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Pregnancy

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Original poster

Pethidine- your experiences

85 replies

Luckyelephant1 · 21/06/2021 12:56

Hi, I'm FTM 37 weeks and finalising my birth plan, specifically pain relief options.

My ideal birth would be paracetamol, Tens, be very mobile and upright and then to be in a birthing pool in an MLU just using gas and air, breathing techniques etc. Of course I know that may not be the reality and I may need something stronger, especially if I need to be induced, or if labour ends up being ridiculously long, etc.

My hospital uses Pethidine as their main opioid painkiller. I can't decide whether to accept Pethidine or go straight to an epidural. I'm kind of leaning away from Pethidine as I don't want to feel totally spaced out and out of control which I've heard is common, and I'm the kind of person who hates feeling out of control. At least with gas and air if you feel spaced out you just stop using it, whereas you can't reverse Pethidine once administered. However I know that midwives can adminster this in an MLU which is a major pro, whereas obviously with an epidural you need to be on the delivery suite (my MLU is attached so I guess that's not the worst thing, but it's just the change in environment etc that might disrupt my flow).

I'd rather not have either as I want to remain as mobile as possible, but interested to hear other people's experiences with Pethidine. Would I be silly to decline it and go straight for an epidural? Did you still feel very spaced out after delivery? Etc...

OP posts:

Mama1993 · 21/06/2021 13:13

Sorry I have no experience of pethidine however I was given something called oromorph - a liquid opioid in the early stage of labor both times I gave birth. I really recommend it, took the edge off nicely before I moved on to gas + air.

Northernsoullover · 21/06/2021 13:20

I loved Pethidine. It was the best part of labour . I was absolutely off my tree and I totally get why that may not appeal to everyone.

Northernsoullover · 21/06/2021 13:21

To answer your question it did wear off quickly. I was fine by the time I delivered.

Nam095 · 21/06/2021 14:11

I intended to only want gas and air but I was induced and the contractions I was having were quite painful so I couldn’t sleep at all as I needed to reserve all the energy I could, so I agreed to the pethidine and I’m so so glad I did. It works almost immediately and it does make you spaced out but it REALLY helps and I was able to get a few hours sleep before it wore off and I woke up again and couldn’t get any more sleep from the pain. To be completely honest I felt more spaced out from the gas and air than the pethidine ha. I had the pethidine around 18 hours before I gave birth though. My hospital only administer pethidine 4-6 hours before they expect you to give birth as a precaution because it makes the baby really sleepy too so they examined me first, so it may also be the case at your place of birth too if you choose to have it so the effects usually wear off by the time of delivery.

I also was completely against epidural before my labour but I was in so much pain I was begging for it, unfortunately for me I was too far gone at that point and continued with just gas and air so I guess I stuck to some of my birth plan 😅

All I can say is just go with what you want at that moment in time. Be as open as possible because you have no idea how you will feel when it’s all going on. Good luck with everything 😊 x

HarimadSol · 21/06/2021 14:23

I had pethidine during my first labour. The tens machine was doing nothing for me. The midwife thought I was a long way off from giving birth, but I wasn't. I gave birth with it still in my system, and therefore in my baby's system as well. We were both spaced out for a while.

With my second, I wasn't keen on that happening again. I was able to use a birthing pool, and I used techniques from Juju Sundin's book Birth Skills. I didn't need anything else. I'm sure it helped that I had a better idea of what to expect the second time around, but I felt so much more in control.

Every labour is different though. That's why I liked Birth Skills - she gives some pain management ideas and basically says if they're not working for you, get some drugs.

Original poster

Luckyelephant1 · 21/06/2021 14:32

Thanks, this is really useful. I'm not averse to drugs at all if I need them, it's more the idea of being so spaced out and also baby being spaced out when born that freaks me out a bit. I've put on my plan that I'd prefer epidural over Pethidine but open to both and then see what happens when the time comes.

Would still love to hear any more experiences in the meantime though!

OP posts:

THATbasicSNOWFLAKE · 21/06/2021 14:35

I didnt rate pethidine at all, made me feel sick and hear things that werent being said. Diamorphine on the other hand was good and so my plan this time is g&a then diamorphine

FeistySheep · 21/06/2021 14:41

I had oromorph when I delivered my first. It had no affect on me in terms of feeling spaced out or anything, but did take the edge off the pain nicely! I would take it again if needed in the next labour. So not everyone gets the spaced out feeling, but not sure how common it is. Not sure if pethidine is different to oromorph either. Sorry if that's not very helpful!

Ohgonthenillhaveabrew · 21/06/2021 14:50

I had this for my third labour was 18 hours (first two under 1 hour from first twinge to baby) and I don’t think I could have carried on without it. I was induced and they do say that is more painful then going into labour naturally. I was aware of what was going on around me and could hold conversations buzzard ones at times but I just felt really hazy and like everything was in slow motion. Much rather than than epidural I wouldn’t be able to hold still whilst they do it

twoofusburningmatches · 21/06/2021 14:51

I had Pethidine early in established labour. Was the middle of the night and helped me get some sleep. I don’t remember feeling very spaced out - but maybe that was because I was sleeping. It worked brilliantly for me. When it was morning and the drug had worn off, I went in the pool and used gas and air. But I had a long labour and I do wonder if I’d been better getting a second dose of Pethidine, letting that wear off and then using the pool/gas and air (which weren’t as effective for me). Good luck!

DGFB · 21/06/2021 14:55

I loved it but also needed an epidural as labour went on for days..

Justgettingbye · 21/06/2021 14:55

Had pethidene with my first as that was the 'next in line' drug after gas and air and tbh I would have had to wait to get the epidural so was a quicker fix.
I fell asleep on it which was nice as I'd be labouring for so long and getting nowhere. Baby was sleepy yes but so was my second where I didn't have it so may not have been down to the peth

Beamur · 21/06/2021 14:56

I found the part of my labour under pethidine very relaxed, I felt calm and focused on 'the job in hand'. Didn't get on with gas and air, that made me feel quite ill. Had an epidural after quite a few unproductive hours of trying and it was such a blessed relief.
Felt as well as you could after no sleep and a C-section and DD had no trouble feeding in terms of lethargy, etc.

Crowsaregreat · 21/06/2021 14:57

It was nice not to be in pain any more and I hugged the guy who gave it to me. However I then felt totally stoned and I vommed a lot. I remember looking in the mirror feeling I was on drugs (which I was) but it was like being out of it at a party apart from in a hospital having a baby. All v weird.

Ended up with epidural and C section, DD and I were both totally whacked and had trouble feeding as a result, whether from pethidine or long labour I don't know. I definitely did not want it second time round.

LittleLottieChaos · 21/06/2021 15:24

I had it, ideally I won’t with this next birth. I gave birth so soon after being given it - it didn’t really kick in until after I’d given birth. My son had to be given oxygen as it passes through the placenta. I just felt quite out of it really, and my partner was terrified as our son was very blue. I didn’t see this as was facing the other way.

Though mine was also born in his sac… so my birth was all a bit weird…

shortpeopleproblems · 21/06/2021 15:30

I had meptid, which I think is similar? I'd been in labour over 24hrs, was fully dilated and not coping with contractions but told I had to wait another hour before pushing as baby was too high.

It did space me out completely but I needed it! I think I slept for the next hour. No idea if I was still contracting, I think so, but not at all painful. I needed a C-section a few hours later anyway. Baby was fine and we had no issues feeding.

Amigobay · 21/06/2021 15:37

I personally wish I hadn’t accepted pethidine when I gave birth. I was disoriented, spaced out and felt so out of control - plus I was still in pain! The only positive was that I would doze off between some contractions. Everyone is different though so no way of knowing how you’d get on!

Mummytomylittlegirl · 21/06/2021 15:40

Hmm pethidine was great in that I got a few hours sleep but wouldn’t do it again as it was too much of a shock once the contractions came back. DD was back to back so it was a horrific latent stage, only got to 3cm before epi but honestly never felt anything like it. They broke my waters, and it went 1-100 once the pethidine wore off. Plus I was pretty out of it which I didn’t line. I got an epidural anyway and wouldn’t have pethidine again- just go to the lovely epidural

Maggiesfarm · 21/06/2021 15:42

You mention paracetamol in your op, I don't think that does very much except for a headache or high temperature. It is hardly in the high analgesic category.

I've never had Pethidine so can't comment on that but I did not know it immobilised people in the way that an epidural can.

Why not wait and see. You may manage quite well without pain relief, many do.

MissChanandlerBong90 · 21/06/2021 15:44

It’s funny how different birth experiences are. Pethidine did absolutely nothing to reduce the pain for me, but I did have a very fast intense labour. I remember yelling at the midwife between contractions ‘this is useless, haven’t you got anything better?’

FTEngineerM · 21/06/2021 15:46

I chose epidural over pethidine when H&M and the pool weren’t enough anymore.

Pethidine can make the baby sleep and not want to feed much in first few hours since it crosses placenta. Also the only one time I’ve taken an opioid painkiller I fucking hated the spaced out feeling, my breathing slowed and I felt trapped in my own body. So figured I wouldn’t enjoy the benefits of pethidine.

How have you been before on opioid pain relief?

FTEngineerM · 21/06/2021 15:47

G&A not H&M 😂

Nat4392 · 21/06/2021 15:47

I was the same as you initially. Wanted a water birth in MLU with gas and air only. In the end I was induced and baby was struggling so no MLU for me. I had pethidine shortly before having to have an emergency section. It did make me feel drunk-like but I also think the pain made me a bit doolally too. I never wanted an epidural and would choose pethidine again (in the end I obviously had both). Honestly when the time comes just take whatever you want. I really wanted minimal pain relief but once it came to it, I was up for having everything!

AnonAnom940 · 21/06/2021 15:48

My labour was fast, which unfortunately we didn't know beforehand! Pethedine did nothing for my pain at all. I was just spaced out and still totally out of it when baby arrives 2.5 hrs after the injection. I wouldn't have it again.

FTEngineerM · 21/06/2021 15:49

@Nat4392 love your last sentence it’s so true😂

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