Csection Support Thread April 2005 (cont discussion from March) - Page 18

[eilonwy]

Kim-- Just one question: why sutures, rather than glue? I've only had the one section, but I *loved* the glue. They still do sutures on the inside, but on the outside there was just the super glue stuff. My scar healed beautifully, and quickly (after I dealt with that pesky little infection...).

[OnTheFence]

Originally Posted by eilonwy

Kim-- Just one question: why sutures, rather than glue? I've only had the one section, but I *loved* the glue. They still do sutures on the inside, but on the outside there was just the super glue stuff. My scar healed beautifully, and quickly (after I dealt with that pesky little infection...).

I've been reading about the glue and discussing it with my sister a good deal (an RN) and there seems to be a debate on how well it actually holds. For some it may do great, but the risk of the incision reopening seems to be greater than if you have stitches or staples. I'd rather go with what I know, than what I don't at this point since I have had stitches and were pleased with the results.

Kim

[shannon0218]

Kim I definitely agree on the glue, that glue has been in use in animals for years (we tested it before it ever got used on humans) and while it's a great thing, we have NEVER used for an actual large incision. We use it when we do a skin biopsy instead of one stitch, we use it on bit wounds if they need to be closed, etc. You are right, on some it sticks great, on others it just doesn't hold at all. I used it on myself on a dog bite I got that was severe but I was out of town at a trial and didn't want to go to hospital there-I had Vet Bond in my first aid kit. I just used it on the largest part as I wanted the rest to be able to drain and it kept coming unglued every few hours. I ended up going in and getting it treated with 5 stitches.
I had staples but only because they were rushing out, my OB was very disapointed to staple me, but I healed up beautifully, I think the work underneath was just so good it didn't matter what was on top.

[Storm Bride]

Is the tape something that's used a lot? With my son, I had staples, which were removed when I left the hospital (5 day stay). There wasn't anything else. With my daughter, they removed the staples when I left (3 day stay), but I had these little tape strips still over the incision. They gradually came off one by one over the next several days. I'm not sure how much they helped hold the incision, but they sure itched by the time the last few came off!!

[Henry's_Mamma]

I think (at least for me) is that the big concern with the glue is that many people are either allergic or very sensitive to it. I don't do well with any medical adhesives -- they either come right off or make my skin peel off. Not pleasant. I recently had butterfly bandages on a cut on my finger and they peeled off within 36 hours. Just came unglued -- despite me babying that finger and keeping it very, very dry. We won't even discuss the condition of my skin from the steri-strips over my sutures from my c/s ...

[shannon0218]

Sutures do not require steri-strips, but many docs put them on just as a back up, they use them after staples because staples are removed before the top incision could be completely healed--another good reason for sutures.

[chantald]

Originally Posted by MommytoTwo

I am 6 mo pp and trying to be gentle with myself. I feel that my c-birth was medically necessary. Unfortunately my first one was not, and that is the one I beat myself up over daily, if not hourly. I dont know if I will ever get past it. I feel like its always right there in the front of my mind. I relive both births over and over again in my mind all the time, and especially with the first one, I think what if I had done this or that differently ...

I am now considering #3 just for another shot at vbac. I wanted it SO bad. I have a friend on a board that had a c-birth and tried for a VBAC with #2 just as much as I did, and she had a c-birth in the end also, and she has given me some perspective on it, and given me things to think about and I am grateful for that. I am breastfeeding, and I think that it helps me SO much to see that my body DOES know what to do for my baby. I am sure I'll be posting more on this thread again.

I wanted to send you hugs.. lots of them.. Your situation sounds exactly like mine. Exactly... It has been 4 years since my first c/s.. and I still cry about it sometimes..

Chantal

[OnTheFence]

4D pictures of Katie

I think I finally was able to get them into a photo album.

http://onthefence.typepad.com/photos/katierose_4d/


Kim

[kyle98sean02]

Those pics are great! Thanks for sharing, they are just amazing

[its_our_family]

She is gorgeous! NOw to see her outside the womb :LOL

My ob wouldn't do sutures. I asked. She said she didn't like the way they healed or something. I didn't push the issue since I wasn't that concerned about it.

[OnTheFence]

Originally Posted by its_our_family

She is gorgeous! NOw to see her outside the womb :LOL

My ob wouldn't do sutures. I asked. She said she didn't like the way they healed or something. I didn't push the issue since I wasn't that concerned about it.

They take more time to do, But I guarantee you if it was her, she would get them. Most female OBs have no problems doing them, its the male doctors that have a fit over doing them, so I am pretty surprised.

Thanks for the compliments!

[Mama Rana]

Originally Posted by OnTheFence

They take more time to do, But I guarantee you if it was her, she would get them. Most female OBs have no problems doing them, its the male doctors that have a fit over doing them, so I am pretty surprised.

Thanks for the compliments!

my (male) OB did sutures. (I know you weren't saying that male OBs never do them, just wanted to share my exp). It was prolly the one nice thing he did for me. I was a transfer from the birthing center, we'd never met. He'd obviously been awake for too many hours, his bedside manner was non-existant. Practicaly rolled his eyes when I asked him to check my dialation again before getting the epidural and before surgery. But everyone (who knows anything about surgery scars) who has seen my incision site says he did a beautiful job.

[OnTheFence]

Odd News from the Cesarean Goddess

My baby flipped last night. She is head down and my total pregnancy shape changed. In fact this morning I woke up and instead of seeing a bulging belly it was just my shelf roll of fat. I started palpatating where her head was supposed to be and didn't feel it. I freaked out! I also couldn't feel her moving and when I stood up, I no longer had this huge belly out in front of me. I drank a tall galss of ice cold orange juice and laid down and in about ten minutes I was getting these strong kicks up high and a spinning motion at the bottom -- a total reverse from the last 5-6 weeks. I think I ticked her off from a nice sleep because she has been moving since, but the movements are definitely different.

I have never had a baby turn at this stage of the game.
My friend thinks I should call my OB, I can just hear me now talking to the nurse and her thinking I am a total nut case.

Kim

[kyle98sean02]

That would have freaked me out. I would call the OB, but i am paranoid about every little thing when I'm pregnant. You could just tell the nurse your feeling her move less if you want to get checked out without having to explain everything to her. Which way was more comfy for ya?

[Storm Bride]

OTF: That's what I'm still hoping will happen. Baby's still got his/her head up high, and is kicking me in the bladder. I'm still hoping this one will turn, and I can try my VBA2C.

When's your next scheduled appointment with your OB?

[OnTheFence]

Originally Posted by Storm Bride

OTF: That's what I'm still hoping will happen. Baby's still got his/her head up high, and is kicking me in the bladder. I'm still hoping this one will turn, and I can try my VBA2C.

When's your next scheduled appointment with your OB?

Next Wednesday. I called my sister (the maternal/fetal nurse) and she says it definitely sounds like my baby's head has gone south. This is the weirdest thing. See my other post. I am really wigged out -- my pregnant belly doesnt look so pregnant anymore.

Kim

[Storm Bride]

If the baby stays head down, will you still be having the section?

[OnTheFence]

Originally Posted by Storm Bride

If the baby stays head down, will you still be having the section?

I guess! I would say yes, but my husband and my sister really want me to take a wait and see approach.
I've had a lot of intuition about this pregnancy in the beginning, one of the things is that I dreamed in the beginning that I had a preterm baby, not grossly preterm, just a small healthy breathing on their own baby. I've never felt I would make it to the end - does this make sense? I told my husband that if I was to go into labor, as long as I was not in pain and had good fetal movement I would stay at home as long as I could, just to mentally prepare for a new baby. I've never gone into labor before, never been in a position to labor actually, so I can only speculate what I would do. If my water broke, I would be in the hospital as fast as our car could get us there.
I definitely see myself delaying my csection with a head down baby, at least by another week if not two.
I just don't know what to think. I had a perfectly great planned csection before -- I was planning on that this time, but now I wonder if this baby is going to be choosing her own birthday. She seems to have a mind of her own!

[mandalamama]

OnTheFence, all i can say is that i am definitely glad i had labor before the c-birth. i mean, i could feel all the endorphins kicking in, and i was so glad Willow got the "happy hormones" i can see the attraction of planning a c-birth and being ready for it (rather than rushing into an emergency situation like i had to), and letting the baby pick her birthday! a little labor might give you a great endorphin rush which will see you all the way through into recovery, i didn't "come down" off my high for 3 days but then all labors are different, i think if you go into with a "it's pain with a purpose" mindset and take it one surge at a time, it could be very exciting! like going up that big hill on a rollercoaster, and then whoooooshhh!

on to another subject ... i'm having issues with nightmares i wish they didn't require a year's membership to join the abuse survivor's forum here! i have to wait until August. the cesarean brought up so many issues for me, because the spinal went wrong and i was totally numb and passing out, i had a lot of problems at first truly believing Willow was my baby (looking back i feel so stupid for worrying about that! she was SO my girl!) because she was there one moment, and just GONE the next. it seemed like an eternity, you know? so now, she'll be sleeping in my arms, and i dream that i wake up and she's gone i'm screaming and panicking trying to find her. then i wake up for real, my heart pounding like crazy, and she's still peacefully asleep in my arms. whew! anyway the nightmares are *every* night now, so i know i need to talk to someone. i'm on Medicare and Medicaid, calling around trying to find a therapist that takes either, no luck so far.

anyone else have nightmares later on? i mean, not right after the surgery, but like 5 or more months after birth?

[Storm Bride]

I don't recall nightmares with my emergency section (12 years ago). But, my dd was scheduled - only 2 days in advance, and I did have nightmares after that. But, they didn't start until I got pregnant again. When the doctors started talking about me needing another section, I started waking having nightmares about the walk into OR, about them almost forgetting to get my husband (that happened with dd...the nurse who was going to show him in just disappeared), about the pain afterwards, about something happening to my dd because I was in too much pain to help her, etc., etc. It was awful. It wasn't until I started talking to my OB about trying a VBA2C that things started to settle down, and I still have occasional problems. Dd was 2-years-old on Monday.

C-sections suck, imo.