Interesting thing that Jenny McCarthy said... - Page 4

[crazy_eights]

This must be a regional/"where you got your training" type thing. Almost all the OB's around here do the incision low enough so public hair will grow back to cover it (L&D RN, so I've seen literally hundreds of c/sec's with different OB's).

[oregonbound]

Originally Posted by misseks

They used a different incision place?

I read that in Asia (Phillipines maybe? I read it a while ago....) the women who have one c/s have all c/s as a matter of policay...and they scars just go up up up the belly...so, they are only 'allowed' four c/s because the docs would run out of space vertically.

Really? That's wild, I also thought that when they do multiple c-sections they cut over the old skin scar so that you don't end up with multiple scars on your belly, that sounds awful! My incision from my first baby opened up post-partum and so the scar is a little crooked and ugly so when I was planning my VBAC my doctor told me that the one upside to having a repeat c-section was that he would cut the old scar out and hopefully I would hear better the second time around. Thankfully, I had two VBACs after that so I didn't get a chance to test it out.

[savvybabygrace]

1) Did any of you have to shave yourself before surgey (seems a bit humiliating to me...)
I always keep myself somewhat 'tidy' (lol) and I also have some anxiety about being prepared for anything, so I shaved right before going into the hospital. I was really glad that I did when I had to have a section, only b/c my anxiety was so high at that point. Going into my hospital VBAC I shaved as well, knowing that if (god forbid!) my VBAC attempt failed I would have lost it already and would NOT be okay with someone shaving me.
2) Are most of you able to 'hide' your scar like Jenny McCarthy?
Ha...NO. My scar is purple, jaggedy from stretch marks that run through it, and it's right above the hairline. That whole area is also still kind of painful (and numb at the same time, if that makes sense) 2 and a half years later. I hate my scar. Although my VBAC was completely healing, the numbness and slight pain prevents me from relaxing with my dh and I are intimate (TMI, sorry!)

[Ms Ladybug]

Originally Posted by TCMoulton

I was shaved by the nurse before my C/S after I was good and numb from my epidural and my scar is well below my hairline and is not visible without some trimming!

me too!

[joanq]

My scar is a good 2 inches above my hairline, but I don't have much hair anyway...
I don't think they shaved me, it would have seemed unnecessary.

[barefootpoetry]

Originally Posted by onelilguysmommy

you only got 7 staples? ummm...! :

I only had 9. But I have a really tiny scar. I'm actually amazed that they pulled a baby out of it! I've seen friends that were cut literally from side to side and had 20+ staples.

[BookGoddess]

I wasn't shaved because I came to the hospital clean shaven. I don't see anything humiliating about doing it myself. In fact I did it specifically because I didn't want anyone else besides me shaving me down there. Having a stranger do it would be more humiliating *for me*.

I've been told that my scar is thin and "good" whatever good means. I think I could hide the scar if I ever decided to wear a bikini bottom but the chances of me wearing a bikini again are about as good as my dog learning to talk.

[KiwiZ]

I wasn't shaved for my c/s or my VBAC. My scar has faded extremely but if I wanted to hide it, I'd have to put hair gel in and coax the hairs to go up

[laralee16]

Originally Posted by Ironica

The scar is definitely above the treeline.

However, it's well-hidden by the part of my belly that flops over at the bottom. ;-)

Yeah to that, lol. They did not shave me, and they cut me WAY higher and did a larger cut then any section scar I have ever seen.

[maureenfh]

1) Did any of you have to shave yourself before surgery (seems a bit humiliating to me...)

I have to say that I would have much preferred shaving myself. No one told me I should or that I would be shaved when I got there (one of the many things they didn't tell me about the surgery). My scar is below the hair line, and I would have much preferred shaving myself gently, in the shower, with shaving cream, rather than with a dry Bic razor.

[audibear78]

I do remember being shaved but I don't think they took a lot.

My scar is above my treeline as well, but my tummy flaps over it at the moment, so it's the least of my problems!

[crazydiamond]

Originally Posted by maureenfh

I have to say that I would have much preferred shaving myself. No one told me I should or that I would be shaved when I got there (one of the many things they didn't tell me about the surgery). My scar is below the hair line, and I would have much preferred shaving myself gently, in the shower, with shaving cream, rather than with a dry Bic razor.

They are supposed to shave with clippers, not an actual razor. The reason for this is because using a razor puts microscopic cuts on the skin and is a breeding ground for infection. It's also why you shouldn't use an actual razor yourself. If you want to shave yourself, stick to a trimmer or clippers. If you don't have any, there's always the option of asking the nurse if you could just do it yourself. Mine certainly didn't have any problem with letting me do it.

[TxMominCT]

I didn't get shaved, to my knowledge, I'm not very hairy either though! I've never trimmed up in my life! Even for bathing suits! I can't hide my scar, but the little pg bump covers it enough while I'm standing. They did a decent job, but they used steri strips and staples, I'm going to request for them to PLEASE stitch me up if I have to have another one. Staples were torturous!! The steri strips did get stuck in the hair at the bottom a bit, not fun, but tolerable!

They even shaved my Mom in the 1980's!! She didn't get an enema. I really wish that they had given me one though, I felt constipated, and pushed too much swelled up my cervix etc. An enema would have been great then I would have known that I didn't need to poop!!! (However, I think it's ridiculous to give them routinely to everyone!!!)

[pampered_mom]

Originally Posted by turtlewomyn

I was shaved and had a catheter stuck in me prior to walking to the OR (scheduled coerced c-section for fetal macrosomia). I cannot "hide" my scar like Jenny does, though, so I don't know what they were shaving (belly hairs mostly).

: That was my experience and there's absolutely no way I can hide mine as the : OB did a vertical skin incision. She also used staples so in addition to the scar the staples themselves also left scars. I don't particularly care for the way it looks so I try to ignore it as best as I can.

[Mom2J]

I'm not 100% sure, but I *think* they shaved or trimmed just a little bit. I was kind of an emotional mess at that point. My scar is about an inch into my hairline, and although I wasn't crazy about the on call OB who did my surgery, I have to give him credit for doing a great job on it. The hair would hide it if I could even see it, but really, it's practically invisible. I think a lot has to do with the fact that I'm a good healer though. I do have the fat flap thing though, and my nerves are still wonky in that area. I can feel things, but it's semi-numb, if that makes sense.

The OB took a looooong time stitching me up, as I was yelling accross the sheet to please keep in mind that I wanted several more kids. He used just steri-strips on the outside, and it really did not look bad at all, even that day- I was shocked.

I did end up with a little bit of fluid build up, and it popped open a tiny piece of the scar exactly one week- almost to the minute- after my water broke. All of this fluid was running down my leg, and I was so sleep deprived and stressed that I was this close to having a full on panic attack, thinking I was somehow going into labor again. :

[kltroy]

Originally Posted by misseks

1) Did any of you have to shave yourself before surgey (seems a bit humiliating to me...) or
1a) Did the surgeon/nurses shave you before surgery when you were already numbed?
2) Are most of you able to 'hide' your scar like Jenny McCarthy?

1. Yes I actually had my husband shave just the top inch of my pubic hair the night before my surgery (scheduled, obviously, baby was breech). I did this on the advice of one of my ob/gyn friends who said that if I didn't do it the nurse would probably do the top bit and that DH and I were much more likely to make it a pleasant experience than she would! I think this was, indeed, the case. It was actually sort of silly and amusing.

1a. N/A though the nurses did comment a couple of times "oh, you already did that - that's great now we don't have to."

2. Nope - scar is about 1/2 inch above the top of the hairline. They shave the top bit because they put the adhesive stuff on your skin attached to the drapes, so it sticks better without a bunch of hair.

[7kiddosmom]

I had a c section just 6 days ago. They shaved me just a little (across the top) before going to the OR, the incision is below the hair line so I think when it is all healed, etc. that it will be somewhat hidden.

[Earthylady]

I was embarrased because I DIDN'T need shaved! The nurses were going to until they looked and said, "Oh! She doesn't even need to be shaved!" I was very well trimmed on my own, thank you. My c-section scar has a few stragly hairs that come up around it, but it couldn't be hidden even if I let it grow all out.

[Nannysbaby]

Originally Posted by Ironica

However, it's well-hidden by the part of my belly that flops over at the bottom. ;-)

laughup

[jondee0]

My scar is well covered by hair; it's really low. The nurse did shave me before my (unplanned, but not emergent) c-section, but only the area right around where the incision would be.

It's healed surprisingly well. If I look in a mirror, I can't see it unless I go looking for it, and then it's just a thin white line. Almost 7 years later, it feels really, really weird, though, a combination of overly sensitive and numb. I can't stand to have anything brush against it.

Joni and kids, incl. one born via c-section