Epidural vs Spinal Tap

I had an emergency c section with epidural after 10 hours of labor with my first son. I was in so much pain that they escorted my husband out (after he nearly fainted) and completely knocked me out. My second c section was planned and I had a spinal. The spinal was the best ever, no pain and I was aware that my son had been born.

Congratulations.....I had general and I prefer that may i ask was the difference in epidural vs a spinal tap?

Just to clear up something -I think you mean epidural vs. spinal BLOCK. A spinal tap is an incredibly painful procedure where spinal fluid is drawn FROM the spine to determine an illness such as meningitis. When someone has a c-section as spinal BLOCK is often used because it numbs the entire pelvic region sometimes better than an epidural will.

Congratulations on your baby!

Congratulations on your little Sweetie.

I didn't know there was a difference between the two procedures. I thought they changed the name from spinal tap to epidural to make it sound less scary. I had mind done 14 years apart. I would suggest if you are into scrapbooking to write down your experiences so that your daughter can benefit from your prospective while it is still fresh in your head. I know you beleive that you won't ever for get since your baby is only two days old, or your drugs haven't worn off yet (hee, hee), but your memory will fade. If you don't scrapbook, write it down in her baby book.

Thanks for your willness to share your experience with us.

I've had two c-sections. I wasn't aware there was a difference in the two methods of pain relief either, but I do have to say that I had the best experiences with both c-sections. My pain was very, very minimal and never even used the heavy pain killers. Motrin worked great for me. I would totally pick a c-section over regular labor any day!

I'm an anesthesiologist and I do both epidurals for labor and anesthetics for Cesareans. When comparing spinals and epidurals, they are different but the actual procedures are very similiar. Both involve a preop visit by your anesthesia provider. They should explain the procedure and anesthetic plan to your satisfaction, including risks and benefits. Both procedures involve some cleansing of your skin, evaluation of bone landmarks and an injection of local anesthetic between two of your backbones. The needles we use are longer than really necessary, as some ladies are more generously sized-so don't freak out if you see the needle. It does not go that deep. Spinal blocks are more dense and more reliable and use less medication, and they start working faster than an epidural. An epidural has the ability for ongoing dosing, so it can be your good friend for a few days if necessary. A spinal block really can't be expected to last more than 2.5 to three hours in a young lady. An epidural involves passage of a small plastic tube into a fat layer in your back-that's how the medicine is delivered. A spinal is just one injection. In both cases, the needles are removed so you don't have to worry about laying on it. Both spinals and epidurals carry risks such ans infection, bleeding and headaches-you can ask about that if you want. Your anesthesia provider should wear a cap, mask and gloves when performing the procedure-if they do not, they are placing you at significant risk and I would like to talk to them.

I have had both epidural and a spinal tap, and for me I recovered faster after the spinal tap. I was able to get out of the bed and move around by that evening after my c-section. I did not let any of my drugs where off for the first 24-hours, and then I started easing off the heavy pain meds. It could be too that I knew the sooner I got out of bed the better for the soreness after my 2nd c-section. The more I moved the better I felt.

Had an epidural the first go round (c-section after long labor) and a spinal with the second. The spinal seemed to wear off much quicker and I didn't have any back pain. With the epidural I had a bit of back pain; of course, it was in for several hours with my first delivery so that may have been part of the problem. Will go with a spinal if there is a number three coming our way.

C.,

I had one each, and I can't say that I prefer either one. However, with my first son, (epidural)they "knocked me out" while they stitched me up, and I slept for hours. It was a long labor and emergency C-section, so I am not sure if that had anything to do with it or not. I didn't like that part because I had to wait sooooo long to see my baby.

With my second son, the C-section was planned...no labor, no big ordeal, just go in, lean over, get the spinal and five minutes later they were pulling the baby out.

I can say that I didn't like how "numb" the spinal made me feel. I am short, and they must have given me a lot of the medicine because it numbed me way up into my chest and I felt like I couldn't breath, so I started to panic a bit. However, on the flip side, I felt more "discomfort" through the labor process and C-section with the epidural.

I wouldn't choose either one, If I had to do it again, I guess I would go with whatever the doctor normally uses.