Pain relief in labour, what does each of the types feel like?

[moomin_troll]

i did all my research myself n didnt talk to mw about my options also book urself onto a tour of ur hospital then u will see the pool if they have one n get to ask loads of questions on the walk around

 

[cybermum]

I was/am limited because I have epilepsy.
My first son was born by c-section but I had my second via normal delivery.
I couldn't have water birth or tens so I started with gas&air which I hated.
It made me feel drunk,the kind of drunk when you have had WAY WAY too many and I just bit on the mouthpiece.

I then had an epidural because the pain became unbearable,I had had a spinal block with first son so knew what to expect.
It helped a great deal and calmed me down.

Its never too early to plan your birth plan,better now really so you can research all your options.

 

[Whisper]

I think i had it all.

Loved Pethidine made me feel really drunk, like how you feel before you start feeling completely out of it, best feeling ever!

Gas and Air hated hated hated, made me feel sooo out of control and really light headed like i was going to pass out.

Epidural fan bloody tastic, cept when it came to pushing i couldn't feel a damn thing, hence couldn't push.

Considering all the above, this was my birth plan;
*Natural water birth
*Gas and Air
*NO Pethidine
*absolutely NO Epidural

Birth plans don't always go according to plan, mine certaintly didn't but i also didn't plan on having a 9lb 10oz baby!

 

[Pyrrhic]

I really recommend looking into hypnobirthing. If you have a look through my threads I have written a long account of how I found hypnobirthing and the concept of natural childbirth.

I haven't been in labour before, but gas and air made me throw up and feel quite ill, and the same with morphine. Though I have had occassions with morphine were I've not been sick but just felt very floaty. I find that morphine doesn't take away the pain, but makes you not care about it.

 

[FallenAngel]

I had the air first I think...If that's the mask they put on you, but that just pissed me off. (Pardon the language) I hated it. Then I had Demerol, I believe. That really didn't do anything to me, I've heard it makes some people feel drunk, but I didn't. The epidural did a lot for the pain, but it's also painful to get and for some reason for about a year after I got it I had really bad pain up my spine every now and then. One of my friends (Who also got an epidural) had the same thing happen to her. Plus, my epidural wore off before I had my son and my stupid nurse wouldn't go get the anesthesiologist.

 

[massacubano]

Epidural is my drug of choice LOL... I say it is as good as the skill of the person giving it to you. I had natural labor with my first till 3cm which took forever! horrible... but worth it and the pain is like a period cramp that lasts for a whole minute and it ten times stronger. But, no way is it as bad as they show in movies or tv.

 

[Shifter]

But, no way is it as bad as they show in movies or tv.

There is strong evidence to suggest that women in our society are conditioned to expect to have to scream right through labour. Those who choose to inform themselves and prepare for the birth in a holistic manner have much less stressful (and possibly less painful) labours than those who don't.

 

[Hevz]

I've tried a few....

Pethidine, twice....this made the room spin and made me feel so out of it....I HATED itand for me....nope, it didn't help with the pain


Gas and air made me feel a bit drunk but biting on the mouthpiece and having something to "do" during the contraction helped a little but not sure how much


Mobile epidural, had this twice. !st time it started to work after 10mins or so and was fab, they let it wear off towards the end so I could "feel" what I was doing and I had no probs pushing either time. 2nd time I had it they had to adjust me and top me up and muck around to get it working but once it was working OMG the relief was amazing.



I'm so hoping fo an epidural again this time if I don't need to have a c-section

 

[Dragonfly]

Is it the same gas you get in the dentist where everythig goes all echoy and you float? If so i love that gas! i fancy me some of that.

 

[Luhweez]

gas and air is ok, you have to suck realllly hard and long as soon as you feel the contraction coming or it dosent work, the mouthpiece is great to bite into! i then had pethidine, i hated it, made the contractions worse and i was drowsy as anything which meant the heavenly epidural was delayed! epidural is fantastic! i was floating with relief because i wasnt in pain anymore, i still knew when to push and i could walk straight after! its absolutley heavenly, could NOT have done it without it =)

 

[CeliaM]

There really doesn't seem to be any form of pain relief that is suitable for me. I don't want anything that gives a 'hit' so it seems opiates are out. I don't want to feel drunk, so seems gas and air is out. If my SPD stays as bad as it is, an epidural seems out. Perhaps I should just have a totally natural birth, eek.

Try not to be scared . I had a natural birth with my son, and it can go okay. Having been on strict bedrest since early pregnancy, I didn't have much opportunity to educate myself on the different options (wasn't even allowed to sit up to use the computer), and went into labour knowing very little of what to expect. The best relief I had was simply support from my husband and mother through the process, and it carried me through.

 

[Hevz]

Why can't you have an epidural with SPD? My friend did and then they upped it with a further medication (a spinal I presume) as she needed a c-section

 

[claire1978]

Gas and air was good as long as it is taken just at the right moment, I remember feeling quite spaced out and giggling, quite a surreal feeling

Pethadine, I didnt like it at the time as it made me dozey although I did sleep abit and I remember being very thirsty, Im glad I had it though as I didnt feel the epidural going in

Epidural was great, as soon as it kicked in I was looking at the monitor that increases when having a contraction and I couldnt feel the pain just like a slight tightening, it was strange

I had all the above 3 with my first as I was induced and ended up with a ventouse at the end but with my daughter I was only allowed gas and air and that was a completely different experience

 

[sparkswillfly]

by the sounds of it i definitely need to steer well clear of Pethadine. I hate feeling drunk/dizzy and out of it. I think it would really upset

 

[Shifter]

by the sounds of it i definitely need to steer well clear of Pethadine. I hate feeling drunk/dizzy and out of it. I think it would really upset

Same here. I'd heard before that it can make you sick too, so I plan to steer well clear of it.

I went with a friend to her hospital tour a couple of years ago and they let us all try the gas and air, I thought it was ok, but only had one "hit". I really hate being drunk, dizzy, nauseas or anything like that, so I'll just have to see how it goes for me.

 

[Whisper]

by the sounds of it i definitely need to steer well clear of Pethadine. I hate feeling drunk/dizzy and out of it. I think it would really upset

Same here. I'd heard before that it can make you sick too, so I plan to steer well clear of it.

Actually forgot about that it did make me sick, but apart from that i really enjoyed the feeling i didn't feel out of control. It does make you feel drunk, but not drunk and out of it. Just drunk and happy, the pain is still there but easier to deal with.