Forced general anesthesia for emergency C-Section?

[Allie84]

I was talking to my friend who is delivering at the same hospital I will be and she got some literature on their birth policies.

Well, it says that if you are laboring naturally and they decide they have to do a C-Section they put you under general anesthesia! But if you already have an epidural in, then you can be awake for it.

I REALLY want to go natural and utilize the jacuzzi tub and birthing ball, etc, but if something goes wrong and I have to get an emergency C-Section, I will be completely put under which terrifies me! If I had already given in to the epidural I would get to be awake for the birth...

It just doesn't seem fair to me. It's like the hospital is (inadvertantly) punishing people who are doing it naturally and rewarding people who already have an epidural.

I don't know what to do about this. Now the whole time I am labouring naturally I'm going to be worried about the possibility of being put under.

I'm already scared of epidurals and medical intervention in general which is why going natural is quite important to me....

Does this sound standard? Maybe it's just me who thinks this is bizzarre?

 

[Carly2310]

It's a speed thing I think.
If you need and emergency C Section, like in a BIG emergency then they want to get baby out asap and it's quicker to give you a GA than to try and place a spinal (which can be time consuming), whereas if the epi is in place they can simply top it up.
When I had my emcs they tried to top my epi up and it failed (it had become dislodged) so it was a GA for us as there wasn't time to replace it, we both would have died.
Hospitals don't like giving GA's for sections but if time is of the essence then they do what they have to do to keep you both alive and well.
That's how I've always understood it anyway x

 

[kmumtobe]

Exactly wss ^^. Absolutey do ur natural labour, chances are itll go fine. If you need some help forceps and ventouse are done under spinal or epi. If you get to needing a emcs you'll be so desperate to just have your baby safe and such you wont get time to think about it. Labours rarely go to plan because just that, you can't plan but equally you can't dwell on the what if's, what will be will be, you're so knackered and in pain you'll just want a happy outcome when the time comes x

 

[Eternal]

i agree, in the case of a mega emergency then they have to do it quick, even those who had an epi it doesnt always work or work fully enough so it would be the same for them.

If things arnt going well and they think you may need one they will advise you and you can make the decision to have an epi incase then, and if thats the case you will prob know and be up for anything.

I wanted nartual with my son and did give birth vag but i knew there was a hige possiblity i was going to need a section, they let you know so you will have time to decide. Good luck x

 

[lynnikins]

Exactly wss ^^. Absolutey do ur natural labour, chances are itll go fine. If you need some help forceps and ventouse are done under spinal or epi.

just wanted to point out they will absolutely do forcepts or ventouse without administering a spinal or Epi first it wasnt even offered as an option for me with ds1 when my natural labour turned very quickly into an assisted delivery. Ive not come across a woman who has been labouring without pain medication that has been offered such for a forcepts or ventouse delivery

 

[hattiehippo]

I agree with the other posters here....if you need an ecms and its a real emergency and either your's or the baby's or both lifes are in danger then a GA is much quicker to adminster than getting an epidural or a spinal block in. If its less of an emergency and its more your labours not progressing and its been a long time then I guess you'd have more time and hopefully would have the option then of an epidural or spinal so you could be awake.

In my experience the midwifes were really good at letting me know what was going on and what the options were but when I was in labour the most important thing was that my baby was born safely - I had severe pre-eclampsia and any idea of a natural or mobile birth went totally out of the window as I needed emergency treatment which meant my baby had to be monitored constantly. And at that point I really didn't care - all that mattered was that we were both safe.

 

[happygal]

Exactly wss ^^. Absolutey do ur natural labour, chances are itll go fine. If you need some help forceps and ventouse are done under spinal or epi.

just wanted to point out they will absolutely do forcepts or ventouse without administering a spinal or Epi first it wasnt even offered as an option for me with ds1 when my natural labour turned very quickly into an assisted delivery. Ive not come across a woman who has been labouring without pain medication that has been offered such for a forcepts or ventouse delivery

thats was the same with my 1st, it quickly went from being fine to needing forceps but i wasnt offered a spinal or epi x

 

[luvmyfam]

It definitely isn't about punishing those who try natural labor. When it comes down to an emergency they need to get your baby out within minutes. If you already have an epidural they just have to give you a bolus dose and you are ready to go. They wouldn't have time to place an epidural. My sister even had an epidural but they still couldn't get her numb enough for surgery so she had to be put under. Just know that if something goes wrong they have the best interest of your baby in mind

 

[Allie84]

Thanks everyone! I feel I understand it better now. I'm just soooo afraid of being put under general....it really freaks me out. I have no experience with it so it's a big unknown (as is childbirth in general I suppose). I just have a vision of wanting to do it naturally so badly but I understand emergencies happen. It makes sense.

 

[SIEGAL]

I think you were thinking if I need a c-section (unplanned) like 30-50% of the births in the US in some places, then they will give me a general anesthesia. But only of its a true emergency which it rarely gets to in the US b/c they are so quick to do c-sections before it even gets to that point (both good and bad I guess). I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[zolly786]

unplanned and emergency are two different things. epidurals take time to kick in. they take time to insert.

generally speaking, you can intubate, sedate and ventilate someone MUCH faster.

those minutes are precious when they're talking about your baby.

chances are, most "emergency c-sections" you hear about are unplanned or urgent, not truly emergencies.

 

[BetsyRN]

I would definitely talk to your provider about the hospital's policies at your next visit. They're familiar with what actually happens there and can tell you under what circumstances they would actually put you under general for a c-section. At my hospital, we only do general for true emergencies. Even if the c-section is urgent (ie maternal temperature or arrest of dilitation or mom's been pushing for 5 hours), the anesthesiologist still has plenty of time to place a spinal so one can be awake for the surgery.

 

[kmumtobe]

Exactly wss ^^. Absolutey do ur natural labour, chances are itll go fine. If you need some help forceps and ventouse are done under spinal or epi.

just wanted to point out they will absolutely do forcepts or ventouse without administering a spinal or Epi first it wasnt even offered as an option for me with ds1 when my natural labour turned very quickly into an assisted delivery. Ive not come across a woman who has been labouring without pain medication that has been offered such for a forcepts or ventouse delivery

Apologies! I had spinal for mine, wasn't an easy procedure couldn't imagine it done without x

 

[tristansmum]

Exactly wss ^^. Absolutey do ur natural labour, chances are itll go fine. If you need some help forceps and ventouse are done under spinal or epi.

just wanted to point out they will absolutely do forcepts or ventouse without administering a spinal or Epi first it wasnt even offered as an option for me with ds1 when my natural labour turned very quickly into an assisted delivery. Ive not come across a woman who has been labouring without pain medication that has been offered such for a forcepts or ventouse delivery

i was