C-Section

holly321 · April 2011

Is anyone else have a hard time dealing emotionally with having a c-section? I had my baby two weeks ago, and I get weepy thinking about the c-section every day still. I did have to have general anesthesia, so I am not sure if that is my issue.

Bridgetkate28 · April 2011

There are days when I definitely feel like I missed out on a lot with having a C-section. Not to mention LO was taken the NICU right after and I didn't get to hold him till the next day. So I definitely feel like I missed out on a lot of bonding and the experience of pushing out your child. But then I realize that I still have the most beautiful gift I could ever receive and that he got here in a way that allowed him to be as healthy as possible so I'm ok with it.

But I know what you mean.

TakeLuck · April 2011

I want to give you a hug because I know exactly how you feel I had an emergency csection and it has taken me weeks to emotionally recover. The first month was the hardest but it has gotten better. I felt cheated out of the delivery I had planned and cried about it multiple times every day. I wasn't knocked out but I do not remember a whole lot about it. I vaguely remember hearing my son cry (and being told he was a boy) but most of my memories are second hand from what my husband told me.

I know it's probably been said to you a thousand times but you have to look at the positives: you have a healthy baby. The csection was likely for a good reason (for me, 30 hours of labour, no real progress and the baby's heart rate dropped dangerously low) and even though you didn't get the delivery you hoped for, you got the baby. Keep your chin up and look forward because you will eventually start to feel a bit better about it

g8orell · April 2011

No...i'm happy to have a healthy baby! DD's heart rate was dropping and after 24 hours of labor...15 without epi, I was happy to have DS via planned c-section. Labor sucked and I'm happy to never go through it again!

Honestly, a lot of my friends with vaginal deliveries have had lots of PP problems...incontinence, inability to orgasm, one had to have surgical repair of a 3rd degree tear 3 times already and is having a planned c-section next time.

ABizzity · April 2011

I am so sorry!

I had a planned c-sec and I thought it was great. I was not under GA though, just a spinal and I got to see him be pulled out and nurse right away.

Try to focus on the positive. I am grateful that I had a healthy baby boy.

mrsfrates · April 2011

I have actually been thinking about this lately as well. Iwish I would have been able to progress after 12 hours of natural labor.. I knew I couldn't take anymore from being induced.. My mind and body were completely exhausted. I wasn't put under, thank God, but I understand how you feel. I'm hoping next time I can have VBAC. I think we just have to say to ourselves that our LO's came out healthy and that's all that matters.

1ht

cfranklin1 · April 2011

*hugs* I know how you feel. I always envisioned my birthing experience with my husband at my side, in a quiet and dimly-lit room, watching my baby come out of me and then having him up on my chest. I was looking forward to it, and if I really let myself think about it too long, I feel like I was robbed of that opportunity.

That being said, I think I recovered faster from a c/s. My epidural had worn off by the time I started pushing, and just having the nurse push against my cervix was the most ungodly pain I've ever felt. I had done very well breathing through contractions, but having his head and her fist up there was unbearable. I was afraid to push because of it. He wasn't in any distress...he was actually tolerating labor very well, but he did have a true knot in his cord. My doctor said that if I had pushed him out, the knot would have tightened and she still would have had to cut his cord immediately and hand him off to the nurses. He was engaged on his forehead instead of the back of his head, so if I had pushed him out, she would have had to use forceps and I probably would have torn something awful. After an hour of excruciating pushing, my cervix was starting to swell, and I was mentally and physically exhausted. I couldn't stop crying, and I wasn't putting any effort into pushing because of my fear of pain.

So knowing all that stuff that could have gone wrong makes me glad she gave me the option of giving up. She was willing to let me labor some more and try to get my cervix to open, and manipulate his head down, but I just couldn't. I was ready to quit. The worst part of the surgery was that they couldn't get me completely numb, so I felt her closing me up. Thank God I didn't feel her taking him out, but my chest was burning the whole time.

I try to look at the positives. I have a beautiful, healthy baby boy, and I healed quickly. I was up walking 8 hours after my surgery. My scar looks like a wrinkle on my belly, and my vag is no worse for wear Smile . I do feel like I missed out on the experience, but if I had it to do over, I probably would have asked for a c/s when I got stuck at 5cm for 4 hours that morning.

holly321 · April 2011

I guess it really bothers me because I feel like it could have been avoided, not the c-section, she was breech, but the anesthesia. I kept telling the anesthesiologist that I still could feel, and she kept telling me that it would change it time. Then my ob came it, she told him I was ready, and he started to cut me open while I had full sensation on the right side of my body. I feel like if she would have listened to me they could have redone the spinal. And to top it off, my ob and the anesthesiologist got in a huge argument, she kept telling him to continue the procedure, that it would work in time. I know it is better than Anna being taken to NICU, but it took me a few hours to wake up, so I didn't get to see her for hours after her birth, they had to give her formula, because she was hungry, so I wasn't able to breastfeed. Then to top things off, my mother in law left before I came out of recovery, which just makes me mad, that she stayed to see my baby, but couldn't stay to see me. Which she planned on staying for labor, so it wasn't like she had plans.

honkytonk_kid · April 2011

*hugs* I'm really sorry you're having a hard time- I can't imagine having to be put under g/a.

My c/s was not really traumatic but definitely NOT what I had planned on. I had a really hard time with it at first, I'm feeling a little better now. You're definitely not alone in how you're feeling.

Please don't let anyone make you feel bad for having a hard time with this. A healthy baby is not ALL that matters, I hate hearing that. Of course that is the #1 concern, but your health and happiness (physical & emotional) matter too.

holly321 · April 2011

Thanks. The c-section itself does sort of bother me, since I was already 5 and a half cm and 90% effaced when I went it to be induced, my ob kept telling me I would have quick easy labor. But when my dr. broke my water, he realized the baby was breech, she had been heads down for 2 months! But since the only reason I needed a c-section was that she was breech, I should be able to have a vbac.

kirbnjame48 · April 2011

I completely know what you mean! I had a terrible labor, ended up having three epidural pokes due to some spinal curvatures and ended up with an emergency c-section. I had to be knocked out to have my little girl because the chord was wrapped around her arm causing her heart rate to drop and they couldn't numb me. I basically felt like I went to sleep pregnant and woke up to find someone had taken my baby. It was a terrible feeling! I spoke to my counselor about it and she asked me what I missed by having a c-section. Because this is my first child, I didn't know what a vaginal birth was like, so what did I miss? Yes it wasn't ideal, but I look at my little girl and wouldn't change it for the world. If I didn't have a c-section I wouldn't have this perfect little girl. So try and remember the end result is worth every bit. And P.S. it could always be worse. I've been in the hospital 3 separate times for my incision getting infected! You always have to remember to smile through it.

honkytonk_kid · April 2011

holly321:
Thanks. The c-section itself does sort of bother me, since I was already 5 and a half cm and 90% effaced when I went it to be induced, my ob kept telling me I would have quick easy labor. But when my dr. broke my water, he realized the baby was breech, she had been heads down for 2 months! But since the only reason I needed a c-section was that she was breech, I should be able to have a vbac.

Ugh that sucks. I was at 3cm and 80%, my LO was breech too.

Thinking positively though- to get to 5.5 and 90% without even being in real labor is awesome! Hopefully next time will be the same. And you're right, previous c/s for breech has a really high VBAC success rate.

The VBAC board on here is great, btw.

valeivegas · April 2011

Give yourself time to process the labor. You weren't prepared for a c-section so it was a surprise - along with your LO being breech. My LO was breech all along - & a BIG baby (less likely to turn) - so I knew for months that it would probably be a c/s. Still, there were many days I cried about not being able to have the natural birth I wanted. In the end though, I'm happy I had a c/s instead - like pp mentioned, I know many people that had many problems after a vaginal birth - I'm glad everything's 'intact' down there! I would definitely do a c/s again next time. Try to focus on the fact that you're healthy, baby's healthy - in a month you'll be feeling much better about things, I promise..

mkrystalkay · April 2011

I had a planned c-section with DD#2 due to her transverse position and am very thankful to have her here healthy. I had the spinal and was completely aware of everything the entire time. I can't imagine having general anesthesia! That would be strange going to sleep pregnant then waking up without baby! Maybe just give yourself time to process everything. The first 2-3 weeks postpartum are emotionally draining anyway

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holly321 · April 2011

kdodge423:
holly321:
I guess it really bothers me because I feel like it could have been avoided, not the c-section, she was breech, but the anesthesia. I kept telling the anesthesiologist that I still could feel, and she kept telling me that it would change it time. Then my ob came it, she told him I was ready, and he started to cut me open while I had full sensation on the right side of my body. I feel like if she would have listened to me they could have redone the spinal. And to top it off, my ob and the anesthesiologist got in a huge argument, she kept telling him to continue the procedure, that it would work in time. I know it is better than Anna being taken to NICU, but it took me a few hours to wake up, so I didn't get to see her for hours after her birth, they had to give her formula, because she was hungry, so I wasn't able to breastfeed. Then to top things off, my mother in law left before I came out of recovery, which just makes me mad, that she stayed to see my baby, but couldn't stay to see me. Which she planned on staying for labor, so it wasn't like she had plans.
Why could you not breastfeed? Because she had one bottle? That's BS. It might have taken more work, but it doesn't doom you to not BFing ever. Have you considered filing a complaint with the hospital about how things were handled? It could prevent it from happening again to someone else.
As for the MIL thing, it's boring watching someone sleep. You were in good hands- if she didn't want to stick around, she didn't have to. Other people's lives don't revolve around you.
It sucks when things don't go as planned, but you and baby are healthy and safe. That is the important thing. The rest is just details.

They were having a hard time waking me from the anesthesia, so although I was in good hands as you say (which was I really? the anesthesiologist did keep telling my doctor to continue cutting me while I could completely feel it) she didn't know that I was okay.

utgirl2 · April 2011

I had a vaginal delivery my first time and this time I had a scheduled c-section. Vaginal births aren't always how you have them pictured. I pushed for 2 1/2 hrs tore up and down, and it took 1 1/2 hours to stitch me back up. My nurse said it was the worst vaginal delivery she had seen and my doctor still talks about it. It took me a whole year to recover with 2 separate surgeries. I could barely walk the first 5 weeks of DS life. I could only urinate in the shower because it hurt so much to sit on the toilet. I am tall too, 5'9 and about 148 lbs so I wasn't this petite thing that had a big baby, I am tall and a normal weight. I had an 8lb 11 oz baby that should have come c-section and instead was born with forceps.

This time around I had a growth ultra sound and the baby was measuring the same as DS. After much consideration I decided to do the c-section. I am glad that I did. I thought I would miss the birth experience that I had with DS, as far as them laying him on my chest, and watching him get weighed and footprints done. I still feel that I had a good experience. They let me see him before he was taken to the nursery to get weighed, but I got to hold him as soon as I was in recovery. He came to my room with me and stayed in my room the whole time I was there. I was up walking that night, where as before I couldn't walk with my vaginal delivery and bawled my eyes out when I tried to walk.

This experience has been better than my vaginal delivery. I am sore in different ways, but this is 100% better than trying to recover the first time around. Like the others said, try to think of your healthy baby now, not so much of the procedure. Yours is a bit different though because you were knocked out. Maybe you should consider talking to a therapist about it to sort your feelings out if you are still feeling this way in a few weeks.

flhokie · April 2011

I had a scheduled c-section and was actually very happy with it. I had a spinal so I was awake and aware throughout. DD was 9 lbs 5 oz with very large shoulders. Because the u/s was only showing 8 lbs 3 oz 2 days before DD was born (but she was measuring 97+ percentile all the way up to that one u/s) I was given the option of inducing or scheduled c-section. I decided that it wasn't worth the risk of shoulder dystocia, etc. and decided to opt for the c-section. Honestly, I'm just happy DD arrived safely and is healthy.

holly321 · April 2011

Don't get me wrong, I understand that it matters most she is healthy. But at the hospital, the nurses kept upsetting me over her size and what she was eating. It made me feel like I didn't care for her properly while I was pregnant.

When i woke up in the recovery room, the first thing I remember was asking the nurse beside me about the baby, who she told me was fine, then said she was 5 lbs 15 ounces, and said they thought she was premature, which my ob said was not the case. The whole experience with the hospital was awful, I would not go there again if I didn't love my ob, I think he has the best bedside manner of any dr I have ever met, sadly though, he was out of town 2 days after I had the baby, so I had to see other obs while I was there.

JessiRaye · April 2011

I had a terrible experience with my first. I felt like my vaginal delivery had been ripped away from me and was so sad to have a csection. But now, almost 6 years and 2 more babies later, I am totally at peace with the delivery. My 2nd two deliveries were scheduled and went so smoothly. I understand how you feel. Hugs!!!

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