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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

How much do you feel during an elective C-section?

25 replies

NooNooHead1981 · 02/02/2018 14:50

As in, you're numbed from the spinal but can still feel all the inscisions etc? Silly question I know! I just remember with my epidiral for my first that I felt every poke and prod even though it wasn't painful - for some reason, I thought I woule be able to not feel my legs at all!

OP posts:

jimwith2noses · 02/02/2018 14:53

No pain at all, just like a tugging sensation. I certainly couldn't feel an incision.

I've given birth with an epidural too and would choose c section any day. It's the recovery that takes longer.

Commuterface · 02/02/2018 14:56

Just a big pull when the baby comes out but it isn’t painful as such. I didn’t even feel the needle go in when they gave me a spinal block.

CapnHaddock · 02/02/2018 14:58

You can't feel anything.

mintich · 02/02/2018 15:00

No you can feel a little rummage but that's all. No pain

Bluntness100 · 02/02/2018 15:00

A sort of mild pulling sensation. No pain. You can't feel incisions or anything.

halesie · 02/02/2018 15:08

There is definitely weird rummaging but it shouldn't be painful!

My anaesthetic started to wear off with my first (seems I am one of those people) but the anaesthetist was fantastic and did a top up straight away. For my second we discussed it and they left a top up line in so it would be instant - was fine that time anyway.

WatchingFromTheWings · 02/02/2018 15:32

First and third I didn't feel a thing. Just an odd tugging then rummaging sensation.

On the second,however, I wasn't given enough anaesthetic and felt every slice. Wasn't painful at the start but the more it went on the more I felt. Wasn't excruciating but it made me catch my breath and panic.

elliejjtiny · 02/02/2018 18:54

My first I felt a weird rummaging feeling, 2nd one I didn't feel anything.

ShowOfHands · 02/02/2018 18:56

I could feel it but it didn't hurt. It's like the surgeon is washing up inside you. Lots of tugging and pressure but no pain.

CryingMessFFS · 02/02/2018 18:57

I felt a lot, no pain but I could feel a lot of tugs and pushing the entire time. I describe it as feeling like someone doing the washing up in my body.

GaryWilmotsTeeth · 02/02/2018 22:43

As others have said, no pain but definitely more than rummaging. It may have been specific to my birth though because DS was a very uncooperative transverse lie and was basically wedged in good and tight. A midwife had to press down round my shoulders and chest to keep me still while the Dr dragged him out by one foot. Took ages and a lot of man-handling to get him out.

Vixnixtrix1981 · 02/02/2018 22:50

No pain. I was an emergency section, it felt like someone was washing up in my tummy if that makes sense? I could feel movement, but it didn't hurt

MrsDilber · 02/02/2018 22:58

Not painful at all. You can feel something going on, but it doesn't hurt.

Cronuts · 04/02/2018 20:20

I felt way more than I expected too actually. The rummaging around feeling and it felt like they were going to break my ribs at one point...it was twins though, 1 breech and 1 transverse so maybe that's why.

Another thing that I didn't expect was the instant severe nausea I had as a result of my blood pressure dropping when they made the incision.

Hairgician · 05/02/2018 16:31

Definate rummaging sensation. No pain. Also had a bout of vomiting come on suddenly, must have been drop in bp. Sorted within seconds by the lovely anesthetist though. I also caught a glimpse of my legs flopping about as I was moved from bed to operating table. That was weird.

VanillaSugar · 05/02/2018 16:35

OP - take your left hand and put it round your right wrist. Squeeze the bone. It's like that. You can feel it, but it doesn't hurt.

TinoTheArtisticMouse · 06/02/2018 12:28

I felt nothing of what was going on behind the curtain.
I just started to feel sick and vomited, then they adjusted the anaesthetic a bit and I was fine again. Towards the end I started to get the shakes - reaction to the drugs, which was scary, but the anaesthetist explained what was going on and I stopped panicking.

babyboyHarrison · 06/02/2018 12:36

I felt really cold, my teeth were chattering and I was shaking. In fact I was shaking so much I was scared to hold my baby as I was worried I’d drop her. All normal though and wasn’t worried by it. My husband helped though and was nice for him to have the first cuddle.
The tugging feeling made me feel like I was going to fall off the bed but no pain at all. Just odd really. I think because so much sensation is removed from the anesthetic that the sensations you can still feel aren’t dampened that they feel more pronounced. Nothing bad but definitely odd though b

Foggymist · 10/02/2018 00:03

I felt them cut away my previous csection scar, could hear the snip, snip and could feel the scissors, bleh! So much rummaging, rough tugging and pressure, I found it really horrible both times.

RandomUsernameHere · 10/02/2018 00:16

It wasn't painful at all, I couldn't feel anything apart from a bit of tugging. It was a bit unpleasant having the spinal block put in as the anaesthetist couldn't get it in first time, but other than that everything was great.

Blueskyrain · 12/02/2018 10:39

I felt the rummaging beceinwas looking out for to, but otherwise I don't think I'd have even felt that. I didn't know they'd started, and had no idea what they were doing. I thought they were getting ready to start, but I was already sliced open. It's amazing. No nausea, teeth chattering, blood pressure problems here either.

Poffley · 12/02/2018 10:41

I had an emergency but I really didn't feel anything at all - suddenly they said "your baby's been born!" and I was all er I didn't even realise you were cutting me open!!!

Poffley · 12/02/2018 10:42

I did feel very sick and sleepy after. But I'd been in labour for five days. Hopefully it'd be different with an elective.

Babdoc · 12/02/2018 10:57

I’m a retired anaesthetist, who has done over three thousand spinals for major surgery, including c. sections.
I always told my patients in advance that the spinal blocks pain fibres but not pressure ones, so they would feel pushing or “rummaging” during delivery of the baby’s head through the incision. (The fibres carrying pressure sensation are much deeper inside the nerve bundle than the pain fibres, which are near the surface and get blocked by the anaesthetic soaking in from where it’s deposited in the cerebrospinal fluid).
If you feel actual pain, then the spinal hasn’t worked.
Spinals are very much safer than general anaesthesia, for both mother and baby, especially nowadays when so many mothers are dangerously obese, with consequent difficult airways.
All of my patients were happy to be awake to see their baby immediately, and also glad of the prolonged numbness and pain relief for the first few hours post delivery, rather than waking up sore after a GA.
Always ask your anaesthetist to explain what they’re doing and why- you’ll feel more confident if you know what’s happening and what to expect in the way of numbness etc.

Anatidae · 12/02/2018 11:02

babdoc please could I ask a question?

I had my spinal fail and wear off after the baby was out but before they’d finished the clean up and close up. I do also seem to chew through dental anathesia too fast - I know there are some genetic variants that can do this but in your opinion was the spinal failure me and my fabulous cytochromes or a mistake in siting? When it was placed I felt intense pain in one hip and it took a long time to take effect.

OP - all you should feel is pressure.

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