Pethidine

[ShoeJunkie]

DH and I are writing the birth plan at the moment and having a debate about pethedine.

Could some lovely mn-ers give me their opinions please - positive or negative!

Thank you!

I refused it both times I have given birth on the grounds that it might make the baby drowsy when born and impact on feeding. Also the NCT lady told me my baby would definitely become a heroine addict if I had Pethidine. Am about to give birth for the 3rd time and not sure this time around. Will watch thread with interest.

Diamorphine's better

I had meptid (which is the same sort of thing I think) with my first DC and it was fine. It made me feel completly battered though.. like back in my clubbing days, lots of gurning and juddering and telling my husband how much I loved him. I'd have quite enjoyed it if i hadn't been in agony.

The effects only lasted a couple of hours I think.

I had it first time round with an hour to go, and went out of my way to avoid it second time around. I was out of it when I had it, and as a result don't really remember much of Ds's first few hours which is a shame. However, I do remember demanding it second time aound and the midwives all smiling at each other because they knew (but I didn't) that I was in transition and DD arrived 5 mins later

I had it with first DC - felt absolutely awful and out of control - and didnt realise once I had had it, I couldnt get off the bed to walk around. Never again. As Methe said it was like being off my head - not the way I wanted to be at the birth of my child! Had to have a C-section in the end by general. Awful birth - next time I had a waterbath for pain reflief and gas and air - Much better! I would take almost anything before Pethidine.

But my DS said it was great - like being drunk and happy but that was definitely not my experience.

It had no effect on me either time, I had it too late though I think (1st labour 3 hours, 2nd 20 mins!) it's ridiculous saying they'll become heroine addicts though!

Pethidine has its good and its bad points. Is a sedative more than a pain killer and I think the theory is that it helps relax you which in turn helps reduce your pain levels. I don't think its particularly effective if you're in full blown active labour when your contractions are strong and frequent but it can be helpful for some who are having a very long latent phase and are knackered and need some rest.
It works really well for some women, for others they don't like the feeling . It may help with sleep inbetween the contractions but they still wake you but do nothing to help the pain. Nausea and vomitting are common side effects and antiemetics don't always work.
The gamble is, you don't know how it will work for you and once its given if you don't like it, you can't take it away.
I had it for my first but it didn't touch me because I didn't realise I'd just hit transition.

Had it with DS1, hated it, made me sick but didn't do much for pain.
Refused it for DS2, had gas and air ...........but DS1 was in labour for a loooonnnnnnnnng time, DS2 1.5 hours, so this may be clouding my judgement!

Incidently both my babies were very alert from day 1 so the pethadine had little effect on DS1.

I didn't like it, slowed down the contractions, made me feel sick and out of it. When I had a home birth I expressly told them not to bring it to my house.

Can recommend TENS machine - used properly it's amazing. I jumped out of the birthing pool at home so I could hook myself back up to it!!

I had one lot of pethidine and it had no effect on me whatsoever. Neither did gas and air. The senior mw congratulated me on my natural labour and I told her to fuck off.

i had pethidine twice, not sure it did anything for the pain but it did help me relax and cope with it. Babies were fine.

Tbh I wouldn't mention it in the birth plan, I'd just leave your options open, if this is your firstyou dont know how you'll react to labour, and what seems like a good idea now might seem like madness when you're in labour.

Wouldn't be debating it with dh either.. since he won't be the one doing it.

Had epidural in first labour - never again!! It was a nightmare waiting to have it put in as I felt baby would explode through the bed. Once it was in it was great - but the horrible feeling as it was going in turned me off for life!!!
Second labour had gas and air but this labour was faster and way more intense contractions etc. had pethidine after waters broke (always very late on with me!! :)) and it really helped manage my pain. Ds2 had an apgar score of 9 and latched on to breast immediately and fed for 40 mins.

Waiting to see what labour number 3 holds for me... 10 weeks and counting! :o

I had pethadine when I was 2 - 3cm dilated and it worked like a dream for me, quite literally as I fell asleep! I has been having extraordinarily painful contractions every 3mins and begged for pain relief when told I was only two cm dilated and refusing to leave as I couldn't walk They said I wasn't far enough into labour for gas and air so i got pethadine I would've taken whatever they'd offered tbf I woke up 3 hours later ready to deliver and 40 mins later DS entered the world. All I can say is that it worked for me! and I was lucky everything went my way

My birth plan was:

1. Give birth
2. Have healthy baby
3. Survive by whatever drugs means necessary

At the end of the day all that's important is that your baby gets here safely and that you are both well and healthy. Don't put too much pressure on yourself and keep an open mind. However you have your baby is a success. Good luck!

Oh, and DS latched on 15mins after birth and fed for an hour! No sleepy baby for me even now at 9mo

Thanks everyone, really good to hear everyone's experiences :)

Hi! I had it with my DS but I had him an hour later so I was so doped up after I had him I fell asleep!! It didn't help with the pain as I was induced and had back to back contractions for about 4 hours. I just found I couldn't open my eyes. It didn't effect LO though. He was a little sleepy but it didn't affect him latching. Hope this helps x

Just to clarify, I found diamorphine to be great, it took the edge off the pain, and I didn't feel out of it, did feel quite happy though. It enabled me to cope with induction, after previously screaming for an epidural (which I didn't really want, but I was at the end of my tether, and was really glad the diamorph removed the need for it). If your hospital do offer it, it's worth considering.

I had three lots of pethidine during a very long labour - almost 4 days, 3 in hospital. It allowed me to grab some "sleep" during the second night of labour by kind of making the contractions feel like they were a long way away. The third dose didn't touch the sides. I was contracting every five minutes for the whole time but was only 3cm until about 12 hours before DD was born when I progressed to 8cm in the space of an hour before spending another 11 hours stuck at 8cm.

DD was very dozy when born (EMCS) and I was exhausted. I'm not sure how much of that I can blame on the pethidine and how much I just need to put down to a badly managed birth full stop. I never established feeding.

Made me feel completely out of it. Apparently I started talking about spoons. I wouldn't have it again as things seem to go downhill from there. No affect on DD though. (although she took another 13 hours after the pethedine to appear so that may be why).

I loved it and would have it again (only during childbirth obvs). It was just what I needed as my contractions were coming every minute and were very strong, but I was only 2cm dilated. The midwife was going to send me home but I knew it would take ages to even get back to the car let alone home and back again and I was in agony. Pthidine worked a treat, I was relaxed and laughing between contractions and it did make the pain easier to cope with (didn't take it away). I did feel a bit dopey afterwards but I guess you're going to feel tired whatever pain relief you have or don't have. DS did sleep a lot the first few days but newborns do.

I think most people either love it or hate it. I had it first time round and loved it, but my labours were too short to have it the second and third times (and also TBH I was coping fine without those times on just TENS and a little bit of gas and air towards the end).

The trouble with it, though, is that if you try it and don't like it then you just have to wait for it to wear off, whereas something like gas and air it's out of your system as soon as you stop using it.

I had 2 doses in labour - the first fairly early on when contractions were painful and I was really tense and shakey. It was so lovely, took away the pain and I felt cosy and comfy and dozed off for a bit.
The second dose I had 4-5 hours later when contractions were really bad and it didn't seem to help at all.
We did have major problems with breastfeeding but I don't know if the pethidine had anything to do with it. However I would aim not to use it in any future labours (despite loving the first dose) in order to give bfing the best chance.

I had diamorphine (similar) with DS, after I had to come out of the pool (which up till then had been really good). But although I only had a half dose I really didn't get on with it - it made me feel really dizzy and spaced out, without actually helping particularly. Also I was trying to keep active (and felt better when able to pace around a bit/kneel on beanbag during contractions) but the diamorphine made me unsteady so a few times I thought I was going to fall.

DS was only born much much later in the end (he was stuck!) so in theory it shouldn't have affected him.

I wouldn't have wanted to have it again though; but DD was quite obliging and came out with just gas and air.

The thing about birthplans though is most of them get chucked out the window after a bit, you really can't tell how the labour will go or how you will feel about things when you get there. So I think now it's best just to keep an open mind unless there are things you are absolutely adamant about! DD's birthplan was about 1/4 the length of DS's (though I did still do one as there were a few things I particularly wanted to flag up!).

I had it fairly early on in labour and it was great- I was able to lie on the bed and doze. I took a second dose just before I started to push which I regret as it meant I was still high as a kite when I had actually given birth for at least an hour. I think it really depends on when you take it! baby was fine though and I would take it again in early labour.