Csection Support Thread April 2005 (cont discussion from March) - Page 17

[kyle98sean02]

ROFL Shannon When I was pregnant with my ds, I had dreamt that I was able to take him out and look at him and put him back in too. I told my dh and he thought I was nuts :LOL

[OnTheFence]

Originally Posted by alaska

Storm Bride (or anyone with info...) is there a problem with BF after C/S? The only info I can find is that the stress of the section may interfere, or the time mom and baby are separated. ARe there physical problems (besides the incision site... I mean with milk production?) This has me worried. I'm trying to remain calm and peaceful with my decision, but every time I think about it, I still get angry.

I breastfed my daughter, the oldest, after a traumatic csection. Granted I don't remember the event all too well but I did do it. As for my planned csection I was nursing within twenty minutes of birth, sitting up in a labor and delivery room. However he didn't seem too interested until 13 hours later, however I had no problems at all breastfeeding. The ideal is to have baby to the breast as soon as possible, hopefully within the first hour of birth. I've had my milk in with both previous csection in 48hrs.

Trying to catch up, I have had no computer access for a week and I am next door!

Kim

[OnTheFence]

Update on the Goddess :)

Hi all,

I have been MIA. We have no internet access until I rig something up at my house or have a new line dropped for our DSL.
I am 31 weeks. I had my latest doctors appointment and more and more I love my OB. I think I misjudged her in many ways, as she just let an aquaintance go to 43 weeks! I definitely have decided not to get my tubes tied and it looks like I will be going with the Mirena IUD. I will get it at my 6 week appointment or when I have my next cycle, it depends on how my cervix is.
I have been reading an interesting book and I may delay my csection for a week now, I will have to talk more about that later. So far baby is still breech and kicking on my bladder. She is measuring a week smaller at this point than my due date. This may be to breech presentation. I am still working on the final draft of my new csection birthplan and hope to share it with you all soon.

Congrats on the new babies! We must see pics!!!

I will be back soon.

Kim

[mandalamama]

Originally Posted by eilonwy

No, what I want is to be the first person to smell or touch my baby. I've had enough labor to last a lifetime, 4.5 days with BeanBean and none at all with BooBah. It's not about pushing the baby out for me, but what happens afterwards. We've always wanted to have four children, but my goal is to have the next one unassisted, ideally solo, so that I can be the first person to lay eyes and hands on my new baby. I want to see a brand new baby, straight out of the womb; I want to know what vernix feels and smells like, and be the first person to look into the eyes of my new person. ...
But that's what I want-- to be the first person on Earth to phsycially lay hands on my baby, and to be the person who gives my baby their first bath. :sigh

that is exactly how i feel as well. i fantasized and dreamed about it so much when i was pregnant! i just felt so absolutely sure i would be holding her while we were still connected by the cord, i didn't prepare in the slightest for anything else to happen.

most of the time i feel extremely bonded with Willow, very confident, very sure of how i'm reading her signals, and she responds to me in kind. but those few times that we're not connecting for whatever reason, i always blame that i wasn't the first person to hold her. i end up thinking "if only we hadn't been separated ..." in my head i know we're bonded, and i know it's normal not to feel it 24/7 - especially when she's trying out some new signals! - but in my heart i just keep blaming my body, or fate, or karma.

[Storm Bride]

Shannon: I just saw your post about the pain of the section. I really can't imagine being able to feel the surgery, as the incision pain afterwards was crippling enough. But, I think you have a point. Being unable to feel anything from the chest down does not add to the feeling of being present at your baby's birth. It made me feel like an uninvolved spectator.

I'm interested in the variety of reactions to the post c-section b/f issue. I had dd to the breast earlier than ds (because I had general anesthetic with ds), but it took much longer for my milk to come in. I had milk for ds the first morning - call it 10 hours of so after the surgery - but my milk really wasn't coming in for dd until about two days later. I'd put it down to the fact that I hadn't laboured with dd, but other people's experiences are so different! I wonder what the factors are. (It's not an overall supply issue at all, as I was pumping milk for donation in addition to feeding dd.)

[focalimage]

My intro

Hi. I'm lisa, SAHM to CJ 12/20/02 and Drea 12/3/04. I had CJ naturally and Drea was supposed to be natural too but, she had a change of plans. I'm posting my birthstory. I wrote this a few days after her birth. It's been almost 5 months and things are okay, I'm healing well and my brain is doing alright though the whole things does make me sad and it only hit me 2 months ago how scary the whole thing was for me. But, I'm getting over it.

At 5:20 I started having contractions that were 5/6 min. apart. They were pretty steady though so I didn’t know if that was it or not. But, at 10:30ish, my water broke. I was waiting for my mom and dad to come down to stay with CJ. They were late - naturally. But, when they got here, off we went. Things felt like they were going really easy so I wasn't really sure if I'd make it to the 4 cm I had to be to stay there but the pressure was strong and that's what made me decide to go for sure. After we got there, I found out I was already 7 cm. WHAT A SHOCK. Things had been so easy so far and were looking really good. And they continued that way. For a while. I'm not 100% sure about times but somewhere around 4:30 I was all set to push. Things were a little weird then - the sensations got really strong really fast and the idea of pushing started to scare me and I couldn't really explain why. I even said to steve after my first push - pushing wasn't scarey last time, why is it so scary this time? That's when my midwife Kelly started acting kind of weird. She said she didn't know what part of the head she was feeling. Then, I pushed a second time and all questions were answered - she didn't know what part of the head because in fact, it was a hip. She flipped herself upside down somewhere after I'd gotten there. The got Amanda back from the C-section she was helping on and she came in just as they made that discovery. This baby was right upside down, busting her way out bottom first...and they don't do that there. Amanda had only done one breech delivery and that baby had died before they attempted that otherwise, they wouldn't have so they really don't do that there. Things got hectic and a bit scary then. I had to have a c-section. I was told I couldn't push, had to be moved to a strecher and Amanda had to hop on the end of my bed as they wheeled me down the hall way so she could HOLD THAT BABY IN. Steve couldn't come in with me and I was going to have to be put out which is better anyways for me, i think. Once we got to the section room, the anastisiologist turned retarded and was trying repeatedly to get me to have an epidural and going over things while Amanda is sitting there holding my daugher inside me...she finally said, we really don't have time for this, put her out now and lets do this. Then, I had to move from the stretcher and get onto a table and had a contraction in the middle of that and said hold on (keeping in mind I'm not allowed to push) but the stupid dr. was like - um, I really need you to move... Amanda shut him up again. He really seemed to be missing the whole idea of what was going on here. But, luckily, that's all I really remember. Then, I was out. I woke up at 6:10 am or so. She was born at 5:06 and neither of her parents got to witness it. But, she's here and she's wonderful. And, she has dark hair like me. There was alot of scrambling around to figure out what to do now. Before they took me (or on the way?) I asked amanda the big questions - I'm going to have to stay now, for how long? (48 hours) So, I said to steve - what do we do with CJ? Oh, this changes everything... Then, I was off into that room...But, CJ managed just fine away from me and I had too much to deal with to focus on him not being with me so it's all good now. So, now I'm home, waiting for my pain meds to be ready. Incidently, I did make it through the whole labor drug free and it was almost pain free, so that was a bit of a bonus - at least it wasn't the hardest of labors. Andrea has a bit of brusing on her bottom because they actually had to push her back in so they could get her out but it's already going away, so she's fine. Her stats: 6lbs, 3 oz and 21 inches long. She was born 12/3/04 at 5:06 am. How do you like THOSE numbers? My birthmom bought me a lottery ticket. lol.

[sarajane]

Hello all. I just had my baby Sunday and it was an unplanned section. I had planned a home water birth. I have my birth story posted http://www.mothering.com/discussions...77#post3052977

It is a very long story. Basicly I wouldn't dilate past 4 and so I had to transfer to the hospital and ended up with a section. We tried for a vaginal at the hospital but even pitocin didn't do the trick. I ended up completly knocked out and feel so awful that happened. Feel guilty I couldn't give my baby the peaceful home water birth we wanted. Feel awful I didn't get to hold her right away. It took forever for them to get her to me. Everyone else had seen her and I was left in pain waiting. That was the hardest thing, hubby and I had dreamed of when she first comes out and is put into our arms. I am so sad we couldn't meet her together. He says he was happy she was okay but couldn't enjoy it fully until he knew I was okay and until I saw her. So, it was hard on both of us. DH was so scared waiting, I didn't even know they were gonna knock me out until after the fact.

Anyway, I did start to try to breasfeed her that day. I was upset to find out they had had to give her a bottle a couple hours after she was born. I had a bit of a hard time the first day, we ended up using some of the formula the hospital gave us. It was hard to take care of her. I was exhausted. I never really got any sleep over an hour until Tuesday. I had been awake from Saturday morning all the way until I got the epi Sunday morning. Sunday morning I only slept for about 20 minutes total. I kept getting interupted by people checking on my contractions. That made it hard to feed her being so tired. I would start to fall asleep while holding her. We roomed in with her so she was there all the time, wouldn't of had it any other way even though I was so tired. My milk came in Tuesday night, really late at night after we made it home. Things got easier after that.

Suprised at what our bodies can do though, Here it is a week from then and I still haven't slept more than 2 hours at a time. I probably get about 4 hours everyday at the most. Never imagined I would be able to be up this much especially after all that mess!

[its_our_family]

Your situation sounded close to mine, but I started in the hospital.

Congrats on the baby! I'm sorry things have been rough. THey will get better

[its_our_family]

I breastfed Tracy about 35 minutes after c/b. He was wheeled out of the OR in my arms. We had our first elevtor ride together and to the breast he went

I breastfed Bryce about 90 minutes after birth. It would have been longer but the nurses brought him "early" saying that he was mad unless latched onto their arms. So, they figured breast would be the best way to go

[chantald]

Hello
Remember me? I lost the thread for a while.. Can I rejoin??

Chantal

[sarajane]

Question for those of you who have had sections before.

I am having a small amount of bleeding from where they cut me, only on one side. We called the hospital I was transfered to. I dont' have my own ob, I used a mw. All they told me was "it CAN be normal" I'm thinking, anything CAN be normal. I need to know when it isn't, I need to know what to look for. Hubby was the one who called. He said they also suggested I come and see them but I can't drive an hour and twenty minutes every time something new happens. They didn't tell me what to expect during my recovery before I left, didn't tell me a thing.

Hubby looked at it and said it looks like a small "hole" is there. Seems this is the source of the bleeding. Now I haven't been doing too much or anything like that so I know that isn't the problem. Hubby has done all the housework, the most I have done is wash diapers and clean the toilet. I have only picked up the baby and nothing more.

I'm worried, anybody have any advice?

[shannon0218]

You're only a week post surgery so I'd say a little bleeding from the incision site is fairly normal. I didn't have any at that point but my skin tends to heal extremely quickly and I know my OB was surprised just how good mine looked. Make sure you continue to take things very easy, maybe put a light dressing on the incision and keep it clean and dry. If at any point it looks red or angry, pussy, etc, you need to be seen right away. But just some oozing blood or clear fluid is pretty normal.

[shannon0218]

Oh and keep dh doing all the housework--especially toilet scrubbing!! It was likely that toilet scrub that caused this bleeding

[chantald]

Originally Posted by OnTheFence

I did accept that having a vaginal birth was not in the cards for me, and thats okay.

OTF: I wanted to thank you for such a nicely written note.. even tho it wasn't written "to" me.. I felt it was. You said so many things that really spoke to me..

I have had 2 c/s and am.. on the fence.. as to what I want to do the next time around. I know that.. deep down in my heart of hearts.. I want to have a vaginal birth.. But I also know that I too need a baby the "right size (for me)" in the right position...With 2 prior c/s.. do the risks outweigh my desires to have a vaginal birth? Would my attempting one be selfish? Will I even be allowed to try.. if I decide to..?

all these questions have been plauging me lately.. and we are not even TTC at this time.... I still can't read about birth or watch it on tv without crying and feeling a deep sense of loss..

It is so funny and ironic that I can feel at peace with how my second birth went to some degree.. and still grieve what was lost..

Chantal

[OnTheFence]

I'm Back, Hopefully For Good

Yippeee! I have internet access once again.

I saw something that really pissed me off on the Discovery Health Channel last week. It said that mothers having cesarean births could not have a choice in anestesia, that it was totally up to the doctor. BS. I will promptly be writing them a letter to let them know how wrong that is. I strongly encourage every woman who posts or lurks here that if you find yourself in this situation that you discuss this with your Ob BEFORE hand, even if you plan a vaginal birth. I feel blessed more and more that I have choice and that my OB respects that choice. How sad that some women don't.

I am hearing more and more about babies being held hostage by nursery workers too while their moms recover from surgical birth. This is total BS. If this goes on at your hospital, write the administrators about this -- it doesn't have to be this way. Of course there may be medical situations where having your baby in recovery could be a problem, but for the run of the mill csection -- nope, you can easily have your baby with you during recovery time, no matter where you recover. If OBs and hospitals are going to have 25% plus csection rates, then they need to start changing some of their "ideas" and protocols for these types of deliveries and accomadate keeping women and their babies together.

Ok, now updates on everyone!

Kim-

[alaska]

Kim - what a timely post! I have my first appointment with my new doc on Thursday and I plan to go in armed with a first draft birth plan (plagarized from yours and others I found on the web, of course ) The one thing I am NOT willing to compromise on is having the baby with me in recovery. I've been told that some of the recovery nurses will "allow" this and some won't. What a great idea about writing the hospital administrator - I am definitely going to do... I might even do that as a precautionary method.

I hope that I can get over the anger I feel over having this unnecessary surgery - forced to choose an "elective c/s" and truly, NO judgment on anyone else - but for me, the thought of ME choosing an elective c/s is repulsive. The world is as it is though (meaning I have to make the best out of the situation at hand) and I'm still satisfied that we're doing the right thing. It's just so damn hard to swallow sometimes.

Hello to everyone new who has posted their stories of late - Apologies for not being able to say hi individually but welcome to everyone.

[shannon0218]

Alaska, personally I wouldn't pre-emptively write the hospital administrator, I think it may give you a bit of a "the kid who had her mom call and make us be nice" attitude then-and they may then insist on sticking to all the 'rules'
Personally, I think your better approach is to bring the nurses some brownies or cookies or something like that, make friends with them, then they'll do anything for you, even bending the rules. For instance, I had NO issues with co-sleeping (and while my hospital doesn't say no co-sleeping they do require that if mom has had any meds she not co-sleep-pain meds don't affect me mentally and they simply turned their heads) I received no resistance to my request for no eye ointment-my nurse even said, there really is no need when you have a c-section and it blurrs their vision for when they first meet you! My nurses went and got me a pillow so I wasn't laying so flat on the operating table which made it easier for me to hold her while they stitched me up.
So.... I guess as a person who's gone in bitching and gone in making friends, I'd definitely recomend the latter.

[polka123]

I will write more of my story later but I had an Emergency C with DS (my 2nd birth) 4.5 - 5 wks early

My DD was born vag with no meds

I had very supportive Nurses & a OB/GYN.
I was nursing(or trying to DS did not latch well as 1st) as soon as I got back to my room.

I had the Nurses helping me out with the nursing all the time.
They were great

[alaska]

thanks for the alternative perspective Shannon0218 - you might be right. I'm really not intending on storming in on the day of surgery ready for battle.... I'm just scared - worried about "consenting" and then having my last birth experience being something I regret. I will think about it though.

[OnTheFence]

My Cesarean Birth Plan is Done (i think)

I just put my updated birthplan on my blog today. Go read it and tell me what you think. I don't think I have left anything out.