Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Childbirth

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

Flip

Original poster

Meptid - has anybody used this for painrelief in labour?

25 replies

homebirthhannah · 04/09/2008 21:32

If I want extra pain relief in labour my MW would prefer to use this instead of pethidine. Would be very interested to hear your experiences.Thanks.

OP posts:

Madlentileater · 04/09/2008 21:37

well yes, but so long ago I can't tell you much...IIRC, idea is it clears out of yours and baby's system quicker which is why mw prefers it- pethedine can leave babies very sleepy and slow to feed, if given close to delivery.

Original poster

homebirthhannah · 04/09/2008 21:41

I was reading that it effects the baby's breathing less. Did it give you much pain relief?

OP posts:

thehairybabysmum · 04/09/2008 21:47

I had pethidine with ds1 and meptid with ds2, each seemed to have a similat effect. I did retch a couple of times wiht ds2 but n idea if linked to meptid or just a common thing in labour.

thehairybabysmum · 04/09/2008 21:50

Level of pain telief, didnt get rid of the pain, just took the edge of it really...during labour not convinced it did much until it started to wear off!!!

With the pethidine i did remark to DH between contractions that i was off my tits!! it was more druggy than the meptid i think.

Original poster

homebirthhannah · 04/09/2008 21:58

Did you have it at home or in hospital?

OP posts:

thehairybabysmum · 04/09/2008 22:16

At the hospital...terraced house didnt fancy a homeirth with half the street listening/watching!

I should say that i was induced with ds1, v. quick 0-10cm in 5 hrs...he was distressed and i had an emergency c/section.

DS2 i was monitored due to previous c/s at 9cm, he was showing slight distress, they burst the waters and lots of meconium so again went to e-c/section.

Personally i dont think the pain relief made any diff (i also had epidurals) but im sure others may disagree.

Both mine were back to back and head in wrong position when examined so i think this was the reason they got stuck and therefore distressd.

Original poster

homebirthhannah · 04/09/2008 22:24

Thanks for the information. Was wondering about use in homebirth as i have had 2 epidurals as well and want a homebirth this time. MW seems to think that either may not need extra pain relief (as more relaxed in home environment/continuing care) and if i do prehaps should be in hospital.

OP posts:

DumbledoresGirl · 04/09/2008 22:28

I had it (nearly 11 years ago now - gulp!) with my second labour. I had pethidine for my first labour but it is hard to compare the respective potency of both drugs as my first labour was complicated and my second one was straightforward.

FWIW, I got through my third and fourth labours on just gas and air (and soaking in a hot bath in the case of my fourth labour). So you may not need anything intravenously at all.

electra · 04/09/2008 22:29

I had it in my first labour and I don't remember it doing much tbh. Possibly I felt a little more confused after having it......but I had a LOT of drugs!

Original poster

homebirthhannah · 04/09/2008 22:32

Thats what I'm hoping - I'm just scared I guess. I want a back of knowing that my MW will give me some extra pain relief if needed. She has said that she will give me this drug as long as I'm not more than about 5 cms. She has also said I can trnasfer to hospital at any point - but I have told her that I want her to keep telling me thats not what i want!

OP posts:

DumbledoresGirl · 04/09/2008 22:35

I feel for you. I dreaded labour so much every time. With my third labour, I demanded an epidural (simply because they had not been an option when I had ds1 and ds2) and the stupid thing failed to work at all! But the plus side of this was that I got through it only with G&A because whenever they offered me anything else, I decided I would hang on until the epidural kicked in. By the time it was obvious it never would kick in, dd was on her way out!

I would say it was just as effective as pethidine, but no more so.

Original poster

homebirthhannah · 04/09/2008 22:39

I am starting to think that prehaps I should go into hospital and have an epidural! I bet I'll get there and it won't be available!

OP posts:

Madlentileater · 05/09/2008 11:07

mw can give you gas and air, fwiw I think she is right about being more relaxed at home- had meptid only with my first, 4th was at home and used no pr - do you have any friends in rl esp local, that you can discuss hb with?

greenlawn · 05/09/2008 11:34

It did nothing for me at all, but then I had it very late. No pain relief, just made me feel out of it, spaced out, and sick. I asked the mw why afterwards, and she said she really considers it a sedative rather than pain relief as such.

I wish I'd stuck just with gas and air, which was great for me. Sorry to be so negative.

lollipopmother · 05/09/2008 12:41

I think that Meptid is favoured because it doesn't cross the placenta, or if it does, it has less effect on the baby than Pethadine, but I may be wrong on that.

notcitrus · 05/09/2008 18:16

It's like pethidine only you're less likely to throw up, apparently.

I've been told not to take pethidine again, and that that rules out meptid too.

lulumama · 05/09/2008 18:22

why is that notcitrus?

hannah. meptid , as madlentileater says, clears out of yours and the baby's system quicker.

at home, you can mobilise, vocalise, use water, TENS, aromatherapy, massage, gas & air, meptid.. simply being at home, feeling comfortable, safe and secure in itself will help you relax, and make labour quicker..

notcitrus · 05/09/2008 21:22

lulu - I've taken pethidine before (did my finals on it...) and spent most of the time throwing up and the rest I was totally off my face writing 'I am a fish' and similar. More importantly, the effects lasted for me for about 4 days after the final dose. And that was a lower dose than given in childbirth.

While an injection is likely to be somewhat better, I've still been advised to avoid it (wanted to avoid anyway).

I've used nitrous before and that worked quite well as a distractant and painkiller, and even if it doesn't, at least it wears off in a couple minutes! I find massage and stroking very good for pain. About to try the TENS and see what it does for backache... warning for anyone who's got a TENS machine: we found out last night that rechargable batteries are slightly too large, so had to buy some Duracells today!

Original poster

homebirthhannah · 06/09/2008 11:20

Thanks everyone - I have a lot to think about.

OP posts:

lulumama · 06/09/2008 11:22

you must be really sensitive to opiates.. sounds like you know what works for you too !

hannah, if you want to transfer in , or need to , you can. what you can;t do, is transfer home from hospital once you are in labour.. so start at home, and take it from there!

Original poster

homebirthhannah · 06/09/2008 11:29

lulu

That's a good point. I would need to leave my other children with my DH or try and arrange back up. My DH is keen not to miss the birth! But I may have trouble finding someone to have the kids.

OP posts:

lulumama · 06/09/2008 11:31

ask around! family, friends, neighbours, if you use a nursery or CM , ask them about having the chidlren if necessary... most people would love to help out at such a time...

Original poster

homebirthhannah · 06/09/2008 11:32

Lulu,

Yes, I will. I just feel a bit akward I suppose - everyone seems to have such busy lives.

OP posts:

lulumama · 06/09/2008 13:41

yes, but for a few hours, when you are giving birth, most people would be glad to help out

geekgirl · 06/09/2008 14:07

hbh, I had meptid when my d1 was born 9 years ago. I refused pethidine because I'd had a bad experience with opiates (in a medical setting, honest!) and because of all the nasty effects pethidine can have on mother and baby.
Found the meptid great - it took the pain away but didn't seem to affect me in any other way.

Flip