Has anyone had elective C/S under General Anesthetic

[beeper]

My DS was born after 24 hour labour and a crash section.

The epidural had blind spots and lets just say it was sheer agony.

I am 14 weeks and have to see obs' consultant in the next week and I cant have a epidural again...or rather I won't.

I don't really want to try for a VBAC as the thought of another crash section makes me squirm, and I am convinced it led to two years of post natal depression.

Any experience or advice would be welcome.

My god that sounds horrific. You poor thing. Epidural is not the only option for an "awake" cs - they couldn't get the epi in for me so I had a spinal block, which is different but don't ask me how! Maybe some clever person will be along later to tell you...

Liege....I had something put in my back before they where going to do forceps, come to think of it I have no idea what it was.

I know they changed something before I had the section, when they had the baby out they knocked me out immediatly to close up.

Mainly because I was shouting. "F -ing knock me out" "F-ing knock me out" But kid was stuck in birth canal and two doctors virutally pulled him out by the legs.

Thing was they knew I could feel it because they sprayed me with that cold spray I said I can feel it I can feel it and they they just cut me open anyway...DH's gob was on the floor......My gob turned the air blue

SiL had all three of her babies with a planned section under a general. She had some weird pregnancy related condition (that had not symptoms but showed in her blood tests) that meant her blood was not clotting that well. For some reason this made an epi or spinal dangerous.

They only downside was her DH could not be in the room when the babies were born. He waited outside and they were taken to him as soon as they were cleaned up. He then introduced them to her mum when she woke up 30 mins later.

"there mum" not "her mum"

or even "their" mum

Hi beeper, don't know if it helps, but if it is a true crash section, then it is usually performed under GA.

Minutes matter in those situations.

Bleeper if you have an elective c/s they will give you a spinal block - this is different to an epidural & is much a denser block

epi = tube in your back, low dose & can be topped up numerous times (did they top you up before your c/s or didn't they have time?)

spinal = one shot injection, lasts about 2hrs (which is why they don't use it in labour as it can't be topped up) I had one for my emergency c/s with DD (as I hadn't had an epidural & it was a "we need to get her out in the next half hour or so" c/s so they could afford the wait for it to take effect, had it have been a crash section I would have had a GA)

an elective c/s is much different to a crash emergency c/s. They can take their time & you can be 100% sure that you are happy with the block before they proceed. Given your experience last time they will be extra careful to ensure you are okay with everything.

I'm not saying don't have a GA, but do discuss it with the doctors first before you make a decision, a GA is a lot more risky, takes longer to recover from & neither you or DH get to see your DC born , that can be equally difficult to deal with for some people.

Beeper, that is horrendous!

If you say you can feel it during the cold spray test, how could they not knock you out immediately before doing a CAESAREAN? It takes a minute or two for GA to work (I know, I had a crash section under GA). And I had nothing in my back at the time.

Did you have a debrief for your birth? I would take something like that up to a higher authority.

I feel that for you to make an informed choice about whether to go for a spinal or insist on GA for your elective, you need to understand what happened at the birth of your cs and why.

HI, I had an emergency section the first time around (with epidural) and the second time round I had a section with a spinal block...it was totally fine and was a very relaxed and calm affair....bettsyboop is right...for me the first time round was horrendous - I was induced on Saturday tea-time and had my DD at 6am on the following Tuesday (after emergency section)

For my second pregnancy I opted for VBAC but towards the end it became clear to me that things seemed to be going the same way as the first (if baby not engaged, moving all the time, transverse at 38 weeks) in the end I opted for elective and it was the most wonderful experience - calm, happy and euphoric (I think this part was down to the morphine which they inject at the same time as the spinal!)

I was interviewed by some officials just after the birth but I just wanted them to push off...I was not on the planet as I was being give morphine at the time.

I suppose that I need to go over the notes its all hazy. I suppose reading the responses it was not a true emergeny in the sense of rushing me down the corridor but it did happen very quickly.

Looking at the info in the responses I think i must have had an epidural and not a spinal block. I had a very painful needle in my back and a dripfeeder in my hand with tubes, going up my arm. At some points the anesthetist was what it seemed like putting stuff in my hand thing.

Its so hazy.....I just know the relief when everything went black.

I recovered fairly quickly and DS breast fed as soon as I could hold him, but Ive been reading that GA can harm the baby more as DS was out before I had the GA.

Ive had GA three times as I had a ruptured ectopic two years after DS and needed surgery for that.

AHHH I am a freakin' mess.

I don't want to do the easy thing I want to do the right thing. if you know what I mean.

There is no 'easy thing to do'...you must trust your own instincts...I had a bad experience first time round but was determined to try for VBAC...then towards the end I changed my mind...it was no big deal and the hospital were very understanding (although I have to say that my MW did make some comment afterwards about the fact that I chose to have an elective...I think she was trying to make out that I was a wimp!)...end of day, who cares?? I endured a lot first time round and I do not care what others may think about why I chose an elective - I am glad that I did - it was the greatest experience ever!!! You do what you really feel comfortable with...x

I once watched an episode of 'next generation star trek' and they teleported the baby out. Thats what I want.

I am so not up for a VBAC, I don't consider c/section a easy option at all. I was thinking more for risking an awake on again to be better for the baby or me being totally out of it and risking the baby.

I can deal with the recovery issues over GA as have been there before.

Thanks for responding been crying all tea time

beeper, if it is not a true emergency, it is even less excusable for medical staff not to take the time to make sure the pain relief works properly before a major procedure. And whatever the risks of GA to an unborn baby, there is no way that risk could be significant enough to subject the mother to major surgery without adequate anesthesia.

If you say your baby was pulled up by its legs, it sounds like a caesarean whereby the baby has already descended down the birth canal and needs to be pulled backup to be delivered via an abdomninal incision. That must have been a rather violent and lengthy procedure. And all this time you were screaming to be knocked out??? Words escape me.

I am Very Angry you had to be subjected to this!

It was that I had a patch that was not numb towards the left of my tummy, like I said a blind spot.

My son had alot of bruising on his face, around his upper cheeks and eyes. So yes he looked rough and got jaundice.

All I can remeber is them spraying me and saying 'can you feel that' I said 'yes' then they did it again and said the same, I said yes, then I just felt them cut and my husband said, "they are cutting you" like in total shock and I just freaked out.

I kept begging them to knock me out but they kept saying no, no not until the babys out, it must have been a few minuits because I remeber asking quite a few times.

They got him out and said " its a boy" to be honest I did not give a *&^%$% and just begged them to knock me out again.

DH saw baby and went outside to chill out after I was in recovery and saw the anesthetist chain smoking outside the mat unit.

Honest I am not making this up.

I need counselling.

have a look at the thread in childbirth called 'birth trauma' there are some useful links on there about this sort of horrible experinece.

Don't know if this thread has moved on too far but ds2 was born by elective section under GA. For whatever reason I've had difficulty with both epis and spinal blocks in the past and, having discussed the position with the anaethetist prior to the c/s, we agreed that whilst we would try a block on the day, if it didn't work we would go for GA. So I suspect from my experience the key discussion is not with the consultant, but with the consultant anaethetist. In my hospital you see the consultant anaethetist at the pre-op check in the couple of days leading up to the scheduled c/s date. I doubt that the ob/gyn consulatnt really has any say in how you are prepared for surgery - they can only give the go-ahead for a c/section, not the type of anaesthetic.

As someone else has pointed out, dh is not allowed in the theatre, but you can still select the music etc. Ds2 was delivered, weighed, checked and then handed to dh for half an hour until I appeared. I then fed him after that.

2nd babies are very different. As a mum you know more about what you're doing even if the baby still has to learn how to latch/suck etc. I was happy before the birth that this was the best choice for me, so I've never had any regrets.

Ladymuck,

Thanks so much for that post....its made me feel loads better. thanks to everyone for taking the time to respond, its been quite a day.

Just spent half an hour on the phone to my mother whinging and begging her to come down for the day of the section and to stay with me the whole time in the hospital.

She said she was going to do that anyway, so thats a relief.

Thanks again everyone.

Beeper,just to let you know,that some theatres have a window which leads into another room. My DH was allowed to watch from there and see the whole birth. Also if the staff are kind enough one of them can film it. But remember to ask!!! I took camera in to hospital and forgot!!!

Questions: why did the surgeon make the cut before the anesthesia worked? Shouldn't the surgeon get the go ahead from the anesthetist before doing so? Having done so and knowing that there was breakthrough pain, why couldn't they knock you out with GA before continuing with the procedure? Was it or was it not an emergency? If so, what level of emergency (my hospital had a red, amber, green system to grade the degree of emergency).

Before my elective, I did ask the anesthetist what would happen if my spinal did not take fully. They said they would knock me out. Why did that not happen in your case.

Also, why didn't your dh punch the chainsmoking anesthetist? Maybe the man does not feel pain...

Basically, blueshoes I don't know why it was done. I dont understand as when I go to the freakin dentist and he says "can you feel anything" and i say "yes" he gives me another shot before he starts.

hi beeper, you need answers. I feel frustrated on your behalf.

Check out lulumama's Birth Trauma thread: here.

Someone from the hospital needs to go through your notes and explain to you what happened. This should not happen again.

Or more importantly, someone badly needs to reassure you why it should not happen again.

beeper - just re read the thread, this bit bothers me

'
Its so hazy.....I just know the relief when everything went black. '

why did it go black? were you given GA? or did you pass out?

you need to go through your notes with head of midwifery, and find out some answers

a true crash section is under GA

sounds like you had an epi, an attempt at instrumental delivery, followed by an emergency c.s, that was not conducted terribly well

i think it is terrible that you were given major surgery with inadequate pain relief, and you need answers

with an elective, you do not have the same level of urgency, so you absolutely should not have a repeat of what happened, but there is no excuse for you having a c.s without adequate numbing.

Unfortunately beeper you're not alone - the girl in the bed opposite me was not anaethetised properly either. She said the anaesthetist knew it hadn't worked properly but seemed too scared of the surgeons to delay any further, as he had already taken a long time to get the needle in (this was a planned cs so no immediate urgency). The anaesthetic wore off as she was being sewn up and they didn't knock her out. I was horrified and so furious for her (as I am for you!) - we had been in hospital together for weeks so I knew her quite well. I just can't believe that this kind of thing can happen with the knowledge of the surgeons or anaesthetist. I do hope you manage to get some answers about your first birth and reassurance about the next. Good luck.