Paracetamol in Early Labour

[KoalaPineapple]

Hi,

I'm trying to write a birth preference sheet and plan/intentions for my upcoming birth. I've only read about paracetamol in early labour being either:

a) useless and the mother didn't find it helped, or
b) potentially prolonging labour due to inhibition of progesterone

Can you advise if you used/plan to use paracetamol during labour and what are your reasons either way?

Just want to be as informed as possible on all matters. I'm mostly planning hypnobirthing but with an open mind as it's my first baby and I have trust in those around me (husband and the professionals!)

Thank you x

I can't remember whether I did or not. But I'm confident this would've been my thoughts.

Paracetamol did nothing for me in early labour. I won't bother with it again, I'm not even sure why they offer it because it's useless for the contractions. They wouldn't give me anything else until I was in established labour and on the labour ward.
That's when diamorphine & epidural was offered to me, and they were amazing pain relief, couldn't feel anything!

Thanks for this reply! Some of the others have made me a bit dithery so I think I’m not going to check this post anymore 🙃

It does sweet F A. I can only assume it is pushed by midwives in order to kid women that they are doing something “productive” to manage the pain. It also does bugger all for my period pains, so at least its uselessness was of no great surprise to me.

I had paracetamol in what turned out to be the early stages on labour with my second (I didn't realise I was in labour at the time). I'm not sure if it's coincidence, but by the time I thought I probably should head to hospital, I was already 9cm dilated. I suspect the paracetamol 1) took the edge off the pain and 2) relaxed me.

I had 2x paracetamols the moment my contractions started, at 6.30pm.
Baby was born 3 hours later.

I think it really depends on your circumstances and possibly pain threshold. For my ds, I did all the usual, paracetamol, bath, tens machine - did nothing as he was back to back! And the pain of a back to back labour can be even worse than a regular labour. For me, that went on for 3 days. So the result was an epidural for the pain.

Second birth for dd, no pain relief at all. As horrific as the pain was that time, it actually helped me to feel a sense of control as I could feel everything that was happening.

So lots of factors contribute to pain relief. Best advice - be informed but go with the flow.

I had nothing until 3cm dilated, and then I had paracetamol. About 2 hours later I had an epidural.

i had paracetamol because I’m in France and they don’t do gas & air so it was paracetamol or nothing!!!! It helped a bit but tbh I was so out of it. My brain went fuzzy a bit like being very drunk and I think it did it on its own nothing to do with the paracetamol X

In my 3 natural labours with only gas&air, no midwife has ever even suggested a dose of paracetamol. I suspect it would be a total waste of time, frankly.

Paracetamol won’t touch it, gas and air made me feel queasy and pethidine in my first made me feel spaced out and caused a sleepy baby which didn’t eat properly/ ended up in NICU for 5 days for low blood sugar and billilamp.

Not everyone reacts the same but I ended up taking no pain relief at all, even with a fast, painful induction.

@KoalaPineapple I gave birth first time with just gas and air. I have been incredibly lucky with my births never had any stitches or serious issues.

The second time I was induced because of GD and was advised to have an epidural as the drip can be very painful. I was happy just to go with flow and when it became too painful went for the epidural. For me both the induction and epidural were really positive experiences.

The third time I was induced because I had severe SPD and was on crutches. I went for the epidural again but had it at the same time the drip went in as I knew I would be having it at some point so didn't see the point in being in pain unnecessarily. He was 10lb 8 and back to back but they "turned the epidural down" a bit to help me push him out. Again really positive experience.

And in all honesty for the fourth I just wanted that calm positive experience again.

Just my personal experience and obviously you can all kinds of births and mine might sound awful to some people. But you just need to do what's right for you.

For the very early stages of labour (mild cramps) it can help. Beyond that, absolutely not.

I had paracetamol with my first after the drip went up, and it helped with the first few hours of mild contractions (mild while the drip was still low). Once things got really going I had gas + air, then finally some diamorphine.

Second baby, I don't remember even being offered paracetamol. I did fine on gas + air until I no longer was, then had an epidural.

Paracetamol did fuck al for pain in labour. I nearly punched the midwife when she asked me if I'd like to top up with paracetamol

Paracetamol did sod all. So did oramorph for that matter.

Paracetamol will do nothing, I find it really odd that they suggest it as like you say it can inhibit the prostaglandins.

So it won't help, but it might hinder. Silly!

Also, I found labour to be fine, I wouldn't have thought to take paracetamol in early labour it was just like period pains and then I had gas and air for show time.

Don't let people freak you out.

I had paracetamol at home with my 2nd before going into hospital, honestly it didn't help with the pain at all, however due to a quick birth and quick discharge I was home 10hours after taking it, so it did effect how much paracetamol I could take once I was back at home, I was quite tender downstairs and could have done with an extra dose later that night 😂