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September 2016 Moms
KimmySchmidt
member
Quick Questions (June)
KimmySchmidt
member
Hi All!
I thought it might be nice to start a "Quick Question" thread. A place to shoot off a question you anticipate will have a straight-forward answer. Sometimes those questions get a little lost in the randoms thread, but they don't seem important enough to start a thread of their own, so leave 'em here. (I.e. Does my SO have to get a TDAP vaccine if this is my second child? Am I supposed to fast before my GD test? Etc)
Of course big questions that will likely start a debate can and should have their own thread (i.e. circumcision, med/med free births etc.)
I thought it might be nice to start a "Quick Question" thread. A place to shoot off a question you anticipate will have a straight-forward answer. Sometimes those questions get a little lost in the randoms thread, but they don't seem important enough to start a thread of their own, so leave 'em here. (I.e. Does my SO have to get a TDAP vaccine if this is my second child? Am I supposed to fast before my GD test? Etc)
Of course big questions that will likely start a debate can and should have their own thread (i.e. circumcision, med/med free births etc.)
Re: Quick Questions (June)
ETA: stupid bump ate my post! If he starts kicking hard I usually move my legs and he quiets down.
Also, he's got so much protection in there...shouldn't this NOT affect him?
DD 10/4/02
DS due 9/28/16
What pain meds were you allowed to take post-partum? Was it awful to deal with or was Tylenol/ibprofen enough to curb the pain? And were those even allowed if you're breastfeeding?
I'm imagining the post-partum pain to be worse than labor. I can tolerate intense pain when I know it's going to be over (like getting teeth drilled without Novocain), but I can't stand that lingering achy pain that just draaaags.
My sister had a C-section and was prescribed percocet (oxycodone and acetaminophen) to use at home after but found that she was ok with just some Tylenol.
Charlotte born at 28w3d due to severe IUGR on 12.24.2012 Merry Christmas!
Missed M/C discovered 12.22.2014 at 8w1d measuring 6w3d
2015 was a year to test strength of both body and character, but it led us to this... BFP 01.26.2016 EDD 9.30.2016
My question is this: will I feel ok to go to work afterwards? I assume each person is different but I hear stories of women crashing, feeling horrible, having to nap, etc afterwards and am wondering if I need to rethink my work day following my appointment.
For reference, the only time I've felt such intense pain was the day after surgery when I woke up and my meds had worn off.
Edited to add this: Obviously in my situation, the doctors believed the benefit of taking all that medication outweighed the risk of the mediation because I was in a lot of pain. I trust their judgement on how much I could take. I even have 10 Tramadol left that I weaned off of because I didn't feel comfortable taking too much. But I think it goes to show how much you COULD take if there was a benefit to it.
@Sbrown721 - Yes to body parts.. clearly elbows and even a little foot once or twice. All maybe 30+ weeks
Re pain postpartum: I had a vaginal birth with very little tearing. I took Advil for maybe a week. I used it as a preemptive measure, and not because I was feeling extremely pained.
We usually have 3 different types of patients--Those who need to really take their pain meds on a schedule, those who take a couple motrins in a 24 hour period, and those who take absolutely nothing during the whole postpartum period (really these are just vaginal delivery patients but we do have c-section patients who take one or 2 motrins a day and are totally fine).
Pain meds in the hospital are ordered two ways by the OBs--scheduled or PRN (as needed). At our hospital, we have Motrin that you can take every 6 hours, Tylenol that you can take every 4 hours, and Oxycodone (either 5 or 10 mg) that can be taken every 4 hours. Usually the 10 mg of Oxy is only for c-section patients, unless you have a really bad tear. It is up to you if you want to take the Oxy or just stick to Motrin and Tylenol--just depends on how you are feeling. Our hospital is currently in the process of switching all meds to scheduled but I am thinking that many hospitals may still have all pain meds ordered as needed.
You can ask your nurse when you are admitted to the postpartum floor if your pain meds are ordered as scheduled (in which case the nurse should automatically bring the pain meds to you when it is time for them) or PRN/as needed (meaning that you are technically responsible for asking the nurse for each dose of pain meds that you need--she does not need to automatically bring them in when they are due).
So, @PoodleDoodleOoo, if you are someone who wants to feel as little of that lingering pain as possible, I would suggest making a plan with your nurse when you are admitted. Ask her if the pain meds are ordered as needed or scheduled on the floor. If they are scheduled, just clarify with her that you really want your pain meds brought in automatically on that schedule. If they are ordered as needed, ask her if she can please bring them in whenever you are due for them, as if they were scheduled. Also, tell her if you want to be woken up at night to stay on schedule (we do recommend this for people who have a lower pain tolerance so that you don't fall behind on your meds but it is totally up to you!) You may be surprised though--some people really feel little to no pain especially if they have a vaginal delivery with no tearing! So if you feel like you are actually feeling good, you can try spacing your pain meds out a little bit and see how you do. Your nurse should pass this plan on during report to the next nurse, so that every nurse taking care of you will know that you just want your meds brought in on a schedule. It is always a good idea though to let each nurse know when you meet them that you want to take the meds on a schedule so you are always on the same page.
There are other patients like @AnnaS930 who seriously take nothing the entire time! With these types of patients, they really don't ask about pain meds, and we don't make a plan. We just tell them the pain meds are always available when and if they need them! These patients will just hit their call light if they end up needing the occasional pain med and that will work well for them. So on the flip side, if you are someone who feels pretty good after delivery and you don't feel the need to take pain meds on a schedule, I would let your nurse know this on admission. This way, even if your pain meds are on a schedule, you can let her know you really just want to call out for them as needed. This will save her a lot of extra trips to your room and will save you from being asked all day long if you want your pain meds.
I just wanted to clarify this so that you guys don't end up in a situation where you are waiting hours for your pain meds when you really need them! That is not ok and should not happen!! As nurses, we like to make plans with our patients so that we can structure our days around what they need. So don't worry about seeming annoying for wanting to discuss these things--it will make your day and your nurse's day much easier!
ETA--If you make a plan with your nurse regarding meds or anything else and she doesn't show up to your room like what happened to @abberson, I would ask to speak to the nurse manager. It is important that he/she knows about these issues. Also, if you have a nurse that you don't get along with or who doesn't do a great job taking care of you, you can always ask your new nurse at the start of the next shift to not have the nurse you didn't have a good experience with back the next day.
I had a c-section, after my spinal wore off I was given norco and Motrin. When I found out that my home prescription was going to be for Tylenol with codeine and not the norco that had been managing my pain, I requested that we switch to the planned rx to see how I tolerated it. I'm so glad I did that because it was not enough. I had crippling pain. My OB added flexeril to the mix and I was totally functional. PP I used the meds and refilled but never required an additional prescription from my OB.
Regarding body parts:
I never saw that obvious hand or foot that you see on Pinterest but towards the end, 35w+, it was obvious that his butt was poking right below my ribs and his thigh stretched across my abdomen.
November Siggy Challenge: Selfie Fails
Hidden for the sake of your eyes!
My nurse the first night was the worst! I guess she personally didn't believe I should have oxycodone. When I asked for pain medication I was only offered ibuprofen or Tylenol so I had to do Tylenol due to stomach ulcers. And I was dying! I almost passed out when I went to pee. Then the AM nurse was like WTAF? Is there a reason you only want Tylenol? Nope! Gimme the good stuff!!!
Just to to warn y'all the first PP BM was the most painful part of birth to me. Wish I had an epi for that