Pethadine

I am thinking of having this for the 1st time, can everyone share their experiences

[moms4ms]

I've never heard of it!?! Tell me more!!

[Starfish]

I only know that you should have it in the early stages, as the drug goes to the baby and makes it very drowsy.
It will be given an antidothe at birth if the effects og the pethadine is still in effect.

Is it morphinebased? I`m not sure.
I remember my mother had it with my very much younger sister.
She got "stoned" but then again, she can`t even take strong painkillers without acting like she`s drugged.

Friends have said that it makes them lose track of things.

All in all what I have heard is that the effect on the pain is good, but that most people don`t like the drug itself.

I personally would not have taken it.

Hi! Pethidine is known as demerol in the U.S. It is used in the early stages of labor for pain relief. It is usually not given in the later stages of labor as it can cross the placenta and enter the baby's circulation....................Good Luck.........Dave

Thanks Dave, I know the timing has to be just right and it is said to take the edge of the contractions, but nothing more.

I will have to look into it more I think.

[Cath]

I just stumbled across this while reading.
I did have demerol while in labour with one of my boys but know it did not take long for me to want something stronger.

Pethidine - For decades this painkilling drug has been given to women in labour. It is given by injection into a muscle, usually in the thigh. Midwives are able to give pethidine so there should be very little delay in getting it. It generally takes effect within 15 to 20 minutes and lasts three to four hours.

Got mine in the butt..OUCH

[firefly]

If it is indeed demoral,and you are going for pain relief..I'd opt for something else.
I had it with my eldest(after begging for hours for something,anything) it imo did very little.

With my surro-daughter I had something called Staydol,and while it sure did make in-between the contractions enjoyable..it was almost annoying since it makes you sleepy and then a darn contraction jolts you awake again.
So while not all so great for pain either(IMO) sure would like to see em bottle that up for take-home

[ABCgs]

I've had Nubain with the last 2 deliveries and would highly (no pun intended) recommend it! It was AWESOME! I was able to rest between contractions and it took the edge off just enough so that I wasn't a total basketcase.. LOVED IT! and I'll do it again next time!

[ChicagoGS]

Staydol was awful! You would feel woozy and sleepy, and then all of the sudden you'd be screaming in pain - totally unprepared for the contraction to come. I couldn't focus on my breathing! The nurses love to push it on you to "take the edge off," but it's far worse because you can't focus. I ended up getting an epidural anyway, and then I was just falling asleep for a couple of hours because of the shot. I'd stick with breathing through them, or getting an epidural.

Nubain sounds good

No way would I ever have an epidural as I have heard horror stories of how it can take weeks to get back to normal if they hit a nerve......

[Starfish]

I got the worst itch and my back was bad for almost a year.
I would still have had it again. ;)

[NsrchOfTSNFL]

When I had my first pregnancy I was "supposedly" carrying twins in a pieces postition but they wouldn't confirm it with me for sure. You see back then 20 years ago and on assistance then, they didn't tell you anything, but I could hear them talking and 4 specialists were in the room as I also had a low lying placenta.

I refused to travel over an hour to the hospital in labour so I got a copy of my papers and went to the nearest hospital to us about 15 min away. I was in hard labour for over 16 hours! This nurse "terry" kept calling the Dr. and telling him how uncontrollable I was being and she would then shoot me up in the iv with more demoral!! I was having trouble breathing on that stuff and she wouldn't listen to me.

Long labour made short here, I went into the delivery room and my mom, fiance' and sister were in the doorway watching. I remember pushing and being told to breathe. My daughter was born blue and not breathing, they had to work on her for a while to get her to breathe and then I heard her cry. I was in labour still and the Dr. didn't know what was wrong with me untill I started screaming! He then looked up there and felt and said "OMG there is another one!".

They threw my family out of the doorway pulled the shades and put me out completely. I woke up in a room tucked in like a sardine. I immediately started to cry hysterically and push the button like a thousand times per second! The nurse ran in the room and asked what was the matter and oh looks who's awake!. I told her I wanted to see my babies and she brought in my daughter. I asked her where my other daughter was and she told me there wasn't another one. I argued and called my mom, she said they threw her and my family out and they didn't see me until I was being wheeled to my room. They gave me something to calm me down again and kept me for over 5 days.

I had over 1200 stiches inside my body and they are telling me nothing happened!

After fighting for many years and still requesting the paperwork that so conveniently goes missing from my records, I have no answer as to what happened to my other child. All because of demoral and a horrible nurse. I am going to confront the Dr. soon. I have tried before but he never returns my phone calls.

Here we are 20 years later and I can only say, I wish I had not let them give me any pain meds that strong for that long of a time.

Stadol does work but it doesn't take the pain away it makes it intensify during the contraction.

Sorry to ramble, goodluck in what ever choice you make.

Sincerely.

[merseyside mum]

Hi Liz, I had pethidine with all 3 of my own kids, and also with Master Brogan, it's the only major form of pain control that I'm willing to accept.
Won't do the epidural, too much can go wrong near the spine for my liking.
I've only ever done the gas and air, and pethidine, it does take the edge off, and make you drowsy in between contractions so you can relax, but isn't really that effective for a long labour. Luckily, I seem to have quite short labours.
Next time you see your midwife, I'd ask her all the pros and cons about it, and see what you think then.
Love to all
Andrea xxxx

[sonomasurrogate]

Liz S: I don't know anything about it, but I sure wish you the best of luck.

BrendaLee, I mean NsrchOfTSNFL, it is hard enough to be in her position, I don't think that your information is a benefit especially since your story has already been told and known to be fraudulent. I thought you understood the meaning of being banned.

[longtimecoming]

Hi,

If you need 2 other drugs to counteract side effects, it might be worth a miss. It's a bit tricky predicting how long a birth will take. FWIW, and here's a little info from the 'net,
Kate
IM via TS/26 wks.

Narcotics may have the following side effects on the mother:

Nausea
Vomiting
Itching
Sedation
Decreased gastric motility
Loss of protective airway reflexes
Hypoxia due to respiratory depression
Your doctor may give you a medication called Sparine to prevent nausea.
How will the narcotics affect my baby?
Throughout pregnancy, you were probably aware that medications you consumed could potentially affect your baby. Narcotics also cross the placenta during labor and can cause the following side effects to your baby:

Central nervous system depression
Respiratory depression
Impaired early breast-feeding
Altered neurological behavior
Decreased ability to regulate body temperature
For these reasons, having medication to counteract the narcotic is essential for your baby. Naloxone is a medication that when given in small doses can reverse the respiratory depression that narcotics cause without creating more problems. This drug may be given intravenously, through the muscle, or through an endotracheal tube (small opening in the throat) to your baby. The effects of Naloxone can be seen within a few minutes and can last as long as 2 hours.

What types of narcotics are used during childbirth?
The most frequently used Narcotic medications are:

Demerol (also referred to as meperidine or pethidine)
Morphine
Stadol (Butorphanol)
Fentanyl (Sublimaze)
Nubain (Nalbuphine)
Demerol:
Demerol is a popular choice for pain relief during labor. Demerol alters how you recognize the pain you are experiencing by binding to the receptors found in your central nervous system. The advantages of Demerol include:

Can be given by injection into the muscle, given intravenously or by a Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA) pump
Demerol also starts working in less than 5 minutes
How can Demerol affect my baby or myself?

Demerol can cause drowsiness, nausea, vomiting, respiratory depression, and maternal hypertension (low blood pressure). If injected within five hours of delivery, Demerol has been found to cause breathing difficulties in babies.

[TSsurrogatex1]

Brenda Lee


They will never learn the meaning of being banned I guess.

[Kcat]

I've had some type of meds injected into my IV. They made me feel like a drugged out person in severe pain. No FUN! It wasn't worth it for me. I like to feel in control, that was not helping. I do wish they's come back with the Pudendal, right before birth, it numbs your whole butt and vaginal area, NO Burn!No pain! You can laugh during delivery, No kidding!
I have had Darvocet for after birth pains, in a pill form. That works great. I don't think I'll ever opt for an epidural. Way too invasive for me, and far too many risks. I've done it four times without one I can do it a fifth, LOL. (I'm laughing now)

Good Luck in choosing what's right for you.

[jackie]

With my first I had staidol (sp?) my second I went in at 8cm, and I had to do it natural, my third I didn't have anything but an epidural, with Maddie my OB gave me Dilaudid and OMG! That stuff kicked butt! It worked wonderfully!

Jackie

[Erin Smith]

I had an epidural with Kaela and it was horrible! I felt like a brick wall fell on my legs! I was a dead weight and could not move at all.

IF I am allowed to attempt a VBAC then I will go natural with a doula. I waited until I knew I was going to have a csection to get the epidural. I tolerated labor just fine.

I was lucky and did not have any complications with the epidural. No headaches or nausea!

Good luck in choosing what is best for you!!!

[ilana]

I am fairly sure that most hospitals don't use it here because it can be passed over to the baby.
I've had it years and years ago in 1978 when I smashed up a leg and hip fairly badly when my trail bike collided with a car. It is an effective pain killer and doesn't have the side effects of morphine which I can't tolerate. I didn't like the effect of drowsiness but when you are in real bad pain with broken limbs it is good pain relief.
A girl friend who had it in childbirth said it wasn't that effective. Different sort of pain I guess. Epidural seems to be the best or a spinal and you really don't feel pain then.