I. am. SCARED!

Parkness2010

I had a scheduled c section with my DS as he was a big baby...10lbs 4 oz. I am now pregnant with my 2nd child and scared to death for another c section.

I hated the experience. strapped to a table, helpless, not seeing my son right away and then the pain and discomfort afterwards. terrible!

Any advice at all...positive or negative.

 I just really need to hear it from other moms who have had 2 c sections.

sokmonkee3517

E was an emerg c-section and if I were lucky enough to have another baby, I am told that it would have to be c-section as well.  I have two friends who have had 2nd c-sections and both have said that the recovery for the second was sooooo much faster and easier than the first.  As for the section itself, it is what it is as far as being strapped to the table, etc.  I will tell you that I imagine a planned c-section MUST be far and away a much better experience than an emergency one!!  Talk to your doctor about how you want things to happen.  That you want to see the baby immediately.  There are happy mediums to this experience that I have heard and read about.  You have time, look into it, ask questions, and talk to your OB!

jjhp2018

I am 8 days pp from my 2nd c-section (RCS but I went into labor day before my scheduled date).

Positive things about my repeat - I knew how things were going to go ; it happened fast because I went into labor but not as much of emergency as the first had been so it was more laid back ; I wasn't as out of it because I hadn't labored all day first ; and my BP didn't drop like it did with my first.

Recovery has been way harder this time around, unfortunately. And this baby had too much fluid left from the c-section and was in the NICU on oxygen and a feeding tube for a few hours. I didn't get to officially meet her for 7.5 hrs. (Since my legs were still numb I couldn't stand to get in the wheelchair to go to the NICU) 

I declined the morphine with this one due to excessive itching and scratching my face up with my previous one. Bad idea. I started getting feeling back in the recovery room not even an hour later. Pain was VERY hard to manage after that. In the hospital there were many tears from pain.

Even coming home the pain killers weren't taking away the pain and the first 1.5 days I was having to breath through it like I was in labor again before the pain killer would kick in enough to help ease it to a throb. (this is after trying tordol, norco, vicodin, demerol, and finally percocet/motrin mix). The percocet was amazing last time but this time it didn't do as good a job. I believe it is because they told me to take them every 6 hours and last c-section I was told I could take them every 4 hours - which helped me stay on top of it. By the time I noticed this it was already day 5 though so it didn't help me any.

I kept telling the nurses during my stay and they did all they could per the docs orders on my chart. By the time I got to speak to my actual doctor (I had an on call doc) she had already given me the percocet and it helped enough for me to function so I didn't have her try anything else.  

So, I learned a few things for next time! Take the morphine and deal with the excessive itching - that way I know my pain will be controlled the first 24hrs - and make sure I go straight to percocet every 4 hours from the start!

I really hope your experience is better recovery wise. The actual procedure went great - my problem was pain management.

rosesandpeonies

I had a much better experience the second time around.  My first one was also scheduled.  I don't know why, but I did much better the second time, even though I had a few complications.  I recovered quicker, etc.  Its hard to tell you not to worry about it, but just let your dr. know your concerns and maybe some things can be adjusted during the surgery to make you feel better.  good luck with everything

angiefusco

I had an emergency c section with my first, as after the past 8 hrs. dilation hadn't changed at all, blood pressure & heartbeats kept rising. I was very upset when the doc told me it was necessary, as it was the one thing I wanted to avoid the most! By the time E came though, I was just ready to have her out and know that she was ok.

This time I am having twins, so I dont' have much choice again. I have one sceduled already. I am fine with it, now that I know what to expect. And hoping that it can be a little more relaxed and not as urgent this time! I agree with being disappointed at not being able to see the baby right away. This time I have already talked to my doctor about lowering the sheet just so I can see the baby be pulled out. He said that is usually possible. The pain was really bad afterwards, but my baby was in NICU for a week, so that gave me some extra days to recover. My doc prescribed vicadin for a week, and let me alternate it with ibuprofen. It really did a good job with the pain.

I think you should talk to your doc about how you feel and see what they can do to help. I'm sure there are many others who feel the same way as you do.

monica92603

I just posted above about my repeat c/section.  Please read it and hopefully it will comfort you a little.  FWIW, repeat c/sections tend to have much much better recoveries.  Also, ask to not have your arms strapped down.  Mine weren't and all they said was more or less if I started to freak out, they'd have to secure them. 

Good luck and congrats on your pg!

valkyriemama

I've had three planned c sections.  They never strapped me down for any of them.  My recoveries from them weren't that bad at all.  Sure, I had pain, but I was up on my feet pretty quickly and the nurses were always super impressed.  The thing is, the sooner you're up and around the quicker you will recover.  I did get a spinal headache from my first c section, but that's a rare occurrence.