Relaxation tips needed please.

[amyleigh89]

Hi All,

With DD I had an emcs which was pretty much as bad as it could have been. Failed epidural ended in general half way through after a really horrendous 3 day induction. Took me 2 weeks just to regulate heart rate, I was diagnosed with PTSD and still suffer with anxiety and panic attacks.

Fast forward nearly 3 years to January and I'm going in for an elective. Part of my anxiety surrounds being unable to breath which I think has something to do with the way in which I was put to sleep... I remember the feeling of suffocation to this day so although being awake scares the hell out of me... Not as much as a GA.

My consultant has confirmed I will be the first on the list so although I will have to wait around if an emergency comes in I will be first of the electives that day.

BUT I don't know how I'm going to keep my shit together. The thought panics me even now. Does anybody have any advice? The last thing I want is to be given a general just because I can't regulate heart rate etc.

Thanks xx

 

[fashionlover]

Hi All,

With DD I had an emcs which was pretty much as bad as it could have been. Failed epidural ended in general half way through after a really horrendous 3 day induction. Took me 2 weeks just to regulate heart rate, I was diagnosed with PTSD and still suffer with anxiety and panic attacks.

Fast forward nearly 3 years to January and I'm going in for an elective. Part of my anxiety surrounds being unable to breath which I think has something to do with the way in which I was put to sleep... I remember the feeling of suffocation to this day so although being awake scares the hell out of me... Not as much as a GA.

My consultant has confirmed I will be the first on the list so although I will have to wait around if an emergency comes in I will be first of the electives that day.

BUT I don't know how I'm going to keep my shit together. The thought panics me even now. Does anybody have any advice? The last thing I want is to be given a general just because I can't regulate heart rate etc.

Thanks xx

Bless your heart. I had an scheduled C section with my first so I don't know anything any different. I do totally understand your anxiety as I was completely anxiety ridden anticipating it, and even thinking about having a second baby sends me into panic attacks. One of the best tools for me was this ladies meditations on scheduled c sections. I listened to it every day multiple times a day and it helped a bit. https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/hypnosis-for-caesarean-delivery/id603390946

Good luck, you will be just fine!

 

[Tigerlily01]

I had a scheduled c-section due to some complications, but I had originally hoped for a natural birth, so I took a class called HypnoBabies. It's mostly geared towards vaginal births, but they have some c-section specific relaxation and fear-clearing tracks as well. I used techniques from both the natural birth CD tracks and the c-section CDtracks to prepare and stay calm. I'd definitely look into some sort of relaxation/meditation course if you can afford it, or if not, find some CDs/books/youtube videos to help you. My OB let me bring my iPod and earphones into the OR, so I was able to listen to music or meditation tracks as desired. It worked really well for me and I had a very positive experience.

Another thing that helped me was asking a TON of questions, and having my OB walk me through exactly what would happen from the time I set foot in the hospital until the time I left. It really helped me prepare, and I asked for a few changes in procedure that made me more comfortable (like bringing my ipod into the OR).

And regarding the breathing...I was afraid about the anesthesia going too high up and making it hard to breath, but with my spinal the numbness was well below my breasts so I had no trouble at all.

 

[SoBlessedMama]

Hi--I'm so sorry you had such a scary experience!

I hope you can find a way to relax before the big day. The thing that stuck out to me in your post was the smothering feeling--with my first son, I had a partial high spinal, and felt the entire time like I was smothering. It completely freaked me out, and I worried about it from the time we started TTC #2, until the day I delivered him. The good news is, this time (about 2.5 weeks ago) was completely textbook. Also, like tigerlily suggested--I expressed this concern to my doctor from day 1, and also had the chance to meet with the anesthesiologist before the surgery. They were both wonderful about walking me through every step, and constantly making sure I was okay. So, the bottom line is, I worried for over a year about something that didn't even happen. I hope the same for you!!

Also, during the surgery, my husband constantly talked to me, which helped keep my mind off things, and the anesthesiologist kept reminding me that I could squeeze his hand, and I could talk=I could breathe. : )

Praying this experience is much more positive for you!!!