Soooo I've been in ignorance land for so long I hadn't actually considered labour! I went to antenatal last night and now it all seems real and I'm confused!

Months ago I'd said I'm definately having an epi....I've since changed my mind and want to go with the flow....if it gets really bad I'll have one.

I'd always said I wanted more pain relief than just gas and air (I'm a complete wimp and have a stupidly low pain threshold!) so when I was told last night my hospital offers pethadine this seemed like a good inbetween option.

Then my OH changed his mind about a water birth (I'd considered it, but he said no way.....he thought LO would be born into a scene from Jaws!!) he now said if I want one then that's fine with him.....BUT I'd only be able to have gas and air....I'm really not sure if it's enough! Saying that my hospital only has 1 birthing pool so it might not be free anyway.

So then I discussed the pethadine idea with my sister (we've become very close recently and she's one of the only people I know with a baby!) she was very anti it....said it'd make the babys geartrate slow down....I should have an epi instead if I can't cope on G&A.

She said in her labour (back to back & she had epi even tho didn't really want one) that she went from 5cms to 10cms in an hour. She said if the same happened to me I'd still be too tired from the pethidine to push...

Arggghhhhh my head hurts!! All the people I have to help me decide seem to be making it difficult!!

Should I just say screw them all and go with the flow?? If the pool is free I might give it a try, if I want more pain relief do I just ignore the concerns and just get pethadine....I can face the wrath later.

Any advice/thoughts would really help I feel a bit out of my depth.

I personally had G&A followed by pethidine with my 1st baby - i found it didnt take away any pain at all, all it did was make me feel sooo tired and off-focus. So due to this i had a pain-free labour with my 2nd and felt much more in control. Its up to you about what u do obviously its your body going through it, this is just my experience (never considered an Epidural as im sooo scared of needles - i was brave with the pethidine lol) x

im a bit in the dark about it all too lol. From what ive heard, pethadine can make you quite nauseas and as if you are drunk, and i defo dont want that ontop of labour, so i dont think i will be going for that. I think im gunna see how long i can last on g&a, and then if i feel i need it (which I know i will!), gunna go with the epi. xx

Not sure if it will help but I can tell you what Im planning.

Im going to try and stay at home as long as possible using a TENS machine. Then once at hospital I'd like to have a water birth (if the pool is free) and planning to use a Gas and air through this.

I then figure if I need more pain relief I can get pethadine (obviously would have to come out the pool) then if it gets really bad I've still got the option of an epidural. Im planning to give birth on a midwife led unit so would have to move to the labour ward to have an epidural. I don't really fancy Pethadine but at my antenatal they said it has its uses - if your tired and need to sleep in a long labour.

I figure Im going to just see how it goes, not rule anything out and go with the flow. My ideal plan is water and G&A but I can still go for more pain relief if I need it!

Hope that helps a bit
Good luck!
x

I had g&a and pethadine with my first and if i'm honest i really didn't like the pethadine! I didn't really want it anyway, it made me really sleepy and i felt completely out of it, the next thing i remember is a room full of doctors saying they had to get baby out and it didn't feel real. I really don't want it this time if i can help it!
On the other G&A was brill, i'll def be having this! xx

I'm hoping to go with just G&A but very happy to go with the flow at the time.

If you fancy water as pain relief but don't want to give birth in the water you should be able to do that too.

The main thing with petadine and epidurals is that they are hard to push through, some hospitals won't give you them if they think you are going to give birth within 3 hours, as they want it to wear off a bit so you can push properly.
I think they do make baby a bit sleepy but better that than you feeling like you're going to die from the pain, my only advice would be do what feels right at the time.

i have had 3 babies, on the first labour i had an epi on the second i had pethidene and on the third i just had gas and air.
Now this is just my personal opinion but my fav birth was the one on g & a, i also have a terrible pain threshold i'd cry from a papercut. But its amazing how your body takes over in labour. Yes it was painful but i had such a sense of achievement afterwards and time flys when you are in labour. The most important thing (and it does sound like a cliche but its true) is to remember to breathe through the pain and stay calm. On my first i didnt do any of these things and thats why i needed the epi because i got so worked up. Hope this helps hun. PM me if you would like to ask me anything.

p.s.
pethidene didnt take the pain away it just helped me relax between contractions. But i didnt like feeling so out of it when baby was born.

in regards to the pethadine, the hospital wouldnt offer it if there was any risk to mother or baby. Yes, your sister is right in saying that it makes the baby 'lazy or sleepy', but if the midwives believe you are within approx one hour of giving birth then they will most likely not give it to you anyway. If you do go for pethadine and, in the case of your sister, you dilate really quickly, there is still no major risk to your baby. My step-mum had pethadine with her first baby and then the baby was born within half an hour. She was drowsy and sleepy but the midwives got her active almost straight away...and that was 22 years ago! so imagine how they would be able to handle it these days!!

when it comes to pain relief in general, the decision is totally down to you. You know your own thresholds and you shouldnt feel pressured by outside influences! some people know right away that they want an epidural and wont take any less, others (like you) want to just 'go with the flow' and leave their options open (bare in mind though that there is a 'cut-off' for things like pethadine and epidurals).

With the water-birth option, some women swear by it. I didnt really consider it until after my anti-natal classes (coz like your OH I was more concerned about what the baby would be born into), but it's supposed to be the least stressful way for your baby to be born, as they try to regulate the water at body temp (36 degrees) so the transition from you to outside world is a much less traumatic one!! I still dont think i would use the pool for the actual birth, but i have considered it for the labour to aid pain-relief, as that is an option too! il just have to hop out before the pushing starts...lol

Im personally not going to have pethidiene (sp?) I dont fancy the idea i dont think i will react well to it, i cant stay at home when my waters break due to the fluid situ and risk of cord prolapse, so i have to go straight in, and i think ill try just gas and air for a bit but i will no doubt have an epidural. It seems stress free and for me thats a better option, Pethidine sounds like id feel ill and drunk, dont really fancy that. I vote Epi. /but will see how it goes. If your not sure just write that in ur bith plan, dont rule anything out just yet,