How much does it hurt? Labour pains
Pain relief
There are lots of different options for pain relief during labour and different options are available in different areas. Find out about what options are available to you so that you know what you’re being offered when you get to hospital and so you can choose what’s right for you.
"I was really scared about the labour but it was OK actually. It wasn’t as painful as I had expected. It lasted twelve hours altogether (I was at home for six and in hospital for six hours). I wanted to have an epidural but it was too late so I just had gas and air." Fiona, 16 (daughter aged 5 months)
Some pain relief that you may be offered includes:
Obstetric pulsar: TENS
TENS stands for Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation. A TENS machine is a small box which gives out little pulses of electrical energy that go into your body through pads which you stick to your back. The pulses prevent the pain signals from your womb and cervix from reaching your brain and also stimulate your body to release its own, natural "feel good" substances, called endorphins.
Gas and air (entonox)
Gas and air is a mixture of the anaesthetic gas, nitrous oxide, and oxygen. You can breathe it in through a mask or mouth piece and it will make you feel light headed. It can give good pain relief.
Drugs:
There are different drugs you can have for pain relief including: Pethidine and Morphine. Some drugs are stronger than others and will have different effects. Some people find that they feel ‘out-of-it’ with some drugs and less aware of what is going on. Sometimes drugs may be able to affect the baby and in some cases the baby’s breathing. It’s important to talk to your midwife or doctor about the different effect of different drugs so you can decide what kind of labour is best for you.
Epidural analgesia:
Epidurals relieve labour pains by blocking the nerve from the womb. Your back is first numbed and then a local anaesthetic is administered to your lower body blocking your nerves. An epidural takes 30-45 minutes to set up and a single injection gives 2-3 hours of pain relief. There are many different types of epidural, but normally the main drawback is that it affects the bladder and you will not be able to move your legs. As a result you will have to remain in bed until the effect has worn off. There is also a risk that your blood pressure will fall and that there may be an increased need for forceps delivery.
Going to hospital - What not to forget
Make sure you’ve got a bag packed and ready to go so you can go straight to the hospital when the time comes. 17 year old Holly’s top six things to remember to take with you in your hospital bag:
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Slippers
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Extra clothes for yourself and your baby (hat, gloves and blanket for baby)
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Nappies
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Toiletries
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Pyjamas & dressing gown
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Sanitary towels
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Towels
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Arrange for a car seat to take baby home
"My labour lasted three and a half hours and it wasn’t what I’d expected. It was more painful than I thought it’d be but the feeling when I first saw my baby – there are no words to describe it. I just had so much love and it gave me such abuzz. I was so tired after the labour but I couldn’t sleep for days because I just wanted to look at her all the time, I didn’t want to miss anything. All the pain was worth it.
"I didn’t have any pain control and I ended up having a water birth which I thought I wouldn’t like because it would be really messy and gross but actually it was really good because it let me move around easily which is what your body wants to do. I went in at 6am and we both came out at 8pm the same day. I hope to have a water birth again this time. I’d like to have a home birth but I don’t have enough room at home." Jade, 17 (pregnant and one daughter 11 months)
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