# IV Narcotics in Labor



## Mamabeakley (Jul 9, 2004)

Hi!

I have been pondering all that I have heard from many sources about Nubain, Fentanyl, Stadol, whatever you call it - narcotics given by IV during labor "to take the edge off". I have only once ever heard anyone say, "oh, yeah, that worked really well for me, I'm so glad I had them" (whereas although many people wish they hadn't had epis, many people do seem to have liked having them.)

So, has anyone had a positive experience with IV narcotics in labor?


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## NewTennMom (Feb 6, 2008)

I was given Stadol right before getting my epidural. Wow, what a weird experience it was. I would imagine its a lot like doing acid (which I have never done, but I imagine this is similar). It made me really 'loopy' and giggly and I was sluring my words. My SO of course found this HYSTERICAL.

I would say it distracted me, but didn't take much of the edge off. My epidural didn't hurt at all, so maybe it did do something.

On the positive side, we got a good laugh out of it!


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## liberal_chick (May 22, 2005)

Yeah, I had stadol it made me feel loopy and out of it. I wasn't in labor (I had a bazillion issues and was being monitored to see if I needed a c-section that night), they gave it to me to help me sleep. It did help me sleep, but only b/c I was so dizzy!


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## Sagesgirl (Nov 22, 2001)

I had Fentanyl, and while I usually say it was just about worthless, it honestly wasn't. I had been laboring 38 hours straight by then (this on top of a week or more of prodromal labor) and hadn't had a minute's rest. It took the edge off just enough for me to zone out and almost nap. It allowed me to rest up for the pushing stage.

Still, I think I would have been better served by rereading _Husband-Coached Childbirth_ (ie, the Bradley Method) during my pregnacy, instead of assuming I remembered it. (_Birthing from Within_ didn't help in the slightest).


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## paquerette (Oct 16, 2004)

Too bad we can't get this for our partners instead. I wouldn't want it but I'm thinking my labor would be much, much more pleasant if DH got a shot of something to make him loopy, silly, and feeling no pain.







: He just exudes nervousness and panic and stress.


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## kalirush (Jun 14, 2005)

I had Nubain, and I had a similar experience to Sagesgirl- it didn't help with the contractions much, but it let me rest in between. I had pitocin, and there was just no chance to rest at all. I was so tired by then, the Nubain probably prevented me having a c-section just from sheer exhaustion.

In any case, it worked really well for me, and I'm glad I had it. *shrug*


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## Sioko (Feb 3, 2007)

I had 2 doses of staydol with DD1. They said it would "take the edge off". WRONG. It did nothing for the pain, and just added dizzy, nausea, dead drunk feeling. I say beware of it. I think it effects decision making the same way being drunk does.... hence the second dose







: I will never take staydol again! Horrible stuff. JMO of course.


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## onetwoten (Aug 13, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *NewTennMom* 
I was given Stadol right before getting my epidural. Wow, what a weird experience it was. I would imagine its a lot like doing acid (which I have never done, but I imagine this is similar). It made me really 'loopy' and giggly and I was sluring my words. My SO of course found this HYSTERICAL.

My SIL was given fentynol and this is almost exactly what she said, made a comment about how it may be the only drug she's ever tried, but it sure was a good one. She could barely hold her head up she was so 'loopy'. She said it helped the pain, but I'm not sure how much she was having (early labor, setting up for a c-section.

Another client tried it, and even after two does in less than half an hour, all it did was give her about 3 minutes of 'spacy'. Didn't do anything for the contractions.


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## wombatclay (Sep 4, 2005)

Hmmmm.... I had a drug free birth but it ended in a 4th degree tear. They gave me a few injections of a numbing medication so they could do the repair (200-ish sutures, 45 or so minutes). However the shots left big "windows" of full sensation (OOOOOOUUUUUUCH!!!!!!) so they hooked up my heplock and gave me IV narcotics. In my case it made me feel warm and fuzzy and more or less completely fine with the ongoing suturing. And it made holding my new dd2 much nicer since I could actually hold her instead of squeezing the poop out of a towel/doula/partner/nurse as they sutured without pain meds!









So while I have no experience with it during labor, I had no negative side effects and it effectively/quickly reduced the pain of extensive suturing.


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## txgal (Jul 16, 2003)

I had stadol with my first. I had pitocin and the epidural didn't work, so this was the other option. I remember my husband asking if it helped and me saying (in a loopy voice) "I can still feel the pain, but I just don't care, this is some good sh*%" I basically felt like I had smoked a joint, not that I have any idea what that is like.









It didn't do much for me in the long run, I still ended up with a csect., but it wasn't a bad experience.


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## KiansMomma (Aug 5, 2007)

I had a half dose of demerol and half dose of phenegrin (sp?) when I felt the urge to push before I was complete and the contractions weren't giving me a chance to catch my breath. It made me zone out between contractions and wake up during them...actually now that I think about it, what happened right after they gave it to me sounds a lot like I went off in labor land right before transition and pushing. Sure didn't do much for me either way.


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## Carlyle (Mar 31, 2007)

I had nubain with dd after 26 hours of labor. HATED it. It did help relieve the pain, but left me totally whacked. My mw and dh were trying to get me to sleep (so that hopefully I would relax and dd would get into a better position), but I couldn't focus--kept asking "I had a question for you...what was it? Did I ask you the question? What was your answer? What was the question?" It was BIZARRE. Then once they finally got me to go to sleep, I kept waking up feeling like I couldn't breathe right (like there was weight on my chest or something). They had to put me on oxygen, which also made me feel claustrophobic.

Once it wore off, they gave me an epithecal (a spinal shot, sometimes called a walking epidural I think) and that worked much better. First time I smiled in a day and a half! I was able to sleep well on that and baby turned and dropped. I woke up after an hour or two and was ready to push. I would *rather* have been able to do it without any drugs, but was glad they were available for that particular situation and that particular birth.


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## katie&micah (May 16, 2005)

I had nubaine and it was like magic. I couldn't feel the contractions, so I was actually able to get some rest. The nurse kept commenting on how it didn't usually work that well for people though. It lasted a good 10 hours before I asked for another. The 2nd shot did absolutely nothing. I've heard that it never works as well after the 1st time.


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## greene_mama (May 31, 2008)

I had Nubain, and it worked WONDERS. I had a very long prodromal labor and by the time things were in full swing, I was completely exhausted from several days with no sleep. I was panicking and terrified that it was never going to end, and I had horrid back labor, and a very slow one, at that. Luckily, since I had hospital-based midwives with a policy of minimal interventions, there was no talk of failure to progress, as I'm sure there would have been with a different provider.

I was ready to talk epis, but my midwife suggested the Nubain instead and it was immediate relief, helped me sleep between contractions, and in about an hour I went from 5 cm dilated (which I had been for hours beforehand) to 9-10cm! My water broke just as the Nubain was wearing off, and I began pushing shortly after that.

I really wanted to have a completely natural birth, but in my case, I think the fear was in the way and I could not relax and let my body take over. Once the Nubain helped me relax, my body did what it had been trying to do all along, and everything went really fast after that.

The L&D nurse did comment as they were administering it that it often isn't that effective (it hadn't been for her, apparently)...kind of a lousy thing to say in front of a laboring mother, but she later came to see me in postpartum recovery and laughed at how she'd been wrong in that case-- that it had been the perfect thing for me! Thank goodness for the midwife on duty who made the call...saved me from the epidural & helped things go much more smoothly.


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## SallyN (Feb 5, 2008)

I had a pitocin-augmented birth and got a dose of numorphan - hoping it would take the edge off and let me get some rest b/w contractions. I didn't think it did a thing, until an hour later when it wore off! I don't think I'd bother with it again, unless it was for the sake of taking the edge off until I got an epidural. But, I'm going to be trying a number of other strategies to avoid the epidural this time (mainly, I have a LOT more confidence in myself this time!)


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## JennTheMomma (Jun 19, 2008)

I broke down and took Nubain. Made me feel really drunk, and I couldn't focuse my eyes. I felt so sick, and I have a bad stomach already. It didn't take the edge off, only made it worse. It lasted only about a half hour. I would never do that again.


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## photochef (Aug 14, 2005)

Unfortunately I don't have anything positive to post. I had 2 doses of IV Fentanyl, and it
1. made me sick to my stomach, horribly nauseous
2. Made me feel like I was talking slowly for about 10 minutes
3. Did NOTHING for the agony
4. Made it so that my baby didn't breath the second she was born, so they cut her cord prematurely and stole her from me to torture her on the warmer table

I know you asked for positive experiences, and some other people had some. I just wanted you to make the most informed decision you could with as much information as you could gather.

Good luck.


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## XOIMOM (Aug 27, 2008)

I had Demerol with my first two and Stadol + Phenergen (and IV benadryl) with my last.

Some people enjoy the feeling. It's why people take narcotics recreationally. It doesn't rid you of pain, it just makes you not care, LOL.

For me, I felt very fuzzy and lovey and out of control with the Demerol. With my last delivery, the Stadol, Phenergen, and benadryl knocked me the F out.

My next labor will be drug free.


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## Peppamint (Oct 19, 2002)

I had Nubain during my first labor (along with Pit, episiotomy, etc) and it didn't take the edge off. In fact, the only thing is did was add to the overload of sensations by giving me nausea and vertigo.







: I also believe the Nubain made my dd very sleepy and affected our nursing relationship for the first week or two.

Turns out, my experience is pretty 'normal'. I do have one friend that really liked narcotics during her first birth but still chooses to give birth at home without that option.


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## applejuice (Oct 8, 2002)

Demerol and drugs like it do not remove the pain, but remove your intellectual ability to deal with pain, so the person who is drugged still feels the pain, but does not care.

I have often wondered about women in labor who would not smoke a cigarette, take an asprin, drink coffee, or have a glass of wine through nine months of pregnancy, but accept strong narcotics intravenously for several hours of labor and why doctors recommend this.

i am simply going to assume it makes things easier and more predictable in the hospital setting for the staff.


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## bobandjess99 (Aug 1, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *applejuice* 
I have often wondered about women in labor who would not smoke a cigarette, take an asprin, drink coffee, or have a glass of wine through nine months of pregnancy, but accept strong narcotics intravenously for several hours of labor and why doctors recommend this.

i am simply going to assume it makes things easier and more predictable in the hospital setting for the staff.

Well..I can tell you, for me..the reason why I would not take an aspirin, smoke, drink, etc during pregnancy, but would (if i ever birth again) take any and all drugs anyone will give me is because, for me..labor is HELL. when i say AGONY..i mean AGONY. A level of pain that just truly shoudl not exist, certainly a ring of hell all its own. While pregancy sucks for me too (hyperemesis, ltos of complications) it isn't sheer, god-awful torture that literally drives me INSANE out of my mind with pain. Labor does (at least, it has the 2 times I've done it so far.)

I used to use this argument..I REALLY did.
but now...I absolutely understand why women take drugs in labor.
I still think its a horribly selfish thing to do, since you are putting your baby at risk for your own physical comfort...but at this point, after this last birth left me very nearly just shattered emotionally..I'm talking true nervous breakdown, PTSD "gone off the deep end" , forever mentally and emotionally scarred from the absolute horror of it.....yep. Sign me up.

"One hugely selfish dose of extra-strong painkillers over here, with extra drugs on top!!!!!"


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## applejuice (Oct 8, 2002)

No, I am not referring to mothers-on-meds-during-labor as being selfish. My only complaint is that this is the hospital's only answer to pain management in the maternity ward.

If a mother truly wants a medicated birth, the hospital is set up for it, but women should be educated as to the side effects for themselves and their babies as well as the limitations of the drugs and procedures, as epidurals can only be administered for a set amount of time before they wear off and cannot be re-administered.

If a mother does not want medication, that should be honored also, but the side effects of that discussed also.


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## nyveronica (Jun 1, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *applejuice* 
No, I am not referring to mothers-on-meds-during-labor as being selfish. My only complaint is that this is the hospital's only answer to pain management in the maternity ward.

If a mother truly wants a medicated birth, the hospital is set up for it, but women should be educated as to the side effects for themselves and their babies as well as the limitations of the drugs and procedures, as epidurals can only be administered for a set amount of time before they wear off and cannot be re-administered.

If a mother does not want medication, that should be honored also, but the side effects of that discussed also.

It is not every hospital's answer to pain management; just the one most requested by the patients.

Personally, I tell them stadol is a category D in the third trimester when administered at high-doses. I tell them it depresses the baby's heart-rate and that I will have Narcan in the room for delivery in the event the baby is unresponsive at birth.

I tell them it may very likely make them feel like a prisoner in their own body, pain and all, but no ability to deal with it.

I also tell them it may feel great and be just what they're hoping for.

Hospitals in many ways absolutely suck at managing an unmedicated labor and birth; but when the clients walk through the door demanding their epidurals and IV drugs, there isn't a whole lot we as nurses can do to dissuade them.

It can take an enormous amount of time to mentally prepare yourself to deal with the pain of childbirth (including all the important positive aspects of that pain).

Oh, and in my facility, epidurals are a continuous infusion that does not wear off and can/will be given up until delivery.


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## GooeyRN (Apr 24, 2006)

I had Stadol with my first. It did not even touch the pain. (I had pitocin.) It made me high. I was hallucinating. I saw skulls floating on the walls and they resembled Alice Cooper. It was quite the experience. I would not get it again, since it did not help the pain. It really did take away the anxiety and made me drowsy, but not enough to sleep.


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## whalemilk (Jul 11, 2008)

Bobandjess, I don't think you (or anyone) is selfish for wanting to come out of birth psychologically intact as well as physically intact. The mind is just as much a part of us as any anatomy, and it makes sense to want to avoid PTSD every bit as much as you'd want to avoid a 4th degree tear. Not to mention it's a lot easier to be a present, competent mother and ENJOY the baby's early months when you're not completely mentally shattered and traumatized.

I think like anything it's a risk:benefit equation and you have to look at the whole picture. Your own mental health is definitely part of that and no, I don't think it's selfish to consider that.


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## alexsam (May 10, 2005)

ANother negative experience with Stadol... It made me totally not care. Not care enough to remember if I WAS in pain or not. Like, not care enough to be able to control my bladder







. AND I started hallucinating. And, when things started to go bad, I was not mentally able to make decisions (my husband had to consent for my c-section as I was incapable- it was the right choice, but still...). And since I was totally high and hallucinating, I was physically fighting the doctor for the c-section







, so I had to have even MORE drugs and so I don't even remember DS being born







. I would not take it again, as if nothing else, I would like to be mentally present. I'd rather have an epi than Stadol. At least I can have the memory of my child being born.

Sorry- your post was looking for good experiences, but I have to say- beware of Stadol and narcotics. Some people react strangely.

Now, just to say, fentanyl in a drip and a self medicating clicker in the spinal cord after a c-section is a beautiful thing...


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## Mamabeakley (Jul 9, 2004)

Thanks for all you responses, folks!

I wonder if there is any research into who responds (subjectively) positively or negatively to narcotics in labor? I mean, hallucinations are surely NOT the desired effect - why do some people have that "side" effect and others don't?

To clarify - while it's always possible I might be faced with the choice to use or not use narcotics in labor for myself someday (unlikely, as I am a dedicated homebirther and not currently pg) - I'm thinking about the topic as a new doula and CBE.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!


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## applejuice (Oct 8, 2002)

Quote:

why do some people have that "side" effect and others don't?
I do not know, but it is a good enough reason not to treat every woman the same in labor. Every woman is different. Which is why I support home birth where a woman is queen in her home, and has the home court advantage.


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## 3pink1blue (Jun 23, 2008)

With my second child I was given Stadol and Phenergan (at my request.) I had just plain stadol with my first baby and third baby.

The stadol/phenergan combo really knocked me out. I don't remember most of the labor and was too messed up at delivery to participate. I fell asleep moments after DD was born, and she had to be resuscitated due to the drugs.

The first time with plain stadol, it was awful because I could feel everything but couldn't react to it. It was just terrible to feel pain but not be able to move my body or even call out to release the tension.

Now the third time, I really LIKED the stadol. It was a very small dose because by the time I was on baby number three I had done much more research and learning about birth. The very small dose of Stadol really DID help take the edge off, but I did cry for like 45 minutes afterwards because I felt like monster for exposing my unborn child to it. I felt like I failed her because I had spent the whole 9 months preparing and treating both of our bodies with respect and then as she was approaching the msot important moments of her life, I drugged her. That was my thinking anyway.

I think with this baby, if I need pain relief I will choose another small dose of stadol over an epidural, because I feel like the baby gets continual drugs with the epi and a smaller dose with stadol.


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## kalirush (Jun 14, 2005)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *Mamabeakley* 
Thanks for all you responses, folks!

I wonder if there is any research into who responds (subjectively) positively or negatively to narcotics in labor? I mean, hallucinations are surely NOT the desired effect - why do some people have that "side" effect and others don't?

To clarify - while it's always possible I might be faced with the choice to use or not use narcotics in labor for myself someday (unlikely, as I am a dedicated homebirther and not currently pg) - I'm thinking about the topic as a new doula and CBE.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

Some of it might be the dosage. I mean, we're saying "I had Nubain" or "I had Fentanyl" but we probably don't know how much. I know I was given a single shot of the narcotic that lasted less than an hour- that seems a much lighter dose than some others are describing.

There might be medical studies on it, though. It'd be worth checking into.


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## Elijahs Momma (Dec 12, 2007)

With ds I had Nubain and I slept through my labor and woke up when I was starting to push. I also had AROM, mag. (for high bp and pre-c), pit, and something else (i think). So I was pretty much stuck in bed and wasn't able to move. My complaint about it was that I barely remember his birth and the first day of his life, just bits and pieces from being so tired and out of it (although everything else they had going into me probably played a role in that as well).


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## applejuice (Oct 8, 2002)

Quote:

Some of it might be the dosage.

Quote:

So I was pretty much stuck in bed and wasn't able to move. My complaint about it was that I barely remember his birth and the first day of his life,
Suggestion: get your records. Even a woman who has a baby at home w/o drugs is surprised at what she reads.


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## elismum1908 (Jun 5, 2008)

i had Nubain and it worked wonders for me. i'd hit the 25th hour of labor and asked for the tub. they had to check me first and when i was only 2 cm dilated i was told i couldn't get in yet. so i got in the shower. but i was really tired, had been laboring hard for 8 hours, and as i said been working at it for 25 hours.

a nurse suggested it since she said i'd lost a lot of steam since she saw me when i first arrived. and it was true. i agreed to get it and then crawled into bed for four of the most wonderful hours! i literally went to sleep between contractions - and they were coming every 3 minutes. my DW was jealous and also wanted a shot at that point too!







when it wore off at 8am, i again asked for the tub. so they checked me. i was NINE cm dilated. (25 hours to get 2 cm, and 4 hours to move to 9cm!) i made it to the tub and my son was born six hours later.

i believe the Nubain was key in helping me avoid an epi, which was really important to me, and i was fully alert and felt his entire birth. and it was amazing!


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