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

[pupuce]

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

I had an emergency CS although I was expecting it (breech baby; trial of labour).

I was on pain killers for approx 10 days.

First section long labour then emergency c section- quick recoovery not so painful (can't remenmber details)
second section - elective- very painful recovery- painkillers for ages (although the hospital kept forgetting my pain relief)
third section- 7 hour labour then section- not as painful in absolute terms as second, but on painkillers for a long.

3rd recovery was closer to 2nd, than second was to first. Maybe its having lots of scar tissue there already that makes it painful? Also way more brusied with each section - the deliveries were progressively more awkward. I asked about that this time- and apparently due to scar tissue.

I had 2 sections - one unplanned, emergency, the other a planned elective. Have to say I had very little pain and discomfort with both of them. Both times i was up, walking around the ward, making my bed, and generally mobile/active long, long before ladies on the ward who had 'natural' births. Only had painkillers for 48 hours each time.

I had a planned c-section because DS was breech. I took pain-killers for less than 24 hours.

I had about 7-10 days of pain relief after an emergency c-section (I was induced and technically in labour for 9 hours before the c-section which was under a general). I had morphine for about 3 days immediately afterwards then pills (what I can't remember) for maybe a week afterwards (sorry, memory rather hazy). Found the pain really bad for the first 2-3 days, very hard to get out of bed and lift ds out of his cot. Thank heavens they let dh stay with me in hospital!

1st cs due to dd coming feet first, no labour. Painkillers for 8 days but was still in pain a lot of the time (not major pain, but enough to notice).

2nd - 45 minutes of labour, started by placenta detaching (and coming first). Painkillers for a week again, but no pain with them this time. As far as I can remember I had the same ones, paracetamol and voltarol.

Recovery from second was better, but ds was in NICU for a week so I was sat around on the ward with my feet up, and got a good nights sleep every night .

Hello! my first section was anemergency after a VERY long labour and i was on pain meds for a good couple of weeks, and had a lot of discomfort for months afterwards (section went without complications and no infections afterwards), second baby was planned section and was just fine had pain meds for about a week afterwards at most! went away to visit family in the south when baby was 2 weeks old and felt like my normal self! although i have heard its common that a c-section can kill nerve endings around the incision area and therefore you feel less sensation of pain in that area the next time! Not sure how accurate this is, but it would make sense.

I recently had a c-section after a prolonged second stage of labour (2.5 hours) with only gas and air. Took very little pain relief afterwards - perhaps for one or two days only. There were two women in my ward who had had elective c-sections and they appeared to be in a lot more pain than I was.

Had emergency section. Not induced. Gas and Air only in labour. Needed pain killers for couple of days only.

Had emergency C section after 12 hours of labour, had gas and air, pethadine and two epidurals (!!) was on painkillers for 10days after the section.

It has taken me a while but I have added all the results... THANK YOU ALL for responding.

128 caesareans are counted (a few had details which were not specific enough to get into my spreadsheet - sorry)

44% were elective/planned - NO labour involved
55% were emergency with some labour

7% of the emergency sections had no pain relief except ON THE DAY and that is the same for 3% of the planned ones.

At the other end 15% of planned section required pain relief for more than 12 days and only 5 %of the emergency ones did.

In between 1 and 12 days it is roughly the same...

I was trying to find out if the fact that you had a labour (and therefore your endorphins had kicked in made the need for pain killers less). There is so many stories that I might need to go through this and examine what pain relief the emergency sections had IN labour.

Some said 2nd section was less painful and others said the opposite, some said planned was less painful than emergency and others disagreed!

So not sure I have proved ANYTHING but I appreciated your effort in answering.

pupuce
i have only scanned this thread, so apologies if i am repeating something, but i had cs under general and they had to let me come round completely before allowing me any pain killers. apparently if you have a spinal block, they turn that down as they turn the morphine up. once you have experienced the fun of coming round from the general, everything else is chicken feed!!! I had a morphine drip over night (which i emptied with no noticable effect apart from dropping my bp to something dangerous) and then pain killers (incl anti-inflamatory) for 3 days. when i left hospital i stopped taking anything and didn't notice any difference.

sorry - no labour as it was at 33 weeks.

I had emergency section after 2 hour 'fast' labour. gas and air during labour then epicural for section. took pain killers (Voltarol - amazing stuff) for about 10 days. Had loads left over and find it great for skiing injuries too!!

i had planned c sec.(breach baby) and it was agony. had morphine drip for 2 days had to have pethedine injection in leg cos someone made me laugh.took pain killers for weeks and even now 6 years on i get pains. have nasty scar tissue. put me off more kids.dont know why anyone would choose it.i guess its not always like that.

emergency section at only 3-4cm dilated (had v high temp 39.9) on intravenous antibiotics, epidural, had had paracetemol, diamorphine and gas and air - waters had been broken for 3 days. Had voltarol suppository in theatre, a couple of inj of morphine post op then just painkillers at bedtime - was spending alot of time traipsing round to special care for the first 4 days so kept missing medication rounds!!! Only used about two or three doses of voltarol when discharged, - csection i feel was fabulous!!! would probably have been better if planned though rather than as an emergency

i had a planned section 4 days prior to my due date due to the fact that i have metal rods and screws in my lower spine / pelvis that restrict the birth canal

i did not go into labour and had a spinal block (as opposed to epidural)

i took paracetamol afterward for about 1 week to 10 days - i wish i had something stronger than paracetamol (which did not effect breastfeeding), because i was in pain which the paracetamol just played with - morphine would have been very welcome