QuestionI was just wondering about pain meds. I don't think I'll even be able to have them even if I wanted them. From what I can tell, I have very low tolerance for, well, anything. I react badly to a small dose of children's tylenol. My family keeps saying "take the pain meds, take them, don't worry about consequences" but what would the consequences be if I were to take them?
AnswerHello Misty,
When I was pregnant, I never took pain medications because I researched it and didn't want to risk my baby by putting drugs into my body. I wouldn't have used pain medication during childbirth either but since I had a c-section I wasn't given a choice. (More about this in a moment.)
I am assuming you are talking about pain medication during labor and birth.
There are many different types out there, from numbing shots to IV's to gas and everything in between.
Since you have a bad reaction to medication, it would be wise to discuss this issue with your doctor beforehand and have it noted in your records. Make sure that then you have your baby you let everyone on the staff know. (I reccommend putting that information in a birth plan and having it in your chart and making sure everyone who works on you knows about it.) A lot of times doctors and nurses like to be sneaky and give you something anyway. You don't need the added risk of reacting to a medication while you are have your baby. Trust me, you will busy enough! So, make sure you talk to your doctor about that at your next appointment. You can also research the different type of pain medications used and get more information about them. There are just so many to list and write about that I just don't have the time to go into detail about that right now. However, if you need me to, I will. Just write back and say so.
Something to remember is that during labor and delivery your body produces it's own type of "pain medication." These are hormones that kind of "trick" your mind into thinking that something doesn't hurt as bad as it does. Your body knows how much pain it can and can't handle. That's why if a person is in so much pain he or she passes out, but I haven't known this to happen (as far as I know) in childbirth. There are also other forms of dealing with pain without medication, such at taking a warm bath, using a birthing ball, relaxation exercises, breathing techniques, distraction, etc....I reccommend a childbirth class that teaches you how to naturally manage your pain. It can be done, and it's better for you and your baby as well.
I don't think it's a good idea to listen to your family on this one. You said you have a bad reaction to children's tylenol, but what would happen if you took morphine? What if your baby has the same problem you do? You wouldn't want something to happen to him or her either. I really suggest talking to your doctor and get his or her opinion. There may be other options out there for you. Maybe your just allergic to a specific type of medication. If that's the case, you might can find something else that will work for you.
When you go into labor, the contractions will feel uncomfortable, but at first they aren't unbareable. The part of labor that seems to get bad is when a woman is at about 6 cm. Still though, it is managable. The one stage that causes the most pain is the transition stage. That's when you dialate from 8-10 cm very rapidly. Your contractions are very long and strong, but the good thing is that this stage doesn't last long at all (usually only about 30 min or less). The pushing stage doesn't actually hurt. When the baby crowns you might feel buring or stinging (Think about it, a baby is coming out of a place that used to be about the size of a nickle!) but you'll be so excited to see your baby that it won't matter. By then, you don't care. You just want to see that baby!!!
You will be fine. Just research the different options you have, and don't worry too much. Some women think they need pain meds only to wake up in the middle of the night one night when they are due and realize that they are in labor. My grandmother is a small petite woman and she was at 7 cm before she even realized she was in labor. Maybe you will be like her. You never know!!
Take care, and if you have anymore questions, please ask!
~Andrea
