Caesarean - Was Midwife cruel to insert catheter prior to anaesthesia?

[NowYouTellMe]

Caesarean- Was Midwife cruel to insert catheter prior to anaesthesia- non-urgent birth?

I self catheterised for a year. Never caused any pain.

Catheters are inserted using a dose of local anaesthetic/antiseptic, a gel squirted onto the urethra before insertion. This is done day in day out with no further anaesthetic than this. Many people with urinary/bladder problems self catheterise at home multiple times per day.

Usually at section a catheter would be inserted with local anaesthetic gel prior to the spinal anaesthetic having taken full effect, as the team spend the rest of the time the spinal takes to work setting up theatre with the sterile equipment and anaesthetic monitoring required for the surgery itself.

Different hospitals may have different policies but I’d say not cruel unless they ignored a specific request or without consent.

Perhaps explore if the hospital can review your notes with you/answer any questions you have about your birth via a debrief.

My first was an emergency and it was inserted before and I still remember it hurting; with my second it was elective and put in after which was a relief: if there’s a choice I think doing it before is cruel

I’m so sorry, @NowYouTellMe! It seems your catheterization was way outside the realm of norm for how painful it should be, so of course you’d want to be anesthetized first. But the only anesthetic I think of in birth is an epidural? Obviously, there are people who must use a catheter on themselves every time they wee, every day - they’re definitely not receiving any anesthetic or an epidural. Is there any chance all the other things they were doing down there during birth, or to sort out when/if C-section was needed, just became too painful, and you associated the catheter with the straw that broke the camel’s back? Maybe a birth review could help you determine the order of how things went? I just don’t want other women to be afraid of catheterizations; as other posters have said, some have had to catheterize themselves every day for a year and felt no pain. The catheter designers have done everything to make them as quick and painless (though there WILL be discomfort), as possible. All reading: please don’t be too scared, if you haven’t had one before.

I was offered to have it before the anaesthetic if I wanted it to be just me and the nurse present. Or in theatre after anaesthetic, with more people present.

I opted for before, as thats what I felt more comfortable with. Tho, it was a busy Bank Holiday so I think it also saved theatre time.

2 c-sections, one spinal one under GA. They always asked me. I always said once I was either spinal blocked, or under GA. As taking it out hurt me both times. Choice is yours. I'm sorry it hurt you.

My c section ended up being an emergency one. They were trying to insert the catheter really fast - before the anaesthetic. They were rushing so much that they were struggling to get it in - then there were 2 of them grabbing at me down there trying to do it. They looked frantic. It was a very chaotic experience.
It was so painful and I was sore down there for weeks after where they'd inserted it.

Cruel OP!!! I can guarantee the staff weren't thinking 'can everyone give this lady a hard time and be cruel to her. In fact, lets shove the catheter in right now to cause pain on purpose'!!!!

Years ago I worked in A&E and had to insert many a catheter into both men and women-none of whom were anaesthetised!

Why is it cruel? I've had catheters lots of times and it's never hurt ,one time was before my section.

for those who have had an epidural perhaps but it wouldn't usually be expected otherwise in vaginal births.

I've had 2 c sec and as soon as the anaesthetic went in they lay me down and put the catheter in so I could feel enough to no it was going in but not enough to feel discomfort

Using exclamation marks sounds like you agree with the OP.

As I said, I had two experiences of Cathertisation. One positive and one utterly dreadful

Mine inserted before epidural too.

Didn't occur to me it was unusual.

I was gratefully distracted by the extremely hot Mexican midwife doing it though

@pastabest yes, believe me, it is done in vaginal births without epidural. It’s a different type of catheter - an in and out - so they literally pop it in, drain the bladder and remove it. It’s to deflate the bladder out the way so you can start pushing. Otherwise the full bladder gets in the way of baby descending. You may not have even been aware of it but it’s usually done.

The catheter was so painful, I could feel it despite the epidural. I begged for it to be removed as it was causing me distress and the obstetrician told the midwife to take it out but to ensure I went to the loo ok once baby was delivered.

That was ten years ago - I still remember the pain.

Well I doubt it’s the individual midwife…..the hospital is likely to have a set procedure. But definitely send them some feedback, tell them you’ve had it done after the spinal elsewhere and that’s much better.

I had a planned c section and can't remember when it was inserted but I can imagine it wouldn't be nice before the anaesthetic

Anaesthesia isn't a normal part of catheter insertion (in women). I'm guessing in your case the midwife did her job before the anaesthetist came to do his or her part.

It’s a hospital much in the news at the moment and from some time ago

One nurse does, one nurse doesn’t?!

Well that would be assault if I wasn't aware they were doing it. Wouldn't it?

Follow James Titcombe...he has far better info than me

Furness General Hospital

No you don't generally have an anaesthesia for a catheter insertion it isn't pleasant but it shouldn't hurt.