C/S Mom Thread-3/24

pourmeanothermocktail · March 2018

Lol, kept meaning to do another iteration of this for a while.

Here's a thread for all moms who have had a surgical delivery already, OR who are planning on one in the future. Be warned, there's a standing trigger warning of surgery/medical intervention, and potentially trauma here.

Post prompts:
How many and what types of births have you had?

Reasons for c section(s)?

Birth plan for this/these babies? Any Special preparations?

Wisdom to pass on, or wisdom wanted?

mrsman2018 · March 2018

@pourmeamocktail Thanks for starting this thread.

How many and what types of births have you had?
I have had one CS.

Reasons for c section(s)?
Baby was breech and they did not want to attempt a vaginal.

Birth plan for this/these babies? Any Special preparations?
No real birth plan yet. I am leaning towards a repeat CS as I had a good experience last time. Where I live you do not see your OB till 16 weeks, and in my case 18 weeks - so we will talk about options then. My GP, who I see till then, doesn't discuss birth plans.

Wisdom to pass on, or wisdom wanted?
Wisdom I want is experience on VBACs. Were you happy with your birth? Or if you had a repeat CS, how was your experience?

pourmeanothermocktail · March 2018

Had one (bad) section, now I'm feeling very strongly about a VBAC. I have a doula, a home birth midwife, and a backup OB on my team. Hoping my mom can make the birth, but she's been unavoidably out of state since September, so no idea. But we'll see.

Section was for breech, but he was also born at 35+4. If he was just another week older I would have probably intentionally stayed home and called 911 if we ran into issues because I couldn't find a supportive provider.

We're preparing by talking to friends about home birth and reading a metric butt ton of books-about breech birth, non-medicated birth, and just-in-case unassisted birth. My son and I both had complications from bad choices doctors made, so I'm really hoping to avoid interventions.

Wisdom to pass on: if you're wanting a VBAC, I think avoiding pain meds and really doing a lot of research and choosing the right provider is key. Likewise, if you choose a c section, find a provider who supports your wishes for how cord, baby baths, and nursing is handled.

marym94 · March 2018

How many and what types of births have you had?
2 sections

Reasons for c section(s)?
1st was blood sugar and high birth weight related (was in labor first) and second was RCS

Birth plan for this/these babies? Any Special preparations?
RCS again. I had really good experiences both times - even the first one that was after I labored (2nd one, which was scheduled was a breeze - and I didn't think the 1st was bad at all either)

Wisdom to pass on, or wisdom wanted?
My RCS was so peaceful - after spending time with my family (not eating or drinking all morning) I went to the hospital, checked in, and after a while walked back (!) to the OR and talked to the drs and nurses while everything was set up and prepped - totally excited and feeling great. The first time I had meds in my system since I had already been in labor, so while it wasn't rushed per se, the pace and experience were different. Got to see my babies right away - brought right to me - and we were in recovery, nursing, very quickly. I was EXTREMELY tired about an hour (give or take?) after both sections and remember telling my husband that I needed a nap

ha! and crashing. I shook because of the meds (but it didn't bother me...just had the shakes for a bit which I understand is super common).

biggest piece of advice 1) try walking as soon as they clear you bc the pain after the surgery (for me) was all related to gas trapped - and I didn't have it at all the 2nd time, but I didn't know that the first time - so the second time I was really insistent on walking as much as possible and moving my legs as much as possible and taking gas X and I literally had no gas pain the second time. first time I did - and it was terrible - but I totally avoided it the second time.

pourmeanothermocktail · March 2018

@marym94 Congrats on two great births! I wonder if sometimes more gas just happens. I got up at 12 hours post surgery, and walked as much as they would let me, and I still got that terrible gas pain up in my shoulder. I wonder if some surgeons just cause more, idk. I remember demanding gas meds twice, but didn't really care about having more it pain meds for my incision, lol!

Once I found out the NICU was only like 4 doors down from my room, I walked back and forth a ton to see my little guy!

mrsman2018 · March 2018

marym94 I forgot about the shakes. I didn't like that. And I was soooo tired in the recovery room, waiting for my room. I was holding DD skin to skin and kept dozing off and the nurse kept coming in to tell me don't fall asleep.
And yes, walk as soon as you can.

marym94 · March 2018

@pourmeamocktail yes - I think the gas X helped a ton - i packed it in my bag (and took it religiously) - but you are right, maybe it is different each time. Maybe I was open longer the first time (gross!) ha. incision and surgery pain had NOTHING on that shoulder pain (gas).

@mrsman2018
yeah the exhaustion. mine hit after i was back in my room (out of recovery) but it was intense and i couldn't help it. i would be curious to hear about post delivery exhaustion for vaginal deliveries... physical exhaustion from delivery vs surgery, meds from vaginal vs surgery vs med free.. I just know that it was indescribable exhaustion!

yankeeinthesouth · March 2018

How many and what types of births have you had?
One c-section!

Reasons for c section(s)?
High blood pressure and unfavorable conditions for an induction (I basically chose the c-section). Oh and it was Christmas Eve.

Birth plan for this/these babies? Any Special preparations?
Repeat c-section. I know it's not necessarily a popular opinion but I really have no issues with having a c-section at all. I won't say it's a breeze because it definitely hurts -- but it's really not that bad.

Wisdom to pass on, or wisdom wanted?
I agree with everything said here. Walk ASAP even though it's scary and it hurts. And Gas X totally rocks. The post-surgery shakes suck but they go away (for me it was like an hour). The shakes are just kind of... annoying... if that makes sense. Lol.

pourmeanothermocktail · March 2018

@marym94 I know, that shoulder pain was so bad, and of course, you've just had abdominal surgery and you need to use your arms to push yourself upright out of bed. Wtf guys, totally not fair!

mauishay · May 2018

Hi all! Happy to have found this thread

I’m trying to start working on my birth plan, I would love to hear what y’all have planned.

How many and what types of births have you had?
One emergency C-section

Reasons for c section(s)?
Was in labor for 24 hours and the last hour my sons heart rate dropped 3 separate times and they couldn’t figure out why.

Birth plan for this/these babies? Any Special preparations?
Scheduled c-section. My son was so stuck in my birth canal after being in labor for so long that it took a nurse pushing him back up, my doctor pulling him out and a second doctor vacuuming him out. Yeah. I guess normally the incision is 25% of the uterus but because all that was going on, mine tore 75% around. My doctor is afraid that if I go into labor and have contractions that I could have a uterine rupture.

I was at a birthing center last time (till I was transferred) so I hadn’t even looked into c-section options. I’m interested in family centered c-sections and would love to know if anyone has done something similar.

BostonBaby1 · May 2018

How many and what types of births have you had?

2 c sections.

Reasons for c section(s)?

I have a condition that causes tachycardia amongst other things. I had developed pre e with my first and he was 8lb 8+oz so primary c. DD I really wanted to try for a VBAC if possible but I never dilated past a fingertip so RCS.

Birth plan for this/these babies? Any Special preparations?

Definitelt RCS. There isn’t a hospital that will do VBAC so I know RCS is safest.

Wisdom to pass on, or wisdom wanted?

Every section is different. Even if you feel great, try not to overdo it.

mrsman2018 · May 2018

BostonBaby1 How did your second CS compare with the first?

BostonBaby1 · May 2018

mrsman2018 said:

BostonBaby1 How did your second CS compare with the first?

It was different. Emotionally it was easier. Less scary as I had been through it before. A bit more difficult physically. I can’t take narcotics (no oral pain meds) and my epidural fell out in the recovery room (we found out about six hours later as the spinal wore off that the epi wasn’t connected.) Despite that setback, healing went really well. Even with a toddler. This time I plan to again get both a spinal and epidural but will have the epidural double checked to be certain it’s still in. I still don’t have any qualms about repeating the process though.

mrsman2018 · May 2018

BostonBaby1 I have the option of a repeat CS and feel okay with it - I am just worried about recovery with a toddler.
So did you get the spinal and epidural just because you can't take narcotics? I think I only got the spinal and it wore off fast. Not sure though cause it was all a blur.

momof5sept18 · May 2018

Post prompts:
How many and what types of births have you had? 3 c sections

Reasons for c section(s)? First c section I had very high blood pressure after I mentioned to my OB I had a lot of really bad swelling the night before, but it subsided, they checked my BP and rushed me to the hospital. I was induced for 14.5hrs and didn't dilate at all. Baby was in distress, I had some complications during the pregnancy, and my body was in distress, the safest option for the best outcome for baby and I was a cesarean. My second two cesareans were repeats. This cesarean is a repeat as well, plus I'm having twins this time.

Birth plan for this/these babies? Any Special preparations? Repeat Cesarean.

Wisdom to pass on, or wisdom wanted?
My only suggestions are to get up and walk as soon as you can. I count down to the minute and call the nurses the second my 8hrs is up to remove the catheter so I can get up and walk. We're not allowed to walk for 8hrs but once the 8hrs is up I get up and walk the hall and back, and get a shower so I can feel more human lol. Besides that, try not to scare yourself. Oh, and don't watch cesarean births on YouTube. Best of luck to all you mommas

Brieb33 · May 2018

Hey all!

Post prompts:
How many and what types of births have you had? Four births - first c section bc water broke and I was in labor for 18 hours with no progression past 5cm. My doctor, I feel, was a jerk and wanted to go home bc it was Sunday and he’s a mon-fri kinda guy. I later found out women can have their water broken for days as long as baby and mama are fine and will just treat with antibiotics.

Second was vbac.

Third was c section bc come to find out I almost ruptured during my vbac.

This baby has to be a c section bc I’ve had two now and almost ruptures with the one vbac.

Reasons for c section(s)? Already stated above.

Birth plan for this/these babies? Any Special preparations? None, I already have my c section scheduled.

Wisdom to pass on, or wisdom wanted? While my vbac was so much easier and better I don’t know that I would recommend it with all the possibilities of something happening to you and baby. But some women have great and successful vbac. I just feel like now I have a minor prolapse uterus and I’m sure it’s from having c section then vbac then c section within 3 years of each other. Body didn’t get to recover, and put my body through too much.

mrsman2018 · June 2018

Brieb33 Thanks for the wisdom. I am feeling a lot of pressure from people around me and my OB to try a VBAC. I have many concerns with it so I feel more comfortable with a RCS.
How was it recovering from a CS with two small children and a newborn?

arcticseal-2 · June 2018

@mrsman2018 I have 2 VBAC's and 1 c-section due to occipital posterior and failure to progress (first child). For the first VBAC, initially I booked a c-section at about 5 days over due (about the same amount of time I went over with my first), then later in the pregnancy changed it to an induction.... I felt that gave me enough time to go into labour and still gave me an "out". I also talked to my doctor that if labour wasn't going well and if baby was positioned wrong could I opt for a c-section at that point. The answer was yes, if they agreed.

Just a note, that you don't have to be 100% VBAC. I do highly recommend a VBAC though (despite the 2 litres of blood lost with my first VBAC), recovery was sooo much easier.

sarah-ruby-21 · June 2018

2 kids, 2 emergency-ish csecions

Reasons: one kid was sunnyside up/very hard to push out. Second kid had cord wrapped around neck. Very hard to push out.

Plan? RCS. Looking into a TAP block (which numbs your entire abdominal area for 3 days post-surgery) that my friends who is a surgeon told me about. And will also get a tubal. So done with pregnancy.

Wisdom: To me, it's better to just have the RCS incision pain than to go through the vaginal birth pain with the incision pain if VBA2C is unsuccessful. Although, I really wish I could do more physically and drive after giving birth. That's going to be really annoying!

BostonBaby1 · June 2018

mrsman2018 said:

BostonBaby1 I have the option of a repeat CS and feel okay with it - I am just worried about recovery with a toddler.
So did you get the spinal and epidural just because you can't take narcotics? I think I only got the spinal and it wore off fast. Not sure though cause it was all a blur.

My apologies for taking forever to respond to this. I am strictly mobile and don’t get notifications. Yes, the reason for having both was twofold. Mainly because I cannot take oral pain medication but also because I have a history of failed epidurals. I read further below that you would prefer a RCS and are feeling pressure for VBAC. My personal opinion is that you should do what feels most comfortable for you. And if that means RCS, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. You will heal with a toddler. It’s not as easy as when you only have a newborn but people do it every day. As long as you can have somebody help you with the heavy lifting for a few weeks, you should be good. It wasn’t as bad as a had feared and I’m going to (hopefully) have 2 toddlers at home this time. My anxiety over RCS is minimal to none this time.

Brieb33 · June 2018

@mrsman2018 hey girl, don’t dare feel pressure from anyone to do anything that makes you uncomfortable. That may be the small still voice you need to listen to if you have a check about it. I personally know someone who died from doing a vbac. One thinks this is 2018 that doesn’t happen, it does. Yah, recovery from vaginal is SOOO much easier, but I don’t know if the risk outweighs the benefits. I am a young, healthy person who has exercised my whole life - I was told over and over that I was the perfect candidate for vbac by high risk specialist at a high risk pregnancy hospital...and I almost ruptured. Recovery isn’t easy with c section and small children but reach out for support, you can do it. Our bodies are pretty amazing and as mamas we have some super mama strength. Just take it as easy as you can, you will do great!

Brieb33 · June 2018

@mrsman2018 i posted a long reply and it didn’t post.

pourmeanothermocktail · June 2018

@mrsman2018 Your doctor shouldn't pressure you. Now, I am very very pro-VBAC, but I do believe in women making their own choices. I have some graphics saved with statistics on risks that I will post in a spoiler for anyone who wants to read them, but I'm not trying to sway anyone's opinion, because even though I never want another section I believe that it's YOUR right to choose the birth you want. I just want to share the statistics so that everyone has the ability to make informed decisions, because what's right for one person isn't always right for another. Both RCS and VBAC have risks. My potential placenta problems (not fully diagnosed, still in the wait and see stage) are a direct result of my prior section. But, there are risks for either option, so I hope you can make your wishes known to your doctor, or find a new one if need be.

mrsman2018 · June 2018

Brieb33 Thanks. I have looked into both and I do feel more comfortable with a RCS. That is horrible that you know someone who died from a VBAC!

starla · June 2018

I'm lurking this thread and @Brieb33 I think your post could have used a TW. I was pretty upset by it.

Wishilivedinflorida · June 2018

starla said:

I'm lurking this thread and @Brieb33 I think your post could have used a TW. I was pretty upset by it.

Agreed. Lurking this as well but if I were attempting a VBAC myself I’d be quite disturbed by the post.

Brieb33 · June 2018

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Brieb33 · June 2018

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mauishay · June 2018

I saw the hospital bag thread going and was wondering if any second time c/s mamas had anything that they think we should pack?
I’m a second timer but I hadn’t even planned on being in a hospital, so I wasn’t prepared at all..
The one thing I’ll for sure want to bring that I didn’t have is My Breast Friend, it just made breast feeding so much easier with my incision.

pourmeanothermocktail · June 2018

Thoughts on starting up another current thread for this with focus on c section specific hospital and postpartum needs?

mrsman2018 · June 2018

mauishay For sure the breastfeeding pillow. I needed it. I did bring my own pjs I wore the whole time - I liked them better than the hospital gown. The support of the pants were nice and then nursing top was nice cause it is easy to whip my boobs out and put them back. And I brought my own "diapers." Always brand. I actually hated the mesh panties and the ones I brought were tighter or something, which I felt held my stomach more.
Flip flops for the gross shower, which I just threw away.
A robe for walking the halls.
Stool softeners for when you go home.
I had the shivers after my CS so I was glad I brought my own comfy blanket. Hospital pillows, blankets, towels, cloths really gross me out (I have worked in a hospital and poop has been on everything), so I brought my own.

sarah-ruby-21 · June 2018

@mrsman2018 OMG, I am going to think of poop anytime anyone tries to cover me with a hospital blanket - lol.

@mauishay Sweatpants, boxer shorts or PJ bottoms (also maybe do nightgowns instead?) that won't rub against my incision. Either high waist or super low waist. Avoid any clothes that will chafe or squeeze that area. Same goes for undies. A postpartum binder if you plan on using one. And stuff to do for your 3 day stay!

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