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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Was your partner present in theatre when your spinal was put in before CS?

101 replies

mears · 30/07/2009 20:14

Either for emergency or elective CS?

In my unit the partner comes into theatre after the spinal has been put in and the woman is all covered with draped.

If there is an epidural in place, the partner again does not come in until the woman is prpared and draped.

When did your partner come into theatre? If he wasn't there for the spinal going in, did you feel left alone?

Should partners be present the minute a woman is admitted to theatre.

Experiences please.

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AitchTwoOh · 01/08/2009 20:12

weeeeell, y'know... seems a bit odd that our dhs are deemed to be capable of handling a needle going into our spines sometimes and not others.

Olihan · 01/08/2009 20:22

I was taken down to theatre for a trial by ventouse after 36 hours of labour. I already had an epidural in but I was prepped for a cs in case the ventouse didn;t work.

DH was getting changed into scrubs while they put the spinal meds in and tested me to see if I was numb.

I don;t think I was that bothered/aware of where dh was at that point - too spaced out on the cocktail of drugs and no sleep for 50 odd hours - but I do remember feeling relieved when he came back in because I knew it meant they were going to get the baby out.

My dsis had an emcs last year and her dp wasn't allowed in until she was numbed and draped. I was with him and he was really stressed about what was happening to her and wanted to be with her.

So I would say it's a good thing for both parents if the couple can stay together for the whole procedure, right from the moment the decision is made to go to theatre.

LeonieSoSleepy · 01/08/2009 20:25

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LeonieSoSleepy · 01/08/2009 20:26

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blueshoes · 01/08/2009 22:29

For elective, dh was not with me when needle put in for spinal. But he came in after.

For emergency, he was not allowed in at all. It was GA, though. I think he was melting outside the theatre doors.

Dottoressa · 01/08/2009 22:36

DH was at my el/cs right from start to finish. I can't say I'd have minded if he'd missed the prep bit, though (in fact, he almost did as he was on the loo when they came to take me down to be prepared for surgery!!)

I had a rubbish anaesthetist, and the spinal block didn't numb the bit that mattered. He tried tipping me on one side to spread it around, to no avail. After about half an hour, they summoned a consultant anaesthetist, who said he'd done the worst possible thing, and that it was guaranteed to make it not work. What felt like several years later, the consultant had sorted it out...

glasjam · 01/08/2009 23:21

I had a brilliant Northern Irish Anaesthetist at my 2nd CS - like I said before I was one of those home birth "failures" coming in at an ungodly hour saying "get this baby out of me!!!" (except I wasn't articulating as well as that!) and he looked like he'd literally being dragged out the nearest pub (except he OBVIOUSLY hadn't!) but he did make a point of saying it was a really early hour (eye-rubbing and yawning) and that he would do his best to concentrate (in a very dead-pan way). And you know what? After all my attempts at making it the non-medicalised way I suddenly turned a complete 360 and said
"just do what you want -stop the pain and get the baby out"

And he was lovely when I was alone without my partner and did a fantastically reassuring job of siting the spinal and, bless, he even tried to cover up my dignity a bit because I had purposely put my gown on back to front because all my CS birth plan was about getting your baby's skin next to you at birth. I nearly punched his lights out when he said "so you've got a son" because I thought he was announcing the gender of the baby that they were extracting from my stomach and I shrieked "I wanted to find that out for myself" but in fact he was just asking me what sex my existing child was. I think, in hindsight, that he had just caught a sight of the fact that I had a little girl and it made the viewing of my little shrieking girl being held aloft all the more dramatic - IT'S A GIRL!!!!

Ahh - sorry, I've gone off on one haven't I? But I'm sure it's allowed here isn't it

gasman · 02/08/2009 10:30

It depends unit to unit but in all but one of the obstetric units I've worked in (n=5) birth partners routinely came into theatre during spinal/CSE insertion pre LSCS/ Forceps.

I think they should be there. In the unit who didn't allow it the theatre staff were pretty anti- (I think they had had bad experiences with Dad's fainting - and it has certainly happened during one of my spinals and one of my epidurals and is very distracting).

They do need to play the game though. The smart arse last week who aggresively told me I'd lied about it being one injection as I'd used 5 needleswhen I was putting in his partner's spinal for an urgent LSCS was not helpful in the slightest. (We use at least 2 needles to draw up drugs in a 'clean' way, 1 to give local anaesthetic, 1 is a short 'introducer' needle and 1 is the actual spinal needle). Hope this is not TMI.

Partners should not IMHO be present during GA sections. They are there to support the women who will shortly be asleep, can be left distressed themselves (which of you has taken a child to theatre and been distressed after seeeing them go off to sleep) and given that it is often a very pressurised situation with huge potential risks they make the staff's life much more difficult.

Oh and I think everyone should be taught "angry cat" position ante natally ....although I was very amused to discover the other day that my very experienced (ie 20 + years in the job) anaesthetic assistant couldn't do it either. I'd asked them to demonstrate to a patient who was struggling - they weren't having an operation. The theatre nurse did a nice demo instead. Getting into a good position often makes the difference between a very diffficult spinal/ epidural and a very easy one.

Original poster

mears · 02/08/2009 22:04

Gasman- have you usually worked north or south of the border?

OP posts:

AitchTwoOh · 02/08/2009 22:33

do you think that your colleagues will be receptive to change, mears? was there a particular even that made you think about this?

Original poster

mears · 02/08/2009 22:40

Just a conversation that I have had recently about support at CS prompted me to think about what we do routinely. Have spoken to a few colleagues who hadn't really thought about it but agreed that there really is no good reason why not - unless the partner does not want to be there.

OP posts:

AitchTwoOh · 02/08/2009 22:46

you're a good lass, mearsie.

PinkyMinxy · 02/08/2009 22:53

For my EMCS he was getting into his kit whilst they gave me the spinal

ELCS he came in after, too.

last one, sort of unplanned semi-emcs, he came in. I was in a terrible state and I think the anaethetist decided I neede him there.

Minniethemoocher · 02/08/2009 23:04

I had a rubbish anesthetists - when he was trying to put the epidural in, it was like someone playing "pin the tail on the donkey", poke, jab, push, poke, jab, push.

It was agony! Left me with a permanent numb foot, as with his cack handedness, he damaged a nerve...he was lucky I didn't sue...

I was glad that DH was there, for moral support...

AitchTwoOh · 02/08/2009 23:12

my foot is a bit numb still as well, after all the fiddling i endured. i had pain in my spine as well but a couple of trps to a cranio sacral therapist woman really helped with that.

SecretSlattern · 02/08/2009 23:15

Didn't have a CS but did have a spinal and DH was there when they did it.

moodlumthehoodlum · 02/08/2009 23:26

I think dh was present both times (emergency and elective), deffo the latter, but I can't remember for the former.

I was terrified second time round, about the spinal, and was really really upset, even though I had a lovely anesthetist I was glad I had dh around because he could tell them that I really did not want the running commentary, but could tell me when it was done.

Ooh I feel a bit faint now just thinking about it.

ceciliamay · 02/08/2009 23:41

DH present with me when I had a spinal for DD (forceps).

However when I had DS (nearly 2 years ago) it was a crash section and DH wasnt allowed in theatre, I found (and still find it) extremely upsetting that I was alone with people I had never met unconscious when my baby was born. I realise it was extremely urgent that they deliver my baby but both DH and I agree it wouldve been far more upsetting had the outcome not have been as positive as it was (e.g both baby and mother came out alive) for DH not to have been there experiencing it, as he wouldve been able to take in what had happened through his own eyes rather than being sat in a room waiting for someone to come in with news.

I appreciate the view from the medical staff, must be a hard job for them too

Highlander · 03/08/2009 16:41

I've had 2 elec CSs and DH got changed both times whilst I was draped etc.

(Mine were both maternal choice so my attitude may be different to mums having to have one)

I didn't want DH there for the spinal as he passed out when I had an amniocentesis.

You have a designated person to hold your hand and 'be there' for you which was v nice. I didn't feel at all lonely - I felt all the attention was focused on me and I didn't have to worry about looking out for DH as well. I told the (heavily tattoed and extremely nice) male orderly about DH's squeamishness and he stood right next to DH during the birth. I have a fabby picture of DH and the orderly laughing in theatre with DS2 in DHs arms - just lovely.

I know there is a lot of faffing getting the spinal in and then getting the mum positioned properly - I just know that DH would have got in the way!!

My advice to any woman is to shout out and say you're scared/lonely. Once in theastre they will have a spare member of staff who can be there just for you until your partner arrives.

Mammina · 04/08/2009 13:49

with my elective DH was there from the minute I went into theatre. not sure what happens with ECS though..

booksgalore · 05/08/2009 15:12

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Sunshinemummy · 05/08/2009 15:23

For both emergency and elective DP was there and he was great at helping me to keep calm and still.

pushmepullyou · 05/08/2009 15:28

I actually didn't have a c-section as they managedto forcep my DD out at the last minute as her heart rate plummeted, but I was fully prepped with a spinal etc. My DH was with me all the way through and I would not have wanted it any other way. In fact I think i would have found it very hard to cope had he been sent away for what was definitely one of the most frightening moments of my life.

jellybeans · 05/08/2009 21:08

I had 3 sections, DH was not with me for the epidurals but came in when i was ready, except for the crash section (I was under GA) where he waited elsewhere.

Wolfcub · 05/08/2009 21:14

dp was with me the whole time, during the spinal going in and everything, couldn't have coped otherwise as was already hysterical. Only time we were apart was when he was gowning up and I was having a catherter in (I think, at least I hope he wasn't there at that point). I don't know whether they were being particularly nice to me because I was hysterical and had begged for a general anasthetic or whether that is the hospitals procedure.

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