Pain Relief

I have had two pregnancies and chose to have my first in the delivery suite of the hospital, and the second in a midwife led birthing unit. Both experiences were different in quite a few ways.

My midwife throughout my pregnancy encouraged me to have my baby in the birthing center as it was my second pregnancy and I was low risk from the first time around, so please remember a birthing unit may not suit every pregnant woman, especially if there are other factors involved.

The main differences I was to expect from the birthing unit was that the atmosphere would apparently be more relaxed, there would only be midwives on duty to deliver my baby (however a link with the hospital delivery suite is there should anything go wrong and it’s needed), there is limited pain relief available (no epidural), and there is always the option of having a birthing pool should you wish to.

I was also told that if my midwife happened to be on duty when I went into labour then there would be a chance she would deliver my baby for me. I wasn’t sure how I felt about this particular piece of information, but I wasn’t going to worry about that until it happened.

Once I went into labour, I arrived at the birthing unit which in my case was attached to the hospital, and next door to the main delivery suite anyway. The midwife that greeted me almost seemed vague and let me do most of the talking. This wasn’t something I was used to, especially being in the amount of pain I was in, I wanted someone to take control and tell me what was happening.

This really wasn’t the case here as the staff very much had the attitude of “it’s your body you tell me what’s happening and how you want this to be”.

I was immediately made tea and toast as it was breakfast time. The staff were very attentive in this way, and made sure I didn’t want the birthing pool before assigning me my room etc.

This aspect of the unit was very nice and I was immediately pleased I had chose this option to have my baby in.

Throughout labour I was encouraged to wander about the unit, and had use of a communal lounge, where there was also facilities to make tea etc. I thought this was especially nice for partners who often have nothing to do but be moaned at and stand on their feet for hours on end. (I know ladies it’s us who go through the immense pain etc, but you have to feel a teensy bit sorry for them when all the pain has gone and you have your bundle).

The staff in the unit were very attentive when they

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“LABOUR” “CHILDBIRTH” two words that will strike fear into the bravest of hearts.Labour is unfortunately hard slog but like the fruits of all labour, the end result is amazing.(men have the easiest role in reproduction).

Becoming a mother for the first time was the most joyous moment of my life, the labour of actually getting him here was not! Since then I have had two more children and each time the experience was better,I was calmer and felt emotionally well equipped. Anybody who brags about having a “natural” birth is more often than not trying to convince herself that the un necessary pain was indeed warranted. Some first time mothers are no doubt under pressure to give birth painfully with no pain relief but I believe that no woman should be mislead or pressured into doing something that she is not prepared for.

Each birth is different because each child is different, therefore each woman should make an individual choice as to how she is going to go through labour, although more often than not the courage that is inbuilt during labour may surprise the weakest of the weak.A supportive birthing partner is essential!

Pain relief only works effectively if your mental attitude is in tune with your physical being.For example: My first labour was full of pain relief, I had the T.E.N.S machine,gas and air more commonly known as “laughing gas”,(I do not remember laughing much)I had pethidine! I stopped short of an epidural as the thought of not feeling my legs was more frightening than the actual labour but if the midwife could have given birth for me I would not have refused!

My third birthing experience was a much more exhilarating experience and my tools of pain relief were controlled breathing, gas and air and alot of tears. Obviously there is going to be pain maybe at times unbearable but each woman has to deal with it in her own way not in some-one else’s way.Advice should be received graciously but should not become law. Your childbirth is yours and when you experience it in the way you want only then will you achieve the most ecstatic feeling in the world….!

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What’s in Your Birth Plan? – Planning Your Home Birth

Why do you need a birth plan?
There are many options available to support your home birth experience ranging from a water birth to hypnotherapy in birthing. The idea of a birth plan is to choose your preferred method of giving birth, and also to specify your views on interventions that will be offered to you. While many women do not have the birth that they planned, preparing a birth plan gives you and your partner a starting point when labour kicks in. Also creating a birth plan enables you to discuss all the options with your partner and midwife and confirm what your preferences are. This is important, as your partner may need to speak for you while you are focussed on your labour. Also if your midwife is aware of your birth plan she will also be able to ensure there is a midwife available to support a homebirth and adequately trained if you need assistance with a water birth.

What to put in your birth plan?
This will be different for every person, and you will gain ideas about your ideal birth from antenatal classes and talking to mothers who have been through the process, or even your own experience if this is not your first child. Below is a template for a birth plan that covers the main areas to consider when planning your home birth.

How to put your birth plan together – try this template

The sections below are the common areas to consider when planning your home birth; you may come up with more requirements or may have no preferences on some of the sections below. You can use this as a guide to start your birth plan.

People present

• You may only want your midwife and your birth partner present, or you may be happy for close relatives and friends to support you. If you specify this then your partner or midwife can tactfully ask people to give you some privacy if required during the birth.
• Also consider any other children that you have and whether you would like them present and if they would like to witness the birth. Make a contingency plan if you think that it may not be a good idea for them to attend the birth.
• You may consider it helpful to have a friend or your mother present to help out, especially if you have a birth pool that needs to be filled.
• A doula, acupuncturist or a hypnotist are also popular for home births.
• Have the names and numbers of anyone that you would like at the birth available in case someone else needs to call them for you.

Pain relief

If you have a home birth you can only use natural pain relief methods. Options to help you with your home birth may involve, the use of movement, massage, relaxation, acupuncture, hypnosis, aromatherapy, a TENS machine, or a birth pool. Your midwife may also make gas and air available for you, but remember that she may not arrive until the end of the first stage of labour or the start of the second stage of labour.

Immediately after birth

• You want to keep your baby with you / Can take the baby away for examination
• You want to keep the umbilical chord attached until it stops pulsating / Can cut the umbilical chord straight away
• Partner wants to cut the umbilical chord
• You want to breastfeed straight away

Third Stage – Placenta Delivery

You would like to deliver the placenta naturally / you would like an injection to help speed up the delivery of the placenta.

What if your birth does not go according to your birth plan?

Midwife Does Not Arrive on Time

In the vast majority of cases the midwife will arrive on time. If you feel that she will not make it then call 999. Ambulances can get through traffic a lot faster than a normal car and the paramedics are trained to assist childbirth.

What If There Are Complications

The midwife will only support your home birth if there have been no complications with your pregnancy and your baby is in the expected position and expected size for his age, so the risk of having complications in childbirth are minimised. The midwife will continually monitor your progress, and if concerned she will transfer you to hospital before any issues arise. This is something you will discuss with her when going through your birth plan. Many planned home births result in a transfer to hospital as the midwife will always err on the side of caution to ensure the safety of you and your baby.

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I have an extremely low tolerance to pain, an extremely low tolerance to pain. So when i got pregnant with my first (aged 14months) my parents were curious just on how i would cope through what could be a very low enduring labour. Mum suggested having an epidural, but after reading up on it the thought of it going wrong (another bad habit of mine – thinking too much on things, creating almost forced worries) was just too much for me and i became dead set against the idea.

Towards the end of my pregnancy i started suffering from extremely bad back pain which would have me rolling around in agony for hours crying my little heart out. Thinking that this was probably Braxton Hicks i ignored it and suffered unknowingly to my midwife.

Before i knew it i was in labour and oh my lord was i in agony. The back pain i had suffered from during pregnancy was worse and was only slightly relieved when my Mum rubbed my back which i demanded she did for hours on end, much to her dismay. Being set against an epidural i was offered gas and air, which after using was found to make me go dizzy, unable to focus and vomit. So i pushed with NO pain relief in the slightest for a long 7hours. I was stressed, in sheer agony and unable to relax for even a remote 5 minutes. My son was face to pubes and was resting on my spine funny (hence the bad back) and every time i stopped pushing he was being almost sucked back in. By this time i was begging for an epidural. Anything that would make my back pain go. I have never seen someone move so fast to go get something for me (apparently i was like the exorcist while giving birth)

Soon after the anathesist had arrived and had given me the epidural I couldnt stop telling him just how much I loved him and he kept laughing it off – even though 5minutes or so before i was giving him abuse for taking so long. Suddenly i felt so much better and was able to have a conversation and a giggle with my mum and friend who were present with me which i was so incredibly unable to do previous the epidural. Also, being one of the lucky ones to have an epidural, i could still feel my stomach tightening so i was able to push pain free. My first birthing experience turned into something i was able to enjoy and not scream and shout about. My son was born 2hours later.

So i think people shouldnt rule epidurals totally out, you never know what you’ll be begging for when the time comes. At least if the midwifes know its a possibilty that you may want one they can make sure an anathesist is available at the time so that you arent put through more distress while waiting for him/her to arrive. And this is coming from someone who was scared to have one literally minutes before labour began.

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I truly believe that you should not have too many expectations for childbirth. Nature will have it’s way. Of course you should write your birth plan, it’s always good to to hope that your birth will go the way you want, but don’t expect your birth to go to any plan.

The intensity of labour hits quickly and hard, and it can last for such a long time. It is tiring and hard work and most women go through a stage of wishing or even begging for it to be over already. So it’s quite normal to want to reach out for the painkillers to ease the struggle, but I truly believe that childbirth is the only time when painkillers can be detrimental rather than beneficial. Painkillers slow down the natural progress of labour. The pain is there for a reason, to bring your baby into the world and it’s worth trying to work with the pain rather than against it.

So should you just shut up and suffer? No, of course not, there are ways to make the whole experience much better. Start thinking early in your pregnancy and give alternative methods a try. Hypnobirthing is a brilliant technique. It teaches you to focus away from the pain and on what your body is telling you to do. Often during labour you can feel out of control but hypnobirthing techniques help you to focus and regain that control. It is fairly simple to learn but best learnt properly and well in advance of the pending birth. The key is practice, practice, practice so that by the time labour begins you will be able to cope straight away and keep in control.

Another drug free method of pain relief is the TENS machine. TENS stands for Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation. It works in two ways, by selectively stimulating certain ‘non pain’ fibres to send signals to the brain to block pain signals and by stimulation endorphins, the body’s natural pain relieving hormones. The device is connected by sticky pads to certain areas of the back and is controllable by hand. Most have a special button that can be pressed during contractions to give an extra boost. The TENS will not completely remove the pain of labour, but it will help you to cope and work with the pain.

Or you could consider a water birth. Being in water helps to relax you and encourage the release of endorphins to help with the pain. Being relaxed helps you to pace yourself and conserve your energy throughout your labour for when you really need it, when you give birth. It does not take away the pain, but helps you to cope with it.

From my personal experiences of labour and birth I can honestly say that I much prefer drug free methods of pain relief. The only time I did have drugs I found the labour very long drawn out and the birth complicated. The other times where much more rewarding experiences, and a lot quicker too.

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It is definitely a choice that only YOU can make, and you should not let others influence your decision. YOU are the one in the pain, and only you know how much pain you can truly handle.

I was truly fearing child birth. Towards the end of my pregnancy, thinking about it would keep me awake at night. I pretty much decided a few months into my pregnancy that I would have an epidural. I have always had a very low pain threshold and thought that by the time labour rolled around, I was going to be a screaming, swearing mess!

When my waters broke and 9 hours later I still hadn’t started having contractions, I was admitted to the hospital and put on a drip to induce the labour. When they first checked how dilated I was, I was already 3cm which wasn’t too bad considering I hadn’t had any contractions on my own!

About 5 hours passed and I had still only dilated another 1 cm. But the pain was very tolerable, it just felt like a mild period pain. The midwives couldn’t believe how well I was handling it all! Around 6pm the contractions started getting REALLY bad and I found them hard to cope with. So I asked for the gas. I found this, combined with the breathing techniques (and squeezing the life out of my partner’s hand!) really helped me get through the contractions.

I managed to get through the next 3 hours with the gas and breathing, but I still wasn’t dilating. My baby’s head wasn’t even engaged and the doctors were starting to get concerned as the labour just didn’t seem to be progressing. At around 9pm I decided to have an epidural. I didn’t feel that I could cope with the pain on my own anymore, but felt extremely proud for how long I had gone without pain relief (Apart from the gas).

Once I had the epidural, I felt extreme relief almost immediately. I even asked the midwife if I was still having contractions! An hour later the doctor came in and told me they had decided to do a C-section as the labour wasn’t progressing and also because my son was getting distressed with the contractions (not to mention his head still wasn’t engaged).

I had my C-section at around 11pm and am glad that I had an epidural as I would have had to have one anyway.

I learned throughout my pregnancy, and still today, that everyone has an opinion on what is best for you, and for your baby. Only you truly know this. So I think if you aren’t coping with the pain of childbirth, there is nothing wrong with having pain relief and no one should make you feel bad for it.

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When I first found out I was pregnant I was so happy and could not wait to meet my little bundle of joy! However, I found it amazing that there were so many women out there who couldn’t wait to tell me how awful their labour was. This absolutely terrified me and it made me really scared. I started to stop enjoying my pregnancy and I got really depressed. Just about every mum I spoke to seemed to enjoy telling me the amount of pain they were in and how horrendous it all was.

By the time I got to 8 months pregnant I wanted to curl up into a ball and forget that in a few weeks time I will have to go through the same agonizing pain!

At 41 weeks pregnant I went into labour and I remember waking up at 09.30am, getting period pains and I knew it was contractions. I woke my husband and I cried and cried and cried! He asked me what was wrong and I said “I’m getting contractions which means this baby’s coming, which means I’m gonna hurt bad”

I can’t remember another time I was more scared and I kept thinking about all the horror storied I’d heard over the last few months.

By 1pm the contractions were getting quicker and really strong so we rang the midwife, (I was having a home birth). The midwife turned up and examined me – I was 4cm’s dilated. We then all sat down watching TV together and chatting, (in between my contractions)! At 4pm my contractions were really really strong and I asked to have some gas and air to get me through them, this was bliss! at 4.03pm my waters broke, I then started pushing and after 3 big pushes my BEAUTIFUL daughter was born at 4.13pm.

I have never felt anything more magical and beautiful and because I was so relaxed I had no stitches and felt great.

When I told people about my childbirth the first question most people ask is “what pain relief did I use”? When I tell them gas and air they seem amazed! A lot of women find the thought of only having gas and air terrifying but I’m so glad I only used this because I felt every part of my daughter coming out and that, in my eyes, is amazing. I wouldn’t change anything.

My husband found the whole experience, (in his words), “truly amazing”. He finds the female body brilliant and still can’t get his head around how a woman can do it!

Two months later and I’m now desperate for baby number 2!

Childbirth is the most natural, beautiful thing in the world and I urge women to ignore other women’s horror stories and enjoy!

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If like me you found out you were pregnant and decided to have as natural a labour as possible, be prepared for nature to change your plans!

When I first found out I was expecting, I was annoyingly smug about how easy my labour was going to be. I come from a long line of women who have very short labours, no pain relief and are walking around the delivery ward looking radiant within an hour of giving birth. I was born in under 3 hours and my Mum was home within a couple of hours after having me. My sister had two beautiful girls both in under 6 hours, with just a whiff of gas and air and a hand to hold. Naturally, I was 100% sure that I would be the same and was looking forward to perhaps a home birth, but if not that then definately an active birth, with plenty of movement and a birthing pool.

As my pregnancy progressed, I felt fabulous. I grew and grew daily and loved every second of it. I wasn’t even perturbed when the midwife examined me at about 8 months and told me my baby would be well above average weight. Afterall, I had been just under 10 lbs at birth and my Mum had me in the blink of an eye.

My little baby was due on February 12th. This date came and went and although not particularly worried, I started reading up on natural ways to bring the labour on. I ate so many pineapples I had to spend a night on the toilet, I took raspberry leaf capsules, I walked miles, I bumped down the stairs on my behind and I even paid an extortionate amount for reflexology. Nothing. Not even a twinge.

So, on a Sunday, at 12 days overdue, my partner and I went into hospital to be induced. I was amazingly excited and even at that stage wasn’t worried: I just wanted to get on with it and get this little person out so we could meet them. I hadn’t even read up on being induced as I had never thought I would be, and so was blinkered to any of the well known risks.

Within the space of 24 hours, I was given two pesaries of a drug to widen the neck of my cervix and so bring on labour. We waited…..and nothing. On the Tuesday morning at 5 a.m. I was taken down to the delivery suite and my waters were broken. We waited…..and nothing. I was hooked up on a drip to delivery the drug used to bring on labour. We waited….and nothing. All day my partner and I sat around reading, listening to the radio and chatting. Almost as if we were having a leisurely day in an hotel! Late in the afternoon, I was examined and it was discovered my waters had not been properly broken, and

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When I first found out I was pregnant, I was happy but scared like so many other women. Then came the thoughts of, oh my god it’s got to come out! I started to panic about how I would cope in labour, because I’m a self confessed wimp. I consider myself to be lucky; I have a supportive partner and mother. As this was my first pregnancy, I was not sure what type of birth I wanted. I spoke to my midwives and my mother, who were both helpful and supportive. I am one of four children, so I thought my mother would be a good person to ask for advice. I am a person that is a natural born worrier, so I instantly knew I would not have a home birth for my first time.

I have been a lucky person, I have been a birthing partner to two of my friends. They were two very different births, they scared the hell out of me. The first was quite a quick birth, but she had have her waters broken for her. She also opted for pethidine pain relief, as well as gas and air. She didn’t seem to know what was going on half the time, and she also said that it made her feel nauseous. So I knew I didn’t want that, that was pethidine ruled out! The second birth was slow and tiring, she had an epidural and couldn’t feel anything. She too felt nauseous; with all the drugs she had been given. So because I had been there with both of my friends, I knew I was going for a natural birth. After a full term healthy pregnancy, I had a brilliant natural birth. I had very supportive midwives, who knew how to keep me calm. They kept me comfortable, and reassured me that everything was alright. It was such a lovely atmosphere, it couldn’t have been better. And because I had no pain relief, I knew every thing that was going on. I didn’t feel poorly or anything, I felt so great but very tired. Having my child was the most magical thing in the world, I would always recommend having a natural birth every time. Who knows I may even opt for a home birth next time!

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can i just say it doesn’t make you a bad mum if you have an epidural during labour , I have given birth to 3 babies , and have experienced childbirth with and without epidural ,

Lets just get one thing straight childbirth hurts its painful ! there would not be pain relief available for labouring women if it wasn’t safe to take . With my first baby i had 14 hours of pain after being induced and my waters had been broken for 8 hours before i asked for an epidural , i had tried gas and air and promptly thrown up all over the place at the exact moment my waters had broke actually ! (attractive) , now heres the really cruel bit upon requesting the epidural i then had to wait an hour before the anesthetist was free to come and do it!. So finally 6 hours after my epidural i gave birth to a bouncy 8 lb 9 oz baby girl with a very large head ! (it took over an hour to push her head out)

The thing is is that an epidural WAS the right thing for me at that time , sadly there is such a lot of condemnation for women that supposedly ‘cheat’ during childbirth , that we are made to feel guilty and even as i was asking for my epidural , i was asking my midwife if she thought of me as a failure (ABSOLUTELY NOT ! she answered)

With my second baby i went into labour naturally , but just as first time round i didn’t dilate even after having my waters broken and being on a hormone drip (incredibly painful) but i carried on for 19 hours with no pain relief , until i just couldn’t handle it anymore i was very weak , a result of being sick and continuing to be sick until i was completely empty inside , so yet again i ‘gave in’ and had an epidural although this time i didn’t have it topped up i had about and hour or so relief where i could just sit back relax and have a little snooze , when i felt the pains coming back i didn’t ask for a top up on the epidural as i felt so much more rested, re energized and ,stronger from having that small respite from the pain that i was able to carry on the final 2 hours of labour completely natural.

My third baby was 3 weeks early my waters were broke for 3 days , i was in labour over the weekend and i had no pain relief , despite being hooked up to a hormone drip for over 8 hours

(yet again not dilating properly) , but somehow i got through it i didn’t feel like i needed any pain relief not even gas and air or pethidine or even paracetamol , yet again i was throwing up everywhere! But my point is this every birth is different and should be handled differently LABOUR IS NOT A ONE SIZE FITS ALL EXPERIENCE! otherwise why would everyone have a different story to tell , so if you do get through birth with no pain relief good on you , but for EVERY WOMAN EVERYWHERE who has given birth either pain free or with pain relief , c section , however you done it WELL DONE ! you are great !

Women need to stick together , just because some one chooses not to be in pain during labour it doesn’t make her ANY LESS A MOTHER .

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