I have been booked in for my c-section for 5 weeks away, but I have been told I will have to have general anasthetic where I will be asleep, because due to a condition an epidural or spinal have small risks. I dont mind too much, but was wondering if any of you have had this and what its like afterwards. Where does the baby go and how long does it take to wake up and how do you feel. Thanks for anyone who can reply
xx
33+5

Hi,

I had an emergency section in July 08 after a long difficult labour. I did have an epidural and spinal but wasn't effective and could feel as they started to cut which resulted in general anaesthetic (GA).

From what I can remember, I woke up about an hour and a half after I think in a recovery room with my son laid next to me. He had already been fed by my husband and was all dressed and wrapped up in the cot.

It was early hours of the morning so was told to sleep. I presume midwife was there most of time until mornin keeping an eye and was there when I woke up properly in the morning.

Due to the tubes that go down your throat during GA, I did have a very sore dry throat and was paranoid about coughing incase I split my stitches. Was told that this was unlikely but to hold my stomach if i did cough!

Can't remember when I started to be able to move my legs etc in bed, but was given a sort of bed bath in the morning and moved on to the ward. I had a catheter in until the day after so didnt't get up at any point walking.

In general I felt tired and groggy after the GA but i had gone through a very long tiring labour too so don't think that helped. I also personally felt as though I didn't bond with my baby as I hadn't seen him born but I think that was because I had no control and didn't expect to have a section. If it is planned then you will be prepared and still be in control.

What I would say is make sure you have some skin to skin contact. I didn't get to have any until a few days after he was born as the midwifes were not interested in showing me how to breast feed in hospital.

In general though, looking back the recovery was not that bad and I am now 26 weeks pregnant again. I have the option for another c section which I think I might take as do not want to go through another labour like that. The onlhy thying that concerns me now is feeling them cut me again, so I am maybe going to ask about GA when I see consultant next, but then I would maybe feel like a cheat if there is no real reason for me to have a GA?!

Anyway, hope this has helped.

Take Care XX

Hi

I had one and felt awful but that was because i had rapid onset pre eclampsia so was v poorly, however when ive had GA for other things ive always felt fine within 30 mins. If baby is well (mine were sick so taken to nicu) then baby will be given you your oh/birthing partner and then brought round to you once you are out of recovery. as its a relativley quick operation you should be fine as you dont get given that much anesethic good luck

xxDBxx

hey,

i had to have a ga aswell, it was in an emergency situation too because i had placenta previa and begn to bleed very, very heavily.

i was really upset at the time to miss my first baby being born, because i had the dream of it being like in the movies with the 'it's a boy!' moment and my husband cutting the cord, but i've since come to realise that that rarely happens, and it did not affect my bonding with my baby at all.

our baby was taken out to my husband in the waiting room, where he had skin to skin contact with our baby while i was being 'fixed', and then brought back in so when i came around he was next to me in recovery. we were then taken to the high dependancy unit where my husband could join us until i was well enough to go back onto the ward.

i was in quite a lot of pain, but you have a morphine drip which you click every time you need it and was given extra pain relief - but i had also lost half my body's blood and had to have a blood transfusion so i probably felt worse due to that, and it was bearable. at that moment you are just so delighted and over the moon to have your baby with you, you kind of forget about the pain, i can't really remember what it was like now.

all the best of luck for you with your birth xxx