Comfort during labour

Hey there ladies,
just looking for your thoughts/suggestions/ideas on what to try for comfort/to help the pain during labour.
Sorry for this being such a long post - I've just read everything I've written below..... )

This will be my 2nd birth, but we're hoping it will go lots better than last time!!!

For some background here's my first labour story...
I was in labour for around 12 hrs (not counting little niggles - thats from full-on contractions until birth). She was a really big baby for me though (12lb 13 oz) - didn't help by being 2 weeks overdue!!!
I was given pethadine when I arrived at hospital (I said I was coping at that stage but the MW thoguht I should have it and get some rest... but didn't really feel a difference with the pethadine). Tried the birthding pool and it was okay - will probably try that again this time. Also had LOTS of gas, but didn't really feel it did heaps - just mainly gave me something to focus on with my breathing. I then had to stop the gas as the MW said I needed to focus instead of taking the gas. For the last couple of hours I had nothing for the pain - I told her I wasn't coping and needed something else (ie just get that baby the hell out of me now!) but she said she should have been monitoring me & the baby so would have to start doing that before she called someone in (I think maybe she didn't monitor me because I didn't want to lie on the bed - but she never made that clear).
Wow - that was long! Finally our little darling got her shoulder stuck and then developed breathing difficulties - was rushed away to SCBU for CPAP once she arrived.

She's all HEALTHY as now, but was a worrying time - and something I'd love to avoid!

I know that labour HURTS HURTS HURTS - but I'm just wanting to look into my options for comfort/pain relief (ie massage, breathing techniques, pros/cons of medical options) so I can have lots of positive things to focus on this time around! Any recommendations on websites/books to look at would be appreciated!

We DO have a different midwife and she knows my history. She's given me several positive & active birthing books/mags to read which are good. She also said that at Rotorua they have some new drug that I think is in an IV line and you click it when you want relief - has anyone tried this?

So many questions!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was the first of all my friends to have a baby, but none of us have had particulary positive births so I need some inspiration!!!

Thanks in advance!!!

not that I can comment on too much as I've given birth the once, I had a 19.5 hour established labour and used gas and the birthing pool, which only took the edge off the contractions and gave me someting else to concerntrate on, I found accupressure and deep tissue massage (in the lumber and sacrum areas) were a big help when it came to pain relief as my little girl was prosterior so the escape route was a little harder to negotiate.

oops - I must have been half asleep when I wrote that last night - my first was 9lb 13oz, not 12lb 13oz!!!!! 12 lb would've been IMPOSSIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks ladies, I'll try to find some books etc to find out about the massage techniques - hopefully my hubby can learn/remember some of these!

Yep we have arranged a second support person this time- something we didnt have or think we needed last time, but definatly should have had. By the time Isla was born DH and I had been awake 34 hrs, and he had also worked 9 hrs in that time. We should have had someone to relieve him/help him/bring us food etc. My Mum has that job this time!

I second the raspberry leaf - I had a reasonably positive first birth experience - only 8 hours from proper contractions to birth - all natural and with no complications. Cian wasn't a tiny baby (8lb 6oz) so i don't know if i was just lucky or if it was a combination of things.

Leading up to my EDD my MW had me on a combination of raspberry leaf (i took tabs, not tea), evening primrose capsules and something else that i can't remember but could look up for you. the EP i was taking both ends IYKWIM ( ).

I had planned on using the mongan method, but the book arrived the day before i went into labour so didn't get past the introduction! I'll definately be trying that this time...

ETA: to shorten my super-long post!

Edited by gypsynita

I used a homeopathic birth mix from 37 wks. I had a 3 hour active labour and 15 min second stage.
From when the contractions started I put the birth mix in my wtaer too and sippe dat every contraction. Definatly helped strengthen the contractions.

I can pm you the recipe if you like