For women planning to breastfeed

[Alleig]

I thought I would just share something that you are often not told when discussing your pain-relief options. I had diamorphine and this significantly impacted on getting started with breastfeeding. Diamorphine often makes the babies very sluggish and slower to respond to the normal impulses to feed but no one told me this before I was shot full of it. If I hadn't been more determined to keep going I probably would have cracked and not fed him myself.

I was in a situation where there were no free delivery suites and this this was the only pain relief option open to me at the time. I really wish I'd held out for a water birth which would have eased my pain - it's exactly that feeling you get craving warm water when you've a heavy and painful period - and my little one would have been born alert and probably would have fed earlier and better.

The diamorphine also affects your will to push. This resulted in an epidural and forceps delivery for me in the end and I ended up in hospital for a week and weeks of pain afterwards, all of which interfered still more with breastfeeding.

At the time I felt desperate for pain relief but I know now that next time this is a factor I need to consider. This isn't meant as a scare story. I just think people do need to know that it is a factor to keep in mind if you are offered it. Breastfeeding is a wonderful experience and I'm so glad I did it (still going strong after 8 months). But I nearly lost out on that experience because he wasn't up to feeding and his weight loss put a lot of pressure on me to give up in those first few days.

Just keep it in mind.

 

[BunnyN]

Well done for sticking it out with BFing!

Of course not everyone has the same experience but I think it is good to be aware of the possible results of any birth option. It bugs me that it's often swept under the carpet that pain relief drugs have side effects. Not that it's wrong to use pain relief options but it's unfair on women that they don't always get all the information needed to make the right choices. My mum had a difficult first birth with my brother and received lots of drugs. She said it was a week until he was properly awake and he had problems feeding too. She then had a drug free HB with me and she said the difference in my alertness was remarkable. My younger sister was born in hospital but she was determined to have another drug free birth because of her experience.

Hindsight is a wonderful thing and all you can really do is what seems best at the time so I think it's important not to feel like you did it 'wrong' but sharing your experience might help other women.

 

[Alleig]

I agree and I wouldn't deny people the choice. When you're in that much pain it does become difficult to refuse pain relief. It's the fact that I wasn't told though that annoys me.

 

[Jojo84]

ive decided against diamorphone - it was originally in my plan but ive decided against it - partially for this reason, but also because im scared that i trip on it like i have done on some drugs before

 

[mrswoody]

I had diamorphine as I was desperate for some relief from the pain and didn't want an epidural.
After nearly 20 hours in labour with a back to back baby I was exhausted.
Unfortunately I ended up with an epidural and ventouse delivery which was out if my control.

Epidural also passes through the placenta which causes baby to be sleepy and be a little lazy with feeding too.

Your midwife should really discuss this with you at your appointments or in an antenatal class.
x

 

[Sophie_P]

I had diamorphine & baby bf within 10 minutes of being born for a whole hour.

 

[hellywelly]

Women also need to be aware that you can get very drowsy sleepy babies which don't feed even when you haven't had any pain relief! I had a quick labour with no pain relief and massive feeding problems. I too turned down pethadine because I didn't want to risk a drowsy baby and in the end it made no difference. I was really upset when breastfeeding didn't go well due to my drowsy sleepy sausage as all I kept thinking was "why doesn't she wake up properly, I didn't get any drugs"!!

 

[Alleig]

Every baby and birth is different I will acknowledge. However, given that this can have a significant impact on the post-natal recovery period for both mother and child it is odd that it isn't mentioned by the clinical staff.

 

[mirime]

I wouldn't have pethidine again but thats because it did nothing for the pain, just made me drowsy and confused. DH says it made things worse! I ended up having an epidural, which actually did stop the pain. I don't know if my little boy was drowsy as he got taken off to SCBU as he was born too quickly for all the fluid to have been pushed out of his lungs. Got to see him again the next day and it did take us a couple of days to sort out the breastfeeding.

 

[BunnyN]

I wouldn't have pethidine again but thats because it did nothing for the pain, just made me drowsy and confused. DH says it made things worse! I ended up having an epidural, which actually did stop the pain. I don't know if my little boy was drowsy as he got taken off to SCBU as he was born too quickly for all the fluid to have been pushed out of his lungs. Got to see him again the next day and it did take us a couple of days to sort out the breastfeeding.

Do you know if pethidine may have been a factor? My biggest reason for avoiding it would be because it can effect breathing.