Extreme phobia of vomit. Labour vs c-section?

[Helpmeoutt]

Can anyone give me their honest experiences of vomiting during labour / delivery or during a C-section please?

What caused the vomiting?
Can anything be done to stop or prevent it?
Which birthing option is more likely to experience vomiting?

I’m not scared of birth, needles, blood or pain but the idea of vomit fills me with the worst anxiety and dread. I can’t stress enough how bad my phobia is.

I have had two babies where I went into labour spontaneously.

The first one I had diarrhoea and vomiting in early labour. The second one I didn’t feel even slightly sick at all.

So that’s not really helpful - unfortunately I think it’s impossible to predict.

I vomited after giving birth for both of my labour's.

Same fear here OP!!

I've had a natural birth and an induction that ended in an emergency section.

I felt sick at certain points of both BUT they gave me anti sickness very quickly which helped massively.

If I'm honest the feeling sick lasted longest with my section. During it the meds worked quickly and I stopped feeling sick but for a few days afterwards my stomach kept turning over while things settled down again after being pushed and pulled.

With my natural birth I felt sick towards the end of labour, beginning of pushing and a quick stab in my leg with anti sickness stopped it in its tracks.

I have a fear of being sick too so totally understand.

I had 2 natural births and wasn’t sick at all. I started to feel a bit queasy with the G&A during my first labour but stopped for a bit and felt fine again soon after.

My DIL recently had a C-section and wasn’t sick at all.

I vomited when pushing out DD2, I'd had G&A and pethidine as well as something to get the contractions going again as they had dropped off

In all my c-sections I started to feel a little bit sick when my blood pressure dropped, but I was never sick and they gave me something in my cannula which instantly stopped me feeling it.

My 16 year old daughter has emetophobia. It's blighted her life since she was 6 years old. I'm so sorry you have the same xx

I went into labour and my uterus was hypercontracting. It sucked and the pain during the hypercontractions made me feel sick but normal ones fine. Gas and air made me feel really sick and that's very common so I'd avoid that! Nausea subsided completely after epidural. Ended up with EMCS as baby got stuck and forceps failed, I don't recall even feeling sick but I think they gave me anti-sickness in cannula.

It is so hard to predict. However, I told the midwives and doctors during both labours and they were absolutely brilliant at getting me anti sickness medication so it just wasn’t an issue. They were very happy to give it to me as a preventative rather than saying I had to feel sick or anything like that.

I vomited throughout my vaginal delivery with the first and then vomited throughout my ELCS with the second .

I had a Vaginal birth. I only vomited once when I was having contractions in triage because they gave me some pain killers by mouth. Once in established labour I only had gas & air and was not sick, nor after labour. I never felt sick.

I vomited with pain when I was miscarrying. Not at all in live labours.

I have a severe phobia and when I feel as if I might throw up, I pass out.

So I requested a c section on that basis and was allowed one.

On the table, the anaesthetist injected me with something and I felt really sick, he saw my BP drop, told me to lie on my side, and quickly gave me IV anti sickness meds which made it vanish instantly!

I was induced both times and had epidural both times along with anti sickness medication. I was sick once in my first labour and that was it. I do have a really bad gag reflex and even talking about certain things can make me gag , such as smells and being in pain, So to be sick only once I was quite amazed.

I vomited with one c section but not the other. The second I had much more time for the anti sickness meds to kick in. I’d speak to your midwife but generally c sections are more predictable. You could vomit if go into labour at any time and also if you need an emergency c section there js more chance you’ll vomit as have less time for anti sickness meds.

2 sections, had a bout of vomiting many hours after the 2nd, presume due to the anaesthesia. unfortunately it was sudden and was all over the bed and poor DC2.

DC2 was sleepy and unperturbed. BIL (father of 3) arrived soon after (DH had gone on an errand for me/DC2) to find me weeping, immobile and filthy and cleaned up and changed DC2 - hero!

healthcare professionals, apart from a kind healthcare assistant who had to change the bedsheete, seemed unsympathetic at the time. assume because they must see it often. consultant came round in an immaculate pinstripe suit and said I seemed v well: was affronted as was covered in vomit, but presume he meant clinically! It was a good recovery.

mention this because unless your phobia is in your notes, and even if it is, staff might seem unsympathetic.

One EMCS, no vomit (local/epidural anaesthetic).

I did vomit after having my tonsils out (general anaesthetic).

Vomited both times, very different vaginal births. First I was nil by mouth, didn't vomit until after giving birth. I had oxytocin drip, gas and air and epidural. Second time I'd had a lot to eat, I vomited during pushing. I did have gas and air. So maybe that was it but probably not, but with my first birth i didn't vomit until hours after. Also, I used gas and air for stitches second time round and no more vomit.

4 labours, never vomited once, I'm like you, severely emetophobic, I made sure this was written into my notes and was given anti sickness medication just incase but I'm sure I'd have not needed it, it was just for my peace of mind. Good luck, OP, I know what a worry this can be 💐

Do you have any experience of morphine or anaesthesia? Morphine makes me vomit which is why I ask.

The anti sickness medication hurts like a vitch too. Given through your cánula and feels like needles moving under your skin till it's in

I've had 3 normal births - no sickness. I had an emergency c-section last year and unfortunately was sick throughout the whole thing and for a few hours after - the combination of drugs they used just didn't agree with me. I'm sure if you stated how bad your phobia is they could give anti-sickness, even as a precaution. I really don't see that they'd turn it down.

Vomited during my labour but not the subsequent c- section

I had morning sickness through most of my pregnancy and was left with a low threshold for throwing up afterwards though

I threw up a lot during my labour and EMCS, the sheer force of the contractions at first followed by the EMCS I think it was shock and the drugs. ELCS I was sick before and after again due to shock and drugs.

I was fine during two c sections. I did ask for anti sickness as have mild phobia.

Exactly the same for me, I was sick after baby was out. The drugs they give you can cause weird reactions, I was really thirsty, shaking constantly and being sick. But it didn't last very long

Vomited in labour with dc1
Emcs with anti sickness drugs, no vomit (dc1)
No vomit in labour with dc2
Emcs without anti sickness drugs, vomited on and off for the next 24 hours (dc2)

I'd wanted to minimise drugs with the 2nd emcs due to a different set of issues with my first. With hindsight that was a mistake, especially when trying to convince the anesthetist who came to see me postnatally that I was fine, telling him no I hadn't been sick whilst fighting the urge to puke everywhere because I wanted discharging.