Question for the Mommies- Concerning Cesarean Sections

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
With my first, my water broke without me feeling any contractions. Dr. was very conservative, and instead of saying, "head to the mall and walk, walk, walk" he said "head straight to the hospital." Where they put me on a monitor and a pitocin drip. And over the course of the day, contractions got very hard and frequent, but I did not dialate but a half cm. So he came in about 6:30 and said, "I think you should have a c-section." Upon questioning, he said that we could wait until 6:30 in the morning (when my water broke, and have it then, but he did not feel like anything would change. Looking back, I have many, many times felt that we should have waited. Should have gotten up and walked the halls, should have done many things other than saying "okay." I later found out he was not on call that weekend. By opting for a Friday night c-section, he was over and done with things; if I had said, we'll wait, he would have been on the hook and his weekend interrupted. I very much felt cheated out of womanhood (not motherhood), that the c-section was not necessary. Huge anger about it for the next seven years (when younger son was born and DID need a c-section. I am still angry about the first, but I have mellowed.

With my younger son I went into labor and kept calling the hospital, and they kept telling me that I could not possibly be ready to come in; my voice sounded too calm. That if I was really in labor, I would be in enough pain that I would not sound so calm; I have a very high threshhold of pain. FINALLY, when I told them how much blood I was passing they told me to come in. Got me to a room, took one look at the amount of blood and figured that I would be giving birth within moments. But when they tried to check, they could not find my cervix. Finally got a resident to come down and it was tilted WAY, Way back, and only dialated by a cm. They put me on a monitor and every time there was a contraction, the baby's heartbeat dropped dramatically. I knew it was going to be another c-section before they even called the doctor, and of course it was. For me, NEEDING the c-section made the difference. My placenta was abrupting, which was the cause of all the blood. This time I had a spinal, because it is faster than an epidural. They had told me we could go home on Friday (he was born on a Wednesday at 4:02 am), but my stitches breaking open on Thursday evening put the kabosh on that. Did go home on Sunday. Been a few years, he's 17.5.

 

[wildorchid053]

i know how you feel and i didn't have a c-section.. both my babies were still in the hospital after i went home.. one was jaundice for 10 days and the other couldn't breathe so he was there a while... when things mess up and your not so prepared it can throw you for a loop...after my two were born the doctor told me no more babies or they might not live... i was so angry and upset.. how dare they say that to me..... but now that they are grown and parents of their own i am thankful they lived and i lived to so i can see my grandchildren. your anger will pass and things will level out after a while.. i agree with the horomones being off kilter so i would talk to your doctor about it..and keep in mind it is better to have had a c section than to be standing there watching your baby being lowed into a grave.. enjoy your baby they grow so fast..

 

[WisconsinChickenWhisperer]

Quote:
X2! I've had 2 c-sections: my son was the first, 2 weeks late, 24 hours of induced labor, and 11lbs 7ozs. My daughter was scheduled 2 weeks before her due date, and was 9lbs 9ozs. Yeah, I made big babies, and after my daughter was born, I was told after an exam that due to my pelvic structure, I would have probably never been able to deliver a baby over 7 lbs: a little late to be told that little bit of information! At any rate, after both c-secs, I was told not to lift anything over 10 lbs. for at least 6 weeks. Yeah. That meant that I wasn't even supposed to lift my own children! I was careful, I listened to my body. My husband worked, and I had no family or friends that could stay with me after the first week I was home. I made sure that if I got tired, I rested. Granted, I didn't get everything done that needed to be done, but I did as much as my body would allow me to do.

I also suspect that hormones may be a little out of whack (they usually are after a birth anyway). Please do discuss your feelings with your doctor, even if you don't think you are depressed in any way, he may be able to help.

Oh, and yes, itching is normal. I had internal disolving stitches, and steri strips on the outside. I itched like crazy until I healed up, and to this day-23 years after my second surgery, I still get a little itchy in the scar tissue!

 

[chickensducks&agoose]

when they removed my staples, the incision opened right up, along the whole length. I called the doctors office, and asked if my guts were going to fall out. the nurse said, and I quote "Probably not, you're young and should heal fast".... PROBABLY NOT???? i was not reassured, but apparently this gaping was caused by my doctor stapling the skin together on either side of the incision, instead of matching cut edge to cut edge... he sucks.

 

[wolftracks]

I had to get in on this thread.

My first 5 babies (actually 6, but didn't make it( were all Natural births. I never show. I'm bigger now than I ever was pregnant, but they were big enough to hurt and why I had that meany after so much pain I will never know.

My youngest son was born 3 year after I had had 3 major strokes and fought a brain tumor. I actually had a C scheduled but they decided to let me try another natural. After 6 days in labor the exact same thing happened to us that happened to you and your little one. Our heart rates dropped so low during all of it that I remember lights flashing and family outside the room looking terrifird as they wheeled me into surgery. They asked me how I was doing and all I said was "please get him out safe".

After the C I followed every direction the nurses gave me. In the past I had seen women fight with them and not go with the flow and they paid for it with lots of pain. I went through it with flying colors because I didn't want to feel so aweful. Maybe I'm a bad mommy, but if C's were a better way to go healthwise, I would have had 6 of them. I dealt with more trauma over those natural, painful ones and I'm high risk, so those babies got good starts from day one and there were more problems right after their births where my son had problems at 10 months, but I don't think they were related (although could have been) from the C.

I just lost my amazing husband in July. Green Berett for 16 yrs and then became a Surgical RN and later took a job as a surgical tech. Jobs were scarce. When I met him he worked graveyard with one of the top trauma units in the area we lived at the time. We never had children together. Between us there were 10. He would call whenever he had to do a C and tell me we were going to have a baby. I got a call after each one to let me know what we had.

His last job was at another hospital working in L&D. He loved the nurses and most of the doctors. He'd call if there was a C that needed to be done. Late nights for Bill, but I would wait to see what we got. I always knew what the feelings were from this staff. No one including the doctors wanted to have to put a patient through this. It was always last resort. The staff would be upset and as comforting as possible. Bill was very impressed with them.

Bill and I were into crystals and stones. One night he had taken a Moonstone to one of the nurses. It was her birthstone. That night there was a woman that was in real trouble. There was no way for her to possibly give birth the old fashioned way. Bill told the nurse to say nothing, but to go put the Moon Stone under the woman's mattress. She did and 1/2 hour later she delivered without the C-Section. The nurses were so shocked and impressed that his next shift, Bill took a stone for each one. They either carry them or wear them in one way or another. Don't know about now, but C-Section went way down for the rest of the time Bill worked there.

Thing is.....they were all so happy when a C didn't have to be performed. I know there are some doctors out there that are cut happy, but the majority really don't want it to come to this.

Tummy problems? Leg lifts. Do tiny ones at first. Try doing one leg at a time and work up to both. Keeps from getting that ugly pouch under the incission. I did these with every single baby. I even did them in my hospital bed. Nothing that hurts you or too many, but just enough to start getting into it for later on.

 

[Break an Egg]

I felt exactly like you after the fact. I used to cry about it and feel like I was less of a woman because I had to have a c section. It was irrational, I knew that at the time, but I couldn't help how I felt. My husband couldn't understand it and was really frustrated with the fact that I wasn't happy enough to have a healthy happy baby.

All I can say is that it gets better. I no longer feel that way about it, but I feel like if I have another child I want to have a VBAC. I am so sorry you have to go through this, and I hope the feelings subside quickly for you.

 

[EweSheep]

I've felt that way too! I felt cheated...

Went to the hospital only two cm dialated and more wait to come. I had the first contractions or "uneasiness" way early in the morning around three am. Hubby said am I in pain and I told him no, just pressure but no cramps or pain, feeling out of sorts. Went back to bed, slept some more until I got up. Now I really feel the pressure but not too bad. Coming every fifteen minutes figured it was enough time to pass....

Waited awhile, took my time, double checking the bags, making sure the chickens were fed and watered for at least two days time. Then we went ahead and go to the hospital. They checked me in, 2 cm wide, ok, fine....I was pretty much in focus of myself, trying to manage the pain myself. Finally I had enough of the pain, and fighting to control the contractions...so I had the pills.......woooooo hooooooo la la land! I loved it! Took the edge off and I slept some more. It was slow....it was 3 pm. Only a 4 cm wide. OK, pain is wearing off, need half dose. Well it came on too strong and I said OK my pain threshold is not handling very well, time for an epidural.

Had that epidural, woooooooo hooooooo, really nice!!!!!

Around nine pm, fully dialated, ready to push......but pushing for an hour and half, but my baby isn't budging. Created alot of pain on my scatic nerve, radiating shock nerve pain down on my right leg adn the nurses cranked up the epidural as high it would go to the max. Still so painful to push and I told them better find the problem NOW!

The different doctor of that shift came in, said baby was sitting on my right pubic floor rather than going straight out in the canal. Should I push for another hour? Jeez, I was very very exhausted, I mean strength to push or even lift myself out of the bed was "dead" and was in extreme pain. i told them I can not take it anymore. So the doc said "time for an emergency c-section". Off I went....they gave me a shot to stop contractions, man, it felt GOOD! No more scatic and leg pains!

Once they delivered her, they sewed me back up and recovery room which I was very very groggy and the nurses and hubby was trying to nurse my daughter to breast feed but not productive at all. I hurt and was in pain. So they took her away for a bit, jaudice and under the lights.

the whole time I was in there, man, it was an ordeal I do not want to experience again. Very HOT and kept wanting the AC cranked up HIGH and the nurses kept turning it down. Jeez, I am so cold and hot and feeling icky the whole time for at least 24 hours. They told me to get up and walk, which I tried doing that after ten hours after surgery, once I moved, I had a terrible, painful "stitch" on my abdomen like it was going to tear me apart! I struggled thru it and tried to breast feed DD the best I could. One thing I would not forget was, the night shift nurses, came in with DD and left her, they didnt turn on the bedside light or wake me to let me know its time to feed her. DD was SCREAMING for a whole hour in her bassinett......

I woke up, painfully, pick up my dd and feed her in the dark. She quieted down once I got her next to me being warm. Poor DD what a rough time. I was MAD, I mean MAD!!! Hubby wasn't there at night since he had to work the next day and I let him know about it. he went down to the nurses desk and let them know that his poor wife had a heck of a time, sleepless nights with pain all the time, and the nurses didnt wake me up. They said well, she should have heard her daughter crying! He looked at them and said, I guess you didn't even CHECK after five minutes when the baby was screaming and you can hear it down the hall and my wife is hearing impaired!!!!!!!!! Oh they straightened up on the third night and letting me know by turning on the bed lights on that my dd is here for feeding.

I was in the hospital for four or five days....miserable! But the treasure I had in my arms, made that worthwhile! would I do it again? Yes, with different doctors or a midwife to support me all the way, a better teacher for breast feeding lessons (painful time for me but they told me to get used to it).

I still had the fevers now and then, bleeding from day one of surgery for nine weeks......

Got an infection of the insticion so my OB doc had to lance it and let it drain for a week. What a mess! Gave me antibotics and other meds that are safe for nursing moms. Now I have a big knot where the cut was made and it is crooked.

Then I got mastitis a week before my wedding. High fevers and almost delirious, thinking it was just me trying to get thru the mess. My back was killing me and my right leg was numb. Glad that I got out after four days and still recovered enough for my wedding.

All this happened within ONE month of my c-section. it was a bit much for my body to take.

After the six week checkup, OB doc said everything is OK but need to go to spine doc to see if there was any damage......none found in xrays or MRI. So I was sent to a wonderful PT doctor who pinpoint the scatic nerve damage due to delivery and ordered a six month PT therapy. Talk about painful! Allergic to tramadol....poor dd!

Now that is six years ago and I still have issues with my scatic nerve damage, and fibromyglia popped up about two months after my delivery...could not figure out muscle pain all the time...must be due to the trauma of delivery, infections, etc. I am still a mess, gained over 80 lbs and righ tnow I am dealing with plantar facitis after I overdid it myself at the Y, pushing past the pain instead of stopping. Still waiting on doc for referral........its been over three weeks, waiting. GRRRRR!

I would love to have another child but my age is against me..I'm 45 years old and for both of us, hubby and I are happy with just dd and give her all the love we can give her. As for me, lifetime of pain must be one of motherhood's thing that I have to endure in my age. Many times I've asked myself, why didnt the doctor do more than just say OK, time for surgery instead of using her knowledge in trying to have a natural birth as I specifically wanted with epidural. There was alot of unknown answers in the judgement of the doctor there and hubby, he just does not know all about OB or what to expect out of the whole thing. Even I have asked him WHY did the doctor call the shots? I felt cheated out of this request by not having any answers to it. It does make me angry but as time went on, it became less and less important but wondered why I am having all those back pains. Someone said it could be from the epidural and my cervix was not made for natural delivery byt the way it was shaped. (bilocyliar shaped in the pubic bones instead of round pubic bones). Who knows but I would love some answers but the notes from both doctors, it was vague. I dont remember too much of it, spaced out was more like it and not able to make decisions under the influence of epidural drugs LOL!

All in all, it was a distant memory but it was profound moment for me.

 

[EweSheep]

Quote:
Gee, I got that UGLY pouch under the incision and so is the one on top where the infection was. So I got two pouches! I did my walks but maybe I pulled wrong?

 

[wolftracks]

Quote:
Gee, I got that UGLY pouch under the incision and so is the one on top where the infection was. So I got two pouches! I did my walks but maybe I pulled wrong?

I'm telling ya.....leg lifts.....low ones and don't let your feet touch the floor inbetween. They warned me about the pouch, but I didn't get one until years later and the lifts got rid of it then too.

 

[xke4]

Here's something to consider when people say a C-section isn't a normal delivery. What was the outcome? Were you delivered of a healthy baby and not a large orange pumpkin? Then the delivery was normal. How you got there doesn't matter. You successfully carried a fetus and are now holding him/her in your arms. Nothing else matters.
Spoken by an ex-delivery room nurse who had 2 C-sections of her own. One not scheduled, the other I scheduled myself. The beauty of the second one was that I had everyone in place......Grandma's to babysit, husband booked off....very civil! Would do it again if I had to. ( mind you at 55, I'm kinda hoping I don't have to)..
Congratulations on your baby.