C section, not by choice

Arngbride330

What reasons did y'all have to have a c section? I had brain surgery when I was 14, and because of that my ob didn't want me to have labor. It actually makes me very sad I'll never get to experience natural child birth like I wanted to. I always have to have c sections and it breaks my heart.

Roseypants

This will be my second c-section. I was not sad at all about it. The only thing I was upset about, was that I did not get to hold my baby right away. After having a 44 hour labor my first go around, I'm honestly glad I don't have to go through that again! 

You have to think about your health and your babies health first and foremost.

Nmooney1

I went in for an induction with DD. I only made it as far as cervidil, and her hear rate was dropping in the 30s. After trying to stabilize her without success, I was rushed to the OR. There wasn't even time for a spinal or epi. I was put to sleep with a breathing tube down my throat. With DS, I was automatically a RCS bc my OB doesn't do VBACs. I actually went to a different practice just so I could attempt a VBAC. After one meeting with the new OB, I was unhappy. I was not comfortable with the new place or Dr and decided that was more important to me than having a VBAC. I went back to my original OB and we went with a RCS. Here I am again with #3 (our last) and will have another RCS. He is letting me go until 5/14 (the day before my due date) bc I am co-chairing a huge event on the 5/10 (RCS was suppose to be on 5/7). I have my fingers crossed that I go into labor before then just so I can experience it but I will still have a c/s.

Unknown

This content has been removed.

[Deleted User]

The user and all related content has been deleted.

Kim22

My first was breech and I tried everything to turn him and it didn't work. I was sad that I wouldn't experience labor but I went into labor at 36 weeks. On the way to the hospital I remember saying to my husband " why was I sad that I was going to miss this?" I went into labor at 37 weeks with # 2 then at 34 weeks with #3 ( which thankfully stopped and I made my scheduled c at 39 weeks that time.) My Dr. has cleared me for a fourth if we decide to have one. In the end I loved my C sections. Try to remember even if you could have had a vaginal birth, it could still end up a c. If you had brain surgery at 14, this will be no big deal! Don't let this ruin your excitement about a new baby.

Arngbride330

He was healthy and perfect, but sometimes I get a little down when I think about the fact I'll always need a cs. Also he was stuck when they tried to pull him out. Which was scary. It's not what I hoped for, but at least we both were safe.

Disneygeek77

Sometimes I am curious about what a vaginal birth would be like, but overall I am ok with the fact I have only had c-sections.

SandFHasse

I also went in to be induced. Labor was progressing much faster then everybody expected. I had a spinal. DS's heart rate was dropping into the 50's. My Dr tried everything possible to stabilize him. He tried a vacuum to get him out and DS was getting worse. I was rushed into the OR and put under anesthesia because there was no time to up the dose of my spinal.

nosoup4u

I went into labor on my own, and pushed for 4+ hours until it was determined DS1 was posterior, and wasn't coming out. I had a pretty slow recovery (he was also hospitalized for a week after birth for a suspected infection - he was fine, though). Overall, it was v stressful, if it hadn't been colored by his stay in the hospital, I wouldn't have thought so negatively about having had a CS. I had a VBAC w my second son, and it did go a long way in helping me let go of what happened the first time.

CalinAZ

I was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and after 4 days of induction, LO stopped tolerating the drugs and his heart rate dropped. Even though I only had a lip of cervix left, without drugs my body basically stopped laboring. Didn't think LO could handle the stress of pushing either so decided on a c section. He ended up being huge- 9lbs13oz and 22.5 inches at 38w5d, so it was good he came out when he did.

arheins

i went in for induction and after 24 hrs of labor my LO was showing signs of distress with each contraction. The Dr said her umbilical cord was being squished and it was too dangerous to let me continue. I was stuck at 7 cm when they decided to take her via csection. I cried -- honestly i didnt even look into c sections before i went in because i knew i didnt want it. But things happen and i have a happy healthy baby girl and that is all that matters. even if i didnt get the experience i wanted.

coralreefmom

Diagnosed with preeclampsia, sent for induction, progressed to 5cm when his heartrate dropped and wouldn't come back up (later found he was also face up). They were able to up my epidural to a spinal and DH was able to be in the OR. It was 15 minutes from his heartrate dropping to hearing him cry and I still don't know if I've fully processed the delivery.
DH and I were commenting a few weeks later that we both didn't know how I was going to do with pushing.

Arngbride330

Do y'all feel like we missed out or are you happier that you didn't have a vaginal birth? I know i recovered faster because I wasn't allowed to go in to labor than my sister in law who had 20 hours of labor then a cs

SandFHasse

I had a vaginal birth with my first daughter. I don't feel like I missed out because I didnt have a vaginal delivery this time. I feel like I missed out because my DH wasn't allowed in the OR, I didn't get to hold him, we didn't get the brand new baby pictures. I understand because it was an emergency and all we wanted was for the both of us to be safe and healthy, but I'm still having a hard time coping with everything still.

flerlgirl

Disneygeek77 said:

Sometimes I am curious about what a vaginal birth would be like, but overall I am ok with the fact I have only had c-sections.

This

WIAgrrrr

I had a 4th degree tear with my 2nd. I'm worried about permanent damage if it happens again with this kid so I'm 90% sure I'll go with the c-section.

nosoup4u

Arngbride330 said:

Do y'all feel like we missed out or are you happier that you didn't have a vaginal birth? I know i recovered faster because I wasn't allowed to go in to labor than my sister in law who had 20 hours of labor then a cs

The biggest pisser for me was that I didn't get any time to be w my baby, they started him on abx in the NICU after I finally was able to hold him for about five minutes. The hospital staff handled the whole really poorly - no one told us what was going on, or that what they were doing was standard procedure. They had us sign all kinds of forms and panicked DH and I. I had a meltdown in the NICU, and only after that did an HR-type doctor come talk to us about what was happening. I was in pain, exhausted and worried sick about my baby. Not a fun intro to motherhoood! With my second pg, I was prepared for an unplanned CS if it happened (I had a VBAC), but I just really wanted a drama-free birth where I could hold my newborn right after his birth, no matter how he came out.

Arngbride330

I was so unprepared for my cs. I went in to have tests ran, they monitored me for preeclampsia. So I had to make like 2 trips a week to the hospital that was 45 minutes away from our house. This was so stressful, even more so because we only have 1 car and my husband works in the complete opposite direction. They checked his lungs and they were matured enough for birth. I didn't know how the test turned out until nurses came in and asked me millions of questions and prepped me for a cs!

zbeesma86

I had one because DD was breech.

I honestly don't regret it. I will do it again with the next baby!

HotChocolate79

I failed to progress at all - that's after being induced twice, on two separate occasions.  My body just wasn't able to go into labor even though I was over a week overdue.  After my CS, my doctor told me that I have a misshapen scarred cervix.  I don't know why that would be since I never had any trauma or surgeries prior to having DS but it is what it is, and in all honesty I don't feel like I missed out on anything.  DS and I are both healthy, I had a smooth recovery - there's not much more I could have asked for.

I am likely not a good candidate for VBAC, but even if I was, I have zero interest in a vag delivery regardless.  I am due in July with my second, and we already scheduled a RCS.

Nikkipal82

I have had three surgeries on my bowels, and my surgeon insists on cs for that reason. He said he's had patients try to deliver vaginally, who ended up tearing and were never continent of their bowels again. I was sad to never have a chance for vaginal birth, but I've had time to come to terms with it. I'm glad it is planned, since so many women labor for hours or days and end up with cs anyway.

pineconey

60 hours of labor in an attempted home birth. DS was 2 1/2 weeks overdue and still at station -2 despite near full effacement and 8cm dilated. No one knows why he wouldn't drop, but I came to the hospital out of exhaustion and they were hesitant to let me try vaginal delivery. I'm glad we went with the c section even though it was the last thing in the world I wanted. Surgery scares the crap out if me, but I knew it was necessary for the sake of my son.

jaminjeff

DS got the cord caught between his head and my cervix and his heartrate kept getting dangerously low.  The last number I saw was 28 before they were ripping wires and running me out of the room.  It was 2 1/2 years ago and I still feel so emotional about it.  I know it was for the best, but it didn't make it easy, the recovery was hard and I hated not seeing him for over 30 minutes while they stitched me up.

southbelle

Maybe ask about a gentle/family friendly cesarean. What I missed most about my c was not seeing him right after he was born and being able to hold him. And the gentle c I think would have given me that chance.

Soon2BMrsN

I was devastated when the doctor told me I would have to have a c-section after 22 hours labor (including 3 hours of pushing). When DS1 was one month old, we found out the cause: he was born with craniosynostosis, which meant that all of the bones in his skull had prematurely fused and, as a result, his head would not mold the way it needed to to enter/exit the birth canal properly. He never would have come out vaginally. He had to have skull remodeling surgery when he was twelve weeks old, which was a zillion times more stressful than the c-section. Luckily, he is now a completely normal, healthy almost five year old. I am probably a good candidate for VBAC, but opted for RCS both subsequent pregnancies because not many OBs in my area do VBACs and I'd come to terms with my original c-section.

Worcbride

The first one was unplanned.  I went into labor, didn't really progress and was given the option (the drs opinion was I could labor all day/night and I would probably end up as a CS anyways cuz she felt the baby was too big/I was too small).  The second time around I didn't even consider a VBAC.  My CS experience was great.  Personally, my focus was on the end result--a healthy baby--and I got that.  How I got that was of no consequence to me.

JAM85

I haven't had mine yet but after a failed ECV today we have scheduled mine for next Friday for my frank breech baby. This was not in my plans either and I struggled a lot when I found out but I did a lot of research and will be pushing for a "natural" c section- so immediate skin to skin if all is good While they stich me up, have them pull down the sheet so I can see her being pulled out, hubby cutting the cord, etc
Now I feel more at peace- I did literally everything in my power to have a natural birth but in the end it isn't up to me and what I want most of all is a healthy peanut in my arms.

ave1012

I had to have two emergency C-sections under general anesthesia due to extremely low and dropping platelet count. The second one was ironic because I had blood work done at 35 weeks to monitor and it came back terrible. I was hoping for a VBAC but it was not meant to be. I grieved after because my husband was not allowed in the room, so there was no one (besides medical team) to hear my daughter's first cry, no witness to the birth, no cutting of the cord, and I was so out of it that I really do not remember the first few hours after I woke up. I also never experienced labor. However, though the path that was taken for my daughters to come into the world was not what I had envisioned, I made a life (x2) and that is worth more to me then how they entered the world. 

LaNorte

I was 2 weeks overdue and there was no sign he was coming (0 dialated, 0 effaced) so we started inducing. 4 days of Cervidil, Cytotec, pitocin, breaking my water.... Nothing. Turns out I had a bad combo of tilted uterus, high cervix pointed in the wrong direction, and baby's head was in a poor position. I won't ever get to try a VBAC, which is sad.

BC&LM

Preeclampsia (tried induction first but it failed)

Priest2013

I was in labor for over 24 hours. Even after being on pitocin I wasn't dilated to a 1. My cervix has a lot of scar tissue from the LEEP and cone biopsy procedures I had in June 2013 to remove the cancer so we knew it was possible that I might not dilate. My doctor even tried to rip through the scar tissue but with no success. He decided to call it and gave me a c-section about 27 hours after I was admitted.