# Where you allowed pain relief before 4cms?



## Meredith2010

Hello. As the title says, were you allowed any pain relief before you were 4cms dilated? My hospital had a strict "nothing before 4cms" rule, no matter what sort of pain you were in or how strong the contractions were. I was just wondering whether this was normal or just my hospital being a bit mean! Thanks xx


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## punk_pig

4cm is often taken as the benchmark for active labour although they should also take in to account the regularity, length and strength of contractions.

I was offered and took diamorphine at 4-5cms and wish I hadn't, my contractions were still too all over the place and the drug slowed them back down again prolonging my labour by about 36hrs. I wish they'd have told me this was a possibility and monitored me for longer before offering it to me - as it was they just went "Oh you are between 4 and 5cms, do you want pain relief?"

If your contractions are v.close together and v.strong I don't think it would take long to get to 4cm anyway and then you can get some drugs.

If an epidural is administered before active labour is established it is very likely to need topping up or stop working at a crucial moment - so that is why they don't give them earlier.


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## LouLou78

Your hospital is mean! My unit whether you are 0cm,2cm,3...., you are allowed diamorphine at least for those experiencing a horrible long latent phase. Those women who have a long latent phase, contracting for days without diliatation of the cervix can have Diamorphine which often allows them that rest they need before they establish. :)


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## Leopard

I was allowed it, but refused until I was 5cm.


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## Meredith2010

I fully understand why they wouldn't want to administer an epidural so early on, and I also understand that for the majority of labours it will take quite a long time for sometime to get from 2cm to fully dilated, therefore why they are reluctant to give pain relief at that stage.

I suppose my problem was my hospital's inability to treat me as an individual - they were just "first time labours take hours, we can't give pain relief before 4cm" even though I was having contractions lasting a minute every 2 minutes and had been for hours. They just treated me like I was totally making it up and effectively told me to stop making a fuss. And because they said their policy only lets them check women every 2 hours, they missed the fact I fully dilated from 3cm in less than an hour when it eventually started happening, and only realised this when the baby started to appear.

I know you can't plan for labour as there are so many factors that could change, but I'm just determined to have a more pleasant experience this time. I was so excited and looking forward to labour last time and not at all scared, and I'm devastated that this time round I am absolutely terrified and totally freaking out in case the same thing happens again.


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## Leopard

I only accepted gas and air :)


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## amjon

The hospital offered me whatever I wanted when I wanted it. I don't know when they would have done an epidural, but I didn't want that anyway. I only took pain meds about 10 minutes before she appeared. I went REALLY fast in the end. I was 2cm when they checked and put more pills in, then in a couple of hours I had her coming in the canal.


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## tmr1234

I wasn't alowed any thing untill going down to labor ward after 5cm. With my 1st i didn't want any thing untill i was about 7cm with my 2nd i was in BAD pain from the off and when i got to the hospital the m/w said i was only 3cm and she would be back in 2 hrs 10 min later i was screaming in pain no m/w around Dh filly found her and i was 6 cm i was then rushed down to l/ward and given G&A. The m/w came in and said o you must of been in so much pain but she was still willing to let me wait 2 hrs for any thing.


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## AimeeM

Nope, just coedine and paracetamol that did nothing. I was having minute long contractions for ten hours too!


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## Sovereign

I didn't get to hosptial until I was about 5cms so I don't know what our hospital policy is x


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## fernie3

I had gas and air with my last before i had been checked. My waters had broken and i was havign really strong contractions and was clearly in pain! - they gave me gas and air. I was then examined and only 2cms! - BUT i went from 2cms to birth within 30 minutes so clearly the contractions were pretty strong at 2cms to move thigns along that quick. Generally though yes i have been refused pain relief early on with my others.


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## Blah11

Im not sure. With amelie I went in at 2-3cm cos my waters broke and had a very high bp. They gave me paeacetemol and cocodamol until I buzzed after being sick for g&a and by then I was prob 4-5cm. Asked for diamorphine at 7cm but could have had the epi at that point if I wanted.

R was a homebirth with no pain relief.


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## Nix

Before 4 cms would be too soon for some drugs such as pethidine as there is a limit to how much you can have so if you had a long labour you may struggle in the middle. I think TENS is great. This can be used from as soon as the contractions start and you turn it up as they get worse. It really helped me and I managed to get through my 3rd labour with just that. I do think putting it on early makes a huge difference though x


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## Celesse

I had paracetamol and codeine and the midwife left the gas and air set up for me. 

Baby was back to back and I was stuck at 3cm for ages. I needed to stand up to get labour going and it was too painful without the gas and air. Once I started using the gas and air I was able to stand up and started progressing and got into established labour.


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## ash086

I think without doctors consent you have to be 4cm. 
With my first son, The nurses gave me morphine twice. When my doctor came in my room to see how I was, I was in a ton of pain. He ordered the nurse to get the epidural set up for me immediently, he did not check me first or anything.


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## kaths101

I went in at 3cm and begged for pain relief and wasnt allowed any - an hour later I was pushing and they quickly wheeled in the gas and air - I havent been so glad to see anything in my life :haha: 
Only had 2 puffs though before they took it away and he was born


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## babyblog

I had gas and air and pethadene but I was stuck a 1cm with contractions one minute apart for around 10 hours.I still don't understand how some women don't even know they are a few cm dilated when they get to hospital! X


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## Meredith2010

babyblog said:


> I had gas and air and pethadene but I was stuck a 1cm with contractions one minute apart for around 10 hours.I still don't understand how some women don't even know they are a few cm dilated when they get to hospital! X

I know, I'm so envious of these people! It just goes to show how different labours can be - I was stuck at 2cm for 5 hours with contractions every 2-3 minutes, never had contractions any further apart than 5 minutes even at the very beginning. And then when I finally got to 4cm, they said to expect a very long and drawn out labour but I then fully dilated within 55 minutes despite being stuck at 2cm for hours. Bodies are wierd!


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## xsadiex

You could always try different methods of pain relief before then, how about a tens machine?


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## Vesta

After 24 hours of contractions I was only 2 cm dialated. They gave me codine but wouldn't let me have anything else. I was using a tens machine. I'm not sure it actually helped with the pain but it gave me something to do!


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## Proud_Mommy

I was given epidural when i was 3 dilated :)


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## hollyrose

i had gas and air.


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## Eleanor ace

I was given pethidine at 3 CM. I didn't even really want it lol. At my hospital they won't admit you to L&D until you're 4cm so I guess you wouldn't be able to get G&A and obviously not an epidural, but it sounds like your hospital are being a bit mean! I know people who were begging for an epidural at 2cm because they got scared and having a bit of lighter pain relief helped to calm them and make their labor much more bearable.


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## sequeena

After 3 days of labour I was only 1-2cm so I was given the standard paracetamol but when I got to 3cm I was given pethidine... Which did nothing.


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## lizardbreath

No I wasn't allowed anything til I hit 5 cm with jaymee . I didn't get anything with kat.


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## chobette

I was offered it at 3cm during early labor. I didn't take it though. Still waiting to go into active labor though :haha:


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## starla14

I think I was 3cm when I was begging for an epi and got it. They had me on so much pitocin the pain was unbearable.


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## steph.

I was only allowed pethidine (which did nothing) eventhough I was begging for an epidural. I dilated from 3cm to 10cm in 30 minutes...they only believed that I was in that much pain when I said I needed to push! By the time they transferred me to birth suite my baby's head was out, and there wasnt time for anything :( They then gave me gas and air but i couldnt suck and push at the same time!

Pain is subjective and I think they should never withhold pain relief. Having a rule like that is just plain mean!


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## freckleonear

Generally they prefer not to give pain relief before active labour is established, although they may do in some situations. Gas and air has some nasty side effects if used for too long, giving pethidine too early could mean that several doses are needed and again there are side effects with higher quantities, and an early epidural can slow labour down starting a cascade of intervention. The guidelines may seem mean, but they are there to protect the health of the mother and baby. :)


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## cherryglitter

i was induced with my first. 
i wasn't dilated at all and i had pethidine. when i got moved up to delivery suite (i still wasn't in fully established labour but the pain was too much for me!) i wasn't allowed anything. 

i was making a right noise about it :blush: and the head midwife came in and tried to calm me down, she didn't succeed. she then gave in and let me have gas and air! i still wasn't dilated at this point. 

turns out the pain was due to a back to back baby and i had an anterior lip on my cervix meaning his head was in the wrong position. i think if you're really struggling it would be cruel for them to not let you have anything. i don't see why they would leave a woman crying in pain :shrug: must be so distressing.


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## emyandpotato

Use a TENS machine! Or just sit in the bath :flow:


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## jess77

I had pain relief from the start. I was an induction. started with a pessary in triage which started off my contractions which were showing on monitor every 2 mins after 1 hour of administration, they gave me some co-codamol. Once I was on delivery suite, I had gas and air from the off, they broke my waters and the gas and air made that more bearable, then due to them wanting me to have the pitocin drip, even though I was only 2cm they encouraged me to have an epidural not pethedine as this is where they told me one my baby was back to back and secondly pitocin would make my coupling contractions worse. I had it after deliberation and i was in much pain. Good job I had it due to pitocin causing my baby to have decells and it wasnt making me dilate fast enough.


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## Danielleee

I was offered pethidine and codeine at 3cm but didn't take it, i went back home and used my TENS machine :flower: x


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## Mary Jo

with my first son I had g&a in early labour, then an epidural once I was in active labour. with my second son I went to hospital after 20 hours of regular contractions and was only 2cm, I didn't ask for pain relief as it was managable. waters broke about 45 mins later and I was at 5cm, so I had g&a then, and that was it because baby was coming too fast for pethidine or an epidural. I really didn't want anything before my waters broke even though the contractions had started to get pretty intense.


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## bbyno1

I was only offered paracetamol


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## MustangGTgirl

No epidurals here before 4cm but they did give me demoral at 2-3cm although I refused it after the first shot as it made me feel really strange.


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## fairykate

I was given pethidine after making a fuss but it did nothing :( I was having contractions 5mins apart lasting a minute long for 3 days and was still at 2cm when admitted. I was on my feet, on the ball moving around but no progression unfortunately. 

By the time I reached 4cm I was begging for an epidural (which I had previously said I didn't want lol) but by the time I reached delivery suite I was 9.5cm and was given G&A, which incidentally took ALL the pain away!!!

He was back to back and sideways and still only 3/5ths engaged when I was at 2cm which was why I spent 72hrs in so much pain.......... :dohh:


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## teal

I was given gas and air at 4cm xx


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