C-section under a GA - experiences please

[rubyslippers]

Am 37 weeks pregnant and baby is breech

am having an ECV on Wednesday and if baby doesn't turn i will have a section but under GA because i cannot have an epidural

I would like to hear experiences about this (good, bad, indifferent) as i just don't know what to expect

If baby hasn't turned then i want to be armed with good questions and information as well

TIA

l39 without reading back on your last post, you did have an epidural for the internal version didn't you?? I can't imagine that without being anaesthetised.

I think lack of bonding is what scares me most, as those first hours were bliss with dd2 whereas it was a different story for dd1. But you never know what really affects the bonding, do you. DD1 was a good vaginal birth, but it didn't happen automatically for me at all.

rubyslippers I hope it goes well for you and all this is redundant because your baby turned.

e3chick - No, I only had gas and air. It was a quick labour and while they did offer an epidural, I refused. I know it sounds like internal version would be very painful but it really wasn't. Everyone was calm and competent - I really have to praise the staff at Salisbury for that. My husband says people kept coming and apologising to him while he was waiting for me to come round - I don't know if they were apologising for not insisting on an epidural or for not suggesting a caesarean in the first place, but I don't feel any apologies were necessary. I never felt that either of the babies were at risk or that the staff were making any mistakes.

rubyslippers how did yesterday go? x

Hope it went well rubyslippers,
I had an em-CS after a 19 hour labour when my lovely but mahoosive DS turned tranverse. While lucky enough to have a spinal I have to say that you can still miss out on those precious first moments even if you don't have GA. It was all quite dark as it was a late night op and I was so tired I barely registered him arriving. Just remember him whipping past in the surgeon's arms, then being held by my head a bit too high for me to see properly, and then cleaned up behind me. I remember asking why I couldn't hear him and being told he was fine... then nothing for about six hours. I had a big bleed and was taken to high dependency after coming very close to being taken back into theatre. For what I don't know, but my hubs thought they were going to have to carry out a hysterectomy... eek. Anyway I delivered at 11.40pm but I was so tired and confused from the blood loss that I didn't register my son lying next to me til around 8am the next day. No skin to skin, no early first feed, no lovely birth hormones. Sniff. And as they sent my hubs home once I was in high dependency, I too wonder just who cared for my little boy when I couldn't and if he felt cold and hungry and alone during those first few hours. Sniff. But I bonded with him the minute I could that morning and now he could feed for Scotland and is frankly the love of my life.

My son was born by crash section under GA. I found the whole thing very traumtic and it took me a long time to come to terms with it. I was having a planned homebirth but ended up with sepsis, the aforementioned section, a perforated bladder, and went into multiple organ failure whilst I was on the table.

Am not sure how long I was under for but when I came to they were still trying to stablisise me and no-one had time to talk to me and tell me about the baby. I didn't even know I'd had a baby. I only found out I'd had a boy when someone said 'I think he's in special care' when I eventually asked where my baby was.

My husband saw him in special care and was able to hold him and I eventually got him back with me after about 4 hours. Luckily he was a smashing wee feeder which helped with the bonding A LOT as I felt quite detached and out of it for the first 24 hours. In and out of concsiousness a lot.

I spent the first night on labour ward being monitored, and I felt very alone, unable to move, having to buzz every time baby needed fed (very often) whilst I could hear people labouring all around me, and hubby was at home. Not quite the cosy homebirth we had dreamed of.

The following morning we were transferred to a side room on the postnatal ward which was more of a cupboard really, where we remained for 7 days with both of us requiring IV antibiotics for the duration, and I was catheterised throughout also.

The crash section without a doubt saved both our lives, the GA was unavoidable too (I was sectioned in my nightie, jewellery/nail varnish not removed, was being shaved as we ran down the corridor..... time really was of the essence)but am not sure I will EVER come to terms fully with the fact that on the most momentous day of my life, the most wonderful and amazing thing to ever have happened to me, I wasn't even there. :(

Am currently 16 weeks and very much hoping to avoid a section this time.

I am the most squeamish person ever! I spent my first pregnancy meticulously planning all stages of the birth with options at every stage. I was 41 + 6 when I was induced, but things progressed v slowly. After over 48 hours the doc decided it was c section time. With all my careful planning, no food, no epidural I said to the doc I wanted a GA. you will prob think that is a wired / dangerous decision but for me & all my phobias it was the right one. Unfortunately I was awake for all the shaving of pubic area, catheter in, etc & remember being wheeled into theatre, moved on to operating table, being strapped on to the bed & the bed being tilted. No explanation - freaking out that I was going to fall off!!The last memories were looking around and wondering why there were so many people in the room & looking up at the shiny & mirror like lights... Omg if I had been awake I would have seen, heard & smelt all that was going on.... No thanks! I woke up an hour later to be to I had a lovely healthy boy & Lthough I was a bit woozy I was allowed to cuddle & feed him. As I was able to feel my legs I was up & showered a few hours later. When baby 2 came along I hoped for 9 months that I was able to have vbac, but it wasn't to be. At 41 + 5 I had an elective section. Again I chose ga. they did send the aneathitist to try & talk me out of it, but this time I was more determined. After second healthy baby boy was successfully delivered I was sure I had made the right decision. Both babies were taken from theatre straight to my husband & he was with them until I was back on the ward. Recover from elective c section was much easier than first time as wasn't dealing with 48 hour labour too. Good luck & do what is right for you. I would have loved to have delivered my babies myself but it wasnt go be. X

I am the most squeamish person ever! I spent my first pregnancy meticulously planning all stages of the birth with options at every stage. I was 41 + 6 when I was induced, but things progressed v slowly. After over 48 hours the doc decided it was c section time. With all my careful planning, no food, no epidural I said to the doc I wanted a GA. you will prob think that is a wired / dangerous decision but for me & all my phobias it was the right one. Unfortunately I was awake for all the shaving of pubic area, catheter in, etc & remember being wheeled into theatre, moved on to operating table, being strapped on to the bed & the bed being tilted. No explanation - freaking out that I was going to fall off!!The last memories were looking around and wondering why there were so many people in the room & looking up at the shiny & mirror like lights... Omg if I had been awake I would have seen, heard & smelt all that was going on.... No thanks! I woke up an hour later to be to I had a lovely healthy boy & Lthough I was a bit woozy I was allowed to cuddle & feed him. As I was able to feel my legs I was up & showered a few hours later. When baby 2 came along I hoped for 9 months that I was able to have vbac, but it wasn't to be. At 41 + 5 I had an elective section. Again I chose ga. they did send the aneathitist to try & talk me out of it, but this time I was more determined. After second healthy baby boy was successfully delivered I was sure I had made the right decision. Both babies were taken from theatre straight to my husband & he was with them until I was back on the ward. Recover from elective c section was much easier than first time as wasn't dealing with 48 hour labour too. Good luck & do what is right for you. I would have loved to have delivered my babies myself but it wasnt go be. X

I am the most squeamish person ever! I spent my first pregnancy meticulously planning all stages of the birth with options at every stage. I was 41 + 6 when I was induced, but things progressed v slowly. After over 48 hours the doc decided it was c section time. With all my careful planning, no food, no epidural I said to the doc I wanted a GA. you will prob think that is a wired / dangerous decision but for me & all my phobias it was the right one. Unfortunately I was awake for all the shaving of pubic area, catheter in, etc & remember being wheeled into theatre, moved on to operating table, being strapped on to the bed & the bed being tilted. No explanation - freaking out that I was going to fall off!!The last memories were looking around and wondering why there were so many people in the room & looking up at the shiny & mirror like lights... Omg if I had been awake I would have seen, heard & smelt all that was going on.... No thanks! I woke up an hour later to be to I had a lovely healthy boy & Lthough I was a bit woozy I was allowed to cuddle & feed him. As I was able to feel my legs I was up & showered a few hours later. When baby 2 came along I hoped for 9 months that I was able to have vbac, but it wasn't to be. At 41 + 5 I had an elective section. Again I chose ga. they did send the aneathitist to try & talk me out of it, but this time I was more determined. After second healthy baby boy was successfully delivered I was sure I had made the right decision. Both babies were taken from theatre straight to my husband & he was with them until I was back on the ward. Recover from elective c section was much easier than first time as wasn't dealing with 48 hour labour too. Good luck & do what is right for you. I would have loved to have delivered my babies myself but it wasnt go be. X

3yo thread alert!

I woke up sobbing after being given GA for my emergency C-section. I was filled with dread and despair for no good reason. My doctor said that it is common for the patients given GA to wake up disoriented and sobbing.

As much as I would have loved to have been awake and present during the child birth, I don't think it has really mattered in the long run. My DS and I bonded well, once I physically recovered (severe haemorrhage). Also, although the breast feeding was tough in the first week (not enough milk coming in) I went on to breast feed my DS till he was two.