If you were put under anesthesia for your c-section.

How was that? Was it weird to not be awake for the delivery? Were the next few days a blur?

I ask because I had such a horrific delivery, with the spinal put in the wrong spot. I have had 5 surgeries since and I am afriad of another awake c-section, if I ever want to have another child.

I pray for a small child this time. But if I have another 11+ pounder I am definate I want to be knocked out for another c-section. Am I nuts?

TIA!

Re: If you were put under anesthesia for your c-section.

Horrible and a total blur. I don't remember much about the day. I was on a morphine drip until the next am so I was totally out of it all night. I remember waking up at like 2 am thirsty and I total forgot why I was even in the hospital. I don't remember being told it was a boy. I didn't even see him until the next day. It sucks b/c I feel cheated....DH didn't get to cut the cord nor be with me during the c-section. And the person who told him it was a boy was the A-Hole anesthesiologist who caused the c-section in the first place. He screwed up and wouldn't fix my epidural when he was asked to so I ended up in so much pain my DR had to knock me out...Long Story but DH wanted to knock him out.

It sucked and I am still very upset about it 9 weeks later.

Re: If you were put under anesthesia for your c-section.

I know EricaAlt had to be put under - you should FM her!

Re: If you were put under anesthesia for your c-section.

Can you have an epidural instead of a spinal? I had an epidural for my first 2 c-sections (was in labor first with both), my 3rd was a spinal, and that was PAINFUL for me.

Re: If you were put under anesthesia for your c-section.

I don't have anything to compare it to, but if I was to do it again, I would NOT want to be knocked out.

First, I had a lot of sadness about the fact that I didn't get to see my boy right away. I feel like I wasn't "there for him." (I know it's kind of silly, but it's how I feel.) DH was also not there when he was born so it made it seem like he was all alone and thruthfully for a while I kept thinking "what if this isn't MY baby? How do I know since I didn't see him?" Crazy - I know -especially given the fact that DH was right outside the operating room and there was no other exit.

He was never able to latch properly so I could breastfeed him well, and I just feel like maybe if I was awake to bond with him from the start, maybe he would have taken to it better.

The three times I have been under anstethia, I have woken up hysterical crying - and this time with the pain from the section it took forever for me to calm down. Was just an awful feeling.

And I was soo out of it all that day. I didn't get out of recovery till probably 12:00 PM (baby was born at 8:48 AM) so I didn't get to meet my little guy till then and since I was so woozy, I couldn't really get out of bed till the next day. I know a lot of women with c-sections say they got up ASAP and walked around and it made recovery easier. Maybe if I had been able to do that, I wouldn't have been so miserable for so long.

Anyway, that was my experience. Sorry so long.

Re: If you were put under anesthesia for your c-section.

I had general anesthesia. No it would not be my first choice, as I so would want to see my child when they first entered the world. However, for me being out was a blessing, since they had to revive my son, and it took a LONG time, I would have been completely panicked had I been awake. My son had to be moved to another hospital within a couple of hours, but I was awake, and said good bye to him, and remember that moment vividly. i did sleep a lot that first day ( but i also lost a lot of blood and needed transfusions)...but I do remember it. By that evening I was pushing myself to get moving, was up a lot the next day, and convinced my doctor to release me in 2 days..(I wanted to get to my son). Overall if it is your only option, it will be okay, and you hopefully remember things(I remember a lot), but if you have an alternative, take it.

Re: If you were put under anesthesia for your c-section.

I had general anasthesia for DD because when they started cutting me open I could feel it- the epidural didn't work!

I am disappointed that I wasn't awake to hear her cry but I woke up fairly quickly (I think) and other than having double vision for about 30 minutes I was perfectly fine.....obviously except for the c-section itself. I didn't have a bad reaction to the anasthesia.

Message edited 1/4/2010 12:24:07 PM.

Re: If you were put under anesthesia for your c-section.

I was put under - due to my HELLP syndrome (low platelet count) the doctors were afraid I wouldn't clot properly with a spinal and end up paralyzed.

We were team green with twins and I have to say that I was VERY upset that I missed the moments they were born and hearing the sex. Everything happened so quickly though that I didn't have much time to process it. Maybe if I had known to expect it I would have felt differently, KWIM?

After delivery I was put on a magnesium drip for 48 hours for the platelet issue (to prevent seizures) which was torture. But as far as the anesthesia, I had horrible shakes afterwards in recovery and I was dying of thirst but other than that I didn't have any bad reaction. Just the normal gas and other fun c-section side effects.

The boys were born at 5pm, I got to a room at 11pm and saw DS #1 at about 9 am the next morning (DS #2 not until later, he was in the NICU and there was in no condition to get down there until the afternoon).

I know a little bit about your story and I can't imagine making this decision . Good luck!

ETA - I did have a bad sore throat for a day or two from the breathing tube.

Message edited 1/4/2010 2:37:38 PM.

Re: If you were put under anesthesia for your c-section.

Robbie was an emergency c and they had no time to do anything but knock me out. When I woke up I immediately asked about the baby. They said the baby was fine and I asked if it was a boy or a girl. They didn't answer and I was suddenly terrified the baby was mixed gender. I guess they wanted to have Rob tell me it was a boy - but I was really scared!

I was sad to miss the big "IT'S A BOY" moment and I was annoyed that Rob kept telling everyone (and still does) that he was there for the birth and I slept the whole time. So when I was pregnant again I told the doctor I wanted to be awake.

Not worth it for me. Seriously - I remember tugging, talking, beeping .. then "IT's Another BIG BOY!" yay. They held the baby up so I could see, cleaned him, swaddled him, held him by my head for a close up view and a quick pic and then whisked him away. My husband left too so I was stuck listening to the doctors chit chat about real estate while they stitched me up. It wasn't that long.. but it seemed like forever until I was in recovery and able to hold my son.

I figured if I ever did it again.. I'd ask for general! Wake me up when it's over and I can hold my kid!

Re: If you were put under anesthesia for your c-section.

I was put under for DD#1. I was horrifically sad about it at the time and still have some issues with it, but it was all for the health of my baby so, that is life.
I had an emergency C/S after 10 hours of hard labor with NO epidural. I started having contractions that were peaking and not going away. Lasting between 9 and 13 minutes. They basically were sqeezing the baby and cutting off her oxygen for long periods of time. There was no time for an epidural and after her heart rate being 40 beats a minutes for 9 minutes, they put me under and whipped her out. I was CRUSHED at missing the moment of ITS A GIRL! (We did not know the sex)
What is most important is the health of both mom and baby, but it sucked royally!

Re: If you were put under anesthesia for your c-section.

hmmm, Kelly, did I miss a post or something???????

Re: If you were put under anesthesia for your c-section.

i had to be knocked out halfway through as things were going horribly wrong. and there were tons of complications.. i remember them saying its a girl look mom.. and to be honest all i was thinking about was.. IM GOING TO DIE and seeing abby made it worse... i was losing alot of blood and i KNEW things were going wrong. my anxiety and everything were so bad because i knew everything that was going on. that i already want to discuss with the OBs that the next time around i want to be knocked out for the whole thing. i want my first moments seeing my child to be wonderful and filled with joy and happiness not the scared feelings that i had the frist time. either that or i want something to copletely calm my nerves because i would expect the same experience as the first time around which will prob make my nervers 10xs wrose then it was that time around. i think everyone will say their experiences were different. but for me.. #2 will def. be a section and i will almost 100% ask to be knocked out. DH will not object tot his because durring the first baby.. he knew the baby was fine he said he thought for sure he was going to lose me and that he cannot do again!

Re: If you were put under anesthesia for your c-section.

Re: If you were put under anesthesia for your c-section.

Posted by rojerono

Robbie was an emergency c and they had no time to do anything but knock me out. When I woke up I immediately asked about the baby. They said the baby was fine and I asked if it was a boy or a girl. They didn't answer and I was suddenly terrified the baby was mixed gender. I guess they wanted to have Rob tell me it was a boy - but I was really scared!

I was sad to miss the big "IT'S A BOY" moment and I was annoyed that Rob kept telling everyone (and still does) that he was there for the birth and I slept the whole time. So when I was pregnant again I told the doctor I wanted to be awake.

Not worth it for me. Seriously - I remember tugging, talking, beeping .. then "IT's Another BIG BOY!" yay. They held the baby up so I could see, cleaned him, swaddled him, held him by my head for a close up view and a quick pic and then whisked him away. My husband left too so I was stuck listening to the doctors chit chat about real estate while they stitched me up. It wasn't that long.. but it seemed like forever until I was in recovery and able to hold my son.

I figured if I ever did it again.. I'd ask for general! Wake me up when it's over and I can hold my kid!