C-Section under GA

[hereistopositiveenergy]

Please, I'm looking for positive stories or any words of advise to make this more of a positive experience as I'm currently at breaking point.

I am pregnant with a very much wanted baby after struggling to conceive. After working flat out doing two jobs to fund private IVF as I've already an amazing stepdaughter, we found out we had conceived naturally three months before our booked first IVF appointment.

Unfortunately my health wasn't great anyway - I have a blood clotting disorder, lupus and POTs - but all my medical team were on board with the pregnancy. After falling pregnant I've had HG sickness which finally settled down 3 weeks ago at 23 weeks and also preeclampsia indicators so I've been monitored closely on that front. As part of this monitoring, one of the consultants sent me for a CT then an MRI where it's been confirmed I have something wrong with my brain - chiari malformation type 2? In essence, from what they've explained so far, is there's swelling at the back which is causing the brain to 'droop' down hence my headaches and a shooting pain when I cough or laugh too much.

I had initially been booked for an induction at 38 weeks so we could plan coming off my blood thinning medication whilst delivering naturally as this is the safest option for my blood clotting element. Today however, my consultant has let me know neuro are strongly recommending a section under GA (although awaiting re confirmation from anaesthetist I can have a spinal or epidural again because of the blood clotting factors).

I really did not want a birth like this. In fact, I really do not want a birth like this as it feels so transactional but I do not have a choice. From the discussions today, to labour naturally will cause too much pressure in my head and there's a ridiculous high chance of catastrophic harm to me.

Everything I've read so far says DP will not be allowed in the theatre and I will not be allowed to see baby until I come round and safe to hold. This means no first cry, first look, skin to skin, first feed, cutting of the cord, the golden hour that everything tells you is a 'must' because it's so important and crucial. I will miss out on all of those experiences and seeing/holding your baby once they come out.

We are to go back in 3 weeks to agree a date and allow me time to digest & come to terms with the news today.

I already now feel so disconnected and have done nothing but cry all afternoon so please, if anyone can shed any light on what happens with a section under GA, the positives they experienced and any tips on how to deal with this mentally and emotionally I would be very grateful.

My first section was under GA as they weren't able to do a spinal. I will be honest it was awful. I had an apt with the anaesthetist during my second pregnancy and she agreed that if I ended up needing a section (non crash) and they weren't able to place spinal then my husband could be in theatre but had to leave if asked (i.e. if I/baby needed resus).

Was just posing questions and advocating for a second opinion. I just got the impression from OPs post that things hadn't been explained in full and that's not the best place to make a decision from.

I actually also took this as read, and realise now it's probably a typo and OP means 'can't' so for that I apologise.

'although awaiting re confirmation from anaesthetist I can have a spinal or epidural again because of the blood clotting factor'

My main point was meant to be to make sure everything is explained to you so that you don't feel that you're a bystander in your birth, even if it's not what you imagined.

Just to add I have syrinx without chiari and neuro was happy to agree to one try at spinal (not epidural).

I had an emcs not with GA but was basically too ill (shaking wouldn’t let me hold dc) and too tired (I slept through it because the pain had stopped). So I didn’t do any skin to skin and dh got to hold baby and it was at least an hour later (I was still fairly out of it and had no sense of time and missing memories) when I held him. We did lots of skin to skin later, I bf when my milk finally came in and he almost 6 and still likes to sleep next to me. The bond is very strong and not affected by lack of the golden hour.
DC 2 was a VBAC and I didn’t want her after she was born for a couple of hours and refused to hold her. Again bond is fine.
My DM had me by emcs under a GA and didn’t see me for two days, apparently standard then. She bf me and we are very close.
Both mine loved skin to skin in the bath and on the sofa for many months and as mine get older there have been so many firsts some I’ve missed many I haven’t and there’s so many still to come.

At no point has OP said she isn't going to listen to her doctors. You might want to consider improving your reading comprehension skills or did you just come onto this thread to kick a woman when she was down?

OP making a birth plan around the GA might help you feel more in control of the situation.

Your baby's birth is such a small part of their story and in the kindest possible way its actually very unimportant to everyone except you and your DP.

When you think of your own parents think about what you value them for? Is it the way they bought you into the world or the way they raised you when you were in it?

Your safety is far more important and you have an entire lifetime to raise your child and make happy memories

It can be hard when you seem to spend so much of the pregnancy at hospital appointments. I found all the plans and discussions stressful in my first pregnancy. Second pregnancy I was more chilled, as my respiratory consultant said ‘no plan survives first contact with the enemy anyway!’

I didn’t do a birth plan, I felt annoyed by them, jealous of people who actually had choices!! For me it was better not to bother.

Hello I had two c sections under GA which were planned due to medical reasons.

I've wrote this message once and it was lost before I could send so doing slightly shorter reply!

I was disappointed and anxious of the what ifs re what could happen while I was under. Accept that it's ok to feel like that. It also helped me when I realised none of my mum's friends pregnancies went how they planned and the perfect planned birth is quite rare.

Talk through your worries with your husband about what ifs if it helps you so you know what you both what to happen. My mum's advice to me that majority of births are fine helped me in moments I got frazzled.

I asked a student nurse both times to take lots of pics with my phone. So although I wasn't awake I have pictures of baby coming out, lying with cord before cut, weighed , tags being put on ankles, wrapped in towel. Definitely recommend this and ask for lots!

I wasn't out for long and woke to student nurse next to holding baby and then showing me sex so I saw first rather than being told ( for second baby I have the unfortunate memory of an overly enthusiastic nurse putting baby split legs right up to my face as I was coming round for the moment of reveal!) I should add you will remember all of this when you wake up, you will have the memory of first seeing your baby. Baby was then placed in my arms and nurse took photos of me seeing baby for first time and crying.

They let my mum in the recovery room and I have photos of her face when she first saw us, crying and then hugging us both. ( I'm a single mother by choice so my mum was my partner at hospital)

I was very tired after GA and slurred/ mumbled / felt to tired to talk. I managed to show my mum I wanted her to phone my dad to tel him on speaker phone so I could listen and he could know. We had planned I would tell him but I wasn't ready to speak but wanted him to know! We agreed prior that I would tell rest of family friends when I was ready. It may be good to discuss with your partner so you don't get unintentionally upset if the timing of announcement/ order of who is told isn't what you wanted.

Last thing I can remember I wrote, I attended NCT and they did a role play for c section where I lay down and everyone came standing by me with different roles for c. Section. I hadn't appreciated there would be so many people in the room. It helped me though when I went in for c section to expect that many people. If you are not doing NCT maybe ask hospital to got though who will be in room for GA to help prepare.

Hope that helps, and best of luck xxxx

Pic of me seeing my son- I'll admit I didn't realise/ remember I was holding the student nurse band until I've just looked at this pic again properly five years later ( it also used to make me cry when I first printed it out as it brought back how overwhelmed and happy I was looking at him - actually making me wel up again now!) xxx

Ah no it won't let me add pic!! I've been member for ages and it asked to access my phone library but saying I don't have any photos to share! If I can add later I will xx

Did it! Here is pic minutes after I woke up

I also hasn't heard of a golden hour. Is that the hour you feel like you've been hit by a bus, can't stop shivering, throw up and then get put in the recovery room, told to have a nap but the pulse ox alarm goes off as soon as you start to doze off? Alas no cups of tea for me. But everyone birth is different - my milk came in immediately with my ELCS and recovery was a walk in the park compared to my two week overdue induced birth where my milk never really came in....

I cant comment on having a c section under GA. But I also have chiari malformation with an extreme syrinx.
I recently underwent decompression surgery for the condition.
I was diagnosed after I had children and deteriorated quite quickly after my youngest was born. We have no proof it was down to pushing, but it seemed to trigger more nerve damage.

I know you are worried about missing out on those first few moments. With my first everyone said you get this sudden wave of love as soon as they are born. I didn't get that, but it did suddenly come a few hours later when things had settled down and we were on the ward.
You have so many firsts to come, I wish you all the best.
There's a few uk chiari Facebook pages which are really informative if you wish to ask others who have the condition.
Some ladies were diagnosed pre children and able to have vaginal births. Others had to have c sections, I was advised if o had anymore it would be a section under GA due to my syrinx and the nerve damage it had already caused.

Spinal or epidural anaesthetic is contraindicated in many clotting disorders which is likely why a general anaesthetic is recommended in this case.
Definitely agree that a thorough explanation is needed by consultants as to why the recommendations are what they are, but it does sound the safest option going by the info in the OP.

@OneMoreWish such a beautiful picture ❤️😍

I’m sorry you’ve had so many health issues to contend with OP. That in itself must be stressful.

You’ve had lots of comments but I just wanted to say that, often, the plans we have for giving birth don’t come to fruition anyway. I planned a water birth first time and ended up with OC and had to be induced - even then this ended in an emergency section. Second time I planned a section and had a vaginal birth because I went in to labour. We can’t plan for these things unfortunately.

It really is positive that you know your birth plan in advance and have time
to adjust to it as opposed to going through an emergency section under GA that isn’t planned. Planned surgery is so much safer for you and your baby.

Try to focus on the end result - a healthy baby and healthy mum. You will have so so many firsts to look forward to I promise.

I had a C-section under GA, at the end of the day the most important thing is that you and your baby get through the delivery safely, so you can have the best quality of life together. Me and my child have the best bond and I’m so thankful for modern medicine that saved our lives.

I know the feeling. It's dreadful having one plan for birth, to then have it snatched away in a moment and being told you have to have a completely different birth that is completely different.

I work in theatres, and have taken lots and lots of photos for women under GA having their babies. We try to capture as much as we can. As others have said, as soon as baby is given the OK, they're given to Dad for skin to skin and cuddles. In regards to cutting the cord, while the surgeons have to be the ones to cut the cord in a C-section, there is the option to leave the cord long, so it can be trimmed down afterwards. Could be something worth asking for.

On a more personal note, IME I consider the golden hour more of a 'nice to have', rather than it being a 'must' since I didn't really get it with either DC.

I remember very little of the first hour after my vaginal birth. I was sound asleep and not holding baby for most of it. For my C-section birth, skin to skin wasn't even offered. No idea why. Baby was wrapped up and given straight to DH. I have poor eyesight in my right eye, and the layout of theatre meant DH had to sit on my right. So I could barely see baby either. When I finally got to hold baby over an hour later, I got the instant rush of love I'd heard about, that I didn't get with DC1. Bonded with both kids just fine, but then bonding is so much more than just the first hour. Milk came in both times on day 3 regardless of mode of delivery.

Hit post too early... Milk in on day 3. Fed DC1 to 22 months. DC2 is 15 months and ongoing.

I hope you're starting to feel a bit better about things. And I hope you have a wonderful birth and an easy recovery.

Hello, I had an emergency c section under GA and my baby had to be resuscitated.

I woke up as I was wheeled out of theatre, DH was already holding the baby when I got to the ward. Although I couldn't sit up, they lay DS next to me and helped him have his first feed while I was still pretty out of it, but I remember it.

I was pretty traumatised afterwards and for a while I had a lot of thoughts about how I missed seeing him when he was born etc. But really, it isn't important. What's important is that someone safely delivers your baby and gives them any medical care they need, who it is doesn't matter and your baby won't remember.

You need to be as well as you can be to be there for your baby in the years that follow.

One thing that helped me was to think about it in terms of me doing the best thing for my baby. I didn't want a C-section and it was terrifying (obvs for me it was an emergency so different to your situation) but I chose to put aside what I wanted and I chose the best option for my baby. I stopped seeing it as a "failure" and thought of it more as a brave/selfless choice - it sounds naff written like that, but it really helped me to reframe it in this way.

I had a C section under GA! It was an emergency so it was a bit of a shock to the system but I recovered steadily. I was home four nights later and by the time DS was 8 weeks old I felt physically stronger. I started taking him out to baby groups when he was 12 weeks old and really enjoyed this. It’s lovely meeting other new mums and their babies.

I’d say take your time to recover, don’t do anything to physical for the first 6 weeks. Just cuddle your baby a lot!

I did not have any problems bonding with my son. As soon as I was awake and coherent he was in my arms and the midwives looked after us both.

Both of my two now grown up children were bronzy emergency c section under GA.This was 53 and 51 years ago when all c sections were done under GA. Times have vastly changed since then, for the better it seems.Then skin to skin was unheard of, no husbands/ partners allowed any where near theatre and you never saw our baby for first two days.
You will have a much better experience now and try not to worry abut missing the first cry etc. It is the years after that count, your baby will not be able to remember who held/him/her first, but will remember how you cared and loved them as they were growing up.

I meant born by not bronzy!
Stupid fat fingers

I've read every reply - thank you all for sharing.

Now I've had a little moment and to get some sleep, I know this is the best thing for us both. I just need to change my mindset (a lot) and focus on the positives and what I can have some say in such as what happens with baby whilst I'm under and then in recovery.

I guess for me, it was a shock to the system being told there's really only one way this baby is coming safely especially when I have waited so long for this and stupidly had it planned in my head such a different way I hadn't even considered anything else. Followed by the consultant reeling off all the risks and potential impact.

DP is ultra protective (in a good way!) as he's seen how much my health has been affected pregnancy and also before when things may have flared up. He's said he will help advocate for me where possible when I'm under such as reconfirming the photos to be taken, feeding choices options on what happens/how baby is when it's here and as soon as I'm able too, for me to see and have baby near. If baby does need any intensive care, I want him to stay with baby.

I guess another positive is we can really plan childcare for DSD (no contact with her mum) and be more prepared for the recovery when home such as meal prepping in advance & freezing.

Again, thank you for talking me out of my sob pit as I can see from what's been said, it really doesn't have an impact to baby in the grand scheme of things. I will be sure to update this thread when baby is finally here.

@OneMoreWish Such a lovely happy moment!! Thank you for sharing ❤

No GA but a section abroad where they knock you out to stitch you (so I was awake but very groggy for delivery, I had one glance at her and then I was out again).

They wouldn't let me see her til I went all 'crazy foreign lady' and threatened to get out of bed (absolute no-no here). I saw her through a window and then threatened some more so they gave me one minute with her when she was about 2-3 hours old. She wasn't brought to me properly til maybe 10 hours old.

Not what I wanted, obviously (I had chosen the hospital and doctor based on promises that I wouldn't be put out after delivery and that she would be in my room, not a nursery).

But... honestly it was fine. I mean, I was furious at the time but that was more because of the lack of respect for my wishes etc. You have to do what you have to do in order to get the best outcome you can. Bonding has never been an issue and she had no skin-to-skin til many hours after she was born. Some babies who are born poorly don't have skin-to-skin for days/weeks.

I totally understand your fears and worries - this is a natural reaction. But please don't be hard on yourself and don't expect problems with bonding etc. I had a textbook first 24 hours with my first (skin-to-skin all night etc) and while it was lovely, my experience with my second was different and my third was not at all what I wanted. But all are fine and that's what matters.

Be kind to yourself and look forward to waking up to beautiful little human who will love you however they enter the world and however long they have to wait to meet you.