Diamorphine

[mandspice]

Just a curiosity really - did anyone have this as pain relief in labour? I read yesterday that it's actually heroin...? Surely it can't be too good for baby?!

I've had morphine before after an op which I must admit was divine but it just seems strange to be given heroin, even if it is controlled! x

 

[daftscotslass]

I refused it. The midwife didn't sell it either, she likened it to drinking a bottle of neat vodka, after effects and all.

Here's what I posted on the pethidine thread:

We didn't get offered pethidine at our hospital, only diamorphine (which is fairly similar). It was the only thing I outright refused the whole way through. I really felt like they were trying to push it on me when I was in a lot of pain and I'm glad I had written it in my birth plan I didn't want it and had told OH. In hindsight I'm glad because it meant Becky was alert from moment 1.

The woman in the bed opposite me had it fairly late on in her labour but early enough that it crossed the placenta and she struggled to get her little boy to wake long enough for a feed. He also had to be cared for the first night because she couldn't stay awake or focused enough to look after him.

Edit: And yes it is heroin (one of the first hits I got when I looked it up was the link to a police website!) but purer than the street stuff!

 

[smile]

it is heroin - but pure and controlled and when given for pain is as safe as morphine - and in some ways safer as it works much quicker and gets out of your body quicker too.

Don't worry - most of the illegal drugs started their lives as havign a use in medicine and a lot are still used somewhere. There is a big difference between having a one off dose when you are in pain and beign addicted and havign multiple doses every day throughout your pregnancy!

Codeine, Pethidine, Morphine and Diamorphine are all related and are all called opioid analgesics. All of them can cause problems if used in pregnancy (mainly withdrawal symptoms in bubs) and have similar side effects (nausea, constipation, dizzyness) and need monitoring to make sure you are ok when you take them (ie they will do your BP, check your breathign rate and conscious level etc). With this monitoring and used only when neccesary they are very safe for you and bubs.


(think about paracetamol - two tablets at once for a headache = correct dose and perfectly safe, 20 tablets at once for a headache = overdose and likely liver failure and slow painful death)

hope this helps.




Personally I hate opiates - I don't get on with codeine and so refused the pethidine when I was in labour - it is great for pain though - (as long as you don't mind a hangover!)

 

[Becky]

I had this during my labour but about half way through. I then ended up having an emergency section so I'm not sure if it had passed to baby but I remember I was so tired before the pain releif that I don't really remember much.

What I do remember is that our hospital offers pethedine and morphine and gas and air but no epidural. When I asked the MW for something (I was too tired for the gas and air and not managing it) she asked what I wanted - I told her she knew best so give me what was best in this situ.

Baby was born fine in the end - she was alert and fed quickly. I really think its best to talk to the midwives and ask them before labour about pros and cons because by the time you want the pain relief you don't want to be having the conversation about merits of one or another.

 

[mandspice]

Thanks for your advice girls. I'm seeing an anaesthetist soon as I'm high risk so I'll make sure he explains all my options in full xx

 

[Full of hope!]

I had it and thought it was fantastic! It didn't take the pain away but made me feel really relaxed and able to cope with it much better. Jacob was fine when he was born, I didn't notice any effects of it on him, he was quite alert for a newborn

 

[sparky]

i've had it before but not for labour/birth...killed the pain plus i was off my tits....which i quite enjoyed at the time

 

[fothers]

MW talked me into having it as I hadn't slept for 2 days due to false contractions and was labouring through the night. She said if I took it at least I would be able to rest a bit and have the energy to push.

It didn't take the pain away but I was totally chilled out and dilated really quickly after it. Maisie was fine when she was born- really alert and fed well.

I had a fantastic birth experience- really chilled out, tranquil and enjoyable- even though I hadn't wanted to use anything like that. I also used my tens machine all the way through which gave me something to focus on during the contractions.

 

[lea m]

I had it with mine as pethidine made me very ill and although I wasnt as sick with diamorphine, I will not be having it this time! I cant really remember the moments after the birth etc as I was off my face each time! I dont want to do that again!
Also, with my second son, they gave it me late! It started working after I had him! He had to have his throat cleared to make him breathe and had to go under that light warm thing (None of this I remember! I didnt even know until OH told me a couple of years ago! )

I dont know if that had anything to do with the diamorphine but....
I just wish I would have been braver and had an epi with my 2cd and 3rd!

 

[Weez]

I had gas and air, diamorphine and an epidural. The contractions were manageable for long enought but when I came out of the bath when I was 7cm dialated and became really intense and I needed something so got taken to the labour suite at that point, was given gas and air (which I didnt like to begin with but got used to it), then got diamorphine and felt out of my face. Personally I would recommend an epidural, it was a fantastic thing. Didn't feel a thing.

 

[Redshoes]

I would ask your MW about pain relief options, there are many and not all hospitals offer the same. Some will cross the placenta and effect baby, and so worth being aware of this, obviously there are some very strong drugs used during childbirth but its hardly drug abuse, it is controlled as others have said. Very best wishes

 

[Strangeness]

I had diamorphine when having Aaron and it was awful! It made me totally out of it for about 20 mins, then I threw up loads and then Aaron just went to sleep. They were giving me internals to try and wake him up but he just slept the whole time. I ended up with a c section, not sure if it had anything to do with it but they said a sleepy baby doesn't really help you out.