If you had an emergency/last minute C Section

[Fluffysockswizzard]

Hi there

Sorry if these questions sound silly

If you had an emergency/last minute C-Section, what was your experience like?

If you had gone into labour and had nothing but Gas and Air/Pethadine, and then they decided you needed a Section.. was it a long wait to get the spinal block?

I'm just wondering because if something goes wrong last minute, I can imagine it being quite traumatic being in all that pain and then going into theatre waiting to be numbed whilst also being dilated/feeling an urge to push? How did you deal with that? Or is it quite a quick process?

I was told at my appt yesterday that the baby is back to back. Though I have read lots on here about how it was painful but successful vaginal delivery, there have been loads that have ended in c section due to baby getting stuck/failure to progress. I plan on giving birth at MLU/open to all pain relief options.. however I am really not wanting a forceps delivery (I may be ill informed) but I have read a lot about permanent damage from it - not saying a C section is any easier at all, but they were saying if it happened again they'd opt for C section vs Forceps

If that ends up being me, and they suggest a c section - I just want to be prepared as much as I can by knowing what to expect

I had a back to back baby. Remember you don’t have to wait until last minute to request an emergency section. If you’ve been in labour for too long then you can decide to have one rather than wait an extra 3 hours and have true emergency. I was also scared of forceps so asked for an emergency done sooner before pushing. Just use BRAINS and keep lines of communication open. It’s your birth remember.
So my emergency was classes as a category 3 I guess and tbh it was great.

But also start doing everything to turn baby now. I didn’t do enough. Look up spinning babies, curb walking, everything.

Were you immediately put under? I can imagine that’s scary!
Trying to work out whether to have a planned section or induction at 41 weeks next time. 😰

Indeed but is there any need for your diminishing language?

My emergency, not planned, section was carried out to save both my life and my baby's life.

I can assure you it was true, genuine, real and an emergency.

@BitofaStramash i don’t believe I did use any diminishing language. I was just trying to explain to the OP the difference in the types of emergency as it covers quite a wide net and many people hear the word emergency and think it needs to be an immediate situation, which in many cases it does not.

I had an emergency c section. Baby was back to back, I had pethidine and gas an air and had been in labour almost 24hrs. My waters had gone but we didn't know when and I wasn't progressing so it was decided I had one more hour and if baby wasn't coming out then it would be a c section. It was all very calm etc. I remember having to sit on the operating table waiting for a contraction to pass before they could put the spinal in!

I had a cat 2 secion. Bluelighted from midwife centre when it was clar that although I was fully dilated, my DC was stuck.
C section was my ultimate fear during all my pregnancies, but the staff were so amazing and calm, the atmosphere in theatre was chilled and full of jokes and reassurance…I actually preferred the whole experience over natural birth…even though the journey in the ambulance was terrifying at the time.

spinal done as soon as I got to hospital. Was hard to keep still as I was contracting about 90 seconds apart, but I managed and the relief when the pain stopped was incredible!

@Ididivfama a that's a really good idea thank you. I will make them aware that I would rather go for the C section over Forceps so they can prepare for it well before it gets to that stage if there's no progress.

Reading @blobby10 post about the skull injuries is similar to what i've read about the forceps, and also the permanent damage to the mother afterwards so I would rather avoid it

I am using the spinning babies website as well as the ball so fingers crossed he turns in time - even then I know he can turn right at the end too so there's still hope!

@PointlessAddiction that sounds so positive! I hope if it gets to that, the atmosphere will be just as relaxed for me! I don't know why I just pictured it as chaotic and panicky. This thread has really eased my nerves so thank you all !

I had a crash section after a couple of days of unproductive, slow and painful labour and the main thing I remember, ca. 10yrs later, is the utter relief when they told.me they were going to do a section! It was very quick after that and I was eternally grateful. Very best of luck OP.

I'm an anaesthetist if you read through my previous posts ive explained in great detail many times what happens during csections but generally most have a v pleasant experience

spinals take about 10mins to get in. If baby needs to come out in a super hurry it will be a general Anaesthetic but that's v v rare.

Time to theatre depends on urgency if baby just doesn't want to come out willingly, but is otherwise happy then it can be a few hours to go to theatre. If baby is very unhappy then can be under 5mins to theatre. We act accordingly.

You can have gas and air in theatre whilst we sde prepping

If youre worried about pain I'd have an early epidural then we can just put stronger stuff in the epidural to make you more numb

These are a collection of videos I've made on obstetric anaesthesia explaining spinals/ ga/epidurals/forceps

If you Google labourpains that's a very good website written by anaesthetists

Mine was very, very fast. Everything was ok, until suddenly it wasn't. The dr jumped on my bed, and we were both raced through the halls. The anesthesiologist ran to meet us, told me I was in safe hands, and hit me with general anesthesia. Baby was out in minutes. We're both fine today! If you do have an emergency C-section, I cant recommend scar massage enough-it's horrible and pinchy, but made a huge difference to my healing. Good luck, hope all goes smoothly!

My first was back to back. 43 hour labour, pethidine, epidural, failure to progress at 8.5cm they decided he needed out so emm cs. He had to be pushed back up the birth canal a bit but all fine, quick recovery. They only kept us in hospital for a few days after because he wouldn’t BF. There was absolutely no panic, the nurse when wheeling me in for the emm cs said ‘we do this every day, you’ll be fine.’

Second I’d opted for a VBAC but ended up with a very last minute planned section (waters broke and baby was distressed) so spinal block that time, no stress. A nice delivery, I found it very calm.

Forceps are very safe you only really hear the horror stories in the news ot the totally fine ones that happen every day. if youre fully dilated it's far safer to have forceps than a section as baby is down in the pelvis and doing a section then is the riskier of the option as need to get the baby back out of the pelvis

Sorry probably not the point but why did the doctor jump on your bed??

This is actually brilliant thank you

I had a cat 1 emcs and the anaesthetist was very quick with the spinal. They tilted the bed back to get it to numb me quicker

I was in hospital for 2-3 nights doing two rounds of induction. My waters broke with a balloon and I started getting contractions. I went to private room using gas and air. I was quite dilated but never got urge to push as baby’s head was still far up and became back to back. Baby also started to get distressed so was told I should have a c-section. I was relieved and had to wait an hour which made me nervous as I worried about baby and just wanted to get to theatre. I wasn’t in any physical discomfort as I got injection to stop contractions. Once in theatre everything went well and I had good experience. I’m currently 30 weeks pregnant and chose to have an elective section this time.

One of mine caused some drama. I was 42+5 he was an absolute unit so I half expected the induction to go pear shaped but I laboured really well then the little toad started crowning but it wasn’t a little head it was a little bum and Willy in the canal. His heart rate started to go a bit funny too so we were worried about cord tangles. Red button and off to theatre we went, they were clearly worried he was gonna need resus because there was a whole gang of paediatric people in theatre plus my surgeon and her partner and the anaesthetist/ theatre tech etc.
they have drugs that can stop contractions if they need to while they get you to theatre so dont worry about pain, the epidural may already have been placed if you were suffering but it takes just a few moments to do and is unpleasant but not painful or awful. Also remember those professionals do their thing day in day out, it’s really reassuring when they’re calm but efficient. I wasn’t too scared. Baby was out within just a few minutes. He was absolutely fine! The paediatric team took one look at him all pink and wide awake and left to go see another baby. He was handed to his father and I watched them just look into each others eyes while the doctor put me back together. I got the shakes really bad at this point and felt light headed but the anaesthetist is right by your head and he said my Bp was fine and it was just the drugs. I relaxed and we were wheeled down to a recovery room. A nurse sat in a corner out of the way but the three of us had a lovely couple of hours in there. I put him on my boob while I ate the toast and I think the tea is deliberately lukewarm for safety but it was still nice. Dh went off to text everyone and have a well earned coffee and fag. When he came back they were getting ready to put us on the ward. The post natal ward is the seventh circle of hell and wanted home! I was up/ catheter out and walking to the loo within the hour so about 4 hrs post op. I went home 24 hrs after the surgery. Because I was in pretty good shape and DH was bossing the babycare while I rested. We met family for a pub lunch on day 4 so I was clearly not in too much pain. OP sorry for the essay, but I feel like these details are important, please don’t stress, they’ll look after you and if you need an emcs you’ll be sore but you’ll be okay.

@Ididivfama I'd been a junior paediatrician before I had my first so had been one of those extras hanging around in obs theatre waiting in case a baby needs a bit of help after a section. Helped that I knew what was going on / understood the routine. The one I had under GA, I was suddenly getting really frequent contractions so I just wanted to put out to be honest!

Yes @Herbsandflowers it is standard to have at least one person capable of resuscitating a flat baby in theatre for any emergency section (or they'll be on there way if it's a super fast one), but the vast majority are take a brief look and wave bye, and many others are mostly just rubbing the baby dry and stimulating them a bit. If there's higher risk more senior people will try to be there but equally disappear quickly if they aren't needed.

Mine was back to back, it was painful but I survived for a long time. They did decide to put me on a drip to speed it along - so I ended up having an epidural at that point (I hadn't wanted to, but I'd also been in labour 36 hours by this point and I was exhausted!).

I did end up with an emergency c-section for failure to progress (stuck on about 8/9cm). Can't answer your question about waiting for spinal block because I had already had the epidural, but thought I'd tell my story!

I had an emcs at 31 weeks, complicated twin pregnancy, kind of knee it was coming but not when.

I got very quickly to 4cm and whipped into surgery.

My recovery was significantly quicker and easier than friends who have laboured for 48 hours, are exhausted and then end up with CS anyway.

I had an epidural as I wanted pain relief but wanted a clear head so when it became a cat 1 C-Section all they had to do was top it up, worked out nicely.

Having an epidural while contracting wasn't fun but it was better than I thought. They did it between contractions and stopped when I said one was coming. It felt like it took ages but don't think it was. They are really good and are super experienced, they know how to do it safely and quickly xx

DD2 turned back to back at 37 weeks. I spent hours scrubbing the kitchen floor on my hands & knees every day for a week to get her to turn round again. It worked.

I have two now grown up children (one is now a grandfather) both of whom born by very emergency c section 53 and 51 years ago
When I say very emergency I mean running me into theatre on the labour bed and general anaesthetic given in what just have been a few minutes.
Times have changed alot from then, today I would have had elective sections definatly for the second baby . I am not going to reveal the horrible details but as I have already said this was a long time ago.
When I saw the photo further up the thread, I don't think I looked like the mother on it straight after the birth, full make up on etc.

I couldn't bear the pain so asked for an epidural 24 hours after induction started, I'd had pethidine overnight after a midwife found me in tears feeling tired and hopeless and that took the edge off things and I could rest at least but not enough pain relief to sleep.
Then once the epidural was going, they put me on the drip (syntocynon?)
It was all a shit show frankly, dilation started to go backwards, baby's heartbeat started slowing so around 11 hours after starting the drip and 36 hours after starting induction I went off for an emergency C section. Well it was a good thing I did really as she was a face presentation and absolutely stuck. It took a lot of tugging (very odd feeling) to pull her free and she had a great big bruise on her face and black eye poor little mite. I dread to think what would have happened if they'd tried assisted vaginal delivery, I think I would have been in a hell of a mess.