Nitrous oxide while in labor

[daisylola11]

My MW just informed me that it is now available at our hospital, wasn't w my first 2.5 years ago. So I'm wondering if anyone has experience, pros/cons??

XP. TIA!

[Deleted]

I don't have any first hand experience but the hospital I work for just started offering it. I've been told it is significantly less expensive than an epidural I've also heard that a fair number who take nitrous also end up with an epidural so... I'm not very helpful I guess

[akraus2015]

I'm pregnant with my first take-home baby now, but I was told it's an option at the birthing center where we plan to deliver also. I'm not sure I would react well to it though.

[SeaBreeze]

It didn't give me any pain relief but it did stop me from hyperventilating and forced me to focus on my breathing with my second.

[flippinchica]

I used it and found it really took the edge off. I still ended up with an epidural because after 24 hours of labor and no sleep they wanted to start pit because I was only a 7. Good thing since I didn't deliver for another 16 hours or so. But if I would have had a shorter labor it would have great.

[huckleberry08]

I went med free with my first, but had pitocin with the second and needed something to take the edge off. I opted for nitrous and only found it helpful at the pushing stage because I was using breathing techniques to control my pain up til that point, and the way I had to inhale it mid-contraction interfered with that. I gulped the shit out of it during the last ten minutes of labor, though, and vaguely remember shouting, "I'm so high!" a few times.

[expatmama]

I used it for both mine and that and TENs were all I used. I found it a good way to focus on my breathing when I started getting really uncomfortable but it was useless after transition.

I had last done nitrous in a Phish parking lot and thought that hilarious at the time as I was birthing a baby. I spent way too much time regaling DH with tales of my wild youth and laughing hysterically.

The big perk for me was that I could regulate it myself and take as needed. The negative was that I was the only one in on the joke, although I will admit that DH took a hit while we were alone.

[josim]

Feb 12, 2017 16:38:08 GMT -5 SeaBreeze said:

It didn't give me any pain relief but it did stop me from hyperventilating and forced me to focus on my breathing with my second.

+1

[pobre]

I would have done this in a heartbeat.

[Deleted]

It wasn't offered to me. Would've used it though.

[daisylola11]

For those who used it were you able to walk around/ Be out of bed?

[expatmama]

Yes, could do as I liked. The midwife set the level of meds, and I decided when I used it, so I just took as needed. For my first it took me awhile to get the hang of it.

As it made me loopy I took it while sitting or lying down, but could move around in between doses.

Another point is the effect is very short lived so you can take it during a contraction and then be fine in between and move around. I liked it in combo with a yoga ball.

[daisylola11]

Feb 12, 2017 19:27:10 GMT -5 expatmama said:

Yes, could do as I liked. The midwife set the level of meds, and I decided when I used it, so I just took as needed. For my first it took me awhile to get the hang of it.

As it made me loopy I took it while sitting or lying down, but could move around in between doses.

Another point is the effect is very short lived so you can take it during a contraction and then be fine in between and move around. I liked it in combo with a yoga ball.

Loved my yoga ball last time for sure bringing it again, thanks for the response

[flippinchica]

I had a mask I could hold to my face and breathe as I needed. I had to sit while using it but could move around when I wasn't actually holding the mask to my face.

[Deleted]

Lurker jumping in here- I used it with my second. I had no time for the epidural I wanted (2 hours from induction start to baby) so they offered nitrous as a way to take the edge off. It did but I found it made me so loopy. I felt completely outside of my body so I stopped it after only a few breathes of it.

[izz67]

I used it and did not have an epidural. And I would use it again. I felt like it took some of the edge off even though it doesn't "help the pain." I was able to move around and take the mask on and off when I wanted. MH said I was hilarious, it definitely put me in a happier place.

The biggest perk for me was that it helped some of my anxious feelings as I was scared to feel the burning ring of fire lol.

[emmagk]

I had it and hated it. Didn't do anything and made me feel sick

[mrssqueegy]

Lurker here. I used with with my second and loved it. It took the edge off of my very fast 1.5 hour induction. It helped me breathe during contractions. They wouldn't let me use it while pushing but I wouldn't give the mouth piece back so they turned off the gas and I kept using the mouth piece to breathe. Would definitely do again. I was trying to avoid an epidural this time so it was perfect for me.

[mrsgiantpenis]

I used it with my second and loved it. My first I didn't use anything. However, an epidural was not going to happen unless I needed a c section and my doctor knew id pass out. Needles are a very giant phobia of mine. So that may have changed how I felt about it in the moment.

It didn't so much help with pain but it gave me something to focus on which helped a lot. Since you can stop it at any time by just pulling the mask off, I say give it a shot, but keep in mind it may not help at all.

To add my second was a very short induction. Like two hours from start to baby. My first was over 40 hours of hard contractions, I don't know if it would have helped much during that labor.

[Ray]

For me the vibration of the mask on my face as I sucked hard back helped distract me

[daisylola11]

A distraction is what I'll probably need, thanks for the input ladies! I'm gonna go for it and it's good to know if I don't like it it wears off fast and I can try something else

[huckleberry08]

Feb 12, 2017 22:20:06 GMT -5 daisylola11 said:

A distraction is what I'll probably need, thanks for the input ladies! I'm gonna go for it and it's good to know if I don't like it it wears off fast and I can try something else

Have a good talk with the anesthesiologist, too. They had an open conversation with me before contractions got too bad about what my options were, how they worked, when they needed to be administered, etc., and I found that really helpful in my decisionmaking.

[shamalamadingdong]

I used it when I was induced, it took the edge off for sure, but i kept a tight grip on that mask for a solid 20 hours and remember very little of the labor.

[saltypearl]

I sucked that shit back as hard as I could when I was waiting for the anesthesiologist. It took the edge off as long as it was in my lungs, and as soon as I exhaled I was back to the same level as before.

[michelleca]

I used it, there was no time for an epidural. I was pretty high. I really didn't want to go without the epidural, I was pretty scared. This helped with the fear, and laughs afterwards at my expense