Epidural or spinal block for upcoming c-section?

[Anonymous]

I have a c-section scheduled for next week and am wondering which of these I should request. Has anyone had any good or bad experiences with either?

[Anonymous]

A spinal block is stronger and will last longer. That's what I had.

[Anonymous]

I had an epidural and had no problems aside from a moment of mild nausea. My OB didn't even ask if I wanted a spinal block.

[Anonymous]

Let them put you to sleep.
Much easier.
You will be so grotty from the drugs. The talk of bonding with the first sight is silly. You have plenty of time for that.

You don't have to have a c-section. The US c-section rates are much higher than in Europe. I would question your doctor. He might just be taking the easier way for him. Or maybe he genuinly does not know what he is doing.

[Anonymous]

OP here- I definitely have to have a c-section. I don't want to be put under, but am nervous about sticking anything in my spine! I want to get whatever has the most easy recovery (aka, I don't want to be numb for 24 hours, and don't want to be sick). I also would prefer to only be numb from the waste down rather than from neck down, but I'm not sure if either do that.

[Anonymous]

I am not sure what PP is saying???????

either epidural or spinal block is good. Usually it depends on the anaesthesiologist and what they prefer. I thought the c-section was a great experience. recovery time was better with the block. I had general aneaesthesia with my second babies and the pain was much worse because there was no block. So with either you'll be in good shape.
Good luck

[Anonymous]

Personally, I cannot imagine missing the birth of my baby. My friend had to be sedated during her c-section and she suffered from severe pp depression mostly centered around the fact that she had not been able to witness her son being born like she had her daughter. She really struggled with bonding and felt the entire experience to be traumatic.

I have heard that for scheduled c-sections, the spinal block is preferred. It is more powerful, lasts longer and does not require any wait time (I think an epidural takes half an hour to kick in). My epidural starting wearing off toward the end of my c-section. The anestesiologist gave me a bump up but it took a couple of minutes to kick in.

Don't let others question your birthing choices. Good luck to you and congrats!

[Anonymous]

I have had both.

With the epidural I got really shaky (common side effect). The epidural also started wearing off during the c-section. I could first feel my feet, calves, and so on. The anesthesiologist had to quickly give me a shot of morphine while they finished up. I still kept shaking for a good half hour after that though. Recovery was sort of rough, but in part because I didn't think I got moving soon enough after the surgery.

I had a spinal the second time. This also started to wear off during the section. Unlike the epidural it wasn't gradual return of feeling from the feet up, just a gradual return everywhere. There wasn't much pain, but it wasn't overly pleasant. Again I was given a shot of morphine for the pain. There was no shaking involved with this procedure. I also felt 100x better after this second section, than I did the first. I went into labor prior to both c-sections, but with the first I labored all day, and the second it was a coincidence since the section was scheduled for that day.

I did read thought that having a shot of morphine after a spinal, and using regular intervals of regular Tylenol and Motrin, make for an easier recovery. In my case this was certainly true. 18 hours after the procedure I was putting pictures up in my hospital room, and taking the baby for walks through the halls. My doctor actually thought he had the wrong room when he came to see me, as he had never seen someone up and about (and moving that well) after a vaginal birth, let alone a c-section.

[Anonymous]

no OB or anaesthesiologist in their sane mind would give you GA for a c-section unless it's an emergency...even in that case if you had an epidural placed that's what is preferred. GA is only used in crash c-sections.
the block is less numb with the epidural. however, both the spinal and epidural can cause some numbness in the waste up area.
I think in your case the epidural maybe a better choice.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Let them put you to sleep.
Much easier.
You will be so grotty from the drugs. The talk of bonding with the first sight is silly. You have plenty of time for that.

You don't have to have a c-section. The US c-section rates are much higher than in Europe. I would question your doctor. He might just be taking the easier way for him. Or maybe he genuinly does not know what he is doing.[/quote


Actually, some people have to have c-sections. Just because you think you know what you are talking about, doesn't mean you do.

[Anonymous]

A spinal block will not make you groggy. I remember my childrens' births perfectly.

I actually liked having the medicine pumped into my back for 24 hours. I think this is standard. The pain is brutal otherwise and it's an excellent way to control pain.

I was very nervous about the shot, too. It really wasn't so bad, and I am a big wus. It hurt less than some of my novicaine shots. What feels a little weird (not painful) is this feeling of buckling in your spine that comes after the needle goes in. That's when they are actually inserting the epidural or spinal block. No one told me about this and so I found it a little frightening. But it does not hurt.

[Anonymous]

For some reason-I think I had both. I remember the anaesthesiologist telling me that I was having both an epidural and spinal. Or at least I think that's what he told me! Everything went great-the only strangeness was I felt the pushing and tugging, but not the pain. I did get slightly nauseous too.

[Anonymous]

I shook too during one of my sections. It's very common and not pleasant, but they give you warm blankets and it doesn't hurt so much as feel weird.

That's how I would describe the C-section experience. Not painful but strange. When they are fishing for the baby and maneuvering it about, it feels a bit like dental work. You can feel tugging and pushing and it's weird and scary but it's very quick and then you have a baby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:A spinal block will not make you groggy. I remember my childrens' births perfectly.

I actually liked having the medicine pumped into my back for 24 hours. I think this is standard. The pain is brutal otherwise and it's an excellent way to control pain.

I was very nervous about the shot, too. It really wasn't so bad, and I am a big wus. It hurt less than some of my novicaine shots. What feels a little weird (not painful) is this feeling of buckling in your spine that comes after the needle goes in. That's when they are actually inserting the epidural or spinal block. No one told me about this and so I found it a little frightening. But it does not hurt.

A root canal sans Novocain hurts less than getting that god awful shot.

Having the spinal or epi put in, is not bad at all.

[Anonymous]

Great way to support the PP, OP. You're a real gem.

PP: It's a pinch. That's all.