Has anyone used nitrous oxide during their labor? I think it would be a good fit for me because my biggest challenge with my last labor is that during transition I literally got so tense I was holding my breath and they had to manually move me. Feedback greatly appreciated!
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DW used it with our second son because she transitioned so fast there wasn’t time for epidural. She had to breathe in with her mouth through a tube, then exhale through her nose which she found IMPOSSIBLE in the panicked state she was in (realizing she was about to have an unintentional unmedicated birth) The nurses were coaching her but she couldn’t get it and said it made her feel claustrophobic. She had it a little with DS1 as well but it made her lightheaded.
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@Becky: I used it and I’ll be honest that I didn’t have much relief (induction with pitocin). It was annoying to focus on breathing it in enough to make a difference. But I’ll probably do it again with my third because I don’t want an epidural!
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@mrsbubbletea: agreed - I tried it but it wasn’t helpful, also pitocin induction so maybe that’s why. I was breathing it so much that I was getting light headed but still so much pain haha.
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@mrsbubbletea: I’ve heard it’s basically supposed to make you less anxious so you don’t focus on the pain so much. My second labor was unmedicated and it was easier than my induction (I got an epidural with that after blacking out). I’m nervous this one is going to be a longer labor because it’s been 4 years, and I can’t get into the groove of learning hypnobirthing on my own so I’m hoping the nitrous oxide just helps with the anxiety a bit really! The drastically easier recovery from my unmedicated labor was SO worth the short lived pain in my opinion so I really want to make it happen again.
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@Becky: I didn’t but had it been an option I absolutely would have. Based on how it used to affect me at the dentist I really think it would have helped me with my labor anxiety!
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@Becky: slightly off topic but if it makes you feel better, I think you have a good chance of easy recovery this time whether you go unmedicated or not, just being third vaginal birth (assuming it stays that way). I haven’t done gas for labor but my first labor (also unmedicated!) was sooooo much worse for recovery because it was long and my body was doing everything for the first time. Second, unmedicated and super easy recovery. Third, induction (but no pitocin) with epidural and also easy recovery. I think gas is a great idea for nerves - I hope you have a really smooth labor!!
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I was super excited our hospital had it as an option for my second, and thought it would be a great fit for me (maybe I’ve watched too much call the midwife??). Anyway, I hated it. First of all YOU had to physically hold the mask to your face to use it. It’s how the keep your from getting too much. In that state the very last thing I wanted to do was “have” to do something like that with one of my hands. Second when you did breathe it in the flow kid of stuttered so I couldn’t get a big even breath. I felt like someone had a bag over my head or something. I gave it two breaths and threw it on the bed and said “f-that.” Lol. The nurses weren’t surprised. They hadn’t had a lot of patients who liked it. The stadol on the other hand...
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So I was on pitocin because my labour stalled and at hour 17, after having tried narcotics and having been told that I couldn’t have an epidural (anesthesiologist was in surgery), they offered the nitrous oxide. It was a mask and I was told to breathe it during contractions. Well, I cheated and breathed it inbetween as well. It made me loopy and made the time go quicker. I loved it. But for my second, I had the epidural and that’s way better.
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@bhbee: That’s good to know that the third recovery with epidural was still easy! I think maybe my epidural was just too strong with my first so I couldn’t even walk on my own like an hour later. With #2 I was up and moving and we checked out early.
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@BadgerMom: Oof that doesn’t sound fun. I’d consider something like stadol but narcotics make me SO sick and I already get sick in labor.
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@Becky: that definitely sounds like it could be the culprit, along with just first birth being more difficult. I had a great epidural where I could still move my legs but could feel nothing contraction wise. I couldn’t stop laughing about that! Really easy to push effectively. Of course still couldn’t walk on my own immediately since my core was out of commission until it wore off. We also went home early also.
I know the bad part is you don’t know what your epidural is like until it’s too late though!! The anesthesiologist definitely started small and let me add by pushing the button. That may have helped.
Not trying to convince you to get one, after all I did two births without it! Just brainstorming in case you need it in the moment for some reason
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@Becky: just wanted to say thanks for posting the question. I had been meaning to ask the same.
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Btw part of what got me looking into this more was stumbling across rates/stats hospitals in NY have to report on, one of which is epidural rates. The one I’m delivering at has a 72% rate which seems SO high to me so I just want to be prepared and know about my options. It was super interesting to compare different hospitals! Here’s the link for anyone in NY who’s interested https://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/facilities/hospital/maternity/
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Gas is a really popular option in New Zealand and I used it for my two “natural” births. I don’t think it’s a very effective option for a longer labour (I had an epidural for my first labour which was 36 hours) but it definitely did enough to get me through my shorter labours (12 hours and six hours). I like the fact that the effect of the gas is short lived and that it doesn’t contribute to the cascade of interventions like other pain relief can.
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I used it during transition - it gave me something to do and concentrate on and might've taken the edge off the pain (but it was transition so it still hurt!). My experience with nitrous was being given a mask and told to breathe in and out into the mask, but the gas only flowed when I was taking a breath in. I held the mask to my face during contractions and dropped it between.
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@Clementine12: This is kind of what I expected. I could definitely use distraction during transition. Sounds like it doesn’t hurt to have it available!
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