questions about c/s might be TMI included

was just wanting to ask a few questions about c/s

1 has anyone had a general with there c/s if so did you still need a catheter put in

2 if had general how long til after the op did you wake

3 what was the epidural like i havnt had one before and thats why im prepared to go under if my fears are to bad ha had tubes in chest for collapsed lung and got tattoos but scared of the epidural lol

Im a stresser and my friend described her c/s to me about 3 months ago and ive been pooping since i have a few fears bout c/s

this will be my 4th baby had first 3 VB and this lil one is breech and i want to really start thinking about my options and preparing in case he doesnt turn

Hi Ree

I can hopefully answer some of your questions!

I had an elective C/S due to DS's position. Was not under GA but full spinal block obviously.

1. I would be pretty sure they would insert a catheter because my understanding is they do it to keep the bladder empty and away from the uterus so as not to risk cutting the bladder. So they'd need to do this whether you are under or not. When they did my catheter I'd already had the epi and felt nothing at all. But having said that I had to have my catheter reinserted a couple of days after because I couldnt wee and it didn't even hurt then.

2. Sorry can't answer that.

3. I was a little bit anxious about the epidural but really it was nothing. They get you to curl forward and you feel a bit of a pop but then it's over. I imagine a chest tube would be way more scary and painful - and done under far more stressful circumstances. My anaesthetist was joking the whole time which lightened the mood.

I obviously would have preferred a natural delivery but really the C/S was not as scary as I'd thought. My only problem with it was I got extremely shaky and cold (apparently common) and had to keep eating sachets of sugar because my blood sugar dropped as I'd been fasting but otherwise it was fine. Don't let worrying about it take away from the exciting rest of your pregnancy.

Hope that helps!

Didn't have a general, but can answer your other questions.

You will need a catheter in regardless of the anaesthetic type, the main reason is so that the bladder doesn't get full in the 24 hours following surgery and put pressure on the uterus. Also because movement is a little restricted afterwards so it's not easy to get up to pee.

Epidurals aren't actually as bad as expected. This is coming from someone who is terrified of needles, and who found out two weeks prior to my second c/s that I have a closed form of spina bifida which can increase the risk of an epidural causing problems. The local stings a little. Nothing much really. You have to sit really, really still whilst they are putting in the epidural, and it almost feels like someone is 'knocking' on your spine like you would knock on a door. It feels quite strange, but not painful. To be honest, I found having the cannula inserted worse than the epidural (I don't cannulate easily), but the epidural is a little harder to relax in.

My DD's birth was a scheduled c/s (DS was emergency) and even though it took a lot longer than normal because of some complications from the previous c/s (I was in surgery for close to three hours, a normal c/s is about an hour), once your bub is born the time just flies. And if it becomes too much to handle they can always give you a general at any point of the surgery. I personally didn't enjoy the surgery - it wasn't painful, it wasn't even uncomfortable, but it does invade your headspace a bit, but I was able to work through it because being awake for your bub's birth (and getting to hold and feed in recovery) makes it worth it.

Hopefully your bub will turn in time - lots do! Will your hospital support a vaginal breech birth?

Hi Ree!!

1. Yes you will need a catheda with either general or a spinal (not the same as an epidural- they are a bit different)

2. My first csection was a general and i was wiped out for a while, i would recomend NOT being under general as you loose precious time with your new born bub

3. OK you wont have an epidural, its called a spinal- you have to sit u- hunch over your belly and they put a local aniesthetic in yor back with stings for all of about 2 seconds, then they put in the stuff to numb you- but you dont really feel that coz the local has numbed the area) then once they have injected that stuff you have to lay down and viola- you cant feel any pain from about - under your boobs down to your tippy toes.....

The rest is all a matter of mind over matter, yes your awake, and yes you know they are doing some weird shiat behind the curtain, but its all to get your bub to you- and once you get your head around that- the 10-15 minutes of the actual csection is a small price to pay to get to be awake and THERE for the birth of your bub, and to get to be with them from the moment they arrive- not from the time you wake up from a general... the next few hours while you cuddle your bundle of joy- your legs regain feeling and you will be able to be mobile.

BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY NUMBER 4................................................. .........

Your baby still has plenty of time to turn- and breech births are totally possible!!!! There are many a thread here about breech delivery and also some great tips about how to help bub turn in the final weeks- so dont give up on your VB just yet!!!!!!!!! But honestly- if you have to have a csection, my advice would be to grin and bear it and stay awake- not go under general unless its a medical emergency!!!

Good luck and I hope bubs turns for you so you dont have to even think about your delema!!!

"Turn Baby turn...... turn baby turn...... turn baby turn!!!!!!"

1 has anyone had a general with there c/s if so did you still need a catheter put in

yes..had a general with all 4 c/s and yes needed a catheter with ever one of them.
I didnt notice with one of them as I was in full labour and one of them the stupid nurse put one in noticed it was to big and proceeded to put the second one up without taking the first one out...that tickled NOT!!!!
generally the nurses prep you, put the bund in your are for ht edrip and drugs, make sure your shaved :rolleyes: and put the wee wee bag in place.
If you do have a c/s there could be a good chanch (depending on doctor) that they place a long drainage tube from your c/s to a bag...just to warn you thats all cause i was taken back when I woke from my first one and had this stupid telletubby bag attatched.


2 if had general how long til after the op did you wake

about half an hour...but I dont remember much to be honest it took me about an hour to be fully awake and not so drugged up
I was placedinto recovery and I had my babies with me so I could breastfeed straight away and start our bond. I dont feel cheated that I couldnt hold them straight after birth, I did what was best for me and them. Please keep in mind that now a days loads of babies end up in the special care nursery after a c/s....Ive heard it procaution these days

3 what was the epidural like i havnt had one before and thats why im prepared to go under if my fears are to bad ha had tubes in chest for collapsed lung and got tattoos but scared of the epidural lol

I tried to get the needle put in for a spinal with number 2 c/s and I felt the local needle and then the big needle gong in and it hit my bones because I have very bad disc's...so had to have a general. I decided rather then get stressed out with my last 2 c/s with the entire needle in back thing that Id prefer just to have a general.

Im a stresser and my friend described her c/s to me about 3 months ago and ive been pooping since i have a few fears bout c/s
what exactly has you pooping yourself???

this will be my 4th baby had first 3 VB and this lil one is breech and i want to really start thinking about my options and preparing in case he doesnt turn

You know you can still have a completely normal VB even if your baby is breech.

i had a c/s due to placenta previa but really made it enjoyable (if that is the right word - not sure yet lol)

because you are having a spinal block, you dont have control over your bladder so yes a catherter is inserted, whether you have a general or spinal. the anasethetic paralyses you which means all your smooth muscle in your body (bladder is made up of transitional smooth muscle) you lose the ability to be able to know when your bladder is full or not. u dont feel the catherter going in as they do it once the administer the spinal block.

you wont be having a general unless the doctor feels its necessary. generals are mostly given in situations where a spinal has been attempted and failed and general is the only other option to go.

have you tried looking into spinning to see if you can turn the baby? there is still plenty of time for him/her to turn.

good luck! xx

Ree

I hope that your bub turns really soon. It's not too late at 33 weeks. Maybe you should be looking into ECV and acupuncture etc? There is also a website called spinning babies with things to do. It's worth a try.

As for people who tell you that having a breech birth is possible, maybe they would like to have one. They might also like to find you a hospital where the obs/midwives are insured to perform breech vaginal deliveries.

sweetie, no advice re csection as i havnt had one b4, but just wanted to let u know that my little guy is STILL turning from head up to head down several times a day!!
if he presents breech when i go into labour i'll be pushing for a vb still. if i can find the link i'll pm it to u but theres a lovely independant midwife and her view on breech babies is that they're a variation of normal. its a lovely site

thank you to all that replied

i think im mostly scared of the epidural but then when i start to think about it catheter being cut open the whole thing recovery I dont have a problem with bonding cause im so excited but part of my excitement was VB my aunty has had 2 of her babies by c/s and they both had to be put on cpap i feel silly really cause whatever happens happens and i just gotta go with the flow

have been reading everything on spinning baby and just going to think positive thoughts like everyone has said i still have 61/2wks plus i get another u/s on monday so im excited about that and hoping the dr is wrong

Hi Ree,

I had a c/s 23rd July and was completely and utterly terrified of the whole process! But it turned out SO much better than I expected - thankfully! My DD was also breech and my DP and I researched and tried almost every method to turn bubs - to no avail.

Being a nurse, I was aware of all that could go wrong and was sure it would all go terribly wrong for me. I ended up having a fantastic anesthetist who picked up on my fear early on and was so reassuring. He used a spinal anesthetic (in and out needle) instead on an epidural -which is like a tube that sits in the fluid space around the spine and gives a continuous dose of medication to numb you up. Epidurals can drop your blood pressure and make you feel pretty nauseous. I would opt for the spinal any day and would have hated to have a general and miss out on that first precious hour with my new bubba. My DH was with me the whole time and never let go of my hand. The weirdest part was when I thought I could still feel my legs and then one appeared above me while the nurses inserted the catheter (no discomfort with the catheter going in) and I thought, what is that great white leg doing up there? I then realised it looked kind of familiar!

I fully expected the spinal to fail and was waiting to feel a cut - the next thing I knew, there was a baby being dangled over my head, she had arrived safe and sound. Almost before I was over the initial amazement we were all OK, I was all stitched up and the OB was walking out the door. I entered the operating room at 7am and baby was born at 7.35! We all stayed together in recovery and then returned to the ward about an hour later. My baby was never out of my sight and we had early skin to skin time. She was BF in recovery. I was out of bed the next morning, had the catheter out and was showered by 9am.

My advice, take all the pain meds they give you (do take regular panadol- it really helps), get up and about as soon as they let you and try not to bend over too much - stand tall, it makes it heaps easier to walk.

I am hoping that our second baby will not be breech and will definitely be trying for a VBAC. But if a c/s can't be helped, try and make it as positive as you can.

Wishing you all the very best, I hope your c/s story is as happy as mine x