AIBU to be angry about post c-section pain “relief”?

[SillySausage81]

Did anyone else find post C-section pain relief woefully inadequate?

I had an emergency caesarean 6 weeks ago and now the dust has started to settle I am starting to feel really bloody angry about the “pain relief” (I feel like it’s a joke even calling it that) I was offered in the first few days.

Paracetamol and ibuprofen. Fucking headache tablets. In the first 3 days I’d describe them as “taking the edge off slightly”. Very slightly. Laying down I was mostly OK, but any attempt at movement caused excruciating agony.

My baby then got taken to the NICU and I couldn’t even go and see her for 18 hours because even just trying to get out of bed and into a wheelchair was unbearable agony. Eventually (after 18 hours and a couple of failed attempts) I made a mammoth effort to push through the pain because I really wanted to see her, and I finally managed to get into a wheelchair and see her (no joke, it took nearly 30 minutes just to stand up and sit in the wheelchair).

I gave birth to my first baby vaginally with just gas and air, and I would describe the pain of trying to get out of bed in the first 2 days after my c-section as being worse than the worst pain I felt during that vaginal birth. Every centimetre I moved felt as though I was being cut open again.

The (slight) effect of the paracetamol and ibuprofen wore off after 4 hours but you can only have it 4 times in every 24 hours, which left long gaps where I didn’t have any pain relief at all.

At some point on the second day I was offered oramorph, but only when I was lying on my back crying from the pain and begging for more pain relief - no one suggested it earlier when I was crying out in pain trying and failing to get out of bed to see my sick baby. But anyway, the oramorph did precisely jack shit anyway, didn’t even take the edge off. The paracetamol was more effective (I have since googled it and apparently I’m far from being the only person who is unaffected by oramorph). When I told the midwives the oramorph wasn’t affecting me they didn’t offer any alternatives, just kept offering more oramorph and telling me it’s supposed to be stronger than paracetamol (well that’s by the by if it doesn’t affect me, isn’t it...)

On top of that, the uterine contractions, stinging from those bloody blood thinning injections, plus twinges from the bloody cannula in my hand only made the already unbearable pain from the wound harder to deal with.

Meanwhile I had the NICU nurse keep on at me that I needed to express milk every 3 hours if I didn’t want my milk to dry up (which I really didn’t want it to as I REALLY wanted to breastfeed) but I was simply in too much pain to do it for the first 42 hours. Thankfully I was able to start on the third day and it didn’t affect my supply, but I could have done without that grief, and actual proper pain relief would have removed that problem.

At the time I didn’t know other painkillers existed, but now I’ve done some reading and spoken to other people and found out there are loads of other options, so I don’t understand why they couldn’t offer me them when what I was getting clearly wasn’t enough.

All I keep reading about is women who say they weren’t in any pain at all and were skipping around Tesco’s after 2 days.

But is there anyone else out there who thinks the pain relief was inadequate?

I’ve heard (conflicting) accounts that they can’t give stronger painkillers to breastfeeding mothers, but that would have been by the by given that, without them, I was unable to visit my baby to breastfeed her OR even express colostrum for her anyway, so if that was their reasoning then it was counterproductive.

I think we only think it's barbaric because we are used to taking paracetamol for common "minor" ailments and consider it an at home treatment which mustn't be very strong otherwise we wouldn't just be able to get it from Boots. The truth is you really don't need anything more than ibuprofen and paracetamol (emergency c section here for twins and another c section before that)

I chose an ELCS with DS3 due to shattering my coccyx a few years ago. I had gestational diabetes and DS3 looked like he was going to be a big baby - I REALLY didn't fancy reopening old fractures.

The procedure itself was wonderful, the pain afterwards was awful, but I'm still glad I went for the ELCS as a broken coccyx is hell on Earth.

People cope with pain differently, I was incrddibly lucky pain-wise after mine and I didn't really need anything (I was actually told off by a doctor for not taking any pain relief but I wasn't in a tremendous amount of pain) - my SIL was in agony and needed stronger pain relief after hers. We both had emergency c-sections but very different experiences, so I don't think it's fair to say that's all anyone needs - but it may well have been all you needed.

@usererror99 is correct.

people are dismissing paracetamol and brufen as ineffective as it’s a “headache tablet”.

Both have their place in pain relief, even for serious pain as with post surgery. It can and does work for a lot of people.

however she is wrong in saying it should be all that’s needed- if it isn’t adequate pain relief should be escalated.

the ideas that “I had surgery and all they offered me was a headache tablet” is misleading. Sneaking in your own pain relief and not telling HCP’s because you think paracetamol can’t possibly help is stupid. Ever heard of drug interactions and reactions?

I had a 5hr discectomy and laminectomy for cauda equina and didn't get anything
Took my own paracetomol, discharged 21hrs after it

Had they refused to give you ibuprofen?

No, I think it’s barbaric because paracetamol didn’t even take the edge off. Maybe it’s all you needed and that’s great. But I did need my codeine and the oramorph. I wouldn’t call pain so searing that I nearly fainted a good result with the paracetamol, would you?

To be clear - I’m not complaining about my ELCS. I had a very good and smooth recovery with no issues whatsoever, and it was so much better than my vaginal birth in every way (recovery included).

I'm allergic to paracetamol, they offered me 2 about 6 hours after I came out of theatre. I reminded them about my allergy and it took until the next mornings rounds to get me ibuprofen - apparently there was none on the ward.

Why don't they manage the constipation side effects better? It's hardly a rare side effect.

Almost 10 years ago I had my c-section. I remember waking up in the middle of the night one night and thinking my stitches had ripped open due to how hot it felt and how much pain I was in. I was scared to look. I remember going to the kitchen and taking some paracetamol and ibrufon and thinking, 'this isn't gona touch the sides' and it didn't. Absolute insanity - I got stronger painkillers when I broke my ankle.

I had 2 elective c sections in Australia. Was on a spinal anaesthetic for the first 24 hrs then transitioned to morphine and another strong painkiller which were just brought to me automatically as the advice was to stay ahead of the pain.

With my second I was trying to get home earlier and took fewer pain tablets which resulted in me crying in pain. The nurses very nicely gave me a lecture about not being a martyr.

I was sent home with paracetamol, ibuprofen and a stronger one which I didn’t need for long.

Absolutely- but it's the same for all women's issues- there are multiple studies that prove women's pain is not treated the same as men's pain- especially when it comes to 'women's things' some people are fine on juts that- great, no problem. But the fact that so many women have to beg for stronger pain relief, post section, when there is no way that with any other major surgery you would have to, is disgusting.

I had a very challenging birth c section, massive bleed. Was in high dependency unit - on morphine over night, ran out - asked midwife she said you aren’t getting anymore., you’re done. My consultant visited an hour later and asked how I was - I cried and said I didn’t think I could cope without pain relief - she said the midwife should have requested more pain relief. Fortunately my consultant felt I had been through enough and she asked her anaesthetist friend to look after me and my pain and he was amazing.

Oh, I was just imagining the burning agony, was I? If I’d wanted to hop and skip out of bed I could have, I just chose to go without seeing my sick newborn because I couldn’t be bothered to get out of bed I suppose? And I suppose all of the other women in this thread were imagining their pain too, were they?

You’re obviously one of the
15-30% of women for whom paracetamol and NSAIDs alone are sufficient, that makes you a lucky minority, but your experience is far from representative. If it was, then why would hospitals even use opiates at all?

I think nurses can be quite restrictive with painkillers in general.

When my 2yo was in hospital following very major surgery, the nurses wouldn't give everything that had been prescribed even though it was clearly needed at times. I even up raising it on a ward round, with the consultants and the nurse in charge of the ward, as her pain had increased but the nurses refused more painkillers. It probably didn't make me any friends, but it did get her some painkillers. She was diagnosed with meningitis the day after...

Her surgery was huge compared to a section, and sure only had about 2 days of morphine and a couple on iv paracetamol, before just being calpol and kiddie nurofen. I know they are cautious with kids, but their aim seemed to be to give as little as they could get away with, rather than making her totally pain free.

Was going to come and say the exact same thing about paediatric wards. Clear predicable need for pain relief. In each dosage it was given after asking repeatedly, not on a schedule, and it was not followed with OK see you for next dose at the time when it runs out . I had to ask each time and it was very shocking they saw it as a series of one offs. Thank god I was allowed to sleep on the ward with my DC otherwise I feared they would be leaving kids in pain to self advocate. Made the whole thing much more stressful and puts up a barrier between child and parent and nursing team who were otherwise generally lovely people.

The 'truth is' people experience pain differently, and some surgeries cause more pain than others. If you did fine on paracetamol and ibuprofen that's great for you, but clearly other people need more.

I can assure you that I was in severe, searing pain the day after surgery while waiting for oramorph, which they were very slow to bring to me. I was on paracetamol and ibuprofen but needed more.

However, I do feel I need to say that if in some cases understaffed nurses are leaving it to parents (those who are able to be present) to advocate for their kids on wards about child pain relief, that that certainly doesn’t mean there isn’t a special and quite sadistic misogyny widely in our culture about how birth pain and birth recovery pain should just be endured.
Apparently because they feel your focus should just be on the baby or whatever other dangerous nonsense it is justified with. There’s a definite element of woman punishment to it.

Is it because you aren't "sick" in a medical sense? I only wonder that as I was at a well regarded children's hospital with one of mine. Very minor op and no threat to life or anything. The nurses were really very uncaring and dismissive of children who were in pain or distressed, particularly obvious if parents weren't around. When I asked for something for my child a fairly exasperated nurse said something like, "You do realise there are children dying in the next ward and you are fussing about this." I was quite taken aback as I didn't think my child's pain/distress had anything to do with the children in the next ward although I felt sorry for them. So I wonder if they feel a bit like that with childbirth, like you've got nothing to moan about. Not right anymore than it was the right response about my child.

I think that is true, I seem to have a high pain threshold and have been known to walk around with a broken ankle which did hurt but medical staff seemed to find it surprising.

On the other hand I have a funny reaction to pain relief, paracetamol does nothing for me pain wise although it will bring my temperature down, as an OTC pain relief asprin is most effective for me. Codeine knocks me sideways, one tablet and you'd think I was injecting heroin. I've never tried oramorph, DH has a constant supply for his pain so I could experiment but probably not a good idea.

Never been offered pain meds after giving birth vaginally or by c.section and never thought to ask although the c.section was not exactly painfree.

I agree that many nurses are parsimonious with pain relief generally. I had a knee operation a few years ago and the lovely consultant anaesthetist came to see me beforehand. He said: “this is painful surgery. If you wake up and you’re in pain, ask for more pain relief. if you’re still in pain, ask for more. They’ll try to fob you off, but you should insist. It’s much harder to play catch up with the pain, and it’s important that you’re comfortable in order to mobilise and recover.”

He was absolutely right on both counts. I was in pain in recovery, I asked for pain relief; I was still in pain and asked for more. They said “oh, you’re supposed to be uncomfortable”. I said no, I’m not, and I insisted. I was given a top up. With that, and taking my pain relief tablets religiously, I wasn’t in pain again and could mobilise and do my physio.

I just don’t understand why they were keen for me to martyr myself. It was a private hospital and the insurance (through my work luckily) was going to pay for every item used. Very strange!

I might as well be taking Smarties as paracetamol - it doesn't work for everyone. Even massive doses of codeine don't necessarily work - you can be a super converter or like me the opposite - we are all different and attitudes like yours belong in the dark ages - I hope you don't consider yourself an expert in the area because you have a bit of reading up to do.

I agree. I was ‘privileged’ in the fact I have a chronic illness so had strong medication at home to help with recovery from my c section. I have been in various different pains my entire life - but the csection pain was something else entirely. I cannot comprehend how we had major surgery and whilst recovering are expected to ‘get on with it’ with minimal pain relief. I wish you a well recovery OP!

Very good question!!! Who knows. They talk about lactulose etc but I wasn’t even offered any…

Congratulations on new baby OP 💜

What I have just read is appalling and what the actual hell??

I had an emergency C section just over 15 years ago now and I can still remember how bloody awful it was. I was given morphine, can’t remember how much but it wasn’t a lot. I was told on the second or third day that they wanted to ‘wean’ me off it when I asked for it as I could barely get up.

Sending hugs 💐💜