How does pain management work in the hospital setting immediately after you have delivered? I am unable to swallow huge pills and I am kind of nervous about what my options are immediately post-birth. I'm hoping to avoid an epidural.
Can I get pain medicine through an IV if I want? If you got an epidural were you still mostly dumb immediately after birth? Did you have giant pills to take? Or, were topical type things all you needed at that point (Tucks pads, peri bottle, etc.)
eggplant / 11287 posts
I had an epidural but still felt everything when it came time to push, , and even felt the stitches. I was able to get up and walk around immediately after birth. They offered me vicodin and motrin, but I am sure I could have had IV meds if I requested them. The vicodin pills are actually quite small,, and I definitely needed them while in the hospital (I had 30 stitches).. also, I discovered an ice pack in my underwear felt amazing. I kept replacing it every couple hours my whole stay in the hospital.
GOLD / eggplant / 11517 posts
@Mrsdaredevil: I'm so sorry about your 30 stitches! AGH.
Glad to hear the Vicodin pills are pretty small.
pomegranate / 3053 posts
I had a c-section and had a pain blocker that fed a tube to my incision area for 3 days. It pretty much made it numb so I didn't feel much of the pain until the meds wore off and even then it was a lot less. I didn't have this with my first baby. The only downside to that was that I had to carry this little bag with me everywhere I went. And had to sleep with it too. It really didn't bother me while sleeping though. But didn't mind having it b/c I was able to only take ibuprofen to help with pain the first few days. I did start taking some percocet with ibuprofen after that wore off just in case. They also gave me prenatal pills and stool softner. The only pill that was on the large side was the prenatal pill. All the other ones were small.
grapefruit / 4049 posts
I had an epidural birth and a med-free birth and I got by both times just taking Motrin afterwards. I was really lucky though to have had pretty uneventful births!
pineapple / 12526 posts
I had a spinal block because of my forceps delivery, so I was still numb from chest down for several hours. Afterwards, they just gave me tylenol every few hours for several days. Worked just fine. I didn't truly need anything stronger, even with all my stitches from my episiotomy.
pomegranate / 3980 posts
With my first birth it was completely med free, I didn't need anything. Though the second one was a c-section so I ended up needing percocet for a week and ibuprophen for a whole month 
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
I had an epidural and accepted all of the pills they offered until I got a little wonky from the vicodin. After that, I stuck to the motrin. I'm not good with pain and it worked just fine.
I wonder if you can crush up the pills in some oj if you need them?
GOLD / wonderful grape / 20289 posts
I cant swallow big pills either but I didn't have a problem. I did have an epidural, but I had a bad tear so the pain started pretty quickly. I don't even remember what they offered for it, but if its a big pill there's usually a solution.
pomegranate / 3008 posts
No epidural and I was given motrin. They were large pills but no bigger than my prenatal vitamin was so I was able to handle swallowing them (all that practice paid off!). They also offered vicodin but I refused because I was breastfeeding.
persimmon / 1479 posts
With DD #1 and #2 they give you a bottle of Ibuprofen and Vicodin to keep in your room. And then keep track of when you take them and let the nurses know. Then when you go home they send both bottles with you.
The Vicodin is the same size as tyenol, so if you can take that I wouldn't worry too much:)
persimmon / 1194 posts
I had got the epi and was numb for about 30 minutes after birth which I was thankful for since I had to get stitches. Once in recovery they gave me Motrin(Breastfeeding makes your uterus contract which gives you really bad cramps) and Vicodin for the pain down there. Both were regular sized pills. They also gave me tucks pads, ice packs, dermoplast spray and the peri bottle.
clementine / 959 posts
I can't swallow pills either so they gave me the option of liquid Motrin. 
blogger / watermelon / 14218 posts
I feel you, I am horrible at swallowing pills. But I managed to take oxycodone and motrin after my first... until a week later when I hadn't had a bowel movement (depsite taking stool softeners too) and I realized the oxycodone was constipating me. So I stopped with that, and the day I stopped I felt like I was hit by a bus!!!
This time around I am managing with motrin. Still pretty beat-up feeling, but it's much less severe this time around since I only pushed for 15 mins this time around.
That being said... I had a neck spasm a few months ago and I had to take meds without being able to move my head, so out of necessity I learned how to swallow pills. I still psyche myself out and gag pills from time to time, but unfortunately this was just one of those things where you just have to deal with it and swallow them.
pear / 1946 posts
I had a c section and took motrin and Percocet after. They weren't huge pills.
cherry / 128 posts
I occasionally took ibuprofen but one tip I got that I really liked was that I dribbled a tea made out of comfrey leaves onto sanitary pads, and then froze the pads - a combo ice pack/sanitary pad.
cherry / 128 posts
oh, and if you eat a super healthy diet (I followed the traditional Chinese post-partum diet of a lot of steamed leafy veggies, steamed whole grains, and soups and stews), there's no need for a stool softener.
pear / 1586 posts
I have trouble with big pills but I was able to swallow the ones at the hospital I had a med-free birth and was given motrin and tylenol with codine. Also had a stool softener. I would think that if you asked they could give you chewables, though the taste probably isn't good.
pomegranate / 3388 posts
They gave me a fairly high does of motrin every 8 hours when I was in the hospital, and I believe I had the option of asking for something stronger if I felt like I needed it. (I didn't.) I had to ask for the stool softener... which I definitely suggest doing!
apricot / 461 posts
Many of the oral pain medications also are available in a liquid form. If you are unable to swallow the pills, you can ask if you can get them in a liquid form. Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, Oxycodone, and Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen are all available in liquid form.
clementine / 916 posts
I didn't have any pain meds during birth and was fine afterwards with some topical cream they gave me.
cantaloupe / 6146 posts
I didn't take any. I thought I had no pain at all (looking back, it was just a lot less than labor). After a week, when i was home and lifting the baby and walking around was when I needed some Motrin--I took it for 1 week or so.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
I wish I had asked for stronger meds while in the hospital. I had a med free birth but somehow dealt with the pain in the hospital. When I got home, it was terrible, so much so that I had to call the hospital midwives for them to prescribe something for me.
My pain was in my tailbone, I still have it to this day, 19 months later.
honeydew / 7504 posts
I was going to suggest liquid, like @Dr. Pepper: said. They'll give you IV pain meds if you ask for it, probably, but they always make me feel really wacky (I've had to get them for unbreakable migraines). I'd try the pill first, and ask for liquid if you really feel you can't swallow them.
grapefruit / 4120 posts
I had pills (don't remember which but there were a bunch -- besides your pain meds there could be antibiotics, etc.) Have you had an IV for any extended amount of time? I couldn't wait to get that mofo out of me!!!
squash / 13199 posts
I had a c-section, so pain meds were given through my IV. i still had a few pills to swallow but there werent huge
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
I had an epidural and 3rd degree tears but didn't take any pain meds. I was on a serious baby high.
GOLD / papaya / 10206 posts
@chopsuey119: I was on a baby high too!
No epi, minuscule tear (3 stitches) and I too a couple of ib's fot the next day or two and was fine. Pain was very manageable.
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21616 posts
@Mrsdaredevil: OMG 30 stitches?! How does that even happen?!
I didn't have any meds during labor/delivery. I had ibuprofen following birth, and used LOTS of ice paks!
pomegranate / 3414 posts
I had an epidural but felt all the stitches I received (not sure how many but was told I was 3rd/4th degree) so there seemed to be a lot of them. I was given one Percocet in the delivery room while they were stitching but then just took Motrin and used tons of ice packs while in the hospital. Once home i just took Motrin but not for very long.
eggplant / 11287 posts
@Coco Bee: I tore going three different ways! It was pretty bad.. I had a posterior birth though, I don't know if that had anything to do with it? I also made the mistake of telling my doctor I didn't want an episiotomy.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
I also wanted to mention that a hep-loc was required where I gave birth, so getting pain medication after the birth in an IV would have been possible with no issue for me.
nectarine / 2039 posts
I had only some freezing for the episiotomy and stitches and then I was so scared for when it wore off, but i never found it painful enough down there to need any meds at all.
grapefruit / 4819 posts
I didn't have any pain meds after childbirth. I had an epidural during labour and ended up with a second degree tear (no idea how many stitches I ended up having but they didn't hurt as the epidural was still working beautifully at that stage). Once the epidural wore off, I was slightly uncomfortable but not in any pain so to speak. I turned down all offers of pain meds as I honestly didn't need any and now 4.5 weeks post partum, I still haven't required any, nor have I used any topical pain relief - maybe I just got lucky but I definitely don't have a high pain tolerance!
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