Hospital gives only paracetamol+ibuprofen for C-section recovery?!???!

[Scaredmama1023]

I just learnt that my hospital only gives paracetamol and ibuprofen after C-section :(. And for anything else you need to ask and ad-hoc they might give morphine if doctor agrees...

They are such weak medication, I take those for headaches and period pains. To think that's what you get after being literally cut open and stitched back?!?!?! I though I'll be sick hearing this.

I'm panicking, not sure how I'll stick the pain of my C-section recovery. I'm a massive wimp when it comes to pain :(

Ladies... how bad is the pain in like on 1-10 scale where 10 is absolute agony? I guess it changes by day too? And then there is this shoulder tip pain and all. Jeez how did you all cope????

I had 2 c sections at St Thomas. They give you a suppository at the time of the op, then I had morphine as well as paracetamol etc in the 24 hours following. The pain was very manageable, I was in more pain after having ovarian cysts removed.
I was in more pain after my second section, morphine wasn’t working so they gave me codeine. I’d say it took about 2-3 days after the section for the pain to be manageable when walking.

I can confirm having had recent abdominal surgery, no they dont. I was told to have paracetamol at home (I cant take ibuprofen). I heard people coming in for all sorts and most were being told to have paracetamol. Interestingly someone had tonsils out and was being given morphine which to me seemed bonkers as my surgery caused far more pain than when I had my tonsils out. But it seems they are reluctant to provide pain medication for anything unless you specifically ask for it.

Women are “accustomed to pain” due to systemic misogyny in the way women have been treated in healthcare.

You only have to look at the idea that pain relief for IUDs is a new and still not widespread option.

I had paracetamol once in the hospital after I would say it was uncomfortable rather than agonising pain. The only thing that bothered me was feeling itchy and they gave me antihistamine for that

Anaesthetist pov …. You will almost certainly be written up for more than just paracetamol and ibuprofen by the anaesthetist (whether the MWs give it though can be more variable). There is a wide spectrum of how painful people find it though - a lot do seem genuinely fine with paracetamol & ibuprofen but some people need more.

if you have a spinal for a section it will usually have diamorphine in it and that lasts longer than the numbness from the local does so helps with initial analgesia post op. If it’s an unplanned section after an epidural top-up lots of us put diamorph down the epidural at the end to help with post op pain relief again. If they talk to you about a NSAID suppository at the end of the operation then it’s a good idea to take it - they really do work nicely. Some hospitals also regularly use local anaesthetic nerve blocks to help immediately post op.

Most of us prescribe something like dihydrocodeine in addition (never codeine though). Most of us prescribe oromorph ‘prn’ that you can ask for if the baseline stuff isn’t enough. A morphine PCA is very unusual in an otherwise straightforward section under spinal/epidural but is more common after a GA, but even then it’s not common to need it for more than the first few hours after an average section.

taking regular opioids can all increase the side effects including constipation (you definitely don’t want that after a section), nausea, itching. They can all make you feel a bit stoned. It’s fine if you need them, but if you don’t need them then don’t take them just because they’re offered. Equally, severe pain is physiologically bad for you too so if you need the stronger stuff then ask for it. Occasionally needing strong stuff is a sign that complications are brewing and that they need to explore other ideas.

none of the stuff that’s prescribed will interfere with breast feeding (codeine can be a problem for neonates though so that’s why it’s not prescribed for women who are planning to try breastfeeding).

The ibuprofen I got was long acting and I think double strength. It's actually great. While you are in hospital there is oral morphine available as well and they gave me some to take home. But it makes me feel spaced out and gross so I don't think I took any after maybe the first 24 hours at home.

I’m pretty sure we give 3 days of dihydrocodeine as standard. I know other trusts do the same as well.

Surprised others don’t do this.

I think that’s very uncommon, I’ve never come across anyone who has had a section in say, the last ten years, and has been prescribed anything to go home with.

Yeah I wouldn’t have coped with that, I took all the drugs with my c.section. I had diclofenac and codeine plus paracetamol.

See how you go, if you need stronger painkillers definitely ask for them.

The worst pain is from the blood thinning injections. They are awful!

I also just had paracetamol and ibuprofen - the trick is to keep on a strict schedule with it. If you fall behind the schedule, it can be hard to get the pain under control again but as long as you are regular with it, it is really manageable. This is why it's good to take your own into hospital as well so that you aren't waiting for the ward staff to come round with the tablets.
If you need more pain relief do ask though, but I was home the day after my c-section so it was good to be able to manage it with the paracetamol and ibuprofen. The worst pain was the trapped wind 😬 so make sure you have plenty of peppermint tea to help with that!

My hospital while you’re an inpatient gave paracetamol and dihydrocodeine and then once home take your own paracetamol etc. I actually found I very quickly didn’t need any pain relief. My friend at the same hospital asked for some dihydrocodeine to take home and was prescribed it

I was fine on paracetamol/ibuprofen (it was actually diclofenac they gave me to take home) but they definitely offered stronger stuff to women who needed more pain relief on the ward. I wouldn’t panic, just see how you go and ask for more if you need it.

If it’s an elective, I found that a lot less painful than the emergency one, but neither were excruciating, more just discomfort I would say. Make sure you move frequently, the only time it was genuinely painful for me was if I had been sitting or lying for a long time and then had to get up.

It’s not as painful as you would think -
Labour is much worse!! Then you need something strong. A planned c section should be quite straight forward. I only needed paracetamol.

I agree! No other ‘procedure’ or medical event are you told you ‘manage the pain’. Does my head in. If you need stronger medication, make sure you ask for it. Add it to your birth plan.

I had an EMCS and had GA and DS needed to come out very urgently. I got morphine afterwards.

When I had an EMCS it was bloody awful, Even with the morphine suppository I needed stronger painkillers (and was given them) and definitely knew when the 4 hours was approaching for my next dose. I was on the stronger ones for maybe 5 days and then paracetamol for the next couple of weeks I think. I could barely walk for a few weeks and did not feel able to drive for 6 weeks.

Then I had an ELCS and it was a totally different experience. I had some paracetamol the first couple of days when I remembered, and then nothing. I genuinely felt able to drive after 3 days. It was really weird, but I just didn't feel any pain.

Labour for me was definitely not worse than the recovery of a c section. I don’t think you can really compare pain lasting a relatively short amount of time to the pain of surgery recovery that lingers with movement for significantly longer than labour.

I had paracetamol, oxycodone and difene in hospital and then paracetamol/difene when at home. I'm in irl and was a public patient if that matters. For me the worst pain was the shoulder gas pain - peppermint didn't help! I'm sure if you're in pain the doctor will chart it.

I didn't even get the ibuprofen.
Our girl was born in the middle east.
I had pa
Racetamol only.
It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be

Just paracetamol with all 3. The ‘after pains’ whilst bf’ing with my third I felt like I needed something stronger but only lasted a few days thankfully!

The trust we merged with also did it when we merged. I know of at least one other that does.

I assume you can refuse it but the PGD is definitely there for x tablets of it for every woman who’s had a c section.

I was discharged with a week of dihydrocodeine. But I really struggled with recovery. Definitely found labour easier than a c section. But most of my friends who have had c sections were far more mobile far faster than me. One got oramoroh home and never touched it so I do believe I was just quite unlucky.

I had paracetamol and dihydrocodeine, with some lactulose... Honestly I found breastfeeding painful with contractions, and had lots of hip pain- which was why I took the dihydrocodeine rather than C-section pain....
I kept up lactulose for a few days as I was on iron tablets as I lost a lot of blood. It was painful but honestly felt that it was because of 4 days of labour before the C-section rather than the op itself!!!

I had some morphine on the day of my ELCS but just standard painkillers after that. No real pain, it was a bit like a stitch or a pulled muscle.

I think it was diamorphine I had. I had a cannula inserted in my hand a a wee button that I could press every 5 minutes to get a dose.

I've had 3 c sections but all were under GA and when I came round every time I was in agony so was given something extra by the doc and then was fine on the self administered stuff via the cannula.

It was about 3 days of FUCK! sort of pain with my first but I was fine by day 2 with the other 2 sections.

Do NOT let them fob you off or take ages to give you painkillers! Hopefully you’ll have someone with you that will take no nonsense if you get any BS.

edited for typo