Pethidine vs Meptid

Replies

• pink_gerbera

  Oct 12, 2008 3:09PM

  Hiya
  I had pethidine - 2 lots infact! and thought it worked well, and i didn't really think that it made my baby overly drowsy. Never heard of meptid i'm afraid
  xxx

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• daisybell1

  Oct 12, 2008 3:18PM

  Probably going to get in trouble for this but here goes! I had pethadine (1 shot) absolutely brilliant stuff will be having it again this time if I don't progress quickly or need to sleep.
  
  When I discussed it with my delivery mw she said that pethadine is the mw's choice of pain relief as it works so well as a muscle relaxant so can help the cervix dilate. My mw also seemed to think that the NCT are the only people whi are anti it and she also said she'd never seen it have a drowsy effect on a newborn.
  
  The only reason I had was because I was told I wasn't in established labour (so no to gas and air) and I was desperate for pain releif as it turns out I must have been very close as my DD was born about two hours later.
  
  The only advice I can give is keep an open mind until you get there.
  
  Good luck.

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• Lil-Betty-Boop

  Oct 12, 2008 3:33PM

  This is interesting. At antenatal we were told that meptid and pethidine work exactly the same but that pethidine passes to baby but meptid does not. Because of this I have in my birth plan that i do not want pethidine but do want meptid. Im now wondering if i should find out a bit more info.
  
  When i was born my mum was given pethidine really late in her labour and as a result i had to be given drugs when i was born. I was drowsy and not breathing properly. However that was 22 years ago and i think they usually say no past a certain point in labour.

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• dipndazzle

  Oct 13, 2008 3:54AM

  hi , well i feel very silly i thought they were the same thing but some midwifes call it meptid and others pethedine !!1oh god i really am a mash brain!!!i had meptid with my son and i felt totally out of control and drunk , although i did have gas and air too and it could have been that but i dont really remember the labour cos i was so out of it!!i do remeber being in pain though !im now goin to ask my midwife when i see her what the difference is , sorry not much help x x

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• daisybell1

  Oct 13, 2008 5:29AM

  Just found this. It maybe of some use as it says good and bad things.
  
  http://www.radmid.demon.co.uk/meptid.htm

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• Hannahmummyto2

  Oct 13, 2008 6:51AM

  i dont know much about either but was thinking, if they were exactly the same but pethidine makes the baby drowsy then why would they offer it? they might aswell just offer the meptid. so it doesnt make sense :S xxx

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• nicola41

  Oct 13, 2008 7:17AM

  I've heard the same thing about Pethidine - that it's a good muscle relaxant so helps the cervix dilate while you sleep. That's what my sister found and her baby wasn't drowsy at all. I suspect maybe it does depend on how late you're given it.

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• 7tob

  Oct 13, 2008 9:11AM

  Hi, i'm pregnant with my 5th! I've had my first 2 babies at hospital and 2 babies at home. With all my births i just had gas and air but with my 2nd the midwife persuaded me to have meptid!!!
  
  This was the worst choice i could have made for me! It was given to me too late so when my son came the meptid kicked in and made me drowsy and i was sick just after! It was horrible and i won't have anything like that again.
  
  Obviously it's your choice but it just wasn't for me. Good luck hope all goes well xx

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• krilag

  Oct 13, 2008 9:15AM

  I had pethidine but didnt really like it as i felt it slowed everything down and i think i fell asleep for a while. I guess if you want a rest then its a good thing. I had it over four hours before giving birth so the effects had worn off by the time i was ready to deliver. My daughter didnt seem abnormally sleepy or anything.

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• Cally2

  Oct 14, 2008 1:13PM

  Thanks everyone, that's really helpful! I think I'm still going to take a 'wait and see' approach and maybe just not worry too much about getting meptid prescribed....
  
  

  

  
  

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• JodieBuckley

  Oct 15, 2008 8:10AM

  never heard of meptid, but pethidine is really good i had it with my first and if i need anything this time round will be going for the same stuff
  would avoid diamorphine though i was given this with my second and was only told later on that it only works on a small percentage of women, and i wasnt one of the lucky ones x

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• MrsWinstanleytobe

  Oct 17, 2008 9:57AM

  i had meptid with my daughter, from the information i was given it was exactly the same as pethidine but my hospital only provided meptid, so kind of took the choice away for me! i thought it helped though just took the edge off and my daughter wasnt drowsy after birth either, so i can recommend it!!
  
  Nina xx

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