so what happens if you need an emergency

xnbride · September 2009

c section and you don't have an epidural in place? Do they put you under or do you get an epidural?

When I was laboring with Ethan my nurse really freaked me out and encouraged me to get the epidural because things weren't looking good and she thought that we were headed for a c-section. Needless to say Ethan had other plans and everything ended out working just fine, but I have thought about this and wonder why it would have mattered. If I needed a c-section then couldn't they have just given it to me then?

thetwistedwillow · September 2009

Depends on how emergent.

No epidural in place in an extremely emergent situation would mean general anesthesia (put you under).

MelD16 · September 2009

Hmm. Idk, but I'd like to see the answers though.

mayowife · September 2009

I'm not an expert, but I think a spinal starts working faster than en epidural and is an option during an emergency c-section.

Tonya_G · September 2009

I don't think they can do an epi for an emergency c-section. I'm not sure what they do (a spinal, maybe?), but when my anesthesiologist put in my epi, it probably took a good 5-10 minutes to do, then another 5-10 minutes to fully kick in. That's too much time in an emergency situation.

ZAngel · September 2009

If it is a true emergency, they will put you under. Even a spinal takes time.

Worcbride · September 2009

I had a spinal not an epidural w/DD (unplanned csection tho not emergency cuz she wasnt in distress). Essentially they told me to lie back down immediately--I said "what?" and they literally pushed me back on the table cuz it works that fast (like immediately I couldnt feel my legs)

mcgee · September 2009

It depends on how much of an emergency it is. If it's a "get the baby out NOW" type situation like a cord prolapse, they'll put you under general anesthesia. If it's an emergency but they have a little bit of time, they'll likely do a spinal.

Rachel2315 · September 2009

It's my impression that in an emergency situation they put you under general anesthesia. ?My OBs have commented on the fact that I should consider getting an epi (and I will probably get one because I am a wuss) due to the fact that I have a low lying placenta (not previa though) and it puts me at a slightly higher risk for?complications. ?

gizmo909 · September 2009

It depends on the situation. I had an emergency c/s and did not have an epi. It was emergency enough that I was signing paperwork while they pushed me to the OR. (I was technically just there for some tests due to decreased fetal movement so that's why I hadn't signed all the paperwork yet.) So, mine was an emergency and they needed to get DS out quickly but there was enough time to do a spinal. The time from getting on the OR table to when I was numb and they began cutting was about 5 minutes. If it is such a severe emergency that there isn't time for that, they will put you under general anesthesia.

Gina1221 · September 2009

I had an epidural and then wound up needing an emergency c-section and still needed to be put under general anesthesia. I don't know if it's true for all epidurals, but with mine I wasn't completely numb. My LO's heartrate was dropping significantly and there wasn't time to do anything else but put me under.

Melanie.Brown · September 2009

I'm a surgical tech in L&D and what a lot of the previous posts have said is true. If you don't have an epi, it depends on the severity of the situation, and the anesthesiologist. If it's just an unplanned c/s, like failure to progress, or mom's been pushing for 3-4 hours and baby isn't moving down at all, and baby is not in any distress, then they will most definitely do a spinal. If baby is showing signs of distress during contractions or pushing, but recovers quickly, they still may do a spinal, but it depends on the specific situation. But if baby has a prolonged decrease in HR, or there is another severe complication like a cord prolaps, abruption, etc then they will do a general.

Beenie · September 2009

I had an emergency c-section and they put me under.

xnbride · September 2009

thank you ladies. This is very helpful info and something I will definitely keep in mind.

ilenegrace · September 2009

In my childbirth class fri they said that in a true emergency situation if you don't have an epi they will put you out w/ gen anesthesia.

Lucky428 · September 2009

ZAngel:
If it is a true emergency, they will put you under. Even a spinal takes time.

Yeah, this. If they have some time, they can do the spinal, however if every second counts, they put you under right away. It's not how any of us prefer it, but anything to get baby out safely.

Scooter359 · September 2009

They might end up giving a spinal which acts instantly or just putting you completely under if there really is no time. Nurses tend to do that ive realized. Well, mine seem to be the opposite and think everything is easy breezy.

mcgee · September 2009

I'm rather annoyed by the comments from doctors that you should have an epidural in case an emergency arises and there's a need for a c-section. That's absurd. Having an epidural makes you MORE likely to NEED a c-section because an epidural slows your labor and confines you to the bed. Being able to walk, to change positions, to experience the hormone changes that are part of natural childbirth makes a vaginal birth more likely and a c-section less necessary.

If you want an epidural to manage discomfort during labor, that's one thing, but having one on the off chance that you'll need an emergency c-section does not make any sense.

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