Why did you have a C-section? - Page 2

[crunchymomof2]

Much like stafl there are so many reason that my ds's birth ended in c/s. I was induced with cervidil and pit. I had AROM and then the mw pushed his head up to let more fluid out. I had an epidural then my dialations slowed way down. Then when I finally started to push his heartrate would drop and it took several minutes to come back up. He was presenting asynclitic. So I think it was several things the primary one was me allowing myself to be induced. And while I am stilll upset about that I know that without that birth I would have never had such an awesome birth experience this time.

[thepeach80]

AJ was induced and asynclitic when presenting and not even the forceps could get him out. I worked a lot on positioning while pg w/ Evan and he came out just fine.

[liam's mom]

failure to progress/meconium when my water broke.

[MelissaEvans]

* Meconium, so the nurses wouldn't let me get into a more effective pushing position (they wanted to be able to suction at the perineum which I've since learned doesn't do any good anyway).
* Ineffective pushing because the nurse was "massaging" my perineum - but it hurt like hell, so I was tightening my PC muscle basically pushing my baby into a wall.
* "Maternal exahustion" was listed on my medical records, but I remember distinctly thinking I could push for another hour.
* After 3 hours of pushing, the last 3 pushes with the vaccuum (it popped off all three times, splattering blood, not very comforting), the baby wasn't budging (see comments above).
* Baby was going into distress, especially after the vacuum. Also, I was on Pit before 2nd stage to get rid of a cervial lip (they didn't call it that, they said I was stuck at 9.5cm; they didn't know positional changes would help so I got stuck with that poison) and the drug wasn't turned off when the lip went away. Cosequently, the "3-5 minutes between contractions" common in 2nd stage was more like 3-5 seconds and I can't imagine that would be tolerated well by a baby.
* I noticed afterwards that the coning and bruising (internal EFM and vacuum) was not centered, I believe baby was acynclitic.
* Baby was pretty big; 10lbs, 2oz, 23in long, 14in head. I'll never know if I could have pushed him out if I was in a more natural birth friendly environment. But I know how to keep many of these things from happening to this baby.

[megpaw]

I had a c-section because my OB was too chicken to deliver my twins vaginally since Baby B was trasverse, and I was too uninformed, exhausted, and frightened to fight for myself and my babies.

[AnditheBee]

Short version: She wouldn't come out.

Longer version: I was fully dilated, drug-free, able to take any position I wanted, supported beautifully by my husband, doula, doctor, and nurses...and I pushed for 8 hours. The contractions became identical--she would come down so far, stop, then go back up when the contraction ended. They could see/feel her head, but her fontanelle was so small they couldn't guess her position. Thankfully she was never in distress, so no one pressured me or suggested I do anything not on my birth plan, and they let me push for 7 hours. Finally I and my husband opted for the c-section because no matter what I did, the pushes were all the same and no progress was being made. It felt to me that she was hitting the bones, and that they just weren't moving/opening. I was still strong, but I didn't think I should risk her health by insisting on a birth that just wasn't working out.

So here are the theories:

1) I think her head was tilted back as she came down, instead of being tucked properly. Her head was not molded at all, so this remains only a theory.

2) A doctor has since suggested (now that I'm pg again) that I may have a smaller-than-normal pelvic opening. But I realize that doctors want everything to be exactly like the textbooks, so I'm taking that with a grain of salt. He also thinks her head was probably tilted back, and that my pelvis was the reason why. Maybe he's right, but if we know that, can't we deal with it better the next time?

3) My doula has some info on birthing positions for women with different-shaped pelvises. I think I will also get a second opinion from a good midwife on my pelvic shape, and continue to plan for a vbac this time.

I no longer regret my c-sec because it was the best decision I could make at that time, and unlike so many women, I am fortunate that it was my decision, that I never felt pressured into it, or anything else. It was a mourning process, though, to get to this point. I will mourn again if I have another. But everything happens for a reason...I trust that. The main thing is to have healthy babies.

[Leilalu]

I voted failure to progress, but not like some may think...

dd went 44 weeks, I had 2 due dates but we were sure the first one was correct. Labor never really started . I tried EVERYTHING. She was high, I was closed, everything. I would've been kicked to the curb as far as my health care provider( i ha planned on a birthing center but had to have a section at the hospital they used) and dd was a footling breech. Now, I am as natural minded about birth as they coem, but I had to have one.

Ds was 2 weeks late, labor started, water broke, and had mecomium I had a great doctor, midwife, and was trying for a natural VBAC. Labor wasn't progressing enough, only dialated 2 cm, even though I was having soem good contractions. They were getting worried with mecomium since I was still high and tight. He never dropped. I didn't want pictocin and a emergency section and have to be under general anesthetic, so I chose anotheer section, for my baby.

[Storm Bride]

1st: Emergency for frank breech
2nd: Scheduled for footling breech
3rd: Post-date
:

[Mama Coltrane]

Andi,
My story is very similar to yours. I trusted in my body and was well aware and in control of what was happening. I didn't have any drugs, inductions, etc. I labored quite nicely and then pushed unsuccessfully for 8 hours. My DH and I decided that a C section could possibly be the best answer for that particular birth. So- c section it was- posterior babe.
I don't think my body is broken at all. I feel 100%. I am going for a VBAC in a matter of days.
- Kerri

[puffmama]

ds' heartrate was 60 when I went under the knife. I started having contractions on sat night, and this happened the following wednesday just before midnight. we noticed some episodes of low heartrate during contractions on monday, so I'm pretty sure it was something out of my control.

after 3 days of contractions, on wednesday, we ended up transfering our planned homebirth to the hospital. though I was induced, I resisted an epidural until about 20 minutes before the c-section. I was in transition, and they said they would have let me push if it hadn't been my first.. but at that kind of heartrate, it would probably take too long...

I'm still sad about it, but it does get better with time. After the fact, I had a friend that said, "doesn't that make you glad we have the technology to do those kind of things?", which I thought was incredibly insensitive.

[sofiabugmom]

I put down Fetal Distress and Other:

DD was a 31-week preemie ... I'd been in the hospital for P-PROM (so much for the HB) at 30 weeks. During routine monitoring her HR skyrocketed, which started everyone panicking, which, in turn, jump-started my labor. I pushed for 3 hours, exhausted myself (I think from the fear-induced adrenaline and too much Pit), got an epidural. Then her HR plummeted on contractions. Docs couldn't test her scalp blood before it started clotting on the slide, so I gave the go-ahead for the surgery.

Turns out there was meconium in what little water I had left, plus I had a placental abruption, but no one bothered to tell me -- I had to find out when reading DD's chart in the NICU :

I don't like what happened during our birth, but after three years, I've come to terms with the fact that it was what we needed.

Best to all,

JA

[greenmansions]

I had a c/s after developing pre eclampsia while pushing. I pushed for 2 hours, and then they made me stop. This was on the 4th day of labor (started pitocin and epi on 3rd day b/c not dilating). DS was not coming out - turned out his head was tipped back so he was trying to come out forehead first - maybe that was the problem. He was born 81 hours after my first contractions started.

I am now trying to decide whether to try a VBAC this time 'round or not.

[APCDmama]

I've gone over this horribly traumatic experience so many times in my head, and I still can't pinpoint the exact reason for my c-section. I agree with stafl that one must leave the "why and how" behind at some point in order to move forward, but it's equally important to have a good game plan the next time around. Here's how it went for me:

1. PIH progressed to H.E.L.P. syndrome - care transferred from midwife to OB

2. artificially induced labour at 40 weeks (why they induced just before bedtime, I'll never know; I laboured hard all night long and was exhausted by morning; horrible, unhelpful nurse who couldn't care less I was there)

3. waters broken by OB in the morning, for no apparent reason - thick meconium present

4. long, hard back labour with baby in posterior position - offered epidural "If you don't have one now, you won't be able to have one later...and it might lower your blood pressure" (BP was skyrocketing at the time) I was so tired and in so much pain that I couldn't even think straight. Wish I'd had a doula, but I don't know if that would have helped. My DH, bless his heart, was no help at all. I still feel disappointed and guilty for "caving" to the medical interventions, but I was quite worried about my H.E.L.L.P. diagnosis and let the doctors take over.

5. epidural/fetal monitor/pitocin/lying flat on back/nurse stationed next to my bed/four separate IV's pumping unknown substances into my body

6. failure to progress (got to about 6-7 cm)

7. c-section followed by OB's pronouncement: "you are too small to deliver a baby vaginally" Yeah, right! My baby was only 7lbs 3 oz, for crying out loud. No fetal distress at all. Perfect Apgar scores. Time of section: 11 pm at night and the OB was getting ready to go home...

So....who knows if the c-section I received was "necessary". Yes, H.E.L.L.P. syndrome is an incredibly serious illness, but I still wonder if the induction/birth was handled appropriately. I honestly don't know if I have the courage to try another birth, but I think it would be an incredibly healing experience if successful. I would love a HBAC, but all my friends and family think I'm nuts.

[Amylcd]

My first was an emergency. My daughter was a face presentation & stuck (her heart tones were dropping dramatically because of this. The doctor & nurses assumed her neck would be broken). Besides being bruised, swollen and unable to move her neck (not broken though, thankfully) the first couple days of life, she was otherwise fine.

My second was a repeat, which I couldn't have been happier with.

[~member~]

I voted other because the first c-sec I had was completely against my will. They tied me down and injected me with something that knocked me out.

I have my records from that birth.
That is the same birth in 2002 that the doctor called CPS on me for breastfeeding my newborn.

The second c-section, 2005, there was a 'true knot' in the baby's umbilical cord. I got to stay awake for that one and see for myself. She was two weeks early, but is now 'not only doing good, but thriving!' according to the doctors.

[loudmama]

Damn, AndiB, your birth story sounds almost identical to mine. 38 weeks, convinced baby is coming a week past my EDD. Didn't realize I was in labor, nevermind back labor. Got to the hospital almost fully dialated. Tried pushing DD out for about 7 hours. She was fine, tried all kinds of positions & she didn't move past 0 station. She was Occiput Transverse, but I also had a full bladder that I couldn't empty & they never offered a catheter.

That's the short version. They tried to tell me my pelvis may be too small, but I know better now. She was just in bad position. The poor girl even had a wound on the back of her head from hitting my pelvis so long!

L

[nfpmom]

Both of my CS have been for big posterior babies. I just had my most recent baby 8 weeks ago. We planned an HBAC and I ended up with another CS because I pushed for half a day and the baby would not come out. I truly believe if my babies hadn't been posterior they would have come out. However, I question whether there is something about my pelvis that encourages my babies to turn posterior in labor... both times my babies have been anterior when labor started and have turned posterior in active labor and have just stayed there. *sigh*

take care

[ccohenou]

1st was planned birthcenter, breech since 34 weeks, c/s for breech at 41 weeks after ROM & ~4 hrs labor.
2nd was planned HBAC turned ambulance ride and GA c/s for placental abruption after ~4 hours labor again.
Maybe next time eh?

[Tracyn]

C-section

Mine sort of sounds like Leilalu's

I was 42 weeks and closed up tight, not effaced, no dilation, no dropping into the birth canal.

Plan was a water birth with a CN midwife at a hospital. After 3 different days of 3 different induction methods (cervical ripening, pitocin etc..) NOTHING. On 2nd attempt of pitocin, i started having some mild contractions, but then baby's HR dropped to 60 (FRIGHTENING!). so, i was taken off the drug, and after a couple hours, I had a few more irregular contractions that put babe in distress. Basically it was an emergency c-section that I was very depressed about as it was happening.

But, moments later i was BFing a 9lb 1oz boy, and soon got over it all.

The exact reason? THere was also part of the umbilical cord where an artery was outside of the cord, and was probably contributing to the baby's distress. However, the fact that I never dilated beyond 1+ cm, and never had contractions on my own was (and is now that I am PG with #2) the biggest concern. I am a smallish person at 5'5" and under 125#, but that doesn't really determine my pelvis size.

My CN midwife says my options are limited based on my history for baby #2 (and i'm over 35 now, which puts me categorically in the 'advanced maternity age' bracket).

Would love to have a VBAC, but also not as set on a vaginal birth as I was with #1. I hope that my circumstances this time around will allow it, however!

Cheers,
Tracyn

[Andrea1014]

My c/s was due to my son turning breech at 39 weeks. I was planning a natural childbirth, had the support of my OB, DH, friends. I couldn't wait! Then it was like a bomb fell on me when we discovered our baby flipped breech. It's taken me several months to pretty much grieve the delivery I wanted. Now almost 19 months later, I've pretty much accepted it and have moved on. We plan on trying for another baby in a year and I plan on having a VBAC.