Cesarean Birth and Recovery SUPPORT Thread 11 (MAY 2004) - Page 2

[Jessica36]

When I had Zachary -- I was adament that I get to see him, however he started having breathing problems. They wanted to keep an eye on him. Of course when I got him, I NEVER let him go. He had the loudest scream in the hosptial. and he was NOT happy with out his mama.

[AnaNicole]

Well, no baby today. I just got the amnio results and he is just not ready. SO, we wait a bit--how long, I don't yet know. Maybe a week...maybe two.

I'm a bit bummed but would be way more bummed if he had to be on a vent!!

Onward....

[Henry's_Mamma]

My hospital also kept me from ds for 4+ hours. DH and I kept bugging everyone but no one would bring him to me. Dh tried to "rescue" him from the nursery, but the nurses told dh that ds couldn't leave, and dh didn't know any better to argue with him (he was too overwhelmed with the c/s and everything else going on, I think). We kept asking what the hold up was and they said well he needs a bath -- I told them no bath and they ignored me. He needs to be kept warm -- I told them that's what my arms and warm blankets were for. They didn't give a rat's behind. I was SO mad. Still am. I never got to hold my ds on his birthday. I sincerely believe that we had such a rough start to bfing b/c of that (he developed serious blood type incompatibility jaundice within 30 hours of birth and he never latched on well until he was almost a week old).

I think the policy is stupid, frankly, and it is a litigation based policy. If anything were to happen to baby, they're afraid of being sued -- afterall, a c/s is not a "natural" form of delivery and does not have the same benefits that a v/b provides (for getting fluid out of lungs, for example), and the hospitals know this and know that there are ramifications for that. More and more I believe that hospital policies surrounding birth, c/s, VBAC, etc. are made based on their med. mal. ins. carrier's wishes of how to best avoid liigation and not using evidence based medicine. I am seriously trying to figure out how a lwasuit could be brought b/c a hospital failed to follow evidence based medicine.

Anyway ... new people, btw.

[Henry's_Mamma]

Medical Records Question

For those of you who requested your medical records from your hospital and/or OB/mw ... how long did it take from the time you sent your request to the time you received your records? I'm feeling impatient ... I sent my requests a week ago and I haven't heard anything.

[Henry's_Mamma]

AnaNicole ... so sorry to hear that. But its better for him if he cooks a little while longer. Are they giving you steroids or anything? Will they do additional amnios?

[bwylde]

At our hospital I was unable to see him for a little more than 3 hours, but I was put to sleep so I was in recovery during that time. They did bring EThan right up to our family (DH and all his grandparents and a couple uncles) as soon as they had all the tests and cleaning up done. I felt kind of bad they were able to be together but I'm just glad he was able to be with family almost right after his birth. I think that's what I'm going to look forward to with a vbac; instant togetherness

[Jessica36]

Amy -- Call the hospital. Make sure they didn't "lose" the request. Generally they say about a week.

HTH

[AnaNicole]

Originally Posted by Henry's_Mamma

AnaNicole ... so sorry to hear that. But its better for him if he cooks a little while longer. Are they giving you steroids or anything? Will they do additional amnios?

Well, I had steroid shots last month, which is one reason we're surprised about the amnio results. To the best of my knowledge we won't do another amnio, just wait. But I don't know. Apparently he's not as mature as we even guessed he'd be (one of the docs said he should at least be "marginal" but it doesn't sound like he is). I assume we're just going to wait about two weeks. But, I have had a lot of contx. so....

Time will tell! This is almost like waiting to go into labor!

[Iluvmy2]

Hi! I think I posted on this thread once a while ago, I read it alot though, it is like an addiction I had my first c/b w/my DS he was 42+ weeks late and after being induced and pushing for 3+ hours we realized he was not going to come out that way because he was looking to the right (I never met the ob until 1 hour before the c/b)

I had my DD via scheduled c/b, after a lot of research we decided it was best. She was on oxygen for 2 1/2 days, but nursed like a champ when we finally got together (this was 2 days after birth) She never got any formula in the hosipital while we were seperated, and I didn't pump for her until almost 24 hours after the birth, poor babe was on an iv with sugar water.

If you don't like the 4 hour rule challenge it, but I just want anyone reading this thread to know that just because you can't nurse minutes after birth doesn't mean that you are doomed to a failed bfing experience (or a prolonged latch on period)

Also, I got my tubes tied during my DD birth and had no additional pain in recovery.

[its_our_family]

Tracy and I were never apart. I was wheeled out of the or holding him. He never left my sight. That wasn't me that was the hospital policy. With Bryce they took him about 10 minutes after birth and then had him while i was stitched. They were going to keep him another 15 minutes but they brought him asap since he wanted to nurse They took him 2 hours later to the nicu for 30 hours for his O2 levels.

Ananicole

[AnaNicole]

Thankfully, it's a new day....

I got SO down last night. I just sobbed in Chris's arms. I was online when the doctor called to give me the update and he didn't leave a detailed message so I had to wait AGAIN for news. That just compounded my disappointment and frustration and it all snowballed. I feel like I've put my whole life on hold since the end of March--no sex, no hiking, no strenuous activity, no this no that.... I have been NEEDING to go somewhere and get out into the middle of nothing and everything. Utah canyon country would be perfect. But the prospect of suddenly bleeding and risking my baby's life isn't a chance I'm willing to take. So I've had to forego what I see as a passage that I craved and needed--to be on that redrock one last time before Chris and I become parents in our own right. That's been very hard. Plus, getting a false diagnosis of vasa previa at the end of March....then feeling absolutely panicked for three weeks, until I got the new diagnosis....then waiting around for what I understood was the basically inevitable bleeding, that never did happen....the prospect of bedrest, of losing my baby, of rushing to the hospital in the middle of the night...of, furthermore, having to awaken my kids and rush with them to the hospital in the middle of the night, since Chris works nights....then the basic assurance that the baby would be ready at the end of May...and getting my hopes up to meet him yesterday only to have those hopes dashed and then segue into more waiting....

This has been an emotional nightmare!

But it's a new day and I just got off the phone with my OB. The new plan is to go ahead with the c/s on June 4th. According to the perinatologist down in ABQ that is completely reasonable for a lot of reasons that make some sense to me (the way the lab down there looks at the amnio results, the general change over the course of that many days, etc...).

6-4-04...those are damn fine numbers, I must say (my favorite number has always been 6, and 4 follows right behind). Plus, oh weirdness of weirdness, that date is precisely 15 days after Soren's b-day...whereas Chiara was born 15 days after Mira's birthday! Weird, huh?

Time to settle in and try to be zen about this. Everything happens for a reason.....

[Al Dente]

AnaNicole. Of course you are worried, and frustrated, and on an emotional roller coaster. You've had a difficult time, but it's almost over! Knowing the date will likely make you feel better about the whole situation. I agree that those are cool birth day numbers- my ds are just the reverse (04-06-04) !

We just found out my beloved first baby (Josephine) has liver cancer. Probably weeks, perhaps a couple of months, to live. She was asymptomatic for so long (until this past Sunday) and then went downhill very quickly. It was almost as if she was waiting for me to fully recover and get the hang of being a mommy before she let me know that she needed me. She is an amazing animal.

[its_our_family]

Rachel--- First off on the news about Josie Then on the flipside PHEWWW I thought you meant your CHILD! I know it is hard to lose an animal fast and to know they are leaving... we recently lost our little kittie Cleopatra :cry

[shelbean91]

How long until I feel normal again? With my first 2 (vaginal deliveries), I was feeling back to normal within a few days. This time, with the surgery, I'm still having a hard time bending over, it's still hard to cough or sneeze, etc.

[mamasarah]

welcome to the newbies here, and a hello to everyone!

beautyful, you are absolutely not alone in feeling that way! i know i felt like i had to justify it somehow... in fact, i even went for my PP visit to my midwife and told her how people made me feel it was unneccesary and wasn't that stupid, bla, bla, .....i think even then i knew by the look in her eyes that she felt it could've been avoided...
i think it just takes some time to really see things for what they are. i am still waiting on my med. records, so we'll see if most of the conclusions i've made are right! BTW, henry'smama~~~ the hospital that has my records takes a long time to get them out. i guess they are busy. i think it probably varies btwn hospitals.

[mamasarah]

please help me ignore an ignorant comment

please forgive me for venting here. i was going to post this in vbac, but i honestly feel more comfortable talking here, where i know there are people that understand/support me.

my mom and i were walking yesterday and she said something that really made me mad. i usually talk to her about the c/b and she's understanding, but this time she said something really insensitive. i mentioned having another baby and she said, " i just don't want you to get your hopes up. you are small, sarah." CAN I JUST SAY UGH, ARG, AHHHHHH! :

this is exactly the kind of comment i do not need to hear when i am thinking in terms of a vbac. yes, i know it is also a possibility that i could have another c/b, but i would want to try for a vbac and would need utmost support. yes, i am small-framed, 5/2 and 115lbs, but can't i deliver a 9-pounder? (my dd was 8 lbs, 14 oz and 22 1/2 in long, and i still truly believe i could've delivered her vaginally)

why is it that i always feel like i have to defend my womanhood to people? i mean, i FEEL capable of v/b, doesn't that mean anything? i know i still need more facts from my med. records, but gosh...

[its_our_family]

mamasarah-- Don't bang you head against a wall. Bang HER head against a wall

It's just ignorence. Ignore it!

[mamasarah]

hey, thanks. i know she doesn't know! i tried to tell her that is just a misconception about small women, but it still made me feel inadequate! one thing i know for sure, i won't be having any babies here by my family.

[Henry's_Mamma]

Sarah ... I've gotten that comment a lot and I just choose to ignore it. My mom & aunt have both said it about themselves and my cousin and me (we all had c/s, but I think my cousin's and mine were not necessary). I reminded my mother that in the 1940's my Grandmother, her and my aunt's mom, delivered 3 babies vaginally, and my Grandmother was a tiny person -- 5'2" and maybe 100 lbs. on a fat day. We're all much bigger than that.

[Henry's_Mamma]

So I requested my med. records from the hospital and OB. The hosp. will send me a bill for copying first and when I pay it, then they'll send me my records. And here in NJ, this is what they can (and do) legally charge:
$10.00 search and retrieval fee
$1.00 per page (for the 1st 100 pages)
$0.25 per page up to $200.00
That is totally ridiculous IMO. Talk about dissuading people from reviewing their records. Legally, their MY records and MY property. I don't mind a nominal copy charge, but $1/page? That's outrageous. :

My OB's office called and asked me all sorts of questions as to why I wanted my records, including whether it was for litigation. At least they're not charging me, although it could take 30 days for me to get my records.

Nothing like hurry up and wait. {sigh}