Birth Stories

Harmony’s High Block Epidural Story: “I Can’t Breathe”

Editor’s note: We believe that all birth stories and all birth experiences matter. This post is part of an ongoing series of birth stories submitted by readers and fellow bloggers, featuring a diverse range of women and their birth experiences. This is Harmony’s terrifying experience with a high block, a rare and life-threatening complication of an epidural where the anesthesia paralyzes the phrenic nerve which controls the diaphragm and breathing, leaving her physically unable to breathe.

If you would like to share your own birth story, please visit this post to learn how. ~Olivia


I went in to the hospital on May 31st to be induced at 38 weeks and 2 days. We weren’t expecting much action that night since my last induction didn’t do much more than help me dilate 1 cm with my firstborn in 2014. However, this time it started working within 30 minutes of placement.

At about 10:00 pm, my contractions were about 5 minutes apart and I had to breathe through them. I was given something to help me sleep and something for the pain, and I slept until about 2:00 am. By that time my contractions were 2 minutes apart and increasing in strength. I opted for an epidural.

The anesthesiologist arrived and had me sit on the side of the bed. I am a larger woman, and she commented on it being more difficult to place an epidural with larger patients. The first epidural kept hitting a nerve causing pain on my left side. She attempted to go straight to the right, but that just caused pain on my right side. She tried to thread the line a few more times, resulting in a few more jabbing pains in the left side of my lower back. She said this was not working so she was going to pull it and go a little higher.

Even though I’m a larger person and the anesthesiologist knew that makes placing the epidural it more difficult, she did not do any mapping or marking on my back. (The anesthesiologist from my last delivery made a lot of pen markings on my back.) This epidural seemed to go well at first, and she said she was going to do a test bolus. I felt my legs going numb instantly. It felt normal like last time until she asked me to lift my legs and remain in a sitting position on the bed. I told her I couldn’t move my legs at all. So my nurse started to lift my left leg to place it in the bed and I began to fall backwards. The doctor said, “I want you to stay upright.” I said, “I have no control of it.” Then I passed out.

I woke up to the doctor asking me if I could feel my toes or move them. I couldn’t. She asked me to squeeze her finger and then squeeze my nurse’s finger. I could weakly. I was scared I was dying, and I told my husband that I love him. Then the doctor asked my husband to leave the room. From the hospital investigation notes, it appears this is when she became hysterical, throwing stuff from the crash cart, including the intubation tube she was looking for. I passed out for the second time. I may have had oxygen at this time, but I don’t remember.

I woke up for the second time and there was a lot going on in my room. I remember nurses running around and the doctor yelling, “Where is the intubation tube? Why isn’t there an intubation tube in the crash cart?” Mel, my nurse, was on my right side saying, “Harmony, stay awake, stay with me.” I said twice, “I can’t breathe.” Then I was unable to speak anymore and I mouthed twice, “I can’t breathe.”

As I went to take a breath, I physically couldn’t. The doctor was still yelling, and I passed out again. Sometime after this happened, I was rushed to the OR in order to intubate me and prep me for an emergency c-section. I stopped breathing again on the way to the OR. The next thing I remembered was waking up in the OR recovery room with a sore throat and seeing my husband there with my new daughter.

I had to spend extra time in the recovery room because my oxygen levels would not stay above 94% when I was on room air. The fun didn’t stop there for me. Spinal headaches, persistent back pain from the first attempt at the epidural, and other issues.

Although I am physically recovering from this high spinal block, I will forever be emotionally and psychologically scarred. We’re still not certain it didn’t cause any damage to my lungs or diaphragm. I have different levels of constant chest pain, but I never know if it’s asthma, a panic attack, or damage from this experience. The day I was discharged from the hospital my body was in shock and I was having almost back-to-back panic attacks. The next day I called into my OB’s office to ask a question about my c-section scar and completely lost it over the phone. I went in and saw a Nurse Practitioner who diagnosed me with PTSD and prescribed anti-anxiety and anti-depression medication and told me to find a therapist.

My greatest fear in life is drowning, to be unable to breathe. I wanted four children, but I don’t know if psychologically I can ever have another epidural.

Everyone told me that this doctor was the hospital’s most seasoned anesthesiologist. That they’re so surprised that this happened, that it was difficult for her because of my size, that this rarely happens… I was made to feel like it was my fault because of my size, as if there aren’t ever plus size moms who deliver at this hospital. So much wrong happened on that day. Yes, I am alive. Yes, my baby is alive. Praise the Lord. However, the doctor did not handle this situation right at all.

I would tell other plus size mamas getting an epidural to ask their anesthesiologist to do some mapping. If they seem unsure about finding the right spot, tell them you want to either wait for another doctor or have them bring Respiratory in to ensure the entry point is not dangerously close to causing a high nerve block.

Advocacy is vital. Put in your birth plan that your spouse or support person is to remain in the room (even in emergency situations). I was passed out. I have snippets, but mostly I have to go by my hospital record as to what happened in that room that night. Afterwards, my husband told me that the doctor made faces and didn’t seem to believe me that the first epidural was hurting me. Was she frustrated when she did the second line and maybe being careless? If only we had said something, maybe it would have been different.

What happened to me is rare. Only 0.07% of women in labor experience this medical mistake. Hopefully, no one reading this article will go through it. 


My birth experience was scary and life-changing, but two years later, here we are now.  Happy and healthy! Thanks for reading.

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74 Comments

  • I am so sorry this happened to you. A hard way to learn that you have to speak up. So hard when it comes to challenging a doctor.

    • Yes, but we all have that right. Since my experience I have thought about possibly encouraging a bill to be passed. Requiring a camera on delivery room gurneys… like police officers have…unless given permission to not have.

      Because who knows the true story. The hispital and anesthesiologist made it extremely difficult and confusing to get answers on what happened. I have to just trust that my record is whole. I’ve heard multiple versions of what happened. My main nurse went on “vacation” for two weeks following the event. It jyst felt fishy. The lawyer we consulted said nothing would come of a lawsuit…and if we wouldn’t win we couldn’t afford to push it. I wish we had…to bring it all to light…

      • This just happened to me in October almost exactly. I too am plus sized and the first entry point did not work so she did another one slightly higher, except when she was done she laid me flat and left the room. My nurse was asking me to reposition myself but I too couldn’t move my legs for the life of me and her and my husband had to lift and reposition them for me which my nurse noted was strange. After a few minutes I was having difficulty breathing it thought perhaps I was overreacting due to anxiety as I was scared of the epidural to begin with..I tried to cough but had no feeling or control of my throat muscles and I started gasping for air. My husband looked at me and ran out of the room screaming for a nurse (he said my skin was turning a blueish grey hue) when the nurse came in she ran to me flipped my bed up and immediately put me on oxygen. Within a minute my room was full of doctors and nurses who gave me a shot to stop my contractions and took me off pitocin and turned off the epidural. It was terrifying. I too went for a c section and the spinal in there did not numb me so I had to be fully put to sleep and just like you, woke up with a sore extremely dry throat in a recovery room with my husband and my son waiting for me. I felt so confused and traumatized, definitely not how I wanted my first birth experience to go. So glad you and your baby are happy and healthy!

      • I 100% agree with this they say it would be a HIPPA violation but it needs to be done! I’ve told my husband before that I think they all need to have cameras on as well.

  • Harmony, I was scared just reading this so I can only imagine what it must have been like to actually go through it! And not to have your spouse there at your side when things got critical? WOW! Not only were you denied that support, but there was no one there to witness the whole timeline. Your post is full of wisdom and super helpful advice, and I hope it will help another mother in the future who might be faced with the same dilemma. Congratulations on the birth of your beautiful baby, and thanks be to God for His care!

    • You know it was hard my husband wasn’t there. It was hard on me, but it was extremely hard on him and at first when I woke and was settled in my room with him nd our daughter…his ordeal had me more angry than what I went through.

      He walked out of my room completely convinced we were both going to die. The high block and my first pass out occurred at 3:13 am, I stopped breathing on the way to the OR at 3:26am, at 3:36 someone finally came to talk to him. A newish floor supervisor who told him that they had gotten me intubated and were prepping for an emergency c-section. My daughter was born at 4:04am. Jeremy had to go find a nurse to get an update on us. I was in the OR for an extended amount of time (close to an hr and a half after my daughter was born) because the x-ray to ensure nothing was left inside saw the epidural line and they had to keep waiting for xray to come.

      He was sitting alone in that waiting room at 3:15am scared to death his wife and daughter were going to die. I still think I’m the most mad about that. The hospital investigastion did show some areas that the hospital needed to improve on and we were assured they would be done.

  • Hi harmony, the same thing happened to me last June when I had my first baby. I am also a “larger woman” and although this didn’t cause me any previous problems with my health I was told that this was the reason for what happened. I’m nine months pp now and still have anxiety about that night. Not sure whether I will have another baby yet

    • Layla, have you sought help for your trauma? That is vital for recovery and moving forward. We are not 2+ yrs past the trauma and considering a 3rd. I’ve been in counseling and seeing a psychiatrist the whole time, but there are still some fears to work through.

      However, I won’t let the trauma determine my family size. That gives it too much power.

      Praying you are well.

  • This also happened to me. Not to the extent of yours, but I had a high block complication during my c section. My epidural was not put in until I was on the operating table (after 2 days of labor). I think because I was laid flat immediately after placement, this caused a high block. I remember thinking I was going to lose lung function and die, because I didn’t have control of my diaphragm. I was numb from the neck down, and I’ll never forget the look of panic on the anesthesiologists face when I said my arms were numb. I am glad you are ok, and it is nice to know I’m not alone!

      • Same happened to me, couldnt feel half of my face after they finally got the epidural in “the right place” doctors and anesthesiologists screaming at me breathe. I couldnt even close my eye on one side let alone breathe. Had alot of back issues for months afterward i would loose feeling in my legs and fall.. excruciating headaches..and the neurologist at the same hospital told me it was because of my weight.. surely couldnt of been because they poked me 15 times trying to put the epidural in “the right spot” apparently epidural issues arent as random as the drs tell you cuz ive had 5!c-sections and this crap has happened 2 out of the 5 times.

        • Erika…have you sought help from another neurologist. I wouldn’t go to the same hospital if possible. Have they gotten answers for you yet?

  • Curious Question: Do you feel like your memory and being able to comprehend some things has changed since?
    I had sort of a similar situation, and have been stressing because nobody will believe me and something keeps telling me that it was there excess epidural and lack of their care for me for their screw up. How were you able to get your hospital notes?
    Thanks!

    • I cant remember if I answered your question. At my hospital you walk in. There is a phone to your right. You pick it up and it direct dials a records customer person. You tell tgem what you want; fill out a form. Since I want the full record it cost $20 and had to be mailed to me.

      I’m not sure if memory struggles are directly due to the nerve block or its a result of my mind being overloaded with the trauma. I honestly am not sure.

  • I had no idea this was possible until it happened to me. I have scoliosis, which is what caused mine to go high. My spinal anatomy is different. It is absolutely terrifying. I remember telling them my arms were numb, then my face was actually going numb. I tried to tell them I couldn’t breathe or move. I don’t remember much after that. I was rushed up for an emergency c section. I must have passed out because I do remember waking up at one point with them yelling at me to breathe, and then waking up after surgery. My son was born without a pulse and had to be bagged and have chest compressions. Thank God he is ok now. This was just in July. I am on an antidepressant too due to this and due to my mom dying while I was pregnant. I am so sorry you also went through that. It is so traumatic. I just had my tubes removed because of going through that.

    • I’m so sorry for the loss of your mother and your super scary experience. So grateful your little boy is well and that you pulled through.

  • This happened to me 2 years ago when I got an epidural instantly I couldn’t feel my breasts and right arm and then I couldn’t breathe they were giving me epinephrine to get me to come back and since then I’ve had issues breathing/panic attacks. I had oral surgery for wisdom teeth extraction a few months ago and since then I have developed sleep apnea and spasms in my diaphragm. Have you had any reoccurring issues since this happened to you?

    • All of my physical issues were related to my anxiesty/ptsd stemming from the trauma. Once I had the right meds and frankly left my high stress job. Most of my physical issues have eased.

      I’m hoping to have EMDR therapy very soon to work through/process the body memory pain I still have in high stress situations.

  • This happened to me also, and I have so much to say about it. On top of my lungs going numb the very second I laid down after the needle went in my back and me trying to communicate that to the anesthesiologist, he yelled in my face, “If you can talk, you can breathe!”
    Then he proceeded to ask my OB-GYN if I had a history of mental problems because I was mouthing (at that point) that I couldn’t breathe.
    I subsequently suffocated to the point of passing out (and had to be intubated), and myself and my husband completely missed the birth of our daughter (I was unconscious and he was not allowed in the room).
    What should have been the best day of my life was by far the worst. And, no legal recourse by the way.

    • This makes me so angry that they didn’t believe you! My breasts felt numb instead of my legs, and then when they laid me back, that’s when I got an enormous head rush. I whispered or mouthed, “I can’t breathe”. The nurses got really quiet, and my husband said my face looked like I was falling. The anesthesiologist then gave me ephedrine, which I remember worked to bring my blood pressure back up (it got dangerously low), but it made my heart pound like crazy. When I had my spinal block later on in my c-section, it was even more intense when they laid me down. I was so scared I would go under, but I could only mouth “I can’t breathe”. There were 2 anesthesiologists in the room, and one asked me to squeeze her hand, which I could just barely do. I kept trying to breathe, which was hell. What finally helped me regulate a little bit was when the nurse practitioner put my son’s cheek on mine. I was finally able to coo and say “oh buddy” to him. My anesthesiologists never made me feel like it was my fault or that I was lying. They said I had a 3mm epidural space, and that it was unusual. Reading these stories gives me that sane tightness in my chest, but it is strangely nice to find my people who understand it!

    • Did you report the anestesiologist for unprofessional conduct? I can’t believe a human being would speak to someone in such a delicate position in such a disgusting way.

      When we are in those most vulnerable situations it is the most vital that we have someone there to advocate for us.

    • (Insert surprised face) Seriously! What? I don’t understand how or why anyone would feel that reaction or behaviour is ok in that situation. I am so sorry that not only did this traumatic experience happened, but that your distress wasn’t even validated. I’m so very sorry. How are you doing?

    • I don’t know why this comment went under shannons response…

      Kelly

      (Insert surprised face) Seriously! What? I don’t understand how or why anyone would feel that reaction or behaviour is ok in that situation. I am so sorry that not only did this traumatic experience happened, but that your distress wasn’t even validated. I’m so very sorry. How are you doing?

  • This is very interesting. I had epidural 3 Years ago. After about 20 seconds after injection I started to feel my like stone is pushing down my chest more and more. And suddenly after exhaling air I understood I cant inhail it back! Just had no function to do it!!!! No abality or skills!!!! I tried to exhail air a bit more to understand can I do it and could with no problem but not at all back!!!! I thought I will die! My hands were tided on sides because off injection in vein. I had no air in so I could not talk. No nurses were looking on to understand me. And when they realised I am crieing they checked blood preassure monitor and said to doctor- its fine! And I could not even explain them than NO its not fine!!!!!! than few more seconds and I will die!!!I just cried quitly to save time and oxugen. After nurses realised something is wrong it was about 2-4 injections docs gave me in vein untill I got back suddenly my breath in!!! I am terrified!!!! Since then I have back pain and migrains.

  • I had this happen to me! I didn’t fully pass out though, but they’ve gave me reversal meds when I said I couldn’t breathe. Worst feeling in the world to feel like you can’t take a simple breath. I had my epidural redone, but it was one sided. Long story short, I ended up in c-section by choice, and had the epidural taken out. The following spinal block again made me feel like I was going to pass out, but I didn’t, I just felt like I couldn’t breathe. So scary for my husband, me, my sister (one of the nurses in the OR), and everyone in the room. I didn’t know this was called a high block. It feels a little better knowing I’m not alone, but I’m so sorry this happened to you. I’ve never been so scared, and basically was only able to hear my son’s birth, as I could barely open my eyes. The spinal headache was the worst!!! And, I don’t buy the excuse about your weight being the reason. I gained weight during my pregnancy but wasn’t considered overweight, and was told later in my blood patch that I had a 3 mm epidural space, which he said was unusual. So, it could have been an anatomical issue, or just doctor error. Hope you are doing ok.

    • Shannon,

      We are doing pretty good. I’ve worked through the trauma enough to drop 2 of my anxiety meds. My psychiatrist talked of dropping the last one, but we are talking about trying for a 3rd end of year…so staying on for now.

      My husband still hasn’t spoken to anyone about the trauma.

      My daughter is perfect. Ornery, but perfect.

  • That is sooooo scary. I mean at least my Dr. recognized what was happening and started the process of correcting it. Though she did say the reason she was losing it ane screaming and throwing stuff was because the nurses weren’t believing her as to what was happening. I think what happened to all of us is so rare and so few nurses ever really experience it…that it isn’t recognized.

    I had to have almost 6 months of physical therapy for my back nerve damage.

    I did see a neurologist for my lingering headaches: either from tge nerve block or from the spinal headaches.

    Honesly, though majority of my physical problems have mostly resolved as I get my mental health under control.

    How is your baby?

      • I cannot tell you how glad I am that I came across this article and the comments. I have felt so alone since my traumatic experience in mid-July. My experience was so similar. I’m having lingering lower back issues with a loss of sensation and the referred neurological couldn’t conclude as to why. I’ve also been to counseling a couple of times. If anyone filed a grievance with the hospital as a result, I would really like to connect with you. Two professionals opined that this was the result of too much medication but it seems that those opinions might now be changing to support a position that there was no error and this was all a known risk. I cant understand why the person who administered the epidural was immediately reassigned and there were followup meetings about changing practices yet this was the result of a “known risk” and not substandard individualized care . . .

      • Unfortunately baby is flipping hands a lot. And I believe its because I was not given oxygen while had respiratory failure after epidiral. I research and find that babies have to be cooled down iff oxygen deficit was going on during labour so their brain cells do not overwhelm. Mine was warmed up…
        She is great bright sunshine and very inteligent but has now delay in speach for age and hand flapping when emotionaly bussy.
        Me myself still strugle with constant lower back pain, headache, sudden short term memory problems, separation and lost off job because off back pain…and only a few month ago I become stronger to be able to go back in thoose memories. I think I have been in shock or porlst-traumatic stress theese years because I was getting frozen to research and remember. Now after psychotherapy I start to feel more strong and feel I can breath while thinking about what happened.

        By the way my first C section 13 years ago was fast and no issues at all.

        • I’m so glad you are seeking therapy and getting stronger. I feel it gets easy each time I retell the story. Some parts still catch me up though.

    • I’m so sorry that you are having such trauma from this experience. I would like to say I am fine, since I don’t have panic attacks, but I think about my birth/epidural every single day. I relive it over and over. The anesthesiologist that did the 1st epidural was rude, and I could tell she was concerned when she brought in an anatomy poster to give me a lesson on what happened after the first episode. I’m really glad I didn’t fully pass out, as it sounds like intubation is the next step. I was on that edge, just conscious (hearing not seeing), but unable to feel a breath. I think she punctured my dura, from what staff said, b/c the spinal headache was horrendous for 5 days…you have to lie flat to make it go away.

      • Those headaches are the worst. I had a hard time too cause the trauma prevented me from laying completely flat. I had to sleep in a recliner cause I would go in to a panic attack if I layed completely flat. I was too scared to try the blood patch. I didn’t want anyone near my back.

        • I had a blood patch b/c the headache was so awful. The nurses said it usually fixes the headache instantly. It didn’t work for me though. I was so upset. Just in my hospital bed, and later my couch at home. I felt so lazy, but people don’t understand how bad it hurts!! The only time I felt ok was when I took a few Motrin combined with a Percocet. Only then did it ease up.

    • Hi! Thank you for sharing your story. I’m glad you all are doing well. How old is your daughter?
      I just delivered 6 weeks ago. I too had a spinal. My back hurts and my leg aches, tingles, etc. as well as other shooting neurological pains. I was recommended to PT. Does it help nerve pain?

      • My daughter just turned 3 in May. Yes PT helps. It took 10wks of sessions and continued exercises, but I only have sporadic flare ups now.

  • This happened to me but in the OR during the spinal block. Normally women who get the spinal can still move their arms. I couldnt. And then it was like my lungs locked up. Ended up being put under and when they brought my husband in after our daughter was born he said i was hooked up to all sorts of stuff with a tube down my throat. They left all of this out in my chart though. All it says is i asked to be put under. Ha. Ok.

    • Ummmm….thats not ok. I would contest that…even if you don’t file suit. The record should have all intervention and medications listed plainly. Please let me know what happens.

  • O my God!!! This happebed to me 3 years ago too. I could find anyone experiencing same and I was left as a lier.
    In my case 30 minutes after epidural I suddenly start to felt heavy chest pushing me down until in just 5 seconds I was in bad pain in chest and neck. I wanted to tell that to doctors but in moment I breath out air I realized I can’t breathe in any air!!!! I just had no function off breathing air in!!! I tried breath a bit more out just to understand can I and I could easily but no more air left in my lounge s. I couldn’t breath in any air. I could tell them because I had no air left. I could show them because my hands were tided to sides like Jesus Christ because they put needles in veins. I could move because my legs and lower body was already paralised from epidural. I thought I will die , I just cried from my eyes and tried to do sounds. Nurses said o its fine her blood preassure is ok. And I inside was screaming NOOooo I can’t breath I will die!!!! Then one nurse realised from my eyes I am not ok and said to doctor. Doctor gave me drugs in vein. It didn’t helped. I was still fighting not to die from not breathing. He gave me second and then 3rd shot to vein. And only then suddenly I gain back ability to breath. I was so scared!!!!! I was in horror. I just cried and cried and wanted to run away but couldn. They said nothing to me just turned to other doctors waiting to start C section and said to them ” sorry for delay”!!!! And nurse asked me in voice off tobe like nothing happened ” why are You crying?!”
    I wasked doctor what was it. He just said its should be just my personal allergy to medicino from epidural? I have no allergies….
    Anyway. After that already 3 years I have bad pain in lower back, headache s, depression, I can’t breath iff my lower back is pressed in fizio therapy for example. They ignore it.. I am desparate. Its soooo horrible not to be able breat for no reasons and be ignored about it….

    • O my God!!! This happened to me 3 years ago too. I couldn’t find anyone experiencing same and I was left as a lier. Well by that I mean ignored.
      In my case I am not plus size and after about 30 seconds after epidural I suddenly start to felt heavy chest pushing me down until in just 5 seconds I was in bad pain in chest and neck. I said I am not ok, I have pai in chest!! I wanted to tell again that to doctors because they seemed to calm and not responsing just getting ready to cut me for C section and in moment I breath out air by talking I realized I can’t breathe in any air!!!! I just had no function off breathing air in!!! Like theere is no ability at all in my body. Like I just never did it. My mounth was opened and I was trying to force myself to breath – nothing!!! I tried breath a bit more out just to understand can I do that and I could easily breath leftovers from air in my lounges but no more air left in my lounge s. I couldn’t breath in any air. I could tell them because I had no air left in me. I couldn’t show them because my hands were tided to sides like Jesus Christ because they put needles in veins before. I couldn’t move because my legs and lower body was already paralised from epidural. I thought I will die , I just cried from my eyes and tried to do sounds. Nurses looked at me and said o its fine her blood preassure is ok doctor. And I inside was screaming NOOooo noooooo I can’t breath I will die!!!! Then one nurse realised from my eyes I am not ok and said to doctor. Doctor gave me drugs in vein. It didn’t helped. I was still fighting not to die from not breathing. He gave me second and then 3rd shot to vein. And only then suddenly I gain back ability to breath. I was so scared!!!!! I was in horror. I just cried and cried and wanted to run away but could’nt. I belive it was about 1-2 minutes.They said nothing to me just turned to other doctors waiting to start C section and said to them ” sorry for delay”!!!! And nurse asked me in voice off tobe like nothing happened ” why are You crying?!”
      I wasked doctor what was it. He just said its should be just my personal allergy to medicino from epidural? I have no allergies….
      Anyway. After that already 3 years I have bad pain in lower back, nibing legs, arms, headache s, depression, I can’t breath iff my lower back is pressed in fizio therapy for example. I cant work normal jobs because off constant pain. They ignore it.. I am desparate. Its soooo horrible not to be able breat for no reasons and be ignored about it….

      • Update. Now I divorced 7 month ago and after a few weeks from it my blood preassure went up 170+ for 2 month with bad nonstop headache and month later from divorce I suddendly crushed down in tears. I cried 12h nonstop untill literally called helpline to talk and calm down. Since then I have daily flashbacks and panic attack s and all full spectrum of PTSD symptoms. Its hell in day and night. So now I know its late onset PTSD but why my back still hirt daily I still dont know after 3.6 years.

    • Jennifer

      Sure. Please contact west coast mommy and she will send your info on to me. Unless you already have and that’s how I was reminded I hadn’t checked in here in a while to see if there were new posts. 🙂

  • I actually felt like they over dose me in the hospital. When I told my mom please help me ..she was thinking I could not take the pain. But it was more like I could not breath and I felt like I was dying slowly going in and out but fighting it… as soon as I whispered to my mom very low because I could not speak help me…something wrong and my mom got the nurse…and the nurse got the man that did my epidural .. he said real quick take her off everything I gave her too much.. Once my contractions finally started going I felt everything and I was too weak that I could not do anything.. She came out with respiratory distress and growing up its been very difficult… she is delayed in development and she has problems with her legs and speech and she is on pro air for her breathing problems and her eyes drift off.. but I always thank god she is alive and I am glad you shared this story I always wondered if anyone felt like they could not breath or felt like they could not speak or if they felt like they were dying during delivery.

    • Prayers for you and your sweet girl. Did you speak to an attorney to hold the hospital and dr accountable?

  • I don’t want to give my info but I’d be happy to answer any questions about anesthesia. The complications mentioned do happen but they are rare and should be avoidable. It appears that in most or all of these cases, the epidural needle or catheter was placed in the intrathecal space (where spinal fluid is) instead of the epidural space and so a spinal block was given instead of an epidural. This is a known complication and it’s why a test dose (safe amount) of local anesthetic should be given first – if the needle or catheter is in the CSF then a strong nerve block will happen quickly but high spinal will be avoided (not enough meds to cause it). I’m guessing that whoever placed these epidurals was cavalier when giving the first dose (99.9% of epidurals are not accidental spinal blocks so people get lazy). However, having to search for an endotracheal tube is bad. These problems happen less at big hospitals, especially those connected with an anesthesia residency program and more in rural small centers where doctors are often not involved at all.

  • I wasn’t plus sized (at the time) but I had a high-block with the birth of my second child. It wasn’t traumatic for me because I have no memory of the next two days. I literally just felt tired and went to sleep. I didn’t even realize what had happened for months. I had been told several times, but due to the hypoxia I had no memory during those two days. I rationalized this by thinking they had given me pain medication for some reason. I found out six months later when my doctor made a comment about how it was so scary when they had to run a full code on me. I worked with him and I was like, “Come again?” He couldn’t believe that I didn’t know. My husband didn’t even realize that I didn’t know. I was too scared to get an epidural ever again. I did get spinal sedation for surgery that wore off in the middle of the surgery (that’s a whole other story). Thankfully I’m okay and my son is a healthy 21 year old man now. You just never know!

  • I had my daughter in Nov 2013 and the same happened to me. Luckily, the doctors were able to revert the problem and I didn’t have to have a C-section. But I thought I was going to die. I could not speak, or move my eyes, or breath.

  • I had my baby in April this year and this is what happened to me. I’m finding it quite hard to get past.

  • I had my baby March 19th. I am also above average in weight and have had 3 other children with epidural anesthesia and had no issues with the previous 3. This last one when the epidural was in place it wasn’t taking the normal affect I had experienced with the others. I had tingling in my lower extremities but was still in severe pain. They increased the dosage and it starting taking the desired effect and I was ready to rest for a bit before the big arrival. I woke up all of a sudden and my speech was slurred and I couldn’t breathe, but I was unable to tell the doctors because of my speech and I was not coherent. My blood pressure dropped dramatically and I was given 3 doses of epinephrine before I was able to push. I absolutely can relate to what you said about “thinking you were dying” I felt the same way because I couldn’t breathe and was unable to communicate that to my doctors. We still haven t gotten clear answers on what occured that day, but I am grateful for the fact that I am still here now and able to see my beautiful children grow.

  • I know this article is two years old but I had to comment. Almost the same thing happened to be in December of 2019. The anesthesiologist said he was using a glass piece, rather than plastic, to administer the epidural and complained about them. While sitting there, my right foot doubled in size, my legs started tingling. I told my husband I felt light headed and he told the doctor. He said this was normal but then I fell over. I could hear the nurses yelling but I couldn’t move my arms or legs and couldn’t breathe. They bagged me to get me oxygen and I was in and out of consciousness for over an hour. I thought I was dying. It was the worst feeling to be awake yet unable to breathe. My ob watched and prepared for a csection but luckily I was able to deliver naturally. It was a 39 hour labor and was so incredibly draining. My legs were paralyzed for the remainder of the delivery. I then had spinal headaches and needed blood inserted into my spine from my arm to help stop the spinal leak. The nurses told me the anesthesiologist was one of the best, but I never received an apology. I have never read another story like mine until today. Thank you for sharing. It helps me to process what happened, so thank you.

  • The same thing happened to me. The anesthesiologist gave me 2 shots. The second one stopped my lungs and I couldn’t breathe and passed out waking up to my husband in our hospital room. My breathing has been so bad since I got home. Harmony what have you done to help with your breathing? They gave me beta blocker that made me have a hard time Breathing also. Got antibiotics because I got an abscess above my c section, and I couldn’t breathe on that either. The doctors at that hospital don’t even know what they’re doing for real ugh.

  • I totally understand because I had a similar experience. I went for a scheduled c-section they couldn’t place it right when they finally did I was numb from chest down… I panicked, all I can remember is seeing my pressure at 268/130 and Waking up to my husband in the recovery room with me on a cpap machine. The dr. no one ever told me but I knew something was wrong, I went through depression after the baby. 4 years later is when I actually found out all of this. It’s 9 years now an I’m pregnant but I’m terrified on what to do right now. An I’m still numb in my lower abdominal area.

  • My epidural failed after 12 hours and my baby was stuck as I was a 8 cm for 6 hours. I had been in labor for 27 hours total.. They decided to do a c-section due to all of this. The anesthesiologist for the epidural was the husband and the one for my spinal was his wife. It is a larger city but the hospital is specifically for women and a labor and delivery hospital.
    When she administered the spinal, I said I can’t breathe. She said oh that’s just how you feel it’s okay. Squeeze my hands. Then she started to look at a computer. Then in a whisper, I said I cannot talk. She then started to seriously pay attention. That is a tale tale sign of a high spinal.. I tried to talk more and my jaw moved but nothing would come out. She then said where is the doctor we need her now. She told me it would be okay and rubbed my hair and said she would help me breathe. She started bagging me. And then she said the baby needed to come out and his heart was in the 60’s. I fell asleep thinking I am only 26. I am going to die and my husband and baby will be alone. I was intubated and woke up four hours later barely able to talk or meet my baby. No family at the hospital besides spouse due to covid. My poor husband had been crying and shaking and taking care of a newborn alone. He said they grabbed his phone and told him they would take pictures. He was in the next room and heard stuff falling and yelling. They let him in as the baby was coming out.

    They think I had to much medicine from epidural and spinal and they even admitted they should have started a smaller dose with the spinal but she thought since my epidural failed and I could move, it would be fine. I am only 5’ 2” and 150 pounds. I also have scoliosis and the first epidural took him three times.

    I have suffered from this emotionally since January especially when I start to fall asleep. I asked for my chart and I was given a paper that literally said I had a c section with no details. I fear for when we want baby #2. They told me VBAC is only available at one hospital here and I may not progress and end in a csection anyways.

    I wish there was a Facebook group for the moms that have posted here so I could reach out to you guys. I have read this and had it saved for months and never posted.

  • This happened to me in 2017 when I had my daughter. They asked me to lay down and I said I couldn’t. I knew something was wrong with my body when I lost control of my shoulders. I’m glad I had my midwife with me, she saved my life. When I tried to tell my O.B. that I couldn’t breathe he said I was fine. One of the last things I remember was my midwife yelling “she can’t fucking breathe!!!”
    Then I just felt warm, I felt nothing and everything was a nice pale purple colour.
    When I woke up, I was alone and couldn’t call to anyone because my throat was so raw. Finally the anesthesiologist came in with a medical glove full of ice. I asked him where my baby was and if she made it but was ignored. He kept asking me “can you feel this” as he slapped my arms and legs with the ice bag. From his tone, I could tell he was irritated with me. I don’t know why. When he walked out of the room I called him an asshole and a nurse walked in at the same time. She laughed at my comment and told me not to let what happened to me go and to fight them on it. She then told me my daughter was strong and healthy. Soon after her dad came in with her to greet me. I was held in the hospital for several days after. My recovery was tough but I have an odd detached feeling from myself and my daughter. I’ve spoken to therapists about it but it’s always been dismissed. It’s been 4 years and I still feel like I never really left that room with all of myself.

  • Hi from the UK. honestly never heard of this happening to anyone else. I went through similar 11 years ago. After a 12 hour labour with my son, I was rushed through for an emergency c section. I remember the anaesthesiologist checking the block and I could still feel where he was testing, this happened several times and he kept topping it up (I assume) the next think I remember is gasping “I can’t breathe” I remember someone saying “oh you are ok, you’re just having a panic attack” then there was a lot of clattering and running around and an oxygen mask was put on me. I blacked out after that. When I came around I was presented with my son….the weirdest feeling ever! The anaesthetist came in later and said to me “that doesn’t usually happen” to this day I have never had anything explained to me as to what happened, I was never offered any counselling or support after and no one ever brought it up again, so reading this has actually given me some answers- thank you.

    The scary part now is I’m pregnant again it’s been 11 years and I never intended to have more children after that experience, but I’m with a new partner that longed to be a dad. I hope I’m going in wiser and with a plan this time. Wish me luck xxx

  • This happened to me in 2016. They told me it was because my back was “too muscular” as I was an athlete at the time. I will forever remember crying out “I can’t breathe” and yet nothing would come out.

    I went on to have a 42hr VBAC naturally with no epidural as it was not even a choice in my mind.

    Thank you for sharing. For a long time I couldn’t find a single story of this same occurrence and still have a hard time processing the event.

  • Thank You for sharing your story this to happen to me. It was with my 4th child. I remember the same she said u will be thanking me soon. I said I can thank you now not knowing what was actually happening. She said put your feet up in your bed and after seeing her face when I told her I couldn’t I could see panic in her eyes. I didn’t pass out that I remember. I just tried to stay calm knowing I could no longer take a deep breath only small shallow breaths my lungs wouldn’t allow me to take a deep breath. I felt like I was fighting for my life and if I wanted to stay alive I had to fight threw the scared and the panic because my children needed me. I couldn’t feel my hands. They were trying to pump my iv with fat like they would for an overdose patient. I heard alot of banging and moving around I had oxygen on yet feeling like I still couldn’t breath because my mucles were numb but I was still awake. After 8 hours. I remember they trying to suction her out as she moved down I felt a little bit of relief and feeling. Once it was over my Dr. said I was 2 min from getting tubes down my throat. She is 10 now and I get back pain alot my fingers tingle everynight and I feel like it has something to do with that experience.

  • This happened to me with my first child. I am a petite person and was very slim but I needed an emergency csec because of my baby’s positioning and early labor. The doctor who put the epidural in tried like three times- they said damage from a broken back when I was younger made it difficult but I’ve had spinal-taps before with no issue. Within a minute I was struggling to get enough air and I told them so. I was totally numb from the neck down and couldn’t move my arms or anything. The doctor said it was just “anxiety” which still pisses me off because women’s complaints are so often dismissed this way. When my oxygen levels abruptly dropped off and I passed out and my husband said they started giving me injections and talking about intubation etc. When I woke up my child had been born, I missed the entire thing, and had a horrible migraine for days.

    It was so traumatizing. They brushed it off or gave me multiple excuses; “Your fine now, you just had a panic attack. It is an unusual reaction that we didn’t cause. You had an asthma attack etc.” When I got pissed enough to call them on their BS they admitted that the epidural had paralyzed my phrenic nerve making it impossible for me to breathe without assistance.

    My next two births I had unmedicated, vaginal, 100% natural births and they were amazing, transformative, healing experiences. I refused all interventions (even though my doctor tried to push them) and my labor was healthy, fast and beautiful.

  • I am so glad you posted this and I got to read. I too just had this happen to me. I am a nurse and worked labor delivery I never heard of a epidural going wrong but mine did . I too just remember telling them I can’t breath multiple times then being rushed to OR. Unfortunately from the anesthesia and pitocin I also hemorrhaged and needed a massive blood transfusion. I woke up in ICU the next day still with a breathing tube. I have been home 5 days now and I constantly cry and am scared somthing else will go wrong. The anxiety and panic attacks are so bad.

  • I feel so sad and also horrified by your story. I had a similar experience during my first child birth in 2005. I am a very small woman and the epidural went wrong. So, it’s definitely not about the size. I could not breathe. I thought I was dying. And I passed out. They did an emergency c-section. Fortunately, both my child and I survived. But that trauma still haunts me. I gave birth to my second child 8 years later. It was a planned c-section. But I was so traumatized from my past experience that I had several panic attacks before and during the c-section and my body violently shook for 30 minutes after the baby was born, all from the past trauma. They had to inject some anti-anxiety medicine to calm me down, even when everything was over.

    It is wonderful to see you all as a happy healthy beautiful family. Stay blessed.

  • This is NOT just related to weight. I was 135 lbs and was having a tubal the day after my second child was born. They did an epidural for the second time in 2 days and went too high. I told them on the OR table I couldn’t breathe. Last thing I remember was saying that. I woke up in my private room in horrible pain. No one with me AT ALL and my throat hurt so bad I couldn’t speak! They’d taken me back to my room after the “minor procedure”, as they called it, and told my husband to go get something to eat that I’d be asleep for a while. I had to communicate in writing when I finally got someone to come into the room. I asked what happened and was told I had to be intubated during the procedure. I had horrible headaches for months after. I’m a nurse and this was the single most terrifying thing to ever happen to me. I was shocked and so pissed that colleagues treated me this way. I too suffered from PTSD, terrible claustrophobia, and panic attacks…TO THIS DAY and it’s been 27 years ago!

    • I am not overweight either and the epidural also hit a nerve, causing me to be unable to breathe. Until I read this blog and all the comments, I didn’t realize how many other women experienced the same thing.

  • This same exact thing happened to me as well when I gave birth in June of 2022 with my first pregnancy. I got admitted and my fiancĂ© had to step out of the room while I was given the epidural. When the anesthesiologist was administering the epidural, I was already so nervous that my hands were extremely sweaty. She numbed the area but yet I could still somewhat feel it and she had to numb the area again. At one point she hit something that made my legs involuntarily jump and they told me to stay still. After it was finished, they told me to put my legs back on the bed and I realized I couldn’t. The doctor said, “you can still move your legs” (even though I couldn’t because of how numb they were) and proceeded to help me get them back onto the bed. At this point, I realized my arms were seemingly numb and then I felt like I was going to throw up. Within a very few short minutes I realized I couldn’t take in oxygen into my lungs and I tried telling the doctor this “I can’t breathe” “I can’t breathe,” but of course you need oxygen to be able to speak so at first they had no idea what I was saying or mouthing. When they realized, they administered oxygen and whatever else, and all i know is my heart rate as well as my babies heart rate kept going down and I had to be wheeled off for an emergency c-section. I remember absolutely nothing about the c-section so I assumed they put me asleep but I still am not sure. My baby had to be in the nursery for a day and a half on an IV and oxygen due to low oxygen levels. I held him for the first time the second day. The nurse came in and explained what had happened to me and the anesthesiologist told me she has never had that happen in all the years she had been practicing. I haven’t been formally diagnosed with PTSD but I definitely feel like I have some. I don’t think I will ever be able to have another baby due to the fact I would absolutely freak if I ever had to have an epidural/spinal again.