Can anyone tell me a positive c-section story?

[Jackaroo]

This is now my reality, so I'm trying to get to grips with it; I'm reading general articles online that yesterday I would have agreed with "Oh, yes, vaginal birth is SOOO much better for you and baby", but frankly from the perspective of now having to have a caesar, I'm less impressed by feeling that I'm inevitably going to have an awful time and do my baby out of the best start in life....

Can anyone tell me good stuff?

Cheers

J

[flaminhell]

The good stuff is you get your baby safely, there is nothing better than that!

I have had 2 cs, 1 emergency 1 kinda elective, and there is nothing to be scared of, its not terrible, its done with as much care to make it a good experience for you.

We all have our stories, as always we can point out the bad and sometimes forget the good. My best bit was the whole thing, i had my dc, nothing can beat that, even if it went pear shaped you wouldnt care at the time, you got your child and when you are in there all you are waiting for is that first glance and first cry, same as any other mother.

Good luck enjoy, just prepare yourself at home for a little discomfort, its hard to bend etc, so be aware of that. and make sure you have a little help, dont try and do to much, take any help offered, people like to help anyway.

When are you going in?

[Jackaroo]

Thanks for that Flam (flam??) - I'm only 16 ish weeks now, so long time to wait (as long as it's not very premmie, which is slight risk)... but knowing this far in advance should be an advantage I suppose.

So, mid June sometime.........

[ohmeohmy]

There is a movement towards gentle c section ie trying to minimise stress to baby with skin to skin contact etc. Pioneered by Robert Oliver at Queen Charlottes in London.

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

I have had to one with 8 hours notice and the other an elective and both have been great and very happy experience, take it easy and make sure you don't do anything to strenuous and you will be fine

[timmette]

I had an elective and it was fine a bit sureal felt am bit like I wasn't actually there until I heard my son cried and then it made sense.
The whole experience was great apart from two things they let a trainee doc put the needle in my arm for a drip and he was crap and it hurt more than having the epidural done.
The first 6 hours I was on one ward and the care was great absolutely perfect and then they moved me to another ward where it was crap consequently I discharged myself the day after the c section rather than stay on that ward.
But my experience was great.

[WorzselMummage]

I had a pretty stressfull emergency section last week and it wasnt anywhere near as bad as i expected it to be, i can's say it was great because of the circs (ds very prem/abruption) but it wasnt a horrible experience atall, far from it really.

Recovery has been a lot easier then with my VB too.

[WowOoo]

Mine was emergency but I was fine and calm. Had my ds in my arms and was happy as could be. Pain in the ass recovering but quite nice really to really take it easy for weeks and weeks and have dh do everything.

Would not be distraught if I had to have another.

[WowOoo]

No trouble with bf or bonding either.

[fishie]

yes mine was fine too, although with hindsight i'd rather have done skin to skin and not had him dressed before being given to me. wowooo is right, recovery is conducive to bf so long as you can find a comfy feeding position, which i didn't have trouble with.

i did have difficulty establishing bf but that was because of the lousy support in the hospital not the cs.

[Lemontart]

My sister had a c section - planned as her baby was breach from early on. Kept saying it would turn, but he didn?t. She had a lovely experience. Was first of the day and so no waiting around, calm, quiet event that had minimal pain (and she is a wimp LOL). She recovered from her epidural a lot better than I recovered from my labours and births! Her stitches were neat, no infection and was up and moving around much faster than the quoted usual time.
Compare that with my knackering and worrying labour, traumatic ventouse, endless drugs pumped into me, and my trapped nerve in my leg with DD2 from vaginal birth, emergency hospital transfer from failed home birth - had a numb leg for months afterwards from nerve damage and a partially removed placenta that led to a horrendous internal infection that almost hospitalised me again..

Can you tell I am a little envious of my sister?s c sections?

[llareggub]

Mine was fine too, and was a semi emergency as I laboured for 12 hours. When I was offered the choice with this pregnancy I was really pleased to get the choice to have another c-section, which is now booked. It was fine, really.

I don't know whether you want to breastfeed or not, but I did have some problems establishing breastfeeding, but the midwives were very supportive and I'm still breastfeeding 2 years later!

[EBenes]

I've had two elective ones. The atmosphere was very relaxed and calm and there was a lot of joking and laughing - the staff were lovely, and my dh wasn't freaked out at all, even though after the first one the doc made him come around and take photographs of the baby coming out - photographs we'd both rather not have seen! (My stomach looks like a giant bum in them!)

It was done quickly. My post natal care after the first was a little lacking- I wasn't offered skin to skin and had trouble initiating breastfeeding. My second was a masterclass - gentle skin to skin, while all the medical stuff was done discreetly around us - make sure to ask for this. I didn't know about it first time, and regret that. Second time, everything went so well.

Immediately after: achy draggy pain for a couple of days, quite easily managed, then nothing, no problem at all getting out of bed. The first one I had was a bit harder - I think because of the way it was done rather than my body. Think medicine may have improved! None of the painful trapped wind I had in the first one, nothing at all. I have had to remind myself not to do too much all the time. Seven weeks after, I feel completely normal again and my body is the same shape it was (in at the waist), although, alas, still more than a stone heavier! Scar very discreet and pale, and this is the second time they've been into it.

[Dottoressa]

I had an elective cs with DD, following dreadful instrumental delivery with DS.

I was never keen on the idea of CS (my plan with DS was a natural, drug-free home birth) - but it was absolutely fantastic by comparison. Yes, it hurt afterwards - but nowhere near as much as following the VB. I had trouble bonding with DS following the VB; I was so traumatised by the delivery that I couldn't focus on anything other than pain and shock that we could both have died. WIth DD, all I felt was happiness that she was there and that we were both safe and sound and - importantly for me the second time round - that everything was under control.

Bonding was instant. The week following DD's birth was one of the best of my life! (Helped by the fact that she was a very easy baby - I'm sure the CS was responsible for that, too!!)

[happymostofthetime]

2 sections first emergency, second elective both brilliant as I have 2 healthy children and that is what matters. The elective was better for my dh as he was less stressed and prepared. I breast fed both while they stitched me up! recovery after me second was slower but ok and the plus side is everyone expects you to not be doing anything so its great to spend time getting to know the baby

[fruitstick]

I had an emergency c section after a loooooooong labour. The midwives in the oh so natural birth centre were complete horrors compared to the lovely staff on the labour ward and the section itself was fine.

If it is an elective one, make sure they know quite clearly that you want skin to skin contact whilst they stitch you up (which is the longest bit) - it's not ideal as you basically have the baby balanced on your chest but your husband can help.

You can't move very much for quite a while afterwards so make sure your ipod is charged and to hand and not in a bag in the car

I also had great midwives on the post natal ward who really helped me out with breastfeeding and were very supportive, as a result I think I managed far better than if I had been discharged the next day.

All in all, what's best for you and your baby is that you both arrive safely - noone is hands out pushing certificates, however much people may pretend they do.

And make sure you have plenty of help around afterwards. If anything it's an advantage as you physically can't do much, as opposed to feeling you have to struggle on after a V birth.

Repeat endlessly to your husband......'can you do that for me, I've been sawn in half you know!'

[Bubbaluv]

I had an emergency CS and if I'd known how pleasant and civilised it would be I would never have bothered with the 7 hours of labour that preceeded it!
No probs with bf and I recovered faster and with less pain than a number of my NCT class firends who had vaginal births. Nothing stronger than paracetamol and codine and some anti-inflams and I didn't have any pain at all. Got my self up 7 hours later and had a shower. I felt totally fine within 2 weeks and had to be constatntly reminded to take it easy.
I guess I never had a neg view of cs as my mother had 2 very possitive cs in the 70's so it was always just another alternative in my mind.

[Bubbaluv]

Ask for dissolvable stitches!

[Fingerbobs]

I had an elective cs for complete previa and it was as people have said, very relaxed. Please try not to worry about the natural birth thing; if I'd had a natural birth both my baby and I would be dead. I found that a useful thing to say to people when they started to patronise me about poor me, no bonding labour.
We had no problems breastfeeding technically if you know what I mean but it did take a long time - four days - for my milk to come in and my baby lost a lot of weight, more than the 10 per cent they found acceptable and we ended up being readmitted when he was 2 days old which was a bit crap. This doesn't happen to everyone who has an elective cs but it can do so just to be aware.
I made a birth plan for my cs, some of which worked - you can bring in your own music, for instance, in my hospital. We had of course to recognise that things might have gone a bit pear-shaped but even that helped us to agree things in advance, for instance my partner would stay with the baby - in the event my ds had some initial problems breathing and they took him off to the resus room. We didn't need to take a decision there and then, my partner just went with him and I think having agreed that in advance helped. So I would do that.
And it really didn't hurt. A friend told me that and said I wouldn't believe her, but honestly, you get the pain relief you need and within three days I was just on paracetemol and even then I kept forgetting to take it.
Good luck x

[Pinkjenny]

I had an electiven for dd who was breech, and it was great. No problems at all, all very relaxed and a lovely atmosphere, surgeon was really funny and let me know what he was doing at all times. He even held dd up still attached and dh got photos! Dd had no problems at all, her Agpar scores were 9 and 10.

I had my section on the Thursday, came home on Saturday, and took paracetomol for two days.

It was fine, and I swear to God, I was shitting myself. I think I even started a thread like this.

Good Luck!

[Pinkjenny]

elective

[MrsMattie]

My last c-section was a lovely experience (although the circumstances leading up to it were a bit scary - see below). There were some ups and downs, but all in all it was really wonderful and emotional, just how you imagine birth should be (but without the pain!). Recovery is slower than with a straightforward vaginal delivery and you will need to rest for a few weeks afterwards, but that is a good thing in my opinion. It forces you to concentrate on what is important - snuggling up with your baby.

See my birth story from Nov 08

[MrsMattie]

p.s. both my c-section-born babies were and continue to be extremely healthy. Both had Apgar Scpres of 9/10 and no problems at all whatsoever. I have also recovered fully from both sections with no complications at all.

[orangehead]

I had an emergency section although I had a horrible time and traumatized that was not due to the section itself but the labour that went wrong and nearly losing my son. The section did not do him out of the best start in life but allowed him to have a life as he would not of lived if they didnt get him out when they did. If you are having a section for medical reasons then you are not doing the baby out of anything but doing the best and safest delievery for your situation. Yes it can take a little longer to recover from but you are still capable of caring for your baby and you will make a full recovery. I had no problems with bf but I did feel guilty for not seeing him for a few hours but I had a ga and I persume with it being planned you will be awake. I also struggled with the fact I had a section. I was having a 'natural birth', the pregnancy had been fine, I never even considered that I might need a section. Then everything went wrong and spiralled out of my control and they knocked me out so it was all a shock. But it sounds like you are doing the right thing researching and getting your head round the fact that you are having one.
After having another bad birth I have decided I am having a section for my next, for me it is the safest way. With a planned section I think I will feel more in control and hopefully have more chance of being awake as I was unconscious for both my sons birth. Anyway hope that helps a bit

[eidsvold]

I have had 3 c-sections. One emergency, 2 electives. Even the emergency was okay. I recovered quite well and relatively quickly. I was back doing things within reason very quickly. After dd2 I had no choice as I had a 2y4m old toddler with special needs who needed me as well as the newborn and a dh who started a new job the day after dd2 was born with no leave available to take.

Event hough dd1 had some serious health issues ( nothing to do with c-section) and was rushed away to ICU - it was still a calm experience.

Yes there is some pain - but it is surgery. You just take it easy and take the appropriate pain killers when and if necessary.

You do not feel any pain during the surgery BUT it does feel like someone is rummaging or as the theatre nurse said to me - feels like someone is doing the washing up in your stomach.

I remember chatting away through all three.

My dds are fine - no issues arising from the c-sections. Dd2 however was born at 41 + 3 days and dd3 was bang on 39 weeks. No complications.

WIth dd2 and 3 - they were given straight to me to cuddle whilst I was being stitched up and was able to feed them in recovery.

With no1 and 2 - I was in 5 days. With dd3 I had the surgery on Friday and went home Sunday lunchtime. i did have dh at home and just took it easy for a few days whilst he did the caring for dd1 and 2.

Arnica, tea tree oil to put a few drops in warm water for bathing wound - prevents infection and helps with healing. I also took paper towels in so I could pat my wound dry rather than having to use a towel for drying it. I then could chuck paper towels.

Each time I was up the next day - either first thing in the morning or midday depending on what time I had my surgery.