Women who have general anesthesia during C-sections are significantly more likely to experience severe postpartum depression resulting in hospitalization, suicidal thoughts or self-harm, according to a study published last week.
A C-section requires anesthesia and you may be given general anesthesia, a spinal block, or an epidural block. General anesthesia will put you to sleep, so you will not be awake during the procedure. The other two methods numb the lower half of the body and you will be conscious during the procedure.
You will be numb from your abdomen to your legs and feel no pain. General anesthesia is the only pain relief method used during labor that makes you lose consciousness. You will not be awake for the birth of your baby. With general anesthesia, your baby may be exposed to some of the medications before delivery.
Under most circumstances, undergoing a c-section via Spinal Anesthesia or Epidural Anesthesia (rather than General Anesthesia) is preferred since it involves less risk and has the advantage of allowing you to be awake during your baby's birth.
Women who have a Cesarean section usually have a choice of two or three options: A general anesthetic, where they are completely unconscious, and two types of regional anesthetic known as “epidural” and “spinal” anesthesia.
A caesarean section is an operation to give birth to your baby. Caesarean section surgery usually takes 30-60 minutes, although the entire process takes a few hours. There'll be many people in the operating theatre with you.
At the beginning of a caesarean section, six separate layers of the abdominal wall and uterus are opened individually. Once the baby is delivered the uterus is closed with a double layer of stitching.
If you have had a general anaesthetic, you will stay in the recovery room until you wake up, usually in about 30 to 60 minutes. You will be able to see your baby when you wake up. Your baby may be allowed to stay with you unless the team is worried about your health or the baby's health.
A woman given regional anesthesia for a cesarean section will typically feel some pressure and be aware of the hospital staff working on her but will experience no pain.
However, from the current medical evidence, most medical authorities do state that if multiple C-sections are planned, the expert recommendation is to adhere to the maximum number of three.”
The average hospital stay after a C-section is 2 to 4 days, and keep in mind recovery often takes longer than it would from a vaginal birth. Walking after the C-section is important to speed recovery and pain medication may be supplied too as recovery takes place.
In conclusion, we believe that spinal anesthesia may be a better choice for elective cesarean section than epidural anesthesia. It is faster to perform, patients are more comfortable, complication rates are lower, and it is more cost effective.
Two common methods used to deliver the placenta at caesarean section are cord traction and manual removal.
Doctors use general anesthesia in emergencies and sometimes for cesarean delivery. Very rarely, you might have general anesthesia during delivery if the regional anesthetic doesn't work or if there's an emergency in which the benefits of general anesthesia outweigh its risks.
Regional anesthesia especially spinal anesthesia has been favored as the best choice for elective uncomplicated cesarean delivery due to its avoidance of the airway, less risk of aspiration of gastric content, and easy to perform (Shibli and Russell 2000; Kim et al. 2019).
“Yes, it is extremely normal to be nervous about the delivery itself, including the pain that you might feel during and after the procedure,” says Teen. “A C-section is a major abdominal surgery, pain is to be expected, but the unknown of what the pain will entail can be quite nerve-wracking.”
Spinals and epidurals have the same effect – they both numb a large region of the body – but because the spinal injection is more direct, the effect is immediate.
loose, comfortable clothes that won't put pressure on your wound – for example, a long dress will cover up your compression stockings, and a top with buttons may be easier for breastfeeding. a feeding pillow, to make feeding your baby more comfortable.
Returning to Physical Activities After a C-Section
It's important to get out of bed and walk around within 24 hours after surgery. This can help ease gas pains, help you have a bowel movement, and prevent blood clots.
If you're having general anesthesia, an anesthesiologist will give you medications that make you lose consciousness. After the surgery is complete, he or she will reverse the medication so that you regain consciousness — but you won't be wide awake right away.
Long recovery
Currently, there are no drugs to bring people out of anesthesia. When surgeons finish an operation, the anesthesiologist turns off the drugs that put the patient under and waits for them to wake up and regain the ability to breathe on their own.
Ideally, your doctor will cut through the same scar so that you don't have multiple scars on your abdomen and uterus. Sometimes scar tissue can be difficult to cut through but your doctor should be able to cut through it.
There's usually no limit to the number of caesarean sections you can have. But the more caesareans you have, the longer each operation will take and the higher your risk of serious complications becomes. You will have scar tissue where your wounds have healed after each operation.
A c-section is major surgery, so it may have more complications for you than a vaginal birth, including: Your incision (cut), uterus and other parts of your body, like your belly and bladder, may get infected.
Shower and bath: The incision is water-tight within 24 hours after surgery. The bandage should be removed one day after surgery, and the incision should remain uncovered. Your first shower can be 24 hours after surgery.