Labor pain relief?

[michele06]

Okay so I am just now starting to consider if I want an epidural etc etc. Well.....I really don't want one, I am not really sure why. I just kinda am freaked out by the fact that you are numb from the waste down. I want to go all natural and use the gas mask if necessary, but then I also heard the gas mask kind of makes you loopy! Which I don't really want. So I've been doing research (not a lot but I googled a few things) and I heard about opiates. Now, I am not really into drugs at all, but I heard they are a little better cause they don't "numb" you but they take the edge off of the pain! SO what do you guys think, have yu heard anything about it? ANd if so, what are your choices?

 

[KiwiMOM]

I'm going for a home-birth, so I am limited in what I can have as pain relief. I was thinking I'll just use the gas if I need too, sure it makes you "loopy" (I've had it at the dentist lots) but if you don't like it you just take the mask off and breathe oxygen and you're back to normal in a flash.. I experimented with a lot of drugs when I was a young teenager and one of the reasons that I'm clean now is because I often got the feeling of "this isn't fun any more, I want to be sober" and there's nothing you can do but wait it out.. and I definitely don't want to feel that way in labour/when my baby arrives.

hope this helps

 

[hot tea]

If you want a natural birth, go for it!! Trust your body, you will know your limits. If epis scare you, stay away.

 

[michele06]

Well I am scared that I will want a natural birth and all but then when I feel the pain I will change my mind about pain relief and then not know what to choose. So I am having a back up plan in case

 

[Bexxx]

I used gas and air and at first it was like I was super drunk, super fast but you kinda get used to it. I just liked biting down on it tbh.
I also got a shot of diamorphine but it only lasted an hour so was pretty pointless. Just made me want to sleep.

I def changed my mind as soon as my waters broke about pain relief. Up till 6cm I was like "yeah this is cool, can totally handle this" then bam I was like GAS AND AIR! NOW!

 

[x__amour]

I had an epidural and it was fine.
You're not as "numb" as you think you'd be. I didn't know you could move your legs dohh but you can and it's really not awful! It helped a lot!

 

[Tanara]

I've had two children all natural (one 9lbs, one 7lbs 11oz). With nothing at all. And I had the same fears, I just told the nurse if i asked for an epi to tell me i was to far along that way the temptation was gone.

I was up and walking around 45 minutes after i had my daughter, and couldn't imagine being stuck to a bed during and after.

I'm anti drug to the point where i dont take Tylenol though lol.

 

[emyandpotato]

I had no pain relief for the first three days of my labour and only had gas and air for the pushing stage. In retrospect it helps because you are so out of it that you don't focus on the pain but at the time I was so confused about where I was and what was going on that I couldn't understand when they told me how to have the gas and air and just took loads of short gasps which actually made things worse as I tensed up. If you go to hospital early maybe try it while you're not hysterical and then if it isn't for you you can stop. I can't tell you the pros and cons of opiates or epidurals as I didn't try them but go with what your body needs in labour. Honestly though it isn't that bad, well it is but it's weird and your body sort of works with it and knows what to do so it makes it bearable and you'll work out your own ways of coping. The only part that's bad is transition and that's over pretty quickly, the pushing stage is fine as you actually feel better when you push if you haven't had pain relief. I'd really recommend trying water for pain relief, whether it be a shower, bath or birth pool. I also used a TENS machine which I didn't think worked at the time but then again I was fully dilated and still smiling and walking about so maybe it did. Walking around also really helped me, as did pressure on my lower back. Pain relief doesn't have to be in the form of drugs

 

[aidensxmomma]

I haven't had an epidural, so I can't give you any advice on that. I did request one with Mady, but my labor went too fast, so they didn't have time to give me one. I can't tell you about gas and air either, since they don't really use that much in the US.

I had narcotic pain relief (Stadol) with both of my kids. With Aiden they put it on my IV drip and I was soooo out of it when he was born. After a half hour or so, I was fine, but I just felt drunk until it wore off. Plus, it didn't really help that much. It took the edge off for a little bit and after that it didn't really do anything (as far as I could tell). With Mady, they just put shots of it into my IV line and that seemed a lot more effective. I wasn't all loopy the whole time, and since I kept getting shots of it instead of it being constant it worked so much better for the pain.

So that's my experience. Hope it made sense.

 

[we can't wait]

I got my 'fight or flight' sensation when I was about 7cm & ordered an epi. By the time my anesthesiologist got up to my room, I was already feeling the urge to push... I was 10cm and it was just too late, so the medication never took effect. Honestly, I am SO glad I didn't have it for the birth. Pushing the baby out is just so magical... I'm glad I got to feel everything. So, if you want to do it naturally trust your body. I didn't want to do igtnaturally, like my birth plan aaa to have an epi around 5cm dilated... Because I was just really scared that the pain would get worse... It really was no where near as bad as I'd pictured.

Trust your body... You can do whatever you feel is best for you!

 

[emmylou92]

I didnt have an epi but I did have gas and air, I think its amazing and if you have a few puffs on it then put it to the side and breath normal for a few moments the effects pretty much go, Its not long lasting thats why your puffing on it all the time.

Got me through my labour fine, I'll be using just G&A again if I can.