Spinal vs Epidural

I had an epidural with my first baby 4 years ago and I had a spinal with my second baby 2 years ago. The epidural was fine, it just made me really nauseas and it sort of creeped me out to have something hanging out of my back. It took the doctor 5 times to get the spinal in but once he did it was instant numbness and I actually preferred the spinal bc I didnt get as sick and it wore off faster. The medicine in the spinal made me extremely itchy but they gave me medicinie for that. I had no side effects from either one (no back pain), so when we have number 3 I hope to get a spinal.

I've had 3 c-sections and all 3 were spinal. The first one made me a little nauseous, but only while they were pushing and pulling the baby out, it went away quickly. She was breech so they had to do a lot of pushing and pulling. Feeling nauseous may not have been related to the spinal at all. The second one was great, but the third spinal didn't work right. That was 2 years ago. It only seemed to numb my legs and half my torso. It felt like electric shock when they were cutting on one side. It wasn't bad at the beginning, but further inside there wasn't anything they could do at that point, so I just squeezed my husbands hand. As soon as they cut the cord, they gave me something else to make me sleepy. They couldn't give it earlier or the baby would have been effected. I only slept a short time(less than 1/2 hour)and I was able to breastfeed after they finished cleaning up my son. I didn't have any side effects that I remember. Hopefully, what happened to me was a rare occurance and yes I would have one again if I needed it.
Congratulations and Good Luck.

I had a spinal with my emergency C-section. I have no complaints; I can't speak to the difference as I have not had an epidural.

The spinal made it so that I didn't even know they started -- I guess the incision was made and they were pushing on my belly and everything...yet, I didn't feel it at all. I also was taking magnesium sulphate that made my flushed and loopy so I couldn't say if there was a problem with the after effects...it really was pretty seamless...

My OB also used a catheter medicine ball...wherein a catheter was inserted into my skin near the incision site and was connected to an analgesic/pain reducer liquid that was contained within a ball hanging over my neck. It was a slow drip aided by gravity. It was the best! It so helped with pain management - post surgery.

Good Luck...wish I could be more help on the differences between the 2 injection types...

Hi J.,

I had a spinal with my emergency c-section and when it came time for my second delivery with a planned c-section, I asked for spinal again. I ended up getting an epidural. They said the epidural is actually more effective. They said the main difference is that the spinal takes immediate effect and wares off quicker, whereas the epidural is a little more gradual at taking effect and lasts longer. I ended up liking the epidural and would get one again if the time comes. The only differences in my side effects was that the anesthesia-type meds this time around made me a little sick. But otherwise, no complaints!

Good luck!

-Char

I've only had a spinal for a scheduled c-section so I can't compare the two, but had no complaints. The only thing they told me was that I might feel like I couldn't breathe or that something was sitting on my chest, but I didn't feel a thing other than the pulling and tugging. Best wishes for a smooth delivery!

I had epidurals with both of my scheduled C-sections. Didn't have a problem with either.