The truth about c-sections...

[Ladyem]

Hi!

I am 31 weeks and may have to have a c-section as my DD suffered a shoulder dystocia during birth.

The decision is being left up to me, and while I know that having a section practically rules out the possibility of this baby suffering shoulder dystocia I am, well to be honest, terrified of the section and wondered if those of you who've had one could tell me the honest truth about if what I've heard about them is true!

*The drugs will make you shake and throw up - not what I want when lying flat on my back and a man with a big knife is cutting into me!!

*Administering the spinal is really painful.

*You can't have skin to skin and feed straight away, you have to wait until you are in recovery.

Many thanks in advance!

Hi there

I've had one emergency CS and one elective (last week).

Can I point out that they give you a local anaesthetic before they put the epidural in - so you feel a scratch with the local and then just pressing with the epidural, no pain. Same with the thingy in your hand for the drip. They give a local anaesthetic first so it doesn't hurt. My advice is to always look the other way when they are injecting you with things - it's so much worse if you can see the needle for some reason.

Anyway, no vomiting or shaking with either CS. Did have to wait to feed in the recovery room but DD1 was fine and went on to BF for 14 months and DD2 is going well so far too.

I found the recoveries very easy as well - I have to keep stopping myself doing stuff at the moment and am off the painkillers and in no pain.

HTH

Thanks again for all of your comments. It is good to hear that some of you have had really good experiences and that electives can be a calm and lovely experience.

I am shocked at how long some of you have had to be in labour before intervention!! I found 8 hours tiring enough with DD, let alone 55 hours and 85 hours!!! You are real troupers for coping with that!!!

Schulte - It's looking likely I'll have to have a section, although I'll make the final decision at my 36 week scan as they'll have an idea how big the baby will be. If it is estimated to be as big as DD (which was only 8lbs!!) or bigger then I won't run the risk of natural delivery as I'd never forgive myself if this baby was injured and I could have taken steps to avoid it. If it looks like it is going to be smaller, then I'll go for the natural delivery!

Jemi - thanks for the tip re: feeding. I tried that position with DD, so I know what you mean!!!

Thanks to all of you who have shared your stories and comments. The have really helped me!!

Good luck ladyem, honestly if you end up deciding on a CS it will be fine

Thanks LTOS!!!!

I had an emergency CS for dd1 and elective for dd2.

Both were lovely births! I can't say any more. Wouldn't have been my first choice but I got beautiful babies out of it which is all that matters in the end.

Birth can make people puke, shake, wee and poo whether they have CS or natural birth, its just one of the hazards of birth!

Good luck!

I had one natural (hideous) birth and one elective section.

the drugs dont make you shake/vomit? its only a spinal, not pethidine etc
with any op I suppose there's a slight risk of vomit, but that one wasnt mentioned by my surgical team/ anaesthetist.

the spinal is a bit of a sting, tbh, and mine was especially awkward as I had a broken coccyx at the time so they had to do it whilst I was lying on my side instead of the traditional seated position,

I had skin to skin whilst they sewed me up, and BF in recovery (about 20mins after birth) the same as when I had my awful natural experience.

I found my surgical team were confident, respectful, kind, had time to spend with me, I knew the delivery day so could plan everything, in all it was much calmer and less traumatic than the natural birth.

It does hurt afterwards, but the pain relief really helps, and it gets better every day.
the coccyx thing made mine worse as it was hard to climb in and out of bed.

the catheter was great, tbh, saved going to the loo! stings a little when they whip it out.
I had leg vibrating pads to reduce blood clot risk
they were funny...

prob the most frustrating thing was ringing the nurse everytime the baby needed something instead of being able to do it myself, but thats only for the first 12 hours.

I would recommend CS everytime.

I've had two - an emergency and an elective.

The drugs don't make you shake but they might make you throw up - usually though not until a while after. If you've had that experience from a general for eg it might happen. Just ask them to inject you post op in a place where you are still numb. I was really sick but it shouldn't happen til afterwards and as you've mostly starved yourself pre-op not much will come up anyway.

The spinal is not at all painful. They give you a little local- it's a quick sharp prick (no worse than a quick prick from a piece of holly for eg) and then a pushing feeling followed by your lower half feeling cold. Don't think about it too much - the reality is that it doesn't hurt, it's just a bit weird.

You should be able to have skin to skin straight away. Let the surgical team know your wishes and they will do what they can to accommodate you.

Please please don't worry. It is fine. I am the biggest wuss in the world and I would have another tomorrow. Make sure you get lots of rest before and after and take the pain relief !.

Good luck

I had 1 emcs and 1 planned too.
With the emerg. one, I WAS sick on the operating table! tbh though, I was in a real state by then, and was also shaking badly. I really didn't care! I just said "I'm going to be sick" and a bowl appeared under my chin, I was sick, and everyone carried on. It wasn't a big deal. They really have seen EVERYTHING before.
With the planned, it was all calm - no shakes, no sick, given baby straight away, no real probs. AND you get to sort out childcare!!
I think the emerg ones are worse because of the state the mum is in following a difficult labour, not necessary the drugs by themselves.
GOOD LUCK!

1 - I felt a little light headed, but I think that was more nerves than drugs. I had patient administered morphine for 24 hours afterwards (not for the CS but other condition) which quite frankly left me stoned.

2 - Spinal didn't hurt. Felt a minor electric shock type sensation as her pulled the needle out as he touched a nerve, but that was it.

3 - DH had skin-to-skin within two minutes of DD being born and kept her up his scrubs (she was naked except for a little hat) whilst I was stiched up and I held her in recovery. It was as we had planned and made it that little bit extra special for DH.

Good luck in making your decision and congratualtions on your new baby.

Hi - have had a planned and an emcs

Never pain administering spinal.
Had more drugs during emcs and did throw up - not pleasant but copeable! Was fine with nausea on the planned until about 4 hours later, then threw up.
Feeding/skin to skin depends on the med team and how the cs goes. Both times I could not feed until recovery but did not hinder bfing. (Fed dd til 2.5 and ds is 7m and still going strong)

There were certain things I wanted and they did for me on the planned - music on, lowering the screen slightly so I saw ds being born. Not telling me the sex but letting us see. Wrapping him in the nightie I wore the night before so it smelled of me.
I found it a very positive experience.

Good luck however it turns out

PS - Lady Em - I put off my decision until 39 wks so if you don't feel ready to make yours at 36 weeks, just tell them!

had 2 CS

1. Emergency after 2 days of rubbish labour, which has left me with a complete terror of childbirth. A blessed relief but don't remember much as totally out of it.

1. Planned CS was wonderful - they let me have it as the labour with no 1 was such a disaster. It really calm and DS2 emerged to the sound of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon.

Both times I breastfed very easily - both DS's were straight on to the nipple and sucking away before I'd even left the theatre.

The only drawback with the second one was a slight infection in my scar - I didn't really rest enough after the op as I'm not very good at resting. Also wearing a Baby Bjorn was a mistake as I think this aggravated the scar.

If my ageing eggs can crack out another child I would go for another C-section, but I think I'd get more help after the birth to allow for convalescene.

I've had two sections.

I was the world's biggest baby before my first - scared of needles, scared of pain, scared of surgery. The very thought of a section made me shake with fear. I was very scared throughout the first one, but actually, it was fine. Epidural didn't hurt and didn't make me feel sick. No pain throughout operation. Felt totally fine, really. Afterwards, I had no real pain or problems, although I did feel it took me a long time to heal - several months, not the 6 weeks they always quote. It wasn't painful, but I was weak in that area and couldn't lift or bend easily for ages. I was also in a kind of 'body shock' as had never had surgery before and was felt sort of violated and weird about it. Should say, I didn't get skin-to-skin with my DS after the first section. I was far too petrified to think of it, to be honest!

Second section - felt all the feelings of fear again beforehand, but it was a breeze. I did get the shakes a bit from the spinal, but nothing too drastic. The birth was absolutely euphoric, actually. I can't imagine any better experience. had skin-to-skin and was bf-ing within minutes in recovery room. Recovered really quickly after this one, too, and the stitching was neater, so scar looks better, too.

My son had shoulder dystosia and I found the experience truly terrifying. there's no way i'd consider a vag birth again if there's any poss of it happening again. the risk is too great for me. but it's up to you of course, maybe your shoulder dystosia wasn't so bad?

Haven't read the other posts (but will in a min) Just wanted to say that my c-section was fine. I was utterly terrified and i MEAN shit scared - it was snowing for Russia outside (early Feb snow storms this year) and it was touch and go whether my other half would even make it through the snow to the hospital.

I have had three VB's albiet that they were all inductions but my diabetes was so severe this time that a c-section was thought to be the way to go for my sons birth.

What no one told me was that i would be able to feel everything - no pain of course but its a weird and obviously very intrusive sensation that i didnt like at all. The drugs were the other aspect i didnt like that much tbh, the spinal didnt hurt a bit - no more than a teeny tiny scratch (my previous epidurals hurt alot more!) but the almost instant sick sensation i felt was horrid - dont worry though the nice anesthetist will sort you out in a matter of seconds and you wont feel sick anymore The worst effect of the spinal was the awful itching that i had for about 12 hours or so afterwards, they gave me an antihistamine but it didnt really touch it - i think that was the only negative thing i can remember.

Afterward i felt like id been run over by a bus but then again i had been waiting all day without any food and sleep the night before ( he was born just before 5pm and i was supposed to have him at 9am but there were no new shift doctors or midwives as they were struggling to get in because of the weather )It was lovely as they placed DS on me and i fell in love with him instantly. I did i have to confess think that it was the easier option until i had a c-section but its swings and roundabouts i think, i was very lucky in that i got to go home in under 48 hours (midday on Sunday) and i recovered really quickly at home with only the odd infection on my scar.

All in all im being honest and it was absolutely fine - just small little things that were more of an irritation than me thinking that i just wouldnt go through that again (might try for number 5 next year so it couldnt have been that bad )

Good luck with your pregnancy ladyem and sending happy baby vibes to you regardless of the method of lo's entry into the world

Haven't read other responses but...

I don't remember feeling shaky and I definitely didn't vomit.

Administering the spinal was fine, so fine in fact that I was scared it couldn't have been done properly (but it was ).

I can't see why you couldn't so long as you had someone else there to be another pair of hands for you as you position and IV lines might make it tricky on your own.

I've had one natural birth and one section.

The section was much, much easier. There was no pain on administering the spinal, I didn't throw up (or want to) at any time, DS1 was out in a matter of minutes and, while I couldn't hold him while they stitched me up, I was able to feed him within half an hour of birth.

DS2 was a VBAC and it was a truly horrendous experience (24-hour labour, ventouse, he ended up in special care). If I'd known I would have had an elective CS.

I had 2 emcs. 1st one, a bit of shaking, no nausea, spinal was difficult due to contractions, dh held ds next to my face so we could have skin to skin, fed in recovery. 2nd, some shaking, felt very very sick but anti ematics sorted that in seconds, spinal was fine, dh held dd again and she fed in recovery. My recovery took weeks first time round and days the second time. Hth xx

I will join in ......

Ive had 3!!! (they should have fitted a zip after number 1 )

Emergency under G/A - Fine

Elective G/A with breech- fine

planned wirh spinal- great.

At the end you have a baby it doesnt matter how it gets here.

I had an elective in January.

I did not feel sick from Spinal (felt as little faint in recovery but was quickly sorted out when I mentioned it).

Spinal didn't hurt - wasn't the nicest experience but just felt like something warm running down my spine.

Skin to skin as soon as they checked babys vitals and then he lay on muy chest while they stitched me uo and too me to recovery - in fact he never left my side.

Good luck it will be fine and don't believe the rubbish about not driving for 6 weeks either, just speak to your insurance co and I bet they'll confirm they have no such policy.

Hi i have had a planed C-Section with my last child as the was few probs i have also had a normal birth. Its seams really scary now bu they are so different i was walkin around after about 2 hour like nothing had really happened i was a bit sore but it was not that bad. I recovered really quick there was people on my ward that had natural birth that was complaining about pain and needing pain killers after 3 days i was home and but the next week i was doing the normal 20 mins walk to kids school.

I had an emergency CS at 36 weeks + 4. All very sudden, no labour at all and no real planning on my part.

(1) no pain with spinal at all

(2) sickness, I remember feeling really sick just after the birth but wasn't ever sick. Can't remember what drugs I had afterwards

(3) skin to skin I had not ever really thought about it. I was given DS all wrapped up and cleaned and then in recovery I can't really remember what happened (was clearly a bit out of it)

so we never had skin to skin and I can't remember when we first tried to feed but it wasn't for some time. however we had no problems bonding and I managed to BF for 2 years with no probs - so just wanted to say don't panic if you can't or don't manage skin to skin or immediate feeding

I had an elective with ds1 (transverse lie), which was awful and after lots of careful consideration, an elective with ds2 which was wonderful. The thing is to be prepared. I wasn't with ds1 and this contributed a lot to how I felt about it. With ds2, I was scared but knew what to expect. I took every painkiller offered to me afterwards and it was great. They will let you have skin-to-skin in theatre and may let you feed in theatre (though you might need to ask the midwife). They may even let you choose the music played in theatre. When ds2 was born, dp stayed at the "business end" and saw the whole thing. If you want, they may agree to lowering the screen when they lift the baby out.

The actual cs isn't really painful (but a bit strange), afterwards is extremely painful if you don't take the painkillers. You may have difficulty walking upstairs for a couple of weeks after the op, you may need help to get your own shoes on and pick things up from the floor. Before you go into hospital arrange your home allowing for these things so far as possible. Also, a great tip which I found really worked is that most women after cs walk with the "caesaerean stoop" (bent over holding their wound), try to straighten yourself up and not hold the scar (it won't suddenly pop open) and you'll immediately feel better and more confident.

Good luck.

We had a list of things you can do from our NCT group to make a section more touchy feely (lower the lighting, play music, dip the screen etc.)

We were told in advance that we weren't allowed to do any of them.

At the same time it was still the most fantastic experience, because we had a beautiful, healthy gorgeous baby. That was the only thing that mattered.

And, in theatre, my dh was invited around the business end to cut the cord. And the anaesthetist popped around our end to take piccies of us all .

As far as your questions are concerned

*I didn't shake with the drugs.

*The spinal wasn't painful, my problem was that I was falling asleep between contractions because I was so tired by that stage and had to sit upright and still, which was difficult.

*We had skin to skin straight away, but waited to feed till we were out of theatre.

Oh, and afterwards I took, on advice, every painkiller going ("The answer to 'Do you want a painkiller?' is 'Yes'").

The midwives were v. impressed by my rapid recovery! (I was walking around fine because I wasn't in pain!)

Slip on shoes / loafers etc. (that you don't have to bend down to put on) were a god send through pregnancy and were v useful after the CS also.

And I heart my bedside cot .