For those who have had pethadine

[Leanne&Bump]

I am planning a water birth & i know i cant have pethadine whilst im in the pool but I will have the option (if the pain gets too much) to have a shot of pethadine but id have to get out of the pool and stay out for at least 4 hours. . . .
Question is . . If i get out to have this will it affect my baby? Ive heard it makes them sleepy?! Whats the pros and cons of having this method of pain relief?
Greatly appriciated!

Leanne 32 Weeks

 

[Sammystar]

I had pethadine with my first and it was awful. They did give me the max dose though It didn't take the pain away, just made me feel completely out of it and scared. My OH said I went cross eyed at one point!

For the first 24 hours my baby slept and slept. She wouldn't latch on for feeds and only took a couple of mouthfulls at a time. She was knocked out and I felt like sh*t as well.

 

[purple13]

i had it and hated it...

others have had it and loved it

for me personally, i'd never touch the stuff again. it made me everywhere and i felt like i'd lost control - the pain was every bit as intense but i was not in a fit state to be able to deal with it. its supposed to wear off after 6 hours and shouldn't affect the baby after that time, but connor was born 9 hours after i'd taken it and he wouldn't latch on to feed for more than 48 hours afterwards. one midwife swore that it had nothing to do with the pethidine, but another said that his was a usual response after a pethidine assisted birth. who knows? but for the sickness and lack of control alone, i wouldn't go near the drug again.

good luck with your water birth! i'm v envious - that's just what i'd have liked if i'd been able.

 

[charlie84]

I didnt want to have pethidine as i didnt want to risk it making me feel sick. I didnt want to feel ill on top of being in labour.
However they offered it with an antisickness drug too. Eventually i gave in and had it. I found that they really pushed pethidine on you at my hospital

All it did for me wa make me sleepy between contractions, it did nothing for the pain whatsoever. I was just out of it for a while but aware of the pain IYKWIM.

Didnt affect Calleigh as it had worn off by the time i gave birth, she was a very alert newborn bless her
Didnt have any problems with her not latching and so on.

 

[daftscotslass]

I found that they really pushed pethidine on you at my hospital

Our hospital uses diamorphine instead but they are pretty similar. I felt the same as you - I had clearly stated to them throughout labour I didn't want it and even wrote it in my birth plan as well. I still felt like they pushed me to have it but stuck to my guns and OH backed me up (if he hadn't I'd probably have caved).

The first night I was on the ward the woman across from me had it and they gave it to her pretty late on in labour but early enough that it still crossed the placenta. Both she and her baby slept entirely through the first night and the midwives actually had trouble waking her when her baby was crying the next morning.

 

[charlie84]

I found that they really pushed pethidine on you at my hospital

Our hospital uses diamorphine instead but they are pretty similar. I felt the same as you - I had clearly stated to them throughout labour I didn't want it and even wrote it in my birth plan as well. I still felt like they pushed me to have it but stuck to my guns and OH backed me up (if he hadn't I'd probably have caved).

The first night I was on the ward the woman across from me had it and they gave it to her pretty late on in labour but early enough that it still crossed the placenta. Both she and her baby slept entirely through the first night and the midwives actually had trouble waking her when her baby was crying the next morning.

See that is why i didnt want it. Refused it so many times but they still insisted. Would never have it again

 

[Sherlock]

OK didn't use pethedine but did labour in water (at home) Had a it of gas and air and a short blast of a TENS machine.

FWIW water is a very good pain reliever and tbh all being well it should be plenty enough relief that you won't need IV drugs.

Pethedine crosses the placenta. Therefore it can make your baby sleepy when born and this can be problematic. Usually its given in the early stage of labour to allow time for its effect to wear off and not make baby so sleepy. It can also mean you will have to be monitored (baby) hence getting out of the water.

If you want to labour in water and have the benefits of it then pethedine will take that away. Keeping mobile unitl you need the water is good. I was about 5 hours in to well established labour before I got in my pool. Till then I managed with about an hour of a TESN machine and breathing and relaxation. I could have had pethedine at home but told MW point blank to not bring it. I'd have to have had it very early on before the pain kicked in and tbh I felt building up a tolerance to the contractions would be better and help me deal with the more painful ones later. Worked for me

Use breathing techniques, relax as much as possible with the contractions not fight or tense up against them and the water will do its job I am sure.

 

[LisaJ1986]

I was given it but far too late. They injected me then very soon after i was pushing. So i had no effects at all and Angel was born and so very alert.

 

[Leanne&Bump]

Thanks all for your comments! I really dont want to have anything - I only want gas & air, im sure ill be able to cope but with me being a first timer im cacking myself a bit!

 

[sarah2807]

I didnt want to have pethidine as i didnt want to risk it making me feel sick. I didnt want to feel ill on top of being in labour.
However they offered it with an antisickness drug too. Eventually i gave in and had it. I found that they really pushed pethidine on you at my hospital

All it did for me wa make me sleepy between contractions, it did nothing for the pain whatsoever. I was just out of it for a while but aware of the pain IYKWIM.

Didnt affect Calleigh as it had worn off by the time i gave birth, she was a very alert newborn bless her
Didnt have any problems with her not latching and so on.

that's what happened to me too. I wrote in my birth plan that i didn't want it and even told the mw when i arrived and they really pushed me to have it-I onder why????. In the end I agreed. I don't know if it helped or not. I had quite an easy birth and like charlie said I felt spaced out and sleepy but that could've been the gas and air too. I was given an anti sickness drug too so felt ok and my Lo was born very alert. I was glad I had it tbh.

 

[LisaJ1986]

Thanks all for your comments! I really dont want to have anything - I only want gas & air, im sure ill be able to cope but with me being a first timer im cacking myself a bit!

I said that. Then when it came to it i couldn't stand the gas and air and they gave me the pethidine. But i wish they gave me it earlier as i was 10cm and pushing! Lol. So i didn't even do anything for me.

 

[happy-chick]

I had it and it was horrible, it helped with the pain but it made me feel so sick that i had to have an anti sickness jab. It made me really drowsy and also made ellie drowsy and i had difficulty feeding her at first because of this x

 

[abcd1234]

I had it and it worked brilliantly. i was only 1cm when they gave it to me and they aparently gave an anti sickness thing with it, i was quite worked up before it and it helped me calm down, it must have also taken the edge of the pain too as i felt much more able to cope with the contractions, i didnt lose control and was very aware of everything i was doing, my labour wasnt long and when it came to pushing i was very controlled and it was great.

I've never really considered it before but it may have made her sleepy, she was alert when born but after we took her up to the ward she slept for ages, maybe it was just she was tired, being born is hrd work after all, or maybe it was the pethadine.

Before my labour i was VERY against pethadine, and if i have another i will write my birth plan the same as last time, saying i only want gas and air and water, i never got water last time. I wasnt sick at all from the pethadine and i'm obviously one of the lucky people that it agrees with.

The injection for the placenta didnt agree with me though and i puked everywhere after it

 

[lea m]

I had pethedine with my first and made me sick as a dog! I couldnt even keep water down and they had to put my on a drip! (as well as the drip I already had the help induce me! )
With my next 2 I had diamorphine! Now I didnt want it tbh but didnt have the option of a water birth and was scared at the thought of an epidural so i just agreed to that! I wish I hadnt but cant change it now! I really cant remember that much of the births apart from being so tired! I was totally out of it! It really ruined it for me and I would rather go without anything this time than have it again!
But then everyone else I know who has had it has been fine with it! I think it affects people differently!

 

[nori]

Well im glad i read this thread. I would love a water birth too if i can. I think i will pass on the pethadine though!

Claire x

 

[Xena]

I had it with Lydia and I hated it. It did nothing to ease the pain and just made me violently sick.

 

[Bagpuss17]

I had it and it worked a treat for me, didn't make me sick at all and helped me deal with the pain brilliantly. Did make me sleepy but I had a long, slow labour so it helped in that respect as I was able to get some sleep after being in labour for 12 hours with not a lot happening.

I wouldn't hesitate to have it again this time around.

Baby was fine afterwards too.

 

[lisa282]

I had it last time but it just made me violenty . Didnt help at all with the pain so was a waste of time. I think I most of it out my system though so it wouldnt work. Will NOT be doing it again this time! Going for a waterbirth instead to help with the pain, and g&a which worked a treat for me last time

 

[Jayceesmumma]

I had it with both my girls and it didnt affect me at all..
With my 1st i was scared so that made it more painful i think as your concentrating on the pain. With my second it hurt more but i dealt with it much much better! Plus i learned to use the gas and air properly by then and it was gr8!
My 1st, i was in bed the whole time..(13hrs from water breaking)
My 2nd i was very mobile, walking abut my room (had my girls in the same room-how cool), leaning over the bed etc and it was soo much easier and a bit quicker (7hrs after water break-2days of engaging and contractions)
My advice for a 1st timer, is (try) stay calm - your body knows what its doing you were built to give birth, try as be as mobile as possible - gravity is your friend during labour! Learn how to use the gas and air properly - used correctly its great just makes u feel high lol you forget the pain (although some people are sick on it - once you stop breathing it in it wears off right away, another bonus of gas) breathe it in just before the contraction and by the time the peak of the contraction hits youll be gassed up , keep hydrated - i found lucozade still sports drink refreshing, try and eat when you can (not too much lol) and finally, ENJOY! Youre about to become a mummy! Congrats
xxx

 

[hennaly]

I had it with my first but never again, i hated it.