Painkillers and bfing -help!

[Scarlettsstars]

Desperate for some help. I've finally managed to get an appointment with a gp this week to try to get some painkillers for an ongoing neck problem. I twisted my neck and combination of lax ligaments and bizarrely rigid and super strong 5 month old means it won't heal. Physiotherapist has after 3 months signed me off saying there's nothing more she can do. I'm in constant pain and days when I have no help with the children - which us most days if I'm honest- I'm nearly always on tears with the pain three or four times a day. Drs at my surgery have refused to give me painkillers before saying that they can't be prescribed for bfing women, but this doesn't seem to be the case. If I can't get them to prescribe 'bfing friendly' ones this week I really feel I've got to stop the bfing, even though ds is only 5 months and I'd planned to feed until he was 12 months. This isn't what I want but I really can't go on like this. Bfing is being cited as the reason for the cause of the problem, the reason it won't heal, and the reason the symptoms can't be alleviated. Help me assemble a good case please!! (Bearing in mind I have to take both ds and 3 year old dd in with me so will have to be concise !) any help gratefully received!!!

This is rubbish! There are lots of painkillers you can take when breastfeeding- can take normal dose of paracetamol and ibuprofen which you can stagger. Do a search for the breastfeeding network- they have lots of leaflets about drugs and breastfeeding that you can download. You can have more than you think.

Scarlett. Utter rubbish.

You can use over the counter painkillers even the ones with codeine in although you need to stagger the codeine ones around Feds

Say you do a BF and immediately pop a paracetamol with codeine and then your next BF is more than 3 hours away, pref 4, that should work.

A half decent GP should be able to help

Also re neck issue, can you afford some private physio to help?

And yes it's less than ideal clearly to take painkillers and BF but yoi can't carry on as you are.

I'm going to get flamed for saying this but if I was in your shoes and in that much pain, I would stop BFing to sort my neck problem.

If you're not physically fit and able, your supple will end up dvindling as your sleep etc suffers and you'd end up giving up anyway.

I stopped BFing both mine around 6 months. Second time was involuntary, I got such a bad D&V bug which lasted 5 days and I was so dehydrated my supply dried up and DS refused to latch on anyway.

So if you're not physically up to it then stop.

And yes yes yes I am aware that lots will flame me for that so flame away.

breastfeeding network leaflet on analgesics. There's also a BFN phone line you or your GP could call if it'd help. What's your HV like? Would s/he help fight your corner if your GP continues to be unhelpful?

Thanks for the steer citrus and red kites, that guide's just what I'm looking for. I've only actually seen an hv maybe 3 times since ds was born so I doubt they'd know me.
Thanks mrsflorrick. I can't afford private physiotherapy at the moment - I've got only SMP - but I take your point. I know you're right and a lot of my problem here is just trying to balance out everyone's needs. Ds is a comfort feeder - as in 'aargh! I see a scary cat at the window! better get snacking' (looms towards chest with mouth agape). Ill have a hard time weaning him. But then if i wasn't in so much pain I 'd be a better parent to both kids - more patient I hope! And maybe we'd go more places and he'd learn to be less alarmed by mildly unusual things. I do my best to take them fun places everyday but it's a struggle. But yes, you are right,I can't go on like this. Thanks for the replies so quickly

I got sent home from hospital after my c section with a large bag of drugs, including painkillers, and I was bfeeding. I was really surprised when I read on mumsnet that lots of people have been refused painkillers due to bfeeding.

I was given diclofenac, but can't remember the other. Some websites say it's not ok but it was prescribed for me in the full knowledge I was bfeeding.

Ask them to look it up! There is a little bfing meds book they can look it up in. It is perfectly possible to have pain meds while breastfeeding.

I hope you get the pain sorted. U must b exhausted too looking after three. Can u get any help so u can get some rest? Something not involving your poor neck! Lying down bfing can help - u might both fall asleep from the hormones!

thanks Brightonbelle and Samebutdifferent.

It does seem whacky to me too. I have help at the weekends when DH is about but he can't manage them both at the same time, bless him, gets in an awful fluster so although I can get rest from the baby, its not feet up time. The sad thing is how much its impacting on poor DD. She's only 3 and was a bit grievy a couple of weeks ago, had been whining a lot all day and I said, a bit impatiently 'what's the matter, DD?' and she just muttered 'my neck hurts!!!'. I guess she now sees my stupid grumpiness as acceptable because I have a bad neck. I need to be better than this. anyway that's what prompted me to phone for an appointment to try again for some painkillers! fingers crossed for me. I've printed out the leaflet from the link and the appointment's for tomorrow!

Your docs are being dicks. The bfn website as pp links to is what you need. On the broader question of is bf causing this, the answer is probably not. Ligament problems, pgp, spd etc all resolve as much as they will by about 5-9 months. Relaxin isn't a bf hormone and many who stop bf and feel better are in or entering the 5-9 month period.

Your position sounds awful but a better physio and careing fully informed gp is a good start for you to get help if you don't want to wean yet.

Don't see why anyone would flame you mrs florrick but I can't help but correct you, it is absolutely fine to take many pain meds whilst bf though I would agree it is less than ideal to need them:) being in pain and sleep deprived doesn't dent our supply either as the op has already (sadly) discovered. Super important though to find a way to get through this and be comfortable and happy.