Do redheads have more pain during labor in your opinion?

Specialties Ob/Gyn

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I just read some research concerning pain and redheads.

The Research Institute at the University of Loisville showed redheads had a lower pain threshold .

However, research from McGill University said redheads responded better to pain relief treatments and had the highest pain threshold than other hair colors. (It has to do with Melanin and skin color)

This interested me because I'm a redhead anxiously trying to become pregnant :) .

What do you all think?

Originally posted by becca.utns

In response to Barbpick's post

Okay....:eek:

Just pondering some research because I am a student. Some people like to know about research so they can learn and grow (IMO).

"Just give the med and shut up"...uh... that's not the type of nurse I want to become!

But thank you for your interesting insight...

Maybe it's just me but... I "think" Barb was being facetious.... :rolleyes: She DEFINITELY didn't say "shut up" :nono: Her point was more likely... *if in fact, redheads DO have more pain... then their medication requirements might be higher... so give em the meds they require in order to control their pain*. (Forgive me for speaking for ya Barb) ;)

Thanks for the information, becca... looks like I'll be doing some reading on this. :)

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

natural redhead here.

i think i have a pretty strong pain tolerance......but then it's all subjective and i would not lose sleep on this one.

there is a lot to do for you when the time comes for you to have a baby. just be assertive and vocal as to your needs and quit worrying. it will be ok!!!

(have had 2 kids and 3 major surgeries and was on my feet the 1st day each time. a lot of it is in the WILL!)

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I didn't know about the bleeding. That's interesting. Thanks for all the input!:D

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Originally posted by becca.utns

In response to Barbpick's post

Okay....:eek:

Just pondering some research because I am a student. Some people like to know about research so they can learn and grow (IMO).

"Just give the med and shut up"...uh... that's not the type of nurse I want to become!

But thank you for your interesting insight...

:chair: I think what she's trying to say is you should properly medicate anyone that needs pain medication, regardless of their hair color.Definately the kind of nurse we should all be.

On a personal note, I have a high pain tolerance and am a natural auburn, (albeit a little darker thank you Clairol)

My daughter is a redhead and cries about a hangnail, but I think she's just dramatic. Another red head trait?

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Coming from a long line of redheads on both sides I think It must be true that redheads bleed more or more easily because it has happened so often in my family after childbirth. My sister and aunt and grandmother had very mild pain during labors but all had a lot of bleeding after especially with C-sections. Interesting.

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

the redheads in my family neither appear to feel pain more intensely or bleed more. both my deliveries netted a less than 350 cc blood loss.....one was a forceps assisted delivery; the other a csection. Both had the risk of quite a bit of bleeding, but I did fine. Neither did my sister experience such problems with her 3 csections or any of my red head family members.

i just don't think you can generalize anyhow. as a conscientious care provider, you would watch ANYONE for excessive hemorrhage and bleeding and more so if their risk factors indicate (e.g. multiparity, multiple gestation, history of hemorrhage, bleeding disorders, PIH, etc.) and a GOOD NURSE will assess pain and the way a patient copes with EACH patient, not relying on studies or anecdotes to guide her decision making too much in treating the individual in her care. there are always exceptions out there; we are HUMAN after all. and pain is a very subjective thing.

That is just a TEMPER-MENTAL redhead's 0.02 for what it's worth.

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I have noticed the bleeding thing too. I have also noticed that redheads seem to have more drug allergies, anyone else? I shudder everytime I go to give a redhead pen-g.

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This redhead will add her $.02 as well....

I barely remember the pain of labor, and I made it to 8 cm with no meds. Now the pain after the c-section was INTENSE, but my epidural was gone and I had no meds, due to an anesthesiologist that really dropped the ball. However, I've never known anyone not to have fairly significant pain after abdominal surgery of any kind.

I didn't have excessive bleeding either....

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I'm a student and was interested in everyone's response to the research I have seen. I think it's interesting to read about and may give some insight, but I would never give less or more meds to a redhead (that's kinda scary, especially since I am one :) )

Someone edited out the "shut up" post, so that's cool.

But I was just looking for opinions and experience. The increased bleeding of redheads is something you don't learn about in school, but once you start working. Our instructor stressed repeatedly that EVERYONE is at risk for PP hemorrhage. I just think it's interesting to know the little tidbits of info.

Thanks again :D

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I'm a redhead, too (naturally a dark auburn) and it runs in my family. As far as I know, none of us has had any problem with the PP bleeds, and I don't think my pain was any more than any other woman (I can't speak for the other women in my family). I have had 3 children and all were induced, so I don't know what I would have done naturally had I been given the time to go into labor on my own.

I remember when I was pregnant with my very first daughter they said that redheads also usually have a much faster labor than others...I think she said it was "balm and bleed"? I do know that once I got to a certain point with the inductions they went rather fast.

Also...no we don't have more allergies than others. None of the redheads I know are allergic to anything (again, speaking only for my family!:D )

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I knew I had read about this quite a while ago in the CRNA forum, I found it interesting, here is the link: https://allnurses.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=27228

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Specializes in Specializes in L/D, newborn, GYN, LTC, Dialysis.

funny none of the redheads have anecdotal information to support these claims of increased bleeding and lower pain tolerance....

kinda makes ya go hmmmmmmmmmmm

maybe someone is wrong?

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