Info required for a freind.

[MistressMary]

Not sure if this the right place but here goes.
A friend of mine is due in around ten days time and has suffered with severe pelvic pains/sciatica throughtout pregnancy this time. She has now got a chest infection and is on Antibiotics. Yesterday after a coughing fit she heard a loud pop and was in agony.
After being taken to hospital she has been told she has broken a rib! And is now been put on codeine.
Is this safe and what can she do in the meantime.
No mention of inducing her or talking over labour with her.
It appears they want the rib to heal before she had her baby.
Anyone have any advice for her?
Yetserday

[MerlinsBeard]

hosp would not have advised codeine if unsafe, although if it were me i would still want to check. Worth ringing the midwife tho re the rib, it won't be healed by ten days

[Laura032004]

I know you can take codeine whilst pg - I've been prescribed it myself. Too much does make you feel a bit funny though.

No experience of rib-breaking whilst pg (thank goodness) though. I'd think it a good idea for it to be on the way to healing before she labours. Could it move and puncture a lung if she was moving around too much??

[Piffle]

warn her about constipation a very quick acting side effect of codeine
Prune juice, last thing she needs is to be straining on the loo etc

[MistressMary]

Thanks for the info, I'll ceratainly pass on the prune juice advice to her!
She has just had such a cr@p time too.

[redstarfalling]

Hi Not sure about codiene but she really should discuss the situation with either her midwife or doc as broken ribs cause pain during inspiration and if you don't breathe deeply you are highly prone to chest infections. If your friend already has one shallow breathing due to pain will prevent good clearence of secretions collecting in the bases of the lungs. Coughing is also natures way of clearing the collected crud (ask any smoker ) and again pain will make coughing more painful so you don't clear well. Not sure if this helps any.

[redstarfalling]

Actually forgot to say the point of my message Your friend needs some type of good pain relief to breathe deeply to clear her chest - last thing she wants to do is deliver with an even worse chest infection. Plus if she needed a GA for a CS it is not good having a chest infection pre - op. HTH