This is something I have been wondering about for quite a while, I have never had a child so have never experienced the pain of labour so dont know if I can comment on whether or not what I will want will be the best option for me...if that makes sense. Heres what I have came up with, those of you who disagree feel free to tell me why because im stabbing in the dark here!!

Im planning on using as little intervention as possible, hoping just for gas and air.

I am petrified of needles, so an epidural would freak me right out and I have heard that it can either stop and slow down contractions or I could lose the sensation...ive also heard that some people can end up with back pain for the rest of their life...is this true??

I thought about pedetherine but another thing I am petrified of is morphine...any drugs that resemble illegal drugs really freak me out so I really do not want to experience this either. Ive also heard it has the same effects of slowing contractions so much that you need another drug to speed them up, then you need a drug to stop you being sick as well so thats like three drugs in your body which may or may not effect your baby.

The main reason im not wanting drugs is because ive heard it can cause sleepy babies for the first few days as they can be effected by some drugs when you are given them in labour.

What are your opinions and choices for pain relief??

In my first pregnancy I hoped to use just TENS and g&a, though I did keep an open mind about epidurals (ruled out pethidine as didn't want baby to be sleepy & for that to affect breastfeeding).

I'm glad I did as the pain was too much for me and in the end I had an epidural. It was the right choice for me at the time as despite being calm by nature I was on the verge of panicking the pain was so bad (and constant - she was b-to-b and I didn't really get any let-up between contractions once I was past about 5cm). All the slow breathing, concentrating, counting, positive thinking etc in the world did not stop my spine from feeling like it was about to snap (sorry not trying to scare anyone).

This time round, I again hope to use just TENS and g&a as the epidural meant I was unable to be on my feet, and I do feel that staying active would have been helpful. But like last time I will not rule out an epidural.

[Modified by: PinkToothbrush on September 28, 2009 08:54 PM]

Well the hospital i'll be giving birth in (in Germany) doesn't offer gas and air or epidurals, so i think ill be asking for a litre of whiskey lol
17+2 x

I am hoping to cope on just G&A with a water birth, I am hoping the water will ease the pain but I am not ruling an epidural out. I would rather not have one as I would rather stay active and know you can't go in a birthing pool with one but I know I need to keep an open mind and accept I may need something.

I don't under any circumstances want pethidine, my brother ended up being rushed into hospital at 3 days old completely unresponsive and limp as a result of pethidine just knocking him out. I know some people have very positive experiences of pethidine but I have absolutely no intention of having it.

I think you need to weigh up the risks of all kinds of pain relief and decide which ones suit you and your needs at the time. My Mum was telling me I am worrying too much reading up on all my options but I would rather know exactly what they are offering me and be able to make an informed decision.

Thanks for your opinions ladies it realy helps.. I can see that you all agree on the pedetherine it would be interesting to see if anyone does intend to use it? As for Nikki...good luck!!!!!!! xxxx

Lol im not sure what other pain relief they have, i know they offer birthing pools but its not gonna help that much lol sooo when ive got my next scan im gonna hunt through the hospital and find english leaflets and see if they say anything
xx

Im hoping to cope with just water and gas and air too!

My sister had her first baby with no pain releif at all..not even gas and air..her baby was back to back as well and she said it was honestly not that bad!

This is giving me some hope lol!

She hadnt had any hynobirthing or anything either!!

xxx

I'm pretty keen on having a water birth so hoping to cope with a tens machine for the first part and then gas and air when I want to get in the water. This is my first pregnancy too and I am a real wimp with pain but hoping that I can stay focussed and relaxed and enjoy being in the water.
I'm certain that I don't want an epidural as I really want a water birth in the midwife-led unit.

Fay x
25+3

My birth plan as written so far is very definate. I want a water birth if allowed/available at the time with no other pain relief. I have gone so far as to ask them to take even the gas and air out of the room or at least cover it so I can't be tempted by seeing it there.

Should I not be able to have a water birth, then I will still be refusing all pain relief. I have quite severe allergies to a number of medications including Codeine, which is from the same drug family as Morphine so am not willing to risk a reaction, especially during labour. Morphine makes me even worse although its not classed as me having an allergic reaction, whatever that means!! I was given Gas and Air when I had Gallstones and this made me really ill to the point of having to be sedated.

Due to my allergies, any request for pain relief would mean me being transferred to the consultant led delivery suite rather than the midwife led care so would rather manage without as long as the baby is safe.

Jenny 32+2

I'll take whatever they're offering! With my daughter 8 yrs ago, I went into the labour ward saying I didn't want any drugs, 6 hours later I was growling and begging for an epidural after having pethidine and gas and air. x

Gatecrashing from Baby, just to say keep an open mind girls! I think if you go into labour absolutely determined not to have an epidural/pethedine/gas and air etc, you might feel disappointed after if you do end up having them. The fact is, you have no idea how you'll feel once in the situation.

My birth plan went out of the window! I had 'planned' a natural water birth at a birth centre without the option of an epidural, but ended up being induced at the big hospital and having an epidural! I felt a bit upset after that I didn't get the birth I wanted which is why I say keep an open mind as sometimes you have no choice...

Coco and Sam - 3 weeks and 1 day old xx

I'm g/c from baby too and agree with coco.

I had planned for a waterbirth and ended up being induced instead, although i had no pain relief and just a TENS. I wish i had been more open minded and looked into the pain relief option more. (I couldn't have gas and air as i suffer from severe panic attacks)

Good luck to you all. :\)

Sarah and Grace 3 weeks 5 days old

xx

Like most of the comments I've read on this post - I'd also like a natural birth as much as possible. I'm planning on using TENS for the first stage and to stay at home as much as possible and then a water birth if pool is available with gas and air. In theory this would be nice but in practice no one can predict what will happen. I'm booked in at my local hospital which only has a midwife led unit so they don't do epidurals there. Although I'm saying I really don't want an epidural at this moment in time, I am really worried what if I can't cope and feel like I need it at the time but I won't have any choice. Part of me wanted to get booked in at the consultant led unit (which is about 20 miles away) but then I thought I'd be brave and go for the midwife led unit to try and have the natural birth that I really want. My midwife reassured me though that if there are any complications, I'd be sent to the consultant led unit anyway. So I'm just hoping and praying that things go well on the big day! Good luck to all you ladies too. Kx 36 + 3 days

I totally understand what you mean about keeping an open mind. Its sooo hard to make up your mind when you have never felt that pain before and being such an organised person this is probably why im fretting so much! Fingers crossed it all goes to plan eh girls!! x

I tried g&a and birth pool, which to be honest I didn't find helped that much (other people say differently so that's just me!), and I ended up using pethedine, and I must say I feel quite positive about it despite the scare stories. Of course if I had the choice I would rather not have had to use it be ultimately the pain was too much.

Thing is, they say try to keep calm and don't be scared and that will help, but I was totally calm and, although naturally a little nervous, I was never scared about the birth and still have to progress to a higher painkiller. It let me doze which was a god send as I was able to reserve some energy for pushing, having been contracting for almost 20 hours and having had nothing to eat

I keep an open mind, so next time I will try g&a and the pool again, and if I feel I have to I will use pethedine again

The thing that puts me off epidurals is, like PTB says, not being able to move around. After having the pethedine I didn't want to move around at all, but it's just after the birth not being able to move would worry me

Good luck girls xx