AbbyMN needs your "pain relief in labour" thoughts.

[AbbyMumsnet]

More site stuff going on Chez Abs. Oh, it's been a laugh a minute here, what with tales of flying ventouse, vile forceps and other gory bits and pieces.

But now, at last, a less thorny subject: drug use.

So, did you have pain relief? If so, did you plan to have it beforehand or was it something you decided on during labour. At what point did you have it - and what methods did you use? Did they work? If so, how long for? Were there any drawbacks for you, your labour or your baby?

And if you didn't have pain relief was it because you were adamant that you wanted a "natural labour" (and before anyone gets uppity about my using that term, you know what I mean, so let's not go down that route, eh? ) or was it simply that, for you, labour wasn't as painful as you expected/you have a very high pain threshold etc.

So, bring on your tales - I'll be most grateful.

[AbbyMumsnet]

bump - please see my request earlier today before posting!

[SixSpotBonfire]

I think you should include my warning story about pethidine!

Natural pain relief - techniques taught in antenatal yoga, breathing, birth ball and doula all very good ime.

[Pinkchampagne]

DS1 - had a very effective epidural, which was wonderful. Let it wear off for 2nd stage to try & avoid assisted delivery. Pushed for just over an hour & just had a very small tear.

DS2 - wanted another epidural as had such a good experience first time. Had an epidural, but this time it didn't work! Kept saying "It's not helping", to which they said to give it time, then left the room. While they were gone I experienced the worst pain & was thrashing about. When the midwife returned I was begging for pain relief & crying. This was obviously transition as he was born soon after. Pushed for half an hour resulting in another small tear that didn't need stitching. Kind of feel I went through DS2's birth without pain relief, as the epidural was totally useless!

[AbbyMumsnet]

Hi SSB - oh my, I missed that bit. YOu poor things. I know Pethidine can cause problems - and am making that point. Was his breathing affected by it?

[MascaraOHara]

Hideous birth

Decided I would state I wanted Epidural to be on the safe side.

Went through gas & air, Pethedine (awful) asked for epidural, got told to have more pethidine. Told them if that was all that was on offer I'd take it but to know that I wasn't happy and I wanted an apidural and only more pethidine as a last resort. I got my epidural.

Was still in agony.. lots of umming and ahing about whtether the epidural had worked, ice cube test etc.

Consultant came in shouted at midwifes told them not to let me push. she;d be back.

contractions stopped. had 2 failed vontuse then forceps.

Was hideous and painful. Epidural stopped me getting out of bed or lifting myself up etc for the whole of the next day, couldn't even lean over to get dd if she was crying a midwife had to come and pass her too me.

I came to the conclusion that

a) I am a big wimp
b) I'd not have anything other than gas and air if I did it again

[Lizzylou]

Gas and Air is the most fantastic stuff in the world, truly marvellous.
I'd almost get pg again (and I had big babies) just to have some.

Does anyone know where you can get any?

[MascaraOHara]

ssb, what was wrong with your ds (with pethidine incident) I had Pethidine didn't get on with it.. dd scored v v low on epgar(?) score and had to have forceps etc cos her heart beat had slowed so much/was not recovering after contractions

[SixSpotBonfire]

Hi, Abby and Mascara

Although DS1's heartbeat had seemed okay according to the heartrate monitor, when he was born he was not moving, did not breathe and his heartrate was only 40 bpm (should have been about 140 bpm. He scored 1 on his Apgars.

He had to have three lots of adrenalin - the third shot intra-cardiac - to get him going.

It was terrifying, absolutely terrifying. Even when he had been revived and was in SCBU, nobody could reassure us that he would be okay because he had been out for so long there was a severe risk of damage caused by oxygen deprivation.

[Flamesparrow]

I said with both labours that I would have what I felt I needed at the time, but would start with minimum.

I went for the G&A at about 2 cms with each (I have full on contractions for a long time before I hit 2 cms, then go fast), but nothing else.