hmm... thinking of my labour and pain relief. Not sure about pethidine... Anyone?

I do like to be organised but I can't imagine it'll go as planned hehe.

I reckon I'll be super proud if I can do it without anything :) I'll have my wonderful oh there to support me too :) xx @lottiesmam

just try it chick, don't make too many plans about it until the day I planned my labour and honestly it was down to the t, I was talking all through mine like I was pushing her head out and talking to my midwife and partner xxx

okay well it definitely seems good to stay as natural as possible thank you ladies!!

I don't understand the screamers on OBEM to be honest, I always go deathly silent when I'm in pain. There was one lady on there I wanted to punch in the face hahaha she was screaming like she was being murdered with every contraction. @tuftyturtle @winterbaby95 @lottiesmam @mrsripper @darciepenny xxx

I had my daughter with absolutely no pain relief by the time I got to the hospital I was fully dilated and couldn't have anything the midwife wouldn't even give me gas and air, so with my second I was optimistic and boy was I wrong back to back slow dilation and a baby 3 lb heavier I had the epidural straight away it was amazing 😂😉 what I'm basically saying is as much as you want to plan it really doesn't work like that but just know u are not weak for choosing pain relief if you need it take it @meadraven x

I had it written in capital letters 'DO NOT OFFER ME PAIN RELIEF' so even when I asked for it my midwife didn't give it me, and im so so glad she didn't, It was amazing! But my labour was only 3 hours long so I salute women who could go longer naturally! I don't think I'd of stuck it out if he didn't come when he did x

@winterbaby95, yeah I don't believe her theory. She's a midwife so I did believe her when I saw pregnant and didn't get any stretch marks 😂 I was cut the first time but think I tore a tiny bit too. and then this time they told me that I only had grazes and one small tear but I think the small tear could have been the one that tore first time and never healed coz I haven't noticed it since my second.

I was told pethidine doesn't take your pain away, it will make you sleepy so you will be able to sleep between contraction. I completely agree with @tuftyturtle obem is sooooo ott I watch it now and I can't help but shout shut up at the TV 😂 I done a 17 hours back to back labour which I was told is meant to be more painful with no pain relief and honest to God it was fine I was completely able to cope with the pain and in a tit I scream at a paper cut. wait until the day to make the decision because you may find you can cope brilliantly which I'm sure you will xx

@tuftyturtle I got stretch marks towards the end :) I don't think I tore with my delivery but I was cut :) @meadraven Breathing helps a lot! xx

You just have to go with the flow. and honestly obem is so over the top 😂 it takes a certain type of person to allow their labour to filmed for tv so they're all going to have quite similar reactions to labour. Like @winterbaby95 I was completely silent throughout my labours . because I found breathing relaxing into the pain and trying to imagine seeing my baby helped more than anything. You can't do any of that if your screaming and crying lol. I've always been against an epidural but I personally think I would rather have it than pethidine coz I would want to be lucid. also I tore in both my deliveries. one was a ventouse and one was completely natural and a tiny baby that almost fell out 😂 so I wouldn't let fear of tearing affect your pain relief decisions. It's all about your skin stretchiness. my mum once told me that if you don't get any stretch marks in pregnancy it means you're less likely to tear. I don't think I believe that thou.

Not gonna lie I do like morphine haha @rach91 xz

Well damn. Perhaps I should just do it naturally with the occasional gas and air hit then. My back is bad already I don't fancy making it worse. And tearing sounds like something I would certainly rather avoid. I suppose I will have to go with the flow and see what happens, with it being my first I have no idea what to expect. I'll be amazed if it's straightforward though because nothing I ever do is straightforward haha! Open mind is the best way I think thank you @winterbaby95 xx

I think so...the midwife did say that I think but I was out of it lol...it's amazing!! And spend the majority of my labour on the birthing ball...was a god send @meadraven xx

@meadraven Oh labour/birth is nothing like the labours/births on OBEM! I mean I was In labour completely quiet..and I was pushing and I was still quiet :) I didn't make a sound. The only thing I said was "Am I pooing?" lol! 😂😂 In the end I had to have a spinal block due to complications :) I would hold off the epidural...as the spinal block I got given is still causing me back issues...I get pains in my back..right where the needle went in when I lay in certain positions! Also..you won't be able to feel contractions..and the midwives often hurry things a long..not allowing you to stretch properly..so you end up tearing :) I did some research :) But yeah..it is totally possible to do it on no pain relief like @tuftyturtle said. :) Gas and Air doesn't really take the pain away..you can still feel it..it just takes the edge off it a bit :) So not much difference to feeling them on and off it :) and it only makes you drowsy for a bit :) A few mins coming off it and you are back to your own self again :) Just be open minded about it hun xx

It does sound good. Is it like morphine? @rach91 xx

you fell asleep haha! amazing. I didn't realise it affected baby too.

Gas and air makes me feel like I'm in a pacman game haha messes with my hearing it's bizarre! @sophie94x xx

I had 2 doses of pethidine and same as it was so relaxing and just took the edge of, was in and out of sleep, didn't have any gas and air as I didn't like it! @meadraven Pethidine all the way I say🙌🏼😆 xx

I had pethidine it was so relaxing I fell to sleep in Labour lol but they gave it me too close to my baby being born and my baby was affected only slightly, had a bit of trouble feeding at first but the people at the hospital soon sorted that out. If you're getting it make sure they don't give it you so close to giving birth . I also had gas and air but that did nothing for me and I ending up biting the thing off lol and it gas and air made me so sick x

I am just being a wuss I think. Been watching too much OBEM haha 🙈 I'd like to try and do it naturally I think I'll just feel better if I have a back up just in case I can't cope.

I don't want to be sick or drowsy but if I need sleep I suppose pethidine is an option. Might just ask for a stand by epidural instead! I don't want to be off my tree haha I want to remember it.

Waterbirth does sound good, there's something really organic about being in water :) if that makes sense. I think I am over thinking it now haha. Thank you all @beccastirlingx @tuftyturtle @darciepenny @winterbaby95 xx

My plan is to do it as naturally as possible, I really don't want to use anything other than gas and air but I've said to my midwife I would like the epidural on stand by just incase, but preferably I want to feel the whole thing and properly experience it🙊

labour is definitely possible without pain relief but if you need it, there's no shame in it. Nobody cares, it's about making sure your baby comes safely for both of you. everybody reacts differently to different types of pain relief. I think gas and air is amazing but I know other people who say it does nothing but make them feel sick. pethidine mostly has bad reviews from people I've spoken to but honestly you can't plan it. ..you don't know how you're going to feel in labour. It's also really dependent on the length of your labour. Sometimes after like 30 hours of pain you might just want to sleep (pethidine can make you sleep) if you have a quick labour you might realise you don't need it and can push yourself to the end. It really is all dependent on the individual labour. Both or mine were entirely different so even after my first experience I couldn't prepare for my second.

I had a natural water birth using breathing techniques, He came out very alert and happy so im glad I didn't take anything xxx

I had gas and air and was just fine on that :) Couldn't push on it though :) xx