Cesarean Birth Support Thread November & December 2005 - Page 3

[OnTheFence]

Wanted to check in, I am just briefly posting around Mothering tonight. I now have two babies here at the house, as I am helping my SIL out during the week while she works. Busy Busy Busy.

Anyway, a friend of mine had a 33 weeker a little over a week ago by cesarean due to HELLP syndrome. The baby has done remarkably well. Due to a low platelet count and some blood clotting issues she had to be put under general for her cesarean. They baby though is a miracle and has done wonderfully. Even breathing room air from birth and is very healthy. It looks like she is coming home Monday. Now that she is 4lbs she is breastfeeding (was getting breastmilk by bottle) and doing it like a champ!

I've talked to the mom a great deal about her cesarean, as I am also looking out for her so she doesnt over do it. She says that the cesarean is way better than her vaginal birth and she would have ten of those to her vaginal birth any day of the week. The mom though has a very positive outlook considering she was near death before birth.

I haven't been able to read all the posts but I just wanted to say I am here if anyone has any questions. I think of all of you and goodluck whatever birthing experience you choose next!

Kim

[dlm194]

Originally Posted by greenmansions

I just found out the 2004 statistic for the c/s rate at the hospital I birthed DS at (in that year) - it's a whopping 37.6%!!!! I and a few of my girlfriends are part of that number. Unbelievable. Wish I'd known then what I know (and am still learning) now... The hospital I hope to switch to had a 2004 rate of about 19%, lowest in our region, and still not low enough IMO.

Doesn't that make you ill? My hospital's 2003 numbers were at 27.6% c-s but everyone I know who delivered there had a c-s so I'm betting the #s went up in 2004. Plus, I'm in NJ which has the highest c-s rate in the union (around 33%) so hospitals with c-s rates of 40% and higher are not uncommon. I did find a hospital not far away that has a c-s rate of 24% which I thought wasn't too bad, considering the fact that they are a level III birth center. : HBACs are illegal in NJ and there are no birth centers so I can't even consider that.

[turtlewomyn]

I was reading about c/s rates down here in Florida and there is a hospital in Miami with a 54% c/s rate. :Puke

It feels like we are fighting a losing battle sometimes.

[OnTheFence]

Originally Posted by dlm194

Doesn't that make you ill? My hospital's 2003 numbers were at 27.6% c-s but everyone I know who delivered there had a c-s so I'm betting the #s went up in 2004. Plus, I'm in NJ which has the highest c-s rate in the union (around 33%) so hospitals with c-s rates of 40% and higher are not uncommon. I did find a hospital not far away that has a c-s rate of 24% which I thought wasn't too bad, considering the fact that they are a level III birth center. : HBACs are illegal in NJ and there are no birth centers so I can't even consider that.

There are a few birthing centers in PA over the state line I believe. Have you considered using one of them.

Kim

[wombatclay]

Of course, the hospital I used has one of the lowest cs rates in New York State and has won all sorts of awards for being natural birth and VBAC friendly...and more than half of my (non-hospital) birth group wound up with cesareans there (myself included). The staff was wonderful, and I will probably use the same hospital when it comes time for my next delivery since they're the only local hospital that will do vbacs these days (and my insurance doesn't cover homebirths), but sometimes a low c/s rate doesn't tell the whole story.

On the other hand, those are some really scary numbers! A c/s rate of more than 50%? Ack!

[dlm194]

Originally Posted by OnTheFence

There are a few birthing centers in PA over the state line I believe. Have you considered using one of them.

Kim

Yeah, I have. There is a birth center about 20 minutes away from my parents (who are an hour away from me). Incidently that birth center is 5 minutes from the hospital where I was born! Unfortunately, the last I heard, they don't attend vbacs anymore b/c the hospital where I was born took away midwife privileges so they have to travel further if their patients need the hospital. It's a shame too b/c I used to pass that birth center everyday on my way to school and I used to think how cool it would be to deliver there. I've gotten some recommendations for midwives that have excellent vbac outcomes in NJ so I'm keeping all my options open (when and if the time comes! )

[BensMom]

Checking in 4 days after my first Cesarean. I tried and tried to avoid surgery for my breech baby, even finding the one doctor within an hour of me who would deliver her vaginally. But after we went postdates and were facing a week of him being off call (and his backup partners not as willing to attend the birth), I became another statistic of our legal system.

But it went as good as could be expected. No complications, baby is doing great. I pushed to get out of the hospital asap and we left shortly after 48 hrs. My milk came in on day 3. I can move around pretty well, but I do have to sleep in the recliner, since I cannot get in and out of my bed. My dr was very understanding, mentioning several times about how I will be able to VBAC next time and how sorry he was that things did not go as planned (we were planning a HB).

Elly is helping me recover by being such a great nurser. She nurses and sleeps. So once I latch her on, I can crash myself and have felt amazingly rested...well once we got home, that is. Those nurses sure dont help anyone rest!

Anyway, hopefully things will keep going well. I am slowly trying to cut back on the Percoset and use ibuprofin instead. DH has been wonderful, being my errand boy and wife. I think that is so important for all moms, but especually Cesarean moms.

[nfpmom]

Jenn,
Glad to hear your recovery is going so well.
I got a lump in my throat when you referred to yourself as a Cesarean mom.
I know this is not the title you were hoping for and I still can't quite believe it, but please know you are an amazing and awesome momma.
I was Jenn-stalking on your due date board and saw that you were kind of feeling like "ho hum there's my baby" after she was born and I have to say it could either be the cesarean, or it could be the second baby Karen had the same kind of "ho hum there is my baby" feeling after HBACing her DD and it took her a while to feel bonded, while she felt like the bond with DS (CS baby) was instantaneous. I can say the same thing, having gone through it twice. I pretty much bonded instantly with DS despite the CS and utter exhaustion from a 2 day labor but it took me... months... : to feel totally bonded with DD. For a while I just felt like her caretaker but I didn't have that "love you so much I get tears thinking about it" feeling for months... Did I feel guilty about that? Yeah, totally. But I honestly think it was a 2nd baby thing more than the CS, considering my labors were suprisingly similar with both and they both were cesarean-born.
Congrats again and I am glad nursing is going well for you. It really helps, doesn't it?
take care

[dlm194]

Congratulations on the birth of your daughter Jenn! I'm glad things went well and I'm glad to hear that your dh is being very supportive. He gets a star. : Yay for Elly being a great nurser!

[LEmama]

New here

Hi Mamas...I am so happy to have stumbled across this support thread. I will be having a planned c-section in March, and am feeling somewhat aprehensive about it. This is my fourth pregnancy. All of my pregnancies were under the care of a midwife center. My first delivery was vaginal, my second was an emergency c-section with a T-shaped uterine incision, and my third was a planned c-section (due to the vertical uterine incision). I have two living children, 10 and 6. This pregnancy was a suprise. We had firmly decided that we were "done", and one of my main reasons was that I did not want to put my body through another c-section (sorry to be so negative, but that's how I felt). My third birth and second c-section went well - difficult to recover from but no complications. Still, I am not looking forward to doing it again. I am beginning some practices that will help me to actively, postively prepare for the birth. Things like nourishing my body with extra vitamins C and E, visualizing a positive outcome, prenatal yoga, creating abirth plan, etc. I know it will make me feel better to prepare in this way. I have got a lot of inner work to do, as I am still not very excited about having another child - I still can't believe it's happening! Anyway, that's my story. Thanks for being here!
Peace, LEmama

[mamabeth]

Congrats Bensmom on your new little one! I'm also in Atlanta (hi Elaine!). I'm glad your recovery is going pretty well...my 2nd c-sect was planned (which I also tried and tried to avoid!) and it was much better than the 1st. I agree that DH's totally need to be "on call" for caesarean moms...mine was awesome this time because he sort of knew what to expect as far as what I could do, and also all the calls for "more water!!!!" while nursing.

LEmama--welcome! I can totally understand your anxieties. It is a lot to go through and to know you're doing it again must make it even harder. But there are some great birth plans out there that can help. Hope you can try to work through things in the coming months.

I had big plans to start running again today but was busted by a plugged duct. bummer but I'll try again next week.

[Monkeyfeet]

Hi all!

I am wondering if any of you have ever heard of this; I am trying to find a medial term for this if there is one. I had an emergency cs with my dd. I pushed for 3 hours, but her head would not go down the birth canal. My midwife was great in letting me try but then dd's hb dropped to 15-20, so they knew that they had to get her out.

At my follow up, I questioned what went wrong and I was told that my pelvis is shaped in a way that I could never deliver vaginally. I questioned this and saw another practice and after u/s and a scan they came to the same conclusion.

Any ideas/suggestions?

thanks!

[wombatclay]

ever heard of this; I am trying to find a medial term for this if there is one

Hi!

I'm not sure how helpful this information will be (since this site doesn't really provide a solution), but you can learn more about cephalopelvic disproportion due to "abnormalities of the maternal bony pelvis" online at
http://www.emedicine.com/med/topic3280.htm (about halfway down the page...).

The technical terms you're probably looking for (other than cephalopelvic disproportion) refer to the four pelvic types: gynecoid, anthropoid, android, and platypelloid. In general, women with android or platypelloid pelvic types have difficulty delivering vaginally. Congenital abnormalities, disease, and injury can all affect the shape of the pelvic outlet as well.

Your doctor should be able to tell you which type your own pelvis falls into, and what your options are.

HTH...

[mighty-mama]

I delivered at a NY state hospital w/ a 25% c/s rate, I believe, you know probably higher. I did enjoy the hospital, and the staff. They do not allow VBAC, which is sad, so I will have to go somewhere in Albany.

[Monkeyfeet]

Thanks for the link, I am going to read it all later. Not that it is anyone's business why I had a cs, but when asked about it and if I feel that I want to go into the details then that will help. I love it when people ask me why I had it and I try and explain it and they look at me like I made the reason up! It may just be because not that many people have heard of this, I am unsure.


Anyway, I see that you are in Ithaca! We are almost neighbors. I hear that they have a great Children's museum there.

[wombatclay]

feel that I want to go into the details then that will help

Glad it's helpful. I know that sometimes I just feel like I need to pull out the big guns (or at least the big words) when someone is challenging me on why I had a c/s. Like somehow it was my fault! And since I'm a reference librarian...well...when someone asks for info to support their own quest for fully informed snappy comebacks I'm glad to oblige!

great Children's museum there

Yeah...there's the Science Museum with a ton of hands on stuff for the little ones, and the new (well, newly remodeled) Museum of the Earth with plenty of fossils and Mastodon Matrix (that would be pre-historic mastodon poop that kids can pick through, for those not familiar with the mastodon matrix project) to play with. If you're ever in town let me know!

Enjoy the snow!

[Mom_on_the_move]

Originally Posted by OnTheFence

For those interested, past cesarean birth support threads include birth plans, including my own. It can also be found on my blog under Cesarean Goddess posts.

I just wanted to thank you, Kim, for sharing your birth plan info. I was working on ours for our 3rd c/s. #1 was unplanned after many, many hours of labor, but was a beautiful, fulfilling experience. #2 was planned/scheduled and a very disappointing experience. We are hoping to make #3 as close to #1 as possible, and I think many of your suggestions will help us do just that

Thanks!

[Mom_on_the_move]

Hi everyone!

I am so glad that I found this thread. We are currently expecting our third child, and I am working through many issues related to the birth of our second child and the fact that I seem to be unable to convince anyone to help me VBAC after 2 c-sections. As I stated in a previous post, I was working on a birth plan for the upcoming birth. I really found that to be helpful in working through some of the issues/ emotional baggage that I have been carrying around. We will see ahat happens when I show it to my OB.

I also wanted to share the positive c-section birth experience story of our first daughter. I am sure later I will share the story of our second daughter's borth.

We had planned an unmedicated, natural birth for our first child. We attended Bradley Method classes, prepared our birth plan, and were armed with lots of knowledge about our options.

About 2 weeks before Madeline's due date I was in a very minor car accident, and went to the birth center just to be on the safe side. My blood pressure was elevated. I argued that I was just in an accident, whose blood pressure would be normal. They kept me for observation. The doctor (the one on call, not my regular OB), by phone, asked to check the protien in my urine. The nurse said it was positive. They admitted me and started an induction. I argued that my blood pressure would come down with time, but they told me we needed to be safe. [It may not be sounding positive now, but just wait.] So, they gave hooked up the IV, gave me the trial of the medication, and left me to wait. Later, the lab results on protein came back. There was no protein in my urine. My blood pressure was now down. The doctor (still by phone) said that we should continue with the induction. I asked to talk to the doctor, and the nice nurse agreed to get her on the phone for me. I told the doctor I wanted to go home. She agreed to stop the induction and watch me until morning. In the morning a different doctor came to see me and sent me home, stating that she saw no reason to keep me there. I felt relieved and empowered!

Three days after my due date, we went to my dr. appointment. My blood pressure was up, fetal movement was less than they like to see, we agreed to an induction. They hooked up the IV and started the meds. I labored for 24 hours with lots of walking, showering, changing positions, relaxation, massages, etc. At one point my husband asked, from a groggy state, if I could walk by myself so that he could rest (he will NEVER live this down). I asked for an epidural at about the 24 hour mark, and got some much needed rest myself. Then I stopped dilating, so we tried some natural means of stimulating labor. They did not work,so pitocin was started. Then we labored some more, to about the 40 hours mark, when they said that I had just a lip left, so we could start pushing. So, I pushed, and pushed, and pushed. The doctor came in after about 3 hours of pushing and said that we might need a c-section. I convinced her to let me keep pushing. After 5 hours of pushing, she said I could keep pushing and we could try forceps (which I had previously decided I would not allow, unless there was an emergency) or I could choose a c-section. I chose the c-section.

They preped me and wheeled me to the OR. Our daughter was born, and she was beautiful and healthy. She stayed in the OR until I was done. Went to recovery with me (I actually "carried" her to recovery myself). Started breastfeeding in recovery and stayed with us the entire time we were in the hospital. It was a wonderful experience. Although it was not what we had planned, we really felt as though we were involved in the choice that were made, and there are very few things I look back on and say I should have done differently. That has made all of the difference.

Thanks for listening! I would love to read others' birth stories. I know there was another positive story posted in this thread, and I enjoyed reading it.

[Momto1and1ontheway]

Repeat c/s birthing plan

Hi. I'm x-posting from the main "Birth and Beyond" subcategory. Here is my post from there:

Hi. Did anyone prepare a birthing plan for a repeat c/s or know where I could get some examples to base mine on? I'm not having much luck finding such resources on the internet.

Thanks everyone!!

[Ben's Mommy]

I've just been lurking around for awhile.....school is very overwhelming especially when finals are coming up. But I just wanted to pop in and give you the link to Kim's (aka - Cesarean Goddess's) birth plan. It was in a previous thread and I know many women here who have benefited from her research and knowledge. Here's the link to the previous thread it was in...it's the second post in the thread. I think I've linked her birth plan so many times that it should be a sticky at the top of a forum somewhere!
Here you go!

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...ght=birth+plan

Hope it helps!