Radio 4 just now, woman in labour 'given paracetamol' for labour pain!

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just

I had pethidine for my first and paracetamol for my 2nd. Paracetamol did fuck all, but I had wanted a home birth so very limited on what I could have. I asked the GP for a prescription for pethidine for my home birth but they said no.

I gave birth to my first son on just two paracetamol and nothing else, honestly the worst pain ever, I wouldn’t wish it on anybody. I think getting rid of gas and air is fine as long as other pain medication if available immediately.

All this will do is increase the amount of epidural requests & then increase the number of interventions which will in some cases lead to women having to stay in hospital longer & less beds being available. I can't see paracetamol helping women stay still when an epidural is being set up. Why isn't more being done to make gas & air safe to be used & for staff in areas where it is used?

I begged for pain relief after my epidural failed and they handed me 2 paracetamol. Got through the 36 and a half hour labour on gas & air until that was taken off me at the pushing stage

I was offered paracetamol with DC2 but thought it was laughable and declined.

Mine were born 99/01 and one thing that stuck with me was the midwife message being 'you're not ill'. And being expected to get up out of bed ASAP on the post natal ward and not expect other people to do things for you. A grit your teeth and don't complain attitude.

Gas and air makes me throw up, sadly, but I wouldn’t deny it for others to use if it helped them, it did nothing for my pain at all though, but I was sick a lot.

Blooming paracetamol, it’s so insulting

It’s the erosion of women, the start of the erosion, so yes it matters.

I also listened to it in the car, went home and told my DH about the "birthing people"☹️

I was offered two paracetamol when I was 10 cm dilated on an induction drip. I wasn’t impressed. It’s like trying to survive a tsunami with a cocktail umbrella

When some men like pretend they are menstruating, how long before they start insisting on access to women's health services, just so they won't feel left out?

Just because we give birth, lactate and menstruate, doesn't make us any more of a woman than them, in their opinion.

It's a fundamental encroachment on our existence, history and biology. Because menz.

And if you had have wanted, or needed, something more/different would you expect to be able to get it as and when required?

This is due to the gas and air issue. The answer shouldn't just be to remove it as an option, it should be money provided to provide the systems to make it safe for use.

Paracetamol for labour was probably all they had left in the meds trolley.

Better than being jabbed with Pethedine against my will because, after 4 days of labour, I was making 'too much noise'! Didn't stop the pain, but did prevent me from being able to ask someone to empty my distended bladder for me.

I wish people would wake up and realise that the health service does not have to be this poor.

Other countries, without an NHS, manage to achieve much higher quality health care.

And they achieve it without expensive insurance premiums or turning away people that can’t afford it.

I laughed when I was offered paracetamol when I was in labour as I genuinely thought the midwife was trying to lighten the mood with a joke. I gave birth 53 minutes later with no other pain relief, having gone from 3cm dilated to crowning in that time, and it was so excruciating and traumatic that I still have flashbacks almost 5 years later.

Ah yes the 2 paracetamol unless you are on the labour suite. You can only go there if they deem you nearly ready despite some labours progressing differently (who knew).
1 hour later and some gas and air thankfully and baby was out. I had to beg to go to the labour room to get the gas and air.
One of the hospitals in the recent damning reports so no shock there.
My experience was as far away from the lovely "One Born" tv show as you could get.
A room to yourself the whole time and your partner can stay, lots of staff checking up on you a different world.
I've told my DD if she ever wants children to either be in central London or Europe.

I was lucky and didn’t need any pain relief for any of my labours but I have family and friends who really suffered, there must be other alternatives for people who have low/lower pain thresholds, it’s agony for some women but I agree with getting rid of gas and air as it poses too much of a risk to the staff.

I didn't find gas and air stopped any pain, just made me not care quite as much and have a sore throat/no voice the next day. I'm another who insisted on having second at home after negative hospital experience. I was never offered anything but gas and air, (we won't mention the fact I was at first sucking on an empty cannister🙄) not even paracetamol, but declined it for second and third as didn't feel it was worth being stuck in one place. Keeping moving seemed to help me more than anything and staying upright.

Agree re politically correct nonsense, in order to give birth you need a womb = woman

I was given two paracetamol via DH and he was told it was very early days.
When DH finally persuaded a staff member to look at me in the open ward I was placed in I had a prolapsed cord and was In established labour.
It was a miracle my dc survived and had not lasting damage.
The way woman are treated is awful.

😂😂

I had an operation on my nose. I was prescribed and then given Co-codamol but medium strength without asking.

To get pain relief for labour let alone my periods was an ordeal in themselves.

Thing is I had absolutely no pain from my nose op.

The only difference is men have nose surgery as well.....

Same, paracetamol after 5 hours of pacing in waiting room, with loads of people watching me. Not believed that I was in labour, first examination I was 9cm dilated! Then told it was too late for pain relief

I was once given paracetamol for labour by a midwife. One tablet. I normally take two as I think most adults do so I asked for the second one and she said we will see how you go on one first.

Yep. Same here. I was lucky, I got 4.

My waters broke and the midwives didn't realise I was in labour and just thought I had a bit of back pain. After 2 days, they said I had to be induced and left me in a cubicle for 12hrs nil by mouth without doing anything. At some point someone stuck their fingers in me (without warning/permission) and was shocked to find I was fully dilated. The incompetence continued for another day.

I'm generally very supportive of medical staff. Most do their best in difficult circumstances but with the exception of one person, my whole experience was awful and full of people who just didn't care or have any interest. One lady in particular thought I was a lump of meat. After a few hours in the delivery suite, my midwife called the consultant who came in, briefly looked at my notes, not even acknowledging me, said I was fine and left. The midwife followed her out. Both then came back in and pressed the emergency button straight away. Clearly the consultant hadn't even looked at my notes properly and the midwife had to tell her whatever it was that was wrong.

I couldn't bare to go through it again. In fact I'm in tears writing this and my son is 13 now. I'm clearly not over it.

My son is healthy now which is absolutely the main thing and I know people experience much, much worse so I have no right to feel sorry for myself.

Sorry for the brain dump.

It was very much available - they offered me it when they did my stitches directly afterwards.

I meant in relation to the OP & the item on Radio 4. Not ever!

The removal of gas and air will create a surge of ELCS. I hope the NHS do a uturn and instead look at better ventilation

Not read the whole thread so apologies if it’s already been said but IV paracetamol has been shown to be as effective as morphine as a form of pain relief.
It is absolutely scandalous that the damaging and devastating effects of gas and air on midwives and other staff working in maternity, was known for years but not acted on.