Spinal block for c section

[Lo12345]

Hi all just wondering how long does it take for numbness to wear of after having a spinal block for a c section ?
I had a emergency with my daughter but because I was labouring for 16 hours and so high on drugs I can’t actually remember a thing everything is a blade to me 🤦🏻‍♀️ Also how far up are you numb ?
I literally can not remember a thing I was a right mess I’m now 12 weeks 3 days pregnant and I seen my consultant yesterday and he said it would be best for me to have repeat c section as with my daughter her head was turned so they tried forceps to turn her which worked but she just wasn’t coming down the birth canal x

Hi @Lo12345 I’ve had 3 c sections and will be having my fourth with this baby (currently 29+1).

With my spinals I was numb up to just under my boobs and was up out of bed in about 5-6 hours following the surgery.

@Moominmiss oh that’s good as few people said your numb from top of your chest that would freak me out 😞 x

Thanks for asking that question OP, I hadn't thought of it but good to know the numbness stops below boobs as I'm hoping to breastfeed soon after C-section and would be weird if they were numb! Thanks Moomin!

I’m 5ft tall dot on and the pre-chat with the anaesthetic man said he would give me a lower dose the of the spinal because I won’t need so much being so short.

He gave me the lower dose and I was still numb to my chin, he said he has put this in my notes for next time to give me an ever lower dose.

It was too bad to be honest, you sort of feel like your not breathing but you can see your chest moving so you know you are, that’s the only weird bit and after a couple of minutes of ‘can’t I breathe?’ Thoughts you forget about it. - it only took a few hours to wear off for me too.

And another plus note; when they said you can feel intense pushing on your belly with the c-section.. I didn’t feel any of this at all. I felt absolutely nothing no pulling no pushing. Was just curtain you and here’s your baby.

I could feel a little tingle from the catheter going in before they started but that’s all.

I've had 2 spinals and was numb from the abdomen down to my toes.

I could hold the DC and breastfeed straight away, sit up and move myself around from the top half around 2-3 hours then up and about around 6 hours.

I genuinely don't remember TBH. I just remember not being able to move my legs. I'd say it wears off after about five hours. I had my DC at 1pm and we were on the ward by 6pm. I had needed pain relief while I was still in the labour ward. The MW thought I was mad for refusing morphine.

I had a combined spinal and epidural when I had my twins 7 weeks ago. As another poster said, you are numb up to just under your breasts. They will check numbness by using a cold spray along various points of your body once the drugs have been administered. I think I was numb for a good six hours or so after my caesarean, the feeling came back gradually, rather than all in one go.

For a c-section you should be numb to mid-chest level. Sometimes it goes a bit higher. As well as the numbness you get a motor block which makes your legs very heavy. Height makes a little bit of difference to the volume of anaesthetic we put in, but not masses. The dense numbness usually lasts for a couple of hours and then starts wearing off over a few hours. HTH.

I had a spinal after birth for a tear repair and it was done about 1/2pm then I could feel my legs about 8pm. Didn't make it very far that evening as had quite a tough time and lost a lot of blood but could care for the baby from bed overnight.

I was numb but don't remember how high up, definitely not my chest as I fed both twins soon after and could feel it. They did tilt the bed to the left which I found very uncomfortable on my side with a very large double bump, had to support it with my hand. Not sure how long I was numb for as I had heavy blood loss and kept in recovery longer than normal, didn't try to get up while there. I could pull myself over to aid the midwives changing the absorbent pads on the bed not long after surgery. I was up and walking within 12 hours once on the ward, I did feel like a lead weight though. In the morning I felt pretty normal and walked down the ward for lunch and a shower after catheter was removed.

I was numb to the top of my boobs, delivery at 10pm, had worn off by 5am

Oh god seems like everyone has had different experiences with the numbing part I definitely don’t want to be numb to the top of my breast I can deal with it just under but I’d feel like I couldn’t breath and that will freak me out so much !!

Had an emergency cs. Could wiggle a toe after two hours and the whole block wore off in the few hours after that. Can't remember how high the numbness was, it all went a bit too fast for me to comprehend. I

With my first baby I had an emergency c section and had combined spinal block with epidural. During the section I felt very out of breath. However, with my second baby I had planned c section and had only spinal block. It was absolutely different experience - no shortness of breath or any other breathing related discomfort!

I had an emergency section last month. I was up out of bed around 5-6 hours after she was born. Numbness wise it reached probably to the top of my bump, I could still feel my boobs when trying to breastfeed.

I couldn't move my arms and my numbness was neck down. I could feel them tugging about , not so much with my dd but definitely with my son. It wasn't sore as such but uncomfortable to feel and hear.

Omg that’s ridiculous neck down how did you Evan cope with that I will seriously freak out !

I was numb from the chest down. I fed within 15 minutes of birth (normal sensation), could move well again 2hrs post delivery and certainly once back on the ward, I could move around freely. I was in the shower, catheter out within 5hrs each time.

I was so interested in what was happening that I didn't have time to worry about feeling numb. I was more curious to know whose legs they'd just put in stirrups (spoiler alert, they were mine).

My very efficient (to the point of being slightly scary) anaesthetist said they aim for nipple line. You’ll know if it goes too high as I suddenly felt really breathless but couldn’t say why and they tilted the bed up slightly to help lower it. It’s very dependent on gravity so I’m told.
I was feeding it recovery straight after the op with no issues so I presume I could feel everything in that area. I’m certainly not aware that I couldn’t if that makes sense.
My catheter was in at 9 and out by 5, and I was able to walk by then so would say the sensation was back around lunchtime or just after.
Lovely experience

That is to say, the process in general was lovely, not the catheter itself!