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Original poster

Emetophobic freaking out about c section

40 replies

Ftm2015 · 02/10/2015 19:49

Hi ladies

Do you know what I hate the fact that Google was ever invented....just spent the last half an hour googling vomiting during c section and now I am well and truly freaked out...

I am having ELCS this time next week. Ironically it's due to severe anxiety and my emetophobia which is fear of vomiting. Now I am well educated and didn't make the decision lightly. I know that nausea and vomiting is high during the operation. But my midwife assured me that if I tell every man and his dog when I arrive for my c section about my phobia that they will prevent it by giving me anti sickness through the IV. After googling I have read vomiting is highly likely both during and after the operation.....now I am just totally freaking out about it all when I was feeling quite relaxed about it Confused

Please can someone give me advice or reassurance. I haven't thrown up in over 20 years and have gone through my pregnancy without being ill so the thought of going through this operation is just scaring me to death at the moment xx

OP posts:
lisbapalea · 02/10/2015 19:52

if it helps at all I have had two c-sections and didn't throw up at any stage with either of them.

Good luck with it all and I hope you get lots of reassuring replies.

Chchchchangeabout · 02/10/2015 19:55

I had an EMCS and vomited neither before nor after nor during, of that helps.

Chchchchangeabout · 02/10/2015 19:55

if not of

TillITookAnArrowToTheKnee · 02/10/2015 19:56

I know around 10 women who have had sections and haven't vomited.

I've recently developed emetophobia alongside my anxiety/panic disorder (all diagnosed in the last 2 years) and am pregnant with DC4 and expecting to give birth vaginally with no pain relief as gas/air and pethidine/diamorphine have previously made me very woozy and I don't drink alcohol any more due to the emetophobia so as my much younger DSis would say "I feel your feels." Flowers

NegativeNora · 02/10/2015 19:57

I had a EMCS last year and there was no vomit at any point of the two days I was in hospital!

MadameJosephine · 02/10/2015 19:58

I've worked on maternity for 11 years and I can't recall ever looking after anyone who has vomited during or after a c section so although it's a possibility I wouldn't say it was highly likely. Have you spoken to the anaesthetist at all yet? You should get a chance to speak to them on the day if you haven't yet, I'm sure they have come across this before and will be happy to give you an anti emetic.

Good luck with the delivery and your new baby Flowers

ShowOfHands · 02/10/2015 20:09

I have emetophobia (as do many women on here). I made my anaesthetist aware of it and through two emergency caesareans, I didn't vomit once. I didn't even feel nauseous.

I know a lot of people who have given birth. The ones I know who vomited all gave birth naturally. None of the people I know who had a CS were sick during it or afterwards.

I don't think vomiting is highly likely at all. In fact, I think you're likely not to.

Original poster
Ftm2015 · 02/10/2015 20:18

So much love and reassurance ladies thank you!!! I haven't had the chance to speak to anyone but it's all over my maternity notes and I have been told that I have the chance to tell all of the theatre team of my fear so that they know of my situation and they can hopefully reassure me.

It's my first operation in life and I am 36 so I am a little apprehensive but I can cope with lots of things like needles and blood just not vomiting!!

I guess I should slap myself on the wrist for googling as it's just so dangerous for someone like me Grin

OP posts:
Liomsa · 02/10/2015 20:25

What are you googling? It's news to me that vomiting is 'highly likely', and I've had a CS and know an awful lot of other women who have (lots of older mothers, assisted conceptions in my social group, so ELCSs over-represented...) and I don't recall it being something anyone mentioned as a very likely thing.

The only time I had a general anaesthetic I was violently sick afterwards. I told the anaesthetist and team before my ELCS, they put in an anti-emetic, and I had no nausea at all. My theatre team were unspeakably nice, so that the whole thing was a cheery, if surreal experience.

ShowOfHands · 02/10/2015 20:26

Have you had any treatment for your emetophobia?

I managed to not be sick from childhood until well into having my own children just through sheer determination but the fear was there all the time. I finally saw somebody about it a couple of years ago and wish I'd done it a very long time ago.

Finlaggan · 02/10/2015 20:28

I've had two sections and wasn't sick in either. Didn't feel nauseous in either. Good luck!

Original poster
Ftm2015 · 02/10/2015 20:31

I have googled vomiting during c section so obviously all the questions and experiences come up with women saying that they have been ill. I don't know why I did it but once I keyed it in I couldn't stop myself....

I went to CBT for my phobia. It went ok until he tried to get me to make myself sick...I couldn't quite do it so stopped going. I have read self help books and am currently reading a good book to help. It seems I may have to live with it forever!!

When I also went to see several doctors about getting a c section they mentioned nausea and vomiting happens during the op. Not sure if they were scare mongering me Angry

OP posts:
HopefulHamster · 02/10/2015 20:56

I had no nausea at all with an EMCS. When I had an ELCS I had some nausea during an early stage, and they told me to tell them straight away if that happened. I did and within seconds they changed something so the feeling went away. If you warn them upfront they will probably do that straight away. Good luck!

Skiptonlass · 03/10/2015 09:08

I'm booked in for one next week and one of my questions was what would happen if I was sick. I've had severe sickness and nausea the entire pregnancy so obviously I wanted to let them know as I'll be stuck on my back and I don't want to choke or spew on the staff.

Apparently it's rare it happens, if I did feel like it was going to , they'd give me a strong anti emetic and/or address the cause. They didn't seem concerned.

Mulligrubs · 03/10/2015 09:15

I only vomited during labour (I was induced) but during and after the EMCS I didn't vomit at all. They certainly can give you anti sickness drugs if you need them but I don't think theyre necessary for a spinal anaesthetic, the risk of vomiting is much higher after a general anaesthetic. I've actually never heard of anyone being sick during or after an ELCS! So don't panic OP, it is so unlikely.

Bottlecap · 03/10/2015 09:16

Poor you. I have a C-section mostly because I was so bloody traumatised by seeing all the vomit when my sister had her baby. I can assure you I've had 2 C-sections with NO VOMIT.

Good luck.

ShowOfHands · 03/10/2015 09:24

" It went ok until he tried to get me to make myself sick "

WHAT? I didn't think they still did that.

Have a look at this site if you haven't before.

I wish I'd tackled it before I had my own dc. I managed to avoid being sick from childhood to adulthood. It was only having dc which forced me to confront it because they did eventually bring norovirus home with them and I physically couldn't stop it. It was only after that first episode that I faced my fears.

fastdaytears · 03/10/2015 09:31

No advice but I love MN for showing me that there are people thinking the same as me.

No vomit for me for 13 years and counting. Terrified of being pg at all so you're doing amazingly! Brew

WoahBodyforrrrm · 03/10/2015 09:44

I was sick during my section but there was a reason why. I had a scheduled section booked in. I duly fasted from the night before as instructed. When I got to the hospital, I was gowned up etc, then told the section couldn't happen that day as SCBU was full (my twins were being delivered at 34 weeks so needed SCBU cots as prevention) to cut a long story short, my consultant wanted them delivered that weekend so sent me up to a ward saying I could now drink as the section wouldn't happen that day. To cut a long story short, a midwife put me on a monitor, realised one of my twins had a problem and I was rushed down for an emergency section closing the maternity unit for any mums in labour

So the reason I was sick was because is been given the go ahead to drink. If my stomach was empty as it should have been it wouldn't have happened. Anyway the anaesthetist gave me some magic meds and all was well again. So if you don't eat or drink from the advised fast time, you'll more then likely be fine. I know lots of women who've had sections and I'm the only one who was sick!

Original poster
Ftm2015 · 03/10/2015 10:22

Yep the therapist said he had a in depth conversation with other therapists about it as ethically it isn't something that should be done but yes he absolutely got me to the stage of asking me to stick my fingers down my throat. Um no thanks! Other than that CBT made a lot of sense but I didn't finish the therapy so got back to square one.

I am determined to get over my phobia eventually. I will have to when baby arrives as there will be lots of spew but baby vom is a lot different for me anyway. My dog vomits a lot and for some reason it doesn't bother me at all!!

All of your messages are very reassuring. I just can't wait for it to be over and to have my wee man in my arms Smile

OP posts:
Original poster
Ftm2015 · 03/10/2015 10:24

Ps showofhands I have read this website and it has helped. I am currently reading the Thrive Programme by Rob Kelly which he has specifically written for emetophobia. So far all makes sense but I won't have much time to finish it when baby arrives!! X

OP posts:
fastdaytears · 03/10/2015 11:07

there will be lots of spew but baby vom is a lot different for me anyway. My dog vomits a lot and for some reason it doesn't bother me at all!!

Cat sick, dog sick, baby sick all fine! Me being sick is not. I can now walk around a pile of sick on the road without having a panic attack though so I can go into town on a Sunday morning!

Can't believe your therapist thought you should make yourself sick. That's crazy. I'll look at that programme. Why are there so many of us like this?

Original poster
Ftm2015 · 03/10/2015 11:25

Fastdaytears I have fear of others being sick and of course myself. But for some reason animals and babies sick doesn't tend to bother me. I think my therapist said it was to do with the actions and noises...anyway less of that!!

Definitely have a look at Thrive it really makes sense and is very good. Lots of reviews to say they have been cured.

I have been like this for 25 odd years and have never had any traumatic event or otherwise to answer for my phobia. I guess it's just who we are WinkI am not ashamed or embarrassed it's just something that I need to overcome X

OP posts:
BadgerFace · 03/10/2015 20:53

I had an EMCS as did lots of my friends and I've never heard of being sick as a common side effect! I am sure you will be fine.

I would say that baby spew is very different to vomit too, I totally get where you are coming from on that. I had/have an issue with snot and regularly gag (and some times retch) if faced with any not my own so was a bit worried about having DD although strangely hers seems not affect me.

madwomanbackintheattic · 03/10/2015 21:00

I did throw up (just the once) during my ELCS (due to fundal pressure I think, and I had been warned that might happen - if you have someone pushing hard on your abdomen then the force is going to work somewhere...), but I also threw up during labour for vbac as well. To be honest there was so much going on it wasn't possible to dwell on it.

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