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 was in labour in the birthing pool and had been for about for 11 hours, they got me out to monitor, broke my waters and realised baby had pooed so it was all systems go.

I just remember someone pressing the call button, alarms going off, then being ran down to theatre with doors being swung open like on hospital programmes.

I was put under general anaesthetic and they started prepping me before I could even be put out, I remember feeling them rubbing my tummy and thinking they were already cutting but I believe they were just prepping me with the iodine at this point!

For my second I had a planned section and it was a whole lot easier & less traumatic.

Did with all 5 of mine

My 2nd was back to back, she was a vaginal delivery in a birthing pool and it was lovely, so not all back to backs are horror stories. It was more painful than dc1, but manageable.
But dc3 was an emergency caesarean, my waters broke and my contractions started, then after about 3 hours they stopped, it all went tits up and after arguing with the midwife for bloody ages, and telling her the baby had pooed because there was green and trying to show her (she wasn't interested) she begrudgingly agreed to put me on the monitor, where she struggled to find her heart (because her heart rate was so low she was bradycardic,) she then agreed to examine me, where she found her cord had prolapsed & was starting to be delivered, so she jumped on top of me, to keep the cord inside, shouted we were bradycardic and cord prolapse. She got dh to press the buzzer and loads of people swooped in, carted me to theatre and gave me a ga and popped my baby out. The next midweek told me later that had it been a few mins later, we would have lost dd!

I know my experience isn't typical, but my back-to-back labour wasn't really painful and was very fast.
I'd had constant back-ache all night which with hindsight must have been early labour. It wasn't any worse than the pelvic pain I'd put up with for the last month of pregnancy. We went to hospital because of reduced movement, but by the time I arrived, the back-ache was intermittent so it was obvious it was contractions. Baby was back to back when the midwife examined me.
An hour later, baby's heart rate went really squiffy, and the doctor recommended an emergency C-section under general anaesthetic. I didn't actually have this because things changed quickly and my baby was born with an epesiotomy and ventouse less than 10minutes later. I had a local anaesthetic for the episiotomy, but no other pain relief at all. I don't know if the first examination was wrong or if my baby turned in the last hour, but he was born the right way round.
All that's a very long-winded way of saying that it's good to be prepared and research your options, but even back-to-back you might be lucky like me and not have bad pain.

I wish I'd been better prepared so you're doing the right thing. Lots of excellent info on here. I had an emergency section with my first as he was undiagnosed breech. Was in labour in a midwife led unit for around 6 hours before they noticed. Unfortunately I then had to be blue lighted to a proper maternity hospital 20 miles down the road. Wouldn't recommend that. Had gas and air in the ambulance and held on to it till they got the spinal block in. It was manageable.

Both times were a rush and they got me under within minutes.

Different kind of emergency c section for me. It was a delivery under general anaesthetic. I had pre eclampsia, they waited too long and I started fitting on the operating table.

I was induced and waited hours for an epidural. The doctor kept saying everything was fine even though the midwives weren’t happy. When they had a shift change the new doctor came in and wasn’t happy with the heartbeat and recommended a C-section. The anaesthesiologist was due to see me at that point so we went straight to theatre.

As others have said if it’s a true emergency you will be straight in and under general anaesthetic. I know people who have been in this situation because or placental abruption and preeclampsia.

I would highly recommend to anyone to properly look into the induction process. I feel like my birth would have gone very differently had I had a better understanding.

I had an emergency c section two days ago. I was being induced and once they'd broken my waters they discovered the cord was prolapsing. This was an almost immediate decision to go to a category 1 section. They tried to put in a spinal but baby's heart rate kept dropping so I had to be put under a general anaesthetic. Neither myself nor my husband got to see her be born but she's here safe. Just dealing with the physical effects of the section now.

@Gloopyhoop congratulations on your little girl 🌻

With my first, I was induced, active labour, baby's heart rate kept dropping and when it went under 65bpm they said tachycardia and I was in the operating theatre in minutes. They put in the spinal block between contractions and kept me still. I am so so grateful for the NHS - they were amazing in that emergency.

2nd DC I chose an elective, walked in and had it done with no stress or hurry. I did lose a large amount of blood but didn't even know what's going on as the anaestetist just chatted away. Again, incredibly grateful. I don't like inductions though!

I’ve had 2 back to back labours. No forceps. Both on gas and air and both under 3 hours total labour.

Had episiotomy with one and tore with the other.

Middle child was normal and less painful but labour was a bit shorter.

So not all horror stories with back to back babies

Not a back to back labour or a c section but I ended up with forceps in theatre because I'd been stuck pushing for hours. I'll be honest, the wait to get the spinal done was the absolute worst part of labour for me (I think because I knew pushing wasn't working but I physically couldn't stop pushing). I wasn't an emergency as such though so I'm sure it would have been quicker if baby was in distress. Spinal was difficult to do because of how regular and strong my pushing contractions were but they managed and although the bit before wasn't fun once it was in it was absolutely magical to feel nothing and get to enjoy the arrival of my little one. I had an episiotomy by the way so no tearing but I obviously didn't feel anything as had the spinal by then. No long term issues.

What are your thoughts on induction in general? I was very against it for my first but wondering if I should try it this time. It’ll be my last chance of a vbac and at 41 weeks if baby isn’t here, they’ll want to induce me.

@Ididivfama if you get to 41 weeks you might be ok because your body and baby will be more ready.

The first stages with the pessary were fine and hopefully if you’re that far along it would kick start it anyway.

The drip is the worst part which I really wouldn’t want to do again. It gives you much worse contractions than you would get in natural labour so most people need an epidural. If they’re putting you on the drip you need to have the epidural lined up because there can be a very long wait.

After 48 hours of inducing I had only dilated 2cm. It can be a really long process and you just have to know how far you’re happy to go with it. So many inductions end up in C-section or assisted delivery so I would just rather skip the induction next time.

I had an EMCS after a failed induction. Fully dilated, only had gas and air and OMG you're right, it felt like a lifetime before they put the spinal block in.

@oop This >>>> (I think because I knew pushing wasn't working but I physically couldn't stop pushing) So much.

This is what I’ve heard. Good to keep in mind. Sorry it was so long for you.

The only possible guess I could make is a cord prolapse where the cord comes out before baby and hence blood flow to baby is severely compromised and to try to improve flow to baby the midwife or obstetrician will use sterile gloves vaginally to push the cord back up as much as they can while we get the patient to sleep to deliver baby asap but it's incredibly rare I've only had 1 case in 9y of obstetrics

@Destiny123 you are 100% correct! I was trying to think of a way to phrase it that wouldn't scare anyone too much!! But it happened, we're both fine. I'm grateful for that Dr every single day.

Darn. I was guessing cord prolapse/presentation too. I second guessed myself as there was no mention of a hand. 😓Glad you and baby are ok.

I always thought they were pushing baby's head back up to prevent compression of the cord, as handling the cord itself could cause vasospasms though. TIL. Agreed it's (thankfully) very rare. I've seen 5 in 7 years. I know it's the reason I had managed ARMs and gel pessaries instead of the Cook balloon. All to reduce risk of a cord prolapse.

OMFG!!! Thank you for acknowledging that the balloon is a factor. I've long suspected it, and been fobbed off.

I've had two, both for failure to progress during an induction. The first one, I'd already had an epidural but actually they had some trouble doing the spinal - in the end I ended up with all of me numb except my head and one arm and shoulder! It didn't take long though and wasn't a difficult experience. That was a Category 2 section, so it wasn't super urgent to get her out but there were concerns that she was at risk of getting distressed.

The second time, I hadn't had an epidural and there was a little wait for the spinal, maybe half an hour. There were less concerns about baby getting distressed at this point, so it was a Category 3 section. I did find this half an hour very hard - it felt like I was going through the pain of labour for no good reason.

I found recovery very straightforward both times though.

@Dyra @Destiny123 I was also under the impression it was the head they were pushing, not the cord. Although, honestly, there was a lot going on :/

Not sure it's the balloon itself causing cord prolapse though. I wasn't allowed the balloon as baby was still free floating and absolutely not engaged in the slightest into my pelvis. He'd also been confirmed to have turned from breech to cephalic less than 48 hours prior, which was also a factor. My understanding was they didn't want to risk a loop of cord getting compressed between the balloon and his head. Or should my waters go, cord having a chance to slither out first. If his head had been engaged, I would have been given the balloon.