Epidural vs Spinal - side effects?

[pinkstar01]

I had my first by emcs using an epidural top up and it was fine, once the epidural wore off they switched me to morphine painkillers and didn't have any side effects (apart from constipation)

This time I'm having a planned csection and I'm guessing it will be with a spinal, is it the same kind of thing?

I read a thread here a few days ago and many women were saying they had nausea once their painkiller wore off etc but I didn't have any of that with the epidural.

It’s hard to say how you will feel but generally spinals and epidurals make you feel much less sick than a general anaesthetic.

Spinal is similar to an epidural, the anaesthetic is injected into a different space in the back and it comes on quicker. The position and procedure for putting it in is much the same for you though (if you remember which you may not).

The OAA (Obstetric Anaesthetists) have a website called Labour Pains you can read the patient information leaflets. Your anaesthetist will go through this on the day too, if not before- if you have a patient info session at your hospital (some do).

Sometimes women feel sick when the spinal is taking effect and sometimes when you get the injection to help get the placenta out.

There’s a tiny dose of painkiller in the spinal, it doesn’t tend to make people sick but it does work well for pain relief.

Your anaesthetist can give you anti sickness, you can ask them about this on the morning of the section.

Congrats

Oh speaking of general anesthesia, I had a laparoscopy done a year ago and had general and didn't feel nauseas afterwards so hopefully I'll be okay with the spinal too then?

And thank you @singme! It's funny I'm more afraid of feeling nauseous than the recovery afterwards because I had bad pregnancy sickness and am hoping I'll never have to feel that again!

I had my epidural topped up from labour with first for emcs and ended up having patches that I could feel they topped me up once mor Ethel decided to put me to sleep when I woke up I was numb from neck down and was like it for two days couldn't stand or hold baby! Awful experience so for my next I had spinal and plan spinal for my third too

Interesting I had an epidural for the first and top ups (EMCS) and therm has shakes and nausea on the table afterwards. For the planned CS I had a spinal which definitely wore off! From both I had bad insides probably two days later. No idea what to do for the third!