Cesarean Birth Support Thread April & May 2006 - Page 7

[egoldber]

Originally Posted by Satori

i'm pretty sure I will be having a c/s tomorrow so I need advice on the fastest way to recover

If you are not allergic and don't have adverse reactions to morphine, ask for Duramorph. Its a bolus of morphine that they put in the epidural or spinal catheter and it provides great long-acting post-op pain relief. Pain meds given this way are also excreted into breastmilk at a much lower rate.

Ask them to remove all tubes (IVs, catheters, etc.) as soon as possible and get out of bed and walk as soon as you can. Walking is critical to your recovery. Try not to overdo it, but getting out of bed is the best thing you can do for yourself.

The night before, eat only soft foods, nothing really hard to digest. Soups, yogurt, etc. are all good. After surgery ask the OB if you can resume a normal diet ASAP. It will make you feel better. No matter what the hospital policy is on this, your OB can override it. And I agree with the suggestion of getting some high fiber snacks and bringing them in.

Bring your own comfy clothes and get out of the hospital gown. Being in that gown makes me feel like an invalid. Being in my own clothes makes me feel like me again.

Take your pain meds. If you get behind, it can take hours for the pain to get under control again. For at least the first 3-4 days, take the meds and then see if you can taper off. This will also help with getting out of bed. You won't want to walk if you feel horrible.

Bring your own pillows from home. I don't know what it is about hospital pillows but they just suck.

Bring toiletries and ask to shower as soon as you can to make yourself feel better. Don't forget to bring a hair dryer if you use one.

Hope all goes well tomorrow!

[mamabeth]

one random thing...don't drink apple juice...it is fermented so it actually makes the gas situation worse. cranberry is great and you can have it right after surgery if you want it.

also, I just wanted to add that with both of my c/s I didn't walk until 24 hours later. But I was still out of the hospital within 48 hours. I had severe anemia both times and fainted when they tried to get me up earlier. But as soon as I did get up it was fine and I was getting around okay by the time I went home.

hope everything goes wonderfully and please let us know your birth story when you get back!

[nfpmom]

Lisa,
I have had two CS as well... may I ask why you feel your VBA2C goal is moving further and further away? Trouble with careproviders? Second thoughts? How can we help you?

take care

[pumpkinsmama]

Scar pain is really starting to get on my nerves

Four times in the last week I've actually had to stop walking and stand still it hurt so bad. Always in the same spot it has been since I was sectioned and with the pregnancy it just keeps getting worse.

TBH I am becoming really terrified of the idea of contraction pain combining with scar pain.

But I read a great HBAC story with twins!! TWINS!!! in the birth stories forum... so still planning VBAC but if it keeps getting worse I'm gonna have to get a Tens/tems? unit for just scar pain. : :

[FireWithin]

emotional trauma during sex

My son was breech, and we had a scheduled c-s. It was uneventful, and I was able to see the section as a birth and not just as a medical procedure. He was 10.3 at birth, with a large head really stuck up by my upper ribs. Intellectually I am very comfortable with our decision to have a section (even if I didn't really have a choice in the matter). I feel like I have been doing well recovering emotionally from such a turn of birthing events.

At 3 weeks pp, DH and I started having unplanned sex for the first time. I felt ready both physically and emotionally. Right before we started having intercourse, I thought oh we need to be careful this might hurt. I then realized of course that won't be an issue because I had a section. I had a few emotional pangs because of that (as if I was sad I was feeling left out of vaginal pain). A few moments after starting DTD, I became so uncontrollably sad and couldn't stop crying. We, of course, stopped immediately. I felt traumatized-not by the act, but by the emotions related to the section. It felt as if I was reliving a sexual trauma (although I am thankful to say I have never experienced a sexual assault - that is the closest way I can guess I was feeling.) It is very unlike me to not want to talk about an emotional issue, and deal with it head on (for me this is the best way I heal from emotional stuff), but this time I refused to talk about it beyond briefly explaining why I was crying. I rolled over, cuddled my newborn, while by DH spooned me.
I didn't anticipate feeling this way, and am not sure how to go about healing.

[AnditheBee]

Hugs, mama. You know, I think one of the reasons they always say "Wait six weeks" is not necessarily because of healing from VB (since they usually tell c/s moms that, too), but an overall recovery process for the body, mind, and soul. Birth is a life-changer, no matter how it happens, and I think our minds and bodies are still healing and processing the experience too vividly at three weeks to handle the sensations and emotions of sex. Birth is just too intense to put your body through anything else even remotely intense for a while, you know? At least, that's my theory! I'd say wait a while before you try again--talk to DH so he understands, when and if you can--spend some time cuddling so that you can still enjoy physical intimacy with him--and I suspect that the ability to have sex without pain (of any kind) will naturally return in time.

As for healing from the c-sec--try writing/journaling about it. I often discover feelings I didn't even know I had, when I write about an experience. And if you have someone who will listen non-judgementally and provide support, talk talk talk. It always helps to find someone who's been through it, if possible.

If nothing else, we are here...write whatever you feel. We understand.

[allycat]

Originally Posted by allycat

Hey Everyone-

I have been reading many entries here and thought I would share my own.

I did have C-section after labouring for 6 hours (6pm contractions started by 2am I was pushing), got to 10cm, was in a lot of back and hip bone pain with sciatia down to my toes. The doctor did tell me that the baby was well positioned, and asked to break my water earlier but I told her no - and it broke slowly as I started to push.

I did push for 2 hours, and wondered why my DS was not coming out. The doc said his head was slightly rotated to the left and tried to manually turn him with her fingers. This was the beginning of another 3 hours of pushing (it is involuntary at a certain point), 3 epidurals that did not work, and an epidural block, and 2 local anesthetics. Finally went to a C-section after trying forceps (for another 1.5 hours) to get the baby out.

After being in so much pain for sooo long, and seeing the daylight once again after labouring all night I welcomed my C-section, and the meds to relieve my back/hip pain. DS was just not coming out as he was wedged in my pelvis. And at this point I did really want him out.

Having had pelvis pain from 4 months onward, I can understand why I was in so much pain during the delivery.

I thought I would be a bit disappointed in my experience as I really wanted to have a natural birth - which I did up until he was not coming out and I was sooo tired at the end. My body is just not designed to have large children - he was only 8 pounds, 5 ounces - 21.5 inches long (which I hear is normal?).

Maybe on the next child I will spontaneously go into labour before the end of 40 weeks so that this option will be available to me once again.

So, for those of you who had 'no other option' as the kid was just not coming out, I hope you do not continue to be too hard on yourselves. Your baby is here - beautiful, and healthy.

This is what I wrote around 3 weeks ago. Now I am having second thoughs about the C-section. Although the baby was not coming out now I feel that I am not bonding as well as I would have if I would have pushed my baby out.

Is this normal to feel this way? I am loving everything about my son, but at times I feel that there is something missing. Does it get better? I cry quite a bit lately about anything.


A.

[channelofpeace]

Hugs, mama.

I had a repeat section with my son (due to low afi) after pinning my hopes on a vbac . I spent months second guessing and playing the "what if" game in my head. I cried a lot and mourned not being able to give him (and myself) the birth that i so desired to give him. I finally had to concede that i did the best i could with the knowledge and support system that i had at the time and although it might have been avoided, i couldn't change it now.

You sound like you did what you could and you should be proud of that. Give yourself time to mourn the loss of a vaginal birth-- if it is causing you pain, than it is a big deal. Don't let other people minimize it. Give it time, mama. Be gentle with yourself

[alley cat]

I have had 2 c/s and have never felt bad about it at all. My first child was transverse up to 36 weeks and then went to a footling breech at 37 weeks, at 38 weeks I had a successful version [ I think that's the name this is 5 years ago now - where they turn the baby head down] So all was set for a natural birth . She went almost to 42 weeks when they induced me . The night before a midwife said to me that sometimes when the baby is breech and hasn't engaged [she never did] it means they don't fit and just be prepared for a c/s . Well 10 hours of labour later I hadn't progressed at all despite full on labour pains, 2 failed epidurals and gas [ that did nothing] I was told you have 2 options the first is a c/s and I said thanks very much I'll take that and didn't hear the 2nd choice I had had enough. As the epidurals hadn't worked I had to have a general which was not the best experience as you miss the big moment.
I then went on to have severe postnatal pyschosis in the months after my daughters birth and she was to be an only child. As I got better we decided to have another. The hospital wanted me to have the easiest birth possible to avoid a repeat of the PNP so I had the choice of what I wanted I choice the elective c/s which was just as well as at 36 weeks when I went in they didn't even ask my choice and said we have to book you in for a c/s [ which was fine with me -I was a little surprized they didn't ask me what I wanted though]. My son was born after a spinal block that worked [ no general this time] . I got to see him born which was wonderful and I had no post natal problems this time.
I have never ever felt inferior or disappointed I didn't have a natural birth I was so relieved to have a positive post natal period the 2nd time round that it was the right decision to me.
I know people who have so called natural births and 1 couldn't sit down except on a woopie cushion for 6 months and had no sex for 18 months and another had 1 3 degree tear and 2 2nd degree tears with her 3 children and "allows her hubby sex once a month" as it's a painful experience for her.
As another mother said to me " I got pregnant to have a child not to have a birth " In the end all that matters is that they are well and arrive safely, and it's nice to still be intact down there

[Lovinmy2babies+1]

Originally Posted by nfpmom

Lisa,
I have had two CS as well... may I ask why you feel your VBA2C goal is moving further and further away? Trouble with careproviders? Second thoughts? How can we help you?

take care

I feel as though it's moving further away because I can't find any care provider in my area to take me. My husband is dead set against homebirth, and honestly I'm not comfortable with it either.

[Ben's Mommy]

for OhMeOhMy.

[grumpyshoegirl]

Originally Posted by allycat

This is what I wrote around 3 weeks ago. Now I am having second thoughs about the C-section. Although the baby was not coming out now I feel that I am not bonding as well as I would have if I would have pushed my baby out.

Is this normal to feel this way? I am loving everything about my son, but at times I feel that there is something missing. Does it get better? I cry quite a bit lately about anything.

In my experience, it is. I felt "good" about our decision to have a c-section immediately after the fact but starting at about 3 months I became really angry over the whole thing and two months later still am. I'm not having bonding issues but I'm really mad at myself and I hate that every time I look at my daughter I am reminded of the birth.

[egoldber]

Here's the link for the June thread:

http://www.mothering.com/discussions...d.php?t=464669