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Tingling, numbness, loss of muscle control in childbirth

I was in labor with my daughter for 36 hours. After about 26 hours, I started to feel tingling and numbness in my feet, which spread up my legs. Later I began to feel the same in my hands and arms. My face became numb and I couldn't speak correctly (like having a lot of Novocaine). I complained to my nurse that I couldn't open or close my hands and she and my husband dragged me out of the tub (I was trying for a water birth) and carried me to a bed--I couldn't walk. I had difficulty breathing so they put me on oxygen. I also had heavy bleeding and random drops in blood pressure. There were some signs of fetal distress (elevated heartrate, meconium, breathing issues after she was born). This was without an epidural.

What could this be? Most of my symptoms went away after a few days, but I really need an answer because I'm scared of the same thing happening if I have another child.

Thanks in advance.
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Avatar universal
Hi Sweetie. Congratulations on the birth of your little girl. What a wonderful Gift! Allot of the things that you experienced, could have been caused by pressure on the spine, spinal cord, during labor and delivery. When I was pregnant with my first daughter, about 2 weeks before she was born, I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't move. I was paralyzed from about the waist down. I woke my husband up, but he just told me to relax and rubbed my back for a bit. He also helped me to changed positions. I went back to sleep and when I woke up in the morning, it was gone. I told my Dr. about it and he said it was the baby putting pressure on my spine. It never happened again, not with that pregnancy, or with my second. Having a baby can be very stressful, and it's alot of work. When something weird like that happens, it just cause more stress and anxiety, and that makes everything worse. (the snowball affect) I hope this makes you feel better. If your Dr. didn't have a good explanation, then you could consult with a chiropractor. They are pretty smart about things like this. Good luck and God Bless you and your new family.
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5257653 tn?1365909483
Congratulations on your baby! :) I agree with bonijokrauss, in that any number of things could have caused you to experience those symptoms. I would suggest that in addition to speaking with your regular doctor and the OB/GYN doctor who delivered your new bundle of joy,  another good person to discuss this with would be an OB/GYN who specializes in high-risk pregnancies. They have a more extensive knowledge of the more unusual/scary things that can occur during labor and delivery than your average OB/GYN. Both of my pregnancies were deemed high-risk. If  you have trouble finding a high-risk OB/GYN in your area, talk to the hospital where you delivered and they can steer you in the right direction to find one who can help you find the answers you are seeking. I hope this helps. Good luck!
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