Hello everyone, thanks for adding me to the group.
I was decompressed 2 years ago. Overall, I am feeling great. I do still have frequent headaches and muscle spasms but I am doing much better than 2 years ago.
I am currently 13 weeks pregnant with our 3rd child. This baby is such a blessing and a miracle. My other children are 15 & 20 years old. We always wanted a 3rd child but it just never happened for us. Who would have guessed 3 months before my 40th birthday I would get pregnant? We were shocked yet sooooo excited. We also have a newborn granddaughter. Hopefully they will grow up to be best friends.
Anyway, my questions are about delivery. My doctor suggests a csection which I am fine with (I had one with son also). I keep hearing conflicting information about anesthesia though. I would like to go with a spinal block so that I am awake and alert for the birth. I have heard that puncturing the spinal column can cause worse chiari symptoms though. I dont want to do that. BUT, others have had a spinal block or an epidural with no problems whatsoever.
Anyone who has delivered AFTER decompression, please give me your input. How did you deliver? How did you feel during/after delivery? How are you doing now?
Thanks
First off, congrats!!! How amazing!!!
I have not had surgery (yet) nor been pregnant post op but delivery and epidural was what messed me up the most. I didn’t know I had chiari at the time and my life changed after delivery. My neuro, for what it’s worth, has told me that any needle into the spine is absolutely not recommended for chiari patients. We hope to have more children and I plan to play it safe. I’d rather be asleep the entire delivery than lose more of my life and joy of motherhood than I already have.
I know how you feel because as a mom, I want to experience that beautiful delivery. But I’d rather experience my baby’s life with better health than risk it all for a delivery experience. Just my opinion but thought i’d share.
Congrats!! How amazing!
Like Abby, I had two C-section prior to knowing I had Chiari. Whether or not it was the spinal puncture's fault, I'll never know for certain, but I can say that I had my first symptoms within weeks of my first baby's birth. And they got worse with the second delivery. Did you doctor recommend a C-section based on chiari or something else?
Worse of two evils: bearing down in a vaginal birth or the spinal puncture. That is what you and your doctors need to decide. Or GA and miss out on the birth? If that's the safest option, it would be a price I would personally pay. (Your baby's birth is amazing no doubt but C-sections are weird and not fun in my own experience. The whole being awake while cut open, tugging and pulling sensations, whew, yuck. For me it really took away from the level of joy I was expecting). Not to be a Debbie downer.
I had a csection with my son 15 years ago. Due to his size, I was cut from belly button to pubic bone. Because of this and because of decompression surgery I will have another csection.
I also started having WAY more symptoms with that pregnancy and after his birth. I do not think it was from the csection, I think it was from his weight and the extra pressure in my 5'2" body.
My obgyn does know about the decompression surgery but he didn't know about the GA versus the spinal block.
I found several websites with case studies of women having csections and vaginal deliveries after decompression surgery. The spinal blocks didn't seem to have any affect on them whatsoever. This was on over 30 women so it gives me good hope. Although I am still undecided which option I will choose. I think I will talk to the anesthesiologist at the hospital for his opinion also. He's a wonderful old man and has been working there for over 20 years.