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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Diamorphine

18 replies

lowra · 11/01/2011 19:26

Hi, was wondering if anyone had any experience of this as pain relief when giving birth and whether it was useful.

My friend said she had it and it really worked for her. I would like to try it rather than go for an epidural but not sure if it's even offered in every hospital.

OP posts:
Habbibu · 11/01/2011 19:30

Had it with dd - worked for a bit, but made me feel quite drunk. the problem is you can only have it once every four hours or so, iirc, so if you ask for it too early, it's a bit of a PITA when it's worn off and the humungous baby is crowning 2 hours later...

phoebebouffet · 11/01/2011 21:50

Hi ive never had it but it does seem to be the drug of choice these days, I had Pethidine with ds1 4 yrs ago but all my friends who have given birth recently seem to be having it so I think it is widely available, but I'm not sure why it has changed from pethidine to Diamorphine, have heard the same as Habibu though makes you feel drunk. I'm interested to see what other relies you get

phoebebouffet · 11/01/2011 21:51

sorry 'replies'

midori1999 · 11/01/2011 22:18

I had meptid (sinilar to pethidine but supposed to not affect the baby as much) with my first baby and diamorphine with babies two and three. I found the diamorphine great. I am not sure it helped the pain as such, I think it just made me so off my face I just felt detached from the situation and wasn't affected by the pain.

I am hoping to manage with just G&A this time (as I did for babies no.4 and 5) but if I wanted more pain relief I would choose diamorphine over pethidine or meptid if I had the choice.

doricpatter · 11/01/2011 22:22

I had it and my memory of the two hours afterwards is zero, so I thought I slept. DP tells me otherwise Grin. The bad thing is it was only two hours until DD was born and she needed naloxone because she was so drugged. The good thing is I totally sharpened up, DP says it was like I came round, when the second stage started and I remember the second stage (all 14 minutes of it!) and the birth very clearly.

Carnival · 11/01/2011 22:55

I had diamorphine and immediately projectile vomited. Felt very woozy, but it totally numbed the ripples of pain up my sides and back, which I just couldn't bear any longer. I had been induced with prostaglandin gel three times to bring on the contractions and it was agony. In saying that, I had to be reminded of both the vomiting and the pain ripples later (apparently I was visibly rippling with ripples!).

Looking back, I wish I'd just gone straight for the epidural, as I had that a some hours later anyway. I hope not to have so much pain relief this time, and that my birth commences naturally and on time, rather than 13 days late!

crazybutterflylady · 12/01/2011 10:49

I read in the mumsnet book that diamorphone is the medical term for heroine Shock that put me off it. I am not keen on the sound of any of the others either because I hate that drunken woozy going to be sick feeling.

I am fully aware, though, that once I get in there I will be tearing the midwife's arm off for anything she offers Wink

crazybutterflylady · 12/01/2011 10:49

Duh heroin, not heroine.

jcp123 · 12/01/2011 12:52

I had diamorphine with DS1. The first dose worked was very effective, though made me sleepy. The second dose, 4 hours later did nothing.

When DS1 finally arrived (I'd had an epidural and forceps by then) he was very sleepy and difficult to feed. They said this was because of the diamorphine. I had to stay in hospital an extra day till he could take milk.

BeautifulBlondePineapple · 12/01/2011 13:22

I didn't want to take diamorphine or any other opiate because of the sleepy effect it could have on the baby. Had an epidural instead and it was wonderful (could feel everything but no pain).

2 years later I had an op on my knee and they gave me morphine. I was as sick as a dog. I'm so glad I didn't have it when I was in labour!

midori1999 · 12/01/2011 13:28

I have to say, the reason I don't want diamorphine (or pethidine/meptid) this time is due to it potentially making the baby sleepy. (It does apparently depend on how close to delivery you have it)

I had it close to delivery both times. DS 2 breastfed straight away. DS3 did not and they thought he was sleepy due to the diamorphine. That may have had an effect (they gave him an 'anitdote' to it) but he has Downs Syndrome and had two holes in his heart, which weren't diagnosed until over a day after delivery and this was actually the reason he was so sleepy and couldn't feed.

Phlebas · 12/01/2011 14:02

I had diamorphine into my spinal with my sections - the pain relief is amazing, I was in no pain at all for 24 hours (didn't have any other pain relief) & up and about within hours; didn't have any of the drunk/woozy feeling, remember everything & didn't feel out of control (obviously didn't affect baby at all either) BUT it made me itch & scratch uncontrollably which is something that happens in a small minority people. It was awful - particularly affected my face & in all the post natal pictures I have sores from where I couldn't stop scratching (I even cut my nails really sort the second time to try and avoid :( ). This time I'm going to ask them not to use it - I'd rather have the extra pain, it was horrendous.

Phlebas · 12/01/2011 14:05

Oh & I've had morphine before & it didn't make me itch at all BUT I was very sick despite the antiemetics & felt I completely out of it (on a pump after induction for IUD so that was actually quite welcome).

MrsSawyer · 12/01/2011 14:07

4.5 years ago I had diamorphine with DS1, one shot at 3am, another at 9am, and when i asked for at 1pm, they said baby was too close and he was born at 2.55pm, it did make me sleepy but i actually felt great on it, and didnt have any effects on ds1, so i was fine on it.

MissCKitty · 12/01/2011 14:40

I had diamorphine in a drip after an emergency section. Pain relief from it was fab but it made me violently sick, made my skin itch like crazy ALL over and left baby dopey and unresponsive for about 48 hours.

Bunnyjo · 12/01/2011 15:09

I had diamorphine with DD, I had been in labour for 48hrs and was on the syntocinon drip and IV antibiotics (membranes had been ruptured for over 2 days by this point) - they put the syntocinon up too high and I had what felt like a 30minute contraction - the CTG showed the massive contraction and the midwives immediately dropped the syntocinon back down a level and gave me diamorphine - I was that out of it with pain I muttered something about gas and air and I remember the midwife saying 'Oh no, love. You'll need something much stronger than that after what you've just been through!'. It was heaven as I was able to sleep in between contractions and, when DD was born 5hrs later, she was very alert and fine.

BeautifulBlondePineapple epidurals actually contain opiates! They usually contain a local anaesthetic such as lidocaine AND an opiate suck as morphine or pethidine.

Bunnyjo · 12/01/2011 15:10

such not suck

trixie123 · 12/01/2011 19:26

had morphine during induction also and was off my face - wittering on about god knows what apparently. Baby was fine but my memories of the first 12 hours are hazy to say the least. I also had horrifically itchy shins to the point where I scratched them and bled. Had no idea that was morphine related until I read this though -m I assumed I was allergic to the bedsheets or something!

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