Did you have morphine for pain relief after your c section?

[Cinai2]

I think some hospitals seem to use it, others don’t. Did you have it / needed it / any side effects?

Are you having an elective OP? This is also likely to have a bearing on your pain. Generally with an elective the surgeons obviously have a bit more time to cut carefully and be a bit more gentle so you may find your pain isn't too bad. I had an elective with a spinal which contained Diamorphine (stronger than morphine). This lasted about an hour after surgery then onto a paracetamol and ibuprofen every 4 hours. That was more than enough pain relief for me but appreciate everyone is different. Getting up and mobilising ASAP will also help with this.

Really daft to decline paracetamol... I get frustrated at getting asked to do pain reviews in patients refusing paracetamol.

There's strong evidence for what is called "multi-modal analgesia", we attack pain through lots of different pain pathways, of which paracetamol is very effective (I wont escalate anyone's pain relief if refusing it even after my long explanatory chat).... but totally justified in asking for stronger medication in addition to it

Make sure and take your prescribed laxatives you really don't want to be constipated post birth and dihydrocodeine and oromorph both cause it

Not everyone needs more though, I certainly didn't. And the women on my ward who did were given it without question, as a PP said we were prescribed it as standard and given as needed.

OP, I'd go with your hospital's standard pain relief and see how you go, and just be vocal if you're getting pain. As someone said, it's important to keep on top of it and not miss a dose. Apparently one dose of paracetamol doesn't do much but it's actually quite good when you're taking it regularly. That was certainly my experience while I was recovering and stepping down my doses.

It's not offered to anyone (unless they're screaming in a pain and clearly struggling) as there's huge addiction problems with post op opiates (and most people don't actually need it)... it will be on everyone's drug chart under the "as required" section you just need to ask for it

Codeine isn't safe for breast feeding, just for anyone reading who may think to buy it over the counter, must have dihydrocodeine which is broken down differently

I had 2 cs, and managed well with just paracetamol. But DH was super-supportive

Yes liquid morphine orally (only given iv in post op general anaesthetic csections, and even then not commonly)

Most people don't need it at all, when we follow them up...the dihydrocodeine tablet you get regularly by the midwives is converted to morphine by the liver

What I tell people is we want them to be able to take deep breaths and cough without significant pain, as this is what stops you getting post op pneumonias. You should be able to walk to the loo and the pain be bareable

Def don't wait till the pain is unbareable as that's quite hard to get back from

If your pain is significantly out of proportion to what midwives expect, the midwives call us and we will review and see if we need to get the surgeons to look at you

But please don't worry, what we prescribe regularly is more than enough and by day 2 often have people declining meds (I'd rather they didn't but their choice)

I didn't need anything as epidural was topped up for three days, was only taken out on discharge from hospital.

I was not prescribed laxatives back when I had mine and the constipation I had was so painful I called the hospital - imagine calling with constipation! - but I honestly thought I was going to be ripped apart.

I was offered oramorph with my first but declined because I had a baby to look after!

I had oramorph because the paracetamol wasn't enough - I had to ask for something stronger, and they kept encouraging me not to which pissed me off. I can't think of any other circumstance where they would cut you open to that extent and just give you paracetamol - even for my wrist surgery they gave me codeine.

No and I wouldn’t have taken it if I was offered it. I didn’t find the pain severe post section.

Only paracetamol after two sections - one crash section and one planned. (In Scotland). But was readmitted with a massive infection after second section and had morphine then. It was bloody lovely, and I had no side effects, but I wouldn't haved been in charge of a new wanted it if I'born - I was off my face. (Newborn DD was at home while I was in hospital).

First time I didn’t have it at all, I was discharged with paracetamol and ibuprofen. Second time I had it whilst in hospital but was discharged with paracetamol and dihydrocodeine. Side effects were that it made me drowsy, could have been more side effects but I was only taking it for 2 days and after the anaesthetic I doubt I would have realised.

Yes, was given a bottle of liquid morphine to take home but never needed it.

It wasn’t daft for me. It was my second section and I wasn’t putting up with it the second time.

DD had morphine after her elective last month. She didn't BF.

General anaesthetic c section. Massive leaky induration on very long wound. Paracetamol

Clearly didn't read a word I wrote

I'm not in the UK, but I've had 2 ELCS. I got 10 days of OxyContin after the first one and 7 days after the second one.

And the prescribed paracetamol was those big round pills, so DH got proper shaped ones I could swallow

due to past bad reactions, I had a C-section with numbing meds only . I was ambulatory within an hour of the surgery and the pain was intense, but I had to manage with some regular paracetamol.

Hospital did use morphine as standard, but it’s listed on my chart as an allergen even though it’s not technically an allergen, I just react badly enough they don’t want to deal with the aftermath of me taking it, nor do I. Strangely there is no place to code, just don’t give this person these drugs or it will be really fracking bad and ruin the rest of your shift.

Did anyone suggest caffeine for you? It does sometimes work on spinal headaches and is often recommended as worth trying. Have to get form pharmacists as just caffeine max strength otc.

Mainly paracetamol/ibuprofen but if you complained enough about the pain they would offer oramorph. I think only on the first day though.
(I tried one dose and it did absolutely nothing so didn't bother asking again).

2 c sections in 90s. First time morphine for first 24 hours. In those days you were kept in 4-5 days
second time one doe only before spinal wore off, in effect overnight Then codeine form then for 5 days

if you’re offered morphine I’d be inclined to take it for first night to get good sleep frankly. Sleep deprivation due to pain as well as baby is not going to help you recover or deal with mood swings of post partum.

Yes but only because I couldn't have a spinal as it was a crash section.