Csection and foley catheters

Ladies when you go in for a csection does your nurse put the catheter in before or after they do your spinal anesthesia for the operation and can you feel the catheter going in? How do u feel being mostly exposed in the operating room when they are prepping u for the csection with your vagina and abdomon mostly exposed for all the dr's and nurses to see that are in the operating room with you?

I have had two c-sections in two different hospitals and by two different doctors. The first one was an emergency and the second one was by choice. Okay, so now to answer your questions.

I would guess that the nurse tries to place the catheter before the spinal is done. I believe this is normal procedure. With my first child they induced me and I was on a pit drip. Back then you were only allowed to have a pain shot once, maybe twice before your spinal was done, and they wouldn't do the spinal until you were dilated to a certain point because it didn't last that long and they wanted to make sure you were as comfortable as you could be during delivery. That isn't the case now. Everyone knows that contractions are a lot harder, come closer, and hurt a lot worse when you are on Pitosin. Well when I was in the middle of a contraction, which were coming every minute or two at the most, the nurse tried to place a catheter. I had never had one before and putting a catheter in while you are in the middle of a contraction is very painful. She tried it again but my contractions were coming so fast and so hard that she really didn't have much of a choice. After the second attempt that failed I told her I was done and wouldn't allow anyone to do it again until I had my spinal. The doctor that I had then was a very nice guy, he used to date my mom as a matter of fact. He agreed to place the catheter once I was no longer able to feel it.

During the birth of my second baby I told the doctor from the very first appointment that I refused to have a catheter placed until I was numb. He said that sometimes isn't up to him but to the anesthesiologist. So I told him that he needed to ask him and find out or I would need to find another doctor. By my next appointment he had talked to him and they both agreed that the catheter would not be placed until after my spinal took effect.

The next question you ask is can we feel the catheter going in after the spinal meds have been given. Hell no. Think about that question for a second. They are getting ready to slice open your belly, clamp your skin back, use both hands and reach inside of you and deliver a baby. If you could feel a catheter going in then how in the heck are they supposed to deliver that baby if you can still feel things. Again, hell no! I was numb from about the bottom of my rib cage all the way down from there. Thank god!

Your last question is how do we feel being all exposed in front of the doctors and nurses. Most pregnant women by the time they get to the point of delivery whether it be natural or c-section don't care who sees them. We are usually to tired, nervous, excited, or scared to give a crap about who sees them. We are moments away from seeing and holding the baby that we have been growing inside of us for 10 months. Prior to delivery, especially natural or non sectioned births, all the nurses and doctors have been looking at and sticking their hands up inside us checking on how far we are dilated and what not that when we are again exposed we just don't really care. Besides that, doctors and nurses are professionals and they see nakedness all the time, and they don't care.

I hope I was able to answer your question appropriately.

Mashie

Mashie i have heard sometimes the spinal or especially an epidural doesnt always work right away or it works just on one side of the body so that is why i asked if a woman could feel a catheter being put in when they put it in and i know all the doctors and nurses that are in the operating room are very proffessional with there jobs i was just asking about a patient perspective on being exposed as she is in the operating room

I wasn't yelling at you lol. Sorry if it seemed like it was. Your post had good questions in it and ones that I don't think have been asked before. I have heard of the spinal not working all the way before too, but if you can still feel anything they don't continue, unless it is a dire emergency.

Mashie

Mashie no hard feelings what so ever i wasnt taking it as you yelling at me i was just trying to explain where i was coming from and clarify my questions a little better i trully enjoy this site very much as i am into medfet

As I have posted several times in different threads, in a vaginal delivery they don't want to give you an epidural until you are dilated, and then once you are, they frequently tell you that you are too dilated to get it and you should just push and suck up to the pain!

The fact is in a natural childbirth they never intended to give you the epidural!

Switchableausie thank you for your comment i do appriciate it. Have you ever had a csection before or have you delivered your kids vaginally and did you have an epidural or did u do it all natural with no drugs?

When first wife (RN) gave birth to first baby she insisted on a caudal, rather than epidural anesthesia. With a caudal there is an indwelling tubing into the caudal space in the spine, that leads to a large syringe that can give several anesthetic injections as needed. When the anesthetic is warring off, they shoot more into the caudal space. An anesthesiologist had to insert the needle into the caudal space. Her BP fell very low and I had to raise her legs straight up in the air to keep her from passing out. The caudal worked very well, other than the hypotention. She didn't feel much of anything, so they inserted the Foley and cranked up the "Pit" drip and the delivery went well. On the next 2 babies she opted for the more common epidural. They put the Foley into her in the delivery room and removed it when the baby was delivered.

Thank you all for your contributions to the post i am looking for stories about women going into csections and what happens when the nurses put the catheter in and prep you for the operation and how you feel laying there anticipating the operation and the birth of your new baby

I had a vaginal delivery with my first daughter and an Emergency C section with my twins . I didn't have a catheter with my first born .

My twins were very premature at 26weeks . Everything happened fast . I was monitored and told I was going to theatre . The prep beforehand was done in a side room off the theatre . Whilst a male dr watched the monitor I was cleaned and the small amount of pubic hair I had shaved off with a razor by a nurse . Another nurse was removing the nail varnish from my fingers and toes .

I was then told they would insert a catheter . That was the first time I'd ever had one . I can't remember if it hurt or not . I was just so anxious to know that both my babies were going to be ok . It was inserted there and then in that room by a nurse . I was then walked into theatre with a nurse either side . I had to sit on the bed with my back to the anaesthetist as they inserted the epidural .

I was extremely concerned about the condition of my twins to worry about being exposed to everyone in the operating theatre. I think most women feel the same way . You are anxious about the upcoming surgery and delivery making sure everything's going to be ok to be worried about what parts of you are on view .

Nikki

Nikki thank you for your detailed description of your experience having your csection and i hope everything turned out ok with your twins and they are healthy