not sure if this is the right board, spinal for vaginal delivery?

aimeewinn

I had a terrible vaginal delivery with my first LO and ended up with a epi and tear that amounted to a 4th degree mess seeing as how I pushed for 2 1/2 hrs with nothing. Now I have issues with weak bowels and pelvic floor (sorry, tmi). Is it possible to get an epi with a spinal so you are totally numb during delivery? I felt everything with my epi and was totally pissed. Has anyone received a spinal for a vag delivery without getting it for a c-section?

holly321

I would say this is probably the wrong board.  But I had a spinal for my csection, felt everything, and had to get knocked out, so a spinal isn't necessarily the solution.

mben1119

I had a spinal, and I couldn't feel enough to push properly, so I ended up with a c-section.  And even though I felt no pain, I could feel them pulling DS out of me. EWWW

skio

I'm confused.

Do you think that the reason you tore badly is because you had no pain relief? Because I don't see how those two things have anything to do with each other. Pain relief is completely separate from how the vagina stretches during childbirth and has no effect on whether or not you will tear.

If the reason you're asking is because you FELT the tearing and would really rather not go through that again, then definitely talk to your OB about proper pain management during your next labor. You may want to talk about the option of scheduling a c/s to prevent further damage. What you went through sounds traumatic and it's your choice what to do with your body next time around to avoid the same trauma, but it should be discussed with a doctor.

I believe that the anesthesia used with a spinal is stronger than that used in an epidural, but with a spinal, it's a one-time shot. Insert needle, release medicine, retract needle; and I'm thinking that they don't often do spinals for vaginal deliveries because it completely numbs you and that may inhibit pushing. With an epidural, you have the catheter inserted and can get repeated doses, and you usually can still push somewhat effectively and move your legs a bit. I'm not sure what a doctor would recommend in your case. Good luck.

jesstellina

I'm about 99% sure that a spinal would not be an option. A spinal block differs from an epidural in that (besides being a one-time shot instead of a catheter, as a PP said), it causes paralysis. You cannot push when you have a spinal block. What would help with pain relief in the perineal area would be a pudendal nerve block, but I don't know if many doctors do those. You could ask yours ahead of time.