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c/s - why the fear?
With my first pregnancy I didn't do much research on c-sections and of course just thought I would have a vaginal birth. I would read on my BMB at the time how everyone was against a c/s but didn't think much of it. at my induction, after 22 $hours of labor and I was progressing well but then started to regress, I was told I should get a c/s. I didn't panic or anything I just wanted to do whatever needed to be done to get my baby out safe but I did remember how against them people were so I asked the nurse. She told me most people don't like the recovery because it's surgery.
Now with my second, I just always knew I'd have a repeat because apparently I have a pelvic bone that sticks out too far and I'm cool with it. So I ask, what fear do you have about a c/s?
Re: c/s - why the fear?
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I think because it's major surgery, the risks to both mom and baby are greater with a c-section than with a vaginal birth. There are benefits to vaginal births to both mom and baby that you just don't get with a c-section.
For me, I'd like to avoid a c-section if at all possible because the recovery is harder than with a vaginal birth. I've had an appendectomy, and a c-section is supposedly much worse than that recovery-wise... no, thank you!
That being said, my number one priority is to get the baby here safely. So if my doctor thinks we need to go for a c-section, I will trust his/her judgement. But I definitely would rather deliver vaginally.
BFP #5: 3/25/2015: EDD: 12/8/2015.
My c/s fears:
Recovery with twins at home.
Skin to skin.
The fluid that is 'pushed out' as the baby comes down the vaginal canal to clear the lungs.
-I was on board for whatever got my babies out safe, I went in without a 'birth plan' because all along I was told how it could change. The hospital had a list of my wishes, but I knew however they came was the way it was supposed to be.
To make you feel my love.
My sister shared with me after her 2 c/s that she had her arms pinned down, ever since then I've been really nervous about having one. It has something to do with the mom potentially trying to help and/or pulling out an IV. The thought of being restrained scares me. Plus, combine that with my fear of surgery in general and I'm pretty much terrified entirely.
Plus, I have a decently physical job (I work 1:1 with children with serious behavior issues) and I don't have a ton of leave available right now. So, I'd be very worried about recovery time and getting back to work before my leave runs out.
When it comes time, I'll do whatever is necessary for LO to be healthy.
I had a primary elective c/s. I had the fear of vaginal birth, not c/s. I was worried I wouldn't take my baby home doing a vaginal birth (which is stupid, women do it all the time, but with 2 losses, I didn't want to take any chances). I had concerns in the back of my mind about the c/s, but nothing that would have stopped me (obviously). We didn't have much of a birth plan, but what we did have was respected. They delayed cord clamping (not very long, but some) and we did skin to skin and those were my only 2 requirements.
For skin to skin, my left arm was free and my gown was pulled down. Granted it wasn't full skin to skin (like having him completely on my chest), but they put P on my chest/shoulder, partially wrapped (so his back was covered but his front was on my skin). DH held him there. It was amazing. I was shaking/shivering and as soon as they put him there, it stopped.
A spinal won't make you "loopy." It's weird to not be able to feel your legs, but it in no way affects the way you think. I was crystal clear my entire delivery. The IV drugs they could give you during a vaginal birth (if you choose to get them) could make you loopy.
My milk came in the next day.
While they were finishing up with me, P was with DH in the recovery room. I may have been separated, but he was with DH and I was okay with that.
Recovery was not horrible. The first day standing up was a bit tough, but nothing a little pain meds couldn't handle. By day 3 I was only taking the ibuprofen and it managed my pain.
I'd do my elective c/s again in a heartbeat. Everything was planned and organized and predictable. That's what I needed for an anxiety free birth.
You've heard what I've done, not what I've been through.
If you were in my shoes, you'd fall the first step."
This. I'm not afraid of c/s, and i won't be upset if i end up needing one. I would just prefer not to have one. I do feel better knowing my hospital will do skin to skin and bf if possible even with c/s.
I had a scheduled c/s because my baby was breech. Before the c/s my fears were that something would happen and I wouldn't get my baby. Any major surgery is scary, and I didn't know what to expect as I recovered.
I had a very positive experience, and will do a repeat c/s with our next baby. My arms were not strapped down, I was not loopy from the spinal at all (I remember everything about her delivery). There was a neonatologist there, but she was screaming immediately anyway. Her lungs are fine. My milk came in with 24-36 hours.
The first day was painful, I had some nausea from the drugs and wretching with a fresh incision hurts a lot. DH had to do diaper changes and hand me the baby, as I could not sit up unassisted. But within a day of being up on my feet again I felt better, and every day was markedly easier. Within two weeks I was able to walk with no pain, was off pain meds entirely, and at 4 weeks I went running (obviously this was not suggested by my doctor, but I felt like I could do it so I tried). In retrospect I would say my recovery was very easy.
Here's my experience:
I had a c/s due to the cord being wrapped around L's neck and she was not descending. We didn't know the cord was wrapped until they went in there, but contractions were trying to force her head through my undilating cervix, causing her head to "mold" into a cone-like shape. They said the c/s was the safest way for her to be born, and they were right. I am glad I agreed easily and didn't try to push or she could have been choked by her cord or damage done to her brain.
I was numb and didn't feel a thing. I had already gotten an epidural a few hours before, so all they did was bump up the anesthesia so it numbed me up to my chest. The idea of being cut open is scary, but my anesthesiologist and my husband stayed by my head and coached me and reassured me the entire time. I would describe the experience of being on the table as strange, but not scary. At that point, anyone could have been in that room looking at my naked body and I didn't care. Once I was on the table and the sheet was up, I was thinking about meeting my baby, not the surgery. I was excited and overcome with emotion.
While I will always be sad that I could not see Lily come out, I was alert, heard her cry right away, and as soon as she was weighed and wiped down she was brought up to my face so I could see her and touch her face with mine. Of course I was sad I couldn't hold her, but once in the moment, I didn't care. I had my baby, could see her, could smell her and could hear her cry.
The hour of recovery was the worst. I was in the recovery room with a nurse and DH was with Lily were in the nursery. As much as I wanted to be with her and hold her, I was too tired, numb and weak. I really needed that hour to rest and get my strength back. While it sucked, it was necessary. I was going on 36 hours of very little rest. By the time they wheeled me to the nursery to hold her and bring us to our room, I was in a much better state of mind.
I nursed her right away and my milk came in on either the second or third day. I fought my a$s off to breastfeed her and we just fully weaned at 8 months.Sure, I think having a c-section made it harder to a degree, but I set my mind to it and did everything I could to BF.
The first day of walking was hard. It hurt and was uncomfortable. It's major abdominal surgery; it's not going to be easy. Pain meds are a beautiful thing. I think if I were in better physical shape going into it, I wouldn't have had such a tough time, but I am overweight and did not exercise as much as I should have during pregnancy, so the first 2 weeks PP were slow moving. Luckily, I had a lot of help from DH and our mothers and friends.
Here's the thing - giving birth is scary. There are pros and cons to any method of childbirth, and you just don't know how things will go until you're in the midst of it. I said it in my birth story and I'll say it again here: my main goal was to deliver my baby safely and for the both of us to be happy and healthy. Any number of things can happen in childbirth that isn't the way you want it, but when your baby is born, none of that matters. You can plan all you want, but it can go out the window in an instant. Be flexible. Focus on the outcome: having your baby in your arms.
my blog
Madeline, I had a c/s and I had instant skin to skin with Cole and all the bonding I could ask for. They took him out, cleaned him up and stuck him on my chest. He never left my sight for 1 minute. So that's something you don't need to fear.
yes obviously things can happen where you don't see baby right away. But under normal circumstances, skin to skin and bonding is just as easy as a vginal birth.
My experience was similar to Shazzie's. I was induced at 7am Monday morning. My baby had a two vessel umbilical cord which increased his risk of his heart rate dropping during labor and delivery because he only had 1/2 of the blood flow through his cord. I got an epidural specifically so if I needed a c/s I already had anesthesia they could use. Whenever they would turn up the pitocin to make my labor stronger, LO's heart rate would drop with contractions. They'd turn off the pitocin to let LO rest, then start over and the same thing would happen. The heart rate drops were terrifying. TERRIFYING. The only thing I worried about during my entire L&D experience was getting my baby out safely, and every time his heart rate dropped I wondered if he was okay. I was also trying not to freak out my husband or my MIL who was in the room. Finally my OB and I discussed our plan and I flat out told him I was totally fine with a c/s, and so we went that route.
The only "problem" I had with my c/s was that I was really nauseated prior to starting out and the nausea medication they gave me made me really sleepy. I was awake during surgery, DH took photos of LO coming out and during his initial assessment, and the anesthesiologist took photos of us as a family once they cleaned LO up. He and DH stayed in the room with me the entire time. After surgery, the combination of being up for 24 hours and getting IV meds that made me sleepy, I fell asleep for the first 2 hours of LO's life. Sometimes I regret not being able to hold him first (well, second after DH) but he was almost never out of my sight after I woke up, so I don't dwell on it. I did take percocet in the hospital and after going home for a few days, but I never rated my pain more than a 5 on a 0-10 pain scale. We did have issues with BFing but that was mostly unrelated to the c/s.
Over all I feel like I had a positive birth experience mostly because I kept an open mind. And honestly the health and well-being of my baby totally trumped any fear I had about surgery, recovery or pain. I am actually considering a RCS next time because I think if it were a scheduled procedure I probably wouldn't have the issues with the exhaustion and nausea I had this time, and it'd probably be a better experience over all. But, again, all I care about is a healthy and safe delivery.
Congrats to both my TTC buddies, Amberley18 and sb2006 on their beautiful babies!
I loved reading all the responses especially the ones that experienced c/s themselves. I think sometimes we just hear/see the horror stories and it kind of jades our view on the whole process.
I also didn't have a horrible c/s experience. Sure, it's surgery and I was shaking the whole time but we both came out fine. I was not strapped down and couldn't feel a thing. The only thing that weirded me out was hearing all the docs talk about some party that one of the docs was hosting. Really guys? Now? But other than that, DH was the first one to see her, to hold her, to change her diaper and I'm glad that he had that bond. I didn't get to hold her until we were in the post op room but as soon as she did (I think PB Fluff had the same experience) the shaking stopped. It was like the ultimate drug that can't be bought. I was in heaven.
My milk took a little long to fully come in so I supplemented for awhile but then she was on full breast until age 13 months. Recovery wasn't too tough but it wasn't a breeze (naturally) but I had a lot of help.
Thanks again for the replies and I hope this helped some of the moms-to-be see the other side of the coin but I do hope you all get the birth experience that makes YOU happy and healthy.
BFP #1 - 11/16/10 CP 12/1/10
BFP #3 Chart