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Childbirth

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

Original poster

If you had a c-section.... I am doing a small survey!

117 replies

pupuce · 30/03/2005 18:09

Spurred on by the discovery that two of my clients who had a first c-section after a long labour (and took no or very little pain killers after their emergency section), they went on to have planned section for their babies and were both on pain killers at least 7 days (if not 10!) after the birth.... so here is my question.

If you had a planned (meaning NO labour) section - how many days did you take pain killers for? The section can be for a medical or just "elective".

If you had an emergency section after a labour (please say if it was induced and if you had pain relief in the labour not just for the section) - how long did you take pain killers for?

I am wondering if the fact that your body makes endorphins in labour (endorphins are hornones that have a -strong - pain killing effect) leads you to need less pain killers after the c-section.
My 2 clients were very surprised to be in so much more pain this time, they had assumed (as I probably would) that a long labour and a section would be the worst of both world.... Is it a complete coincidence or is there a trend. I am sure it won't be black and white of course !

Your help is much appreciated

OP posts:
swedishmum · 30/03/2005 20:11

PS was induced simply due to baby being due 1 year to the day after twin2 from previous pregnancy died from left heart hypoplasty - my decision entirely - didn't want the 2 days to be the same for sad/happy reasons (was 39 weeks pg at the time with no complications). 3 pessaries needed.

Homsa · 30/03/2005 20:15

I had an emergency section after approx. 18 hours of labour (not induced, but had syntocinon drip to speed things up, and an epidural). Took Diclofenac (I think!) and Paracetamol for 4 days while I was in hospital, but skipped a dose here and there because I didn't really feel that I needed it. I continued to take Paracetamol for a few more days, but that was more for my extremely sore boobs than for the scar ...!

jamiesam · 30/03/2005 20:29

Hi

I had emergency section after around 12 hours of labour, not induced. Gas and air, pethidine or morphine (sorry, can't rem. which) and then epidural before cs for distressed baby.

Had around 24 hrs serious pain relief (bad memory comes into play again, sorry) then just paracetemol or similar which I quickly didn't need, remember little heaps of tablets backing up in the drawer of beside table!

Pleased to see experiences look like a mixed bag as I will be 'too posh to push' next time (I hope there is a next time) on the advice of consultants and 'electing' for a cs.

swedishmum · 30/03/2005 20:35

Was v keen to have c section this time as well (after 7 years) - it was an easy option pain wise for me, but dd ended up arriving in double quick time the regular way. Wouldn't have swapped the experience for the world.

ionesmum · 30/03/2005 20:35

When I came around from the GA following my emergency section I thought I'd been disembowelled. I took so much morphine I was on the celing, and needed painkillers for ten days. The post-op pain was more severe and I still got twinges in my scar a year later.

With my planned section, I kept waiting for the epidural to wear off and the pain to start - and no pain came! I was so surprised and relieved. Of course, it was sore, but nothing like before. I needed pain relief for ten days as the scar got a bit red, but the long-term recovery has been so much quicker.

biglips · 30/03/2005 20:36

i had emergency c-section and was on painkillers for 2 -3 weeks...

Hulababy · 30/03/2005 20:36

I had an emergency cs after an induction (for being overdue). The induction started ont he Wednesday morning but the first two lots of gel didn't work. Had the third on Thursday evening, which led to very painful contractions (well constant pain actually , no peaks and troughs so to speak) and which caused me to be physically sick all the time. Around 5/6am I had paracetamol, which did nothing. At about 7am on Friday morning I had pethidine, which helped me sleep. I was also put on a syntocin drip. Later int he mornming I had an epidural when the constant pain and sickness returned.

At about 8am, when still only at 2cm dilated, I agreed to a cs - had that at 8:45pm Friday night.

Drip, etc. as removed at about 8am Saturday morning, and I was able to eat, drink, shower, etc. then. Had iron tablets (lost a fair bit of blood) and painkillers whilst in hospital. Left hospital with painkillers on Monday morning, but only for that day. I then just took the odd one (generally pain caused as I had tried to do too much!) over the next couple of days or so, but maybe only 1 a day if that.

biglips · 30/03/2005 20:37

coz i had a pain on my right side of tummy where the baba laid inside my belly

biglips · 30/03/2005 20:37

oh sorry forgot to mention - i had a induction

Amanda3266 · 30/03/2005 20:38

Hmmm! I ended up with a section after a failed induction. The Prostin gave me dreadful back labour pains which I tried every concievable position for (Having been a midwife I knew them all)! Oh how my advice came back to haunt me when I found that they made .... not a sod of difference.
The section was fine and I needed little pain relief afterwards, mainly because I was so numb (muscles and skin felt numb) and this continued for several days. Two years later I am still numb around the scar.

binkie · 30/03/2005 20:40

Two cs, first was failed induction -> emergency cs, second was planned so's not to put dd through same as ds. I know I was given painkillers, but to be truthful I don't really remember needing them much, either time. Pet theory is that of course people's pain thresholds are different, and (sort of following on from what aloha says) can change - I had a very severe (close to fatal) appendicitis as a teenager and CS total doddle in comparison (for me! - not suggesting would be for everyone)

So your current clients may, perhaps, be people whose thresholds for that kind of pain just are on the low side?

applepie · 30/03/2005 20:40

1st c-section - emergency. Induced with gel, syntocinon (drip), waters broken, epidural which was topped up twice. 16 hours labour, dilated to 8cm then emergency c-section. Needed di-hydracodeine for 4 days and paracetomol for 3 further days. Very sore for a week or 2.

1nd c-section - planned. Had a drip (not sure what) for 12 hours and then took paracetomol for 3 days, and felt nothing like the pain I had first time round.

louli · 30/03/2005 20:42

I've had two emergency c-sections after long labours. Both times I took pain killers in hospital for five days and then a few days of nurofen as and when needed. I also took 200c arnica from the day of the ops.

karenanne · 30/03/2005 20:45

my 1st pregnancy was emergency csection after 18 hr labour with an epidural.was up within 6 hrs and no pain relief after the 1st 12-16 hrs.
2nd pregnancy was elective epidural didnt work so had to have general .was in bed for 24 hrs before getting up and pain relief for about 10days afterwards.i said just afterwards id rather have tried labouring for a while and then had another emergency.
the first seemed much easier and less painful.perhaps when its people whov had more than one section the pain is more to do with being cut in the same place.

coldtea · 30/03/2005 20:46

I had my 1st section following a 19 hour labour. I only reached 5cm so it was put down as failure to progress( i had the hormone drip for several hous too) during labour i had gas & air a pethadine tablet an unsuccesful epidural & finally a morphine like something! I had chronic afterpains (was given 2 pain relief injections of something for them!) & was on painkillers for about a week.

The 2nd wasn't elective either i was induced after being 9 days overdue(they broke my waters) i had 7 hours of labour before my dd got distressed & as i had only progressed 2cm it looked likely that history was repeating itself so rather than take risks i had my 2nd emercency section. I had a succesful epidural with this labour & got no afterpains. I felt fab & was off the painkillers before i even went home!

Both my babies were back to back.

rogan2001 · 30/03/2005 20:54

planned c section cus baby was breech, morphine for 24 hours that day, then nothing else. I think i was very lucky, we all had c sections in my room of 4, the others were hobbling around 2 days after, and i was bounding around, no pain at all. Got told off by the hv, cus i was doing the hoovering when she came to visit at home on day 7.

jud2905 · 30/03/2005 20:54

Hi

i had a planned c-section for breech birth. Was up and mobile approx 8 hours later and took pain killers for approx 6 days but not as frequently towards the end of my hospital stay. had to increase them for the first day or 2 at home as load of rubbish about take it easy when you get home - impossible with 4 children!

hermykne · 30/03/2005 21:05

1st prenancy , emer c-section after 13hr labour , gas and air 4 hrs prior to op, and painkillers for 3 days then paracetemol.

2nd preg, elective, heavy dose painkillers sligtly longer, 4/5 days, then paracetemol whenever.

ghosty · 30/03/2005 21:10

Pupuce ...
I had an emergency section after a long labour with DS and was off the morphine within 4 hours on those little brown triangle things (can't remember the name) for a couple of days and then only took paracetamol for about 10 days afterwards.
With DD I was induced, but had very little labour before she was born by c-s (just mild period pains really) and was on tramadol for about 2 weeks ... was in a lot of pain for much longer ...
So that backs up your theory ....

JanH · 30/03/2005 21:21

pupuce, I had 4 "planned" sections and only needed strong painkillers for about 3 days - IIRC! (Big if there, mind you - long time ago, memory hazy.)

First section was in the US and I think the painkillers were stronger and given for longer there; here I seem to remember that after a couple of days they were asking "do you need these or would paracetamol be OK?"

The need for paracetamol lasted for quite a while - tended to need it only towards the end of the day though.

Sorry if this is too vague!

bluebear · 30/03/2005 21:22

Ds - emergency section after active labour for 48 hours - no pain relief offered after morphine drip wore off - didn't realise I could ask for some - was in mild pain from scar (plus numbness and pins and needles) for 10 months - couldn't hold baby for long it hurt so much.

Dd - vaginal but complicated delivery with shoulder dystocea causing a lot of damage..even longer active labour - painkillers for 2 months due to damage. Guess I am just a big girl's blouse.

Henda · 30/03/2005 21:25

Hi Pupuce. I had emergency section after eight hours of induced labour with no pain pain relief. Afterwards i was waiting for the pain to kick in, (thinking to myself, this is major surgery, its GOTTA hurt) but i was pleasantly surprised. It was little more than bad discomfort, no real "pain" as such. Mcuh easier to deal with than i imagined. Was sent home on the third day with a pile of powerful painkillers, but didn't take one! Hope this is helpful

charlie95 · 30/03/2005 21:46

ds, induced at 42 wks, popped and fully dilated quickly, tens machine first, then gas/air, couldn't cope with that, managed without for few hrs, then pethidine, then slept, then couldn't push him out, given spinal block for ventouse delivery, fialed then already ready for emer. c/s. painkillers for approx up to 2wks after birth . (4yrs ago)

dd - elec. c/s. painkillers for wk and half (2wks old now).

i wasn't in total agony from section - just discomfort, slight pain once in while that catches you plus enormous thick dressing didn't help - probably made it feel worse.

nutcracker · 30/03/2005 21:52

Erm Dd1 was a planned section and i had drugs for about 10 days after i think.

Dd2 was emergency section after 2 hours of labour and i think i was on drugs for about a week afterwards.

Ds was planned section and i was on the drugs for about a 5 days to a week, but was allowed to self medicate which was fab and made me feel sooooooo much better knowing that if i was in pain i could take something straight away without having to wait for the midwife to give it to me.

LuvMyBaby · 30/03/2005 21:54

Hi Pupuce, I have just read through this thread and am really shocked at how many inductions result in a c-section which is what happened to me. I was induced at 40 weeks due to pre-eclampsia, through the four day labour I had gas and air, 3 epidurals. For the c-section I had a spinal, then after the morphine pessary inserted, followed by another the following day and then sent home with 2 types of painkillers which I took for around 7 days.