How did Pethidine affect you/your birth experience/your memory of the birth

[emmx]

Hope this is the right place to post this question:

I just had my first baby in May, a boy, at Redhill East Surrey Hospital. It turns out I had been in labour all day - rushing up and down to the loo with an upset tummy every half hour or so - I thought thats all it was. Hubby got home at 8pm with a curry (!!) and the pains went from every 15 mins to every 5 to every 2 mins apart in the space of about 15 mins. Within 2 hours they were 1.5 mins apart and we started preparing to go to the hospital. Got there about midnight and was told I was 3cm dilated. They put monitors on me and found the baby's heart beat was high so at somepoint they decided to break the water - there was meconium so they decided to continue monitoring me - my waterbirth went out the window! Within an hour I was 4cm and by this point gas and air wasn't doing anything for me (apparently I virtually bit the plastic mouthpiece of the entonox in half!)and my body was pushing involuntarily because the contractions were so intense - my husband was literally having to hold me down on the bed - they offered me pethidine and I was in so much pain I accepted. However after this I have virtually no memory - just snapshots like after a heavy night out on the town! Apparently the pethidine didnt help with the pain and they decided I needed an epidural - I was so out of it with the pain and drugs(so I'm told) my husband had to consent for me (I think!). I ended up getting to 9cm by 6am but they did two scratch tests and decided my baby had to come out NOW and so I went down for an emergency c-section, which my hubby also consented for as I was still on a different planet. I didn't get to see my son as soonn as he was born and my hubby didn't get to cut the cord as they whisked him away to check him over. All I really remember is his weak little whimper as they took him out. He had to be taken away to have a canula put in his little hand poor thing as I tested positive for GBS and they didn't have time to get enough antibiotics into me in the labour (I'm allergic to penicillin). He was away for about an hour before they brought him back to me. He wouldn't latch on when I tried to feed him and long story short he went from 7lb 10oz to 6lb 13oz in the first week because he wouldn't feed properly so we had to formula feed him instead (and he's still not caught up with the other babies born in my group at the same time or after!). I don't know if all that had an affect on him or me - and I know I love him to death but sometimes I look at him and he looks at me and I get the feeling that the look is saying "who are you? I don't know you" and I feel numb for a split second before I can shake it off (hope that makes sense!!). For some reason my parents have stayed completely away and apart from when they came to see us in hospital the day he was born I didnt hear or see them for the first 6 weeks (and its basically stayed like that for the last 4 months apart from when I ring them/invite myself down to see them/invite them up to see us at ourr house) same with my "friends" - both my mum and my friends ahve said they wanted to give us "space" - whatever the hell that means, which also means I've had to cope with no support/advice at all from anyone other than my husband who works in the centre of London and works shift-type hours which means I'm basically "on-duty" 24 hours a day. I'm knackered - but don't get me wrong I love looking after him I just wonder what effect the birth has had on me and the baby - I certainly would do my best not to have pethidine again!

Sorry for the long post! I guess there was more inside me than I thought!!!

One site says it opened in Mar 09, another says it opens in Nov 09?? But they are advertising in parents magazines so hopefully they have some fun things you can take part in.
As I say, the people and services may be in place and working out of local schools, halls etc. while waiting for a whizzy new building to be finished.

back..

im dead set against pethidine, when i had dd2 who is now 2 i was coping very well with a induction on just gas and air until i was transferred to del suite, i goto the trans stage very fast and the labour was progressing very quick.
i stupidy demanded pethidine and the midwives were very reluctant to give it to me, its only now that i have sat and gone through my notes its put that i was thrashing about in bed

i was given the pethidine and then had urge to push, dd2 was born after 4 mins of pushing.. i had a retained placenta and bled heavily

the pethidine had kicked in and i was unable to try and push the placenta
i have no memorys of holding dd or trying to feed her etc and it affected me badly

if i were to have a vaginal birth again i will be sure to avoid pethidine

but like someone has said everyones exp are different

emmx - I don't press him as ds arrived healthy and he might well be telling the truth. In his eyes I might just have been pushing and shouting, although he has admitted that I didn't swear as much as he expected.

I agreed to Pethadine when the midwives kept asking me questions (mostly about a bruise on my leg from leaping off the bed when my waters broke) during strong contractions. This time dh and I have a signal which means 'I'm aware and I can hear you, but I can't answer right now. Just wait until this contraction has finished!'

I plan to do my best to bag the birth pool too and ask for a different gas and air mask, as I was sucking rather than inhaling from the mouth one.

Ahhh, hindsight!

i had pethadine 30 mins b4 delivering when i was 7cm- i had a speedy labour 4 1/2 hrs. The delivery seems hazy bt i then had 2 hrs skin to skin and bfeed sucessfully. the baby did sleep loads in the first 24 hours though but she's always been quite good.

My dp works long hours and it s really tough but I go to baby groups and have found them a life saver- along with a door bouncer- she'll sit in it and I can clean etc.

good luck- sounds like you're doing a great job - with the lack of help, you should be proud of yourself