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Natural Birth
How is nitrous oxide administered?Nitrous oxide is administered in combination with oxygen through a face mask or mouthpiece that you hold. The gas only flows when you inhale into the mask or mouthpiece.
What are the advantages of nitrous oxide?Nitrous oxide:-provides enough labor pain relief for many women-may enable you to avoid, postpone, or limit narcotic or epidural pain medication, which have more serious adverse effects-has a short lag time between requesting the gas and obtaining relief-can be used at any time in labor right up to the birth-increases your sense of personal control, as you choose when you use it-does not appear to interfere with labor progress or ability to push-does not lower your blood oxygen level-does not appear to have adverse effects on the baby's condition at birth-can be discontinued more quickly than other pain medication, as its effects reverse rapidly when you stop inhaling it-does not require the presence of an anesthesiologist for its administration and monitoring.
What are the drawbacks of nitrous oxide?Nitrous oxide:-is not available in many maternity units in the U.S.-is tricky to time correctly: the lag time to achieving maximum effect is almost a minute, which means if you start inhaling the gas when you feel the contraction, you may not get enough benefit; continuous use, though, can make you feel dizzy and light-headed and increases the risk of grogginess or losing consciousness-limits your ability to move about: the mouthpiece or mask is connected to a gas tank or other supply source-can cause drowsiness, hazy memory of labor, dizziness, pins and needles, or numbness-poses a small risk of losing consciousness: this is why it's important that you hold the mask or mouthpiece; if you lose consciousness, your hand falls away and the situation rapidly corrects itself-has the potential for increased problems with sedation and decreasing your blood oxygen level: if used in combination with injected narcotics-has unknown effects on the alertness of newborns and their ability to interact with their new environment:still, nitrous oxide dissipates rapidly and may not cause any problems.
"Whippets" during labor, anyone? Nitrous Oxide: Clicky Poll
There's one hospital around here - UCSF - where the chief anesthesiologist is doing research on nitrous oxide use during labor (i.e. nitrious oxide is available to any laboring woman at that hospital).
Anyway, would any of you consider using nitrous oxide if it were available to you?
What are the effects of nitrous oxide on labor pain?Nitrous oxide, commonly called "laughing gas", reduces pain. Studies suggest that it may be more effective than injected narcotics.How is nitrous oxide administered?Nitrous oxide is administered in combination with oxygen through a face mask or mouthpiece that you hold. The gas only flows when you inhale into the mask or mouthpiece.
What are the advantages of nitrous oxide?Nitrous oxide:-provides enough labor pain relief for many women-may enable you to avoid, postpone, or limit narcotic or epidural pain medication, which have more serious adverse effects-has a short lag time between requesting the gas and obtaining relief-can be used at any time in labor right up to the birth-increases your sense of personal control, as you choose when you use it-does not appear to interfere with labor progress or ability to push-does not lower your blood oxygen level-does not appear to have adverse effects on the baby's condition at birth-can be discontinued more quickly than other pain medication, as its effects reverse rapidly when you stop inhaling it-does not require the presence of an anesthesiologist for its administration and monitoring.
What are the drawbacks of nitrous oxide?Nitrous oxide:-is not available in many maternity units in the U.S.-is tricky to time correctly: the lag time to achieving maximum effect is almost a minute, which means if you start inhaling the gas when you feel the contraction, you may not get enough benefit; continuous use, though, can make you feel dizzy and light-headed and increases the risk of grogginess or losing consciousness-limits your ability to move about: the mouthpiece or mask is connected to a gas tank or other supply source-can cause drowsiness, hazy memory of labor, dizziness, pins and needles, or numbness-poses a small risk of losing consciousness: this is why it's important that you hold the mask or mouthpiece; if you lose consciousness, your hand falls away and the situation rapidly corrects itself-has the potential for increased problems with sedation and decreasing your blood oxygen level: if used in combination with injected narcotics-has unknown effects on the alertness of newborns and their ability to interact with their new environment:still, nitrous oxide dissipates rapidly and may not cause any problems.
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This discussion has been closed.
Re: "Whippets" during labor, anyone? Nitrous Oxide: Clicky Poll
IMO the whole point of going med-free or "natural" is to avoid all kinds of intervention and/or unnecessary chemicals.
Now on that note, many may argue that using Dihydrogen monoxide i.e. water (a birthing pool) for pain relief is also an intervention and therefore not completely "natural". Needless to say I rather stick to my water than laughing gas!
Like all pain relief options for labour, I would consider the laughing gas if I needed it. I just had my baby and asked for the gas - it helped relax me while waiting for the nurses and dr.'s get the room ready so I could push....I got to the hospital at 10cm dilated......pretty intense and I was starting to panic.....it was hard to keep it together. I did alright, though.
My thoughts are that if it helps to avoid some of the more invasive pain meds., then go for it!
eta: I'm not sure how other hospitals administer it, but I was not restricted in movement and I had to hold my own mask when and if I felt I needed it. If I didn't want it, I literally threw the mask...... I used a couple of times to help relax me and keep me from biting DH ;P Also, I think it must affect people differently, because I didn't have a hazy feeling at all - I was still completely aware and mobile - I just was more relaxed.
I'm planning a home birth, so unless I'm getting the whip cream whippet, no nitrous oxide for me!
That being said, I do think that it's interesting that it's not offered more when it seems to be much less harmful than other med interventions...
Yep. I think there's a decent amount of dentists in the US starting to offer it, but I it's pretty unusual to have it for labor/birth.
Gawd, whippets - did them in HS a few times, and they were such a lame/fast high. I had a lot of friends in college who worked at coffee shops and would abuse whipped cream cans, heh heh. I'm hardcore when it comes to med-free labor/birth, but I would seriously consider nitrous oxide if I needed it - definitely preferable to the other options out there.
DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)
I don't know much about the effects of laughing gas, but if it is deemed as "safe" as other medications that are given during labor I would try it before resorting to say an epidural.
ETA: I would only consider it if I could truly not deal with labor and was considering using meds.
The fact that it limits your ability to move around (which aids in the progression of labor) immediately makes me not want it.
I've had nitrous for dental surgeries. I know how it makes me feel - and I feel like I'd be a hot mess if I were on that trying to go through labor. Not to mention, poor DH would have to put up with this hot mess!
No freakin' way! I find it interesting that they'd offer this to women in labor saying it is "safer" than the alternatives when for the last 5 or more years there has been a major educational push in school systems to decrease the rising use of this as a cheap and easily obtained street drug. There was a rash of teenage deaths and severe cognitive impairments b/c kids were doing these off whipped cream cans and such and temporarily freezing their lungs so that they had oxygen deprivation damage to their brain.
Of course, I would assume that having it administered by an anesthesiologist would significantly decrease the risk that you'd overdose - but I wouldn't want to take that risk during labor. As others have pointed out, what if the "therapeutic" dose makes you too loopy to effectively push during contractions? Or makes you forget the whole event?
Totally anecdotal, but a few years ago there was an article in my local city paper about a dentist who was convicted of sexually assaulting and raping some of his teenage female patients after giving them laughing gas -- they were conscious for the whole thing, but couldn't move or do anything to object. That story creeps me out to this day!
I'd do it if it meant avoiding other interventions, although I'm going into this with the mentality that an epidural is simply NOT an option.
This may be my inner conspiracy theorist talking, but I'm betting that it's not as popular in the US because it doesn't get the drs and hospitals as much money as epidurals do!
I plan to deliver at UCSF - and I recently heard that this would be an option for me. That said - I'm 99.9% sure I won't use it. (although for that last .1% I voted maybe)
It actually doesn't limit your ability to move around. You just drag the tank of gas with you. It is regularily offered here in Canada and I tried it before getting the epidural. It worked really well actually, I didn't feel hazy or loopy or whatever, it just took off enough of the back pain that I felt I could keep going. And I only used it during contractions. I was in full control of when I wanted it or not. The only reason I went from the gas to the epidural was because I couldn't sleep with just the gas and after 24 hours of zero sleep I needed something that could let me do that.
Daughter #1 - February 12, 2010
natural m/c March 11, 2011 at 8 1/2 weeks
Daughter #2 - January 11, 2012
Ectopic pregnancy discovered November 6, 2012 at 6 weeks
Daughter #3 - January 19, 2014
Started our exploration into the world of international adoption June 2012. We have no idea what this is going to look like but we are excited to find out!
this. I am one loose goose when I am on that stuff. Just having a grand time. But not at all focused or able to make decisions. great for dental work, but not for zoning out on my childbirth!
I live in Australia, and using gas is extremely common during labour here. I used it for my second child, and got a 'head rush' feeling on inhalation which diminished my pain, but never felt hazy or disconnected from my labour, and I remember everything perfectly. Also there is no mask, its just a kind of mouth piece that looks like a whistle, and I had complete control over the strength of the dose. I had to hold the mouthpiece myself and use it only when I felt I really needed to. I also didn't have to drag it around, because it just had a super long hose- the unit itself was in a cupboard. It was a very different experience to the dentists office is my point, I guess.