Anyone using Nitronox in OB?

reprise · Oct 13, 2004

I've used nitrous with all of my labours and love it. The fixed systems in all of the hospitals in which I've delivered allow for changing the ratio of the two gases to a maximum of 70% nitrous (the portable systems are set at 50/50).

As others have pointed out, the delivery system is different to that used in dental procedures and isn't continuous. It can take a while to get the hang of using the mask properly so that you're receiving the maximum benefit at the peak of the contraction, and some women find it of little benefit. It worked well for me, and I liked the fact that it isn't persistent (pethidine just made me sick and spacey without doing anything to relieve the pain during my first labour and I was simply stuck with that feeling until it eventually wore off). Ob/gyns and midwives here seem to like it because it's excreted rapidly through normal respiration.

The only time I've ever felt "out of it" while using nitrous was when my ob bumped it all the way up to 70% to remove a retained placenta with number two (the midwife had to hold the mask as once you feel light-headed it's pretty much impossible for you to keep holding the mask firmly). The rest of the time, the nitrous had left my system by the time a contraction had ended and even while it was in my system during the contraction I wasn't disconnected from reality and "out of it".

Mermaid4 · Oct 25, 2004

I have never heard of it...Goes to show you how much I have been missing..