caring for baby when doped up on pethidine after c-section

Hi everyone
My docter has suddenly decided that I need a planned c section due to severe SPD and I am booked in tomorrow morning. I have just found out that I will be giving pethidine for post op pain relief (am having a spinal). When I gave vag birth to my first bub I was given pethidine and gas and air for pain relief in labour. It made me completely crazy, incoherent and babbling, drowsy and vomiting. I cant imagine being able to look after a newborn if I have the same side effects this time. My hubby was not planning on staying overnight as he needs to be with our toddler. I know there are nurses etc to help but I am so scared that I dont even hear baby crying or am too groggy/insane to breastfeed. How did you cope with the first 24 hours after the birth?
Thanks
Lynette

Wow, your doctor is making lots of assumptions. I would think that he would at least wait to see if you needed the medication first. You can just say no, and then change your mind later if you think you need it. Is there a reason he is choosing a spinal over an epidural? An epidural will usually stay in a minimum of 6 hours post birth, so would negate the need for other pain medications. Granted a spinal only lasts 2 hours so can make you more mobile but it's not like you're going to be moving around a great deal anyway, and the thing with pethidine is it goes to the baby and can effect lung function, breast attachment etc. especially with long term exposure, like several doses after birth.

How bad is your SPD? I had SPD too, and while it did effect my birth (as in made it very long as it took me a while to adopt the right stabilising posture which was sitting on my tailbone to an angle, plus my baby was posterior) I was still able to have a vaginal birth, and a VBAC at that. Did he spend the time explaining how he believed the risks/benefits of a c-section (both long and short term) outweighed the risks/benefits of a vaginal birth with SPD?

It might be worth asking the questions, looking after a baby and a toddler will be harder after a c-section than a vaginal birth. It was one of the main reasons I pushed so hard for my VBAC because my DD would not have understood the reason I could hold the baby and not her. I'd personally be questioning whether you need the c-section at all. If it's a need then fine, but based upon what you've said, it sounds like the doctor is just trying to go with the more convenient option for him, which will have both short term and long term inconveniences for you.

hi

After my c/sections I was given pain relief by drip for 24 hours, I told them no morphine or pethadine cause of the same reactions, so they have me fentynl which was in my spinal block. I think its a good idea to speak to the anethetist today and tell him your reactions to the pethidine. Speaking to the anethetist is also standard with my hospital before the operation, I would call your OB and ask.

Looking after baby after the c/section I was ok with the drip, its more that you cant move around as you still have a catheter also the inability to move (even though the pain will be covered by the meds), so the midwifes will help you for the first 24 hours or so until catheter removed and you start walking.

hope this helps. I havent had a VB so I cant tell you the difference in care the midwifes offer, however I do know at my hospital they offered me all the help until I could walk and the drip and catheter were out and then they ask you try and walk around as the sooner you walk the sooner you recover.

There is a thread in the c/s support section that has tips, which is great to read and will help you too.

Same as Belle I had fenantyl due to morph and peth problems.
Suppositories work well long term too.
The midwives also took my DS into the nursery the first night and brought him in for feeds every couple of hours.

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I had the same concerns re my birth as Ive had similar reactions to pethidine. On my birth plan - I actually wrote that I was allergic to pethidine and morphine and made them write it down in my medical file too. Fentanyl as mentioned was the other alternative which they ended up using. Ive not had a C section for birth, but had a similar surgery for a health condition - this was when I had the pethidine given to me and reacted badly. I just ended up going without pain meds after that surgery and survived ok.

I had pethedine through my PCA (ie straight into my spine) and it didn't make me sick (as opposed to if I normally have it in a drip).

I had the PCA for 24 hours and the catheter for about 36 hours but was still able to move around a bit.

DH stayed for the first two nights and to be honest he wasn't able to help much as the midwives just kind of took over, but having said that it was reassuring to me just to have him there as I was tired and pretty much in a haze.

With bub due in July I am hoping he will stay overnight at least for the first night but it depends on what arrangements can be made to look after DS. I think it's just easier if you can, but having said that the midwives aren't going to let you or bub suffer and for the first night after a c-section they buzz around you like flies (nice ones) anyway.

Hopefully you won;t have to have a c-section but either way best of luck!

In most cases the nurses will take bub overnight and bring it in for feeds. Dont worry, im sure you wont be left all alone and unable to care for your baby.
Ive had 2 c/sects and now looking at a third and I honestly didnt have any major problems. The nurses are normally very helpful and understanding.

Good luck and enjoy your precious baby!!