Helen - not to take away from your concerns at all but on a lighter note - I was more worried about how I was going to balance on this tiny operating table (tiny when your 9mths pregnant anyway) with my legs curled up in the fetal position as tight as I could so they could get the right angle than the pain of the epidural going in- and in the end I didn't feel any pain from it - and managed to stay on the table no problems.

Agree with Magic - it is the strangest sensation being aware - I even had a funny assistant surgeon who thought he should crack jokes and when they were pulling DS out asked if I could push to give them a hand (he did have a big head - 40cm)