Pain relief in second and subsequent labours

Being a past "first timer" I can say this - sometimes you go into labour thinking you'll be okay handling a more natural labour. However when you are in labour sometimes you think pain relief might be a very good option! That's why it's important to think about different case scenarios when writing up your birth plan, remember to keep an open mind and trust your instincts. I think I expected to have a fairly straight-forward labour, I never planned to have a REALLY long labour (around 32-36 hours) and to have my waters broken and to be augmented (hence I couldn't handle the pain!).

For those of you who have not yet had their first baby, share your birth plan for pain relief

For those of you who have had one baby already, share your views on pain relief for your next labour

For those of you that have had more than one baby, what pain relief methods have you tried and what worked / didn't work for you at the time?

Throughout my 1st pregnancy I didn't want anything but gas. When I went into labour I was nauseous and refused the gas so I had nothing. Mind you it wasn't a very painful labour or very long and I handled it fairly well

My 2nd labour I was a more open minded. I had a go at the gas but couldn't for the life of me time it with the contractions so it was pretty much useless, but it did take the edge of the pain.
I nearly opted for the pethidine and I would have but I had that gut feeling I was further along than what the midwife said.
Lucky I did refuse coz Jacob was born 1/2 hour later

For number 3 (when it happens) I am so much open minded. I will just take labour as it comes and I'm not worried about pain relief this time so I'll be going with the flow

I was going to go the no pain relief way although i never said that in my birth plan. When the contractions became intense I was offered pethidine and I accepted, but I found it only took the edge of the contractions and probably only lasted for around an hour.

I had my waters broken (Kameron was induced) and they transferred me into the delivery room where I went from 2cm to 5cm in mins just from the short walk. YES they made me walk!! luckily it was only the next room :lol:
The midwife stuck her head in and said the anethetist was in the ward and would I like an epidural. I agreed and it went in beautifully and was done within 10mins.

So when it comes to this labour, i will definately opt for the epidural again

Love

With our first son I didnt know what to expect so i had gas & pethidine. Our second son I had the same.. I have now decided for baby no. 3 i think I will go with an epidural as Charlie is only 13 months old & still very raw in my mind as I was induced. So epidural here I come lol....

Hi everyone - I had gas which made me throw up because it was too strong too early - I then had some pethadine and near the end had more gas. Although I am open minded about it all Ireally do not want to ever have an epidural unless I really can't stand it - a needle in my spine scares me!

Belinda

Hi all,
Well with my first I thought I would have everything!.....but when I got there they said no sorry you can only have gas as your baby is crowning..second baby i didnt have enough time for anything and he was born using gas again and third baby well nothing there at all.......I suppose thats the joy of havign a very very quick labours...as dont have to decide what to use!!!!!!......
cheers
oh sorry times were: 1st was 1hr , second was 40 minutes, and third was 10minutes.....
t.t.f.n.

Hi there this is my first PG, and I am open to any form of pain relief... I work with different forms of anaelgesia (pain relief) and I would go the epidural if I can...that would be my choice, because of where it is and what the drug does. Unfortunately I am allergic to pethadine, so that can not be an option, but I am willing to have a go at first and see what happens....

Christy

Hi all. I went into my first labour trying to be strong. I didnt want any pain relief except gas.
The gas was making me vomit so that went out the window. So did all the antenatal classes and breathing. LOL. I dont go in with plans anymore i just take it as it comes. I ended up having pethadine after 20 hrs of labour as i refused a C section as the baby wasnt stressed.
I went into labour on Saturday night about 11 pm. I had a hind water leak for several weeks before and quite strong braxton hicks.
Sunday Lunch they flew me to port hedland because my labour was all over the place. My contractions were irregular right up till the time i had him.
Monday Morning they broke my waters and started injecting that stuff into my arm to get my labour going.
2 Pm Monday they convinced me to have an epidural and being doped up with pethadine already iagreed.
Within 10 mins i was sitting up in bed i could feel nothing from under my breast down.
Push they say you are 10 cms dilated. I had to laugh as i had no idea what muscles to use or anything cause i couldnt feel it. So i requested it to be taken out at 4 pm. i thne pushed for 1 hr and 30 mins to give birth to a 6 lb 7 oz baby boy.
They told me i was having a 9 lb baby and i would need a c section LOL


With my second. I went 2 weeks over and they tried to tell me i was only 1 week over but hubby was working away and i had only seen him once in 6 mths so i knew when i had fallen preggas LOL.
I called the doctor and said i wanted to be induced as something was wrong with the baby she said it is moving i said yes but i know something is wrong. I was induced the next day and lucky because my placenta had stopped working and baby had stressed out and emptied her bowels and then inhaled it into her lungs. I had a 5 hr labour with her from the time my waters were broken till she was born. i had no pain relief at all except they jabbed me with pethadine when i didnt want it and my mother said yes do it you were thankful last time and the pethadine set in AFTER i had her.

So this time i will be induced again as my body wont go naturally and i will be asking for everything under the sun LOL>

With my first I thought I was going to be a textbook mother with no pain relief and producing breastmilk like ermintrude!!

I had gas & air, pethidine and epidural (if there was anything else I would have had that too), a little help from forceps and a fab doctor.
The gas and air didn't do much, the pethidine made me feel loopy and it took 2 epidurals but when it worked it was heaven.
Oh and I couldn't breastfeed either.

Baby 2, induced and didn't bother with gas & air and Pethidine but still went for the epidural which again didn't work. I thought stuff it, I'll get through it and managed quite well. I think once you know the contractions aren't going "to kill you" then you can handle them a bit better.

If/when no 3 comes along I'll see how I go with pain relief but hope to manage as well as last time. Open mind is best

HI,
With my first I had a great nursing sister for antenatal lessons and she empowered me to realise I was in charge of my pregnancy, so I had decided to have only gas. My dr offered pethidine without even asking about the pain, and I refused, I really didn't like him at all. Then he offered to break my water and I refused that too as I was coping well and the baby was fine. When the pain got bad I had some gas, and it was great, I didn't feel a thing. Then they turned it down so it was doing nothing. After the birth I felt really bad and dry from the gas and so I decided I wouldn't have that again.

2nd pregnancy I secretly decided I would have nothing and use my breathing to control my pain, which I did, after 51/2 hrs of intense labour (I had actually gone on an off all day) DH asked would I like gas. I told him it was too late I was almost finished. And I had ds at 3.14am, an hour and a bit later.
Baby 3 was the same deal: except I was induced, and when they broke my water, whammo, did that hurt. The other 2 births had gone at their own pace. I still opted for no pain relief, instead I screamed the hospital down, scaring the girls down the hall. I told my dh never again, and he said his Nana had had 10 kids and I said she was an idiot. When I told the dr that had really hurt afterwards, he told me "Well that was a big head". My first baby was 6lb 13, my 2nd 7lb 8 and my 3rd 8lb 4 1/2. I am just under 5 foot tall and a very small build so nevertheless we were all very surprised at how big my baby was, especially since no one in the family had ever had a baby over 7lb.
With the thought of a 4th birth pending, my 3rd baby is 11 months old, I am not looking forward to the birth but I guess I focus my pain this way. Every contraction is one less, I even got to the stage where I was trying to get the dr to give me a number of contractions he thought I had left before the end. He said 4 and I said 2 but it was more than that.
I like the idea that I am alert and know what is going on and I felt like I didn't have that with my 1st. And I also remember that it will be over soon enough. Maybe it is my stubborness coming out in me, I'm a little like my father in that way.

My labours were 9hrs, 9 hrs and I was induced with my 3rd so actual bad labour was only after waters were broken 2 hrs and 10 mins.

My opinion is do what you need to do to get through the pain, be flexible and open to suggestions but ultimately make the decision you are happy with. You aren't a hero just because you have nothing.
Cheers Michelle

With my first I was open to anything to stop the pain, I tried the gas - made me throw up! Pethadine next, did not feel like it was working but I did sleep between contractions. I begged for a higher dose about two hours later!! After DD was delivered though I threw up again and again. (total 14 hour labour, 8 lb 12 oz)

With my second DS, I went to the birthing suite and said I wanted no pain relief - this lasted about four hours until I begged for something - anything!!! The midwife said OK and then disappeared until I was in third stage. So I did not get anything!! (total 5 hour labour, 10 lb 5 oz)

Third DS, I was in the hospital being induced, one lot of gel, nothing!! DH was sent home, until the morning when gel would be tried again. Contractions started full on and I begged for an epidural after 10 minutes, midwife tried to talk me out of it, I told her - GET IT NOW. DS was born 30 minutes later and I never got the epidural (I still wonder what one would feel like). (total 40 minute labour, 9lb 14 oz)

I know there is already a post about pain relief, but I found this and some of you that posted in this original thread have gone on to have other children. did you use pain relief the second time around if you didnt the first time or did you go naturally or use pain reliefe after going totally natrual the first time (breave people LOL), was there stuff you said you would have but didn't end up using?

take care
Lesley

Well I said in my orginial post that I would have an epidural again. I never ended up with having one during my birth with Lachlan. I requested it but it never made it to me in time :( I pushed Lachlan out with only having one shot of pethadine which i found did nothing and the use of the bath which I also found did nothing as I couldn't get comfortable and it brought on the contractions quicker.

Love