Pethadine

I had it twice and I thought it was great. I was given an anti sickness injection in my bum at the same time so no issues there. It allowed me to keep moving and have the delivery I wanted. I did feel woozy but not off my rocker. If you want to feel 100% with it, it's not for you as it lasts a couple of hours rather than gas and air wears off almost instantly when you stop puffing.

I had gas and air only until I had been going for 32 hours and then I needed sleep. I opted for epidural because I just wanted complete rest.

So I'm here to say that an epidural isn't awful and if you end up opting for it don't feel bad about it. It's not pleasant being put in but it lasts seconds and then the discomfort is gone and you can rest.

Personally, I would leave all your options open so you can choose what is right for you in the moment ❤️ good luck with delivery xx

I had pethidine a few hours into labour. It took all the pain away which was great but it really slowed down dilation.
I went from 0-4cm in just over three hours before pethidine and then only got to 5.5cm in the next four hours after having it.
So it made my labour last a lot longer but I’m not sure I could have dealt with the pain without it.

Also I found gas and air completely useless, but of course everyone is different.

I had pethadine once and loved it tbf. It just allows that little rest between contractions. I had a anti sickness alongside it and both were given in my arm. My midwife explained the gas and air being a glass of wine and pethadine been a bottle of wine 🤣

Pethadine gave me the rest I desperately needed. It can make you sick so they can give you an anti sickness injection too which I had. Pethadine makes you drowsy and can make the baby drowsy so they will only administer it if you're not imminently going to give birth. It meant that I slept but woke up for the contractions and pushing but I was also EXHAUSTED. So when I say, drowsy, I mean, I was almost unconscious. I'm pretty sure a bomb could have gone off outside the room and I wouldn't have flinched.
I ended up with an epidural which I ABSOLUTELY did not want and I preferred that!!!

I had a quick labour and it was brutal - had pethidine when I was only 2cm, shortly after I arrived at the hospital because I wasn’t in established labour yet but was in so much pain I was climbing the walls. Dozed for 45 mins and it’s the only thing that actually stopped me vomiting as I had the anti-sickness meds too. Woke up 5cm dilated, delivered my 9lbs girl in the pool with just gas and air within an hour after that. Pethidine is what allowed me to have the birth I’d hoped for.

I was contracting all night and was offered pethidine at 8am, was told it would take about 20 minutes to work but honestly it didn't touch the sides for me😪 but I was examined and turns out I was already 7cm dilated. So I'm assuming it depends on how far into labour you are, whether it will work effectively or not? X

I hated it tbh - it doesn’t take the pain away it just makes you drowsy so I would sleep for like 2/3 mins, wake up in pain for a contraction and then repeat! I found the gas and air more effective. You can always put it on your birth plan and have it as an option - I didn’t want an epidural either initially but it was the best thing about my labour x

You don’t have to decide beforehand, you can ask them at the time what’s on offer. You can tell them you don’t want it unless really necessary x

I didn’t have pethidine but had dimorphine which works similarly but without nausea side effect. I was open to drugs and like you I didn’t really want epidural (but kept open minded). I managed to get to 7cm with gas and air but needed to take the edge off and requested pain relief and they gave me dimorphine injection and it really helped me- I was so sleepy just for a couple of hrs and rested during the rest of labour which preserved the energy I needed for the pushing part. I didn’t throw up. Some hosps offer this instead of pethidine. My sister gave birth with pethidine 2 months before my birth and was fine x

I had pethidine a few hours into my labour. This was the first time taking it, gas and air did not work me for and I was completly against any drugs including epidural…I was climbing walls and lost all my energy …It took some of the pain away which was great but it really slowed down dilation for me, which made me have an epilepsy fit, I then was unconscious. Wokeup with over 10doctors/ nurses all around me had to have infusion IV as I became dehydrated… I was then admitted to have an Emergancy c-section which I didn’t want and then I ended up pushing and delivering natural…

I had pethidine and codeine before having an epidural and it knocked me out to the point of being almost unresponsive. I could hear everything going on around me but couldn't respond and struggled to keep my eyes open. Ended up needing an emergency c-section 😪

I had only gas and air for like 12 hours and right at the last minute took the shot of pethidine. It really took the edge off and delivered baby around 30 mins later! Good luck your body was made for this x

I had it last week and it didn't work for me at all. The pain I felt from every contraction still even on gas and air..

I had an epidural with my first , but wasn't able to have one this time round as no one was available to do it (absolutely shocking in my opinion)

Thanks so much for all your responses ladies, I really appreciate it xxxx

It literally didn’t touch me 😂 x

I had it when I was maybes 5-6! Cms I’m not sure but it knocked me out like I was literally going to sleep inbetween contractions I was on the hormone drip as well