<<the OB had refused to allow any more than 1 Vicodin per day and my friend
was in absolute agony,>>
someone hit that man with a fully charged cattle prod several times a day and
then let him see how far 1 Vicodin per day goes
<<The NICU nurses knew she was taking the Vicodin and they were the ones
giving her the hassles. >>
It seems like my hunch played out a bit. Just because the mom was taking
Vicodin while pregnant (Oh my how could she! Sarcasm here) they thought they
saw withdrawals.
My own experience with long term pain has been anything but positive from
people who don't see me live with the pain on a daily basis. 1/2 Vicodin
knocks my 200# husband out for 8 hours. I am admitting to 2000+ friends that I
was taking up to 10 Vicodin per day just to survive. Not once did I ever
become impaired, or sleepy and never felt anything but the edge taken off my
pain enough so I could function.  I was told on several occasions that my pain
wasn't real--just a misfire in my nervous system. Now it's a different tune==
How could you possibly have been walking with the hip that way?
Because our society fears addiction so much we cut open mom for C/S or
episitomy, give her the very least dose of IM meds possible for a few hours
then hand her a something like darvocett or even plain tylenol (I  have seen
this in some hospitals). God forbid she could become addicted because of us.
Then we add insult to injury and boot her out of the door in 3 days or less,
expecting her to go home and be normal, Is it any wonder why these moms
become self absorbed and  start giving bottles because they JUST CAN'T feed
the baby because of their own pain levels?
When I taught childbirth classes, I always warned moms that if they have never
had surgery a c/s is going to be a huge insult to their bodies. "The first
time you stand up it's going to feel like your guts are going to fall right
out of that incision but it will get better."  I would get many knowing nods
from the people in class who had previous surgery. My own C/S's were cake
walks compared to bone surgery.
Perhaps this is a piece of the puzzle we should look at as toward better
breastfeeding support.
Unless you've been there, done that and even if you have,  you have no idea
how much pain is involved and have no right to judge.
Sorry, off the soap box now
Marie Davis, RN, IBCLC