Anyone considering General while having C-section?

fatcat11188 · March 2015

Is anyone so freaked out by the idea of a c-section that you want to push for general and be completely knocked out? Thoughts?

Flowerstar1023 · March 2015

I would ask for something like versed or ativan before pushing for general anesthesia. I'm freaked out too but general anesthesia ups the risks even more...

emaddock · March 2015

I am anxious about it for sure and honestly the thought has crossed my mind. However, my cousin had general (not at her request) and she said it was emotionally a horrible experience. She woke up to find out she had a son and felt like she missed out on the entire experience. She said it really contributed to post partum issues as she felt like she wasn't part of her child's birth. So my suggestion is to talk to your OB now about your anxiety because it is totally warranted and come up with a plan that will help you. Mine is going to do a walk through at the hospital with me as my last csection was a little traumatic. Making a plan to deal with the anxiety is helping me feel better.

J0C0TX · March 2015

What are you anxious about? If you can try and deal with that it's probably better.

I will say having a planned C-section with my 2nd was just lovely. (even the urgent one with my first wasn't bad). You do feel a little weird as you can feel movement but not really, but it's wonderful to see you baby being put over the curtain and getting to see their face all smushy and yummy. Does your hospital do a C-section specific class? Mine does, that's why I'm wondering.

Ecat504 · March 2015

General isn't even an option for me as it increases risks.
I was TERRIFIED with my first, but everything went incredibly smooth! Don't freak yourself out too much mama, I know it's hard because I'm still nervous about having my second one but just know your doctors are trained for this!

brita7869 · March 2015

I was delivered in the operating room last Thursday w/a c-section due to medical issues/previous surgeries (I am a FTM). I can tell you this: I am the biggest pansy when it comes to pain, grossed out by surgeries, and I was terrified to have a c-section. For me, they tried to do a spinal, but couldn't get spinal fluid out, so they went to an epidural. General anesthesia was the last option and one we all wanted to avoid. Even though (I promise this is NOT to scare you) it took an hour for them to get the anesthesia right w/me (I like to make things difficult) I felt almost nothing. The spinal/epidural was almost painless except a little bit of pressure. The c-section itself was 100% painless. It was a weird feeling, but no pain at all. My husband sat by my side talking to me the whole time and the whole thing was over w/in 10-15 minutes tops. Like I said, from someone who is terrified of pain/needles/you name it, the epidural/spinal and the procedure as a whole were not bad at all.

SLGILL1978 · March 2015

To be honest, no. I want to be able to have skin to skin with my baby for a few minutes. And start nursing in recovery.
I agree, try not to freak yourself out. Ask your doctor questions. I knew there was a chance I could have one through out my pregnancy. My doctor talked about it so much that I was very nervous to actually push her out of my vagina.
I had a very smooth c section. I was induced due to a pre existing medical condition (diabetic). I had my epidural within 1-2 hours of being induced so I didn't feel any contractions. After about 12 hours my doctor decided to do the c section because there was stress on the baby, concern for my sugar levels and I hadn't progressed in about 5 hours. Since I had been on the epidural for hours prior, I was very relaxed. Got a few more shots for numbness and pain. I didn't even feel any pulling, pushing or tugging when they were getting the baby out.

ammc07 · March 2015

I had a scheduled csection with DD. So I'm going to do a repeat this time. I thought about general only because the spinal was incredibly painful and I had back pain afterword.
Although I'm petrified of the spinal again, I loved being able to hear that first cry, the skin to skin, and attempting to nurse rather quickly. So I'm doing a spinal again.

Jame414 · March 2015

emaddock said:
I am anxious about it for sure and honestly the thought has crossed my mind. However, my cousin had general (not at her request) and she said it was emotionally a horrible experience. She woke up to find out she had a son and felt like she missed out on the entire experience. She said it really contributed to post partum issues as she felt like she wasn't part of her child's birth. So my suggestion is to talk to your OB now about your anxiety because it is totally warranted and come up with a plan that will help you. Mine is going to do a walk through at the hospital with me as my last csection was a little traumatic. Making a plan to deal with the anxiety is helping me feel better.

I had the same experience had general bc epidural didn't work...at all. It was a stat section dt fetal distress after 2 hrs of pushing. It wasn't nice. I woke up 3 hours after baby was born to find out hubby had given her her first feeding (missed out). Plus I wanted to bf. I couldn't hold her bc I was shaking so badly from the hormone shift. And our parents both had held my child before I saw her or heard her cry. I couldn't move enough to change a diaper and was extremely sick after. I wouldn't recommend general unless necessary- u just miss too much. I was sad angry and heartbroken and feel bad for not being able to witness my child's birth.

Lily9911 · April 2015

@fatcat11188 I didn't plan for a c-section, but after 17 hours and no progress I opted to have one. Honestly, the moment they put that anesthesia in you you don't feel a thing. The only thing that sucked was the extreme cold in the OR. I was so cold my teeth were chattering.... And that to me became painful. You don't feel anything going on, but you'll feel tugging, which tickled me to be honest.

The other thing that sucks is that you don't get to hold your baby, you just get to see them for a brief moment and then they Are whisked away to the nursery. You go into recovery for 2-5 hours depending on your hospitals policy. My baby was born at 9:43 at night and I didn't get to hold her until 2:00 am the next day.

When I go through it again I will be THRILLED to have a c-section over having to push- from what my friends have told me about pushing I am ad I didn't go through that. Also the myth is c-section babies are more chill than vaginal babies- not sure how true that is but my baby is super chill.

gvgauthi · June 2015

CS under general are only reserved for emergency situations!!! I do anesthesia and am very familiar with all the risks and complications. Having a regional block (epidural or spinal) doesn't expose your baby to the adverse effects of some of our drugs we use. Some one asked if they could just have some versed or Ativan. That's ok to help calm you down ONLY after the baby is delivered and cord is clamped. The anesthetics used during a general anesthetic can also transfer through the placenta. All of these can cause depressed APGARS and can affect the neonate negatively. When an emergency Csection is done (under general anesthesia) the belly is prepped draped and ready before you are even asleep. The SECOND the endo tracheal tube is put in the surgeon makes his incision. Baby is usually out within less than a minute (typically not enough time has passed for the inhalational anesthetics to reach and affect the baby). Hope this helps!!! At every facility I've been to, you cannot elect for a general anesthetic for your csection. But emergency csections can be done with a nicely dosed epidural through a catheter that was left in place for laboring (many times there isn't enough time to do a spinal)

JaqiDec04 · June 2015

Lily9911 said:
@fatcat11188 I didn't plan for a c-section, but after 17 hours and no progress I opted to have one. Honestly, the moment they put that anesthesia in you you don't feel a thing. The only thing that sucked was the extreme cold in the OR. I was so cold my teeth were chattering.... And that to me became painful. You don't feel anything going on, but you'll feel tugging, which tickled me to be honest.

The other thing that sucks is that you don't get to hold your baby, you just get to see them for a brief moment and then they Are whisked away to the nursery. You go into recovery for 2-5 hours depending on your hospitals policy. My baby was born at 9:43 at night and I didn't get to hold her until 2:00 am the next day.

When I go through it again I will be THRILLED to have a c-section over having to push- from what my friends have told me about pushing I am ad I didn't go through that. Also the myth is c-section babies are more chill than vaginal babies- not sure how true that is but my baby is super chill.

I'm so sorry your c section was like this. I would have FREAKED if they took my daughter away for 5 hours.

OP, speak to your doctor and hospital. When they took me in to my emergency c section, I threw such a hysterical fit about being away from my daughter, she never left my side. She was in my room while I recovered and I begged to be never left alone.

Talk to your hospital.

Natjune · July 2015

It is very scary. I have never had a major surgery in my life. I thought I was going to have a vaginal birth, until I got there and they found my baby was breech.
I literally trembled in fear from the time they told me I would need a c section, until they wheeled me into the maternity ward after baby was here.
It is very scary, but you just have to trust they know what they are Doing.
If something doesn't feel right, tell them (I was feeling nauseous and they put something in my iv that took effect in seconds to relieve that). I also asked a million questions around "are you sure I won't feel pain".
But, being awake to be able to hold hands with my husband, and the emotions the flooded the both of us as soon as we heard the baby cry. Amazing. You will never be able to replace those memories!!

emiliothetall · July 2015

This post seems a bit dated, but I thought I would add my 2 cents,

I had to have a C-section under general. I knew it was going to happen, from about 10 weeks on. I had a long time to mentally prepare for it. It was what it was, and if I have a second, it will likely happen again.

having said that, I can't imagine why you would CHOSE it. Its not as if you get knocked out and wake up an hour later and hold your baby.

amm0512 · July 2015

I know several PP have mentioned it, but general makes you miss so much of the firsts with your little one. My spinal didn't take, so after I started screaming in pain from the incision, they knocked me out. I have a very faint memory of telling DH "I have no idea what is going on", but I couldn't see anything. I vaguely remember hearing DS cry and DH telling me to look at our son, but no visual memories. It was over two hours before I was functional enough to meet DS for the first time. I would give anything to have that time back.

Natjune · July 2015

Didn't they do the "poke tests" along your sides after they gave you the spinal block? They didn't start cutting me until I couldn't feel anything at all during the "poke tests" they did on each side.
Not sure what they used, but that anastesiologist took some sort of sharp object and run it from my knees up to my armpit and would ask me to tell her when I could feel it. She repeated this procedure on both sides of my body until I didn't feel anything.

amm0512 · July 2015

They were using clamps to pinch me. I kept telling them I had pain on the right, then they would argue it was pressure not pain. They ended up tilting to table head down in an effort to make the spinal take, but I could still feel the pinches. Finally, the anesthesiologist looked at the surgeon, shrugged, and said "your call". It only got better from there.

emiliothetall · August 2015

are you sure they didn't just sedate you? there is no "vaguely remembering" with a general anesthetic.

GalLaura · August 2015

I had labor for 10 hours and then a c section. When they were trying to make sure I was numb, I still had feeling. They said they could only give me one more dose of meds and if that didn't work, i would be put out. I would have been crushed if I had been put out. You miss it all. It's really not that bad having a c section. I was doing better the next day then most of the ladies with vaginal births!

GalLaura · August 2015

I had labor for 10 hours and then a c section. When they were trying to make sure I was numb, I still had feeling. They said they could only give me one more dose of meds and if that didn't work, i would be put out. I would have been crushed if I had been put out. You miss it all. It's really not that bad having a c section. I was doing better the next day then most of the ladies with vaginal births!

randa923 · August 2015

I didn't plan for a c-section. Labored for 14 hours. Baby wouldn't move down past my pelvic bone and was going into distress (his heart rate raising and not coming back down) my epidural didn't work. Went to OR to have a c-section. They put more meds in my epidural. It worked for a little bit. Got to kiss my baby boy. He went to the nursery with dad. Shortly after that I could feel everything they were doing. Epidural wore off again. It was horrible! They gave me general after that. I honestly don't even know how long it was until I saw my baby. But he came in and we did skin to skin and I got to feed him. Now I'm just nervous about any kind of birth for my next kid!

mamaKwetsi · August 2015

Yikes :-SS

live4something · February 2016

I had an emergency c-section and after several failed attempts of an epidural, I had no choice but to go under general anesthesia. This time, I hope I can be awake. Where I delivered, general meant no one was allowed in the operating room. My husband and I both missed out on seeing our daughter be born. I was the last one to see her or hold her after she was born. I was so drugged up and still groggy that I truthfully don't recall seeing her for the first time. In the end she was born healthy and I know that's what matters most but I really wish I would have been able to witness her first few hours.

kewltif · March 2016

I had an emergency situation and they wound up having to put me under general anesthesia right after they pulled my daughter out. I woke up alone in recovery with no idea what happened! It was horrible and I was freaking out that my baby wasn't there. My husband had to come and show me pictures on his camera, so I saw pictures of her before even meeting her. Awful! With my second c-section I got so nervous that something would go wrong again that they wound up dosing me with some anti anxiety meds (which I've never had before) and I was dozing off during delivery!

smilormarie · April 2016

I had such a bad experience with my first c section (not something common and expected like the shakes) that I asked for general next time at my 6 week postpartum checkup. My OB said they wouldnt do it under general (I dont know why not) and wouldnt subsitute a epidural instead of a spinal block. I get lightheaded and nauseas everytime I recount my experience and I think my husband was even a little traumatized. I plan to ask again. I understand that general anesthesia has its risks. But very few other surgeries are done while you are awake. Something about tjem taking a whole human out of you that they want you awake to experience it. Unless I'm pushing the baby out myself, I dont feel a need to be awake. I hope you get your request.

Edit: mine was a planned c section and the next will be too.

eivaska · April 2016

The reason that they don't do csection sunder general anesthesia is that the general anesthesia carries a lot of risks for the baby. A spinal or epidural carry significantly less risk because the medicine is never injected into the blood stream. https://americanpregnancy.org/labor-and-birth/general-anesthesia/

asht · April 2016

Not sure if it's normal or not but I passed out cold after seeing my daughter and woke up 3 hours later. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be but after almost 2 days of labor I was done

eryncameron · May 2016

I had complications in labor and they had to do an unplanned c-section. Because I had been in labor so long, the epidural had worn off. I remember telling the surgeon I could feel her drawing on me with the pen, to mark where they planned to cut. So they put me under GA. Something went wrong, they couldn't control the bleeding, and it took them several hours to stabilize me and wake me up. During that time, my entire extended family was holding my son before I got a chance to. When I was finally able to hold my son, I could barely hold him because I was shaking so much from the GA wearing off.
My next delivery will be via pre-planned c-section, to hopefully avoid any complications. The doctors said if I hadn't been in labor so long before the c-section, they don't think they would have had the complications with it.
While I like to joke that I went to the hospital, took a nap and woke up with a baby, and as nervous as I am about having to be awake for a c-section, I would much rather avoid anesthesia the second time around.

Anyone considering General while having C-section?

Re: Anyone considering General while having C-section?

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