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 had several ops pre caesarean, half of them major all abdominal. In all cases given morphine in recovery, then at most a paracetamol drip. Then as you say paracetamol, codeine, NSAIDS.

Standard practice as they don’t want you having side effects from the drugs. For me the c-section was less problematic than other surgeries in terms of pain but I was exhausted from labour before it.

Can understand if you’ve never had major surgery before it will have come as a hell of a shock to the system. You are going to feel a lot of pain and discomfort, stiffness after it no matter how much they dope you up.

The reason she didn’t get anything earlier is because they give you a long acting suppository during the c section.

Absolutely within your rights to be angry. I was given oramorph several times in hospital after my ELCS, and luckily it does work for me - it leaves me completely lucid but takes away the pain. I was then sent home with ample supplies of dihydrocodeine and told to take ibuprofen on top. I took them religiously until the supply was finished. I know from another surgery (knee!) that there’s no point being in pain, and indeed it hinders recovery if you can’t move around gently. The anaesthetist told me as much at the time. I also took it extremely easy and rested a lot with gentle walking in between. I wasn’t sauntering about anywhere two days post surgery, I assure you.

I got the same level of pain relief after my first, vaginal, birth which left me with a 3b tear and episiotomy as well as a host of other issues. And I needed it! I deliberately opted for a hospital that is quite medicalised in its approach to birth though, and I opted for the labour ward from the start. Good thing I did too - the baby was back to back and I needed- and got - an epidural at 1cm dilated!

I think everyone must be different. I don't remember needing more than a few paracetamol post c-section and after a couple of days was pottering around the hospital looking for a work colleague who had had a baby in the private wing !

I was the same as you but I still think it's absolutely disgusting that women are denied the pain relief they need.

I’ve had 3 c-sections. For the second two I got codeine in advance and took it secretly in my bag with me. You are not being unreasonable at all.

I remember desperately wanting to get to NICU to see my baby (who had been born by crash section over 12 hours before) but I couldn’t even sit up to get to a wheelchair. It was over 4 hours since I’d had any pain relief at all. When I buzzed a nurse, and asked for something, I was told (really stroppily) “We’re starting the meds round and we start at the other round of the wards, we’ll get to you when we get to you”.

WTF? As if I’d done something wrong.

I did complain and received an apology, it was completely unacceptable though.

I have had two c sections, and honestly, recovery is easier without the stronger stuff IMO.

After my first section, I got a codeine based painkiller, along with ibuprofen and paracetamol. The abdominal discomfort from the codeine was horrendous; and I couldn’t stop vomiting.

After my second, I had nothing except OTC pain relief for the first 24h and honestly, I was in less pain. I had my catheter out much faster and mobilised far earlier too. I didn’t suffer from gastric issues. Believe me, constipation is no joke when recovering from a c section!

I pushed for a consultant to write up oramorph prior to my surgery and they did, because I was fearful of the level of pain I had first time round. I didn’t need it. I swear the codeine made everything worse rather than better - I’ve had similar results with codeine since then and now I avoid it.

As much as I agree that it's barbaric that women who need more pain relief are sometimes denied this, your would not have been on just otc drugs 2 hours after your surgery. At the end of the surgery, they pop a long lasting pain killer up your butt, education provides pain relief for the first half day or so, at least. You just don't necessarily know they are doing it because of the numbing, but it will have been there.

Must be very different. I loved my ELCS compared to my vaginal birth but I did find it very very painful. Getting up was aTony, and I nearly fainted the first time I tried. I was given oramorph and then taken from recovery to the ward in a wheelchair. I could barely shuffle to the car after two days in hospital. I wasn’t expecting any different though - it is major surgery. And I had an excellent recovery with zero issues, and am 100% back to normal.

What I expect would be to be offered any of the various painkillers that some of the other pp in this thread have said they were given, when I told the midwives that what I was on wasn’t adequate. If they had tried me on various options and nothing worked then you’d have a point, but they didn’t even offer any alternatives.

I would also expect that they wouldn’t just assume as the default that OTC headache tablets will be sufficient 2 hours after major surgery, and only give stronger options after a day and a half of crying and begging. I’ve been doing a bit of Googling and found this NICE document that says 15-30% of women cope on paracetamol and NSAIDS - that means the vast majority of women DON’T.

I am finding interesting that most threads asking about c-sections vs vB posters say their elcs are lovely and calm, easy recovery, up and about faster than vaginal births etc.

from this thread that seems not to be the case at all…people crying for pain relief, unable to move is a far cry from the cs advocates. Nobody seems to point out the downsides beforehand.

i couldn’t take opioids so I had to cope on paracetamol and nsaids.

I found that paracetamol and ibuprofen did the job for me but if they weren't enough for you then you should have been offered other options and the impact on bf explained

Not everyone has issues with codeine though. It works wonderfully with me, with zero side effects. I had a good strong laxative prescribed in advance as well and ate dried fruit. No issues with constipation.

A c-section is MAJOR surgery - you only have to look at the different layers of skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle, omentum and finally the uterus itself to see that. On a general surgery ward - or indeed a gynaecological ward, someone who had had similar abdominal surgery would get more pain relief than just paracetamol/ibuprofen! Or at least, they did, back when I was nursing.

Well, my incredibly brutal vaginal birth left me in just as much pain, and for longer, than the section. And I have lifelong issues from it. So yes, I preferred by ELCS 100 times over. I was expecting it to be painful, but the pain was managed well and the recovery was straightforward.

And nobody pointed out the downsides of vaginal births to me, whereas they wouldn’t shut up about the allegedly dreadful c sections.

This is why I don't know why people actively choose a C section, it's major surgery! Some people seem to think it's the easier option which is just bizarre

I was given morphine and voltorol for first baby then 3 years later, I was given just paracetamol and ibuprofen for 2nd child, then 8 years after that for my third I was offered paracetamol then I was crying in absolute agony for hours ans they finally gave in and gave me some oromorph.

It's an absolute joke and I was asked to get up and walk about 5 hours after my last c section with only paracetamol! They were asking all the women yo do this as apparently it helps you heal faster.
The woman next to me fell and then got told off eveb though another midwife had been the one to tell her she had to get up and get herself a cup of tea

That's because a C section has much worse outcomes for the baby (mother too). Not many seem to bother doing the research unfortunately. Not to mention obstetricians often prefer a C section too as this is much more convenient for them.

I had that in England but my last c section was in Scotland and they gave me diclofnac and something strong on top of the paracetamol and ipobrufen to take home . It was really good .
the way women are treated after c sections was always a sticking point . I’m lucky enough that on all my 4 c section I felt great after , I came home the next morning and I walking fine , mostly ok a few days after doing all I normally due ( bar heavy lifting ) . But I completly see how much pressure is put on a mother who just had major surgery and us not fully expected to be 100% responsible fur a baby and the normal daily routine .
I mean get a ton of meds for a simple vasectomy . Women have nil rest and nit enough help .

I preferred any of my c sections to my vaginal birth and fir me recovery was similar . There is no one rule fits all

I had two elective c sections and whilst I was naturally uncomfortable I was sent home with adequate pain relief that did the job. I can't recall what I was given but definitely not paracetamol! That should be the bare minimum, decent pain relief.

Reading this has made me really angry for you.

Im sorry you had to go through that.

As if things aren’t bloody hard enough when you’ve just had a baby.

@Nicecow because my section hasn’t left me with life long bladder issues, unlike the vaginal birth.

I'm sorry you went through so much unnecessarily. I don't disagree with a light touch initially for painkillers, it worked for me and my friends that had both emergency and planned sections.

But not being listened to when they clearly aren't working is horrific and a massive problem across the NHS in my experience.

If you aren't text book you can't possibly be telling the truth so must need 'tough love' to motivate you.

I'm not being smug about the easy recovery from my emergency and planned sections. I was fortunate they worked well for me (frankly the first one I was fortunate full stop, me and the baby would have died).

But I did have a similar problem post gallbladder surgery. They expected all patients to be mobile and able to toilet within 2 hours of being woken up. I honestly felt like I was being torn apart. I was discharged in my PJs because I couldn't put my clothes on with a prescription for paracetamol. Utterly inadequate and frankly dangerous because I clearly wasn't well enough for discharge.

The NHS not listening to patients, women in particular is awful and must be costing more money long term so also very short sighted. It's like a terrible joke with no punch line.