I DO NOT want an Epidurial! What happens if I have to have an emergency C-section?

Question

I will do ANYTHING not to have an epidurial!

I don't want an epidurial for MANY reasons (I can tell you if you really want)... so please don't tell me I should have one... that's not the purpose of this question.

haha! OK, for those that are curious :)

I live overseas and they don't give epidurials very often, so they make a lot more mistakes... I also want to have a quicker recovery time, so I really want to have the baby naturally... those are just a couple of the reasons.

Answer 1

If you absolutely don't want an epidural or a spinal block and you have to have a c-section, then you will be put to sleep. You have that right, but it is more dangerous for the baby as the meds given to put you to sleep also can affect that baby's breathing.

Answer 2

Well I suppose if you need a C section and do not want an epidural you will have what happened to me - a general anaesthetic.

In fact it is usually only planned Caesareans that have an epidural as an epidural takes at least 20 minutes or more to work properly so if you need an emergency caesarean you rarely have 20 minutes to allow an epidural to work so a full anaesthetic is more likely - I only had 6 minutes to get my baby out form start to finish!!! Just not enough time for anythign but a general anesthetic.

But of course it is also up to you - no one can make you have an epidural if you do not want one - as long as you are conscious you can refuse any medical procedure even if it threatens your life .
But if you need a caesarean you have to have something for the pain and nothign short of a general or an epidural wil be enough as this is a very major operation

I did not enjoy my caesarean even though I was knocked out completely I still had a long recovery but at least I have a live baby at the end of it.

If you really will;’ I will do ANYTHING not to have an epidurial!
They a general anaesthetic is the only other thing you can have if things go seriously wrong

Please do not worry the majority of births do not need such intervention and at the time if you do you are mostly too concerned just to get the baby out alive and well to really care.

- but I do know how when you are pregnant theses fears can haunt you ..

Just hang on to that when you are in labour - you are in charge and your carers are supposed to do as you wish - or at least are trained this way.

So work out in your birth plan what you want, write it down for your midwives and make several copies to take with you for the birth so everyone is informed - perhaps even draw up a clause in your birth plan that you will not have an epidural under any circumstances -and there is no reason why you should ever have one

Answer 3

I delivered my daughter via emergency c-section and I got a spinal, not an epidural. The way it was explained to me is that the spinal actually penetrates the spinal membrane so that you will be numb from about the chest down.

Just curious, why are you so against an epidural? Again, I'm just curious.

I had an epidural with my son (he's 7 now) and the actual procedure wasn't that bad at all. And the affects wore off pretty quickly after the birth.

Answer 4

Epidural is safe and it will be easy to control any pain. You could also have general anesthesia that will totally knock you out, but you won't remember anything. The epidural is a safe way to have your baby. If you get a C-Section you need to have something for the pain. you sound really worried and scared. Probably everything will go fine. Anxiety is common when getting ready to deliver. Talk with the doctor about this. Your nerves will be calmed then. Good luck and congratulations on the baby.

Answer 5

if you have to have an emergency c section they might do a general since a spinal tap does not take effect fast enough.

but i will tell you there are risks involved with general anesthesia as well. i did not want an epidural when i gave natural birth(nor did i have one, either time!) but with my c section they did the spinal and i knew i did not have a lot of options and it worked out fine!

is there a reason why you think they will need to do a c section?

Answer 6

If u dont want an epidural and u need an emergency c-section then they will just put u to sleep

Answer 7

They usually give you a spinal block for a Csection. Why don't you want an epidural, it hurts way less than vagina will when the baby is ripping its shoulders through. I got a spinal block and it honestly was no worse than getting a flu shot.