Have you discussed your pain plan with your provider?

This post is sponsored by Pacira BioSciences, Inc. and BlogHer

Recently, my husband invited two dozen or so people over for dinner just to show them love. After a few folks had left, I got into a lively conversation with a couple expecting their first child. Something to know about me is: I love labor & delivery and baby talk. I had two intervention-free births. And two wonderful certified nurse-midwives who were part of a practice with doctors who would be on call if I needed a C-section. I love sharing my story and asking pregnant mom’s questions like: have you picked and toured your hospital? Is your goal a natural birth or are you planning a C-section? Do you have a doula? After attending BlogHer and going to an event panel by Pacira BioSciences, Inc., I’ve added: have you discussed your pain plan with your provider?

I had two unplanned pregnancies in my twenties, my husband and I joke that we’d like to experience what it’s like to intentionally try for a baby. I was the first of my friends to have kids and to get married. My mom was the opposite of helpful in most things maternal, so I had to become the queen of all things pregnancy and baby via research and candid conversations. I remember switching practices when my first OBGYN handed me off because she didn’t like to have more than 3 pregnancies due a month. I remember feeling deeply uncomfortable with the doctor she handed me off to and thinking, he would induce me just to make a golf game (which I found out later was not unlikely). I remember going to my certified nurse-midwife and feeling at ease with her and feeling in my bones, this is the provider for ME. Then meeting with the doctors in my midwife’s practice just in case my pregnancy needed a level of intervention only a doctor could provide. I remember discussing my childbirth goals with my provider and naturally moving into a discussion about pain and my goals to go epidural free and confirming that a C-section is always a possibility but secondary if need be. I am so surprised how many conversations women aren’t having with their reproductive health and childbirth providers.

So, at this dinner party that was dwindling down to the most talkative and TMI friendly, I went on childbirth story (really a comical monologue) and I recommended this preggers mom talk to her provider about pain past “epidural or no epidural” and ask them about EXPAREL® (bupivacaine liposome injectable suspension.

What is EXPAREL?

Back to that panel at BlogHer 20. Pacira BioSciences, Inc., the leading provider of non-opioid pain management options, including EXPAREL, had a crazy informative panel on opioid alternatives after surgery (including C-sections) and there was a mom there whose life was nearly ruined after becoming addicted to opioids after her emergency C-section. Full disclosure, this is one of my random fears. I’ve had pain issues on and off for years, I developed sciatic nerve issues after my second pregnancy and sometimes the endless pulsing nerve pain made labor and delivery look like a serene springtime walk in the park and I have been prescribed opioids more than once. Back story: My grandfather majorly contributed to my dad’s horrid childhood because of his substance abuse. So ya girl is very careful with anything that is known to be addictive.

But after talking to a medical expert from Pacira, a Latina anesthesiologist who has seen how EXPAREL has changed the game for her patients, I’m a high key believer and I am telling all my preggers friends to ask their doctor about it. Can you imagine this: your doctor injecting EXPAREL locally (i.e., into your abdomen) right after you deliver and possibly not needing any opioids for pain management, just acetaminophen or ibuprofen? Possibly being able to sit upright after surgery with minimal discomfort. Don’t take my word for it, ask your doctor about it. I plan to the next time I am facing surgical intervention. And never settle for a health provider that isn’t willing to openly discuss your options on all things, especially pain and discomfort. Women of color can’t afford our voices not to be heard and deeply respected in these situations. Oh, and getchu a friend like me, who will put your mind at ease about a whole human exiting your vagina!

You can also check here for which hospital or surgery center uses EXPAREL

Photos courtesy of BlogHer

Click HERE to read EXPAREL safety information.

Important Safety Information: EXPAREL should not be used in obstetrical paracervical block anesthesia. In studies where EXPAREL was injected into the wound, the most common side effects were nausea, constipation, and vomiting. In studies where EXPAREL was injected near a nerve, the most common side effects were nausea, fever, and constipation. EXPAREL is not recommended to be used in patients younger than 18 years old or in pregnant women. Tell your health care provider if you have liver disease, since this may affect how the active ingredient (bupivacaine) in EXPAREL is eliminated from your body. EXPAREL should not be injected into the spine, joints, or veins. The active ingredient in EXPAREL: Can affect your nervous system and your cardiovascular system, May cause an allergic reaction, May cause damage if injected into your joints, Can cause a rare blood disorder.