Page 6 | Radio 4 just now, woman in labour 'given paracetamol' for labour pain!

Chevyimpala67 · 27/02/2023 19:40

Yeah
2003
Ds1
Got told to go home and take 2 paracetamol
Luckily another Dr saw me walking down the corridor (if you can call it walking...) and called me back
I was 6cms Dilated
They hadn't even examined me

Spanielsarepainless · 27/02/2023 19:56

The hospital (Harlow) apologised to women in labour and birth givers. FFS.

Arthurflecksfacepaint · 27/02/2023 20:08

Iam4eels · 27/02/2023 19:21

I complained when I was better and got the standard "lessons will be learned" response as well as apology for them not examining me and missing key indicators that all was not well.

I fucking hate that phrase.

I’ve had to make three serious complaints in my time and it’s always “lessons will be learned”.

Are they fuck! It’s code for “jog on, we’ll just sweep this under the rug too.”

MummyJ36 · 27/02/2023 20:15

I’m due a dental operation soon and was having a chat with my surgeon a few weeks ago to go over things. I had my second baby five months ago and he’d asked how it had gone, was the pain relief afterwards sufficient? Did I have any reaction to any of it? He practically fell off his chair when I said I’d been told to take paracetamol and ibuprofen after I was discharged on day 2. He said he couldn’t believe that stronger drugs were not automatically prescribed when it came to a major operation like this. My takeaway was that because it involved a baby coming out of me I was somehow expected just to crack on with it. I doubt if I’d had major abdominal surgery I’d be sent home 48 hours later with paracetamol and I ibuprofen.

mumoffourminimes · 27/02/2023 20:19

All these stories make me feel grateful for the home birth option.

MummyJ36 · 27/02/2023 20:20

MummyJ36 · 27/02/2023 20:15

I’m due a dental operation soon and was having a chat with my surgeon a few weeks ago to go over things. I had my second baby five months ago and he’d asked how it had gone, was the pain relief afterwards sufficient? Did I have any reaction to any of it? He practically fell off his chair when I said I’d been told to take paracetamol and ibuprofen after I was discharged on day 2. He said he couldn’t believe that stronger drugs were not automatically prescribed when it came to a major operation like this. My takeaway was that because it involved a baby coming out of me I was somehow expected just to crack on with it. I doubt if I’d had major abdominal surgery I’d be sent home 48 hours later with paracetamol and I ibuprofen.

Meant to say I had a c-section

NorthernSoul55 · 27/02/2023 20:32

Yep, 2 paracetamol for my first baby in 1990 and a long, long labour . My mother was horrified, I knew no better.
For number 2, I demanded anything they could give me on arrival at the delivery suite. That didn't work either as she arrived within 30 minutes.

mickybarrysmum · 27/02/2023 20:46

Birdsbirdsbirds · 27/02/2023 13:23

Me too. Literally gave birth on two paracetamol, against my will I might add. I gave birth on induction suite, after calling staff several times and wasn't believed when I said I was ready to push, couldn't have possibly been at that point and therefore didn't need pain meds. I wish id thoroughly complained at the time but I just wanted to get the fuck out of there.

This was my exact experience!!! When I asked for pain meds the midwife said ha! You're not even in Labour I asked to be examined she did it under duress and I was 8cm

Monoplane · 27/02/2023 20:48

Iam4eels · 27/02/2023 19:18

IV paracetamol is a totally different kettle of fish to oral paracetamol. For one, it works faster (within 5 mins as opposed to 60+ mins), has a greater efficacy, can be given in larger doses than OTC tablets and the dose can be more closely tweaked to individual patients by height and weight.

IV paracetamol is comparable to morphine in terms of pain relief. Two tablets is not.

Yes, IV paracetamol is completely different. I definitely agree it's as effective as morphine. Really surprised me when I had it.

But I'm guessing it'll be two tablets and those given with a surly expression.

Dipsydoodlenoodle · 27/02/2023 21:04

I was given 2 paracetamol which I then promptly puked up (thanks "morning sickness") and I wasn't allowed any more!!

autienotnaughty · 27/02/2023 21:42

Imagine if men gave birth. It would be a very different world.

Azandme · 27/02/2023 21:43

Birdsbirdsbirds · 27/02/2023 13:23

Me too. Literally gave birth on two paracetamol, against my will I might add. I gave birth on induction suite, after calling staff several times and wasn't believed when I said I was ready to push, couldn't have possibly been at that point and therefore didn't need pain meds. I wish id thoroughly complained at the time but I just wanted to get the fuck out of there.

Same. Exactly the same.

Fluffygreenslippers · 27/02/2023 21:52

Well I will say this for my horrendous labour. I was offered all the painkillers under the sun. I think I had some sort of morphine pills at one point. Then promptly puked them back up. Was offered pethidine (injection I think?). Was encouraged by the consultant to have an epidural. Once my waters broke & I felt the full force of the drip he arrived very promptly. Unfortunately reading stories on here it seems my experience is unusual. A lot of women being told they’re screaming too loud, pain relief being withheld. Positively medieval.

Iam4eels · 27/02/2023 23:32

A lot of women being told they’re screaming too loud, pain relief being withheld. Positively medieval.

Don't forget the murky waters of consent and bodily autonomy.

For one of my deliveries they decided I'd been in labour too long and wanted to do a ventousse delivery with students in the room to observe. Baby was fine, good heartbeat. I was fine, just tired. I said I wanted to keep going and didn't want a ventousse, I also didn't want students observing. Away they went. Twenty minutes later they were all back and repeating again that a ventousse was needed. I again said no, baby was fine, I was fine, basically just leave me alone. DH was told "they're fine now but that could rapidly change and then it'll be dangerous for both of them, make her agree" and off they went while I was left with a suddenly worried DH who was now hellbent on talking me into an intervention I didn't want. I delivered less than ten minutes later with no need for the ventousse.

After another of my DC I was getting ready to feed the baby, bearing in mind this was not my first DC and I had several years of BFing experience. I was moving the baby into a good position and he was fussing a little doing that head nodding thing newborns do when they're hungry but don't know whether to latch or cry about it. Midwife One stood at the side of my bed, chatting to Midwife 2 on the other side of the bed. She grabbed my breast with one hand (not gently either) and grabbed the baby's head with the other and mashed them together, holding them both in place. At no point did she ask for consent before touching my breast nor did she stop her conversation or acknowledge me in any way even when I asked her to let go because a, she was hurting me, b, I could do it myself, and c, the baby hadn't even latched and was just smooshed into my boob. I ended up having to shout at her to get her hands off me, at that point she finally acknowledged me and said there was no need to be so rude.

At my last section I was asked if I objected to any students being present to observe. I was feeling vulnerable after a difficult pregnancy and said that I didn't want observers there, just essential staff. When I got to theatre there were three students there to observe. I repeated that I didn't want them and please could they go. I was told "well they're here now so it's a shame to send them out". It was only when DH intervened and said they needed to go that they were actually sent away. When I was back on the ward one of them came to see me as she had some research questions and her supervisor had told her I wouldn't mind answering them. No one had asked me prior to that if I would mind and the first I knew of it was when this young woman appeared in my room at 730am, waking up a baby I'd only just gotten to sleep before starting to ask me questions about contraception, my previous pregnancies, and my marriage. I ended up telling her to get out and to not come back.

LovedFedAndNoonesDead · 28/02/2023 06:46

Iam4eels · 27/02/2023 19:18

IV paracetamol is a totally different kettle of fish to oral paracetamol. For one, it works faster (within 5 mins as opposed to 60+ mins), has a greater efficacy, can be given in larger doses than OTC tablets and the dose can be more closely tweaked to individual patients by height and weight.

IV paracetamol is comparable to morphine in terms of pain relief. Two tablets is not.

IV paracetamol had no more beneficial effect for me than oral. In fact, I asked the nurse to check if actually been given it and not just a bottle of 0.9% saline for all the benefit I derived from it!!

I had keyhole abdominal surgery 11 years ago and was given a morphine PCA with low background infusion rate and 5 minute patient administer doses, this was not removed until I’d not used the ‘button’ for 12 hour without the background infusion running - and, even then, it was replaced with oromorph and naproxen in addition to paracetamol. And I was sent home with prescriptions for the same.

After my ELCS for premature twins 3 years ago, I was told to get DH to bring paracetamol and ibuprofen in from home (even though I’m asthmatic and told not to take ibuprofen); was made to feel like a nuisance (and then ignored for 6 hours) for asking for the oromorph that the anaesthetist had not only prescribed but told
me I should take regularly for the first 2 days - this was on the first night post section; and then told after 5 doses that I’d maxed out the prescription, that Drs wouldn’t allow any more as, apparently, having your abdominal layers cut open, pulled about and then stitched up is no worse than having a slight headache or twisted ankle!! I was discharged by the midwives on day 4 even though we were in hospital for 3 weeks; and, when it was obvious a couple
of days later that I had developed a wound infection, I was told I’d have to ring 111 to get an appointment at a walk in centre the other side of town as I was no longer a patient so they couldn’t help me and it probably wasn’t bad enough to go to A&E (they hadn’t examined me)!

Newstartonwards · 28/02/2023 06:51

I was given two paracetamol when I came round from a c section, then the stitches opened and forced their way out literally like wire pushing up and out of the c section- after that first 2 paracetamol I got nothing.

I got home a week later with an infected c section scar on a Friday the GP wasn’t working but lived locally and popped to see the baby asked what pain relief - I said nothing. I couldn’t walk. He organised pain relief to be dropped off from the surgery.

Eatentoomanyroses · 28/02/2023 07:58

KillingLoneliness · 27/02/2023 15:14

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.

Talk of pain thresholds is a bit condescending. There are lots of factors that contribute to how painful it is
noy just the woman’s pain threshold. I’ve had two labours without pain relief ( unless you count the two paracetamol given to me when I was ten cm). They were like night and day. The first was painful but tolerable. The second was excruciating and I was like a wild animal being tortured.

RufustheSpeculatingreindeer · 28/02/2023 08:13

MummyJ36 · 27/02/2023 20:15

I’m due a dental operation soon and was having a chat with my surgeon a few weeks ago to go over things. I had my second baby five months ago and he’d asked how it had gone, was the pain relief afterwards sufficient? Did I have any reaction to any of it? He practically fell off his chair when I said I’d been told to take paracetamol and ibuprofen after I was discharged on day 2. He said he couldn’t believe that stronger drugs were not automatically prescribed when it came to a major operation like this. My takeaway was that because it involved a baby coming out of me I was somehow expected just to crack on with it. I doubt if I’d had major abdominal surgery I’d be sent home 48 hours later with paracetamol and I ibuprofen.

Same here

with ds2 i was out after 26 hours

RufustheSpeculatingreindeer · 28/02/2023 08:15

Oh and ds1 I wasn’t allowed gas and air as i was ‘too happy’

and like another poster I didn’t get anything til i was fully dilated as they wouldn’t believe me that I needed to push…..the most annoying thing was that i was squatting when i said that and they made me get on my back to check…then it was all systems go and I didn’t get back into my preferred position

RufustheSpeculatingreindeer · 28/02/2023 08:18

Sorry should say i was allowed gas and air when i was 10cms

and then when i got my tear from vagina to anus and when the dr had his arm in there to get the placenta out which wouldn’t budge

got proper pain relief once i was in theatre

Arthurflecksfacepaint · 28/02/2023 08:24

The thing I don’t get is, a lot of these midwives and doctors treating women like absolute shit - why do they do it? And they do treat women like shit, like an inconvenience. On labour, delivery and postnatal wards - treated like crap because you dare to be in pain or need help. I mean, of course you need help. That’s why you are there and for God’s sake, it’s their job!

Some of them must have had babies themselves.

Some of the most horrendous experiences of my life have been at the hands of midwives.

Why are we treated so terribly? And why does it just go on and on?

Arthurflecksfacepaint · 28/02/2023 08:25

And time and resources can’t always be used as an excuse. Look at all the stories you hear of midwives being there but just being cruel and rude. I’ve experienced that myself.

Fifi0102 · 28/02/2023 08:31

Also gave birth without pain relief unwillingly . They didn't believe I was in labour when I rang up they didn't want me to come in as I didn't sound in enough pain. The midwife tutted before she examined me, She said oh your 10cm!!! Time to get pushing I wasn't offered any G&A nada. If I had another uncomplicated pregnancy I'd do it at home.

Fifi0102 · 28/02/2023 08:36

Arthurflecksfacepaint · 28/02/2023 08:24

The thing I don’t get is, a lot of these midwives and doctors treating women like absolute shit - why do they do it? And they do treat women like shit, like an inconvenience. On labour, delivery and postnatal wards - treated like crap because you dare to be in pain or need help. I mean, of course you need help. That’s why you are there and for God’s sake, it’s their job!

Some of them must have had babies themselves.

Some of the most horrendous experiences of my life have been at the hands of midwives.

Why are we treated so terribly? And why does it just go on and on?

It's burnout and compassion fatigue there's many papers on it . Hopefully no one goes into midwifery to be an arse but they have likely seen 1000s of births so become hardened to it. What is a special life changing moment for you is something they have seen many times before so many become not really bothered.

Arthurflecksfacepaint · 28/02/2023 08:39

I also think that there is sometimes a bizarre competition about who has had the most pain.

I’ve had three elective sections, for my own reasons. I’ve always met a few women when my babies were small who loved to tell me that they had done it all themselves with no pain relief, telling me how much pain they were in and how glad they were they had no help.

I’ve heard midwives almost fetishise the pain of childbirth.

I’ve never understood it. You wouldn’t go on about how you had your wisdom tooth removed but how proud you were that you were in agony for hours because you didn’t want any pain relief.