Intro

kygirlie113

Hello, Ladies.  I was very excited to see a C-Section board, and I am just now getting the chance to venture over and introduce myself.  My name is Sarah, and I am a middle grades language arts and reading teacher.  My husband and I have a very active, very cute three year old, and we are currently TTC #2.  

Below is my birth story; it's kind of long, so please don't feel obligated to read the whole thing.  I had an unplanned c/s, and I am really hoping for a VBAC for #2, but given the drama surrounding my first c/s, I am not sure if a VBAC will be in my future.

I look forward to getting to know some of your better! 

My son was born three years ago via c/s. My water broke at 5:45pm on Saturday night literally right before taking Castor Oil (yuck, I know, but I was hormonal (sp), desperate, and tired of having sex). Once we arrived at the hospital, I was started on Pitocin because I wasn't contracting, but was 100% efaced and 2-3 cm dialated. My son's heart rate was bouncing all over the place and dropping very low each time I contracted. I was given an epideral around 11pm even though I didn't need one at the time. Midwife wanted to go ahead and give me one because she was going to put internal monitoring on my son because of his heart rate, and she stated it would be easier to do that if I had my epideral.

Long story short,my blood pressure bottomed out from the epideral, his heart rate kept dropping, nurses spent a good four hours turning me from side to side, which caused epideral to fall out,I experienced hard labor for two hours (going from not feeling one contraction to feeling full blown ones was quite the experience), I was on oxygen, had a second epideral, and waited it out until about 5:30 am. At that time, OB came in and explained that the situation with my son's heart rate was becoming a serious problem. She said that since I wasn't past 5cm at that point, if I didn't agree to a c/s, she was probably going to have to do an emergency one in an hour. Not wanting an emergency one, my hubby and I agreed to a c/s. I know it sounds like she was harsh, but she really wasn't. She explained the entire situation fully.

During the c/s, the doctor pulled my son halfway out and then had to push him back in bc the cord was wrapped tightly around his neck five times (hence the low heart rate drops and no progress). It was during this that my uterus ripped on its own vertically down to my cervix, giving me a t shaped cut in my uterus (hortizonal from OB, vertical from tear).  One of the nurses in my c/s said she had never seen the cord wrapped that around that much and that tightly.

mama livingston

Hi Sarah and welcome to the board! I just had my sweet baby 4 weeks ago and this board has been great for me. I've had a lot of mixed emotions about my c-section and I love being able to come on here and have so many others who 'get it'.  I'm sorry your c-section experience was so scary, but so happy that you and your little one were okay! Did your o.b. say that you would need repeat c-sections?

kygirlie113

Hi!  It is nice to be able to swap stories!

The OB who delivered my son is not a VBAC friendly practice and said I would need a repeat c/s.

However, I have since switched OB's for a totally unrelated reason, and my new OB said there is no reason why I couldn't try a VBAC.  But, I am hesitant to try a VBAC (granted I am not even pregnant yet) given my uterine tear from the first c/s.

mama livingston

I was told that I could only have c-sections from now on also. it's been weird for me. I find myself being mad at myself about my first c-section. I wonder if it's my fault that my DD went into fetal distress b/c of the pitocin. We were induced at 39w 1d because the placenta had started failing and she had stopped growing.( She was 5 lbs 6 ounces when she was born) Our ob told us it was safer for her to be out than in, and since I was full term it was time to get her out. So while I know the induction was necessary, but I wonder if I had insisted on a more natural induction if I would be sitting here right now with an 8 inch incision in my abdomen, still in pain and still unable to take care of my DD w/out assistance from my husband at night to get her out of her bassinet when she needs to eat or be changed (most of the time she sleeps with me so this isn't too big of an issue). I get upset with myself feeling like I am the one who put her in danger and that's why this c-section happened.  Sorry for venting...I don't even know where it came from.

 Anyway, my point being is that I am hoping to try a VBAC next time....but we'll see if I can find a dr who will let me try. I love my ob now, but we're moving so there's some hope.

lilydeven

welcome and good luck ttc #2!

I had no idea your uterus could rip like that! I'm sorry you had a difficult csection.

kygirlie113

mama livingston:

I was told that I could only have c-sections from now on also. it's been weird for me. I find myself being mad at myself about my first c-section. I wonder if it's my fault that my DD went into fetal distress b/c of the pitocin. We were induced at 39w 1d because the placenta had started failing and she had stopped growing.( She was 5 lbs 6 ounces when she was born) Our ob told us it was safer for her to be out than in, and since I was full term it was time to get her out. So while I know the induction was necessary, but I wonder if I had insisted on a more natural induction if I would be sitting here right now with an 8 inch incision in my abdomen, still in pain and still unable to take care of my DD w/out assistance from my husband at night to get her out of her bassinet when she needs to eat or be changed (most of the time she sleeps with me so this isn't too big of an issue). I get upset with myself feeling like I am the one who put her in danger and that's why this c-section happened.  Sorry for venting...I don't even know where it came from.

 Anyway, my point being is that I am hoping to try a VBAC next time....but we'll see if I can find a dr who will let me try. I love my ob now, but we're moving so there's some hope.

I understand your frustration.  I was very bitter, almost angry for a long time over my c/s.  Silly, I know because I would not have my son if I did not have a c/s.  But, it was very hard not to be able to take care of my son afterwards.  I am just now ready to TTC #2 because I was so scared by my first birthing experience.  everyone dreams of a perfect birthing experience, and when that doesn't happen, its very frustrating.

I, too, blamed myself.  But, it was beyond my control, just like it was beyond your control, too.  It gets easier everyday.   

kygirlie113

lilydeven:

welcome and good luck ttc #2!

I had no idea your uterus could rip like that! I'm sorry you had a difficult csection.

Thanks!  I never knew that could happen either.  Very scary.