Pain relief in Labour.

Quality · 30-06-2008 3:25pm #1

Have you thought about pain relief in labour?

What options have you considered?

January · 30-06-2008 7:05pm

I have my birth plan done up and I think I'm going to just try and do it on gas and air, if the pain gets really bad I'll consider the epidural, but I'd rather not have to!!

Obv in the case of emergency c section or some such, I'd have to get the epi or the spinal block, so no choices there!

etcetc · 07-07-2008 8:29pm

you can hire a tens machine from your chemist or

tyou can try hypnosis (see link below) or

see if you can avail of birthing pool

be aware though a lot of midwifes will try ever so gently try to get you /suggest to go with epidural if you are strongly against this make sure your partner (advocate) knows this. once you commit to epidural you are also basically handing over control of your birth plan to the hospital .There is a direct correlation between the use of medications used in labour and what is known as“the domino theory of intervention”.i.e obstrecian led delivery rather than midwife

you go into hospital to have your baby delivered,the midwife is there to help/assist you in this you are not a patient. pregnancy is not an illness and dont allow yourself to treated as such

whatever your birth plan is it is important that your partner knows this and is prepared to speak up.

the most important thing here is to inform yourself and your patner of your options and know what you want.

you need to realise that nurses/midwifes etc who work in hospitals won’t necesarily have the time or the energy to tune into your own personal experience and determine your needs beyond a routine medical assessment. In a sense, you have to be prepared, advocate for yourself, and ask for help when and where you need it.

another option is to hire a doula (a birth assistant). Studies have shown that with the help of a doula who will advocate for you during delivery, the chances of a caesarean section is reduced by 50%. www.doulaireland.com.

http://www.kimjames.net/birthplans.htm

Aimee_gleeson · 09-07-2008 3:05pm

Tens machine has been appealing to me for a while now!

Wouldn't consider an epi but as adrieanne__x said if it came to a c-section suppose id have to get one

January · 09-07-2008 9:21pm

Another pregnancy forum are running around like headless chickens because they've heard reports that gas and air are being "phased out" of hospitals as it is a safety hazard to staff who work in those environments.

Anyone heard of this? It's supposed to happen in September, my babys not due till December!! lol

LolaDub · 12-07-2008 1:30pm

Talk to your Doctor about it, i haven't heard anything.

Birth plans are a nice idea but like all plans it might not go according to that. Just remember the people helping you help deliver babies every day so they do know what they're doing. For whatever pain relief you want it might not be available or a doctor for it might not be available. Labour is a huge huge thing, theres no shame in asking for all the pain relief and as soon as your baby is born you won't remember birth plan at all.

I hadn't even thought about pain relief when i went into labour so when the nurse asked i just said whatever you think and she suggested gas and air. I was sure i was at 9.9 cm but i was only at 2! Lol on the way up to the delivery room the pain shot up a notch and i asked for the epidural. Got it about an hour later and felt pretty much ok then. My blood pressure dropped (which there is a slight risk of) and my baby decided she was playing hide and seek and started going back! The staff were brilliant, vacuum suctioned her out and everything was fine about 1 min after she was born.

Good Luck girls x

Oryx · 12-07-2008 1:33pm

In between epidural and gas and air is pethedine, which got me through a 27 hour labour with no epidural ever considered. The staff will support your wishes as far as possible vis-a-vis pain relief.

Look on a birth plan as a loose set of ideals which may change. And dont panic about the pain. Its do-able.

tallaght01 · 13-07-2008 6:22pm

etcetc wrote: »

.There is a direct correlation between the use of medications used in labour and what is known as“the domino theory of intervention”.i.e obstrecian led delivery rather than midwife

Most of these studies aren't really about pain relief medication, though. It includes a whole load of things that skewer the data. For eg, they include induction of labour. If you're induced you're more likely to have an obstetric involvement, purely because of the reason you needed induction.

It's just not related to having some pain relief, and I don't think scaring women about pain relief helps the labour experience.

etcetc wrote: »

.another option is to hire a doula (a birth assistant). Studies have shown that with the help of a doula who will advocate for you during delivery, the chances of a caesarean section is reduced by 50%. www.doulaireland.com.

That figure comes from "studies" conducted by the same people who've financially gained from the results. To any serious scientist, that immediately makes the results highly dubious. As does the fact that the data doesn't ever appear to have been published in peer-reviewed journals, which is odd. The figure seems to come from a trial in 1993 of labouring women in Johannesburg. Having worked in Johannesburg in paediatric services (which involves going to a lot of delieveries) it's not comparable to Ireland in any way (regardless of how 3rd world we think Irish maternity services are).

Conflict of interest: I've been at a few deliveries where doulas have been there. In my opinion (and that's all it is) they seem more interested in chalking up another "natural birth accomplished" statistic than doing what's best for mum and baby. I remember one women in particular finally agreeing to pain relief after hours of excruciating pain, which the doula tried to ease with massage. It still gives me the willies to think about it. So, I have a natural bias against them, and my post should be read with that in mind :P

etcetc · 13-07-2008 10:46pm

It's just not related to having some pain relief, and I don't think scaring women about pain relief helps the labour experience.

wasnt my intention to try and scare anybody here just inform people with the emphasis on getting people to educate themselves on their options and to use this knowledge to help bring about a positive outcome in their birthing experience

facts are that ireland has one of the highest rates of c section in the world coupled with one of the highest litigation rates

i linked to doula merely to show there are options and if it is the parents choice to have a natural birth this should be respected (so long as baby or mother are not in distress) a doula will be more experienced in dealing with midwifes/surgeons etc trying to encourage other options.

in the throes of labour it is very easy for midwife etc to suggest epidural and this be readily agreed upon. but at same time this professional is also obliged to inform you of risks associated with this option

Look on a birth plan as a loose set of ideals which may change. And dont panic about the pain. Its do-able

agreed but do sit down and educate yourself and your partner on the pros and cons of all your options and let your partner know that he will be your advocate on the day and to speak up. if important decisions are to be made ask what are your options

regarding tens machines: checked with local pharmasist on cost of hiring 70 euros for 4 weeks, checked with chemist in newry for same machine hire is £20 for 6 weeks

http://www.physio-line.co.uk/acatalog/Labour_Tens.html

20% off here if you want to buy one

littlebug · 14-07-2008 8:01am

I went in to the labour ward almost expecting a battle after everything I'd read. The reality... first time round no one actually asked me if I wanted pain relief at all until about an hour before the baby was born the student midwife almost apologetically mentioned that I could try gas and air if I wanted. Second time the midwife asked when I arrived what my plan was and I just said I'd wait and see. An hour later I suggested gas and air but she said she'd just check me first and lo and behold I was 10 cm and ready to go... no pain relief needed. Both experiences were a far cry from my imagined scenario of having to stand my ground against the drug/ epidural pushing medics and midwives. This was in Galway and I found them to be very non interventionist. Mind you I had quick and easy labours. But I think that's the point... if everything is moving along nicely and you seem to be coping with it ok then they're less likely to nudge you down the intervention route.

Oh and I found the tens machine worse than useless

What got me through was breathing. Not the huffy puffy stuff.... I just found my own system of deep slow breathing that worked for me.

tallaght01 · 14-07-2008 2:22pm

littlebug wrote: »

. Both experiences were a far cry from my imagined scenario of having to stand my ground against the drug/ epidural pushing medics and midwives. .

This would be my experience too, of several units. My main criticism of midwives tends to be their reluctance to give pain relief at times, as opposed to being overly interventionalist.

Quality · 14-07-2008 9:04pm

My first was a long painful 18hours, 3 of them in the labour ward.. gas & air got me through...

Second time round I was induced... nurse told me I was grand by the time I got to the labour ward I was 10cms. Got into labour ward at 4.04am and gave birth at 4.14am... It was great. I was out of it on gas and air though. I had the birth plan done up. Sureit wasnt even taken out of the bag:D:D The hubby missed it and all.

This time round I am hoping to go au naturale again. For me being able to get up and walk around after giving birth is great...
Pain with a purpose!

Crea · 23-07-2008 4:57pm

Had my first 2 with gas and air - managed the pain fine.
On my new baby thought it would be the same but I just couldn't do it on my own and had an epidural. Once the epidual was given I went from 6 go 10 cms in 20 mins:eek: When I asked for the epidual the nurses were all "Are you sure? Try the birthing ball, walk around"Now it's great that they were advocating the non drug route but at the stage I was in I would have pulled off their heads and eaten their brains if it would have relieved the pain.
What i'm saying is go in with an open mind. Read up on the differing types and the effects on the baby and you. Some people see the natural birth as the ideal and feel guilty if they don't have one whereas the having a healthy baby is the target not how they get here.

Piste · 28-07-2008 10:12pm

Is an epidural bad for you or something?

Quality · 28-07-2008 10:23pm

Piste wrote: »

Is an epidural bad for you or something?

No, It is a very safe effective method of pain relief, which is widely available in hospitals.

There are potential side effects with all medicines though.. So I presume that there are potential side effects from the epidural..

Piste · 28-07-2008 10:29pm

Pfft, pop a few nurofen and you'll be grand >_>

Quality · 28-07-2008 10:32pm

Piste wrote: »

Pfft, pop a few nurofen and you'll be grand >_>

LOL

Cant take nuerofen in pregnancy...:)

marti101 · 28-07-2008 10:34pm

I had the epidral on all 3.The ist iwas in slow labour for days and was in agonywhen i went to hospital,broke my waters and away i went.2nd baby waters broke Thursday and by Saturday he was no where to be seen so they induced me he was born within 2 hours but the pain was so bad i got it nearlt straight away.3rd baby waters broke but were green which meant i was confined to bed with no chanc eto walk through the pain and i wasnt even that far dialated so they decide to induce me again so i went for a couple of hours without pain relief but cause i couldnt walk and i wasnt dialating quick enough i couldnt stand the pain so i asked for an epidural but of course there was an emergency and i was last to get it.Like most medicines there is a risk so you have to weigh it up and decide if its for you.

bored and tired · 30-07-2008 5:26pm

my birth plan was to gas and air if i needed it,

i had a slow labour that lasted over 60hrs, i was in the delivery room for 14 of those. i started on gas and air, was walking around, having my back rubbed, had pethadine, lots more gas and air, things were just going slowly and painfully. i had my waters broken to speed things up,

Then things got interesting, she got stuck on the way out, and at that stage i was roaring for the epidural but alass it was too late, then i had to be cut before i tore, still not enough room i was exhausted and delivery was going slow, she started going into distress so she was vacuumed out fairly lively, turned out the cord was wrapped around her neck, as soon as i held her, i was overjoyed, flood of emotions, tears, and exhaustion, and thank god it was over or so i thought.

ha, why dont people tell women about the stitches, my god, they hurt like hell, I was literally pinned to the bed by nurses, next time im going to demand the epidural just to avoid the pain of getting stitched back up.

i didnt feel guilty or upset at the intervention, at the end of the day, more women and babies live through labour than they did even 50 years ago because of the advances in medicine and technology, i dont believe breaking my waters led to her having to be vacummed, the domino effeect, i simply didnt have the hips to deliver her in the natural way.

Grawns · 30-07-2008 6:08pm

I am so having an elective ceasarian.

LolaDub · 30-07-2008 6:30pm

I had something in the region of 20 stitches and wasn't uncomfortable at all, although i was terrified to go no 2 for the next few days!!! The nurses kept bringing in painkillers to me but i didn't need any and everybody was looking at me like i was crazy. Doctor even suggested i take some pain test!

Quackles · 30-07-2008 8:13pm

Grawns wrote: »

I am so having an elective ceasarian.

If my sister, who has had a caesarean and a vaginal birth, is to be believed, the pain of the labour and delivery is nothing compared to the recovery of a section. I don't think we can win!

With my first, I started getting contractions at about 5 on Friday evening (I was already in hospital at this stage with elevated blood pressure). I took a bath to ease it or bring it on, and put the tens machine on at about 11 that night. Spent the night wandering up and down the ward, I was having back labour and sitting through contractions was very painful. I went down to the labour ward at about 11 the next morning, I was 4cm dialated by that stage. She gave me pethedine around an hour later. I kept walking til the tiredness caught up with me at about 5.. I was 7cm by then. I lay down, she broke my waters, and the contractions got worse almost immediately. 2 hours later, I hadn't progressed despite the pains getting so much worse, and that kinda broke my 'spirit' - I agreed to get an epidural. I felt nothing after that, to the point that I had to be told when to push. He was lying back to back, and I needed an episiotomy and ventouse delivery, he was born at 1.44 Sunday morning.

This time I'm going to try to do without the epidural. I'm not going to lie down til I absolutely have to, as that seems to be what stopped the progress the last time. I partly blame the epidural for the episiotomy and the ventouse delivery, I couldn't feel what I was doing. The episiotomy was very, very painful to recover from. BUT if I do end up getting the epidural, I won't beat myself up over it like I did the last time - it didn't hurt him at all, he's a happy, healthy 3 year old

marti101 · 30-07-2008 8:28pm

I had a couple of stitches on the last baby and and the doctor who did them was brilliant.I had absolutley no pain and they healed great.You get the horror stories that the stitched were to tight and women couldnt walk.

Quality · 30-07-2008 11:18pm

On my last baby I remember my legs being in stirrups and I was shaking violently from the adrenalin of the labour.. The doctor was stitching away and I was sucking on gas.. Talking rubbish to him...

On the first one, I had the episiotomy... I thought I was going to die when I did my first wee.. I ended up having to pee in the shower with the water running after that the pain was so bad..

LolaDub · 30-07-2008 11:31pm

We're such hotties aren't we!!!

Quality i did the same lol!

marti101 · 31-07-2008 12:01am

I didnt like the gas and air made me feel sick but the kind of sickness you have when youve drunk to much.

The Dudette · 31-07-2008 12:09am

I have to say, when I gave birth to my first child (my son) back in April this year, I had gone into the hospital with the idea that I'd well manage on gas and air. Worked for my mum on the 3 of us, should work for me. WRONG!! After 6 hours of contractions with absolutely no pain relief (not so much as a paracetamol) I begged for drugs - I'd have taken heroin had they offered it to me, the pain was that bad. Thankfully, they were taking me up to the delivery room within 30 mins, and as there's a much wider range of pain relief there, I held off for the gas. 5t did nothing. I was so disappointed - not only could I feel the contractions worsening, but it left an awful taste in my mouth which turned my stomach. So I handed it back and instead got the epidural. My God, it was fantastic. With no pain relief, I didn't even feel the needle when it was being administered!! Also, it only took 10 mins or so to kick in. For the next 7 hours, I lay in bed reading Heat magazine, playing X and O's, dozing off for a bit as by that time I was fairly sleep deprived. I would recommend the epidural to any woman due to give birth. Its my own opinion, but I just feel that in this day and age, with so many drugs available, why should we go through all the pain of a natural birth??

ChickCool · 31-07-2008 1:04am

im all admiration for people who want to brave it out but when my time comes i wont be suffering if i can do something about it

Pain relief in Labour.

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