1031 like to use the same again ?" Each patient was also asked how much the inhalation had helped her pain. RESULTS

Of 50 consecutive patients 76% accepted the facemask. A further 20% accepted the mouthpiece. Patient acceptance of inhalational analgesia was increased to 96% (p < 001). There were no statistically significant differences between groups II-IV in parity, duration of labour, duration of inhalation, or pethidine administration. There were no differences in drowsiness or restlessness, but the midwives’s assessment showed that analgesia was improved (P < 0-05) for those who used the mouthpiece. Furthermore, significantly more mothers offered only the mouthpiece considered this helped them compared with those offered only the mask (P