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Original poster

C Section With General Anesthetic??? Severe placenta Previa

62 replies

magnolia1 · 09/11/2006 19:15

Been o see the consultant oday. Now 34 weeks and have Placenta Previa Major which basically means lacenta is still directly over the cervix and in the way for normal deivery and in quite a bad place for a c section.
Consultant said they would prefer me to have a general raher than a spinal as it's a high risk c section. A general would mean obviously I would be asleep and Dh would not be allowed in the room.
I said no, I want spinal but if it went pear shaped I would allow a general. Dh shitting himself now I have another 4 weeks of worrying about bleeding let alone the thought of heamorraging during delivery.
Anyone had a section with severe placenta previa??
Anyone had c section with a general??

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Original poster

magnolia1 · 09/11/2006 19:15

The fecking t's are crap on my computer!!!

OP posts:

lulumama · 09/11/2006 19:19

haven't...but just want to say...(hug) ...must be a big worry.....xx

what was their reaction when you said you would prefer a spinal?

Original poster

magnolia1 · 09/11/2006 19:22

She looked at me like I was mad but relaxed a little when I said I would have a general as an emergeny if it went pear shaped. Have to discuss it with the anesthatistt on the morning of the section though!

OP posts:

theflumpsmum · 09/11/2006 19:25

Hi Magnolia
Haven't had placenta previa but have had a c-section under general when my spinal didn't work.To be honest didn't know much about it one minute I was awake and half numb,half feeling the next ex-p was being ushered from the room and I was out for the count.Woke up about an hour after ds was born,and not that groggy,I was able to change nappies etc after a couple of hours.
My DD was an emergency c-section (epidural) and to be honest can't say general was much different.

Hope that helps,any questions I can help with feel free to ask and I hope everything goes well for you.

southeastastra · 09/11/2006 19:26

had pp but not too severe. please try not to worry too much.

dara · 09/11/2006 19:28

Hi Magnolia, I had exactly the same thing as you (complete PP right over the os and bleeding) and had a bit of a fight for a local not general for my c-section, as the consultant wanted me to have a general too. I won and I am VERY pleased I did, as it was reasonably straightforward, fantastic and emotional. Like you, I said, 'look, if it starts going pear-shaped just put me under, but I want to see my baby being born.' As it was, it all went fine. Obviously PP is serious but so is your emotional need to be present for you baby's birth is possible. I do know how worrying this is, so good luck to you. My whole experience was just lovely and I look back at the birth with enormous pleasure. My dh was there with me and he was crying with joy (and he's not really that sort!) and said it was fantastic for him too. I got first dibs on the baby, but after the initial cuddle he held him so I could see him better and talked to the baby and stroked him. Oooh, it was NICE!

bundle · 09/11/2006 19:30

I've had both - c/s with epidural that was topped up and a g/a. tbh the ga was a bit worse to get over (it was a crash section, I didn't have much choice) but I wasn't that worried at the time, too out of it. because your surgeon will be planning for this, i'm sure they'll plan it well eg having type specific blood ready in case you need a transfusion etc. try not worry, x

lulumama · 09/11/2006 19:32

dara's post is very encouraging! hope it al goes ok.....xx

bundle · 09/11/2006 19:35

(i didn't have placenta previa though)

Original poster

magnolia1 · 09/11/2006 19:39

Thanks Ladies, they have said blood will be waiting and of course the surgeons know what they are doing. My worry really is not bonding if I don't see him straight after birth and the feeding side of it? Will they let Dh stay with him he whole time until I am awake? I don't want my baby to be without us both

OP posts:

lupins71 · 09/11/2006 19:48

I had a g.a with emergancy csection, it was fine I didt have long to decide about 5 minutes it was that or breech low fluid premature birth. At the end of the day the main thing was that me and baby were fine and that was the safest way, I didnt get to see her come into the world which I do feel a bit sad about sometimes but she arrived safe and well and that was what was important

Good luck, hope all goes well, Lisa x

bundle · 09/11/2006 19:51

dh washed dd1 (she was covered in meconium) but I held her first as I'd had an epidural. with dd2 i had a g/a so dh saw/held her first but I don't feel any less bonded to her. feeding was fine. make sure you get pain relief before you need it

3andnomore · 09/11/2006 19:54

Hm...what would be the reasoning favouring the GA? Any ideas?

3andnomore · 09/11/2006 19:55

I meant in a "planned " C-section now?

Original poster

magnolia1 · 09/11/2006 19:56

They want a Ga because its a high risk c section with a big chance of severe heamorraging and it would be very distressful for Dh and me. She also said they have to be very heavy handed with a big bleed and possible hystorectomy

OP posts:

lulumama · 09/11/2006 19:58

i think they have to outline the worst case scenario to you..and rightly so..but it is positive they would be ok about doing a spinal with consent for GA if things do not progress well..

Original poster

magnolia1 · 09/11/2006 20:02

I know I just wish It didn't sound so bloody scary! So do you think I can insist on Dh staying with him till I wake if they have to do a GA? And will he be ok not feeding till I wake up?

OP posts:

bundle · 09/11/2006 20:03

placenta previa gives you a higher risk of placenta accreta (sp?) where the placenta remains attached to the uterine wall and this can result in excessive bleeding, transfusion and possibly hysterectomy but I'm sure the figures are small, please ask your consultant i'm sure the risk is tiny esp when your team is so well prepared

lulumama · 09/11/2006 20:05

placenta accreta exceedingly rare......

i am sure DH can look after LO until you are awake....and babies don't need to feed immediately...an hour or so won;t hurt..... lots of skin to skin contact when you get LO , whether breast of bottle feeding....

bundle · 09/11/2006 20:08

Royal College of Obs guidelines (Oct 2005) seem to point to regional anaesthesia being safer

Frizbe · 09/11/2006 20:11

Magnolia1 I'm sure things will be fine for you, I had low lying placenta with my 1st but it shifted by 34 weeks......sorry to hear yours hasn't, but hope things go well for you and the baby.

Sorry if the following sounds blunt, but I can't think of a way of putting your prediciment nicely to 3andnomore.....I would imagine the surgeons want to use a general in case Magnolia1 hemorages, as this can cause death.... as with severe placenta previa this is a major worry for the surgeons, often a hysteroectomy (SP) is performed at the time, which helps stop the bleeding.........and they don't want you awake whilst they're doing all that........

Really hope things go ok for you Magnolia1, I shall be looking for your birth announcement

Elibean · 09/11/2006 20:35

((Magnolia)) was thinking about you earlier (whilst on antenatal thread) and am really sorry placenta hasn't shifted. I haven't had either experiences, but a very good pal of mine is an anaesthetics assistant, and has assisted at a lot of sections - many with GA. When I had my initial anterior low placenta diagnosis, I asked her about GA, bleeds, etc....her experience was actually very reassuring.
She said it gets pretty intense in terms of concentration for the surgical team, but she has never seen a predicted possible previa OR accretia section go pear-shaped. Mother and baby has always been fine (she's been doing this job for 20 years). She said the most stressful ones are when no one has a clue about the previa/accretia, and its an e-section where the situation comes out of the blue.
She also said they prefer GA because it means they're not worrying about looking after the feelings of either patient or partner, but just focussing on the job in hand - no one likes having to swing into rapid response mode which panics woman and dh alike, and means booting the dh out of the room.
They will have lots of spare blood standing by, as your situation is known; they will have dealt wih this many many times. But of course its scary anyway....I was scared at the possible prospect of an accretia situation, even though I trusted my OB 100% and she was very confident about dealing with it if it arose.
Still...hope passing on my pal's experience helps a bit, it did me. xxx

southeastastra · 09/11/2006 20:37

they thought mine was quite bad, after the section they said it was that bad at all. don't worry, you'll be fine and see your baby soon after

moomimin · 09/11/2006 20:39

Is there still not a chance that the placenta could move. Please feel free to correct me if wrong, but I thought it was common for them to shift right up to 37 weeks.

I am 13 weeks at the moment but was told at my 12 week scan that the placenta was right across my cervix. I am trying not to worry as I know it is very early days for me.

Magnolia1 I really hope it all goes well for you.

southeastastra · 09/11/2006 20:40

yes they can move right up to the last minute and they'll rescan

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