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My second c-section was scheduled for 10:30 am. I was told to be at the hospital 3 hours before. When I got there, they got copies of my ID and insurance info. Then they had me change into a hospital gown and a nurse asked me a whole bunch of questions, then gave me that antacid to drink and started an IV. Before I knew it, it was time. They had me walk into the operating room. I got on the table and they started the anesthesia (mine was an epidural because I had problems with the spinal the first time). Once the anesthesia was working, they inserted the catheter. Then they let my husband in. Then the doctor and the other doctor who was helping him came in. The whole thing was really quick. Once the baby was out, they cleaned her up a tiny bit, wrapped her in a blanket and let my husband hold her. After the c-section, they took us to a recovery area for about an hour and a half, then took the baby to the nursery and me to a room. By 6pm I was able to get out of bed, by 10pm I was walking the halls, pulling the stand with the iv and catheter. They left the iv and catheter in until the next morning. The recovery was actually a lot easier than the recovery after my first c-section. A couple of things that might help: the anesthesia may make you itch, and they can give you meds for it. Another thing , you can take those simethicone drops (that you probably have used for your first baby) to keep the gas pains from being so bad. I think the sooner you start walking around, the faster you recover.

My recovery was the exact same as JBEAR....to the tee. Second one is not as bad as the first. That was my personal experience.

Thanks for asking that question Jessie - I'm in exactly the same situation and would like to hear of other experiences! I'm particularly interested in hearing about spinal blocks - I was under the a__sumption c-sections were done with epidural but found out yesterday that you can get a spinal block! What would be the better option? I'd also like to know how soon I would be able to get up and move around as I hate being bed-bound! I have just under a month to go - what date is your section scheduled for?

I had a spinal block with my first c-section and an epidural with the second. They both go in the same way. They put something cold and wet on your lower back, then you feel the needle go in, but it's not that painful. The spinal block works instantly...you'd better be where they want you when they do it, because you won't be able to move yourself once they do it. It numbed me up to the armpits. Toward the end of the surgery, I started getting really itchy. It felt like ants crawling on my skin, along the line where the numbness was. I felt really out of it, kind of floating. With that c-section, I wasn't allowed out of bed for 24 hours afterwards...not because of the spinal but because of preeclampsia. I got a spinal headache. It feels like the mother of all migraines...every time I moved I vomited, but when I lay down the headache would go away instantly. They did a blood patch to fix the headache: take a large vial of blood from your arm, then inject it into your spine. With my second c-section, I had the epidural. It started wearing off toward the end, and I had really bad pain around my ribs. I told the anesthesiologist, and she increased it. I didn't feel out of it the way I did with the spinal. I was also able to move my legs and stuff about 2 hours after the c-section...when they took me to the regular room I was able to scoot onto the bed myself. You can get a spinal headache from the epidural too, though...my mom did.

I also had the spinal block. You go numb instantly! Weird feeling. I had really problems with mine because my blood pressure droped real low, so I started to throw up and felt like I was going to pa__s out. But you do feel like you are floating. I was off in total la la land. You will still know what is going on, but still to this day I don't remember every detail from either of my c-sections. I guess the medicines make you so relaxed that you forget.

So would you girls say that an epidural would be the best way to go as opposed to the spinal block? I had the epidural with my c-section last time because I already had it inserted throughout my 23 hour labour so I know the effects of that! I've just heard conflicting stuff about the spinal block and don't know what to think!

So thanks everyone for your replys so far. Im suppose to be having my c-section the last week of March .Not sure what day yet ,their going to do an amnio beforehand. I m just so nervous about going threw this again. But i think i just want to get it over and done with and have my baby here and not have this terrible HEARTBURN anymore. So ya anyway how long does it usually take for the spinal to wear off after surgery I mean until you can actually start feeling your lower body again??

Ladies I can honestly say with mine, I did not have a choice of what the I got. I just know the spinal block is what I got and I was fine with that.

I know this sounds weird, but I was scheduled for a second c-section on a Monday morning at 7 am in early February of this year. I was going to have a spinal, I was nervous, got more nervous, started remembering how much I didn't like my c-section and the day before it was scheduled I started having slight contractions. Doctor said probably just nerves and since they weren't painful or real regular we would just see her on Mon. morning. WELL, thank God for "just nerves" by 11 that night I had gone to the hospital because I felt a lot of pressure down there and then there was a huge gush of water and had my baby girl VAGINALLY in the ER of our Hospital. She was sweetly laying on a nerve the whole time I was "not" in labor. Just thought you all could use a funny "second c-section that wasn't " story. Ladies, let me tell you, if you could all do it that way, it would be great. No pain afterwards, heck, I didn't even feel the birth hardly! I go for check-ups and everyone whispers and points at me, kind of neat and boy, v____al was obviously easier for me than the second c would have been. LOL .

That is awesome Mannon! I'm praying and definitely hoping to go naturally before the date we have scheduled! My doctor has told me if I do go into labour he will let it progress and monitor me very closely! here's hoping I have an experience just like you did!! Best wishes to you and your little girl!!

Hey Bec! Good luck, and best wishes for the birth of your choice. My experience admittedly, is a dream come true, but I am not the first woman by a long shot that this has happened to apparently! From my understanding, if you start labor it would be a little less wild if you can make it to the hospital AND they can insert a contraction monitor just for rea__surance. The ER doc and the OB who rushed in were so worried about the 1% risk of rupture and I kept thinking HELLO, obviously things are going really REALLY well LOL. Anyhow, my baby girl, Emma Dean, is fabulous and very healthy. Me? I feel like a million bucks after no second c-section. Best of luck to those of you who won't get the chance I got.

I found out the day before that I would have a c-section since the I was a week and a half overdue and the baby was too big. My c-section was scheduled for 2pm but I had to be there at noon. I went in and they admitted me. I was sent upstairs and had to put a gown on. They drew blood and checked the baby on the monitors for awhile and inserted an iv. Then they inserted the catheter. The wheeled me in a wheelchair down to the operating room. I got up on the table and they told me to lean forward so they could give me the anesthesia. I think that was the worst part for me. Then they turned me and layed me down and told my husband to come in. It didn't take long for them to say that the baby's head was out. Then I felt alot of pressure from them pushing on my stomach to get the baby out. I got really sick from the anesthesia and the pressure on my stomach. Then the baby was out and they cleaned her up and weighed her. After the surgery, I was taken back to my room. I was allowed to recover and stay in the same room the whole time which was nice that they didn't have to keep moving me all the time. Because I was sick and dizzy from the anesthesia, I wasn't allowed to sit up for quite some time. I wasn't even able to hold my baby until about 8pm that night which made me really upset. They didn't make me start to walk until the next day. It hurt at first but it got easier the more I walked.

I had a spinal. I only felt the initial injection to numb the skin and didn't feel the spinal at all. It went really well. I think they base it off of your prepregnancy weight and height. I also felt when they went to "push" her out...they start up by your ribs and have to push her down. It doesn't hurt, but was wierd to feel. Then, I knew that she was about to come out. They then took care of her and brought her back to me. After that, my husband had her and brought her up to our room. I b___stfed within 40 minutes of having her... The wierd thing with the spinal was when it was wearing off. I could feel one leg first and the other I didn't feel for a good 20 minutes later. That scared me, but rest a__sured- sensation did come back. I had the surgery at 8am- she was born at 8:10. I got up to walk at 2pm- with the help fo some good pain killers- not just pills. DOn't look down, b/c it will make you sick. Just take your time. Then, do it again at night- again with strong pain killers. ONce again the next day...and if all goes well you might be able to do it on your own the next time. I would definitely take the drugs though,b/c I think it really helps. Otherwise it hurts too bad and you won't push yourself. Get up and walk around as much as possible. It not only helps you heal faster, but makes the blood flow come out better. I was also told that stairs were really good for helping speed up recovery. For me, by the second night I was pacing the floor. By the third, I was out and about without any problems and it has been virtually pain free since.

Umm, I pretty much had the same c-section operation part like everyone else, but I feel I MUST caution you about getting up too soon after a spinal. I tried to get up as the pain meds made me "animated" and my spinal puncture site hadn't sealed yet and I got the WORST HEADACHE of my life, the worst! I was spinning and vomiting. If the puncture site in your spinal ca___l doesn't have time to seal your cerebro-spinal fuid leaks out and your brain sags slightly, causing the awful headache and nausea. Wait several hours, although if the meds hadn't made me agitated, I would not have felt like getting up before several hours at the very least, it hurt!!!!