MSE Pregnancy Club III

feelinggood_2

Sami_Bee wrote: »

Feelie I would ask midwife just to see as I just found out by accident that in our area we have a few MWs that specialise in looking after "drug using mothers" - if you have one in your area they may also know about your situation
or do you have contact with a drugs councilor they mite have some kind of info

Ps this may help those in the birmingham area as well as you skinty link

ETA: Feelie I don't remember feeling drunk with the gas just sort of in my own world a bit like a dream, if it had made me feel drunk prob wouldn't have used it as I don't drink and don't like feeling drunk!

I'll be more forceful - midwife brushed me off last time. Would be great if there is a midwife who has experience of drug using mothers, just to put my mind at rest. I'm sure there must be, so I'll ask. Thanks for the tip!

Fritha_2

feelinggood wrote: »

looks like a completely pain-relief free birth might be what I have to go for :eek:

Have a chat with your midwife/hospital about using a birthing pool, studies have shown that in the pain releif stakes water is second only to an epidural! Also consider a tens machine, I used one and it was bloody brilliant! It's worth enquiring with your local surestart centre to see if there's any ante-natal yoga classes nearby, you'd need to mention the spd but you can use the breathing/relaxtion techniques taught and it can really help with the pain.

I don't know if it is suitable but I had an epidural in labour (I did want a water birth but was told my bmi was too high although I'm not sure if that's actually correct tbh) it doesn't cross the placenta (I checked) and Celia was not sleepy in anyway shape or form post birth! I didn't feel anything other than normal but with tingly legs. But as I say I don't know if that kind of thing would be suitable.

Hope that helps :-)

SeptemberBaby_2

I'm in the Birthplan = Open Mind Camp.

I have a high pain threshold, hardly ever take medication and thought I would have the most natural birth possible . I didn't write a Birth Plan as I know there are so many variables surrounding birth and no one knows quite what will happen.......I was apparently 5 mins away from a C/S with Poppy! :eek:. I just asked them to do what was best for me and baby.

I had gas and air, diamorphine, an epidural (even thought it took 3 attempts I could have married that man! ), and eventually an emergency forceps delivery (plus stitches :rolleyes:).

And Poppy scored 9 on the Apgar scale :cool:.

xxx

elle_gee

Evening all!

LouLou: Glad to hear you went to the doctors. Keep resting this weekend, do absolutely nothing if you can.

Greent: Fab news about your results!

My OH laughed at me when I said I took a different route home so that I got here earlier to let you know what happened today before we go out.. got eight mins, best type fast!

Basically, it's in the right place, I'm measuring 2mm long and 5+3 (am 7+0 according to date of LMP but they're not worried at all, might just be because of the m/c), and, best of all, we have a heartbeat!

Had a very senior sonographer do the scan (just luck of the draw, I think) and it's the earliest he's ever found a heartbeat, and it's all down to me being so thin that there's barely any fat there to scan through. Very definite heartbeat, all hunky dory!

Had the same nurse as the last two times and she was nervous when she saw my name and said she hoped she wasn't our unlucky charm! When the man said "and there's the heart beat", I sighed, OH signed, the nurse sighed then the student who was there sighed too.. it was like a mexican wave around the room!

Right, off to get changed and out for a curry for tea! Catch up with everyone later. Thanks again for all your support! Love and hugs to all xx

MrsTinks

Gas and Air or Entonox (one of the trade names) is basically a 50/50 mix of nitrous oxide and oxygen. It is usually self administered and can in some people cause nausea but the effect usually goes away if you stop administering it. You can't overdose on it because if you inhale enough for it to start acting as an analgesic you will be unable to hold the valve (a demand valve) and you will exhale the gas. Any effects will disappear very fast once you stop inhaling the gas, this is one of the reasons it is so popular in emergnecy medicine. It can't accumulate and hide any underlying medical problems.
I spent many years holding the certificate to administer Entonox and Oxygen so had to know a bit about it
I've personally only had to use laughing gas MANY years ago when at the dentists... My DH had to use it when last year I think it was he managed to pull a muscle in his back and we had to get the paramedics out as he couldn't move... Dh loved the entonox... bless. I thought it was a bit embaressing to sit next to him giggling merrily to himself in A&E sucking away whilst we could hear someone a couple of beds down who was in for yet another OD (you can hear everything in A&E through the curtains!). I was worried they'd think he was giggling at them!

As for the other drugs... I so rarely take drugs normally that I don't think anything they can give me in hospital is likely to give the baby any long term drug abuse issues. My aunt had a drug problem (which eventually killed her) and I honestly don't think any drugs given at birth will cause these problems. Dependance on drugs is partially a physical issue (and I think after 15-20 years the drugs will be out of their systems!), part psycological and part environment. As drugs won't be around the home I think the risk of any of the strong drugs during birth is minimal - that's of course MY oppinion and I am not a medical professional!
As for bonding... Unlike many I don't want my baby until it's been cleaned - I know this is a highly personal choice but i just don't want my first memory of my newborn to involve lots of blood and other stuff all over them. I honestly can't explain why other than maybe I have too many memories of death when people are covered in blood and I don't want that association to spoil my memory of the first time I see my child?
I have stipulated on my medical forms that I am happy to have any drugs they deem necessary for mine and my childs well being. However I want a CS to be the last resort and only to be considered if the babys life is in danger.
Again I doubt they'd resort to that unless they had to! Not something you do "for the sake of it" if you're a doctor I think

My_Fathers_Daughter

Elle - congrats sweetie! Fab news!!

greent

HUGE Congrats Elle!!!! Fabulous news! -Have a fantastic weekend

greent
x

redmel1621

Congrats Elle....I was keeping my fingers and toes crossed for you today.

I got laughed at (in a not nice way) today for being too organised??? I am 24+1 and was talking at the school about how I managed to get the baby's room painted and cot put together this week, the snotty cow turned round and laughed saying, 'why on earth are you doing that now you've got aaaaages left yet'
Well I pointed out to her that although it may seem like ages i'm not very well going to be up and down ladders at 30+ weeks, so i'm getting it done now. Also between house duties, the boys, working and studying, I don't actually have much spare time!!!! And I don't tend to sit round on my fat !!!! rotting away in front of daytime tv(which she does!! hehe) Hopefully i've shut her up for now.

I am all for chatting about babies and pregnancy, I do really enjoy it, but why is it that everyone comments on every aspect of whatever you do, when you are pregnant. Maybe I could have not mentioned what I had been up to, but it was just general chit-chat about what we had been up to lately.

Anyway off to make a curry shortly, when ds2's friend has been collected by his mum.

Mel x

redmel1621

Mrs Tine - I had both my babies cleaned up before being handed to me, and I will this time too. In all fairness it is only a wipe down, they don't go off and bath them, but I wouldn't want them to be handed to me all covered in blood and gunk!! I have had no problems bonding with my boys.

I made a birth plan with my first, it didn't even come out the bag.....As I had to be induced as there was meconium in the water...ended up being stuck on the bed with a drip in each arm, a heartbeat belt round tum and epidural in back...hehe. it was hardly the 'plan' I had made.

My second I didn't bother with a birth plan and that birth didn't go exactly text book either!!

This time I want a home birth, although have to wait untill 34wk scan to see if placenta has moved out of the way, or I will have to go into hospital anyway. and if it is covering cervix too much then it will be a planned c-section. I am definately on the side of, I will wait and see how things progress.

Mel x

feelinggood_2

Had a chat with my Mum, who put my mind at rest a bit. Decided that I'm going to aim for a natural birth, with gas and air if nessercary, but I'm going to try without. Going to try and be as mobile as possible, and hopefully have a standing up birth.

Think I'll definitely rule out anything like pethidene or opiates, too big a risk for me, and I don't want anything that increases the chance of the baby having an addiction problem in the future. (The articles I read were reasonably old, but mentioned about 'imprinting' - the body learning that a reasonable reaction to stress is drugs. Only a small risk, but too big for me, with my history.) Something else interesting was about the benefits of pain in labour, and how it shouldn't be avoided.

Was interesting to hear about my Mums births - no pain relief with either, both were very short and natural. As was my Aunties - with twins! Mum had a birth plan, but it happened so quick that they didn't bother with any of it.

I want my baby straight away, delivered straight onto my chest, blood and gunk and everything! I'm far too impatient to wait for them to clean him.