Post C Section complications and recovery

[Shin3117]

Hi all

I had my first child via c section on 10/09/16. The labour and birth were both horrific and I was readmitted to hospital with sepsis, acute urine retention and acute constipation three days after coming home. I'll give a detailed account of what I've been through below for context, I'm looking for anyone out there who may have experienced something similar that could give me an idea of a recovery time. I understand that everybody's different so this might be impossible but I need to do something as I cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel at the moment.

I was induced with a hormone pessary which caused me to go from 2-4cm within an hour or so. I was then moved to labour ward where I received gas and air and requested an epidural. The anaestist arrived some time later and the epidural was unsuccessful, leaving a patch on my right side in constant pain. I then had to wait hours for a different anaestist to come back to top up the medication, which lasted about 45 minutes. By the time the third anaestist came back, I was in agony. They repositioned the epidural and I lost all the pain relief.

I had been told I was 10cm dilated and ready to push at 8am, however the midwives handed over in between and I was then told that I was only 9cm, but encouraged to push as the midwife thought she may be able to move the last cm of cervix as the head came down the birth canal. This made baby's head swell and was unsuccessful. By this point I was vomiting with the pain and begging people to kill me. They gave me half a dose of pethidine (they didn't want to give the whole dose as at this stage in the labour it could make baby too lethargic at birth), which didn't touch the pain either and probably made my vomiting worse.

I was then given a hormone drop to accelerate the last cm of cervix, however this just made my contractions worse and continuous. I begged for a c-section at this point, knowing they would have to numb the pain. The surgeon performed a vaginal examination before performing the c section as he felt he may be able to deliver baby with forceps under the spinal. At this point it was discovered that baby was back to back and lodged within the birth canal.

During the surgery, my womb was cut by accident in another place, causing a haemmorage of 1.1ltr blood loss. They also damaged my bladder in some way and had to use surgical gauze on it which I've since been told has a blood clot on it from the surgery.

I was discharged the following day, and told to take paracetamol and ibuprofen.

The midwife saw me a day later and was horrified i'd been discharged so soon. She got me a prescription for codeine as I was in a lot of pain.

Two days later I was writhing in agony, again wishing someone would kill me. Paramedics eventually arrived after an hour and hooked me up to an IV and rushed me back into hospital. I had acute sepsis. They are unable to tell me where the infection was/is. I'm on two different antibiotics. I was also severely compacted, which days of lactulose, fibogel, suppositories and enemas finally shifted. This in itself was horrendous, I felt as if my stitches were going to burst. I had a catheter in for 6 days as I had CT scans showing I was in acute retention. My bladder was three times the normal size when I arrived at hospital.

I've been home for a couple of days now and I'm terrified that my bladder or bowels will stop working again. The hospital said that sometimes after a c section your bladder and bowels can just stop working if they didn't like being handled during the surgery.

Please can anyone relate to this experience and give me any words of comfort?

I'm living in constant fear and discomfort and can't see an end in sight.

[ShowOfHands]

Oh my love. You poor thing.

I had a similar experience of labour and delivery. 8hrs of pushing, attempted ventouse and forceps, attempted manual rotation, emcs, haemorrhage. I too begged to die but was discharged 12hrs later. Thankfully, I had no infection or retention so recovery was normal. The infection and shut down of your bowels and bladder must have been utterly terrifying for you.

I think in terms of the medical side of things, you should speak to your gp and midwife as often as required. Try a wee in the bath when relaxed. Just lie in the warm water and sip a drink. Keep calm and just focus on relaxing. Make it non scary. Perching on a cold toilet and tensed up will exacerbate the cycle.

A birth debrief when ready is quite healing. I sobbed through mine but answered so many questions.

Keep being honest. Talk as much as you need. It's okay to admit your fear and sadness and regret. Sometimes giving birth is the most horrific experience and it's okay to feel that. Never, ever berate yourself for not shrugging it off as on well as long as the baby's okay. You aren't okay. That's fine. You're traumatised.

The birth trauma association are brilliant and there are perinatal counselling services. Take advantage of anything available.

Are you getting enough support and help at home?