successful pain relief in labour for you?

OP posts:
bunglebee · 11/04/2021 12:47

The birthing pool. TENS was also great.

Ava50x · 11/04/2021 13:00

Gas & Air

You'll only know what you want/need once you're in labour!

Sexnotgender · 11/04/2021 13:03

Last labour I used a TENS machine and then gas & air. Highly recommend both! I wanted a water birth but it all happened too quickly.

PinkCookie11 · 11/04/2021 13:05

Gas and air didn’t touch the sides for me!
I started being sick with the pain so went for an epidural! Best thing ever!!!
You’ll know once your in labour the best route to go.

Original poster
Bythefire90 · 11/04/2021 13:05

@Ava50x this is my 3rd Confused I’ve only ever used G&A, birthing pool and tried epidural (DC1) but that failed so getting ideas for the next because I’ve said I’m not going in just having G&A because it was horrendous last time haha

OP posts:
Original poster
Bythefire90 · 11/04/2021 13:07

Water birth was no comfort for me which surprised me because water helped so much with SPD, but the awkward seats in the birthing pool, they couldn’t regulate the temperature and had to keep monitoring every 15 minutes, it ended being with me out and birthing on the bed 30 mins later

OP posts:
Powerplant · 11/04/2021 13:07

Tens nor pethadine didn’t work for me, gas and air just made me feel light headed but oh boy epidural was amazing!

Chocolatehabit · 11/04/2021 13:07

Hypnobirthing and gas and air

Original poster
Bythefire90 · 11/04/2021 13:08

Gonna ask for an epidural for the next then I think. I tried in my first labour with one but it didn’t take Sad

OP posts:
Pleaseaddcaffine · 11/04/2021 13:09

Honestly best advice was done thave an plan and go with what you feel. My sister found tens helped and some yoga breathing she did. But she had a much longer labour.
My labour was fast and gas and air didn't do anything. Far to late for epidural or pethadene so au natural, which was hiddeous. I had a spinal block of surgery after and it was pain free but I couldn't feel anything, so wouldn't know if I'd want to dleiver like that.
Go with what works for you on the day and what's safest for you and baby.

PurplePinkParade · 11/04/2021 13:16

I had everything my last labour, it was very long.

Started off in the pool, loved the pool and would love a water birth next time. Found it very relaxing. However I had a back to back birth and she just wasn't coming so after 6 hours had to get out.

Gas and air - I didn't know how to use it properly so it didn't do anything for me!

After they broke my waters they gave me diamorphine injection to let me get some rest. I slept for 2 hours at 6cm dialated! So for that it was amazing. However I woke up, ripped all my clothes off as I was boiling, and then threw up violently everywhere. Probably wouldn't have it again for that reason.

I then was transferred into a consultant room as labour had been going on so long with no progress, it was classed as high risk at this point. I begged for the epidural which they gave me, twice, and it did absolutely nothing. Still felt all the pain, could still walk around and feel every contraction! Wouldn't bother next time.

So after having pretty much every pain relief I ended up giving birth with no pain relief. It was painful and had a 2nd degree tear but I got through it. Next time I'm going to try water birth and hypnobirthing.

eddiemairswife · 11/04/2021 13:23

Practise how to relax your whole body. I had my last two (out of 4) at home and needed no pain relief at all. I found that if I just 'went floppy' during the contractions they died away before they became unbearable.

Original poster
Bythefire90 · 11/04/2021 14:11

@eddiemairswife oh I wish that was the case, I did the first 14 hours of my last labour like that but the last 2 hours were unbearable, it was one long contraction the whole time, I had no time to breathe, think, I just bucked and screamed like a wild animal, it was horrendous Blush

OP posts:
CustardGoodJamGoodMeatGood · 11/04/2021 14:14

I had Pethidine which was great for getting some rest, I was practically knocked out and only woke up for contractions, didn't ease the pain of them though. Gas and air was good to begin with but then just used the mouthpiece to bite on really during pushing

Chelyanne · 11/04/2021 14:26

I had G&A in the later stages of my last 2 VB's, 1st I had epidural which was great with the hormone drip. They took G&A away for the pushing stage.
Still deciding if I'm going vbac or ercs this time, had spinal for my elcs with our twins.

Chocolatehabit · 11/04/2021 14:26

@CustardGoodJamGoodMeatGood

I had Pethidine which was great for getting some rest, I was practically knocked out and only woke up for contractions, didn't ease the pain of them though. Gas and air was good to begin with but then just used the mouthpiece to bite on really during pushing
Yep after my first I actually had sore teeth for a week afterwards!!
georgarina · 11/04/2021 14:53

I've never had a chance for epidural because doctors were too busy...G&A didn't really help, DP said the pool seemed to help but I don't remember it helping lol. I had a shot of morphine and that worked well, but mostly wore off by the time I was in transition.

happymummy12345 · 11/04/2021 14:56

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.
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.

KatharinaRosalie · 11/04/2021 15:00

Epidural. Was amazing. Not planning any more but if I did, would definitely ask for one the second I get to the hospital.

pinkyboots1 · 11/04/2021 15:06

With both mine I was induced and had pethedine, when it came to the push and shove bit then I went onto the Gas and Air until the last couple of pushes where I just gripped the unconnected mouthpiece (I was getting confused with when to breathe etc so binned it off) I'm never doing it again but if I did I think I'd just do the gas and air.

LauEli · 11/04/2021 15:59

31 hour spontaneous labour
I had...
Injection, made me violently sick.
Gas and air. Took the edge off somewhat, not for long though.
Labour wasn't progressing so had induction drip. Broke my waters at 6cm where the found meconium, kept an eye on baby. Still being violently sick so had sicklosene(sp) aswell.
Then they offered me a epidural.... And it was heaven!!! Slept till 10cm, woke up. 15 minutes of pushing and baby was finally born.

Next baby I'm 100% having an epidural as soon as I can 😂

delilabell · 11/04/2021 16:03

Pethidine wired for me. Gas and air made me sick. Very long labour. Do what works for you. Take everytging that you can

readyforroundtwo · 11/04/2021 17:02

Epidural absolutely saved the day for me after a very long and exhausting two days of no sleep prior to being admitted to labour ward.

I had G&A when I first arrived which made me vomit every time I used it! I was then offered pethadine, that just made me feel absolutely out of it, but not in a good way. I could still feel every contraction but the time in between contractions I was just zoning into space.

I ended up with an EMCS anyway due to everything going spectacularly wrong Grin

jessstan2 · 11/04/2021 17:06

[quote Bythefire90]@eddiemairswife oh I wish that was the case, I did the first 14 hours of my last labour like that but the last 2 hours were unbearable, it was one long contraction the whole time, I had no time to breathe, think, I just bucked and screamed like a wild animal, it was horrendous Blush[/quote]
That certainly does sound horrendous. I can't begin to imagine a fourteen hour labour, you poor thing.

Topseyt · 11/04/2021 17:11

Epidural. Nothing else touched it.