SPINAL BLOCK V EPIDURAL

[kyme]

whats is the difference?? and are there much pain involved in either!!

am due to have c-section in 3weeks..
36wks+1day today

oops and have just been told i am having a soinal block!! am nervous as i ve had a epidural with first ecs but dont recall the pain of the epi as i was in labour!!

im a big wuss and am terrified of needles plz enlighten me

The needle for a spinal goes in a little further, into spine, but it wont feel any dif to you, as it will be numbed first like before.

I had spinal with last cs, it takes longer to wear off 10-12 hours, but cant be topped up like ep.

Good luck, I may well be joining you for the same in 3 weeks too!

36+1 also

I had a spinal block with my cs. I had no problems with it. By the time I was stitched up after the cs I could feel up to my knees again and after an hour in recovery I could move my legs freely. DD was born late at night so I went to bed (I would say went to sleep but that didn't happen!) and got up at 7am (9hrs post spinal) and walked normally and comfortably. I was discharged 3hrs later.

spinal often used for electives as not as long lasting as an epidural...you will get local aneasthetic first...

Spinal- one off injection ; less risk of nerve damage ; longer to wear off. Standard for planned C-section where epidural not already in place.

Spinal- one off injection ; less risk of nerve damage ; longer to wear off. Standard for planned C-section where epidural not already in place.

Why did my spinal last so long then?

scrap what I first put! lol

I've had both - neither hurt when they were done (though with the epidural I was labouring so it was trickier to place). Tje epidural catheter is left in so it can be topped up whereas the spinal is just one injection.

Both lasted about the duration - the epidural was sited at 1:30am, dd was born at 5:45am, I had a shower at 9am. With ds I had the spianl just after 9, he was born at 9:35 & was up for a shower at about 1pm. I had much better post-surgey pain relief with the spinal - they give you a shot of diamorphine in it (at my hospital) whoch means no pain at all for 24 hours, unfortunately it made me a bit sick & itchy. I wasn't sick afer the epidural but they had trouble controlling my blood pressure which was unpleasant. On balance I prefered the spinal - there's a slightly lower rate of complications from it too - although if it fails they have to do a general (unlike an epidural where they'll try to top it up).

'cuse the typos sigh

My friend had an elective for her ds2 and said the spinal block was loads better than the epidural she had first time.

Apparently you couldn't feel all the rummaging and tugging but it wore off quicker afterwards which she really liked. Easier to administer as well apparently.

I've had both - topped up epidural for my EMCS and then 10 days later a spinal to repair by CS scar when I got a serious infection and it burst open. No pain for either but I much preferred the epidural - could move by legs a little and didn't feel completely paralysed like with the spinal which was a feeling I didn't like at all. Feeling returned quicker with the epidualas well. The spinal made my BP drop dangerously low in surgery which they had to rush to get up again. I was also sick with both in recoverey but that's obviously just me.

I had a spinal with my CS, I could still feel the rummaging. Ds1 was born at 5am and I was up and about by 1pm. I didn't like the idea of the epidural, so opted for the one injection

ooh wow thats real good infomation for me im worrying myself insane hehe thanks everyone!!

were all theat had c-sections able to breast feed ok??

I was breastfeeding within 10 minutes of being wheeled out of surgery, no problem at all

not a probem as midwife tucks the baby down your gown on the journey back to ward.

or at they did my cs baby anyway.

Yeah no problems breastfeeding either time - had skin to skin in theatre while being stitched up & first feed in recovery (15 minutes later).

Divvy mine too - it's lovely isn't it