Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Flip

1 2

Original poster

How can I buy enough paracetamol/ibuprofen to stock up for after birth?

35 replies

TinyDiamond · 25/07/2011 18:14

I have 3 local chemists in my area. 2 of them refuse to even sell me paracetamol as a pg woman and the third 'let' me buy some yesterday but when I went back today for more the pharmacist said no!
So frustrating, I have been instructed by my midwife I can take 1g para and 400mg of ibuprofen 3 times a day safely whilst Breastfeeding and want to get enough in to last me.
What is the alternative to me sending dp/anyone else I know into different shops every single day buying a pack of each?
Never heard of anyone having this problem before advice/ideas appreciated

OP posts:

Panzee · 25/07/2011 18:16

Prescription?
But I would also continue to sending different people in. What if you were buying for someone else? They've got a cheek really.

Fayrazzled · 25/07/2011 18:17

I have had two babies vaginally; second one was a third degree tear. I didn;t need to take paracetemol or ibuprofen at home afterwards. I may have been given painkillers in hospital after DC2 but don't remember. If you need to be discharged with pain relief they will give you some then your OH can go to the chemist for you. But I wouldn't assume you will necessarily need analgesics after giving birth and certainly not in any volume.

Wormshuffler · 25/07/2011 18:18

Supermarket? they don't even look at how much you buy. Why would they be funny about paracetamol? you are allowed that in PG!!

SamsGoldilocks · 25/07/2011 18:18

why not just go to a supermarket and buy it. or get your partner or a non- pregnant friend to buy some

Cattleprod · 25/07/2011 18:21

Hospital will give you what you need - in my case co-codamol iirc. I swapped to paracetamol after a week or so as I was turning into a zombie!!

Even if your dp gets his allocation (16 or 32 I think) from each of the 3 chemists, that's plenty to last you for several days.

Original poster

TinyDiamond · 25/07/2011 18:24

Ah, forgot to mention we are planning a homebirth so hopefully I won't be in hospital. Those who have had babies before-I was told to expect quite bad afterpains...hence the pain relief and also for stitches, is it not that bad?

OP posts:

bibbitybobbityhat · 25/07/2011 18:26

Supermarket, corner shop, petrol station, come on!

I've had two c-sections and only needed painkillers for at most a week.

You may be lucky and need none at all!

Also, who are these chemists refusing to sell you paracetamol because you are pregnant?

notcitrus · 25/07/2011 18:41

Chemist should sell you paracetamol no problem, just not ibuprofen. And you can get 100 of them otc, it's just shops that are restricted to 32 in blister packs.

Can you phone the GP and ask for a prescription on the grounds that your local chemists are being obstructive?

26minutes · 25/07/2011 18:42

Don't bother with paracetamol for the after pains, co-codamol is what you need. A couple of packs should be more than enough & you'll be able to get that over the counter, just say it's for your dp if you think they won't give it to you. If you do stick with paracetamol just get 4 packs but put them through in 2 seperate transactions on the self service checkouts. That's the easy way of cheatinf the supermarket 2 packs of painkillers rule.

Loopymumsy · 25/07/2011 21:33

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

thisisyesterday · 25/07/2011 21:34

how bizarre!

I would just get someone else to buy it for you.

activate · 25/07/2011 21:37

I neither took, nor needed, any pain relief after childbirth - the birth euphoria sees you through - how much can you possibly be planning to stock up with?

ThePrincessRoyalFiggyrolls · 25/07/2011 21:40

Honestly? Don't panic about it yet, I think I took co-cod after birth but the after pains aren't that bad. I actually had less pain killers post emcs as the hospital forgot to send me home with anything

1gglePiggle · 25/07/2011 21:42

Restricting paracetamol sales has resulted in fewer suicides using it so although it is annoying only being able to buy a few at a time it is worth it if lives are saved.
You can buy 96 ibuprofen OTC that would be more than enough, ask to see the pharmacist if you're having trouble. It's usually the pharmacy assistants who are not as knowledgable that may refuse sales just to be on the safe side as they don't want to get in trouble. Paracetamol like others have said is easy to pick up anywhere. If you just get a couple of boxes on each shopping trip you will soon stock up.

thefirstMrsDeVere · 25/07/2011 21:43

cocodomal for me too!

Crippling afterpains with DCS 2, 4 & 5. Really, really dreadful.

I had homebirths with 4 & 5 and made sure I had enough to see me through the first week.

I had a pretty rough birth with DC1 but dont think I took anything.

I dont think you need to stock up as such but its stupid that they are not selling you paracetamol as its safe to take in pregnancy.

PacificDogwood · 25/07/2011 21:47

Get a prescription from your GP.

FWIW, I have never had much of a problem with afterpains, hated morphine after CS which was the only delivery I had painkillers for more than the first couple of days. So keep an open mind, it could all be fine .

Hope it all goes swimmingly, good luck .

ajaybaines · 25/07/2011 21:49

I bought all my hospital bag stuff from boots online, including paracetamol and ibuprofen (planned section and needed it!)

LikeACandleButNotQuite · 25/07/2011 21:50

Work in a Hotel and we have to have it in for guests to buy. I go to Costo for stock as you can buy Paracetamol and Ibuprofen in bulk packs. Only found this out after weeks of buying two/three packs at a time each time I was in the supermarket/chemist etc. Maybe try there if you have a card or kow someone with a card?

greycircles · 25/07/2011 21:52

I have had 2 babies vaginally - one episiotomy and forceps and the other a 2nd degree tear. I didn't take any form of painkillers at all after either birth because they weren't necessary. Hold back with the drugs - you might not need any!

emmanumber3 · 25/07/2011 21:56

Another one here who had 2 vaginal births & no need for painkillers afterwards. Should you need to have a c-section things would probably be different - but then you would need to be in a hospital & they would sort your pain relief out before you leave. Don't worry - probably the amount of paracetamol you have managed to get will be sufficient, should you require any at all.

All the best .

emmanumber3 · 25/07/2011 21:58

ajaybaines - you bought painkillers to take into hospital? Did they not have any?

ajaybaines · 25/07/2011 21:59

No, I bought them for when I was back at home out of hospital. I got sent home with about a weeks worth but I took them for about 2.5 weeks.

HTH.

sancerrre · 25/07/2011 22:03

No pain relief required here either. No afterpains and stitches only hurt when I moved and only for a couple of days.

Hope all goes well and you don't need to use the painkillers after all.

thefirstMrsDeVere · 25/07/2011 22:30

I would take painkillers into hospital.

On a busy ward you could wait for hours for a dr to sign a script.

I would tell them I had taken them of course.

Original poster

TinyDiamond · 25/07/2011 23:05

Thanks for your help all. Was under the impression I'd be needing max dosage for at least a couple of weeks afterwards. Maybe the midwife running our Antenatal was preparing us for the worst. Will probably get a load in anyway I'll no doubt need it all for when my periods come back anyway.

OP posts:

Flip

1 2