C-section - will I feel them make the cut??

[Lunamoon23]

I'm 3 and a half weeks away from my ELCS, baby is also footling breech.

I've gone down abit of a rabbit hole googling delivery of a footling breech baby with a csection but upon googling I've come across some Reddit threads where people are saying they felt the incision being made?!? Like no pain - but they feel the sensation of something running across there skin and knew that was the cut being made. It's freaked me out slightly!! Actually, a lot...

I was aware I made feel some pressure, tugging when they're taking baby out. But I was under the impression that besides that. I'd feel nothing else at all, sensation or pain wise. Have I been wrong? Need to mentally prepare myself.

Rummaging is purely as baby is coming out , lasts 10 mins max. Felt nothing after baby was out and felt no stitches

I didn't feel the rummaging around but I did feel the cut. No pain or sensation, sort of like they were unzipping me is the best explanation 🤣

You do feel the rummaging it goes on for a bit but is fine you have a baby so aren’t paying attention. There essentially inflate your bowel to check they haven’t perforated them (nice!)

i felt NO incision cut either AND to be further reassured while it was decidedly tentative first poo after both babies was okay or not the horror show I was led to expect

I didn’t feel the incision, I was petrified that they were going to cut and I would feel it but I didn’t even realise they had started until the midwife told me. I didn’t feel much rummaging either, I could feel the two doctors rocking when they were pulling baby out. The worst thing was actually that I shook through the whole thing which is normal but that distracted me from anything else! I also felt quite lightheaded when they started the oxytocin but again I think that’s normal. An anaesthetist will sit beside your head and if you are feeling sick, faint or whatever they can adjust your drugs. One moment I felt faint and the next I felt fine!

No. I was very anxious but it was actually a lovely calm experience. I asked them to let me know when they started only to be told that they started five minutes ago and DC was nearly there! I did feel some rummaging afterwards but it wasn't unpleasant.

Have you ever had a tooth out OP? The washing machine feeling is sort of similar, in that you can feel things happening but no pain.

Your anaesthetist should be very thorough about testing whether you can feel anything before any cutting starts, so you will have the opportunity to flag if you can still feel things well before a cut is made.

Good luck with your birth and on meeting your wonderful baby

I haven't no. I haven't had surgery of any kind before so this is a completely new experience and so unknown.

With them checking beforehand, should I be able to feel sensation? So say if I asked them to run something along my stomach, would I feel that??

Nope, I didn’t. 2 c-section 25 years ago
but I am completely numb along a line 2 inches above scar

I don't think you would. I had an epidural for quite a while long time before my section (failed induction) and couldn't feel my legs/contractions at all.

They test by spraying your body with a very cold aerosol type spray. You can feel it very clearly on your arms, but as soon as it gets below the armpits you have no idea they're doing it.

I don't think I've ever focused so much in my life on getting a question right as when they asked if I could feel anything 🤣 not a question you want to get wrong!

No you wouldn’t feel it. I didn’t feel them put in a catheter and they also examined me to see if I had dilated whilst waiting for the section (I waited 8 hours in a queue for the section!) and I didn’t feel anything at all.

@Darkmodealways ah! I hadn't thought about the catheter and how people say you don't feel that, so that makes sense.

Think I'll just have to ask them to repeatedly check for me before starting so I'm 100% sure. I'll even ask them to pinch me if needs me 😂😂 pinch me HARD.

My C section was also my first surgery of any kind and I had no idea what to expect. Genuinely don't remember feeling a thing. The consultant explained what she was doing but if I hadn't known, think I would have been none the wiser.

I felt really strange very soon into the surgery which they had explained might happen and was very normal, think it was a blood pressure drop. I just said to the anaesthetist who was sitting next to my head and immediately was given a medication to help - it was like magic.

A midwife said to me prior to the c section to be prepared for how busy the theatre was. I had never been in that sort of environment before and was amazed by how many people there were when we first went in. It was like a well oiled machine however, everyone had their role and just got on with it. We did have an extra person or two due to baby being born before 37 weeks, can't remember exactly how many people but it was busy. They were all so lovely.

All the very best.

I didn’t know they’d started the surgery until they told me. The only thing I remember feeling with either of mine was the rummaging around feeling others have described when they were getting the baby out, and also with DS I felt my water go as I had excess fluid and it was like a tidal wave, most staff took a step back and I felt it splash my toes 😬 Not unpleasant just very peculiar!!

I was super nervous with my first, it was an ELCS with lots going wrong, so not a lot of time to get my head around it. One of the midwives told me it took an hour start to finish, I kept repeating in my head “anyone can do anything for an hour” and asking the midwives for time checks - with hindsight that probably came across as odd!! Just in case it helps you too.

For me they poked me with a pin. I couldn't feel it at all. It was odd. I asked them to do it again so i could physically watch them poke me. They obliged

For the rummaging I got through it by headphones listening to music. I needed a distraction. Husband put them in my ears for me and selected the music.

@ItsyWincy I did similar, listened to my podcast, didn’t feel a thing.

I felt everything, just not the pain of it. Felt all the pressure, the cutting, pulling the baby out, stuffing my organs back in, stitching up, all of it. The rummaging is a horrible sensation but only lasts a few mins all going to plan (on my third they were longer stitching up and the rummaging pressure sensation went on for about 15 minutes which was very difficult to tolerate), and you will hopefully be able to distract yourself with lovely newborn snuggles. Equally a friend had two C-sections and said she felt absolutely nothing at all, everyone is different.

2 of mine were under GA but the two I was awake for, I didn’t feel the cuts. On one, I felt a tug because it moved me down the bed! But it was fine, he was 9lb 1 so I think they struggled to get him out!

The anaesthetist (I can't spell it) was brilliant at reassuring me, he held an ice cube on my arm so I could feel it and then held it on my legs etc and I couldn't feel a thing. I remember asking him 'are you sure you're using the ice cube, do you promise?' Lol.

I also recall asking him questions like 'what if I start to feel it after they've started cutting' and he didn't laugh at me or anything no matter how much reassurance I needed. I do think they know that it's a huge fear, and they make sure you 100% can't feel any pain.

I'd ask for antisickness as I was so sick with the rummaging feeling. It made me feel really motion sick.

Of course not

Nope, you won't feel a thing. They told me they'd be back in a few minutes. I waited for a few minutes then asked DH, where are they? When are they going to start? He said they've nearly got our baby out. I never felt a thing. It was all over in less than 3 minutes.

My c section wasn’t the birth experience I wanted or planned, but it was a fantastic experience - calm, felt controlled but not clinical, and incredibly reassuring throughout.

I didn’t have any pain, but I am one of those rare people who felt everything. I was able to tell as they stitched each layer, and exactly when they finished… It didn’t hurt at all, I just felt the movement. I talked to the surgeon throughout and he seemed very surprised!

Worth mentioning that I have a genetic condition that can cause anaesthetic to ‘fail’. I had a consultant present throughout and appointments beforehand to discuss pain relief options. I already knew I was affected in this way as had to have multiple injections at the dentist in the past (which didn’t work), but also have a high pain threshold.

I had an emergency section for footling! I felt pulling snd tugging, I won't lie I did feel a brush stroke but it's absolutely nothing to worry about. Yes you are overthinking!

I didn’t feel a thing with my c-section, not the incision or the washing up sensation people have mentioned. It did make me uncontrollably shaky afterwards though I presume that is adrenaline or BP related but I don’t know how common that is.