Planned C-section with General Anesthetic

I'm 35 weeks tomorrow with b/g twins! I have a scheduled c-section for 37 weeks 5 days (May 28th) and so far everything's looking good in terms of blood pressure and the baby's growth...one is measuring 6 pounds and the other 5.5 pounds. I've had some complications this pregnancy including a pulmonary embolism at 8 weeks and have been on a pretty high dose of Lovenox since. My MFM really wants me to remain anti-coagulated throughout the planned c-section as I've also had a couple of DVTs (blood clots in the legs) prior to the PE. He decided, along with the anesthesiologist, that due to my blood clotting issues, I will be switched to intravenous heparin the night before surgery and kept on a low dose during the c-section and then bumped back up to therapeutic levels after I'm stabilized. That means I have to have a general anesthetic as a spinal or epidural can't be done while I'm anti-coagulated due to the risk of paralysis from clots on the spine. So, my husband can't be in the OR and neither of us will hear their first cries, etc. I'm really bummed, too, because I won't be able to nurse them as quickly as I hoped. In the event I go into labor prior to the scheduled c-section, I'd have to have a general anyway as I'd be anti-coagulated with the longer lasting lovenox anyway.

Has anyone out there had a similar experience either planned or emergency? If so, how did it work out with nursing, etc.? How long was it before you got to see and hold your babies?

I know this is medically the best choice in terms of keeping me from developing another PE (something I don't EVER want to experience again...it was very scary)....still, I worry about the baby's reaction to the anesthetic and I'm sad my husband and I won't be able to share the birthing experience....

 

I'm sorry that is the route you have to go for your c/s. :hug: It's hare when your head knows this is the best thing, but your heart feels totally different. :hug:


ETA: My twins delivery definitely did not go the way I had hope or expected with them coming so early. I was also not able to hold them or nurse them right away since they were preemies, I didn't even get to see Emilie until she was 9 days old. And yes that does sometimes still make me sad, but the end result of healthy babies more than makes up for it.

 

I didn't end up having general anesthesia but was being anti coaged for an extensive DVT (it went from my knee to my groin).

I was in the hospital on IV heparin and bedrest and the foolish thing still worsened. The route that my docs decided for me (to prevent PE ~ which I was lucky enough to not get) was to stop the IV heparin 6 hours pre csection check my levels, make sure I was safe for a spinal. They then placed an inferior vena cava filter (which I'll have for life) and then did the section to get the girls out. I was then put back on Lovenox until my coumadin levels were therapeutic and was on that for six months. Even with the spinal it was still four hours before I saw the girls and I think I nursed them at that point. The hospital stay is a little fuzzy for me (nothing to do with the clot, I developed pre-e after delivery). Ultimately didn't affect thier long term nursing, we went strong until they were almost 18 months old.

GL, hope everything goes smoothly for you!

 

I'm not much help, as mine were an emergency c-section at 27.4 weeks, so they weren't nursing right away regardless.

I was very sad that my husband couldn't be in the room, and have always kind of felt like I wasn't even there.

But, on the plus side, everything was done that way for the well-being of the babies, and they did better than expected right from day 1.

I have no idea if it has anything to do with general vs. an epidural for a c-section, but I will say that my recovery was remarkably easy. I only took one dose of the drugs hooked to my IV (you have a button so you can self administer), and that was only because I was curious what morphine would feel like, not because I was in pain. So I hope you have it as easy as I did in that regard.

Good luck!

Rachel

 

Oh, and a quick question for you. Is your husband not able to be in the OR because of the general anesthesia? I ask (and it may be a hospital vs. hospital policy) b/c I was in the regular OR for my delivery (due to the IVCF placement) and not the L&D OR and DH was able to be there).

Maybe worth clarifying so he can be there to see the babes if at all possible.

 

I have had all 3 of my c-sections under general anesthetic. With the twins I had an emergency c-section which had to be done under general I had the twins at 5:00pm and my husband was waiting just out side they were born 2 mins apart so he waited for the second one and then he stayed in the nursery with them until I came backfrom recovery about 2 hours later I was able to hold them then and they were in my room from the start the nurses just helped me alot in the first 24 hours. With my second c-section it was planned and I decided I really didnt want to be awake for it so I had the general again My husband was with him from the start again he had to go to nicu so I didnt see him for 12 hours. The most recent one was only 8 weeks ago again I was too scared to be awake for the c-section so I had another general this time I decided to breastfeed so I chose no morphine which was great as I was far more lucid than I was the last couple of times and I fed her as soon as I got to the ward which was only an hour after she was born.

I know it would have been nice to see my babies as soon as they were born and also to have DH in there too but he did get to be with them as soon as they were bought out and they were always with him which was preferable. I am happy to have had the choice as the general is what I wanted. best of luck with everything.