[ladylee]

Whether you are recovering from a recent cesarean delivery, are planning one or are processing a past experience, this is a safe place for sharing support and information. I would ask that everyone here respect each other's unique path and keep this as a place for empowerment and healing. This is also a supportive place to celebrate your cesarean delivery if you've felt there's no other place to do so.

Link to old thread:

http://mothering.com/discussions/sho...0&pagenumber=1

 

[ladylee]

Perhaps we can share our stats in order to get to know each other better. Here's mine:

Cesarean delivery in 2000 due to breech presentation/fetal distress
Repeat cesarean scheduled 9/19/03 (a girl!)

 

[gossamer]

Thank you all for your sympathy and concern. As far as my stats go:

Vertical Incision Emergency C-section 7/29/03 due to HELLP SYndrome. Baby girl Mary Rose survived 1 hour.
Gossamer

 

[Hikaru]

Hi there!

My stats...
Ds born by c-section for "failure to progress" after 34 hours of contractions in January 2000. Horizontal incision only because I yelled at the doctor while on the operating table! (Here in Japan most cesarians are still done with the classical vertical incision. )

Baby number 2 due October 14th, at the same clinic as his/her big brother. We're planning, as my doctor suggested, "to keep an eye on things and just see how it goes." I like this approach and am not emotionally invested in any particular outcome as long as my baby is safe and healthy.

 

[emmaline]

3 boys by c-birth

1991 - for failure to progress, big baby, persistent posterior position

1997 - for pre-eclampsia

2003 - scheduled

no more planned!

 

[Peppermint]

C-section #1 in 2000, due to combination of breech (actually shoulder presentation) and abnormally shaped pelvis that I have been told will never "birth naturally"
C-section #2 in 2001 due to pelvis again and big baby who I labored with without knowing it

C-section #3 will be at the end of January, with a new Dr., new hospital, new everything (except dh

) and I am nervous, although I feel it's the right choice (that's why it love it here, I can say that)

 

[aquarianangela]

i will post later my whole story - for now ...
stats: csection at 32 weeks (#1) for breech/preterm rupture of membranes/contractions on 07-13-03 - low vertical uterine incision extended to classical incision

. unhappy that i will not be able to vbac in future. however this was an ivf baby so mode of delivery with future pg may be a moot point.
AND.... big

to gossamer- my heart goes out to you...

 

[ladylee]

Morning, everyone!

gossamer--you're more than welcome--you're in my thoughts a lot.

aquarianangela--welcome, and congratulations on abigail's birth! Hope you're both doing very well...

 

[wwhippetcrazy]

Gossamer

My stats:

Dd ~ failure to progress after 27 hrs....huge knot in cord found when delivered by section ~ 2001

Ds ~ Attemped VBAC ~ 1 week overdue, merconium when water broke, thin uterus ~ delivered by section ~ big baby 10lbs 6oz ~ 2003

Jen

 

[steffanie3]

Ryan born on 6/25/3 weighing in at 9 lbs 81/2 ounces and 22 3/4" long delievered via c-section. Transported to hospital due to high blood pressure, everything went wrong in my opinion after that. Hurting over the fact I probably didn't need a section.

 

[Staceyhsmom1]

Hi!
I'm glad this thread was started, I am starting to realize I need to talk about our birth experience and work some things out.
Stats 1st

Joey, Jr. 10 lbs, born 2-94 c-section, was 10 days late, had been induced 3-4 times for a few days and during last inducement went into fetal distress so had emergency c-section, was very tramatic and painful for me, ds was very healthy

Maegan Rain, 6 lbs 15 oz, born 3-03, was 10 days late(see a trend here

) after doing everything we could decided to induce and nothing happened, so had a c/s later that night, dd had miconium complications and was in nicu for 3 days, healthy now!

 

[JessicaS]

Mine:

2-14-01 Fetal Distress, once I was opened they discovered the cord was too short for her to have been birthed vaginally, there was also a true knot in the cord.

My sister had this happen to her with her second child who was delivered by c-section. Her other two were vaginal births.

 

[ladylee]

I'm becoming more and more excited about Alena's birth! Although I'm still in the midst of processing some feelings of loss, I am by all means in celebratory mode about her birth. Dh has been so wonderful-keeping me in good spirits, and I know I can lean on him as much as I need to on the 19th. I happened to catch some footage of Toni Braxton's c-section yesterday-which I probably didn't need to see because it made me feel a little sorry for myself. But maybe it is good to acknowledge that I do feel nervous, and I do feel a bit scared. I'd feel those things with a regular delivery, too.

The first time around I didn't even have time to be scared--now I have all of this time to anticipate. Sometimes it's a challenge to keep things in perspective, and it's always a lesson in learning to let go of things beyond my control and to trust that everything will work out.

 

[Peppermint]

Ladylee

I hear you as far as how hard it is to know all along that you are going to section, gives you lots of time to worry, I sometimes lay awake at night worrying, and I have 5 months to go.

I guess we have to just get ourselves through it, I'd love to be one of those people who doesn't worry about things beyond their control.

I've never seen a c-section, I think I'd actually like to see one, but not my own

 

[wwhippetcrazy]

Ladylee~~with one month to go, I bet you are getting excited.

I think it's natural to worry, but like you said you'd worry the other way too....in some ways I wish I had scheduled a section, it would have been nice to have known when babe was coming, since my mil came up a week before he was due (cause I could have swore I'd be early) and had to leave the week after he was born. It would have been nice to have the help longer after coming home.

Dh enjoyed watching both of my sections....although he didnt' watch as much the second time.

I'm having a hard time believeing that Yanic was born only 4 weeks ago! Things are back to normal as far as me doing stuff (although, I have had to take a few steps back yesterday and today, having a few pains) and it seems like he's always been a part of the family.

Jen

 

[LisaG]

Well ladies,

So glad I found you. Looonnnnggg story short, diagnosed with uterine fibroids a year ago, ob recommended this spring that they be removed before getting pregnant due to large size, pelvic MRI showed bicornuate uterus (my uterus never finished coming together as I was developing in utero and looked like 2 bunny ears that joined just above the cervix - some are much milder and it's not such a problem) in addition to fibroids. Had abdominal surgery 8/5/03 to remove fibroids and correct my bicornuate. Am healing up quite nicely, my surgeon says I now have a "beautiful new uterine cavity", and the only downside is that because of the surgery to my uterus it is really not recommended that I do a vaginal birth because of rupture risk. Not sure I'd even find anyone to let me if I was so inclined, and as much as I buck traditional medicine and mindset, I think even I will have to learn to accept that.

Soooo as I'm healing up from my surgery (have to wait 3 months before ttc), I thought I'd pick your brains as part of my making peace with the situation process. I am a total birth junkie, was birthed at home myself, been to 7 births, and have actually uttered the words "god help me if I have to give birth in a hospital" when I was at my friend's hospital birth. Ah yes, words DO come back to bite you in the *ss

: BUT, as I grieve the loss of my "perfect" home birth, and even the "compromise" of a vaginal hospital birth, onward and upward, eh?

I'm wondering how I can make the best of a c-section, in terms of what requests to make, what do you wish you had done differently looking back, what are you really glad you did? If I take a deep breath and focus, I think my biggest concern is that they're going to whisk the baby away, prick, prod and scrub him/her when I REALLY want him/her welcomed into the world as gently as possible. Anyone able to keep the baby around while they were stitching you up? Also, what's the typical hospital length stay? For my surgery I was able to leave the next afternoon and that was nice to be able to get some sleep that wasn't interrupted by nurses.

Well thanks for your patience and for holding my hand through this.

LisaG

 

[Aurora]

Hello everyone.

I have been reluctant to post on the other thread and have only posted a few times in VBAC because I guess I don't want to think about my c-sections. It is time to start the healing though and I am so glad you are here.

C-Section #1-Emergency section at 32 weeks. My ds contracted GBS while in utero. He spent 3 weeks in NICU. December of 1997.

C-Section #2-Repeat, scheduled at 37.5 weeks. I was terrified of dd becoming sick as well and caved. October of 1999.

Baby #3 is due in November and I am planning a HBAC. I have been avoiding thinking about my c-sections but I really feel the need to process and move on now as I prepare for this upcoming birth.

Whew, I think that is enough for now. I will share more later.

 

[ladylee]

Hi everyone, welcome to the people who are new to the thread. Wishing you much healing and closure from your experiences, and please feel free to continue sharing your processes...

jess7396 and wwhippetcrazy-thanks for the support. I'm happy because I'm starting to feel the excitement about her birth replace the ANTICIPATION of the other stuff. I knew that would happen eventually--and I have to say it helps to just keep my mind busy with other things. Thank goddess for NYTimes crossword puzzles. jess7396-I hope you're able to have a peaceful mind during the next few months--talk it out here, you'll feel better! glad you're up and about more and more, wwhippetcrazy-it sounds like your recovery is going well!

LisaG-I've thought a lot about what I needed from this experience--I guess it varies from person to person. The primary thing on my list was that my doctor really LISTENS to me and possesses the sensitivity and awareness to guide me through this. I found someone who understands what this is to me & is willing to have me be as empowered as possible-not some passive patient that just does what she's told. When I was confident I had that the rest just seems to fall into place. My doctor knows that the bonding process is THE most important thing to me, and that's the primary objective.

It has really helped me to envision the birth experience ahead of time-to think of myself giving birth more in a spiritual sense than just the physical sense. Yes, I might not be doing what I'd like to do physically, but there is SO much more to it. I have no doubt that on a spiritual level I'll be satisfied and fulfilled--some how that makes what will happen on a physical level much easier to accept. And it's wonderful to visualize the beautiful moments I remember from my first delivery-the first moment they're out, the look on dh's face, getting to see them for the first time, etc. Focusing on those moments rather than the surgery.

I think the typical stay after a cesarean delivery is anywhere from 2-4 days.

Aurora, all the best to you as you plan for your HBAC. I think it's great that you have the courage to look at your experiences now-I'm sure it will enhance your birth experience all the more.

 

[stirringleaf]

wow, i am amazed and impressed by you women who are having more babies after a C-section , and especially those who had more than one C-sec! wow. i am still afraid. my stats are:

C-section after 30 hours labor, 3 hrs pushing, due to "failure to progress" , on Feb 11, 2002. Ds was posterior and 9 lbs, 6 oz, but supposedly i was going to be able to push him out. sometimes i wonder if it was allowing the epidural and the manual rupture of my water that cause failure to progress. my midwife herself has had at least one c-section ,was not a fan of them, so i dont think she would have done that to me without reason, but who knows. i have little trust, as my hospital care was extremely lacking...

then this year i had to have surgery again to repair 3 hernias and sew my abs back together becuase they stayed "split" very wide. so 2 surgeries from one birth...i am still working out the fears , pain , etc , about that.

but to LISA.....

i think the very best thing you can do is GET A DOULA, or have at least one onther person present to stand up for your wishes that is on your sied, besides your partner. no amount of me talking to my nurse midwife prevented me from being separated from my baby at birth, i was too weak to say anyhting and wanted him to be OK so i just let him go and followed their procedure. get someone to advocate for you, because you might be weak and out of it, and youll let your wishes slide, thinking momentarily thay dont matter so much...then you might regret that later (at least thats what happened to me)

the other thing , about hospital time and healing time, just remember not to have expectaions, cuz that can get really depressing, if things go differently than you wanted.

oh , i wish you the best of luck! i truly believe , with mental preperation beforehand , a Csection can be OK, and you will do fine. it doesnt have to be horrible at all , if you can plan ahead. for me, the worst things were the things that happened at the hospital, but if i could have been more prepared for that, i might have been better able to cope with the surgery healing time, etc.

one thing i am SUPER glad i did, was i let friends bring me food for the first couple of weeks, and had MIL here the first week to hold DS for me when i was too tired. (cuz i wanted him AP'ed and held all the time

) that was the greatest relief for me.

 

[Hikaru]

I have a situation here and need any suggestions you wonderful ladies may have.
MIL was supposed to watch DS (he's 3 and a half) while I'm in the clinic with Baby number 2. She has just been hospitalized with
severe rheumatism and even if she recovers I doubt she'll be
up to caring for a very active preschooler by October.
My own mother who lives on the other side of the world, has made it very clear she isn't interested in taking care of a kid who isn't weaned, potty-trained, or sleeping in his own bed. So forget her!
Here in Japan a c-section means 10 days in the hospital. If I end up having another cesarian .....oh geez my poor son! Have any of you had to deal with older children during the longer hospital stays required by cesarian ? In particular, an AP kid who isn't used to being away from Mom and Dad overnight? What arrangements did you make? Even 2 to 4 days, which I understand is the norm in the U.S., must be hard if you don't have family to take care of the kid(s). Dh can take a few days off work but not 10 days...
any suggestions?