c-sections

[Lilsquish]

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.........

Yanbu. Be politely stroppy and stand your ground.
I had morphine and voltarol. Even that wasn't quite enough.
And get stool softener to prevent you getting constipated. They would only give me lactulose and I ended up with awful tears.

You will feel ok soon. But veg out in pj's for a couple of weeks and let your body recover .

I was given paracetamol and diclofenac (sp?). You could have morphine if you needed it but you had to stay in hospital while taking it whereas you could be discharged otherwise. I wasn't in much pain thankfully and wanted desperately to get home so paracetamol and diclofenac were enough for me to go home the next day, but it's crap if they aren't offering you anything else, even if you do need to stay in for it.

I didn't take codeine as I don't think you can have that while breastfeeding can you? I miss my co-codamol!

I was given ibuprofen, paracetamol and dihydrocodiene as standard after mine 2 years ago. Ask them for something stronger

I had oramorph after first c section. Second one just paracetamol and ibuprofen and didn't need to take them for as long, which surprised me as going through scar tissue. No way paracetamol on its own was enough though.

@celebelly I took dihydrocodiene and breastfed.

You can have morphine and co- codamol when breast feeding. Inhadbthis exact discussion at my pre-op this week and have had them during my last 2 sections.
Ring the buzzer OP

I had a woman working in a pharmacy, not an actual pharmacist mind, refuse to sell me paracetamol post c-section and called me a bad mother for wanting to take pain relief two days after my c-section. She refused to believe I'd been told to use it. Even after I showed her my notes.

Paracetamol. After major abdominal surgery.

She didn't even ask if I was breastfeeding either.

Same happened to me except they wouldn’t even give me those. I asked repeatedly and it took them 5 hours to bring me two parcetomol. I was shocked. Keep asking z

Also they made me (well strongly
encouraged me to) get up and out of bed within six hours! I'm glad they did actually as I think the longer I left it the harder it would have been but it felt tough at the time! I did notice that I was sorer when I had been lying down in the same position for too long and that shuffling about actually felt better after the first couple of mins if I persevered.

This is not standard or normal post-CS. The OB or anaesthetist should have prescribed more drugs immediately post-section. Have you asked for stronger pain relief? If it's not prescribed already the chart just needs to be flagged for someone to do so.

I was given oramorph and diclofenac after mine. I left hospital with a prescription for tramadol, paracetamol and diclofenac. Sadly you can't ask you need to demand. As PP said get something for constipation too, you'll need it.

YANBU. It’s absolutely a feminist issue and a disgrace.

You do need to mobilise as soon as possible. Speaking from experience. But you also need adequate pain relief.

You may have been given a diclopenac suppository in theatre which I think lasts 16hours.

I was on tramadol for episiotomy, 2 years and prolapsed piles. Tell them you want something stronger. Demand. And @ElphabaTheGreen that was incredibly unhelpful. I'm glad it's keeping fine for you but some people can be in agony. OP just get assertive and tell them you need regular strong pain relief.

*tears, not years!

I just had paracetamol and was up and about 8 hours after my c section and was fine. I read loads of stuff saying the best thing is to keep moving around. I've had quite a lot of surgery and have found that best. If you stay in the same position the tissue starts fixing together in that position, so if you are sitting and then stand, it rips it open again.

Ah that's interesting. I just looked on breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/wp-content/dibm/analgesics%20and%20breastfeeding.pdf and that has lots of info. I should have checked that weeks ago!

Everyone’s different, but I got IV paracetamol when the epidural wore off, and then paracetamol and ibuprofen after that. I made damn sure I went home the next day as well - no way was I enduring the hell of an NHS postnatal ward for more than one night.

That was honestly enough for me, but I was probably euphoric having been allowed an elective section after a third degree tear with baby #1. Now THAT was a pain relief shitshow. I remember being in AGONY when I’d had my perineum sewn back together and the midwife forced me to get out of bed, catheter in situ. I was in so much pain I couldn’t speak, and along came two paracetamol. I could have sobbed.

I had a private CS and was automatically brought oramorph. When I said I wasn't sure I needed it, I was encouraged to take it and I'm glad I did.

Elphaba as a fellow HCP you should know that pain control is vital to early mobilisation. Her analgesia isn't being optimised, if it's not managed somewhat at lying she's not going to cope standing. She's being let down

I pooped the day after my section. The midwives were amazed (they asked, I didn't just bring it up in conversations) They said I must have a good diet. I had been existing mainly on Haribos for the previous couple of days so it seems unlikely

I was on morphine the day of my emc section
Then onto morphine and was discharge with some more pain killers too (D-something)
I couldn't of cope just with paracetamol alone
I was shuffling around for a few days after 😬
Hurt every time I moved

The thing is, i had to see a doctor earlier as i passed out when in the toilet. The doctor was lovely and explained how passing out is often in response to major pain. She happily gave me oramorph liquid. and i am breastfeeding

but since then, i need to keep requesting it everytime the midwives appear with their 'pain relief'

I understand and agree with getting up and out of bed asap, but not when in unnecessary agony!

My baby was born 11.59am (c-section) and I was told to get up as soon as I could feel my legs again. But then it has been proven the faster you get up, the faster you recover and that’s why they encourage that (at least here, I’m not in the uk anymore but gave birth there) I definitely had a shower that evening but cannot remember what time.

Also I only took paracetamol that evening because they said it’s good to take it before pain kicks in and I honestly didn’t have any pains. I didn’t take any more pain killers after that. And when I went home two days later, I carried all the bedroom furniture (chest of drawers, cot, double bed) downstairs on my own!! My then boyfriend was such a helpless twat that couldn’t do that and happily let a woman who had had a c section few days prior do it instead. Had to carry all the furniture downstairs because it was absolute freezing upstairs. It didn’t hurt and thank god the stitches didn’t break or anything.

Definitely ask them for painkillers if you’re struggling. You don’t need to suffer. I’m surprised they aren’t asking you if you’re doing ok. I had the best midwifes and I’m still thinking, 2 years later to send them some sort of gift or thank you card. Probs too late now but do wish I’d done something ages ago

And sorry for the essay!! ^^