Morphine instead of Pethedine...tell me more ASAP, cos I am being induced tomorrow??

I have read a few birth announcements and birth stories lately where people have been offered and used Morphine instead of Pethedine.....and just wondered about this?

I am being induced tomorrow :lol:, and hopefully will only need to have a ARM to get things going (I was able to do this last time), but if I end up on the drip, I seriously doubt my abilities to do it drug free again like last time...however my hospital does not offer Epi's (it is a small country hospital, if things get serious there is a larger hospital that offers everything about 25 mins away)....

I have always refused Pethedine in the past because I hate that drunk/yuck feeling, is Morphine like this? Or do you just feel normal????
And are all hospitals able to offer Morphine, or is this just a new procedure for some hospitals??

Just want to know what to ask for should I need it!

Thanks in advance. :)

Morphine is stronger than Pethedine. Both are opiates so if Pethedine makes you feel yuck then I would think that Morphine would too. I have just done a pharmacology course and (in NZ at least) Morphine is not usually offered during labour as it crosses the placenta and can cause respiratory distress in the newborn. The drug of choice here is currently Fentanyl which is a synthetic opiate with less side effects. Good luck xx

Artechim- Thanks for that. Does Peth do the same thing, as in cross through the placenta as well? I now vaguely remember something like that...

Morphine and pethidine are similar in their effects. They are both opiates, and both are likely to make you feel drunk/stoned. The hospital will likely have their own policy on which one they offer to labouring women.

If you are put on a drip to strengthen contractions then you can still use movement to help you deal with the contractions. So make the most of the birth ball, or moving around the bed. Also think about taking a tens machine with you, as well as the heat packs and massage techniques you probably have already thought of. An induced labour does not mean the natural coping methods are unusable, although you may need to concentrate more on staying calm and relaxed as the contractions will have a bit more punch.

Best of luck for tomorrow :D

I think Peth does cross, but it isn't as strong as Morphine so less likely to cause respiratory distress. But it is only a side-effect - not a certainty - most bubs would be fine. Don't mean to worry you.

And yes, pethadine crosses the placenta and makes the newborn baby sleepy. If given too close to birth an antidote will be needed to help the baby be awake enough to breathe and feed, but a baby who has been exposed to an opiate during labour is less likely to be able to feed at the breast straight away without help.

Thanks Traveller :)....it is just the whole consistent monitoring on the bed thing that I hate with the drip. I delivered my last bub with no drugs, (he was 11lb 2oz, hence the induction on my due date this time. Both my other bubs have been induced at 42wks, as they just love my belly too much...but then they also grow a bit too big! As I had a PPH last time because of DS's size, we have decided to induce on my due date this time, which I am comfortable with ), but spent the whole labour in the shower, as because they only had to rupture my waters to get labour going, there was no need for constant monitoring etc.
I was induced with my first with a drip and know what to expect thankfully..but I did end up with an epi because it took about 3.5 days for the induction to work.

constant monitoring is a pain. Ask if they have a portable unit so that you won't be tied near the bed, but if they don't then you can still move around the bed, on the ball, on all fours, etc. It is easier for the OB and midwives if you are on your back on the bed because the belts are less likely to lose contact, but that is their issue not yours and if you need to move around then so be it, it will make your contractions easier to cope with.

Yep, I will be moving whether they like it or not! I am luck that my GP is extremely pro no intervention as much as possible (which is why when she suggests induction, I know she has valid reasons), so I am pretty sure she will let me do what I need to.......she generally turns off the lights, and has the minimum number of staff needed, and clears the room as soon as bubs is born so you can have some bonding time. :)

she sounds fab! It makes such a difference when you trust your care provider and you can go into labour not worrying about fighting or protecting yourself. Hopefully the same thing as happened last time (ARM then natural labour) will happen but it's great you are thinking through all possibilities in preparation for tomorrow.

Good luck for tomorrow, if you react to pethidine morphine will probably worse. I throw up with pethidine for a few hours and then sleep. On morphine I throw up for days.

Pethidine has been removed from most hospitals due to the addictive aspect (possible with all drugs) and the potential build up of toxic by-products with multiple doses. I also believe there are euphoric aspects associated with it that makes it a more attractive drug but I don't have the references and rationales here with me. Pethidine only has a specific benefit for shivering in blood cancer patients so it has simply been replaced with morphine. If there is an allergy to morphine, fentanyl is another narcotic option. I had a remifentanyl PCA infusion with my first born daughter. Maternity has been one of the last areas where pethidine has been an option but that is being changed..

All of them have potential sedating effects and cross the placenta so may impact on the baby at birth for feeding and alertness if the dose is given close to the time of delivery.

I was in your position 16 days ago when i gave birth to my second child and like you they keep getting bigger.(you can read my birth story in that section) I was induced over a few days with gel and had an ARM but the drip was put up once they did this. As you know it's nought to 100 in 5 mins on the drip and i couldn't cope well this time with the pain or get comfy. Even with the cordless ctg movement was difficult for me. DD ended up weighing 10lb7oz. I had the morphine this time and for me it really helped me cope but i could still feel everything. Bub was slow to feed but came out blue after having shoulder dyslocia so was in shock and may not have fed straight away anyhow. I'm not trying to advocate for drugs as i wanted a drug free birth but i'm noy beating myself up about it to much as i think it;s hard enough to birth a 3mth old without the stress of continuous monitoring.
GL tomorrow. Hopefully you won't need the ctg and it all goes beautifully.

Hi and good luck for tomorrow. Just wanted to add my experience with Morphene - i also had a shot of maxalon or something to help ease the queasyness side effect and that really helped. The morphene made me really spacey and i felt off my face. Like really off my face, i was haloucinating (sp) and thought i had already given birth and they were hiding the baby from me :o. I could go on, I was falling asleep between contractions while pushing too. I also didnt have the option of an epi and for me i wasnt coping with just the gas. Tbh, i dont know if i would have it again. I felt like i kinda missed out on her birth cause i wasnt all there, i really dont think it did too much to ease the pain either - i still felt everything lol. Lucky for us though DD didnt seam to get any ill effects, she was bright and alert and fed unassisted straight away.

I hate morphine. I had that after a c/s and I kept falling asleep and I just felt all heavy.. I don't know if I would ever choose that for labour.. nor pethadine to be honest. I was given that with my first son during labour but I don't remember it helping to be honest.

Hey hun.
As you know, i just had bubs and had morphine. For me i found it great. It made me relax between contractions and helped me, mentally, to get through each one as i was having troubles dealing with the pain. It made me feel a little dopey yeh, but i didnt feel it was in a bad way, for me. The midwife did warn me before i had it that it could make bubs a little dopey also when she was born, but they had a drug they can give bubs to reverse it if need be. But when born, my bubs was perfectly fine.
I had pethidine with DS's labour and felt it did nothing for me.

Best of luck tomorrow hun.. just go with your instincts xx