Pain relief – drugs

Gas and air

Gas and air (also known as entonox) is a mixture of nitrous oxide and oxygen which you inhale through a mouthpiece. It dulls your perception of pain, although doesn't remove it completely, and gives you the floating sensation you can get from a couple of glasses of wine!

It doesn't affect your baby and nor will you experience any side effects after using it, although some women feel sick or drunk when they try it and using the mouthpiece to breathe it in can cause your lips to get dry, so its worth packing some lip gloss in your labour bag if you're planning to use it.

Pethidine

This is a more powerful pain-reliving drug that's administered by your midwife as an injection into a muscle in your thigh. It relaxes the muscles and can help diminish your awareness of pain. It works within about 20 minutes and lasts for two or three hours and you should be able to stay mobile.

It can be a good option if you want something stronger than gas and air but you don't want an epidural. But pethadine can make you feel sick, spaced out or drowsy and you may feel out of control. It also crosses the placenta, and so may make your baby sleepy and can interfere with breastfeeding, and affect your baby's breathing after the birth.

Meptid

Works like pethidine, although it may have fewer side effects and doesn't last quite as long. It isn't as widely available as pethidine (it's a newer drug), so you if you think you may want it it's best to check beforehand to see if your hospital offers it.

Diamorphine

This is a powerful pain relieving drug that's usually given in the early stages of labour and is generally only given once as it lasts a long time. It's not available at every hospital and, like pethidine, can cross the placenta.

Find out more about your natural
and alternative pain relief options