Nausea after giving birth

[Kadinga]

I've been reading a few things and I'm suddenly curious.

We all know that some women feel better the instant they give birth while others take a while to get over it. I'm wondering if the kind of pain treatment you get while giving birth and your own personal tolerance of anaesthetic has anything to do with this. Some people are made nauseous by anaesthetics, sometimes for as long as a week afterwards. I'd be interested if this has any link to post birth nausea in HG, as this would have some bearing on the possible causes of HG - if the people who stay sick post-natally do not normally react badly to anaesthetics, or didn't have any during birth, then wouldn't those cases suggest that HG has to be related more to the hormone levels than the actual presence of the pregnancy?

So, my very long winded question is a three parter:
1) Were you nauseous after you gave birth?
2) What pain treatment did you have? Epidurals and Spinals are both anaesthetic, while the various other methods obviously are not.
3) Are you normally made nauseous by anaesthetics?

Thanks

Amanda

[aaronsmommy]

I wasn't quite sure how to respond for the poll.

With my first delivery. I had IV pain medications, and it was the worst experience. After I delivered, I spent about an hour heaving violently, it was so awful. I don't remember exactly when the nausea went away, but it was gone by the next day. I haven't taken narcotics very often, but the 2 other times (not pregnant) were pills and I threw up both times. I also threw up a bit after having a general anesthesia once (again not pregnant).

With my second delivery, I knew I didn't want to repeat the same experience as with my first, so I made sure to get an epidural. I was throwing up before I got it and as soon as it got effective the vomiting stopped and I only threw up once more when I got to complete. I told the anesthesiologist about my past with narcotics before he did the epidural, and told him that what I wanted most was not to throw up, so he didn't put any narcotics in the epidural (which they usually do). I really think that by taking the pain away, the epidural actually helped my nausea. I was hungry and not nauseous about 18 hours after delivery.

I'm not sure whether either affected when the nausea went away after delivery, but I know that for me narcotics=vomiting and pain=vomiting so the epidural was great!

[Kadinga]

That's interesting, Aimee. I guess it's probable that we're all just different, and maybe it makes a difference how the anaethetist mixes what you're given.



Amanda

[caleighbelle47]

I didn't have any nausea after I gave birth or during labor for that matter. I also didn't have any pain meds. However I went into pre-mature labor several times and had a lot of nausea everytime. So I have no idea why I was nauseous in pre-mature labor but not during my actual labor.

I can't remember experiencing nausea anytime I took pain killers. I usually get a headache the day after I take painkillers though, but not nausea.

I also usually throw up every month when I get my period and cramps, so I'm actually surprised that I didn't have any nausea while in labor. I guess I was lucky. During contractions would not be the best time to be throwing up.

[JennyK]

I did not get pain meds during labor. After delivery I was queasy for about 18 hours, but it was mild, no vomiting, and nothing like hyperemesis. I attribute it to the nasty hormones slowly leaving my body. After about 18 hours I was starving and the nurses had to make additional trips to the cafeteria to get me more food.

I vomited during labor, but I don't know if that was from HG, pain, or both. (Probably both.) Since I already had an IV going because I was induced, they gave me zofran in it. The nurse (who was awesome) laughed pretty hard when she tried to help me when I was vomiting and I told her "I'm okay, this is the part I know how to do!"

[k3tglazier]

I guess I was one of the lucky ones. My nausea and vomiting stopped the moment the baby was born. It was like a I allergic to the pregnancy. As soon as it was gone I was totally fine. Sending DH to get me everything and anything under the sun to eat. I gained about 35 lbs after each of my pregnancies. Boy it tasted good!!!!

[dwtegli]

When I was in labor with my oldest they gave me narcotics first and I vomited violently. I also got an epidural after they didn't work and continued to vomit. I was vomiting so hard when she was crowning and they were telling me not to push. WTF? How do you not push when you are puking? Needless to say, I kept pushing and the doc barely caught her.

I don't remember if I vomited with my second one when I only had the epidural, but I know I didn't with the last.

[HelenA]

My nausea went away an hour before my waters went, however the moment I had given birth I felt very nauseous and threw up a few times. I believe it was down to the spinal I'd had as it felt "different" to the HG nausea. I can't really explain it but I knew it wasn't the HG.

[teddi]

Yes, I was nauseated after delivery (my vaginal delivery and it lingered for a few days/weeks). I only had two shots of Nubain, which are narcotics, but short lasting I believe, so it wouldn't explain being queesy for days after. Nowhere NEAR the HG level though. And I could be HUNGRY even though I didn't feel totally normal, which I couldnt w/the HG.

Yes, most pill forms of narcotics/pain killers make me vomit (codeine, vicodan, etc). Morphine didn't. I threw up, but it was due to the intensity of pain / pancreatitis, IMO. So hard to say w/#2 because I had sooo much stuff, morphine, fentanyl, epidural, percocet. But I can't answer b/cuz pancreatitis and the mag make one feel terrible.

For the entire time I was Bfing, while I could occasionally feel hungry my appetite was NOT normal and I would have come-and-go nauseau. Then had problems again when I went on the mini-pill.

How can I say it, the HG did go away immediately after birth w/both pregnancies, but milder nausea lingered thru bfing