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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

c-sections

250 replies

Lilsquish · 27/04/2019 22:18

Currently in hospital having underwent a section yesterday.

AIBU to expect/request stronger pain relief other than two paracetamol??

i mean, for christ sake, 16 hours after major surgery they are requesting that i get out of bed and shower with 2 paracetamol for pain relief???? why??

its not like you cant have anything stronger, they even have it stored on their little drug trolleys, so why not offer it? or better still, when i say im really struggling with the pain, offer the bloody morphine without insinuating that its a major deal!!!

Any midwives/doctors shed some light on this?

im getting a bit fucked off feeling like i need to beg/justify reasons for getting stronger pain relief every 4 hours.........

OP posts:
Outnotdown · 27/04/2019 22:20

I was given morphine as standard for 3 days after my section. Tell them you need it

Echobelly · 27/04/2019 22:21

Sadly all part of the tradition of underestimating women's pain/disregarding it as psychosomatic Angry Pretty sure I was offered more than that, but I was lucky to end up not needing much. But if you're in pain keep telling them - even if they don't help (which they fucking should) it all counts towards fewer women suffering in silence if more of us can make the noise.

Hope you do recover soon and of course, congrats on baby!

99calmbeforethestorm · 27/04/2019 22:22

That’s harsh. I was given a packet of ibuprofen and a packet of paracetamol. Ask for something stronger, if no one is helping ask for the Matron of midwives. I saw a junior dr who did not cover maternity when I was asking for more pain relief who was shocked at the pain relief protocols on the maternity ward.

Millie2008 · 27/04/2019 22:23

Aw, you poor thing Sad that sounds horrendous and ridiculous. I’m not a midwife but had an emergency c section 16 months ago. Was in absolute agony. They did try and get me up and about pretty quickly, but were not at all stingy with the pain relief- I was on regular oramorf which they actually encouraged me to take regularly to keep the pain under control. You absolutely should not feel like you have to beg for this. I really feel for you. Perhaps ask to speak with a senior midwife...?

LorelaiRoryEmily · 27/04/2019 22:23

I was given paracetamol and difene after my section.

monkeysox · 27/04/2019 22:23

I was sent for a shower less than 12 hours after mine. Fainted.
Paracetamol. Yes it's a joke

Paradyning · 27/04/2019 22:24

Fuck yes. You should be getting any of diclopenac, oramorph, co-codamol etc.
Complain!!

UCOforAC12 · 27/04/2019 22:24

I hear you! I was lied to about oramorph and wasn't allowed it. I was crying in pain but was only given paracetamol which does nothing for me. When I had my second section I was more clued up and asked and got (albeit with tutting).

Ask. Tell them what number of pain you're in.

mondaylisasmile · 27/04/2019 22:24

For some reason maternity patients are treated very very differently in my experience - bearing no relation to complications around breastfeeding etc even.

Have a major abdominal surgery for other reasons, and the attitude even in the same hospital 1 year apart can be like chalk and cheese.

Have you asked for a pain medicine review? You shouldn't have to keep asking for pain relief every 4 hrs, it needs to be proactively planned & managed. You shouldn't need to be begging ad hoc and having this battle every time, it sounds unnecessarily stressful!

Passthecherrycoke · 27/04/2019 22:25

Yep ring that buzzer tell them you need more pain relief and want morphine. You DO need to get up and try a walk (tomorrow) you’ll feel a billion times better as soon as you shuffle a bit. But they have terrible communication skills in advising this and make you feel like a huge failure.

Get morphine NOW. Also try for a wee, a full bladder is very painful after c section but feels nothing like a full bladder if that makes sense? Once you empty it that will start feeling more normal too.

Good luck. Don’t be afraid to insist and insist. Press that buzzer until
Someone comes

Lenny1987 · 27/04/2019 22:25

I sympathise. Had my boy via emergency c section at 7.30am, was expected to be up and moving at 3pm that afternoon and was sent home the next morning with paracetamol. Never offered anything stronger and I was so exhausted/ thinking about baby it didn't enter my head to ask for more.

UCOforAC12 · 27/04/2019 22:26

BTW oramorph causes constipation in many women so get yourself some Movicol to help you poo.

Needallthesleep · 27/04/2019 22:26

My husband was on more pain relief after having his wisdom teeth out than I was offered post c section. Fight your corner!

User12879923378 · 27/04/2019 22:26

They sewed morphine into the incision (I think) and I had paracetamol and ibuprofen from the second day which actually worked really well for me provided they were given to me round the clock. Which they weren't always. It was far easier when they discharged me and I could just take paracetamol and ibuprofen on time at home.

UCOforAC12 · 27/04/2019 22:28

My friend had surgery on her stomach last year to sort out c-section scar tissue and she says they gave her loads of regular pain killers in a way they never gave her 2 years ago for her c-section Angry

Passthecherrycoke · 27/04/2019 22:29

Paracetemol and ibruprofen. Pah. That’s back ache stuff, not immediately after surgery stuff.

I’m not staying in a hospital for anything I can buy in Tesco

ElphabaTheGreen · 27/04/2019 22:29

Two c-sections here. All I got once the spinal wore off was paracetamol alternating with anti-inflammatories. It was fine. Are you breastfeeding? They’re not going to give you anything stronger than paracetamol and diclofenac if you are.

I was also up, out of bed, demanding the catheter out, washing myself and walking to the toilet within six hours of both my sections. But then, I’m an HCP and am acutely aware of the repercussions of long periods in bed. You should well and truly be up and about 16 hours later, sorry, unless you’re having genuine complications.

Boom45 · 27/04/2019 22:29

I was also forced to shower 12 hours after my section, also told them i wasn't ready, also fainted.
I asked for stronger pain killers and they told me i couldn't leave hospital if i has anything stronger than paracetamol so I agreed. Turned out i was actually really quite ill and was there for a further 2 weeks.
Makes me very angry when i think about how i was treated after my c sections.

Sindragosan · 27/04/2019 22:30

I've found you need to be pretty direct about these things, 'I'd like some morphine'. First section I got fobbed off with paracetamol pretty early, second I knew better and got decent drugs for as long as I could, but sadly not much beyond a day, possibly a day and a half.

Getting people out of bed seems to be a priority, so 'I'll get out of bed half an hour after I have some decent pain relief' is a good tactic too.

Passthecherrycoke · 27/04/2019 22:30

That’s not true, I had morphine no problems after my c section and was breastfeeding. My last dose was 2 days after the operation so had been feeding over 48 hours

freshasthebrightbluesky · 27/04/2019 22:31

That's awful op! I was given codeine, paracetamol and diclofenac after my c section even though I didn't need the codeine. I kept it in the cupboard and used it when I had my wisdom tooth out and got dry socket!

Passthecherrycoke · 27/04/2019 22:31

Yes this^^ tell them you can’t get out of bed, or get to the loo, without trying some pain relief.

It makes me so angry the way women are often treated post birth

Prequelle · 27/04/2019 22:31

What a joke. Our patients have codeine and para after having laparoscopic surgery let alone open.

It always surprises me because the majority of our laparotomy patients come to us on PCAs (morphine or fentanyl pump) but women after a section are expected to manage on much less. I understand that obviously those breastfeeding etc want to be drug free but still.

Pain control is so so important. It helps you mobilise, to breath properly, to engage properly with your baby. It isn't taken seriously enough

mondaylisasmile · 27/04/2019 22:31

Also to add, my partner was once in hospital for an operation and had a long time waiting for discharge... Several days post surgery.. he had what he described as sore joints from not moving around enough, and promptly got offered oramorph! And other stuff! He thought they were joking, it was surreal... The same hospital where women were told to cope with paracetamol & ibuprofen unless they were crying and begging in pain post-surgery, and then got made to feel like shit for asking for help 24hrs after surgery!!

SuperNoodly · 27/04/2019 22:32

I had morphine for 48 hours after my first section. After my second one, 4 years later, they tried to take me off morphine after 12 hours. I kicked up a stink and managed to get it for another 24 hours.

It’s ridiculous, really. What other major op are they so stingy with pain relief for?

I also kicked up about leaving hospital with just paracetamol and was given tramadol. If you’re in pain, you need pain relief. End of!

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