STM: Plans for drug other than epidural?

EMunion777 · August 2013

So I was planning on having a natural birth this time around. But I want to have some other options available just in case things don't go as planned. I had an epidural with my daughter and the injection was excruciating. Of course it was pretty great after the fact but I don't want to go through that again. I've also read up on it more and don't feel comfortable with it again as I feel it has caused problems that I still have to this day.

So i've heard of stadol and demerol. I know they aren't supposed to take away all of the pain, but relieve some. I haven't done much research on it, but thought i'd ask you guys what you thought of these (or others if you know of any), if you have had these in the past, any info.

Thanks.

KateLouise · August 2013

Do you have gas and air (entonox) available where you are? I used that when DD1 was born, mostly while pushing.

It doesn't numb the pain, but for me it did take the edge off. What I really like about it, is that itw ears off really quickly after each contraction, so basically you're in charge of when and how often to use it, and if you don't like it (my first breath, I inhaled really deeply and it made me feel woozy, after that I learnt how to breathe the best way for me) then you don't have to keep using it.

CourtJack · August 2013

Will you have access to a birthing tub?

EMunion777 · August 2013

CourtJack said:

Will you have access to a birthing tub?

I don't believe I will. I think they might have a shower though. I plan to take my birthing ball and every night i'm reading up on ways to cope drug free... but the closer and closer I get, the more nervous I am and feel I should have a back up plan. lol.

KateLouise · August 2013

I used the shower and tub with DD1, and just the shower with DD2. The shower was incredibly helpful for me. I didn't use gas with DD2.

Have you been reading any positive birth stories? I found that really helpful too.

WashingtonQueen · August 2013

If for some reason I need meds to cope with labor I will NEVER again get IV meds!! I will go straight for the epi. The IV meds made my labor a million times worse. They made me so sleepy that I literally lost the ability to keep my eyes open. I would pass out in between contractions but it took no pain away. I would go from being completely asleep to in the middle of an intense contraction with no way to prepare and relax myself for what was coming. It was torture. Never, ever again.

MMMiller · August 2013

I'm lurking from second tri, but I had stadol I believe during my extremely long labor with my son (is that the shot in the butt? I can't remember the name). It was awful. I felt drugged but still felt all of the pain it was a terrible feeling, thankfully I labored for hours and hours after it was given so it had worn off before pushing time and I had an epidural at that point, which also didn't work for me. I think if you can make it without anything you're much better off considering my first experience. That being said, I don't think I'll be able to say no to the epidural when the time comes

TLRachelle · August 2013

NOS (i.e. laughing gas) is very popular in England and Canada. You can deliver it to yourself via mask when you need the edge taken off but it doesn't take away all of your feeling. If my OB and hospital allows NOS, that's what I am using. I'm moving so I have to check with my new doctor when I get there...

CelticWife · August 2013

WashingtonQueen said:
If for some reason I need meds to cope with labor I will NEVER again get IV meds!! I will go straight for the epi. The IV meds made my labor a million times worse. They made me so sleepy that I literally lost the ability to keep my eyes open. I would pass out in between contractions but it took no pain away. I would go from being completely asleep to in the middle of an intense contraction with no way to prepare and relax myself for what was coming. It was torture. Never, ever again.

This. Never again.

hlb622 · August 2013

WashingtonQueen said:
If for some reason I need meds to cope with labor I will NEVER again get IV meds!! I will go straight for the epi. The IV meds made my labor a million times worse. They made me so sleepy that I literally lost the ability to keep my eyes open. I would pass out in between contractions but it took no pain away. I would go from being completely asleep to in the middle of an intense contraction with no way to prepare and relax myself for what was coming. It was torture. Never, ever again.

I'm a FTM, due in October and a good friend of mine told me this happened to her, too. Knocked out cold for 30 seconds and then, bam, contraction. And out cold again. And evidetly it didn't really cut the pain at all. I'm planning to wait as long as I can to go for the epi, but I'm definitely keeping it on the table.

curlyq625 · August 2013

MMMiller said:
I'm lurking from second tri, but I had stadol I believe during my extremely long labor with my son (is that the shot in the butt? I can't remember the name). It was awful. I felt drugged but still felt all of the pain it was a terrible feeling, thankfully I labored for hours and hours after it was given so it had worn off before pushing time and I had an epidural at that point, which also didn't work for me. I think if you can make it without anything you're much better off considering my first experience. That being said, I don't think I'll be able to say no to the epidural when the time comes

This happened to me as well, I felt so drugged I hated it! I couldn't wait for it to wear off, I kept crying uncontrollably. It was horrible, I would get an epi any day over having this drug again.

EMunion777 · August 2013

Well I guess I won't be getting an iv drug now after what you guys have said. lol. Thanks so much for your input. I want to be all there when giving birth. I already know I won't be taking vicadin after delivery for pain. I was given 2 vicadin last time and I was completely wacked out. My body can't handle it. They ended up giving me half of one I think and then I switched to motrin which didn't take away all of the pain, but some.

And although I know a lot of people can handle the epidural, I know I won't be doing that this time. I'm going to ask about the gas mask thing. I have a feeling that they're going to say no to it though. I've never heard of anyone around here using it. I have read positive birthing experiences, tops on coping and getting through the pain, I plan to use my birthing ball and the shower, and i'm going to take some music just in case. Gonna do all that I can to get through this. I don't do pain very well. lol. I'm gonna have to keep reminding myself that women have done this forever, and without meds.

KaylaC0514 · August 2013

I had to be induced at 42 weeks and I ended up taking a morphine shot at about 2am with DS 1. I had been induced 2 nights before and my active labor started about 10pm that night. It was a lonnnng couple of days and my contractions were like 15 seconds long with only maybe 10 seconds apart allll night. He was born at 8am.

Just so you know, morphine does NOT take away any pain. It just puts you in a dazed state so that you don't care about the pain as much. Kind of like a dream state. I had my eyes closed but screamed all night long. I would take it again if the same circumstances arose.

Oh also, I had a water birth. I got in the tub when I felt ready to push, about 6am and my contractions almost stopped! The morphine was wearing off and the WARM WATER was a good pain relief too. I tried getting in the water earlier in the night but I actually preferred doing most of my laboring in the bed.

KaylaC0514 · August 2013

EMunion777 said:

CourtJack said:

Will you have access to a birthing tub?

I don't believe I will. I think they might have a shower though. I plan to take my birthing ball and every night i'm reading up on ways to cope drug free... but the closer and closer I get, the more nervous I am and feel I should have a back up plan. lol.

Not to discourage, but I sat on the birthing ball for a whole 5 minutes maybe. It was not helpful to me at all.

audreid · August 2013

My epidural didn't work with DD1, so I went opted for IV drugs. I didn't have the dazed experience that some have reported, but I can say that they did basically nothing for the pain. This time around, if I can avoid begging for an epi, I plan to go med free.

doodlemonkey22 · August 2013

Ask your OB/MW, but I have always been told the IV drugs only work in the early stages of labor. Once you are halfway dilated or more, it won't provide any pain relief. I tried morphine when I delivered my first ds and found this to be true. I got an injection into my IV drip at about 6-7 cm and it did NOTHING for the pain. Didn't take the edge off as I had hoped. It only made me feel out of it and high as a kite. Would never do again. I'd get an epidural before IV drugs.

mawarren · August 2013

My epidural was also extremely painful so I'm now in the same boat as you really not wanting another one. My doctor told me stadol or demerol was the only option I have besides an epidural. I don't know if I will take it though bc I had it before I got my epidural but could not tell that it helped the pain at all. Maybe I had progressed to far by the time they gave it to me. I don't know but I just felt like I wanted to talk but wasn't sure if the right words were coming out of my mouth. It's a very weird feeling and I think bc of that a lot of my labor was just a blur from being drugged but still being in terrible pain until I got the epidural then it really hurt too! Then I was fine after that and felt nothing. I'm reading books right now too to try to help me learn about having a natural labor bc that's what I really want to do this time due to how terrible my epidural was going in.

imakeeff0rts · August 2013

CelticWife said:

If for some reason I need meds to cope with labor I will NEVER again get IV meds!! I will go straight for the epi. The IV meds made my labor a million times worse. They made me so sleepy that I literally lost the ability to keep my eyes open. I would pass out in between contractions but it took no pain away. I would go from being completely asleep to in the middle of an intense contraction with no way to prepare and relax myself for what was coming. It was torture. Never, ever again.
This. Never again.

This. Also, IV pain meds cross the placenta and can have an affect on how lucid your LO is when s/he comes out.

I'm a FTM and haven't really been picky about anything in terms of L&D except for this. I let me doctor know (and will let my nurses know when I go into labor) that under no circumstances am I to get IV pain meds while DS is still inside of me.

If you're looking for other pain relief methods, check into heat pads, birthing tubs (which I hear are AMAZING), counter pressure, breathing exercises, etc. IV pain meds will not take the pain away entirely. They will make you care less about the pain, and depending on when you get them and how long your labor is, you may not be much of an active participant in the birth of your child - I have a feeling that you don't want that.

Just something to consider, but it is a personal choice.

JackieJarek821 · August 2013

Check out "The Birth Partner," a book by Penny Simkin.... the one chapter has lots of ideas/positions for natural pain management. My husband and I are planning on a natural birth, so we're reading that. I'm also planning on using shower and birth ball at home, during beginning of labor. I've read a lot on natural birth and a huge thing I've seen repeatedly is that laboring at home for as long as possible decreases your chances of having any medical interventions. So unless something goes wrong, I don't plan on going to hospital until contractions are 5min apart,.last a minute, and.are happening for an hour. Check out the "Natural Birth" board here on the bump too... I always get great support and advice there :-) Good luck!

jwthoms1 · August 2013

I had stadol and HATED it. I was loopy, talking crazy, and generally out of it. I couldn't wait for it to wear off. My contractions didn't hurt too much when I got the stadol. I got the epidural after they broke my water and gave me pitocin. It was great. I was conscious but not in pain.

I will definitely get the epidural this time but no IV drugs. I didn't enjoy the feeling of being out of control and "high".

mcg512 · August 2013

I would recommend checking with your hospital or birthing center on what they offer and at what point you can have each option. Mine offers IV pain meds (which I will not be having because those drugs will go straight to LO) but only prior to 6cm dilated so by the time you're ready to push those will most likely not have any affect on you. They also offer a pudendal block right before delivery to help numb that area during pushing.

Soap1 · September 2013

imakeeff0rts said:

CelticWife said:

If for some reason I need meds to cope with labor I will NEVER again get IV meds!! I will go straight for the epi. The IV meds made my labor a million times worse. They made me so sleepy that I literally lost the ability to keep my eyes open. I would pass out in between contractions but it took no pain away. I would go from being completely asleep to in the middle of an intense contraction with no way to prepare and relax myself for what was coming. It was torture. Never, ever again.
This. Never again.

This. Also, IV pain meds cross the placenta and can have an affect on how lucid your LO is when s/he comes out.

I'm a FTM and haven't really been picky about anything in terms of L&D except for this. I let me doctor know (and will let my nurses know when I go into labor) that under no circumstances am I to get IV pain meds while DS is still inside of me.

If you're looking for other pain relief methods, check into heat pads, birthing tubs (which I hear are AMAZING), counter pressure, breathing exercises, etc. IV pain meds will not take the pain away entirely. They will make you care less about the pain, and depending on when you get them and how long your labor is, you may not be much of an active participant in the birth of your child - I have a feeling that you don't want that.

Just something to consider, but it is a personal choice.

Yes to the bolded. I had a doula with DS1, and she was pretty clear that if you're going to get pain meds, go for the epidural. The IV narcotics go straight into your (and therefore the baby's) bloodstream. It's not really harmful for the baby, but it will make them sleepy and lethargic when they're born (which can make nursing, bonding, etc. more difficult).

With DS1 I got the epidural once I was already in the middle of extremely painful and active labor. I didn't even NOTICE the needle, I was in so much pain. With DS2, I got it before labor started hurting, and I'm with you, no thank you! That needle hurts!!

Maybe just wait til you're in so much pain you don't care anymore

Assuming the natural pain methods don't work out, that's what I'm planning!

LifesPeachy · September 2013

I agree, the IV pain meds are useless. I had the same experience as others with my first birth. I wasn't far enough along (less than 4cm) in my labor (this was an induction) to get an epidural, so I got a Demerol. A couple hours later I had stadol. All these meds did for me was make me SO out of it, I was completely drugged but felt all the pain. I just couldn't complain about the pain anymore! It was awful. The needle for the epidural really wasn't that bad for me, but I am not someone who minds needles. It was what the epidural itself did to me which made me decide never to have an epidural again either. My BP tanked, it was so low I was practically shaking off the bed and then I had to push during this too. I remember being yelled at to "stop shaking" and then having an episotomy and a vacuum delivery. My second birth was completely natural, at a free standing birth center was so much easier. I labored and delivered in the tub which provided amazing pain control, as well as completely relaxed me all over which I am sure allowed my body to dilate and bring baby down. I even slept between contractions and not because I was drugged

Good luck to you!

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