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Babies: 0 - 3 Months
NorBryDE
member
emergency c-sections...ventish
NorBryDE
member
I see alot of people on here saying they had emergency c-sections. I just want to make sure of something. An emergency c-section is something I had experiences. My daughters cord prolapsed and they rushed me off, knocked me out, and didn't let my husband in the room for my c-section. I have no pictures from her birth, I didn't meet my daughter til about an hour and a half after she was born, others knew I had a girl before I did. This is an emergency c-section.
For those who had planned to deliver vaginally, but some other circumstances warranted a c-section, but you were awake, your DH got to scrub in, you have pictures of your childs birth, or some from a short time while with you and them, even if it is just your face and someone holding your LO next to you, you didn't have an emergency c-section. You had an unplanned c-section.
Maybe I am sensitive over this because, like a post not too long ago, it is difficult to deal with, but it makes me angry when the term emergency c-section is used incorrectly.
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Re: emergency c-sections...ventish
I had a partially planned C-section. In that we always knew it was a possibility/likelihood. After 10 hours of labor when it was decided I was on the table less than 15 mins later. I wouldn't call that an emergency.
I do, however, consider my recovery to have been hell on earth.
And it definitely sucks that you had to go through that.
My doctor called mine an "emergency c-section" even though I did get to meet my baby right after he was born, and we did get to take a few pictures. I had severe pre-e, on the verge of having seizures, and if they wouldn't have done the "unplanned" c-section as you call it, the baby would have died, and I could have to. The only cure for pre-e is to get the baby OUT.
So you can't tell me just because I got to see my son after he was born, got a few pictures of him, and didn't get knocked out doesn't consider it an emergency c-section.
I hope this doesn't sound insensitive to you, because I do feel sorry for you about your birthing experience. But you said that it makes you angry when the term "emergency c-section" is used incorrectly, and I don't think that a doctor such as mine would say it if it was incorrect.
Yeah, that part is untrue OP. If you've already received an epi there is a possibility of being awake during an emergency c/s. Just because you weren't drugged and passed out does NOT mean you didn't have an emergency c/s.
My dr described my c/s as an emergency situation. DS was actually stuck inside my birth canal and they were concerned that his heart rate would begin to drop considerably the longer he was wedged in there. I had no choice in the matter as it was essential to possibly save my son's life. I'm very sorry for what you went through, but I think you are overly sensitive to your situation and perhaps are not realizing that other emergency births do not have to look exactly like yours to be considered an emergency.
I had an unplanned c-section that was not an emergency, and I have always made sure to call it "unplanned." I was not forced to have it. DH and I chose to do it b/c DD wasn't moving, her heart rate was accelerating, and I was starting to get an infection (I had a fever). We wanted to go ahead and do it before it became an emergency.
That said, I'm not sure I completely agree with your point of view. I think it is possible to have one that is an emergency and still be able to have someone in the room with you and take pictures afterward. Whether you go into the surgery quickly or they have a few minutes to take their time and get ready doesn't seem to effect who can come in and whether pictures can be taken. I've heard from some people who had true emergencies but were still able to do those things. I think every situation and every hospital is different, and you can't draw large conclusions like that. JMO...
Ditto both.
No I think she means if the cs was performed b/c of an emergency situation, not just b/c your induction went too long. If time was not of the essence, and the baby absolutely had to come out immediately - that's an emergency. If your DH had time to scrub in, it wasn't much of an "emergency".
I think that's what she was getting at.
this is like my story... and my dr. called it an emergency c-section too.
why does it make you so angry. ?its weird to me.?
This, exactly.
Since my doc referred to my c-section as an emergency, I will do the same. Thankfully, I already had an epi and they were able to just put more medicine into it and they made sure they got DH in there very quickly...but chances are, DS would have died or had some serious brain damage if they hadn't gotten them out when they did. To me, that's an emergency.
Hmmmm, you know my story. My DH was in the room, does that make my emergency c-section an unplanned c/s too?
I think emergency c/s and unplanned c/s are pretty much the same thing. They are done out of necessity b/c the baby is unable to be delivered naturally.
I get that you're having a hard time with your delivery story, it's hard, I know, I've been there. But emergency c/s and unplanned c/s are the same thing. Your c/s was unplanned also.
I'm sorry you're birth experience wasn't what you hoped for. I would certainly be disappointed too.
Your little girl is sooo cute!
I had a placental abruption....was not awake....DH was not allowed in the room.....saw her for 15 min the night she was born, they wheeled me into the NICU to see her. Then 6hrs later they transported her to another hospital, DH went with her (obviously) and for the 1st 4days of her life (my entire stay in the hospital), I didn't have her or my DH with me. My Mom stayed with me 24/7 in the hospital and DH came and had dinner with me each night, then went back to the other hospital. There is no harder thing than to be on the damn Mother/Baby unit with no baby.....nurses and nurses aides don't know what to say to you and just look at you like you feel sorry for you....it's a bummer.
I think mine more than qualifies as an emergency c-section, and I more than understand your sensitivity about it....... but I don't know other peoples stories and wouldn't want to tell someone their delivery wasn't emergency-ish enough.....I'm just sayin'.
Web was in the birth canal for too long and had trouble breathing. His heart rate dropped as well. They got me in (after 2.5 hours of pushing), I was awake, DH got to scrub in, there were pictures, and I completely believe this was an emergency. He even had to go to NICU for 4 hours due to rapid breathing and a temp of 102.
I understand that you may be upset with how you're delivery went, but it's not cool to completely void other mom's emergency c-sections and their feelings about it.
this. i know unpopular opinion....
ITA. "Emergency" c/s is used a lot when it wasn't a true emergency. An emergency c/s means the baby has to be delivered within minutes or someone could die. If they took half an hour to prep you, it wasn't an emergency. My section was unplanned, but not an emergency.
OP, I'm sorry you had such a difficult birth. I'm glad your daughter is OK. It sounds like you might still have a lot to process about your c/s, which is perfectly normal. Have you looked into ICAN at all?
You're saying that an emergency c-section is not..
1.) What starts out as a vaginal birth and then the baby is "sunny-side up" and cannot come out on his/her own so they rush to get the baby out in time?
2.) Its not a total decel in the HB and Momma is rushed to the Op. room to make sure that baby and momma are okay?
Sounds like your a little bitter by this issue because you missed out on something that many, who did had emergency c-sections still got to experience. Believe me, if I was in your situation, I would be a little bothered by that. Does your bitterness still warrent a snarkfest for those who had emergency c-sections? I don't think so.
THIS.
They aren't the same thing. My section was unplanned but happened at a leisurely pace.
Doc: I don't think the baby is coming out this way. I think we need to do a c/s
Me: Can I try pushing for another half hour? (sob sob)
Doc: Sure.
Half an hour later, no progress.
Me: OK, let's do the section (sob sob)
Doctor calls, OR is prepped, husband scrubs up, they fiddle around with my epi. Everyone took their sweet time because there was no rush. My baby's life was not in immediate danger and neither was mine. NOT an emergency.
Some unplanned sections are emergencies, but not ALL.
I agree. I think maybe she just worded her OP wrong and put a lot of people on the defense (IMO).
OK I agree with this. I would hate to be hung by my toes though
Oh, that's how they did mine. The drs said it would be easier to get DS out that way!
Exactly this. Well put CheekyMommy.
I am sorry that your birth experience was so hard. I had an unplanned c-section after being in labor for twelve hours. There is no way that I would describe mine as an emergency. Honestly, I have always felt that my OB pressured me into having a section because she didn't want to hang out at the hospital all night while I was in labor...that is another story.
But, I learned after the section that even though the medical definition for why I had a section was failure to progress that there are two types of c-sections as far as doctors are concerned emergency and planned. So there doesn't need to be an actual emergency for a woman to have an emergency c-section.
Well, who are you to tell her what she should care about and how she should feel? There is nothing wrong with having leftover feelings about your c/s. A healthy mom and baby is the most important, but it's not ALL that matters. A mother's emotions matter too. Of course she's happy to have a healthy beautiful daughter. That doesn't mean she can't be upset at how her delivery went.
OP, you have every right to feel sad, angry or disappointed about how your delivery went.
I agree with everything except the last sentence. Apparently it's not "nothing" if it got her so worked up. Her emotions are perfectly valid.
FWIW I was pretty depressed about having a section for awhile and people telling me that I should just be happy that I had healthy babies did not help. Of course I was glad that I had healthy babies but having unplanned surgery was very upsetting and I was very sorry to miss all of the things associated with a vaginal birth. My DH didn't get to cut the cord, I couldn't watch them being born or have them put on my chest, we were not allowed to take pictures in the OR, I didn't see my babies until after they were clean and swaddled. I agree with the pp that you should check out the ICAN website. It was very helpful for me.
This. I understand you feel cheated out of a better delivery but there are many ways an emergency c-section gets done. If you do the section for a life-threatening condition (prolapse, big heart rate decels, uterine rupture, fevers, seizures, etc etc) it is an emergency whether you are asleep or awake or if your dh is there or not. If you have a section because your labor isn't progressing or you've been pushing for three hours, etc, you can call it unplanned. Some emergencies are just more pressing than others,
This exactly. It sucks that you had the birth experience you did and obviously still have some bitter feelings about it. However, you can still be awake and have an emergency c/s. I also didn't get to see DS for several hours after he was born because he was a preemie and was not breathing when they pulled him out during my emergency c/s (that I was awake for). I finally got to see him for about 5 minutes in the NICU 3 hours after he was born. I got to touch him 2 days later and finally hold him the day after that. We do have pictures but only because DH took them on his cell phone... it was such an emergency that I was never in labor and went from an OB appt to L&D and then to the OR.
I usually don't play into the whole "my delivery story was worse than yours" because someone always has it worse. There are plenty of people that have babies that don't make it through delivery or the days after or can't conceive at all. But the OP discounting other emergency situations took it a bit far for me. At least you're lucky enough to have a baby you can hold in your arms!