Is it a routine 'thing' to advise pg women to take 2 paracetamol and wait an hour when calling in?

[birdonawire1]

Just that really. I wonder if this is a common recommendation by midwives taking calls from pg women with a variety of symptoms.

I don’t think they said that to me but I had already been assessed as my waters had broken.

The advice is 3 contractions in 10 minutes and for this to have been happening for an hour and then go in.

We were told in antenatal classes not to take paracetamol as apparently it’s a prostaglandin inhibitor (I think) and slows down the processing of the cervix thinning!

I really think it’s their way of dealing with first time mums. I was repeatedly told “first babies take ages, take some paracetamol” in a really patronising manner. Baby was born less than an hour later, just made it to the hospital in time. I made a complaint to the hospital about some other issues after the birth and mentioned this. The head midwife admitted paracetamol do very little for labour pain and said she would tell her midwives to stop advising it.

Yes, I was also told to take paracetamol and “see what happens” The midwife also said she didn’t think I was having regular contractions. I duly took the paracetamol and as mentioned by app they made my contractions worse so off I went to the hospital. I was fully dilated when I arrived and my waters broke within 5 minutes of getting into the hospital and DS born shortly after.

This was very recent, however, 6 years ago when I had DD my waters broke at home and although contractions hadn’t started I was told to go in immediately and despite only being 2cm I was taken to the labour ward.

I was advised to take 2 paracetamol and see. It was a false alarm.

It’s the child birth equivalent of ‘have you turned it off and on again’ IT technician response I reckon.

reastie. Yes, I am totally of this view now. Short of dire emergency and imminent birth this seems to be rote advice. Totally inappropriate as my baby was breech and ECS was booked.

.....which of course I made the midwife aware of.