Combined epidural and spinal?

I had a spinal with my first which was an emergency c section.

I'm aiming for a vbac this time but can't go beyond 39 weeks so have an elective booked for then and I'm also open to the fact the vbac might also result in a c section.

At my last consultant appointment he mentioned the possibility of doing a combined epidural and spinal which I hadn't considered.

I've been reading up on it and think it might be a good option but wondered if anyone has had one and what your experience was?

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Ive not had it done but a spinal works instantly. Usually affective for 8 to 10 hours unless you have a condition like HEDS and then it can be a lot less then 8 hours. This means you dont have to wait for the epidural to work. They can then put the epidural in and keep you topped up so if you wish to go for an induction to ensure you have a VBAC by 39 weeks youre very comfortable. Or if you have a c section spinal are less likely to fail so your less likely to see a GA

I had an epidural when they put me on the hormone drip as my contractions ramped up massively.
After 2 hours nothing had progressed so I went for a c section and they administered a spinal through the epidural so I guess I had both at the same time?
Either way, it worked I couldn’t feel a thing.

With my first I had an epidural, it half fell out of my back so I needed a spinal before my unplanned c-section - was great imo as I felt nothing, no pressure/tugging etc

With my second I was labouring with no medication then went for an emergency c-section so had just a spinal this time - whilst I felt a lot better a lot sooner in recovery (could be a number of factors that contributed to that tho such as a shorter natural labour) I did feel them pulling, tugging etc but wasn’t painful, just weird :)

I did, I had an emergency c section and am terrified of needles, so the head anesthesiologist opted to do a spinal tap instead. My spinal didn’t fully take, so he went back in and did an epidural, and I was so numb I literally nothing except them move my intestines(cause they tugged a bit and it felt like someone was pushing on my stomach). I will say for me coming down and getting it out my system SUCKED. I was so itchy, the allergic to the leg compression things that squeeze your legs, and None of the allergy meds worked on me. my case is super rare tho, so it probably won’t happen to you. also the pain it a little harder after being so numb.

With all that said I would do it again if I got another C section. It relaxed me so much cause I knew for sure I wasn’t going to feel a damn thing😅

Is there a reason they want to induce you at 39 weeks, my friend has a VBAC after a emergency c-section and was able to go up to 41 weeks without being induced.

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