Btdt c-section moms

andrea0418 · December 2015

How was your c-section experience?

How long has it been since the birth?

Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac?

If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies?

I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet?

andrea0418 · December 2015

How was your c-section experience?
I was induced at 41 weeks. Everything was doing great until my water broke and baby's heart rate kept dropping with each contraction. Had an emergency csec and it turns out the cord was around his neck that's why his heart rate was dropping. My recovery was actually pretty easy. I never even filled the prescription for pain meds.

How long has it been since the birth?
Almost 2&1/2years. It will be 3yrs 1 month between the births.

Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac? Hoping for a vbac

If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies?
I've already talked to my dr. She says I'm a good candidate and went over all the info with me. I can't go past 40 weeks but they will induce with a low dose of pitocin if I'm at least starting to dilate on my own.

I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet?
I haven't felt anything yet but I'm still very early.

jwittwer · December 2015

How was your c-section experience?
I went in to be induced as I was 41+3. They started with cervadil to soften my cervix, but DD didn't take well to that. The next morning, I started on a pitocin drip. Had back labor and contractions the entire day. Got an epidural and was able to take a nap. This allowed me to dilate a little further. After the last time they checked me, I remember laying there and watching DD"s heart rate on the monitor and saw it plummet. I woke up DH (it was really early in the morning-3 or 4am). The next thing I know there was a swarm of nurses in the room. One was trying to put socks on my feet when the doctor came in and told her to stop what she was doing, we were going to the OR. After that, they wheeled me out of the room. I asked in the hallway where DH was. They (nurses/doc) told me he was scrubbing up because I was having a c-section. We made it downstairs into the OR, when I asked again where DH was. They said it was an emergency c-section and that he couldn't be in the room. Then I got something in my IV and went to sleep. I don't know how long I was out, but when I woke up I remember being freezing cold. After a little bit I got to see DH and DD. It was the most terrifying experience I've ever had, and I am so bummed I missed actually seeing her birth or hearing her first breath. DD was born at 41+5.
How long has it been since the birth?
It's been 17 months today.
Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac?
I am going to try for a VBAC.
If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies?
I haven't met with my doctor yet, but will be discussing this at my first appointment.
I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet?

I haven't had any pain yet, though every once in awhile I have this itch that I cannot scratch, haha.

amandazap · December 2015

How was your c-section experience?

The healing process was super easy. Once I was home, I was trying to vacuum! However, the actual c-section experiece in the hospital was traumatic. It was an emergency because they could not find DS's heartbeat. Turns out, the cord was wrapped around his neck.
How long has it been since the birth?
10 1/2 months
Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac?
csec
If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies?
Yep
I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet?

Not yet.

Xath · December 2015

Here's what I wrote after my last (3rd) cesarean. I snipped it from the May 2014 BMB:

https://forums.thebump.com/discussion/12321039/anecdotal-cesarean-advice/p1

I had my 3rd cesarean section last Saturday, and wanted to share my experiences. I know some of you are planning cesareans, or know they're a possibility; some of you are not planning on them, but may end up with one anyway. So I figured I'd write out what I've learned from the last 3 surgeries in case anyone is curious (or other previous cesarean folks want to chime in).

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. All of this is anecdotal from my experiences, and everyone is different in how they process surgery and recover.

What kind of cesarean are you having?

Many people I've talked to are familiar with the vertical incision vs. bikini line cesarean. At this point, the vertical incision is almost never used except in the absolutely rarest of circumstances. However, there has been a new version of the bikini cesarean developed during the last 7 years that many people are not aware of. Not all OBs practice it, but it makes a HUGE difference in recovery time. The difference comes from whether the abdominal muscles are cut (the old method) or spread (the new method). Everyone I know who's had their abdominal muscles cut has had an absolutely abysmal recovery time. When my mom had her cesarean, we rented a hospital bed for the house because she couldn't sit up on her own for weeks. I know people who've had a cut cesarean as recently as 6 years ago, and my OB tells me that it's still common practice in many areas.

I've had 3 cesareans with the abdominal muscles spread each time. I've been able to sit/stand/walk on my own within hours of each surgery. This is not to say that the spread method has no recovery time or that you bounce back right away, but there is a significantly different recovery curve. Regardless of whether you're planning a cesarean or not, I'd ask your OB which method they practice so you can make appropriate recovery preparations.

Anesthesia

Spinal - With each of my cesareans, we went for a spinal block as the anesthesia of choice. The first time it didn't take, the second it took amazingly, and the third time it took well enough. Even with the issues I've had, it's my prefferred method of anesthesia for the cesarean. I got to witness the births, talk with my husband, and see my babies immediately. Even in the most recent surgery (where the spinal just didn't go terribly high on the abdomen) the most I experienced was physical discomfort from all of the pushing/prodding/scooping, and I'd take that discomfort for the immediate moments of seeing my baby every time.

General - Not going to lie; my first spinal was kind of a cluster. The spinal failed, and the anesthesiologist gave me a drug from a family of drugs I was allergic to (even after the OB told her not to). [This goes into another bit. If you have ANY drug allergies, make sure you educate yourself on what "families" of drugs that allergen is related to. You might not be allergic to the rest of the family, but why take the chance if there are other options? ] Fortunately, my OB is cool under fire, and as soon as I started reacting to the drug, he leaned over the sheet and told me that we were just going to take a nap and when I woke up I'd have a baby. And I did. And he was safe.

The thing to know about GA cesareans is that the actual opening/birth process tends to have to happen a lot faster, as the OBs are racing against the clock to get the baby out before too much of the drug gets into their system. If it's your first cesarean, it's not a huge deal. But if you've already had one, your doctors are going to have to deal with your existing scar tissue, and that causes opening to take longer. What this means for you is that you might get a sleepier baby with lower immediate APGAR scores. But it's OK. Whatever happens on the table, the thing to remember is the priority is to keep you and your baby safe. My GA cesarean was my first, and because my OB is apparently the Waco Kid of obstetric surgery, the whole thing only took 15 minutes open to close, and DS1 was out within 1 minute of me going under GA. Following his birth, I had a lot of anxiety that I wouldn't be able to bond with him as well because I hadn't witnessed his birth or the first 30 minutes of his life. This seemed like a completely rational fear for past me, but present me can tell you that such a fear was not only unwarranted, but also ridiculous. DS1 was fine, immediately nursed like a champ, and is a completely amazing kid.

Epidural - This has been presented to me as an option instead of the spinal, but I've never experienced it, so I can't comment. From what my OB explained to me, epidurals are usually used in cesareans that occur from a complication or lack of progression in a vaginal delivery. If the epidural is already in place, they'll just use that as the cesarean anesthesia.

During the Surgery

Getting "Cleaned Out" - After the baby is born, the OB will clear out the placenta and tissue from the uterus. How thorough they are is variable. Getting "cleaned out" is not a terribly comfortable process, especially when the spinal doesn't take fully, BUT it is totally worth it. The more thorough and aggressive they've been during the surgical stage, the less post-partum bleeding and cramping I've experienced. My OB was SUPER thorough this time. During the surgery it was a few seconds of gagging nausea, as it felt like I was being punched in the stomach from the inside (and sort of was). But the PP bleeding and cramping has been the least I've ever experienced, and I've been able to use regular maxi-pads since day 3 post-surgery. (All OBs should do a certain amount of tissue clearing to reduce the risk of hemorrhaging; it's just the amount of tissue they leave behind tends to vary).

Closing the Uterus - One of the big dangers from repeated cesareans is the thinning of the uteran wall around the scar tissue. This can lead to rare, but scary things like a scar-line uteran rupture or tear during subsequent pregnancies. One thing that will minimize this is a healthy separation between deliveries. While my OBs recommend a minimum of 16 months between deliveries following all cesareans, they also believe that 24 months between deliveries results in a much healthier and recovered uterus. If you're planning (or thinking of planning) on a shorter separation than 16 months, make sure to talk to your OB. One of the things they may be able to do is double-sutcher the scar line, for a thicker hold. Full disclosure: After 4 weeks of pre-term contractions with my DD, my uterus did rupture along the scar line. Fortunately, I was already on the operating table when it happened. When the OB closed following delivery, she folded the uteran wall over itself in a double layer and sutchered twice. This time, the uterus held together, but the wall was too thin to fold the tissue over. So instead, she pulled uteran tissue from behind the bladder, and used that to reinforce the closure line. This time we're planning on putting more space between pregnancies, but thanks to those techniques, my OBs believe that I should be able to have many more children if I so desire.

Closure Techniques

This is the part that seems to vary the most depending on your OB's preference. I've had 2 different OBs perform my cesareans; they both favor dissolving sutchers with tagiderm (a clear plastic tape) on top. I have no other closures to personally compare it to, but I think it's a great option. The tagiderm keeps everything contained and dry until the 2 week follow-up, and I've been able to shower without issues.

I've also seen people have success with staples. The only closure my OB advises against (currently) is dissolving staples. They're relatively new, and he says that the dissolve time varies and he's seen more incisions complications when they dissolve too soon. He hasn't seen serious complications; usually just uglier scarring.

Pain Management

The most important thing I've learned through the 3 surgeries is that it's very important to MANAGE the pain, but not ELIMINATEit. I've done both, and have had a far easier time with the overall recovery when I manage the pain appropriately. At my hospital, they ask you to rate your pain on a scale of 1-10. The goal for a post-cesarean is to keep the pain at a 3 or below. This most recent time, I found that was possible to do using just Motrin, so I did. After my previous cesareans I used Motrin (all three times), Percocet (the first 2 times), and Morphine (the first time). Here's why I prefer the just Motrin approach:

It doesn't fully eliminate the pain, so you don't risk overdoing it. With my first two cesareans, between all of the painkillers, I found that my pain was at a 0 almost all the time. Since I had no gauge to tell when I was overtaxing myself, I did it frequently. I believe my overall recovery took much longer than it could have as a result. With the motrin, I can do what I need to do, but I know very easily when I need to take a break.
No constipation! Percocet will constipate you to a ridiculous degree, and after major abdominal surgery, you DO NOT want to have to strain to poop. If you do take percocet, make sure to ask for a stool softener, preferably with a laxative. If you don't use percocet, the stool softener is still a kindness to yourself, but make sure you take the kind without the laxative. That's a recipe for diahrea, and you do not want to have to try to run to the bathroom in the hours and days following your surgery.
I feel like my recovery has been overall faster (so far) this time. I'm on day 6 post c-section, and I've actually felt so good that I've forgotten to take my motrin a few times over the last few days. I realize pain tolerance and recovery is different for everyone, but this has been my easiest recovery so far. I don't know if the Motrin has made the recovery easier, or if the recovery has been easier so I've been able to get away with just the motrin.

Other Stuff

Abdominal Binder - Get one! Day 1 after the surgery it wasn't a big deal. I was so full of fluids that my stomach still jutted out as though I was 7 months pregnant. But after I started to deflate, I started getting a lot of pain and irritation from my flab folding over on my incision. I talked to my OB about an abdominal binder and she put an order for one in the system. I had one within the hour, and it's made a huge difference. My stomach is supported and it feels great. It's not as fancy or durable as a belly bandit; mine is 4 strips of elastic with a crap-ton of velcro. But it still works very well and I'm grateful for it. I've even been sleeping in it. I took it off for a few hours last night to sleep and felt so much worse after.

Simethecone - Take it! Take it liberally and often. The operation will put gas in your body where you've never had gas before. After my 2nd cesarean, I thought I was having a heart attack because I had terrible chest, shoulder and arm pain. Simethicone (aka Gas-X) is an OTC gas aid, and it makes worlds of difference for me in terms of cramping and overall discomfort. Plus it's chewable in either mint or cherry flavor.

Stool Softeners - A stool softener is helpful no matter what other medications you're taking. After abdominal surgery, you do not want to have to strain to poop. So regardless of anything, I'm pro stool-softener post surgery. The question becomes whether you take the stool softener with or without a built-in laxative. At my hospital, it's the difference between them giving you Colace (no laxative) and Senna-S (laxative). Take the Colace regardless. Only take the laxative if you're taking a constipator (like percocet).

Walking - Get up and do it. I don't wish a NICU stay on anyone, but with my 2 in the NICU, I had to get up a lot sooner and walk a lot farther than I did with my firstborn, and I believe my recovery benefited greatly from it. Each time I get up it gets easier. Even with my first, I'd put him in his rolling hospital bassinet and push him around the L&D ward. I am not, nor have I in the recent years been in any sort of shape (unless amorphous is a shape). I'm not talking about walking miles; just up and down the hallway. It helped me keep my muscles from seizing up, and helped move things through the digestive tract as well.

No matter what type of birth you end up having, I wish you all the best.

Xath · December 2015

And to answer the questions posted...

How was your c-section experience?

(see above)

How long has it been since the birth?

I had cesareans in April 2014, December 2012, and July 2011.

Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac?

I think I'm cesarean for life at this point; my OB frowns upon VBA3C, especially since I had a rupture.

If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies?

Not planning on a VBAC, but this will likely be a new hospital experience for me. I've not 100% decided if I'll have this baby here or go back home to my old OB. We meet with the local specialist this week, and I still have months to decide where we'll deliver.

I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet?

I have periodic irritation on my scar anyway when clothing rubs against it. I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary yet.

ashleybaker712 · December 2015

How was your c-section experience?
I desperately did not want a c-section but my son was breech. They had to stop minor contractions to attempt to turn him. We tried to turn him but his head was wedged between my ribs. During the c-section, his head got stuck at the incision, they had to aggressively pull him out, and the anesthesia made me sick during it all. The recovery was really, really easy and I haven't had pain from the scar at all. Everything healed really well.

How long has it been since the birth?
2 years and almost 3 months

Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac?
Unfortunately, the practice I go to does not do vbac. I like my dr too much to switch so it looks like another c-section.

If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies?
They don't allow vbac, sadly.

I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet?
Nothing yet. I'm just bloating around it.

allyall10 · December 2015

How was your c-section experience?
Induced, dialated fully, pushed for 2 hours. DS never descended and the nurse kept saying his heart rate was dropping (up for interpretation, as the monitor was never properly positioned). So, c-section. Recovery was so easy, I had him at 9:30 one night and was up and walking with him that time the next morning.

How long has it been since the birth?
Jan 2012

Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac?
I would love a vbac, but a c-sec is well-planned, so we'll see.

If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies?
I haven't talked to anyone yet.

I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet?
Nope.

SheHulk723 · December 2015

How was your c-section experience?

I had to have a CS under general anesthesia due to a chiari malformation (part of my brain is herniated out of my skull and into my spinal cord and any pushing or lifting can make it worse) I have mixed feelings about it. I hate hate hate that I never got to experience labor. The worst part was the anesthesiologist woke me up without giving me any pain meds, so I woke up screaming. However, my doctor did a great job with the surgery, my scar is almost not even visible anymore and it wasn't even 11 months ago! My baby is here happy and healthy, so that's what matters.

How long has it been since the birth?

10.5 months

Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac?

RCS.... I would LOVE to have a vbac, but I just can't with the chiari malformation since my neuro didn't want to do the decompression surgery for it.

I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet?

No pain here yet

MrsBSharp86 · December 2015

How was your c-section experience?
My water broke at home. I received pitocin at the hospital to help induce labor as I was not dilating. Epidural was given due to intense contractions brought on by the pitocin. I barely dilated during the 22 hours that I was in labor. Much to my despair, we decided on a c section at that point. I was truly exhausted from labor and lack of sleep (didn't sleep at all during entire process). Sometimes I question whether I should have gone with that decision, but all that matters is that my child was safe and healthy.
Recovery was gruesome while in the hospital. First off, I didn't get to experience my child's first night due to pure exhaustion from being up 24 hours and a major surgery. Secondly, getting out of the hospital bed for the first time was excruciating. I cried to the nurse because I felt like I was being ripped open. I also didn't enjoy being on fluids for two days. I really wanted a slice of pizza and a coke after waiting to eat or drink for 24 hours. Once home, I did much better and didn't take any of my pain meds. I do not like taking meds unless absolutely necessary. The pain I felt was tolerable. I healed well and my incision looks great.

How long has it been since the birth? 20 months

Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac? More than likely a repeat. I would like to use my same doctor and don't want another experience like my last.

If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies? I'm not planning a vbac.

I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet? No pain as of yet.

kwilliams3402 · January 2016

@shehulk723, I have a chiari malformation too. I told the OBGYN about it at my visit around 7.5 weeks, and she didn't seem too concerned and hasn't been treating me like high risk. I've done a lot of reading on the chiari malformation and labor, and my gut is to ask for a C-section with general anesthesia. I already get bad headaches from the chiari and really don't like the idea of labor making it worse and possibly pushing me to a point of needing brain surgery. Did your OB treat you as high risk from the beginning the first time?

amandazap · January 2016

andrea0418 said:

How was your c-section experience? I was induced at 41 weeks. Everything was doing great until my water broke and baby's heart rate kept dropping with each contraction. Had an emergency csec and it turns out the cord was around his neck that's why his heart rate was dropping. My recovery was actually pretty easy. I never even filled the prescription for pain meds. How long has it been since the birth? Almost 2&1/2years. It will be 3yrs 1 month between the births. Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac? Hoping for a vbac If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies? I've already talked to my dr. She says I'm a good candidate and went over all the info with me. I can't go past 40 weeks but they will induce with a low dose of pitocin if I'm at least starting to dilate on my own. I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet? I haven't felt anything yet but I'm still very early.

Wow your experience is so similar to mine. I went in at 40w6d (day before my induction) with hard labor. Around 6 hours into that labor baby's HR dropped from 134 to 62. Same thing-cord around neck. Most traumatizing experience of my life. I had to be knocked out too because I didn't receive an epidural during labor (was trying the natural route.) Will be doing a c-section for this pregnancy.

imakeeff0rts · January 2016

How was your c-section experience?
The actual section itself was fine. My only complaint is that it took them 5 tries to get the spinal in because, apparently, I was sitting strangely on the table and didn't know.

How long has it been since the birth?
About 2.5 years.

Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac?
VBAC

If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies?
Somewhat. I haven't actually met with my doctor yet to find out the specifics, but I do know that they're supportive of VBAC.

I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet?
I wouldn't really say that I'm feeling pain. There's definitely a weird sensation, and I'm not sure if it's because of the scarring on my ute, or if it's just normal ute stretching, but there's some discomfort.

Cosupi4 · January 2016

How was your c-section experience? Excellent! It was scheduled and my ob and nurses were great. They explained everything to me as it was happening and were very understanding of how I was feeling.

How long has it been since the birth? 3 years and 3 months

Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac? Repeat csec. The hospital I want to deliver at doesn't offer vbac. Plus, I had a section bc of how large DS was. They vacuumed his head out bc of how big it was... I have a feeling that'll be the same with the next.

If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies?

I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet? I'm not quite 8w yet, so I can't really comment on this. Haven't felt anything so far.

SheHulk723 · January 2016

.

SheHulk723 · January 2016

kwilliams3402 said:
@shehulk723, I have a chiari malformation too. I told the OBGYN about it at my visit around 7.5 weeks, and she didn't seem too concerned and hasn't been treating me like high risk. I've done a lot of reading on the chiari malformation and labor, and my gut is to ask for a C-section with general anesthesia. I already get bad headaches from the chiari and really don't like the idea of labor making it worse and possibly pushing me to a point of needing brain surgery. Did your OB treat you as high risk from the beginning the first time?

No, I was not treated as high risk, we just went into it knowing I'd have a CS. I highly recommend doing lots of research and I highly recommend a CS, especially if you're very symptomatic. I feel a lot of sadness that I didn't get to have a vaginal birth, however I reached out to moms who gave birth with chiari malformations and the ones who had vaginal births all said their symptoms were made MUCH worse and wish they had a CS. So I know in my heart a CS was the right decision. This time I will be asking for the spinal block instead of the general just because my experience with general was so bad and the anesthesiologist told me the risk of making it worse with the spinal block is relatively small. But general is technically the safest route so you will have to make that decision.

kwilliams3402 · January 2016

Thanks @SheHulk723!

foxxytwt · January 2016

How was your c-section experience? Eh not the best but nothing about the birth was. 32 hour labor with emergency cs after spiking a fever and then there were complications during the cs (they didn't make the incision long enough and I ripped to my cervix causing a large loss of blood). My blood pressure dropped so low they pushed DW out of the way to bring me back to consciousness. All in all it was bad but it could have been much, much worse.

How long has it been since the birth? The 19th will be 18 months

Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac?
I am going to have a rsc scheduled at 39 weeks but if my water breaks prior I will try for a vbac but they won't let me labor long. I only made it to 37w 2d before my water broke so I'm hopeful a vbac can happen.

If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies? My dr has one of the highest rates of vbac success and our hospital is the only one in the state that allows it so many travel to it

I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet? I'm not feeling any pain.

Sekerambo · January 2016

How was your c-section experience?
I had an emergency c-sec after 48 hours of hard labor. I was stuck at 8cm for hours and wasn't progressing. Overall it was a pretty good experience. Not much pain and a quick recovery.

How long has it been since the birth?
Since April 2014

Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac?
Absolutely trying to vbac

If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies?
Our insurance changed so it was one of the first questions I asked when calling around.

I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet?
I did have a little pain/pulling a few weeks ago but massaged the scar for a few days and it went away.

carstekj · January 2016

How was your c-section experience?
First 2011 - My water broke at home at 38 weeks (Sunday Morning). Went to the hospital and was given all the stuff (pitocen) needed to get the show on the road... didn't progress all day and was given cedivil (sp) overnight... I accidentally wiped or something during an overnight potty break and the cedivil came out. Spent Monday on pitocen and contractions got worse... eventually got epidural and by 8pm had only dilated to a 4 :-( Had a c-section at 8:30. Surgery went well, but I was very drowsy. I think they gave me something else that did that, not the original epidural. HEALING- went well. I definitely knew if I pushed myself, because I would have pain but otherwise no issues.

Second 2013 - Planned C-section! After #1 was born, Dr. said his head would have never fit through my pelvis. His head was 98th percentile and he was 8lbs 8oz at 38weeks. Baby #2 measured very similar. So I opted for a repeat. Got to the hospital first thing in the morning and she was born shortly after 8am. This time I was more awake. However, I also felt a lot more! They were pushing very aggressively on my upper abdomen to get her out and eventually also used the vacuum. She also had a large head and was 9lbs at 39 weeks. So, the act of the c/section was more painful, but the healing process was easy peasy. I felt like I was more "with it" and I could actually enjoy her ALL day, instead of being exhausted like with my first.

How long has it been since the birth?
It will be 3yrs by the time I give birth.

Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac?
Repeat for sure!

If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies?

I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet?
I haven't heard this, nor have I felt it with my past pregnancy or this one thus far.

echurley · January 2016

How was your c-section experience?
It was fine. I had an ovarian cyst and was hospitalized because of pain at 39 weeks (the day before they planned to induce me). They decided to induce and I was progressing, but after my water broke, my son's heart rate dropped and wouldn't come up. I was told to remove all jewelry and put on a gurney and rushed to the OR. As I transferred to the OR table I was asked to drink something that put me under. I woke up 3 hours later with a son, no cyst and no more pain. It was great. Recovery was easy and I felt great because my cyst had felt like being stabbed constantly for weeks.

How long has it been since the birth?
Nov. 2011 so 4 years.

Will you have a repeat csec or try for a Vbac?
I will do whatever my doctor thinks is best. If I have another cyst though it will be c-section all the way.

If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies?
They are pro-Vbac when it's best for mother and child so I trust them.

I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet?
It has been really itchy but no pain so far.

SkiChic626 · January 2016

How was your c-section experience?
My actual c-section was actually a piece of cake. I was induced at 38w4d because my BP went way up and baby was measuring almost 11lbs. They tried just about everything, but my body was completely unresponsive to being induced - I went from 3cm (which is where I was before induction and why they thought I was a good candidate) to 5cm in 48 hours....wtf?! It had only been about 24 hours since they broke my water, so they were going to let me keep going if I chose, but DH and I were mentally exhausted and 'over it' so I asked for the c-section. My recovery was pretty easy. I didn't take any pain meds at all after the first day or two, the nurses were like uuummmm are you sure you don't want something? I really didn't feel that I needed it. Honestly the worst pain was when my uterus would contract during breastfeeding, which happens no matter what. I was up walking around as soon as the anesthesia wore off, and I was begging to take a shower - again, the were shocked that I wanted to be up and around so quickly. I also refused a wheelchair when we left the hospital - again, my choice - I took the walk super slow. I really think my recovery was so good because I was up and around, that's the best thing for you. I wasn't running any marathons or anything, but I also wasn't babying myself.

How long has it been since the birth?
As of today it's been 19mos3day since my c-section. When I have this baby it'll be about 2 years and a little less than 2 months between surgeries. My doctors all recommend AT LEAST 18 months between births when you have a c-section to allow for full recovery. Since I'm in NJ, I needed to wait for at least 24 mos between births so that I could qualify for the NJFLA again, so that wasn't an issue for me.

Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac?
My plan is to have a repeat c-section, but I haven't been to my OB yet to talk about it. My RE was pretty much like you'll probably opt for another one, but you never know.

If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies?
No, but I've heard that my new OB encourages it IF that's what you want and there wasn't a medically necessary reason for your first c-section, which for me there wasn't other than I was over the who induction process after 2 days of nada.

I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet?
Nope, nothing yet anyway. I'm 10w4d.

akoehn369 · January 2016

How was your c-section experience?

My c-section experience was a little bit different. I was induced at 41+3. Had cervadil and pitocin...after 24 hours I had not progressed at all. Went in for a c-section and everything was going fine until they removed the placenta. Turns out I had a bad case of placenta accreta and we had no idea. I hemorrhaged and lost consciousness and was in surgery for several hours. I had a balloon put in my uterus and had multiple blood transfusions that night. My recovery was slow just because I was so weak from the blood loss. But over time, I recovered okay. Pretty scary situation though!

How long has it been since the birth?

Almost 7 years.

Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac?

Repeat c-section because of the accreta mentioned above. I haven't had my first appt yet and don't until 10.5 weeks (next Wednesday) but they had talked about treating this pregnancy as high risk. We will find out more next week.

If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies? N/A

I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet?

I haven't had any weird feelings in my scar yet so hopefully not!

kwilliams3402 · February 2016

@SheHulk723 - I saw the neurologist today after advice from my OBGYN, and he said he basically leans C-section with spinal anesthesia (didn't see a need for general), but he wants to think on it, and it's up to me. I am supposed to see the ophthalmologist to see if my optic nerves are still enlarged/swollen, because that was the thing that led down the path of the MRI and chiari diagnosis in the first place, and he said it'd be a good indicator of whether I still have increased intracranial pressure, since we don't really want to do a repeat MRI. So we'll see. I really just want the experts to put their heads together, make a recommendation, and let's do it!

bearsandbeets7 · February 2016

How was your c-section experience? It was not bad. I was induced at 41 weeks, started me on pitocin, I dialated to a 5 and then stopped progressing completely for about 2 hours. My blood pressure shot up to 160/110 so I got an epidural and they gave me blood pressure medication which caused my BP to bottom out. After about 24 hours of labor they took me back for a c section which was really quick.

How long has it been since the birth? 15 months, it will be 22 months when I have this baby

Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac? I wanted to try for a vbac but my doctor and the hospital I'm delivering at don't do those so I'm doing a repeat section.

If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies?

I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet? I've felt a little bit of uncomfortable pain over the past few days but I've chalked it up to RLP. I completely forgot about my scar honestly.

mooncusp22 · February 2016

How was your c-section experience? It was as fine as having a surgery could be. Dd1 was breech 20weeks + so I was prepared (though that was not in my original plans!). I had to have her at 37w5d because my amniotic fluid was getting very low. I was emotional about it at the time because I couldn't do skin to skin, and I also had an extremely tough time breast feeding. Milk took forever to come in so she was on formula but I kept pumping to get it going. Over a week later I started getting some where if I could get for 50% that was a good day. She got used to bottles though so I never got to breastfeed. Just pumped & supplemented with formula for about 3 months then my supply dwindled.

How long has it been since the birth?
she is almost 2

Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac? Haven't decided yet but the risks of c-section are less then vbac so leaning that way though I do want to experience giving birth.

If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies? My doctor is fine with it if everything is looking good for one.

I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet? Not at all.

ladipale · February 2016

How was your c-section experience?
I've had 2 - Jan 2011 was emergency after long labor and 2 hrs pushing. 2nd was in Jan 2014 - planned c/s which was great.

How long has it been since the birth?
Just over 2 years since the 2nd, 3rd will be 2 yrs, 9 months after 2nd

Will you have a repeat csec or try for a vbac?
Repeat. I was hoping for VBAC with 2nd but then was high risk due to GD that needed insulin to treat so that went out the window.

If you are planning a vbac do you know your doctor/hospital policies?
My OB was very open to the idea for my 2nd baby - its why I picked her but not for 3rd. I'm a little sad I'll never have a vaginal birth but the 2nd surgery and recovery was so much better than the first.

I've heard that the scar can be uncomfortable once the uterus starts stretching out again. Anyone feeling any pain yet?
I don't remember that at all with my 2nd and haven't felt any with this one (I'm only 11 weeks now)

blackistonemcgrail · February 2016

I was induced at 41 wks 1 day and pitocin is no fun! I ended up with a c section for heart rate decels, and the cord was wrapped around a few times. They also said he was wedged into my pelvis so wouldn't have come out easily. A c section ended up being the best for him since he had at some point had a skull fracture that led to some other complications. I am so thankful for a surgery that saved him from a much worse situation. My recovery wasn't bad but I have nothing to compare it to.

I long ago decided against VBAC. I want to avoid any complications that we had the first time around, plus the risks with any VBAC. I have a new OB and she is on board with that.

I have actually had some itching along my scar or feeling like a bug is crawling on me. I wonder and want to ask my OB if it will stretch/expand or change as I go through my pregnancy (it's the bikini scar not a vertical one).

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