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VBAC
mamajanna28
member
what to expect with a c section...HELP!
mamajanna28
member
in VBAC
I am hoping that you ladies may be able to help me out. I found out today that I am definatly going to have a C section on May 27th due to my LO being Frank Breech and nothing working to turn him. I never thought that I would have a c section and had every second of my natural birth planned out in my head from the first contraction to the moment I see my son. I never even read the C section portions of my pregnancy books!! I have been doing alot of research the last few days but feel so unprepared for this. Does anyone have any advice, tips or experiences they could share with me? I am mostly concerned about having a panic attack on the table (I have had panic attacks a few times during my pregnancy) and the length of time it will take for me to recover. I am very independent and don't want to have to rely on people being at the house to help me while DH is working. I am terrified at this point and my doctor was not very patient in answering questions today.
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Re: what to expect with a c section...HELP!
Sorry to hear your news. But it sounds like you are a strong woman, and you will get through this. Here are some tips that come to mind:
-During the c-section, it really helped me to make eye contact with my husband throughout the procedure, especially when I was feeling pressure. Encouragement from him helped me get through it.
-It will still be a sacred moment when they hold the baby up, even though it is not the birth you hoped for. Try to focus on the positive moments of the birth, like when they bring your baby up to your face.
-Afterward, some high-waisted large cotton underwear were the best.
-Definitely get all the help you can for as long as you can. I couldn't hold my baby and stand up from a chair or bed for the first 5 or 6 days, so it really helped to have someone help me out.
Hang in there dear.
It's normal to feel the pulling, tugging and pressure during the c/s, which can sometimes be intense You shouldn't feel any sharp pain though. It's also normal to feel nauseous but they can give you medicine through your IV. They can also give you something to help you relax if you feel anxious or panicky.
When you go home, don't forget to get your pain med rx filled. In all the excitement I forgot and that was the only time I started to really hurt.
Take your stool softeners!!! I can't stress this enough. Also eat some fiber and drink lots of fluids. Post-op constipation can be brutal.
I had a very easy recovery. A c/s doesn't have to mean tons of pain. Good luck to you!
I think you are doing the best thing to prepare, getting info. I had a hard time with my section because I never expected it, so I never read the portions in the books about it, so try to be as informed as possible.
I too am independant, but take all the help you can get. I tried to do too much during my recovery, and now have a muscle injury to deal with.
Take your pain meds! The few times I forgot or was late taking them, I was miserable and couldn't get out of a chair without help.
Be sure and have plenty of loose fitting clothing and take all the mesh panties from the hospital. I didn't take the panties, and mine were rubbing on my staples really bad, so I had to cut my underwear.
Maybe see if they can give you something for your anxiety?
I agree with the others' statements and would like to add:
- Expect a longer hospital stay than with a vaginal birth and consider staying an extra day, if offered. I was told I could go home if I felt well enough after two nights but my insurance would cover a 3rd night if I wanted. I'm as independent as they come and I recognized another night would do me good.
- Shoulder pain. I had lots of pain in my right shoulder during recovery. It's called referred pain and it went away by the time I was discharged, but it was pretty uncomfortable and I had no idea it would happen.
- You'll probably still have postpartum bleeding. Mine was 6 weeks.
Both of my c/s were after long labors. I've heard that scheduled c/s are a bit better because you are expecting them. Here are things that surprised me.
Anesthesia made me shake bad and experience nausea.
It's REALLY cold in the OR.
They will make you get up and walking very soon after surgery.
Stay on top of your pain meds.
Get moving soon but then take it easy. Don't push yourself.
Peeing and pooping may be a struggle at first as well as passing gas but both are very important.
You are going to need help and please take it. I don't like getting help either but you will probably need it for a week after you are discharged from the hospital.
I HATED my c/s and really grieved not being able to have my natural birth but the sweet baby in the end overshadows the pain and recovery.
Good luck to you!
More stuff I thought of. It's pretty standard for them to take you into the OR alone first to prep you (insert spinal, etc.). Then they will let your husband in for the surgery.
Some hospitals will strap your arms down, some don't. You can ask the anesthesiologist about this.
You might want to ask ahead of time about what they do with the newborn after s/he is delivered. Some hospitals will take them to the nursery right away and some will have the baby stay in the OR with you the whole time. You should find out what the standard procedure is at your hospital so you know what to expect. You can ask them about keeping the baby with you as long as everything is healthy.
If you plan to breastfeed, the football hold is a good position for after a c-section.
You may want to ask that family and friends wait a couple of days to visit you. My biggest mistake was underestimating how difficult the first few days of recovery would be. We had visitors at the hospital from 10am to 8pm every day. I was absolutely exhausted. I didn't get to ask the nurse for painkillers. It was really awful.
I also agree that you should stay in the hospital for as long as insurance and the hospital will allow. The moving bed is magical. Getting up from a lying or seated position at home will be difficult.
Once you get home, take whatever help is offered to you. I had a pretty slow recovery, compared to some. It was a while before I really felt good. So, take it easy.
Congratulations on your upcoming birth! With my first, I had a previa that moved in the last two weeks. I spent my pregnancy either wanting a planned C/S or a Vag birth. My fear (which came true) was having a long, horrific labor that would end in C/S. So, I'm happy for you that you won't have the exhaustion from labor going into your surgery and recovery.
The OR is freezing and the medicine made me shake like crazy (so much that my OB kept asking me to try to stop- but I couldn't help it). The anesthesiologist was very kind and kept putting heated blankets on me, holding me to try to prevent shaking, stroking my hair, and telling us everything that was going on. He also took our first family photos.
Once they finished cleaning me up (baby was getting cleaned/weighed etc with dad) we all met up in recovery where I was able to try nursing for the first time.
The hospital will give you these giant mesh panties which worked great for me- they also sent me home with enough to last several weeks.
I wish I stayed a 3rd night in the hospital (but again I'm not sure what recovery is like without 3 days of hard labor before hand). I know that different states have different policies regarding length of stay.
I actually really appreciate the fact that my husband got to get a "crash course" in caring for baby while in the hospital since it was hard for me to move quickly. I had experience with babies before, but my husband had none, so it was nice that he got to learn how to change diapers, burp, care for the cord, bathe the baby, etc under the supervision of nurses without me telling him what to do.
If you're in pain, call the nurses. Let them know you're uncomfortable.
In addition to the other great advice by previous posters, I found that getting up and moving around helped me with recovery. I got up and showered as soon as I was allowed. Also, follow your instructions with respect to eating and definitely eat before you go. I was STARVING after laboring for 24 hours and then having my emergency CS...and they wouldn't let me eat anything but jello and broth after my CS for awhile. You aren't supposed to do stairs for a week or so following the CS, so, if your house has stairs, make sure you set up your "living" arrangements and baby care stuff to accommodate your limitations. In terms of clothing, in addition to high waisted undies, high waisted anything or loose dresses were important to me, I couldn't stand anything sitting on my incision. I also opted for stitches over staples, which I heard heal better (my scar is ropy and itchy still, so i'm not sure that was true in my case).
I also had a scheduled c-section for breech at 39 1/2 weeks. I tried everything to get my son to turn - including a version and acupuncture - he was stuck in my ribs and was not budging. I had almost no pain. I was moving around pretty well the next day. I did get nausea/vomiting after the section - it didn't hit til I was in my room and it lasted for about 16 hours, so that was a little miserable; but honestly, otherwise the c-section itself and recovery weren't bad. My milk took a little longer to come in, so my son lost too much weight initially and we had to supplement with forumla with a tiny sippy cup - but he had no problem learning to nurse once he started gaining again. I am independent too and I did have to ask for help...but more from the exhaustion with nursing every 1-2 hours than anything else.
I think not being in labor did not help my recovery go smoother. I hope to VBAC this time, but honestly, I bonded really well with my son while breastfeeding and the OR staff was great about keep him close to me in the operating room and we were never separated so I don't feel like I missed out on anything.
ITA about the shaking part! I was practically shaking off the table and DH thought I was having a panic attack or was totally loopy... until he talked to his sister that had also had a C/S and she explained it was normal. And it's COLD. They even gave me heated blankets and everything, but was still freezing.
And the cocktail that they made me drink before I got the anesthesia... I can't remember what it was for, but it made me throw up on the anesthesiologists shoes when I was on the table getting prepped. (Hehehehe. I'm sure he didn't appreciate that....)
One thing that happened to me is I had a reaction to the adhesive on the bandage they put over my incision. Basically I had chemical burns all over my stomach and it stung like mad when anything touched it. I wish I had mentioned it sooner but I just assumed pain was par for the course. Be sure and let someone know when you're in pain of any kind so they can help you! That's what the staff is there for!
My best advice is, now that you know this is how your baby is coming into the world, embrace it. I had a similar situation to yours - frank breech baby, unable to turn (plus high blood pressure and low amniotic fluid). I found out at 37 weeks that I was definitely going to need a CS and was devastated at first. I had spent those 37 weeks day dreaming about my labor and delivery and had gone to weekly of birthing classes preparing for it. I felt angry and robbed of the chance to experience what I envisioned experiencing. As the day neared, though, I managed to change my tune. This is how my sweet baby girl was going to come into this world and to not appreciate it is just not fair to her! I was worried about panic attacks too - but I just made sure to explain my concerns to my anesthesiologist beforehand. She assured me that she would take good care of me and I trusted her. So as I laid on that operating table with my husband holding my hand beside me, my body was numb but my excitement was anything but! I think the right attitude can do wonders for your experience. It truly ended up being the most special moment of my life.
As for recovery, I suggest staying at the hospital as long as they/you/your insurance will allow (I stayed 3 nights after surgery). That'll give your body a kick-start at healing because you'll be so well taken care of. Then when you're home, remember to take your meds and relax as much as possible. I honestly felt so much better a week later! But definitely don't push it. The easier you take it during those first few weeks, the faster your body will reward you!
Good luck and congratulations!!
I agree with a lot of what PP said. Like you, I never read the c-section portions of my books because I was determined to have a natural birth. I somewhat succeeded and had a drug-free labor, but after 3 hours of pushing and not making any progress, my son was born via c-section which I never imagined happening.
I didn't feel anything during the surgery. I agree with making eye contact with your DH/SO. That helped me to relax a ton. Be prepared to be alone while being prepped for the surgery. That was one of the worst parts for me (especially because I was in active labor while getting the spinal).
My immediate recovery was tough, but I am hoping you won't experience that since your c/s is planned. (I was so dehydrated and swollen from pregnancy induced hypertension that it took 7 attempts to find a vein to give my pain meds).
Stay on top of your pain meds in the hospital and at home (whether you think you need them or not). I also agree with taking stool softeners and eating as much fiber as possible. I was not prepared for how difficult that first BM would be.
Don't be afraid to ask for help. Get up and moving in the hospital as soon as you feel up to it. I strongly recommend putting a step stool next to your bed at home. If you live in a 2-story home, plan to camp out on one level for as long as possible. I did the stairs way too many times.
Also, another shocking thing for me was the PP bleeding. I bled until the day before my 6-week PP check-up. I did not expect to bleed that long.
Congratulations on your LO and best of luck to you!
i had the exact same situation- breech baby, c/s at 39 weeks exactly, heartbroken. I'm also super independent and prone to panic attacks!i DID have a panic attack on the table so i wanted to share that experience with you because in the end i was FINE and it all truly worked out okay.
As they rolled me into surgery DH waited outside while they started my spinal. as soon as i hunched over for the anestesiologist i started to panic. his nurse held my hand and talked me through everything. i laid down and i felt my heart fluttering and i felt my eyes go blurry and i said i cant do this i really cant. I knew though that the baby had to come out and this was really the only way that it could happen if i wanted us both to be safe. i laid back and closed my eyes tightly and after what was I guess a few minutes i heard the nurse tell someone she's very anxious. she was tellign dh. dh did what he and i discussed he woudl do.he held my hand and talked to me about our daughter and my pregnancy. happy memories and things he was looking forward to doing as a family. while he talked i listened and concentrated on breathing in and out and i finally relaxed. when tehy started tugging on the baby i felt my chest get tight. during that i called out loudly i feel pressure on my chest! and i described everything i was feeling to the doctors. that way they woudl know what i was feeling and they could determine whether it was normal or panic. i thought that by reporting my symptoms they could treat me accurately. they kept telling me it was normal and to keep breathing in and out. at one point i remember they said this is what it feels like when we pull out the baby, you are okay. a few seconds later they held my baby over the curtain and from that point on i just watched them clean her up and cried and held DH's hand. i was totally engaged in her. i asked questions about her weight, apgars, appearance... i remember asking if she was cute! then they showed her to me for a minute. when they were done and she was on her way to the nursery with dh i started to panic again. i concentrated on breathing deeply and talking to one of the nurses. i made a fool of myself, but i didnt' care, i needed to be distracted and i needed to be kept company in order to get through this so i asked the nurse to talk to me about anything under the sun- and he did and i was so grateful. I was so proud of myself afterwards for over comign the fear of this procedure and getting through the attack.
in short... make sure your doctor knows you're concerned about panic. that way he or she can help you along if you do panic. make sure you talk to your FI about what to do if youre scared. tell him if you want him to talk, be quiet, hold your hand, stroke your hair, describe what's going one, etc. focus on your breathing. use everything you learne dto prepare for labor breathing during your c/s. just breathe. when you breathe it does help the panic subside. i ahve' had panic disorder for many years and this does really work. and finally, don't be afraid to be vocal during the procedure. explaining when i felt hot, or when i felt my heart palpitate, or when i felt pressure really really helped me because my doctors could tellm e that it was normal or not.