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????

@ConfessionsOfAMumDramaQueenthey dont necessarily give more for a hysterectomy. Lots of people in a group I follow online having hysterectomies and being given paracetamol and ibuprofen as standard.

It really does seem they try and avoid giving pain medication out for anything. I had surgery recently (very large cyst removal along with ovary, fallopian tube and a bunch of endometriosis and scar tissue removed) and was told to make sure I had paracetamol at home, wasnt even given anything to leave with and they know I cant have ibuprofen or any anti inflammatories.

I had dihydrocodeine but had an allergic reaction to it and came out in a rash. Also liquid syringe of morphine maybe? Isomorph I want to say it was called.

Personally I found it quite painful but I’m a massive wimp! I was on my buzzer as soon as I knew I could have more pain medication!

That said it can’t have been that bad as pregnant again now and planning a c section.

Period pain is definitely worse for me

Good comparison. I agree. My period pain much worse than c section.

Ask for dihydrocodeine (or how it’s called), you can take it while breastfeeding. I demanded it immediately before I even felt any pain and took religiously dehydrocideine, paracetamol and ibuprofen for the first week. I can say that this did the trick, I never felt any pain whatsoever. I’d do the same again, no need to be a martyr and be in pain when drugs are available.

I think you both need to ask for a gynae referral re period pain because that's not normal.

Makes me glad I had a c section abroad! Had shitloads of Percocet, was off my head and kept falling asleep, but nothing hurt 😳

I know exactly. Its a major op. They'd likely not do that with any other operation.

I know from my work its quite common practice so its odd seeing on here some women haven't been given proper pain killers.

Mine was less than period pain, and my periods aren't great but they're not that bad. Thinking about though, the period type pain was I think the afterpains, the actual section was pretty much painless for me.

i had oramorph and asked to be sent home with diahyrcodine after my dr friend told me to ask… so def as for that: it’s so painful, para and ibuprofen don’t touch the sides!!

This is barbaric. I think men get more for a vasectomy for goodness sake 😂 but seriously, I’ve never had a C-section but for other surgery (not major abdominal) I was given more pain relief than that. What is this world coming to, women are expected to care for a new born and recover with paracetamol

Reading this thread, isn't it weird that some women are just describing several days of absolute agony, and others were strolling around Tesco on day 3 pain free.

I was the latter (though it was Waitrose) and I'm a total wimp with pain, like pathetically bad. So it's not that I've got a high pain threshold or brave, because I'm neither. I also was in my 30s, overweight and unfit.

So why does it hurt for some women and not others? Is it the skill of the surgeon? Is it just (but both of mine were equally fine). Mine were electives, which can make a difference but some women here are describing a lot of pain after electives.

It's obviously surgery so it should hurt, and I was expecting it to hurt. But clearly that can range anywhere from zero pain to agony, and I just wonder why.

Same.
The first day for me was ok until the spinal wore off completely. Then the next day when I had to get up was awful. Really quite bad pain. The dihydrocodeine was the only thing that helped a little. Stepping back into my house at home (and the car drive back) was not fun at all. Trying to get in the shower over the bath I had to get my husband to help me.

Then sitting up in bed at home every couple of hours to feed the baby at night was not pleasant. Or going from sitting on the sofa to standing up. I would say it was about day 3 I started to feel a lot better. And by day 5/6 I felt a lot more back to 'normal' but yes going very carefully for a very short walk outside.

I think you both need to ask for a gynae referral re period pain because that's not normal

It's normal for me and a lot of other women. Like millions of women I have painful periods. Also like many women I didn't have much, or even any 'pain' after my c-section. A bit sore and tender maybe as you'd expect after an incision, but not actual 'pain' . Like, if you rest and don't poke around with it it doesn't hurt.
Not the case with period pain.

Not long had my second c section and was completely different to my first !

With my first I only had paracetamol and ibuprofen and left hospital after 24 hours.

My second I had paracetamol, ibuprofen and Dihydrocodeine. This is a new medicine and is safe with breastfeeding.
I stayed an extra night in hospital to help with recovery and I then had morphine. You have to ask for morphine specifically, they won’t just give it you and you can’t get a prescription home for it. I was able to have a prescription for Dihydrocodeine and I took it at home too

I was in ICU so had some pretty strong pain killers ,morphine I think to begin with but then Voltoral and the ibruprofen and paracetamol.

I was the latter (though it was Waitrose) and I'm a total wimp with pain, like pathetically bad. So it's not that I've got a high pain threshold or brave, because I'm neither. I also was in my 30s, overweight and unfit

Same. I'm a complete wuss with pain but c.section didn't hurt that much at all.
Obviously it twinged if I moved too quickly or prodded it to see if it still hurt but the answer to that I found was don't prod it. I think we've been lucky and would be curious to find the answer to your question.

i just said i need stronger and got stronger - i got some morphine and codeine given to me i believe as well as ibuprofen and parcatamol

I was home the next day anyway so took my codeine then once home for a few days and then back down to just the others and i was fine

I did not feel too much pain at all post c sections. I think I took paracetamol for less than a week. It really surprised me- I’m not particularly tough or anti pain meds- just didn’t need them.

Ive had one c section (15 years ago) afterwards when I became conscious I was given 2 paracetamol and 1 ibuprofen and told to stick to that every 4 hrs, switching it up between that and 2 ibuprofen and 1 paracetamol, but only taking 3 tablets every 4 hours.

I could only feel a bit of pain when it was coming up to the 4 hrs, ready to take them again.

For me the aftermath wasn't that painful as the 3 tablets every 4 hrs seemed to cover it.

I had paracetamol but in a iv drip, that was the norm in my hospital, where I was. Paracetamol in iv acts very differently and works very well. A nurse topped me up with tablet form and got slightly told off by the doctor saying I should have had through IV as it is so much better. So you may want to check how the paracetamol is delivered, as IV form is very strong and works well.

I was allowed Diclofenac and paracetamol. To be honest, the recovery (3rd section) has been amazingly fine. No issues at all. But I think it’s because I’m not scared to move around this time. I’m walking and moving. Resting when I need. Using wheelchair when I needed in hospital. 3 day stay.
i gave birth 5 days ago and off pain relief now.
every birth is different. Fight your corner if you feel you need something after birth. But don’t go in fearful. Recovery can be great!

After kidney transplant I had Oxycodone for a day in High Dependency Ward, and then paracetamol. Wasn’t given any painkillers on discharge three days later. It was fine.

I have had two planned c-sections in which everything went to plan. I needed to be on a morphine drip after one and was pretty bed bound afterwards needing top up oral morphine after the drip was taken down, but then I was fine with just paracetamol and ibuprofen after the second c-section, and was up and about within a few short hours.

I was offered dihydrocodeine but declined it as can make you very constipated which I didn’t want after a section!

I was fine on paracetamol and ibuprofen. I had my second c section in 2024. I didnt feel any pain at all really.