Are C sections scary, painful afterwards and dangerous?

[dinny]

probably yes, just wondered

Dinny - yes other 3 were VB. If I had another (aargh at the thought ) I would prefer a VB. I was frustrated at the recovery time after a CS. I wanted to be up and about but it took a good 12 hours to feel right. (Although they did forget to turn my drip one and I was mighttily dehydrated after nil by mouth on a hot June day)

i am a pathological worrier and very neurotic, but i found both my sections were absolutely fine. i went shaky both times - don't know whether down to fear or the epidural! - but really, it is FINE.

Second one definitely had a lot more rummaging around, but it's absolutely NOTHING, really. Afterwards - and i have no pain threshold and am a big girls' blouse - it was no problem at ALL. no pain, and i got told off by MW for running around so much!

I know exactly the stage you're at -- not far-enough along to be fed up of PG and just want it out, but at that awful middle stage where the worrying kicks in.

I was convinced my 2nd CS would go wrong as I was risking the odds having two, but I'm still here and DS2 is perfect.

both my CS were at kingston. The only problem was afterwards - i was moved to malvern suite, and had a HOPELESS MW who left me to empty my own urine bag thingy twice and completely failed to spot that DS2 was grunting (he had an infection and needed antibiotics)... However, the senior MW spotted it first thing the next morning and we were then moved to the main maternity suite, in a lovely small room, and everything was FAB. i really bonded with DS2 in there & will forever have lovely memories.

It did go through and then we pulled out. AAAAAAAGH. WHY???? Ah, well.

Beautiful - you sound like me (am such a worrier!)

did your ds have Strep B?

that's really reassuring, thanks, to read you didn't find it that bad!

Sykes - why did you pull out - couldn't find anyhere? was it a year ago?

I'm a complete worrier! I don't know if he had strep B, they did every test but never discovered what it was. He even had to have a lumbar puncture, about which I sobbed for hours. Apparently he was fine - slept through it. "Or passed out," I retorted to the MW through gurgled sobs.

Really, i worried about:

Being paralysed from epidural;
Epidural not working, or only working on one side;
Epidural working too well, and my never regaining sensation in legs;
Husband leaning over screen, seeing my intestines splayed out, and going off sex forever;
Not bonding with DS due to having to wait 5 mins for him to be cleaned/checked/weighed after birth;
The song he was born to, "Thank you for the Days" by kirsty McColl (not my choice) being a Sign that he had only days to live ;
Having ruptured bowel, bladde, and/or uterus;
Having instruments left inside;
Haemorrage (turned out it was wind);
Not being able to BF;
Being able to BF and ending up with uneven boobs;
Bursting scar driving (in fact, in real life, I got Dr's permission to drive after just 3 weeks);
Coughing/sneezing/laughing scar open;
Having to remove bandage the next day (they make you do this - it's fine), and accidentally pulling a stitch and having guts rip open, and skidding around in metres of slippery intestines in shower;
Having weird shaped tummy rest of life. (Actually this has happened, but only cos I insist on stuffing in loads of biscuits.)

NONE of my worries came true. NOT ONE. it was all fine, and you are lying there with anaesthetist (sp?) RIGHT next to you, so you have someone to talk to about medical stuff.

If i can do it and rave about it afterwards, you will be FINE!

yes, you do sound like me!!!!

glad it all went well for you!

Had an emergency CS for undiagnosed footling breech 5 weeks ago-

Scary - kind of. Yes because it was unplanned, miles away from my birthplan (BikeRunSki would like a water birth...), but once the need for CS was identified, then the surgical team lept into action like a well oiled machine and I felt safe and that everything was under control.

Painful afterwards - Only for a day or so, but my mw's reason for breech being undiagnosed is that I have very strong stomach muscles so she couldn't feel properly, so I guess that has helped.

Dangerous - a bit traumatic for me, DS and DH, but we are all here to tell the tale.

Sorry - not had time to read all - mine was emergency. Not scary as we needed to get babe out and many of my friends had also had them. Wierd....oh yes!!! Contractions and pushing to nothing....then lying there chatting away to dh when they held a baby up over the screen....and then talking to nurses about their Xmas while they stitched me back up!!!
Very cold afterwards, but not much pain (lucky me) - the nurses had to keep trying to get me to take pain killers as they couldn't believe I wasn't in much pain. Another friend was in agony, so you never can tell. Just take it slowly, as even after a few weeks when you start feeling better you can get twinges. The worst thing...for me....my tummy will never be flat, cos there's a dent where the scar is, and that bothers me (nearly 2 yrs down line)!!! Also scar and area around feels numb for months.
Would have one again, and compared with some people's experience of natural birth (tears, forceps etc), I'd have my C section any day.

am feeling less stressed this week about it!! thanks for the posts!

Hello all. Have just read this whole thread.

I'm 36 weeks pregnant with 'big' baby. Vac extraction with first baby, v. long recovery from tear, cut and stitches.

Also wondering if planned section would be easier? There seems to be a lot to consider.

Trixibelle, how do you know it is big - growth scans?

I have bee told by about 15 people in the last 3 days I am HUGE (ARGH) - I just have feeling this baby will be over 10lb

re elective section - I think if the chancs are you'll end up with an emergency section, maybe a planned is the answer..... eek

I had a planned cs. I didn't find it scary at all - rather nice and organised (hmm, might just be because I'm a bit of a control freak and liked feeling I knew what was going on). Once the epidural (which was fine) wore off, it was a little painful for a couple of days, but nothing more than meaning I walked around slowly instead of skipping! By one week we were fine to walk to the local coffee shop for a "day out" - if slowly.

I'm not sure (have read up earlier, but can't remember exact figures now), but I think if, according to your doctor, you most likely need a cs, it is safer having a planned one than taking your chances and needing an emergency one. I might be wrong - I know this is a very sensitive subject. Please feel free to correct me if I'm wrong anyone.

Good luck.

Sorry, just wanted to add - much as I liked mine, I probably would have tried for a vaginal birth if I didn't need cs, as you are mobile quicker and it doesn't hurt as much picking up baby.

Oh yes, and in response to an earlier post on this thread: I didn't have staples (dissolvable internal stitches and glue outside), so maybe that made my experience nicer.

Dont think I should have read this thread am at teh begining of this pregnancy no.3 and have a friend (2nd pregnancy) who although she had a completly natural, problem free, labour last time wants a c section. Wanted to do my research. WIll go and eat chocolates and hide in the corner.

I had an 'emergency' which means I was labouring already but not a serious danger situation etc.

Scary: I found it weird but that NCT antenatal had prepared me & partner for what to expect well. There was a fleeting moment afterwards when I thought I might die but most probably down to my melodramatic imagination :0)

Painful: During, no. I felt a little scratching and then a whole lot of pushing and shoving (like a suitcase being packed) as they got DD out. After, a bit. It took it out of me a bit but I made sure I was up and about ASAP and positive frame of mind etc

Dangerous: yes. You really need to talk to your Dr as there if it is being discussed it will be because they are weighing it up against other risks to you and the baby.

HTH Kat x

www.mamatobegoodies.co.uk

Dinny, have been told by Consultant that baby is big. First DD had large spherical head! and this baby is measuring bigger.

Also, had noted a point on another thread and was wondering if anyone has experience of this.

If having elective section does this make it less likely for breast milk to come in?? I BF for over a year first time round and would be v. upset not to BF this time.

Hi trixibelle. No, I don't think it makes a difference (or not in my experience anyway). I had a planned c-section and enough milk to supply the local Cadbury factory. By day 2 they were bringing me cabbage leaves hehehe. Babay also latched on perfectly (this is probably nothing at all to do with milk, but thought I'd share anyway) - every time the doctor / nurse / anyone came in he was sucking!

SK - why did you feel you might die?

Have had one vaginal birth and one emergency section.

The vaginal birth was quite scary, very painful, I hemorrhaged and took a long time to recover (badly stitched, infected stitches- still in pain nearly a year later).

The section was fine, totally relaxed, almost jolly as the surgical team kept laughing and joking, wasn't very scared, not much bleeding afterwards, stitches healed quite quickly and I was ok within weeks of the section. It was the safest option for me and ds- I was ill, he was prem and his hearbeat went down.

Milk came in in floods on both occasions. I'm just a cow, I am

have just picked up this thread after doing a search on shoulder dystocia and dinny i am you!
i had a shoulder dystocia with ds (9lb 2oz). i am 31 weeks pregnant and have been told to go for a c section. not feeling at all happy about it from a personal point of view but thinking why risk the baby. ds fine but was in scbu for 3 days and when got pregnant this time they went through my birth report and it was a scary story. over 2 mins between head and rest of body being delivered which apparently is quite long? also levles of something in blood high and borerline on damage/fatal. this baby already large (i am only small!) and also has a few soft markers. was told originally would be scanned for growth and then advised on c section but then told that pelvis may be too small and just to have c section.
have to say hospital were great (west mid). dh was in shock for days as saw ds blue and not breathing. i laboured on gas and air and gave birth in 4 hours and although cut very badly was probably the least traumatised of all. think all the trauma has now raised its head this pregnacy as can't stop thinking about what to do.
sorry complete waffle. dinny what ahve you decided?

Scary: I was very frightened.

Painful: I didn't find mine painful at all, although recovery was sloooooow.

Dangerous: Depends on the circumstances. Not an 'easy' alternative to a normal, straightforward vaginal birth - but necessary and even life saving in some circumstances.

Scary - not really, as I'd known for several hours that if things didn't progress that's where I was going to end up - was slightly taken aback with the speed with which it happened -25 min from the decision to abandon trying vagainal birth to the baby being born. I culd have done without the music in the theatre as I was wheeled in though - "I've had the time of my life"really didn't sum up the previous day and a half...
Painful - yes very, at least for 7-10 days after.
Other positive to come out of it? Dh bonded so well with dd, and I'm sure it was in part becasue they had to stabilise me for the hour or so after birth, so the midwife took him back upstairs whipped his tee-shirt off and he got to do the skin-to-skin thing and first bath etc (also all the nappies for the first fortnight as I couldn't bend over at all )

Scary: no (not even my emergency, it was just a relief to know labour would be over soon), the elective was fabulous.

Painful: no, paracetamol only after the first 36 hours. Was completely back to normal (driving, walking, shopping etc) at 3 weeks out. Emergency section recovery was longer but I'd had an awful labour & was really anaemic.

Dangerous: no, there are different risks but both an uncomplicated vaginal delivery (which cannot be guaranteed) & an elective section are very safe for your & the baby. I'd take a section any day to avoid the risks of an instrumental delivery or an emergency section.

Re. private midwife, mine had some sort of licence at a hospital so that if I did need a hospital transfer then she would have continued to be my midwife until delivery - no changes of shift etc. I don't know whether this was unique to that hospital (Basingstoke) but she and another midwife both had this licence.