Cesarean Birth Support Thread 6 (February 2004)

[OnTheFence]

I wanted to start another thread because the other one has so many pages to it. So mama's could you post an update on your situations, plans for VBAC, plans for another c/b, or whats going on after your baby. Or if you just need a {hug} because things didnt go as planned and had a surgical birth, please post with us.

I would really like to read an update on IOF. How is your recovery going?

Monkey, how are you doing?

Jess what's up with you?

Kim

[Monkey]

why im doin just peachy

thankls for askin!


all is well at the homestead, i must say that the first few weeks/2 mos were deffinetly the HARDEST so far....

ajusting in all aspects. now im back to speed i feel great, i know this bc dh and i are talking about the next monkey. my incsion looks good still not 100% closed but i is not infected or red with any ozz so ill just wait.

this has been by far the hardest thing i have had to overcome, physivally and mentally.

and thanks mdc for all the great support.

[Missgrl]

Not pg......not planning on another pg
But I had a c/s almost 31/2 years ago and I'm here to offer all my support to other c/birth mamas!

[its_our_family]

OTF--Thanks for asking!!

Here is my update.

I feel absolutely AMAZING !!!!! My recovery is going super. I'm at the point now where I just feel like I've been kicked in the stomach. I'm down to just one extra strength motrin a day (in the morning). I'm up and around and starting to do housework again. My mom has been here the whole time and she has been amazing!

My incision looks good. No ooze or puss to speak of. My steri strips are placed well. With T I had problems with them pulling my skin. I told the nurse about it this time and she worked hard to put them on so that wouldn't happen. She did a really good job! They are also starting to come off.

My pp bleeding is minimal. I'm hoping it will be gone in another week at the most.

Bryce is such a wonderful baby! He only seems to cry when hungry. I'm expecting my sling any day now. My mil bought me a fleece pouch. I think Bryce will make a great sling baby. He loves to be carried and snuggled. The problem is that right now I still need to be mobile while T is adjusting.

Tracy (who I am referring to as T) is doing great! We thought he would be most jealous when B nursed but that doesn't seem to be an issue right now. He is also getting a little more used to me not holding him as much. Until a few days ago he moved around too much and made me sore.

All i can say is that I am more than pleased with the outcome of everything! I do NOT in any way regret my decision to repeat. I know I waited till the last minute to decide but I feel it was for the best. It gave me a lot of time to roll around the idea of vbac and repeat in my head. There is such an amazing difference in planning a c/b and just having one. I think this is anohter reason I don't seem to be experiencing the baby blues (at first I hought it was the percocet ).

Did any of you experience this...its kinda weird... My skin is really sore. When I have loose clothing rub against my tummy it hurts!

I've lost 26 pounds! I gained 40 or 42.

I think that is about it....but that is a lot to read through!

I hope everyone else is doing well!!!

[Megs Mom]

Doing well here on the c-birth front! Totally OK mentally with the fact that it was necessary. Physical recovery going great. My only complaint is that I've stopped losing weight and started gaining (bfing twins, hungry all the time, grabbing whatever is available, craving sweets).

[Peppermint]

Thanks for asking

This was by far my worst c-birth (surgery itself), but my very best recovery- I was off of pain meds by 5 days this time. Still bleeding some, but no pain.

FTR- I have had 3 c-births, first was planned, second was hoping to VBAC, and last one was planned. When opened this last time, I had started to rupture, OB feels scarring is too bad to have more children But, without c-births I wouldn't have any of my beautiful children, so I am very thankful and finally completey at peace with all of my births

I also love having these support threads, I feel that it is so important to be able to talk about c-births in a supportive place with educated women, and give information, get information, and hug each other through it all

[KKmama]

I'm almost 28 wks (due in May). Still planning for an unmedicated hospital VBAC with an OB and a doula. I'm doing what I can to think/talk/read about how to make things go as well as possible. At every prenatal appt, I have a new list of questions I go through with the dr. I'm really trying to make sure there are no surprises and that there's good agreement on what we will and will not do.

The big unknown for me right now is the hospital. I did the hospital orientation last Saturday, and it was disappointing. The hospital itself seems great and has a fabulous reputation, but I feel like I learned almost nothing about their "standard procedures" (for v birth, c birth, and newborns). Even though the statistics are better than the hospital I birthed at last time, I'm kind of wary, because I feel like you can prepare all you want with your medical care provider, with classes, with a doula, etc., but you never even meet the L & D nurses till you're *there*. And the nurses were definitely the worst part of my whole birthing experience last time (esp. post partum). I'm writing a letter to complain about the orientation, and I'm hoping that I can just call the L&D nurses' station with my unanswered questions.

Something I definitely learned when pg with ds is that I can't control everything; that there's a lot you just have to let go of. It may come to that with this; I may have to just work around my fears of the unknown with regard to the nurses...

[OnTheFence]

Originally posted by jess7396

FTR- I have had 3 c-births, first was planned, second was hoping to VBAC, and last one was planned. When opened this last time, I had started to rupture, OB feels scarring is too bad to have more children But, without c-births I wouldn't have any of my beautiful children, so I am very thankful and finally completey at peace with all of my births

I also love having these support threads, I feel that it is so important to be able to talk about c-births in a supportive place with educated women, and give information, get information, and hug each other through it all

Jess do you think you will give yourself time to heal physically from this birth and get a second opinion about any additional children. I know I am being nosey, and by no means am I saying to distrust your doctor.
I just know that I was told I would never be able to have any more biological children and I did. I think sometimes they just dont know, they are just taking their best educated guess. Now that I have had Jack my OB has given me the go ahead to have more biological children, though there may be some difficult conceiving like before.
You can tell me to shut up if you want!


edited due to accidental bad word

[Peppermint]

Originally posted by OnTheFence

You can tell me to shit up if you want!

:LOL I won't tell you to shit up or shut up

Well, I have to say, my OB is really very convinced that my life would be in danger if I were to concieve again, she said she hasn't ever seen worse scarring than mine, or such an opening (rupture beginning) and with the trouble she had getting Sean out(she said there just wasn't *room* to cut a large enough opening-bladder too far up on one side, and vessels on the other), things likely aren't going to get much better. I know it is a risk to believe something that grave, but the surgeon who assisted her agreed, and neither have ever told another patient not to have more children, so it's not as if this is something she is known for, YK?

I guess it comes down to the fact that it is simply not a risk *I* am willing to take. We are very young (DH and I), and we will consider adoption in the future (when we get some money: ). I just feel strongly that my OB is right, and as a disclaimer she did say that if I get pregnant again (by mistake ) that she feels I would survive, just that the risks are so big to me and any baby I would carry, that if she were me, she would be happy with what she has, and be thankful to have gotten this far safely. I have to agree with that.

So, while I do want more children, I also feel strongly that my best course will be adoption (which is something I have always felt *called* to for lack of a better term).

I do appreciate your asking about that though. I guess it is something that dh and I are just not willing to risk, and my OB agrees, or the other way around. Really, after hearing what the OB said, Dh would never consider having more even if I wanted to.

[Monkey]

I was thinking,

Is it at all possible to have a ultra sound done b4 conciving? Im a little worried about the rupture % and was wondering if any of you have had a look b4 .

I also want to share with you all that my neighbor ( she is the sweetest ladies bless her sol;e)
well she got to be at least 65 and she knows EVERYTHING ABOUT EVERY ONE LOL she was telling me she had a freind who is her age, that had 9 c sections

I find this hard to believe but know that she wouldnt be making it up... can u believ that! WHAT A WOMAN

thats all

[Peppermint]

They can see you're scar on U/S I know, but not sure how much they can tell about your chances of rupture:

I heard (and maybe this isn't true either) that Ethel Kennedy had 11 c-sections.

I do know my OB has delivered as many as 6 for one woman.

[OnTheFence]

Jess,

I totally understand. And adoption can be a great option to bring more children into your family. We did it ourselves! Dylan has his challenges but we would adopt again.

Kim

[Monkey]

thanks for the reply jess, im glad you are doing well. 3 births period is alot to endure i bet your home is alot of fun. we plan to have more. dh wants four we'll see

[its_our_family]

We are done having children. We have had 4 pregnancies in under 3 years of marriage and I just can't do it again. I know it sounds wimpy but I'm done.

Is it odd to say that I jsut feel like we are complete?

[OnTheFence]

Originally posted by its_our_family
We are done having children. We have had 4 pregnancies in under 3 years of marriage and I just can't do it again. I know it sounds wimpy but I'm done.

Is it odd to say that I jsut feel like we are complete?

No not at all.
I know that I Want one more. I will not feek complete without the fourth. I really want a girl too. Soooo.....

Right now I want to try in the summer, but my business is doing so well I am not sure if I should wait.

Kim

[Henry's_Mamma]

Hi Ladies ... I'm Amy, I had my ds (my 1st child) on 11/10/03 by c/b after 23 hours of flat on my back labor (due to premature rupturing of my water and risk of cord prolapse). DS was posterior and after 2+ hours of pushing he would not progress and was starting to show signs of distress so c/b seemed like the safest option. I don't plan on ttc any time soon, but I do hope to have at least 1 more child (2 more if I have my way ). Although I have lots of research yet to do, I am strongly considering a VBAC and am hoping to use a midwife and doula next time. But we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.

I haven't been here long, but I really am happy I found this group. It is nice to know that my feelings are not unique, and that there are a group of women who can offer support and know just where I'm coming from!

[gossamer]

I have a question about c-sections. When I had mine, I was put under general anesthesia. I have to say I am absolutely terrified about being awake for my next c-section. Do you think the doctor will put me under if I ask instead of giving me an epidural?
Gossamer

[KKmama]

Gossamer, what scares you about it? (Just curious...)

I have to say... I had an emergency C with ds, but there was time for a spinal. And I was awake for it... If I had known in advance that I was going to have a C, be awake during surgery, and have a needle in my back, I would have totally flipped out, because I'm such a wimp. But really, it wasn't bad at all, and I'm *really* glad I got to see ds right after he was born. Between seeing the baby and it being the safer method, I'd choose a spinal/epidural over GA, myself.

But if you have really strong feelings about it, I'd definitely discuss the options with your dr. She/he may be able to help you figure out the best option for you.

[Cajunmomma]

Gossamer, I don't know if the doctor will give you a general anesthetic without some real medical reaon for it. I think that the risks from a general are much greater than for an epicural or a spinal. I've had 4 C-sections, and had epidurals for all four. The only reget I have is that I couldn't see the actual birth from behind the sheet they hung.

Are you afraid of the pain of epidurals? I've had both general and epidural anesthesia, and I know that you feel less of the apprehension before a general, but I think that the epidural is safer for the baby.

But, in the long run, you have to do whatever you think is best for you and your little one. I'd just try to do some research before I made a decision.

[gossamer]

I am scared about the epidural, what if it goes up instead of down, what if only one side of me goes numb? What if the doctor does it wrong and I wind up paralyzed? I am terrified about feeling the incision, the pulling and tugging, the pressure. What if I don't go numb, what if I feel it all.
I had general anesthesia because I contracted HELLP syndrome and they had to do an emergency C-section. One of the symptoms of HELLP is that I had no platelets to clot my blood, and they were afraid if they did a spinal, I would bleed into my spinal column and wind up paralyzed. So they did a general and also gave me a classical incision, so I have to have sections from now on.
Gossamer

edited to add: I'm not even pregnant yet, but just thinking about an epidural has me crying at the computer. I am such a wimp.