All children by C-section tribe )_( - Page 55

[selkiewoman]

Originally Posted by Silvercrest79

This thread was created for those who are done having children and had all c-sections and those who will only ever have c-sections (like myself).
This thread is for us to talk about what it is like to not know a natural birth and to mourn what we haven't had and will never have.

I wanted to thank the original poster, Silvercrest, for this thread. I'm sure many women feel the way sunbun does but for those of us who don't, this thread is important.

Originally Posted by Norasmomma

selkiewoman-Welcome, it is totally ok to feel like you do.

Thank you, I appreciate it.

Originally Posted by kbins

I had an interesting discussion about staples vs sutures with him as well, thanks in part to the discussions on this thread. He's been using a dissolvable staple for the past year and a half. ~snip~ (no pun intended....)

Are you talking about internal or external? I've never heard of dissolvable staples, but I can say that my internal sutures were done with stitches that will dissolve, and my external incision was stapled. They were great, it healed well and when they removed I didn't feel a thing. Partially because that area will be numb for a long time. But they were fine. After the staples were removed by a nurse, they put steri-strips over the incision, and the incision healed nicely. I'm impressed by how little it shows, actually. I really do not want a scar there, but you can hardly see it so far.

Originally Posted by kbins

Any words of advice on anything I can do to strengthen my body before surgery in the next few days (besides rest and good food of course)? I know I'll be allowed to eat relatively quickly after surgery, my OB didn't make me go through three days of liquid diet or anything.

Rest is a good idea! I hadn't slept well at all the night before my c-section, but then, I didn't know it was coming. And after, I couldn't sleep. I was awake for 36 hours before I finally passed out for just a few hours thanks to my mom being there to be with my daughter. And also, not to be TMI-ish, but if you can, empty your bowels before hand since the surgery- all abdominal surgery- makes your bowels stall and it might be a few days before you can go. You will feel better if you are not full in there ahead of time, on several levels.


I was surprised to learn it could take a year to get the nerves/feeling back in the numb area of my belly. A year! There is a tiny bit of feeling back now, but it feels like sunburn; not normal nerve sensation at all.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by kbins

Any words of advice on anything I can do to strengthen my body before surgery in the next few days (besides rest and good food of course)? I know I'll be allowed to eat relatively quickly after surgery, my OB didn't make me go through three days of liquid diet or anything.

I was doing step workouts every other day throughout my last pregnancy. My last one was about 35 minutes the night before surgery. I don't know how much it helped with my better-than-usual recovery, but I suspect it contributed. (I'd been active in my earlier pregnancies, but not to quite the same degree.)

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by selkiewoman

I was surprised to learn it could take a year to get the nerves/feeling back in the numb area of my belly. A year! There is a tiny bit of feeling back now, but it feels like sunburn; not normal nerve sensation at all.

The sunburn sensation is apparently the nerves healing. I've had it twice - it lasted almost a year with ds2, and several months with Aaron.

The numbness in my abdomen (and bladder) from my third c-section never went away. He turned 4 last month. I had very little of it after my 4th one - just what I'd already had going in. This time, the numbness has increased again, but I'm hoping the additional numbness is temporary, as I'm beginning to suspect I'll never feel my bladder properly again.

[Peppermint]

Originally Posted by kbins

Any words of advice on anything I can do to strengthen my body before surgery in the next few days (besides rest and good food of course)?

I am due for my next section in just over 5 weeks, and I am taking really high quality probiotics, as well as Vit C, Magnesium and Floradix. I also bought some infant probiotics for the baby to take from Day #1. I really am hopeful that this will make a difference and perhaps I will have my first baby without horrible colic.
http://pediatrics.aappublications.or...ull/119/1/e124

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by Peppermint

I am due for my next section in just over 5 weeks, and I am taking really high quality probiotics, as well as Vit C, Magnesium and Floradix.

Oh, this. I didn't take these specific things before having the baby, but I did have them on hand, and started them as soon as I got home. I'm not taking magnesium, but intend to buy a high quality cal-mag supplement next time I'm near the nutrition store. I have had a lot of trouble with incipient charlie horses this recovery, and I think a cal-mag supplement would have helped.

[darcytrue]

Originally Posted by sunbun

There is one thing that I do get tired of ….. justifying my c-section to others…

I understand what you mean. I feel much the same way, especially since both of my children are much older now and all of the real life stuff I've been through with them are what matters most to me. Plus, my youngest child had a medical problem at the age of 3 that left her hospitalized for quite some time and that made me only thankful that I had her, not how I had her. But I do at times wonder what it would be like to deliver vaginally. I think that's natural for most women to feel that way who have only had c/s. And I try to respect that.

[darcytrue]

Originally Posted by Peppermint

I am due for my next section in just over 5 weeks, and I am taking really high quality probiotics, as well as Vit C, Magnesium and Floradix. I also bought some infant probiotics for the baby to take from Day #1. I really am hopeful that this will make a difference and perhaps I will have my first baby without horrible colic.

what do each of these things do? My first child didn't have colic but my second child did.

[Norasmomma]

Originally Posted by sunbun

There is one thing that I do get tired of ….. justifying my c-section to others…

I'm in this boat quite a bit, where I live it's a pretty natural community and so most women I know have HB or even UC, then there's me(it's not like this was my master plan). I had 30 hour labor the ultimately ended in an emergency c/s-I don't have to justify it to my family(they were all there and saw what happened), but OMG there are people in my community who have NO IDEA what it is like to be told "hey MOST women can have a VBAC and should, but you have a T-incision on your uterus now and hard labor could very possibly rupture your uterus and harm you and your baby." Then having your DH pulled side and having that reiterated plus the words you could very well lose both of them. These were the things said to me the day after my c/s with DD because she was in such a odd, low position there was no way to get her out w/out that. Thing is I feel that spot, I know it is weak.

The worst for me was the judgment from our local midwife who told me my c/s was because I was scared, she had no idea what happened and just made an assumption based on nothing, she didn't even ask. she just made up her mind and blurted out the first dumb thing she could.(She's since had an emergency c/s transfer-maybe she wouldn't say such insensitive stuff now).

Currently I am just getting a bit more scared about my c/s, I really wish that I wasn't but I am. I am much more scared this time than I was with DD. DD's was an emergency I heard the Drs say it, this is extremely urgent that we get this baby out now. After 30 hours she was stressed, I was no longer contracting and this just went downhill fast. This time I have had months and months to think about it...and frankly that is waaaaaayyyyy more scary than having a long labor that results in a c/s. There's so much anticipation and nerves, I am trying to be strong, but sh*t I am kinda freaked out.

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by Norasmomma

Then having your DH pulled side and having that reiterated plus the words you could very well lose both of them.

I'm sorry you had a T-incision, because I know that's bad news. But, I have to say that I'd raise supreme if the doctor did this with my dh. That smacks too much of "so make sure the little woman does what she's told".

This time I have had months and months to think about it...and frankly that is waaaaaayyyyy more scary than having a long labor that results in a c/s. There's so much anticipation and nerves, I am trying to be strong, but sh*t I am kinda freaked out.

When I got pregnant with ds2, I "knew" I was going to have a c/s, and I thought I could be..okay (not really..resigned, maybe) to it. I was wrong. As soon as I knew I was pregnant, I started getting nightmares for the first time in my life. It was terrifying.

This last time, I managed to fight through it all and was at a place of something resembling peace when I actually got to the hospital. I'll admit, though - it took a long time and a lot of work, and I was still terrified - as was dh - while I was being prepped and during the surgery.

And, I still hate that I'm never going to give birth...but it feels sooooo indescribably good to know that I'm never, ever going to have another c-section. I'm not thrilled that my reproductive life is over, but I'm thrilled that my c-sections are.

[Norasmomma]

Originally Posted by Storm Bride

I'm sorry you had a T-incision, because I know that's bad news. But, I have to say that I'd raise supreme if the doctor did this with my dh. That smacks too much of "so make sure the little woman does what she's told".

OH I know why this doctor said that-it was probably partially because of that type of statement, it was also because of my behavior. I was right up walking 12 hours later-I would have been earlier if I wasn't sleeping. I'm not trying to sound like some super woman, but after that whole experience I truly don't think they had ever seen someone quite like me, I mean I was like please get me the heck out of this friggin bed. when I asked if I could go for a walk, they looked at me like I was from outer space. I had walked nearly 1/2 way around the hospital(small one floor) and a nurse came and said the doctor wanted to see me, so I had to turn around and walk back. The doc who did the surgery seriously looked like this, I mean no exaggerating. Dh and I both saw it, he was really shocked. Plus when he told me the whole T-incision thing I really just kinda brushed him off, like it was no big deal(honestly I thought there was a LOT of exaggeration going on). It wasn't until I actually read and really researched that I realized that it is a pretty nasty thing to have done, and that is exactly why he said that to my DH-I'm not defending his reasons I just can see why. Honestly I was just on such a baby high and my personality was amplified which made me seem *slightly* crazier than your average person. I mean I was making jokes on the way to the OR, they really thought I was just plain strange. Being funny is my defense mechanism I realized, and it runs in my family. Stressing out makes me turn into a weird, funny woman-I don't think they had any idea what was going on with me.

[AmberLynn]

I am so glad to find this tribe... I have been having some really hard times after my C-section.
I was originally with a midwife, and planned an all natural at home water birth... but due to my incredibly faulty hips, she felt I would be better suited to go back to my OB due to the risk I may not spread...

After my last week of pregnancy, being dilated to 5-6, soft, and effacing more and more everyday... and baby not dropping I began to suspect a problem. My instinct told me my hips were, as suspected, incapable of spreading due to scarring in my muscles from a wreck at age 16. I had a textbook perfect pregnancy. no swelling, no BP or blood sugar issues, not a moment of morning/all day sickness, nothing. I didn't even look like i'd gained as much as I had.... My heart was SET on my natural childbirth, even in the hospital... which my OB fully supported. Finally, after my body was struggling to get him out for 5 long days without any contractions I addressed it with my dr. We decided my instinct was probably right and went ahead and scheduled with c/s. I was crushed. It went from being just a natural hospital birth to the exact opposite of what I wanted literally in a matter of minutes.

My issue right now, 11 days PP.... I feel like I am still waiting to go into labor. I am overwhelmed with joy, and I am not depressed in the least.. but I have this strange nagging feeling like I was jipped out of my ENTIRE labor experience. I love my son more than words, and have been on cloud 9 since his arrival...but something is weird. I feel like I am ABOUT to go into labor, even when im holding him...

Did anyone else experience this??? It is hard to explain, I suppose.... But it's basically like I dont really fully understand what has happened, and that I will not actually birth my child...
thanks for listening.

[Silvercrest79]

random thoughts

I wandered into the natural childbirth category of videos on YouTube. I know better, but I did it anyway.

I watched videos of women having HBAMC with twins! I just don't understand! It makes me so sad! I just had ONE baby in my belly and I couldn't deliver her naturally! :

[Peppermint]

I know how you feel, I just read about a woman having an unexpected VBA3C and it got me feeling jealous. I just have to trust in God that if He wants that for me, some serious of events would lead to that happening, and it is highly unlikely, and logic tells me it is not safe/possible for *me* even if I am jealous.

[Peppermint]

I want to announce that I had my 5th c-section last week and everything went beautifully! My OB said that if he didn't know my history, he'd have thought it was my second section, things looked that "good" in there! Amazing!:

My little baby boy is beautiful and wonderful, and I am so happy.

That said, the section was Tuesday, and recovery was going fine/great until Sunday when I started having this strange pain between my incision and when my abdomen meets my leg on the right side. The pain only happens when I am up and standing/walking for a couple of minutes, but it is bad enough that I am in pretty extreme pain after about 5 minutes on my feet, the pain is completely removed when I sit back down on the couch (lounge-style, not like sitting upright in a chair, ykwim?).

I have no signs of infection (other than pain, but I don't believe pain that comes and goes with positional changes signifies infection), I have no oozing, no fever, no swelling in particular there. I had disolvable stitches, which have never been an issue before, I am also covered over my incision with steri-strips, b/c my OB's partner loves them and really wanted to put them on on day 2 when he checked me out in the hospital.

Has anyone experienced something like this? Any ideas what it could be? A nerve issue? a muscle issue? I am nervous, but plan to call the Dr. tomorrow to be seen. I could totally be off of my pain meds as of today if it weren't for this one area, and even taking percocet and ibuprofen does not take this pain away when I try to be up and moving.

I hope someone has some insight for me, I am at a loss here and praying this is something fixable!

[CorbinsMama]

I don't have any idea what that could be, but if it were me, I wouldn't mess with it. I would just go have it checked out.

But what I really want to say is congratulations on your sweet baby boy! :::

[Drummer's Wife]

Congratulations, Peppermint! Definitely call your OB and see what they have to say. I had some painful adhesions after my laparotomy (I've had 4 c-sections, so this was my 5th major abdominal surgery) but they went away with time. I'm not sure what you describe is similar, though. I hope your pain goes away soon

[darcytrue]

Congrats Peppermint!! : I'm not sure what you are describing either. I'd call the OB and let them know what is going on though. It may just be the way your body is coping with the pain right now.

I have exactly 1 week until my planned c-section. I was really hoping I'd go in to labor before then but no signs so far. I went in to labor early with my second child. I'd love to experience it one last time. But then again, part of me would like to just go in next week for the planned procedure and get it done that way, first thing in the morning, wide awake (although very hungry I'm sure) and I can have the rest of the day after surgery to enjoy my baby. Either way, I don't think it looks good that I will go in to labor early and get to try for a VBA2C, even though my OB has said it's up to me if I want to try for one. I think what I dread most is the recuperation after the surgery on top of having a small baby to care for. Other than that I'm fine with how she comes out in to the world. I'm definitely ready!

[Peppermint]

I'm going to call my Dr. today, I'll update later.

Darcy- FWIW- for my first 4 sections, I never went into labor before my scheduled date, but- this time, my water broke in the middle of the night a week before I was scheduled to have him. I am not a VBAC candidate, but- it was nice to have that sign that it was really time. I had no signs before that of any impending labor, no loss of mucous plug, no real contractions, not even really uncomfortable yet, I was totally ready to go another week.

[Storm Bride]

Congratulations, Peppermint.

I don't know what the pain could be - sounds a bit like something I had after my second one, but not quite. I think mine was less severe and in a different location. I never talked to the doctor about it, and it went away at about 7-8 months post-partum. I hope whatever it is isn't serious...looking forward to your update.

[Norasmomma]

Well my c/s is scheduled for 9-30-09 at 7:30 am. I have talked with the anesthesiologist Dave and am having a spinal block. He was very informative and funny, which really shouldn't matter, but for me of course laughter is the best medicine and it makes me feel a bit more connected to the whole thing.

I'm much less nervous than I was before I spoke with him, he definitely put me at ease. The Dr performing the surgery is the same one who was with DD, and he is a very nice, pleasant man. I'm happy to be in their hands through this and feel secure with the procedure, even if it not the ideal.

I have my papers all signed for my tubal also(of course I still can change my mind), I am very sure that I do not want to go through any of this again. I just feel for our family 2 children is enough and with my age I really don't want to be having more children either, plus this pregnancy has been much harder on me in general. So I am enjoying these last few weeks of being a pregnant woman, even if it is uncomfy and not exactly enjoyable.

I really do wish that I could go into labor first though, just so I would know that our baby is ready to come out into the world. I guess I still have 12 days, and it could possibly happen.