While pregnant, a big part of the time you are planning how your – or how you’d like – your delivery to go. Whether you’ll be a first time Mom or you’re not new to the title; you’ll be discussing pain management options with your physician. But do you know the safety and benefits of non-opioids for pain relief?
Choices Matter is a campaign designed to educate and empower patients, caregivers, and physicians to discuss pain management options, including effective non-opioid options, prior to surgery. The use of non-opioid options before, during, and after surgery can significantly decrease or, in many cases, completely eliminate the need for opioids after many common procedures, including C-section deliveries.
My delivery and post-delivery for my two children were completely different. The only similarity was they were both born vaginally. For my first I received opioids for my pain, the birth took twice as long, stayed in the hospital longer and I was prescribed opioids after birth for at home. For my second I didn’t receive any pain medication, and honestly I would choose it that way for every birth. It was shorter, I was able to walk around immediately, we only stayed in the hospital one night, all I needed afterward was acetaminophen for the pain. Let me just be clear I did plan on taking opioids to reduce my pain, I didn’t think I could handle the pain of delivering a baby. I was wrong! My body was strong and knew what to do, I was capable of so much more than I thought and I’m so glad!
Did you know 1 in 10 patients become addicted to or dependent on opioids following surgery? They can also cause unwanted side effects like nausea, constipation and vomiting. It’s very important to know the right questions to ask your doctor and check to see if a non-opioid option is available.
Facts about opioids and childbirth:
19% believe they are fine for other procedures but not childbirth
25% believe they will be able to handle the pain without opioids
21% will have no issue taking opioids
35% will let their doctor decide which pain management protocol is best
If you plan on having a baby anytime in the future please talk with your doctor about pain management options including non-opioids. To learn more about the Choices Matter Campaign visit planagainstpain.com for information on non-opioid pain-relieving options.
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