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Childbirth

What pain relief should I take to hospital for post section pain?

40 replies

Loopylouu · 10/03/2014 14:40

I wasn't offered much in the way of pain relief after my first section - it was paracetamol, which I find about as useful as fairy dust at the best of times, offered at sporadic times. I actually thought the midwife was joking when she offered me two paracetamol, sadly, she wasn't

I want to be prepared this time, so what shall I take in? Whats the strongest over the counter painkiller I can buy at the chemist?

OP posts:

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GingerMaman · 11/03/2014 14:09

I asked for pain relief and was only given it 12 hours after it. I took pain relief in but was so out of it, that forgot I even had it on me. I would recommend you tell your spouse that you have some in your bag, so he can remind you. It's bloody ridiculous how they are not willing to give pain relief because the dr hasn't signed it off.

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Loopylouu · 11/03/2014 14:18

God, dh is another story!

I told him what happened the last time (he's older ds step dad). He is one of those people who always think drs/midwives etc know best and will follow them blindly. He keeps saying to me that they didn't give me pain relief as they know whats best and if they didn't give me any, then it wasn't needed. He was aghast when I said I'd be taking in my own this time.

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zeldapinwheel · 11/03/2014 14:28

I had an ELCS and found the staff on the ward after to be lovely

I would recommend taking some mint teabags with you, I had horrendous gas pains after and they were the only thing that helped.

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Meglet · 11/03/2014 14:28

You raise hell and complain to your consultant and PALS to ensure you get adequate pain relief.

I was not popular after my ELCS. But after being treated like shit after my EMCS I realised I had to stand up for myself second time around. I wasn't having any more babies so figured I never had to see them again.

My GP was very good actually. He prescribed movicol when I said I wouldn't breastfeed without it (lactulose caused me problems as I have IBS).

Obviously when I had my hysterectomy they couldn't have been more helpful. Or more critical of the post-natal ward treatment of post-cs mums.

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Meglet · 11/03/2014 14:31

Oh, I went to my GP about the movicol before I had DC2. I said the midwives refused to let me have it last time and could he prescribe it for me and say it was ok to bf with, or else I wouldn't bf. No problems at all.

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Loopylouu · 11/03/2014 14:33

I am seeing my consultant tomorrow, will it make any difference if she writes about pain relief in my notes?

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Loopylouu · 11/03/2014 14:42

God, I hope there is room in the private bit for after! I have saved for years to be able to afford not to go through the hell I did with ds (I was left on the postnatal ward when he was taken to SCBU, I overheard some awful speculation from the other women as to why I didn't have my baby, that maybe he was taken into care, or that he was dead, or that I was a surrogate, all within earshot and one of them loudly said that I should be watched incase I snatched someone elses baby. They really were vile. SO I had all that to deal with on top of the pain).

I was just reading about the lindo wing, a midwife comes to check on you every 2 hours, with a torch at night so they don't wake you or the baby if you are sleeping. I want that, dammit! I remember being shaken awake when I finally fell asleep as they wanted to take my BP, half an hour after it had already been done as they had forgotten to write it down.

Sorry, off tangent again, but I am getting more and more stressed about the PN ward as the time draws closer.

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Goldmandra · 11/03/2014 14:57

I had horrendous pain after 2nd CS. It was ten times worse than the first time around. The staff cottoned on eventually after they challenged DH for leaving the ward late and he gave them a mouthful about how he wouldn't have had to stay to help me with DD2 if they'd given me enough meds to be able to get out of bed without passing out from the pain.

Within a couple of hours I had a registrar at my bedside prescribing Tramadol and Diclofenac. Such a relief. It's just a shame they didn't listen until DH laid into them.

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Highlander · 11/03/2014 18:56

OP - make sure the anaesthetist gives you a rectal diclofenac at the end of the CS.

I took in my own ibuprofen and paracetamol. The ward was actually OK, but I made it clear to them that I had my own stash.

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MyDarlingClementine · 11/03/2014 19:03

I would speak to my doctor and MW and make them aware of only being given paracetomol and make sure I had the normal range of drugs, ours was iboprufen and co codamol or something like that. at home my mw got me difloenci and something else.

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kiwiscantfly · 12/03/2014 05:20

This makes for interesting and sad reading. I had DD in Jan 2011 in a very busy hospital the first day back after NY (ELCS breech baby) so they were very short staffed, but I can say they did look after me with regards to pain relief, bf support, not so much. Anyway I digress... I had liquid morphine twice after the birth, and the MW said I should take the one at the beginning of the day softer a DD was born because it would help get me moving. So pleased I followed her advice, I watched two of the other mums refuse and then not cope at all, def in pain too. I was then given diclonofec (sp) and cocodimol (sp) to alternate with, and was told to take them for a week. I did the math and counted the pills in the box (we got to self medicate from the 2nd day) and realised I didn't have enough so asked for more, which thankfully I got. I really think how you recover from a CS depends on how the pain is managed.

Good luck to you all!

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elliejjtiny · 12/03/2014 14:37

This thread is making me even more desperate for a vbac.

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zoemaguire · 12/03/2014 15:45

Ask your gp for diclofenac and dihydrocodeine(sp?) prescription. Mine was entirely happy to prescribe in advance when I told her what the (absence of) pain relief options in hospital were. Her words 'how barbaric!'. Good luck! I'll admit though that with elcs I did need more than paracetamol and ibuprofen (didn't get them!), but only for 2 or 3 days. After that para/profen were enough.

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zoemaguire · 12/03/2014 15:49

I'm 3 weeks post section btw, still popping the ibuprofen but doing ok. The hell of the postnatal ward is fading, but I must remember to keep enough anger going to write a snotty complaint letter before i blank it out entirely. It is outrageous that they get away with treating women so badly!

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rightsaidfred · 16/03/2014 10:42

If pain relief is written on the drug chart then prn ('as required' the you will have a battle with the nurses/midwives to get it and they miss you out on the drug rounds. When you see the doctor before the CS whether that is pre op assessment or on the day get them to write up diclofenac and lactulose as a regular med instead of prn. If they don't do it then ask the anaesthetist to do it while you are having the CS
Then the nurses can't miss you out or refuse to give it...... they are legally bound to give it to you (you don't have to swallow the tablets but make sure you take them off the nurse even if you don't need them as otherwise they will get it crossed off the chart!)