Diamorphine, experience with and without?

[silkybear]

Hi all,

Currently pregnant with baby number 2 and need some advice if poss.

DD's birth was going fine on gas and air/tens, baby in good position but the pain was more than I could cope with and I ended up getting three shots of diamorphine.

After that it all went a bit wrong, labour slowed, baby got stuck and DD ended up with a shoulder dystocia (emergency ventouse delivery). I don't remember the pain getting any less but I did forget why I was there at times and my memories of actually holding her are hazy at best.

Has anyone laboured with and without and can advise whether they feel it was better without, or would you get ALL the drugs?

I wonder whether all these problems started because of the morphine and whether I could cope without it this time, at least I could have a clear head to get the job done :)

Any advice appreciated

I have had diamorphine before, just before pushing. I'd had a very long labour and the idea was that it would allow me to rest a little bit before I started pushing. It did take the edge off, but it made everything a bit blurry and turned my Brian to mush. Without going into the whole long story, there was a bit of a hairy 'red button' moment and when the initial panic was over, I do remember slurring "Have I died?" at DH 😂

I have had diamorphine before, just before pushing. I'd had a very long labour and the idea was that it would allow me to rest a little bit before I started pushing. It did take the edge off, but it made everything a bit blurry and turned my Brian to mush. Without going into the whole long story, there was a bit of a hairy 'red button' moment and when the initial panic was over, I do remember slurring "Have I died?" at DH 😂

Sorry for the double post, I'm on the phone app and it does that sometimes 😒

Also that should obviously say my brain. I don't have a Brian.

I thought it was the name of your DH for a minute 😂

Diamorphine (medical name for heroin!!!) took edge off the pain but made me so sleepy and out of it that after baby was born I wanted to sleep more than hold/cuddle baby. Not an enjoyable experience at all.
I am aiming for just g&a this time round.

He was pretty much turned to mush too by the end of it 😂

I had diamorphine in the early stages it made me feel sleepy, my labour was 10hrs and 45 mins, the 45mins was pushing, I ended up having an episiotemy, but also had 2 epidurals so not sure if that contributed to the long pushing time... also my waters didn't break.

2nd dd only had gas and air labour was just over 1 hour and took 5 mins to push her out, also had a water birth.

mangomay your sounds like mine

It made me vomit, itch uncontrollably, talk (more) rubbish than usual and did nothing for the pain. I'm due with #2 in 7 weeks and am planning to use hypnobirthing/tens machine/G&A initially, and failing all that an epidural!

I had diamorphine with my first back to back contractions and vomiting
with my second I didn't have time so it was back to back contractions and vomiting with only gas and air. My third was twins and I had an early epidural and it was lovely no vomiting, little pain and I actually remember that birth(the first two are hazy), it was calm and I was mobile within a few hours.

So in my experience the diamorphine made little difference but a really good epidural did!