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Childbirth

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

Original poster

Advice needed on Syntometrine injection and refusing it, pleeeeeeeeease!

139 replies

EllieKthePA · 06/04/2007 00:11

Hi
I had the injection after giving birth to ds, it made me very sick and i then had to have further medication to stop the sickness. Unfortunately the anti-sickness medication makes my Narcolepsy (sleep disorder) worse and following it I slept for over 12 hours, meaning ds didn't feed for almost 18 hours after birth. This wasn't too much of a problem, he took to bf absolutely fine and we had no bonding issues.
I am due on Monday and now very worried that the injection could cause the same sickness again. I really do not want to have another child and not remember much of the first day of their life.
As I know it didn't cause huge problems with ds, if i need to i'll have the injection, but if i can avoid it I would like to.
If I refuse the injection, how dangerous is this? What else can I do to lessen the chances of a heavy bleed (my mw tells me this is why i should have it so want to go armed with alternatives)?

HELP!

OP posts:
Original poster
EllieKthePA · 06/04/2007 20:21

but do they offer the alternative in ALL hospitals?

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Original poster
EllieKthePA · 06/04/2007 20:22

twinklemegan i've already got one ds and the injection made me very sick.

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Original poster
EllieKthePA · 06/04/2007 20:22

a managed 3rd stage isn't what worries me, it's the side effects that I know i get from the drugs

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TwinklemEGGan · 06/04/2007 20:23

Didn't you say that was syntometrine though?

lulumama · 06/04/2007 20:26

they should do , as syntocinon is given to induce contractions for induced labour, so every labour ward should have it !

Original poster
EllieKthePA · 06/04/2007 20:31

so if it has no side effects and the other one does, why don't they use it anyway?
and why when i asked the mw yesterday didn't she tell me not to worry, there was an alternative?

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Original poster
EllieKthePA · 06/04/2007 20:31

klaw
did you find anything on narcolepsy and labour? i'm guessing not

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lulumama · 06/04/2007 20:38

think syntometrine supposed to be more effective? don;t know

DaisyMOO · 06/04/2007 20:56

Sorry, I'm an idiot, my address is nappymad @ yahoo . com - I don't use it very often, but Lulu's got my usual email address.

Sorry

Original poster
EllieKthePA · 06/04/2007 21:10

have tried .com

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Klaw · 06/04/2007 21:25

please read this Lou about synto etc..... and 3rd stage management etc

Any questions afterwards please ask. I think that it would be wise to discuss 3rd stage plans in depth with mw ante-natally so that you can have your wishes notes in birth plan...

I'll get back to you re the narcolepy issue, couldn't find much, I'm afraid.

Original poster
EllieKthePA · 06/04/2007 21:30

i tried to discuss it with the mw last night but every answer seemed to be 'not sure really' and she has a very irritating voice. that and there being 8 of them in the team, so i've only ever seen one of them more than once, and that they stop seeing you at 38 weeks with your 2nd, before that it's only every 2 weeks, has made it very difficult to discuss anything tbh.

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Original poster
EllieKthePA · 06/04/2007 21:35

interesting to read they think it may be linked to colic, as ds had very bad 3 month colic, my gran has 7 gc and had never seen any of us as bad as he was, even she was at a loss as to how to soothe him.

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BonyM · 06/04/2007 21:39

Not read the whole thread - just the OP, but I requested a physiological 3rd stage with dd2 (had a natural birth at home).

However, after 45 minutes, the placenta still hadn't appeared and I was in a lot of pain so I| asked them to give me the syntometrine. this they did, and the placenta was then expelled pretty quickly, BUT a whole lot of blood had built up behind it - 1.5 litres - I had to spend that night in hospital under observation.

Impossible to know beforehand of course, and a pph is rare, but I wish I'd had the injection straight away and avoided all the pain, worry and stress.

Klaw · 06/04/2007 21:40

sorry called you Lou, senility getting to me. I meant Ellie!

Ok, So forget talking to mw, make it clear in Birth Plan and discuss with DaisyMoo! much more sensible, imho!

Big red letters Syntocinon first choice if required

Original poster
EllieKthePA · 06/04/2007 21:44

thank you Klaw x

last time i was under a much better mw system, there were 3 of them but i had a named mw and only once did i have to see one of the others. made me feel much more 'cared for' than this stupid sytem.

i had to laugh at the dozy cow in classes, when they started it was only 1 week since she'd seen me, at my home, with ds here. then in class she asked if i had children, when i was due, and was baby head down. i so wanted to say, well you told me it was when you met me and my son last week, but didn't dare!

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booge · 06/04/2007 21:45

It was in my birth plan that I wanted a physiological third stage if all went well. I was induced with DS so had it but didn't after a home birth with DD.

Twopinkoneblue · 06/04/2007 22:25

I had a reaction to syntometrine after the 1st and 2nd delivery. I had flashing lights in my eyes and high BP. After the third labour my consultant wrote in my notes that I should have 10 units of syntocinon. I had no problems.
You could try without drugs initially, if you need an injection to help it out, you can always have one a bit later.
Syntocinon contracts the uterus to help expel the placenta.
Syntometrine (i think) is a mixture of two drugs. Syntocin (which contracts the uterus) and ergometrine which constricts the blood vessels to slow bleeding. It's the ergometrine which causes the side effects.

Klaw · 06/04/2007 22:44

Deing Devil's Advocate, did she ask so that the class could hear and you all got to know a little about each other?....... Making friends, about the only benefit I see in the NHS 'classes'!

They don't seem to give any real Birth Choices information and all over the country it seems they are being cut as well...

mears · 06/04/2007 23:04

Ellie - we have only just switched to syntocinon instead of syntometrine for active management of the third stage. We do physiological management as well.

The reason some units have not changed is that there can be a larger blood loss with syntocinon only because it does not work quite as rapidly as syntometrine. It is the ergometrine in syntometrine that causes the unwanted side effects like vomiting and raised blood pressure.

You might be interested to know that it is syntocinon that is used at caesarean section but it is used intravenously which acts fatser than by muscle injection. Women with high blood pressure never ger syntometrine. Your unit will definitely have syntocinon only.

Original poster
EllieKthePA · 06/04/2007 23:18

no, it was during a conversation between me and her afterwards

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LandSmum · 06/04/2007 23:23

Mears - You must deliver my next baby!!!

mears · 06/04/2007 23:24
Wink
LandSmum · 06/04/2007 23:33

mmmm - did I just say my next baby? I must be mad - I currently have suitcases under my eyes!! they are so worth it though!

Original poster
EllieKthePA · 06/04/2007 23:36

thank you mears, the more info i can go prepared with, the more likely they are to listen this time

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