Diamorphine, experience with and without?

[silkybear]

Hi all,

Currently pregnant with baby number 2 and need some advice if poss.

DD's birth was going fine on gas and air/tens, baby in good position but the pain was more than I could cope with and I ended up getting three shots of diamorphine.

After that it all went a bit wrong, labour slowed, baby got stuck and DD ended up with a shoulder dystocia (emergency ventouse delivery). I don't remember the pain getting any less but I did forget why I was there at times and my memories of actually holding her are hazy at best.

Has anyone laboured with and without and can advise whether they feel it was better without, or would you get ALL the drugs?

I wonder whether all these problems started because of the morphine and whether I could cope without it this time, at least I could have a clear head to get the job done :)

Any advice appreciated

[Soubriquet]

I had diamorphine in very early labour

It was crap...

[Soubriquet]

Laboured both of mine on just G and A

Apart from tearing had no problems

But I'm sure the diamorphine didn't cause what happened

[BabytoBoris]

I wanted drugs but for various reasons couldn't have them. Whist the pain was bad you can manage without drugs. I'm a bit hazy on all the details of giving birth (your brain probably blocks it out) but straight after I was clear headed, mobile and happy which was great.

[silkybear]

I think she would have got stuck no matter what, but it was the fact I was so out of it and didn't have any urge to push (my notes say 'minimal maternal effort') .

I guess I thought the morphine would stop the pain but it just didn't :(

[Soubriquet]

I don't think anything apart from an epidural stops the pain tbh

[RatOnnaStick]

I had diamorphine but it was too late for any effective pain relief and I'm sure it was what made DS sleepy and reluctant to root for any milk. I wouldn't have it again.

[silkybear]

Yeah see I was still fuzzy for the rest of the day and was physically sick for a couple of days after labour. Did you have any coping mechanisms for dealing with the pain? I read a few books and tried hypnobirthing cds but it all went completely out the window at the time :D

[MirandaWest]

I had diamorphine with both births. Sent me to sleep and had two hours of pushing which I'm guessing I did ineffectively.
With the second birth I remember saying that diamorphine sent me to sleep the first time and worrying it would again and was told it wasn't. But it did and so I failed to push much. Scary doctor was sent in to wake me up and I did manage to have a non-instrumental delivery (first time round was forceps but that wasn't due to the diamorphine I don't think)

[Soubriquet]

Hah no!

I just screamed and howled. But I'm a wimp with pain anyway

[silkybear]

Ha ha yeah I was a screamer. I felt embarrassed about how loud I was being until I heard the woman in the next room making the exact same noise

[silkybear]

Maybe it was just an echo

[Soubriquet]

I didn't really notice tbh

I find it hard to describe but I got myself trapped in my head with all the pain which meant I had no awareness of what was going on around me. It was dh who told me I screamed. And the fact my threat was sore.

[silkybear]

Mirandawest Did you have any urge to push with either babies? I didn't at all but have been told that sometimes happens. Midwife was telling me to do it but I was expecting that uncontrollable urge which never came.

[peukpokicuzo]

I was really lucky because the pain relief option I had isn't available everywhere and I think it's the best of both worlds. If you will be in a quite big hospital they might have it - but I don't know what it is called.

Similar to an epidural I had a needle into my spine, but instead of a single injection knocking out all sensation below that point, I was hooked up to a machine that would give micro doses of (? I think) diamorphine at the click of a button under my control. It was set so I couldn't click the button more often than a set minimum frequency. I was able to choose to take just enough of the pain away that I could bear it, whilst still maintaining full sensation for non-pain feeling so I could feel where the baby was, and a lot more mobility than with an epidural, and was fully mentally present. I didn't need any additional assistance like ventouse or forceps which are often needed with other kinds of pain relief as they can make you less able to really push when you need to. I would highly recommend asking for this, if only I knew the technical term for it.

[TheCakes]

I've done both. I had diamorphine first time as things got tricky. I felt the same as you. I was quite upset about it after the birth.
Second time was a bigger baby born at home with just G&A. Totally different experience. I'd almost say enjoyable, as far as birth can be.
Given the choice I'd go without, but if you need it, you need it.

[passingthrough1]

I know you can never say, as some births the pain will just be too much... BUT I intend to try and do next one on just gas and air again. I feel like anecdotally the intervention escalation thing is true among the people I know, and the recovery (I was basically recovered straight away) seems to have been easier for those with just gas and air too.

[silkybear]

peukpokicuzo sounds like a 'walking epidural' I've heard of them but they are not on offer at my local hospital and we are miles from any midwife units or other facilities. Thanks though it sounds like a good option :)

[silkybear]

Thanks TheCakes that is what I suspected, I think I will try and stick with the G and A only. Hopefully 2nd labour will be quicker anyway.

[OneLumpOrSeven]

All it did was knock me out in between contractions, did nothing for the pain. And it made me uncontrollably vomit.

[skinnyamericano]

I'm going against the trend here - I quite liked it! I felt sleepy between contractions and the whole thing became a bit of a blur really, which I thought was a good thing.

[silkybear]

Thanks for responses everyone, think I will try it without and see how it goes...

[Bluebelltulip]

It worked well for me. Dulled the pain but could still feel the contractions and was able to push well.

[AreWeThereYet000]

No experience of what you had - however I had pethedine which allowed me to sleep however I did get the urge to push and managed to successfully deliver after 20 minutes of pushing (4 day labour though :( ) so maybe look into this option? I also had gas and air x

[Gardencentregroupie]

I hate the feeling of opiates and was afraid of the exact thing you described so drugs wise my birth plan was all or nothing - if gas and air, tens and hypnobirthing didn't do it I was going straight for the epidural.

[KentMum2008]

I was induced with DD, had an epidural (which only worked down one side because I have JHS), 14 hour labour, episiotomy and ventouse delivery. 2 years later went into labour naturally with DS, had only gas and air, nice calm 2 hour labour and no ventouse or forceps. A bit of tearing, but no episiotomy. If I had any more DC I'd try totally drug free, but I'd never rule it out entirely. Good luck OP.