Seeing things: Pethidine hallucinations

For me it happened when I went up to the ward and little Maurice Sendak men (as in the illustrations for his book Where the Wild Things Are) kept trooping in long brown dragging overcoats and big floppy top hats. I knew they weren't really there, and it was quite entertaining in a completely peculiar way.

Gaeauk: I'm pregnant with my second at the moment, but when I had my first I was getting a bit hysterical because of the pain, so they offered me Pethidine injections to try and help me.

The next thing I know I'm seeing pink bunny rabbits with razors for claws coming to get me. I know it sounds bonkers now, but at the time it was so real that the midwife and my husband had to hold me down so I wouldn't run away from the killer bunnies.

I only had one injection and used gas and air for the rest - thankfully no more strange hallucinations.

brit2001: Not sure what this was, but I was given Pethidine with my second child as the contractions I was having were very painful compared to my first labour. I think it was because I was on a drip.

I was convinced the whole time that I was in labour in the dark. To me the room seemed dark and I just felt like I was sinking into the bed. When we spoke about this afterwards my husband informed me that the room was very well lit and it was light outside as I gave birth in the afternoon.

To be honest I didn't like the effect that Pethidine had on me at all - it made me feel totally out of control and sick