Pain relief options post ELCS?

[cyanarasamba]

I've agreed with my consultant to have an ELCS with DC2 following an EMCS with DC1. I'm hoping for a quicker recovery with an elective but don't want to underestimate the reality of post-operative pain (and I've a suspicion I'm a wuss re pain...).

So I'd be interested to hear more info on what my options might be and pros/cons thereof. I have a hazy idea of the following:

Paracetamol - Yeah, right. I'll give it a go, but not sure it's gonna cut it.

Diclofenac - took this last time, not sure what it even does or how strong it is.

Co-codamol - seems fairly standard for post-op pain relief. Think this may have contributed to terrible constipation last time. Maybe best to avoid?

Morphine - Had a couple of shots of this last time, was told "most ladies don't need this". Are there any side-effects and can it affect the baby through breast milk?

Also I'm planning to take arnica tablets to hopefully aid recovery but not sure when to start these?

All advice gratefully received!

I had diclofenac and paracetamol following all 3 of mine - worked a treat.

I had my second cs 9 months ago and it was actually really quite tough to recover from, much more so than my first (both were planned) and I think the difference this time was that I was on my feet too soon after the cs (12 hours as opposed to 24) and I didn't rest enough afterwards (with a toddler at home there wasn't much chance of that). If I had my time again I'd say rest is much more important, it gives the muscles time to start repairing. I had the most excruciating burning pain which was apparently the muscle.

As for pain relief, I took co-codamol which I stopped after about 10 days as although I was still in pain, it wasn't really helping and it was causing me to retain too much fluid. With my first cs I had morphine in hospital, I can't remember the dose but it was every four hours and I had so much less pain, I wonder if that contributed to my much faster recovery? However I had a very sleepy baby for a good three weeks afterwards, which may or may not have been down to the morphine, but it did impact on bfing I think.

Not very helpful I know, I think in the end I just took the paracetamol as a bit of a placebo because it didn't really take the pain away but it felt like I was doing something, and I just gritted my teeth the rest of the time. Really I think rest and time are the best options. I was carrying a sleeping 2 year old to bed 4 days after my cs (what an idiot!!! - me not the 2 year old that is)

I was on morphine for 5 days after my em cs, and voltarol and paracetamol for almost 4 weeks.

Didn't need morphine after my planned cs, just voltarol and paracetamol for a week. Took arnica too and did absolutely nothing for a couple of weeks and just pottered about for another month after that. It was ready meals, bombsite house and cbeebies all the way, but I recovered well. Back at the gym at 12 weeks.

I think your body must get used to it TBH. I had a hysterectomy last year and only needed paracetamol and voltarol for 4 days, I kept expecting the pain to kick in but it never did. But again, I didn't lift a finger for a month, the hospital were very very strict about this.

IME the less you can do the less you will need painkillers and the easier the recovery.

Get the hospital to write down the times you need to take your meds so it sticks to the hospital times, I got in a right pickle after my em cs and didn't know what to take when which couldn't have helped.

After having ds by elcs, I was on Morphine for 5 days, and then paracetmol and maximum strength codeine for a couple of weeks. I was allergic to the normal pain meds used (diclofenac). I was told I could breastfeed on morphine.

I took arnica, but it made bugger all difference!

Thanks ladies, will try to do as little as possible in the first week or so.

Am in hospital ATM after my 3rd. This was elective yesterday. I had voltarol ( suppositories) post op & this am. I had paracetemol last night & lunch today. Was feeling pretty good but am now tired so could have been going on adrenaline.

In answer to OP voltorol is an anti immflamatory and is good for cs pain.

co-codamol does contribute to constipation this is it's main side effect BUT I wouldn't avoid it on that basis as it is a good painkiller is mixture of codeine and paracetamol.

A few shots of morphine shouldn't have a detrimental effect on baby, if you are in that much pain then you need it, it is given to some women after cs who are breastfeeding.

paracetamol & diclofenac after both my ELCSs - only needed it for a few days thugh.

had my ELCS last tues am was on something fairly strong for first 12 hours as was suffering and have fairly high pain threshold but then lost a lot of blood during surgery and had v low blood pressure. Went home 27 hrs after opp and been on diclofenac and paracetamol since. Have to say 5 days post section and don't need the paracetamol anymore, still taking the diclofenac and feeling good!

I've only had an EMCS but, had morphine for 3 days (I didn't realise that's what they were giving me), paracetamol and diclofenac for a week and I refused to take it all once I got out of hospital. In hospital they were trying to persuade me to take more. I don't know if it was that or the antibiotics (for both me and DS) but, he wouldn't feed properly for a week and wouldn't latch for another two weeks. I imagine it was the antibiotics thought.

One thing I was told that worked really well is; liquid paracetamol works faster and more strongly than the tablet. In fact, one nice midwife gave it to me instead of morphine (once they admitted what they were giving me) and it worked just as well.

Couldn't have codeine as I'm allergic...

Good luck!

I had an emergency section and an elective one. At the end of the sections they gave me a dose of morphine. After that I only had paracetamol for pain relief as I can't take codine and wasn't offered anything else! Some morphine sounds like it would have been nice.

Paracetamol is actually a good painkiller, but you need to take it regularly for it to be effective.