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Nitrous Oxide during labor..

aliguertinaliguertin member
edited October 2015 in October 2015 Moms
I haven't seen any threads of this pain management during labor and I'm curious to know if anyone has explored this option...

I'm from MA. I chose to go with midwives and I've enjoyed getting to know the small group of women during my pregnancy so intimately. The hospital I'm giving birth in has introduced nitrous oxide for pain management which I understand is widely used in the UK. The great thing about this is that it's self administered and disassociates the pain and anxiety of labor while allowing you still to feel the contractions unlike an epidural. It has no effect on the baby either which I found to be a plus! I guess it can be paired with an epidural as well but I was hoping to not have one. Anyone planning to use nitrous or have any experience???
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Re: Nitrous Oxide during labor..

  • kelsojohnsokelsojohnso member
    I just got our local hospital to introduce nitrous as an option! Sadly they won't be getting the equipment until 2016 (added to the l&d budget for next year) but I wanted it so bad! I've read a lot about it and I'm sad I won't have that option - but I'm glad other mothers localy going forward will! (My Ob was impressed I made such a difference)

    I work for an oral surgeon and we use it in office - my surgeon boss has said multiple times that nitrous works like wine - makes you relaxed and and less aware. I've had it once many years ago and loved it.
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  • kelsojohnsokelsojohnso member
    Less aware of pain i should have said .***
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  • AiramJAiramJ member
    It is commonly used here in the UK. I think it is the mildest option and doesn't affect the baby at all. Each breath you take, will give you 20 seconds of relieve and makes you feel relaxed. so it's a good option if you don't want to spend the whole labour drugged up.
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  • BabyG1010BabyG1010 member
    edited October 2015
    I was induced and things progressed extremely fast. 2-10cm in a little over an hour. I was not able to get an epidural because of this.
    My nurse gave me nitrous oxide but I didn't find that it did anything. Just my experience though. Maybe it works better for others.
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  • mollypuss1mollypuss1 member
    I'm from the UK and plan on using it. Midwives here offer it as the first option on pain relief. My plan is to have a water birth and it's the only pain relief you can use whilst in the water.

    If you do chose to have an epidural then you shouldn't need to use after that unless the epidural wears off.
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  • momma2charmomma2char member
    For me it didn't take away the pain but made me focus on breathing in and out deeper to make it through each contraction so I think in my opinion it was more of a distraction technique.. But it worked quite well! It worked better than the morphine for me, morphine did nothing. I used it for most of my labor but at times it would give me a killer headache so I had to stop for about 20 min at a time and drink a lot of water
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  • LuLiLaEvLuLiLaEv member
    I used it during my labor and loved it! It definitely didn't take away the pain at all just helped distract me. I think it absolutely makes you focus on breathing and not how much pain you're in. Since you put the mask up to your face, a lot of it was just a comfort thing knowing it was there and I could have it, but didn't actually wear it the whole time. It was experimental at my hospital and I was the first person on the labor and delivery floor to use it, but I would definitely recommend it if you want a natural birth but need some help. I was at 8cm and my contractions were one after the other with no break in between!
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  • MrsN092714MrsN092714 member
    My best friend used it during her labour. She claims it didn't do much to ease the pain but the distraction of the self administering was great. I would say it did more than she thought, after the first bottle she had ran out she seemed to have a much harder time until the second bottle was brought in. As other ladies have said its a mask that you put up to your face, she had bruises on her cheeks and across the bridge of her nose from smashing it into her face so hard. We had a good laugh about it after. All in all she was very happy with her birth experience and said she would do it the same second time around....
    Married:09/27/14 
    Baby N-Born:10/29/15
    Our Angel: EDD: 05/11/17. MC at 6 weeks
    Baby #2- EDD: 07/18/17

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  • mollypuss1mollypuss1 member
    You don't have to have a mask, you can have a mouthpiece that you bite down on and breath through instead. (Looks sorta like a scuba diving mouthpiece... Sorta)
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  • LMNeuhauserLMNeuhauser member
    Hello... I am an American but recently moved the UK where this was an option. I was a little nervous about it, as it was new to me but totally normal for moms here to use it during labour. I asked a million questions about it as I was worried it woikd effect the baby. I chose to not ask for it initially, as I wanted to do it naurally. Around hour 23 of my 45 hour labour I asked for a little pain management. I knew it wouldn't stop the pain, but I was told by my English birthing partner (my husband was returning to the country during the first 24 hours of my labour so my sister in law (mother of two) came to my rescue), that it may not help with pain, but it helps to focus yourself on your breathing as well as you care a little less about the pain lol. Boy was she right! I was given a mouthpiece and you can control how much you breath in and out and when. I used this sparingly, mostly just to help focus my breathing during my very long and painful delivery (resulting in an emergency c section after 45 hours). I would definately recommend this to any laboring mother, as it has zero effect on the baby and really helps focus your breathing, especially if you begin to get upset or panic. Labour can be long and anything to help keep calm is good for you and baby. I'd say go for it if it is an option! Good luck!
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  • beanie1977beanie1977 member
    It's not an option at my hospital but if it was I'd take it! I hate to say it but I LOVE nitrous. I have a lot of dental work done a couple years ago and would get it at every visit. I would even get it at my cleanings. It is such a nice experience. If someone were to offer me an adult beverage, pot, Or nitrous oxide I would choose nitrous over anything :-).

    And this is coming from someone who doesn't do any drugs ( I smoked pot when I was young on occasion) and I barely drink.
    [url=http://www.thebump.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=UBB&utm_campaign=tickers][img]http://global.thebump.com/tickers/tt1c1556.aspx[/img][/url]
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  • cmjn94cmjn94 member
    So I didn't use this for labor but I've used it for another treatment; I would have absolutely used it during labor if it was an option in the US. It doesn't really take away the pain but it makes you very relaxed and able to cope. You don't really care that it hurts. And it did make a little drowsy but not enough that I couldn't focus.
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  • KristynLee15KristynLee15 member
    I actually HATED thr nitrois oxide. I found that i waited too long to use it so i missed the peak of my contractions and i had a hard time with the mask. I got instantly claustrophobic and felt like i couldnt breathe. It also gave me a terrible sore throat for days after. However i had been pushing for 3 hours with no progress and then begged for an epi. But i have heard some people with a positive experience. My suggestions is give it a shot! If you dont like it...you can always go another way!
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