opinions on pethidine wanted

[jills10uk]

Hello mums
I was wondering if anyone could give me their experience on pethidine. I'm hopefully going to give birth in a home from home unit where gas and air and pethidine are the only pain relief options and i wanted to hear people's experiences with it good or bad.
Thanks

 

[Gene]

Hi
I had one dose of pethidine and felt that it didn't really do much for the pain but made me feel more relaxed if you know what I mean. I could cope a bit more with the pain if that makes sense. I had an anti-sickness injection with it which seemed to do the trick. I did vomit but much later after the dose and I am a sickly person anyway
I started with the gas and air alongside the pethidine and my DH said I had some amazing conversations with famous people who I thought were in the room!!!
I only had one dose and kept to gas and air for the rest of the labour.
Hope that helps

Gene
xxx

 

[kellie80]

I didn't really like it. It didn't take away much pain just kept making me fall asleep in-between contractions. Plus I never really knew what was going on.
I had 2 injections of it with my second birth and one small injection with my 3rd but it was only give minutes before he was born (he came quicker than expected) I didn't really want anything to do with him for the 1st hour after he was born I just lay there spaced out which is a bit sad.

 

[charlie84]

The same as kellie80 said, it just made me sleepy between contractions, and i never really knew what was happening around me. Had to ask OH about the amjority of my labour because i couldnt remember.
I still needed the gas and air for the contractions.

Didnt really want it but the midwife kept saying you will be able to get some rest with it. Had the anti sickness injection with it as i kept saying i didnt want it incase it made me sick.

 

[Xena]

I had pethidine when I had Lydia and it made me violently sick and did nothing for the pain

 

[hennaly]

hated it, i used it for my first but never again.

 

[happy-chick]

I didnt like it, made me feel really drowsy & sicky. I def wouldnt have it again.

 

[Urchin]

I had it too late in labour (had Riley 10 mins after) and after I had him I felt really sleepy and kept closing my eyes while I was holding him.

It didn't make me feel sick though.

 

[Suzie and Faith]

I have no experience of it but i don't like the fact it crosses the placenta.

I'm having a homebirth and in my area it's not an option to have anything other than gas and air with a homebirth!

 

[Sammystar]

I had loads of it with my first baby and it was horrible. I was completely out of it, but still in loads of pain.

My daughter was asleep virtually non-stop for the first 48 hrs and it was difficult to get her to feed.

 

[maybebaby]

I made the decision when I was due to have my son that I wouldn't have pethidine. I didn't like the idea that it crosses the placenta and can affect the baby. I also read a lot of reports from ladies where it had made them feel 'out of it', sick or drowsy. I didn't want to feel out of control, and to be honest if the pain had been so bad I felt I needed something I would have transferred to hospital.

I stick by my decision and will be making it very clear that I don't want to be offered it this time round.

 

[fran_23]

when i first got to the hospital they gave me a shot to relax me as i wasnt dilating- it made me sleepy so i could nap a bit between contractions but made me trip a bit- it did nothing for the pain- sort of just makes you a bit more relaxed- but it wore off really fast in about 2 hours!
however it did the job coz i had my baby 4 and a half hours later after being in labour for about a week..i guess when you relax a bit you dilate easier..i know it makes some ladies feel sick/vomit but i didn't feel sick.
i'd probably have it agin next time

 

[Foxxi]

I had it too late too...had it about 10 mins before DS was born.. To me, I didnt feel any change at all.. it didnt make me sick, or sleepy.. But DH said that he could tell the difference in me straight away.. he said that it seemed to calm me down.. but I beg to differ!

 

[Minxy]

I'd heard so many horror stories that this was the one thing I'd ruled out before labour.

In actual fact, as it was the only thing I could take whilst still on the ward and I was in considerable pain pre 4cm (when they take you down) I went for it.

I never regretted it. Was the strangest feeling. I could still feel the pain but I didn't care. It's an opiate like heroin so you can be totally spaced out on it, as I was. I had no side effects like nausea or seeing spiders run up the bed (as a friend did ) and liked it so much I ended up with another dose later on.

 

[Misslarue]

I wish I'd never had it. It made me pass out between contractions, which were still very painful. It felt like I was really drunk. I think I would have coped better with the pain if I was more focused.

 

[kazlin]

To be honest, I felt it did nothing for the pain. Two mates of mine swore by it, so I was a bit disappointed that it didn't work for me!

 

[mum2A&L]

i had one dose which helped me sleep, and i had a 2nd dose not long before alice was born. I would have it again to help me sleep, but not when i was getting closer to the end if you know what i mean.

 

[pilkers]

The first dose was great... I was jabbering away to nobody, totally tripping out. It didn't take the pain away fully but I was so high that the pain didn't matter. I even had a phone conversation with my sister who said I was "completely mental" off it

Then I had a second dose about 5 hours later and it was awful...I have never felt so rough in all my life. Time seemed to stand still...i had no awarness of anything that was going on and it made me loads.

Didn't have it again after that

 

[gems]

I had pethadine and it made me feel really relaxed and floaty in between contractions but as far as pain relief goes it done nothing to help. If I ever give birth again I won't be having it as I feel it didn't help me. xxxx

 

[fran_23]

The first dose was great... I was jabbering away to nobody, totally tripping out. It didn't take the pain away fully but I was so high that the pain didn't matter. I even had a phone conversation with my sister who said I was "completely mental" off it

Then I had a second dose about 5 hours later and it was awful...I have never felt so rough in all my life. Time seemed to stand still...i had no awarness of anything that was going on and it made me loads.

Didn't have it again after that

lol i tripped out too i thought the crappy painting at the end of my bed was amazing and told anyone who'd listen to me all about how it was a salvador dali and it was my fave (lol it was not, it was random and i'd never seen it before)