Panicking about spinal pre-c section

[catgirl30]

Hi all

I had my first baby by c section 2 years ago but it was a dire emergency, completely unexpected and I can still feel the pain of having the spinal injection.

Baby no 2 is due next month, this time by elective c/s due to how my last pregnancy ended. Despite choosing this, I'm steadily getting more and more terrified of the bloody spinal. Last time was excruciating, I was petrified, and none of it was helped by the fact that we knew baby was barely hanging on.

Should add that I have absolutely no fear or needles, injections, surgeries, any of that. But this is taking over. Is it always as painful as I found it?? Or was it because everything was being done so quickly and I was already so tense?? They did have to pass it twice as the first failed.
And please no sugar-coating, if the consensus is that it is generally very painful, I need to know.

Hello. I have had 2 elective sections and both times I did not find the spinal injection painful. A little uncomfortable for a few seconds, but nothing more than that. (The second one took 20 minutes to get in because it wasn't going on - and I still wasn't in pain. Just felt like pressure).

You will be fine. Wishing you all the best x

Had 2 and they didn’t bother me, although when I had the second I was worrying about it even though I knew I’d been ok with the last one. I was spinal only rather than epidural as I’ve had a spontaneous spinal fluid leak in the past.

Was the fluid leak in relation or something else entirely?

I've had two and I don't remember either being particularly painful. Certainly not pleasant but not sore. The second time they had to have a few attempts which wasn't fun but definitely bearable. Remember to round your back when you bend over!

Completely unrelated. I just woke up with it one day. Bad luck really. I had no ill effects from the spinal, not even the tiniest hint of a headache x

It could have been due to the time pressures with tour first.

I have had two csections. My first was an emergency and I don't remember getting the spinal. It was all very hectic and I was out of it on diamorphine. The second was an elective and I had an injection before the spinal to numb me for the spinal. Maybe the didn't have the time to do that with your first.

I just wanted to say I understand - I had two elective c-sections (breech for both) and both attempts with spinal were painful for me.

They had to try 2-3 times for each. I'm hoping that for your planned one you'll be calmer yourself, which will help. And it's good to hear from other posters that their experiences have been ok.

(I didn't want to read and run and wanted to say that you're not alone with painful spinal x).

I appreciate your honesty, thank you. I've heard other people say they were already out of it or had gas&air etc etc by that point, but I didn't go into labour last time. Emergency c/s was because baby stopped moving so we had to get her out, so I literally went from being sat in the emergency obstetric unit to the edge of the bed in theatre fully aware of what was going on!

My husband could hear me outside theatre while they were trying to pass it and I have quite a high pain threshold 😣

Have you mentioned this to your midwife? It might be helpful to meet or talk with an anesthesiologist beforehand.

Regardless on the day itself prior to an elective, both the surgeon and anesthesiologist will come and see you To discuss and guide you through things.

I don't remember feeling anything at all when getting my spinals x2. The first was emergency after a long labour so I was a bit out of it. The second I remember there was a poster of how to sit when getting a spinal, I'm sure it involved a panda, so I just tried to sit like the panda and chatted to the staff. Genuinely can't even recall minor discomfort.

I s has 3 sections, 1 emergency 2 elective.
I was like you with my 3rd. What I can remember they numbed it first. I could still feel it with all 3, more pressure than anything else

I saw a midwife at my 12 week appt and haven't seen one since.

Consultant has discussed it to the extent that we agree elective c/s is best but haven't got to the nitty gritty. Next appt is at 34 weeks when they'll book it so will discuss more then.

I know everyone is being helpful but - for anyone saying they were out of it, focusing on contractions, already on gas and air, etc etc I have to say I literally went from being in the emergency obstetric unit, cannula in, gown on, then on the edge of the bed in theatre in lightning quick time. I'm assuming they didn't have time for local anaesthetic, and they'd opened me up before my husband was even in the room.
I don't know what contractions feel like or what it's like to be out of it.

It was incredibly traumatic as baby almost died and spent a month in ICU. Obviously all of this is resurfacing as we get closer to delivery this time.

My only reference point is a life and death situation where they obviously just went straight in 😣 also later learnt it was a trainee anaesthetist - obv they all have to learn but I wonder was that part of the painful experience.

I know general anaesthetic is an option but I want to "be there".

Can anyone tell I'm petrified about this 🙃

I was fully with it for both of mine OP, and like I said it took multiple attempts second time around. I don't remember pain at all - discomfort, sure, in the sense that getting a canula isn't particularly pleasant either. I wouldn't be running to repeat it, but between bloods and the canula they stuck me 8 times that morning and that was worse than the spinal.

I think as someone else said, they must have given me a local which there probably wasn't time for on your first. It all sounds like it must have been hugely traumatic. Some people seem to find a calmer experience on later babies can be very healing, I hope it's the same for you.

Not exactly the same but when I was induced with my first I negotiated an epidural going in prior to the drip as was pretty terrified. I was barely 2cm and only vaguely uncomfortable but they wanted to break waters and get going as had been on antenatal for a while. So I was pretty much not in labour and not in an emergency situation, so close to the setting of a planned CS I guess.

The anaesthetist was delighted to come and do mine as I wasn't in any particular pain so could sit still and there was no real rush or panic as it was planned and all was going ok if slowly. I felt nothing other than the local anaesthetic needle breaking the skin, he said it was dead easy to administer, no problems with it. So hopefully that will be close to your experience this time :)

Also agree with @WickieRoy the cannulas were far more of a bother for me, it turns out I'm quite hard to cannulate so that got a bit stressful until they realised they needed to deploy some tactics!

Elective and emergency settings are completely different and it sounds like your first may have been a cat 1 - often these are done with GA, but sometimes a 'quick' spinal is appropriate/may be safer depending on your risk factors. When there is a real time pressure though there is limited chance to let the local anaesthetic work so it can be more uncomfortable. The stress of the situation may also make getting into a good position for the spinal more difficult too. The fact it was a 'trainee' anaesthetist probably made no difference at all - I'd very much prefer an anaesthetic trainee that covers labour ward regularly to do my spinal than a generalist consultant who doesn't do regular obstetrics (which out of hours at least is often the way it is).

In the elective scenario there is no time pressure, it's usually easier to get your positioning right from the start and there's time to let the local work well/top it up if it does take a bit of time. If it's the same hospital they may also have the advantage of being able to see the old anaesthetic chart and know roughly where the last person had success. FWIW, the reason that spinals are usually the first choice of anaesthesia in the elective scenario is that for most women and their babies it is a bit safer than a GA so it usually is worth having a good go to get one in.

I've had an epidural twice and don't remember it at all. The first time I was in labour and the second time was before an induction.

For my second I whatsapped DH at 9:55 saying I was waiting for the anaesthetist and then at 10:05 saying "just got the epidural in" and nothing else so even at the time I don't think I found it painful.

Hopefully you will be able to talk to someone who can explain exactly what happened and why it was painful as I don't think that's normal.

I had an elective section nearly 3 weeks ago and didn't even feel the spinal go in at all, I felt a slight sharp scratch where they put the local but it wasn't awful just like having an injection done but the spinal I didn't feel at all, planned c-sections are a lot calmer and they can take their time with making sure the placement is correct before putting it in

Anaesthetist

There is zero evidence spinals or epidurals cause back pain. Back pain long term is baby/pregnancy induced

Spinals aren't normally painful I do about 5 or 6 on a labour ward day, the local to numb the skin stings a bit then spinals are just a pressure sensation, if it hurts then ask for more local. The needle is microscopic like a tiny % of a mm.

Being super tense will make the hole thing more difficult to get it in quickly so try to practice floppy shoulders like a moody teenager, big pillow hug and pushing ur tummy button and lower back outwards like an angry cat

Trainees don't mean much - most are far better than some consultants as we cover labour ward 4x a week most weeks, some consultants don't go there for months. I'm a trainee, will be for another year ... Still done maybe 5 a day maybe 16 days a month for 9 years. Its a stupid job title we are trying to get changed as it causes fear like this

GA sections are possible we don't recommend as spinals are far safer for mum and baby

It's much easier in electives as mum can sit still and properly not fighting contractions and the time pressure isn't there

Hopefully this experience will be much better, all the best

I had my spinal for an elective c section so I was totally with it and not in labour. I found there was a weird unpleasant zappy sensation when they got it in the wrong place at first - similar feeling to my experience of damaged nerves recovering - but it was brief and they rectified. I definitely wasn't in the agony you described.

Clearly this is a consideration for you and very much something to discuss with consultant/anaesthetist/midwife (why haven't you seen one since 12 weeks?) but I don't think such pain is typical of a spinal at all.

that wasn't them 'getting it in the wrong place' - as the needle approaches the spot it needs to get to there are lots of small nerves to pass by and if the needle brushes one of those nerves then it can cause tingling or an electric feeling which may go down one side or other. If that feeling happens then it's important to tell the anaesthetist because they normally pause for a second to see if it settles down again and/or redirect the needle so it's not so close to the nerve. It's not that uncommon to feel that sort of thing with spinals (or epidurals) and it doesn't mean they did it wrong because you just can't see where the nerves are, but it is something that it's important to tell the anaesthetist so they can plan the next moves.

I haven't seen a midwife since my 12 week booking appt as I am entirely consultant led - the trauma of what happened last time and the fact that we're still back and forth with the previous hospital (in a different trust) to establish what exactly happened, means it makes sense for me to be consultant led this time.

There's debate over what happened last time. So they are keeping me under a microscope throughout.

I've had the same consultant since my 16 week appointment.

I suppose we have to bear in mind that I was convinced not only was my baby going to die, but I was going to die as well. I was incredibly scared, in a great deal of shock and shaking like a leaf. Probably added to the discomfort/pain.

I am a complete wimp when it comes to pain and for both my elective sections I’ve not even felt the spinal going in! The local anaesthetic is a little pinch first and then it’s numb. Both times I’ve been so nervous for the spinal and been so suprised when I start feeling my legs going numb

An elective section will be a totally different ballgame. You will be able to discuss everything with the consultant when you book it and you will follow up with the anaesthetist before the surgery to make sure that all your concerns are addressed.

I had an elective and I can’t remember anything about the spinal except for them giving me a pillow and showing me how to sit before I got it. You’ll be numbed up. The atmosphere will be relaxed and it’ll be great. Don’t worry.