hahaha! I'm with you redpoppy..

as someone with an 'interesting' past... I've indulged in more then one form of chemical that has given me a similar feeling to what pethadine is supposed to induce, due to operations, I've also had the experience of being on morphine and valium, and then serious codine based painkillers all of which give you that 'floaty' type feeling, majority of it in the head..
Now, while I will admit that I actually quite liked it for myself, I certainly don't want that feeling being passed through to Oompa. , So for me, personally, pethadine is a 100% no go zone.

After having our antenatal class the MW also strongly recommended that you do your research and decide which path you're going to take in pain relief before you're actually there. ie. tens/g&a/pethadine OR tens/g&a/epidural,
as pethadine should NOT be used as a stepping stone up to an epi, they both can have some pretty yucky side effects and you're pretty much just double dosing yourself and more importantly, your baby with these side effects if you do one after the other.

Obviously it is a majorly personal opinion and choice, for me though, I hope tens, G&A and water will get me through.,

Sorry didn't mean to make you feel bad!!!!

I had pethidine in labour and thought it was great but i totally would not recommend it for if the baby is nearly here (i had a long labour and had pethidine around halfway) I don't think they are allowed to give it past a certain stage anyway. It is a totally mind altering drug.

I wouldn't solely rely on gas and air as i tried it once and it totally did not agree with me at all. So it might not be for you.
I do agree, just go with the flow see how you manage and see what is on offer and what you feel like taking.

An epidural is only available before you are 8cm dilated and contractions weren't that bad for me at the point of having the epi (7.5cm) i just had it through fear of how bad it would get but believe i would have managed OK.

i ve been thinking about this alot lately, and ive sed i want gas and air - and if i HAVE to ill have something like pethidine (my mums a nurse, she had it with me and my two siblings and she said it was fine)

i hate needles so i definately dont want an epidural

im hoping i can focus my mind through the labour - breathe and try not to get stressed and get through the pain! ill know whats going to be here at the end so i dont care - i just think people do it everyday and more than once most of the time so it cantbe that bad :cloud: xx

You didn't!!!! It takes a LOT more than that to make me feel bad.


Haha! I totally think my labour woudl be helped greatly with the the knowledge that you get a nice "reward" of mind altering floaty substance that couldn't harm baby as baby was out.

Midwives need to get on the case maaaaan!

My hospital uses diamorphine which is similar to pethidine. It didn't slow my labour down at all. It took me from 12am to 1pm to go to 7cm and thats when I got the injection. Just under 2 hours later my baby was born so I think thats a load of rubbish that it slows down labour. Epi's can though.


Also, RE you being spaced out, you probably won't when your in labour as your in such pain IYKWIM? It lets you snooze between contractions which is a god send after a 12hr+ active labour.

I thought pethidine was administered through needle? Don't know though.

i think it is - but at least its not in my spine lol!!

id only have the pethidine if i had to tho - i wont be asking for it initially - im hoping i can do it with gas and air lol x

hahah! yeah! I just wonder how much pain women must be in to be like "stick a needle in my spine!!!!" I guess we'll find out!

But yeah, I'm totally aiming for gas and air. I think it may be naivety though.

Eek, diamorphine is heroin. It's probably largely an emotional reaction, but I hate the thought of giving my baby a dose of smack before he's brought into the world. Pethidine isn't sounding a lot better to me though. I might be a bit too anti-drug for my own good when it comes to the birth, but I'm hoping to get by with gas and air at most. Fingers crossed.