Why did they stop providing pain killers?

[ajja2021]

I'm just wondering if anyone has any insight on this, I had a ELCS in 2019. Relatively straight forward, larger incision due to larger baby and some staples instead of dissolvable due to the size of the wound.

I had pain relief on the ward and was discharged within 24 hours and told to buy Paracetamol and ibuprofen, I was refused codeine because I was breastfeeding.

This led to me being in agony, I really struggled and I genuinely believe this impacted hugely on my initial bond with DS and my breastfeeding experience. I was horrendously depressed and it was just a horrible time.

I had another ELCS less than 22 months later, I was given plenty of pain relief on the ward and was given various pain relief to take home (paracetamol, naproxen, dihydracodeine, diclafenic) and I was breastfeeding this time too.

I asked the nurse, she said the trust decided to not give any pain relief for elective section patients for a year and she didn't know why.

I know some women are great and can be up and doing the school run within days, but first time around I genuinely couldn't move for being in unbearable agony. I also didn't want to be high as a kite in my first few days of
Motherhood but the painkillers made such a difference, particularly in the first 36 hours.

I had such a positive experience second time around and I can't understand why the trust would stop giving pain relief? I've had dental surgery and been given more pain relief than after my first csection.

Has anyone been through similar?

I'm utterly astonished here. I had an ELCS and took only nurofen afterwards for a few days, and was fine.

Some of you seem to have had truly awful experiences at the hand of some cruel midwives and that is utterly disgraceful.

I only got diclofenac home with me when I was leaving hospital 24 hours after my elective section. I was told to take paracetamol too. Luckily I hadn’t been feeling too good a few hours before being discharged so I had been given oramorph I think. I felt okay to walk to the car etc so I’d guess this probably helped. Diclofenac seems to only be like ibuprofen though so I don’t think I had much when I left at all. The pain was bad when trying to sit up from lying down or stand up from sitting but was fine in between times

I got nothing either time!

First section was an emergency, lost 4 litres of blood, had sepsis and spent three weeks in hospital. 48 hours post birth they wouldn’t give me anything! Had to send my husband to the pharmacy on site to buy me paracetamol and ibruprofen.

Same thing this spring, elective section and was told to bring my own pain medication as they provided nothing at all! Couldn’t reach my bag with my medicine in and they were too busy to get their attention so ended up having no pain killers (or food but that’s another story 😂) from the time my husband left an hour post section to when he came to get me the following lunchtime.

Some of these posts are describing neglect. It is very distressing that patients are neglected on such a widespread - and accepted - basis.

After an emergency C section 17 I was refused any discharge meds. My friend a mile away was sent home with dihydracodeine.

I called my local GP, advised I’d read the advice on medication for breastfeeding mothers and he happily wrote me a prescription.

With my next CS (planned) I stayed in hospital an extra night just to take advantage of the help and meditation. The difference in my mobility and recover second time round since I was prepared for the surgery and had that extra time to rest was remarkable!

@ajja2021

I was really shocked how were expected to soldier on, when had this been another type of surgery we probably would've been given strong pain relief

With any other surgery though you're not breast feeding though. I think that is the problem. I'm not sure what the answer is though it sounds tortuous

2013 emcs - pain relief

2017 elcs - no pain relief

The elcs was for medical reasons: there was no other option. They told me in 2017 that it was because I was breastfeeding that I wasn't allowed pain relief.

Man alive. I'm just remembering how painful it was.

In which case that is just barbaric then

God misread your post @lovablequalities

I thought you said it wasn't because of breast feeding but no you said it was because you were breast feeding.

They give you strong pain relief after other surgeries as there is no issue with anyone else being affected by the drug.

I've had two csections, one emergency and one elective. Pain medication stopped when I left hospital and they wouldn't give me any to take home, I found 48hrs afterwards I was in absolute agony and ended up calling the doctor who then prescribed me codine for 14 days. Without the codine I couldn't move, was crying and struggling to take care of my baby, with the meds I was fine and plodding on!

I had my first in the private wing of an NHS hospital. Whilst in the hospital I was prescribed oral morphine just in case. Diclofenac and paracetamol on a schedule and a months supply to take home. No suggestion that it could cause issues with breastfeeding. My friend had a baby on the NHS side on the same hospital very soon afterwards and had to fight just to get ibuprofen. Go figure.

In fairness, I do think the pain meds may have contributed to my difficulties with feeding dc1. She was so sleepy and lethargic.

I had the same at a North West - Stockport hospital in 2019 - whilst in hospital (first day) I was given Oramorph but when I asked for it the following morning I was told if I wanted to go home I had to just cope with paracetamol and ibuprofen and couldn’t have anything else to take home either - I was astounded.

I had my ecs abroad and was in hospital for 3 days (nothing wrong, just the norm here). But I had regular pain relief, can’t remember what exactly but was an opiate. Was told to take diclofenac afterwards and tbh I was sore but ok, I assume because I had 3 days of very good care where I was expected to get up and get walking but not care for the baby at the same time by myself (don’t think I changed a nappy till I got home). The first few days of a c-section are brutally painful I’m sorry about the experiences here.

Frankly the way the NHS treats women is shocking. Can’t imagine a bloke having surgery and being treated the same.

That's about right cut costs on women's issues, I'm sure men still get painkillers for everything.
My doctor wouldn't dare cut my painkillers. i wouldn't allow it.

Echoing lots of PPs here...

1st child born by EMCS overseas and I had a shit load of pain relief and help from the midwives.

2nd child born by ELCS in the SW (UK) 2017 and I was discharged less than 24 hours later with a "buy some paracetamol on your way home"... I wasn't breastfeeding.

Women's health in this country is appalling. However, health inequalities are also appalling in the disabled population and in ethnic minority groups too.

Never even got any during labour so wouldn’t expect it afterwards

I only had paracetamol five years ago. Couldn’t bf (no milk). Not elective. Did I miss out on the good stuff?!

I only got that in discharge 7 years ago, I rang my gp from my hospital bed and told him they were discharging me with paracetamol, he went mad unsurprisingly and a prescription was waiting for my now ex husband on the reception desk of the gp surgery by the time I got home.

I had an elcs in 2018. I was given some dihydrocodeine, but not much - luckily my Dad gave me some.

I can’t think of any other surgery where you’re on your own with a newborn immediately afterwards. I had my wisdom teeth removed under a local, and wasn’t allowed to be alone for 24 hours afterwards or drive. They actually checked that I had another adult with me, and were slightly cross DH had brought the babies with him. Chopped in half to deliver twins, unable to move though, no problem, it’s just childbirth, crack on with it love! Mental.

South Wales here, hard work to get pain relief on the ward. lady opposite me didn't keep on top of her pain relief and lost it because she was in so much pain loads of doctors called and everything it was awful. You had to insist and ask many times before they brought it. I also asked the anaesthetist this time round for ooramorph but they still tried to refuse me until I told them it was in my notes and the anaesthetic had said I could have it 😂 It's awful sent home with no pain relief on both occasions just told to buy paracetamol and ibuprofen.

Quite simply they are punishing women who choose an elective section. Post natal care in this country is overlaid by a particularly vicious misogyny and women are chucked out of hospital still bleeding and barely functioning in many cases. Then they wonder why breastfeeding rates are low and PND rates are high. You'd get better care if you'd had a wisdom tooth out.

@ purplesequins
Codeine is but Dihydrocodeine is not. Breastfeeding or not, there is no reason anyone should be left in significant pain

Not a section but had a horrendous delivery with forceps and significant stitching, would only give me paracetamol despite me being in agony at the time. Second birth took a haemorrhage and tore quite badly, had previously complained about the first experience and it was on my notes, got oxy tablets and all sorts for the second, was in a worse way as they had to do another epistomy aswell and the old scar ruptured from my first yet because I had decent pain relief, it was a more pleasant experience during and after! It’s disgraceful it took a serious complaint to be treated properly the second time, I feel sorry for other women. Some were crying from pain on my ward from sections and I believe they were not offered anything stronger than over the counter medication. As one poster said, it even effects the bond with your baby when you are in that bad a way and the trauma from it can trigger depression in some people. It really is barbaric how some women are treated and left to suffer. It’s just so wrong.

It's unfair, a man would be given more pain killers if he had to have major surgery but women are expected to soldier on.