Am I sadistic? I loved every minute! (Caesarean Section)

Member Name: lulu2004

Product:	Caesarean Section
Date:	24/11/08 (100 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: No pushing, unexpected tearing, scheduled so you are ready

Disadvantages: it hurts (but labour hurts too)

My little girl arrived by Caesarean Section earlier this year. I knew from the day I got the 'pregnant' sign on my Clear Blue test that she would be arriving through the sunroof. My little boy caused me a lot of damage when he arrived two years earlier. I tore to my bottom needing months of physiotherapy to help the incontinence he left me with. He had gotten stuck and after failed vacuum three times he was getting distressed. I was cut and tore but he arrived in the world safely thankfully. It did take him 20 hours, no epidural and a lot of stitches for me, but I am pretty proud I pushed him out in the end. I wouldn't have gotten pregnant ever again if I had to have another natural birth. I received a lot of counselling for Post-Natal Depression and Post-Traumatic Stress after my natural delivery.

So, to begin, I went for my 16 week scan my obstetrician confirmed that I would have a scheduled section at 39 weeks. He mentioned that second babies were often larger than firsts and as I had trouble birthing my son at 8lb 6, it was very unlikely I would birth a bigger child. Also it risked undoing the physiotherapy I had underwent, and if I damaged my perineum again it would not fix as well. I was relieved to have a provisional date and happy that I wouldn't face labour again and then the horror stories started... from mums who should have known better than to scare a pregnant woman. I lost count of the amount of times I heard about how hard a Caesarean Section would be. How I was crazy to go through major surgery, how so-and-sos sister nearly died when they had theirs. Thankfully I met a few women who had had a similar past to me, a hard natural labour followed by an elective section and without them telling me that I would find it easier than natural delivery, and that it really wasn't so bad I think I would have had a breakdown. Best of all, most of the people telling me how bad a section was, were people who had never had a natural delivery to compare it to.

My pregnancy did not go to textbook. My daughter lagged behind in terms of growth every week. As we approached term she was measuring 32 weeks on the scan and so he decision was made to send me in for the next available appointment. My baby was projected to weigh 5lb and they didn't quite know why she was not growing. We were warned that she could need neo-natal care after delivery as they just didn't know why she wasn't growing. Quite frankly we were terrified, and the fear of our daughter being ill, put any fears I had about caesarean into perspective. I just wanted her out safely. I didn't care how I was going to feel, if I was going to hurt or if I was going to have problems with the spinal block. Those horror stories didn't matter. From this point of the story I can share what happened with us in order so that if anyone is expecting an elective Section for whatever reason they can see that it really isn't a horrific experience.


Sent to hospital for Pre-Op the night before
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The day I got my final scan in our local hospital my consultant rang the Area hospital to ask when I could be fitted in for an elective, and made sure that a neo-natal bed would be free there should anything happen to the baby in delivery. The hospital said that they were very busy but due to the nature of the pregnancy they would bump me in early next morning. I was told to go up there this evening to get checked over and go through their pre-op procedure. It was both exciting and scary although the consultant did put our minds at rest by saying he didn't think our baby was in danger, but he wasn't going to take the risk and leave her in there any longer.

When I reached the hospital I had to sign in to Labour and Delivery and sit in the waiting room until they could see me. Another couple were waiting with us, but they were Eastern European and didn't have much English so it was a long quiet wait. Twice women came in who were in labour which made the arrival of my baby seem even more real, but a little part of me wished I was in labour too- a bit of nostalgia from starting contractions with my son.

I could hear the nurse at the station ring someone up and cancel their scheduled induction in the morning, and it was at the time I had been given for my section so I got the distinct impression that I had bumped this lady out of her appointment. From what I gathered about the phone call the lady was overdue and fairly irate. I do apologise!

Eventually the nurses brought me into a cubicle and felt my bump for movement. I asked if she thought my baby was small and she was very reassuring and said I certainly wasn't big but the baby was a substantial size and unless there were other difficulties she thought we would be fine. It was good to hear, as the midwives have seen many bumps. She said that babies could be deceptive on scans and that she could be up to a lb bigger than they think.

While there I got measured up for surgical stockings and did a blood test and was given an anti-sickness/ stomach acid tablet to take a 11 that night and one to take at 7 in the morning. I was also given an injection- something to do with clotting. We filed some paperwork and that was everything, we went home to return at 8 next morning.

Arriving for the Caesarean Section
++++++++++++++++++++++++

When we arrived at the hospital we were taken in and I was put into a gown very quickly. The nurses the night before had warned me to take loads to read as there could be a lot of waiting around as emergencies would go in front of me and we were 3rd on that mornings list. As it turned out I didn't even get to open my magazine as the couple before us had not organised a translator and so missed their caesarean appointment and we were whisked through to keep things flowing.

More paper work before we went anywhere. There just seemed to be so many forms to fill and permissions to give. I was very calm and very happy to get to meet my little girl. It had been a tough pregnancy and so part of me was relieved to be reaching the end. All I wanted was a cuddle from my bump.

Entering the Theatre
++++++++++++++

In 2006 I gave birth to my son without an epidural, but I got a Spinal Block after he arrived so that I could go to theatre to be stitched up so the sensation of loosing the feeling in my legs was not new to me- I did know what to expect. After I was hooked up to the monitors the anaesthetist asked me to sit on the edge of the bed and I felt the cool anaesthetic as he prepared to inject me. Im no fool- I wasn't going to look at that needle! He was very patient and the sister held me still as he injected me. Eventually my feet went hot, then cold then numb and the scariest part for me was all over. I was hooked to a drip and helped into a laying position and my husband arrived at my side ready to get things under way. I did not want the screen lowered until baby arrived as I'm a bit squeamish.

When I lay down a feeling of nausea overwhelmed me, and I told them I was going to be sick. They got me a kidney bowl and the feeling of nausea left me as suddenly as it had come. This was apparently a completely normal reaction to the drop in blood pressure.

The first incision was made and although I felt the sensation I really didn't feel any pain or discomfort. A few minutes later after a bit of suctioning (my waters I assume) they told us they were taking her out and that I would feel pressure under my ribs as they squeeze her out though the gap. It was uncomfortable at this stage but entirely bearable.

The Arrival
++++++++++

She arrived screaming and kicking and the words 'you have a great big baby girl' were announced by someone. The screen was lowered and my first words were 'how big is she?' and they said she certainly wasn't a 5lber so relief flooded over me. She had her eyes wide open and the midwife lifted her and said 'hello you!' and they let my husband cut her cord. She was given a quick clean and APGAR test which showed she was doing well and she weighed in at a massive 6lb 4. Nowhere near what we thought. It turns out she's just a dinky little girl who will probably never be big. She wasn't without her problems at birth, but these are fixable and all that matters was that she arrived healthily.

She was given back to my husband and he set her beside me for a few moments. I wasn't in the position for skin to skin at that stage but I was just delighted with her. I certainly didn't feel any less of a mother for having her taken out the way that some see as the easy way. I was just in love. When I gave birth naturally this moment of bonding escaped me as I had been traumatised by what had happened and the caesarean was so calm and beautiful.

My husband and daughter were taken out to the recovery room until I got stitched up. Within half an hour I joined them and breast fed my little girl for the first time. My feet were slowing beginning to regain their feeling.

Recovery
++++++

My own recovery afterwards was very swift. It is important to realise that an elective section is a very different experience from an emergency one. I was brought in relaxed and well-slept with a baby who was not distressed- it would be different if I had gone through a labour and had a distressed baby when I had entered theatre.

By that night I was still hooked up to my catheter but I was able to stand up at the side of my bed to lift the baby out. I was given plenty of codeine and paracetomol to take away the pain although I was very stiff.

The next day I was completely stiff but when the catheter was removed I was glad to go for a slow short walk and a shower. And as the day went on I was getting easier and easier on my feet. I'm not saying it wasn't sore- it certainly was, but it was nothing like the horror stories. I was able to function quite fine. I breastfed my daughter from the start and milk came in just as it would have in a natural delivery.

I was discharged the next day, my little girl had bad jaundice and had been under the lamp overnight but her blood tests said her jaundice levels were ok. So we were allowed to go home although the baby would need follow-up appointments due to a few conditions she had.

After Care
+++++++

For the next three days the home midwives had to visit me to issue the blood clotting injections and I had to keep my surgical stockings on, but recovery went very well. I have a toddler and he had to be reminded not to jump up on mummy but I felt really good and positive about the experience. For me, it was a hundred times easier than natural delivery. My recovery from natural birth had taken over 6 months but I was pretty much back to normal within 3 weeks with the section. I was given permission to drive at three weeks after an appointment with my GP and life was normal again. I felt so good that I forgot I had major surgery. There was one incident 4 weeks post-section when my husbands football team won and he lifted me up and swung me around to celebrate as he had forgotten and I felt a but tender then but everything was fine. It was hard to not be able to lift my toddler in the first 2 weeks but this passed too. I really couldn't sing the praises of this delivery highly enough.

I know recovery from an operation is a personal thing and I was lucky to recover very easily, but since my daughter arrived I've met a lot of people who had good experiences through caesarean and I wish id met them before I had mine.

So, for anyone expecting an elective and having to answer the 'why would you want to do that?' questions, just don't listen to them- an elective doesn't have to be a nightmare. Having a baby by section does not make you less of a mum. And it doesn't always mean a long and slow recovery. I doubt I would have been on my feet any quicker if she had arrived naturally.

I'm not planning any more children but if I were, it would be Caesarean for me again. I have a lovely (still very small!) little girl and a great big bruiser of a little boy and I count my blessings for both of them arriving safely.

Pros:
An elective provides a calm controlled atmosphere for delivery of a difficult pregnancy

There's a set time- No pushing for hours for no result (my last birth!)

You are alert through the birth and not tired from labour afterwards

In my personal opinion it is much easier than labour

Cons:
It is major abdominal surgery, people arent lying when they say it hurts

Stuck in bed until the spinal / epidural wears off

Requires an extra day in hospital

Cant lift anything heavier than your baby for a few weeks.

Summary: Having had a labour and a section I know which I would chose again.