Pros/Cons of C-sec

tzrbug · December 2007

So Monday the 10th my doctor is decidign if we go c-sec route due to the baby's size (8 1/2 lb by then) and that I have not dropped at all!
I want the low down, dirty truth about c-secs so I can either ease my mind or be prepared. I am tired of crying and searching for info in my "What to expect" book.

I have a cousin & best friend that just went thru c-secs but I'm afraid they will sugar coat knowing I am a weenie. Please tell me alll about your c-sec experience--the good, the bad and how you're recovering!

TIA!!

bambipooh · December 2007

I was induced on November 18. I was in labor for 12 hours and pushed for an hour. My baby was stuck because the cord was wrapped around his neck so the doctor told me that I would need a c-section. I was terrified because I didn't want to go through it. I wasn't prepared for it at all.

I was wheeled into the operating room 5 minutes after the doctor told me and they prepped me for surgery. I was given an epidural and I was numb from the neck down. Within 10 minutes, I could hear my baby crying. That was the biggest relief to hear that cry. I didn't get to hold him until they wheeled me into the recovery room. I think I was in the operating room for an hour. I didn't feel a thing.

I was in recovery for an hour and a half. I was so exhausted. Then I was wheeled into mother/baby right after that. I was in some pain. The nurses took really good care of me. I was heavily sedated the first night. By the next day, the nurses made me sit up on the side of my bed by myself. I didn't have any trouble at all. By that evening, I was up walking around. I had to walk slow but it wasn't too bad. The nurses and my doctor couldn't believe how quickly I was recovering.

I was in the hospital for 3 days. My staples were taken out the day I left. I was prescribed Ibuprofen 800mg for swelling and some pain killers. I have to put neosporin on my scar everyday.

I was actually out shopping 3 days later. My recovery hasn't been that bad. You have to pace yourself. If you feel tired you should rest. Don't push yourself to much. You are restricted to lifting no more than 10lbs so be careful when you put your baby into the car seat. Let your husband lift it into the car. That can be very heavy.

I didn't think the c-section was that bad. I thought pushing and my contractions were much worse. I think you will be fine. Just listen to your doctors and your nurses.

tzrbug · December 2007

Thank you SO much! what a relief to hear stories of the c-sec, I still haven't dropped so we're down to just a few more days before he will probably go ahead and schedule me, just trying to take it all in and stop thinking I have done something wrong to not even be given the chance to labor. It's tough and I know it's partly hormonal but the end is near and I can't wait to find out if it's a boy or a girl, we've waited for SO long!!

Thanks again!!

mrsschrager · December 2007

I was very anti c section through out my pregnancy, I wanted a medicated vaginal delivery but now that I have had a c section i would not want to go any other way. I will have a c section with #2. I got very sick at the end of my pregnancy and ended up getting pre e and something called hellp syndrome. I had high blood pressure protien in my urine and my liver began to fail. I started out with an induction after going to my 39 week appt and being told i needed to go to the hospital. They induced me..( i was unable to have a epi becuase my blood platelets were too low, my blood would not clot correctly) I labored through the night but did not progress.. I ended up with a c section the next morning under general so i was compleatly out. I had THE BEST experence. The pain that I felt after my c section was no where near as bad as the natural childbirth i experenced. I had the c section on a sat morning and was in bed until monday morning.. this was also cause i was in the icu cause of my condition. The sooner you get up after a c section the better. you will be sore I am not going to lie and take the pain meds they offer you if you need it. They put staples in my incision and they did not hurt to take them out. you will be uncomfortable for a while and will have to take it easy for a few weeks. you ahve to take it slow and you will walk like a 90 yr old man for a while. don't lift anything after except for you baby. I have herd that the post pardum bleeding is not as bad for c section moms.. for me this was true.. i only bled heavy for a few days and then it was like a light period for about a month.It takes about 6 weeks to feel 100% again. I was so scared about the possbility of having a c section when I was pregnant but when it came down to it and i was in the middle of labor i was so happy to have the c section... I would have been nervious too if i had a planned c section because then i would have been thinking and obcessing forever. I am not going to lie i will be nervious the next time but that is mainly cause of the epi and that i will be awake the next time! I am ok with the actual surgery. I know it is a scary thing to think about but it will be over before you know it.. best of luck to you!!!
v
ds 9/8/07
m/c 8/4/06

bambipooh · December 2007

I totally agree with Mrsschrager!!! I would rather have the c-section than go through the pain i did when I was in labor. My next one will be a c-section.

smallbutfeisty · December 2007

I went into labor at 1am. I stayed home until about 12:30pm. I was given pitocin at 4, I think, and my water was broken at 9pm. I developed a fever and was to have a C section at 10am.

Thank God for epidural!

Anyway, on the table, everything was great until they took my son out. I guess my epi started to wear out at that point and I felt every tug they made. They ended up putting me under.

I woke up very groggy and disoriented.

That night, they made me walk to the bathroom. It sucked worse that just about anything ever. The only thing worse was laughing/coughing/sneezing after the C.

But, MH and I took a lap of the floor each day and that seemed to help. I was doing realy well by the time I got home.... I think I was better when I got home than a friend who delivered naturally was when she got home.

Yen007 · December 2007

The hardest part for me was the spinal block. After that it was a breeze. As for healing. I healed very well....I was up and walking in the hospital on the second day. I was home on day 4 and was doing good. I had a little problem with the incesion leaking.....so make sure to take it easy. I was in a wedding as a BM 3 weeks pp.

rach1015 · December 2007

I just had my c-section on 12/8/07 so am still in the recovery process. I went into L&D 12/7/07 to be induced, but I developed a fever and baby's heart rate was dropping at the end of my contractions so my doc made the decision to do a c-section with me dialated to almost an 8. I know I didn't make it to the pushing part of a vaginal delivery, but I did go through 10 hrs of labor and would have to say that the contractions sucked, but pain was managed nicely by the epi after I was dialated to a 4. The thing that I couldn't handle during labor was seeing DD's heart rate drop...it was making me a nervous wreck everytime! It was a total relief when he said we were going to be having her via c-section. Don't get me wrong, I was scared/nervous, but at that point I didn't care how they got her out as long as she was okay.
They had me in the OR quickly and DD was here before I knew it. I did get queezy after DH and DD left the room and they were putting me back together, but that's not uncommon. The nurses had me up and in the shower less than 24 hrs after the surgery. It was very awkward and quite painful at first, but after I was up for a bit it wasn't so bad.
The worst part of my whole deal was that I ended up with C-Diff (an intestinal bacteria) while I was there as a result of all of the antibiotics. I wish I would've been aware of the symptoms so I would've known what to look for because I thought I was having diarrhea from all of the different meds they had me on along with the stool softeners they were giving me. We were in the hospital for a total of a week because of the C-Diff and I'm struggling to recover.
I'm up moving around just fine now, but need to take it easy as my incision is now leaking from me doing too much. It's frustrating to not be able to do whatever you want or need to do, but it's very important to take it easy afterwards.
The surgery itself wasn't bad at all though. The recovery is tough, but just think of how many women do it and remember that you're not the first one to go through something like this.
I had a friend who had a vaginal delivery a week before I had my c-section and she's still hurting from tearing. The way I look at it is I didn't have to blow out my va-jay-jay or tear anything thanks to having a c-section.
HTH and Good luck!
Rachel

Pros/Cons of C-sec

Re: Pros/Cons of C-sec

Choose Another Board

Search Boards