Was paracetamol always ok in pregnancy?

[tinaabbot]

I don’t want to comment on the nonsense in the news at the moment, but it has got me thinking. I don’t remember being able to take paracetamol while pregnant. I definitely don’t remember being able to take anything for a cold. Am I misremembering? I was pregnant in 2008 and in Ireland. Anyone remember what the advice was back then?

See i remember in 2015 my midwife telling me I couldn't take it for a bad cold. Was allowed warm flat lemonade only. Perhaps just an out of date midwife.

I believe that’s the general idea. Combined with get pregnant more because these idiots are against birth control in many cases. Women should know their place.

I remember at one point them saying that it could increase the risk of asthma if taken in late pregnancy. Maybe you're remembering that? I have health anxiety so I tend to have a huge unwanted database of all this stuff.

fine for me last year

According to Trump, yes. You have to tough it out. As he did when he contracted Covid. Not.

I had bad SPD in pgs in 2004 and 2007 and i distinctly remember being told i couldn't take a painkiller - was it ibuprofen then? I really thought it was paracetamol...

Yes ibuprofen

I was prescribed co-proxamol for migraine in pregnancy in 1998 - a box of 100. Main ingredient was paracetamol.

I was first pregnant in 1998. It was fine then.

You can't take decongestants when you are pregnant and I don't think you can take ibuprofen either so you may be getting mixed up with that? Paracetamol is about the only thing you can take, which makes Trump's announcement all the more cruel.

This is how ridiculous comments like his become dangerous, it starts to sow the seed of doubt where there never was one before.
there has never been a time when pregnant women have been advised against taking paracetamol.

Aspirin is fine (and often given to reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia).

Ibuprofen can cause kidney damage in the fetus, and in late pregnancy can cause early closure of the ductus arteriosus.

Paracetamol is fine. Lemsip is not. I think it is maybe the psudoephidrine?

Not ridiculous, I simply couldn't remember which one I couldn't take 18 years ago ..

Also, there is reputable literature out there that seems to suggest that paracetamol might not be completely safe in pg from around 2023 (which is what I suspect Trump has seized upon for whatever nefarious purpose). I no longer have skin in the game but do have daughters so i think its important to keep an open mind.

I had a bad flu when pregnant, early 2000s. Midwife said absolutely no meds of any kind. Her actual words were ‘only if you go into labour’.
Whether that was a rule or just her interpretation of best practice, who knows. Things change. Pregnancy one: do not eat nuts. Pregnancy two: ‘we’ve decided small amounts of nuts might help towards allergy tolerance’. 😂

Yes all of this.

I agree with you Op - I was pregnant in 2008 & had the worst sinusitis and couldn’t take anything for it. I got acupuncture in the end as I couldn’t take the pain and that did give me some relief, but it was definitely no to taking paracetamol.

[Like you, not commenting on the current claims, but paracetamol was a definite no for me during pregnancy.]

This really isn’t true as I was told no painkillers at all, including paracetamol, when I was pregnant in 2008 (like the Op) and had really bad sinusitis. It was so bad I could barely lift my head up & resorted to acupuncture to try to get some relief.

Might just have been my GP & midwife but it was definitely what I was told.

There were no contraindications on paracetamol for pregnant women when I was pg in 2006, 2010 or 2012. By 2016 there were some cautions to restrict use- I had a tooth removed and developed complications but suffered without painkillers.

The paracetamol leaflet says this:

My eldest is 26 and paracetamol never hurt him after me taking it during pregnancy.

Pregnant in late 1990s, had very painful SPD, was recommended full schedule of paracetamol ie 2 tablets four times a day every day.

Was also given another pain relief medication that contained codeine and since been banned, can't remember the name of it but by the time I was pregnant again for dc2 it was only paracetamol.

Was chatting to my DM earlier, paracetamol was ok to take in the 1960s when she was expecting me, and I had my children in the 80s and 90s and it was fine then.

Be pregnant all the time, no abortion, no painkillers in pregnancy, no contraceptives.

But also no rights, no support, no children’s programs and no healthcare.

Taliban Lite in the States right now.

It was the only thing allowed in the 90s. But Lemsip wasn’t due to the decongestant

Interesting how some remember not being advised to take it, any chance it was an Irish difference in advice?