Sounds all scarey to me and I just cant see myself handling any pain dished out to me. I should have asked, How long does this period like nasty pain hang around, I read that a lot of woman say it starts out like this but the feeling changes.
I really dont have much confidence in myself or my body yet I do know my body was designed for it all.
Gas sounds great!!!
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I would've had 3 drug free labours if not for not knowing much.
DD1 I was too tense & had to have gas & pethidine to relax. I'm glad it worked coz I found out they were going to take me for a c/s if my MIL didn't speak up. I was fighting the contractions, & they thought things were going too slow.
DD2 was going good til she told me to push. I started then had an internal & she decided I wasn't far enough. So I had to hold off pushing for a bit - It's hard to stop once you've started, coz it gives you something to take your mind off the pain. She offered me gas but I only had one go at it. I reminded myself that I could handle it & did it.
DS I begged for pethidine, but it didn't kick in til 20 minutes after he was born. So I did it kinda drug free.
I think it's a bit like period pain, but about 100 times worse. Not to scare you, but hopefully you'll b e able to handle it a bit better coz you've already got a bit of an idea what it's like.
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HA HA the gas made me act like I had waaaaaay to much to drink on a good night out. I was also under a hot shower bent over a bean bag it was great I felt the pressure of the contractions but not the serious pain. I found laying on my back when being examined and getting ready to push was the worst I almost bit DF's fingers off
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I haven't got to labour just yet, but the braxton hicks I've had so far have been way worse than any period pain I've had (even really bad cycles). Last night I was either having BH every hour or it could have been pre labour (won't know unless I go into actual labour soon) and it was very painful so I know there's no way I'll be going drug free through this birth. Some women get BH for months before giving birth, others don't feel them at all. It's luck of the draw. I've probably had 3 or 4 episodes of them in the third tri (so far). As for an epidural your hospital may have rules about that like mine does - they will only give it to you after you've tried the other drugs first and they feel you really need it. Epidurals can affect your ability to push and can actually prolong labour and they don't work for all women (pretty rare apparently, but I was shocked to learn this one as I was relying on it).
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I don't think you can really compare it to anything. I was begging for a c-section, I wanted to die to get rid of the pain it was so bad, I didn't think I was going to get though it, but I did and so can you. Just remember the pain will past, it is just a few hours of your life and when you see your little baby you will know it was worth it. I think one of the most important things is to stay relax, not panic, and just know you CAN do it. Good luck. Believe in yourself. I know you can do it. By the way the gas is great.
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Hi,
I had gas and pethidine for my labor, which was pretty quick. i was determined not to have an epidural, and I didn't (despite my dh begging the midwife for one halfway through!)
Early labor did feel like really bad period pain for me. I usually get period pain in my back and that's where I felt it during labor. My best friend get cramps in the front and that's where she felt it.
As AshleaJayne said, prepare yourself by education. And find a good antenatal class. Talk to as many people as you can but don't let them scare you or belittle you and do that smirking thing where they say 'oh you won't get through labor without drugs!' In the end though, if you need drugs, you need drugs. It's not the end of the world. Don't get so set on the idea that you feel like a failure if you take them.
The female body is an amazing thing and can cope with tremendous amounts of pain and pressure. Yes, labor hurts but the end result is so worth it. And the pain is just your body doing what it's supposed the do.
pain relief epidural:
Hi
Satya: Where are you booked to have your bub? As i know that if a pt wants pain relief or a pain free birth they should be able to recieve that no matter what!!! Epidurals can be tailored to suit the situation and most of them .... you can feel the pressure still but no pain and you can even still feel the bub move into the birth canal. (i know that one as i had an epi with my first son and i felt him move into the birthcanal with the epi drugs on board. The only thing i can think of and i would be apalled at my health care colleagues if this was the case..... if pts having an epidural means that the pt need to be more closely monitored more so than with giving a pt an IM pethidine injection, meaning the midwifes have to do more obs on you as well as checking the fetus heart rate etc etc. But if i were you Satya if you want a epidural just demand one and/or tell you OB before hand.
Cheers Ainsley
I hope that helps
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Ainsley- I was actually told the same thing as Satya... you have to 'walk' rather than 'run' through pain relief options- midwives won't concede to giving an epidural unless you have had a hot bath, then gas, then pethidine, and given each a 'reasonable' amount of time to work. I had a friend who was told for a good 45 minutes that there was no pethidine they could give her as she was in the birth centre not the delivery rooms of my local hospital... they finally gave it to her when she screamed 'bull****!' and called them a whole bunch of very unladylike names
hi :
LoriRae:
Of course it is a different story again if a women is in a Birthing Suite rather than a delivery room !
Well personally i wouldnt be very happy with that outcome and i would be like that women
your friend and yes the midwives wonder why they get abused.
LoriRae: me being an Rn div 1 i dont understand how any nurse/midwife can justify refusing giving pts pain relief in private or public hospitals. But as i said earlier the BIrthing Suites are different again as they usually push the new mum out after a certain time (dont know much about them). With 'refusing' i mean telling mums labouring, to walk rather than run through the labour. Each pt knows what they can handle pain wise so ideally the nurses/midwives should go by that and advocate the pts wishes rather than push their own ideas on to mum to be.
Oh and im not directing any negativity towards nurses reading this who do advocated for the pt/mum to be and that do assist mums/pts with their labour.
I had some wonderful midwives 8 years ago at a public teaching hospital here in Melb. I was induced as my labour ceased naturally and they tried to break my waters . I asked for an epidural after they had three goes at breaking my waters and my midwife said 'of course you can darling'. BUt even the night before with all the gels etc i was in the antenatal ward and i was in pain and i was extremely exhausted and then too i asked for pain relief as in IM peth 100mg and i got not one but two injection over 4 hours as my body was so stressed the first inject. didnt do a damn thing. I had a beautiful nights rest and i woke up ready and rearing to labour my beautiful Tom out ... he finally came out that night at 8 24pm with help with the suction cap!
cheers Ainsley
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