In the seven months since I first wrote this, I have received a lot of comments from readers. I have received even more private e-mails; the majority from women who just wanted to say thanks for sharing my experience with my C-section, and they too, had a similar experience.
Not all comments have been positive, and I didn’t expect them to be. It seems the biggest “complaints” from the comments about this post, is that C-sections are not really like what I wrote about, and I am trying to scare women. Since there are a lot of comments, and I am sure not everyone reads all the comments and my replies before leaving a comment of their own, I wanted to clarify my viewpoint about this post, hopefully BEFORE the post is read.
This is a realistic account of MY C-section. There are certain aspects to a C-section that EVERY woman will experience, such as scaring, and increased chances of uterine rupture with future pregnancies. There are other aspects to this account which I experienced. These may or may not be experienced by every woman who has a C-section. Just like no two vaginal births are the same, no two C-sections are the same.
I agree and support emergency C-sections 100%, and they do save lives. However, as you will read, I believe that the medical community is over-using C-sections in non-medical emergency situations (such as breech births). I feel I need to clarify this point as well, because when I originally wrote the post, my goal was to inform women who may be facing a planned or elective C-section (not an emergency one), and to offer my viewpoint from my perspective, on what a C-section is like, since my experience with my C-section was not a emergency C-section.
I wrote this post to inform women who suspect there might be more to a C-section than what she is being told, like I was. That is the spirit of the post-to inform. Like the famous quote, “knowledge is power.” The more you know, the more informed decision you can make.
To the readers who feel I am scaring women, I am sorry my account of my C-section is scary. Honestly, it was pretty scary. There are countless TV shows, websites, books, magazines, Hollywood celebrities, and doctors who will tell you C-sections are not scary, are not painful, and they are nothing to worry about. That was not the reality I found at all. I do not want to sugar coat, or tone down my experience. If I were to do that, there wouldn’t be much point it writing about it.
So having said this, before you read the post, please be forewarned that this post could be scary. I am attempting to share what a real C-section was like. If that has the potential to scare you, then please think twice before reading it. If you are searching for information on what happens during a C-section, possible complications that could arise, pictures of the procedure, the recovery period, possible impact on the family, and general information on C-sections, and how the medical community using them, and feel this information would not scare you, than this may be something you would be interested in reading.
If you have a comment after the post, please feel free to comment. I read every comment, and try to respond when appropriate. Please know I will delete any overly disrespectful comment. You don’t have to agree with me, but please keep it civil.
Thank you.
Heather- A Mama’s Blog
This post has been several months in the making. I have been thinking about what I wanted to convey in writing a post about Cesarean sections, better known as C-sections, or even as a “C.”
As I thought about it, there were so many different angles to take. I thought about writing a very detailed researched post, but you can find a lot of those by doing a Google search on C-sections. I decided in the end, I was going to write what comes naturally from my personal research and experience of having a C-section.
My intent for writing this post is to convey the reality, which is not often mentioned, of women, their new babies, and families, endure from C-sections. It is not meant to judge or make any mother feel bad who has had a C-section. I write a lot of the things that I wished I had known before hand about C-sections, which I was not told. This post is only meant to inform, and bring to light, issues involved with C-sections, that as a woman, and a mother I seldom hear anyone (doctors included) talk about in our society.
- My C-Section
I had a C-section with my first birth, with Ryan, only because he was a breech baby, and refused to turn. I wasn’t very informed on other alternatives for turning breech babies at the time, other than the external version, and accepted having a C-section was the only way to give birth to my baby.
- Lack of Options
Unfortunately, it pretty much WAS my only alternative. I did not feel comfortable having a home birth being a first time mother, with a breech baby. Not to mention, there were zero doctors in my area who would attend the birth of a breech baby. This is despite living in a college area, with a number of top rated medical facilities. So we agreed to the C-section, but really what choice did we have?
It has always bothered me more alternatives are not available for birthing breech babies. I did not want a C-section, but it was my only option. Even a home birth isn’t always an option- in several states (mine included), it is actually against the law for a midwife to attend a breech birth! This isn’t to say it isn’t done, but if you know ahead of time your baby is breech, this could be problematic in finding a midwife who is comfortable attending a breech birth, and possibly be in violation of the law, and thus be putting her certifications and her practice in jeopardy.
Finding an OB these days, who will deliver a breech baby, is a joke at best- even though as I found out later, delivering breech babies vaginally is very safe, in the majority of situations. In my opinion, this is a HUGE failure in the medical community to have only one option for a mother facing a breech birth- an automatic C-section.
- Major Surgery
C-sections are MAJOR abdominal surgery. The pain is agonizing. I never experienced greater pain in my life, than after my surgical C-section. Even going through natural labor and contractions with a VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarean) birth of my second child for eleven hours, the pain was not as bad as it had been with the C-section.
The best way I can describe it is imagine your most painful, intense, contraction, and multiply it by at least 50 to 100%, depending on your pain tolerance. Now, realize the pain does not go away, after 30 seconds or a minute like the pain during contractions does. It is constant and never-ending. That level of pain is with you for DAYS (not seconds or minutes). Imagine your insides feeling like they are going to split open for several weeks, after the surgery, every time you laugh, cry, sneeze, get out of bed, stand up, or move too fast.
- Media Portrayal of C-Sections
It is also very disturbing to me how some avenues of the media, and celebrities portray C-sections. I have seen on numerous TV shows- including a prime time, number one show, (named Grey’s Anatomy, to be specific), where women who refuse a C-section, because they desire to have a NORMAL, vaginal birth, are portrayed as fanatic, and ridiculous. There is another show, The Baby Story, which shows many elective C-section births.
As a new mother-to-be, and even before I was pregnant, I watched The Baby Story. In my case, seeing so many C-section births, almost made it seem like it was a normal, healthy, alternative to giving actual birth. I NEVER saw the downside: pain, infections, and inability to get back to regular life after a C-section, shown on The Baby Story.
It is almost glamorized by the media when a famous celebrity has a C-section. “Too posh to push,” is how they sum it up. Whether that is the case or not, it is misleading to millions of women, who are faced with the same decision. What is NEVER mentioned is even if a celebrity chooses to have an elective C-section; she has resources available to her, which a normal woman does not. The celebrity can hire nurses, nannies, chefs, and cleaning services to take over for her while she recovers from surgery, when an average woman cannot. The strain and time it takes to recover from a C-section puts the average family under enormous stress.
Yet, the media continues to glorify and glamorize C-sections. It even seems like they make a special point to say, “Actress A had her baby (or gave birth), born by Cesarean section.” I have yet to see, hear, or read, “Actress A had her baby, born by normal, vaginal birth.”
I certainly never gave much thought to what really was involved with a C-section. I honestly thought, since I had seen so many women on The Baby Story, give birth by C-section, and they seemed fine, and never mentioned any drawbacks, certainly I could handle it.
- What A C-Section Is Really Like
Naive? Absolutely. C-sections are NOT as they are portrayed on “reality” TV shows, prime time TV shows, or by the media when reporting a famous woman had a C-section. Maybe if I hadn’t been bombarded by all these positive messages about C-sections, I would have thought twice about it. Maybe if I had, had someone actually tell me what a C-section really was like, I could have prepared better. Maybe if I could have found in a mainstream pregnancy book, the truth about C-sections, I would have known what I was getting into. But I didn’t, and at the time, all the information I had, said C-sections were no big deal.
C-sections ARE a big deal. So big, your life will never be the same. Here are some of the REAL outcomes from C-sections:
You may lose precious time with your newborn baby. Time that you will NEVER get back, because you are doped up on strong narcotic pain medications for at least 24 hours- usually longer- after the birth. Your baby might be groggy after birth in most cases, because the epidural and or spinal tap medication used to numb you, is in their system too.
Instead of spending the first few moments after birth holding, nursing, and bonding, with your baby, your hands may be tied down. Because of this, you probably won’t be able to hold your baby during this time, while you are being stitched back up.
Your baby may be taken out the operating room from you, while your uterus and incision site are being stitched. In my case, my hands were still restrained. You will probably have to wait at least 30 minutes after the birth (usually longer), before you can really hold your baby for the first time.
If you are lucky, your baby will want to breastfeed, even though he/she could still be groggy from the birth. If not, then starting breastfeeding becomes a much bigger challenge. As any new mother will tell you, breastfeeding a brand new baby can be hard at first. Now imagine trying to position your baby to nurse, but you can’t have your new baby’s feet, or body anywhere near your incision because you can’t risk having them push, or kick you in that area. You can use a pillow to block the site, but it becomes another aspect to figure out.
By having a C-section, your chances for hemorrhage, post-partum infection, internal injuries, post-partum depression, breastfeeding problems, reproductive problems, and maternal death, are increased than if you gave birth vaginally.
By having an elective C-section your baby’s chances for neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), physician caused prematurity (since they can only guess, what the correct due date is), persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPH), are cut by the surgeon’s scalpel two to six percent of the time, and are less likely to be breastfed, are increased than babies who are born vaginally.
In most cases, you will have metal staples in your incision for several days after the surgery. I thought my tummy looked liked Frankenstein’s forehead. It was so awful I couldn’t even look at it.
Your uterus will have permanent scar tissue, which is at a higher risk for rupture with future pregnancies.
You will have an scar just above your pubic bone for the rest of your life. Your stomach will more than likely hang over your scar, known as “belly flap,” for the rest of your life. Your incision / scar area will probably be numb for several months, several years, or even for the rest of your life.
Your birthing options with future pregnancies are SEVERELY limited, after you have a C-section. There is a saying, “once a C-section, always a C-section.” VBAC is a very safe choice for the majority of women, but VBAC’sare discouraged and you will be lucky to find a doctor and a hospital that supports this choice. In some states, it is against the law for midwives to attend VBAC births. In all actuality, you will be pressured to have a repeat C-section with future pregnancies, even though with every subsequent C-section, the uterine rupture rate increases, especially during pregnancy as the uterus expands. Usually another C-section is the only choice offered to you, even if that isn’t the best choice for you, and your baby.
You will probably have a longer recovery, after a C-section than if you had given birth vaginally. You can’t drive for usually 10 days. You are sore, and it can be a struggle to just get up and move, let alone walk, sit-up, sit, and lie down. It is recommended that you don’t climb any stairs for two weeks-too bad if your house has stairs- it can be very painful, every time you have to go up or down your stairs. You don’t dare laugh or cough for several days, because it just hurts too much. You may only have a limited amount of pain medication, because most doctors want to “wean” you off the strong pain narcotics a few days after the C-section. Keep in mind, this is all while you have a brand new baby to take care of as well.
(Many of these facts in the above blue boxes can be found on Childbirth Connection’s page on C-sections.)
- Recovery Time and Complications
Being a new mother is one of the most challenging life experiences. We rise to the task, but when you are trying to recover from a MAJOR surgery, YOU need to rest, and be taken care of. That does not happen after a C-section, for the majority of women. Maternal instincts take over, and we need to be with our babies. We push our pain, and discomforts to the background, in order to take care of our baby, and family.
This only adds to the recovery time, and often results in women “overdoing it,” which leads to ruptured scars, which leads to infected scars, which leads to another hospital stay, which leads back to square one, all over again. It can be a vicious cycle.
The general thought is it usually takes about 3 weeks, to recover from vaginal birth, and 6 weeks to recover from a C-section, IF everything goes well.
That was not true for me at all. It took me about 12 weeks to feel almost 100% again- meaning I didn’t have pain that kept me from doing daily activities. That is 3 months! If I were to count the time that it took for my scar to heal, and to not feel any pain whatsoever- I would say NEVER. Even now, four years later, if I move at an odd angle, I will get a weird pain in my abdomen, that I never had before having a C-section.
After the VBAC birth I had with my second baby, I felt back to normal, after about a month. Yes, there was pain, discomfort, and stitches involved with a vaginal birth, but it was SO, SO, SO much more manageable and less painful than a C-section. Having given birth both by a C-section and vaginally, I would pick a vaginal birth every time- without hesitation. As one of my friends who also had a C-section, and a vaginal birth said, “The worse vaginal birth, beats the best C-section anytime.” No wonder we were made to give birth vaginally, not surgically!
- Risks Outweigh The Benefits
C-sections are a medical tool, and should only be performed when absolutely necessary. C-sections DO have a place in obstetrics, and I have a friend who would have died, if she had not gotten an emergency C-section.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says anytime a country’s C-section rate rises above 15%, then the risks outweigh the benefits the surgery could provide. In the US, the C-section rate is 30.2% of all births. Just 100 years ago in the US, almost every baby born, was born at home! What has happened? Clearly, something is very wrong, and thousands of women are receiving unnecessary surgical C-sections, where the risks are outweighing the benefits.
- The “Hidden” High Costs of C-Sections
Another aspect that is hardly ever mentioned is the financial aspect and costs to a family. Obviously a C-section is more expensive than a vaginal birth. My C-section in 2004 cost 50% more than my vaginal hospital birth in 2006. That was with no complications- just a “by-the-book C-section”. Even with insurance, a family pays substantially more for a C-section, and that is just for the procedure! Most women have to stay in the hospital for a minimum of three days after a C-section, compared to anywhere from 12-48 hours with a vaginal birth. I had to stay for five days. Not only do you get charged for your care, but you get charged for the care your baby gets too.
If you factor in the extra long recovery time, the costs of hiring some household help, extra doctor and or hospital visits due to infection, pain medication, extra time the father may take off of work, to name a few- it is astounding how expensive a C-section is, and how fast it all adds up.
For a woman who has to return to work, 6, 8, or 12 weeks after giving birth, she may not even be fully recovered from surgery, before she has to take on the demands from a job as well.
- Ignorance Is Not Bliss
I believe that every woman who is faced with the possibility of having a C-section (emergency situation aside) should be given ALL of the information on the surgical procedure including the emotional and financial aspects beforehand. Ignorance is NOT bliss- it just keeps you from having to face the reality of this surgical procedure until you are in the thick of it, with nothing left to do, but see it and its consequences through.
During my recovery, I was in so much pain, and realized that I didn’t even know why, until my husband (who had watched the surgery) said, “If you had seen what they did, you would know why you are in pain.”
Then it hit me that I had no idea, what they even did during the C-section. They never show that on The Baby Story either. I have decided to include several REAL pictures from actual C-sections that I found by doing Google and Yahoo searches. Believe it or not, pictures like this were very hard to find. There just aren’t that many pictures of actual C-sections out there. I spent a lot of time trying to find pictures with the goal of showing what really happens during a C-section.
The pictures are graphic in nature- that is the reality of a C-section. I have provided the link to the site where you can view the pictures as well. There will be descriptions of what the picture is of.
Since some will prefer not to look at the pictures, I will include my closing comments now, instead of at the end of the pictures.
- Conclusion
Despite what we are told in the media, C-sections are NOT glamorous, or posh. If you choose to view the pictures below, you will see what it really is.
The emotional and financial toll it can take on you and your family is massive. Ironically, a lot of women choose C-sections, because they think it is a lot less painful than vaginal birth. You will have no pain during the C-section itself, because you are numb from usually the chest down. But, a surgical C-section birth is not a way to avoid pain during birth. Ironically, in most cases, it will cause you substantial amounts of more pain in the long run.
The end result of a C-section is beautiful- a new, hopefully healthy baby and mother. For me, that was my goal. But I never realized beforehand, as I wrote, you lose a lot of time with your newborn when recovering from the surgery. Time that you only get one chance at. If you have to return to work, as you know, your time is not endless with your baby, and that time goes by in a blink of an eye.
No mother I know, would willingly give up her precious time with her new baby, to attend to surgical dressings, be “out of it” due to pain medication, maybe miss out on breastfeeding, if they choose to do so, raise their risk of post-partum infection, and depression, and pain. Yet, that is what happens to one degree or another, with EVERY C-section.
If you prefer not to look at the pictures, I hope some of this post will help you, a friend, a sister, a daughter, a cousin, or anyone, who needed more information and truth on what is involved in a C-section.
I know first hand that sometimes a C-section is your only option. In these cases, I hope some of what I wrote may help in giving you more information on what to expect, so you can prepare better than I did. If you are considering a C-section that is not medically necessary, or you have other options, I hope if you have read this far, that maybe you are reconsidering having a c-section.
While writingthis post, I decided to write another post in the near future with ideas for mothers who are preparing for a C-section. I plan to include information on things she can do to prepare for it before hand. I also will include ideas and tips she can do post-partrum, to help with the healing process, pain, and the overall transition back to family life. E-mail me if you have any tips or suggestions, you would like to share.
Every woman deserves to know ALL of the facts, before facing a major surgery, especially one with the goal of bringing a new life into the world. Doctors should take into account ALL the factors, pre-AND post-surgery, on how C-sections can affect their patients and their families. The entire medical community (doctors, hospitals, etc.), should start offering vaginal breech baby birth options. Finally, C-sections should stop being glamorized by the media as a healthy alternative to vaginal birth. It is very dishonest and misleading.
I sincerely hope by sharing my experience, and facts that usually aren’t disclosed about C-sections, it can help women who are facing C-sections, to make an informed decision.
I would love to hear your comments and feedback.
- Additional Information
I urge anyone facing a C-section to read the article, “Cesearean Birth in a Culture of Fear.” It is written by Wendy Ponte, and it appeared in the September/October 2007 issue of Mothering magazine, and is the best article I have read on the subject to date. If you can get the actual magazine, there were some very good illustrations, showing the C-section procedure. I tried to find these illustrations on-line, but was unsuccessful. I was able to find something along the same lines, in a slide show presentation, with ten drawings from The New York Times, showing the C-section procedure. (These drawings are not graphic- they are what you would see in a newspaper.)
************************WARNING!!!!! ********************************
************DO NOT READ OR SCROLL ANY FARTHER IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO VIEW C-SECTION PICTURES- GRAPHIC IN NATURE************
Removing the staples from a C-section incision.
There is also a picture of a new C-section scar held together with staples, and more post-partum C-section scars, including verticle ones, in this gallery at About.com .
Mother 1: C-section scar 2 days after the surgery, 20 year-old mother
Mother 1: (The same mother as in picutre above), her C-section scar, 11 weeks after the surgery
Mother 2: The C-section overhang (“belly flap”)- this is after the first c-section (third pregnancy), this 28-year old mother had, one year after the surgery
Picture from Terra, (a mother who read this post and sent me some of her C-section pictures) of her C-section incision
Picture 1 of Terra’s Infection at Incision Site
Picture 2 of Terra’s Infection at Incision Site
Mother 2: (picture 2) Same mother as the above picture; side view
Mother 3: Picture of scar, more than 3 years after C-section (it is the second line, towards the bottom-not the thin red line)
Mother 4: Pictures of infected C-section scar, 3 to 4 months after the surgery, during this 38 year-old mother’s
fifth round of antibiotic treatments for the infection
Above pictures from https://www.caesarean.org.uk/ScarPictures.html#group1. There are several more pictures of C-section scars at this site, in various stages of healing.
My scar- 4 years after C-section.
Another picture of my scar. On the right end of the scar, you can see how it looks indented. A few of my staples became loose, while I was in the hospital, so the skin there was open, while healing. It left a lot larger scar on that end of the incision, and tends to “cave in.” I doubt this will ever go away. The marks higher up on my stomach, are the marks from my pants. 🙂
(All of these photos, the ones of myself included, are unedited. They have been reduced in size, however so they could fit on the site. )
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362 replies on “The Reality of C-Sections”
I just want to thank you for the great, necessary, important information you have provided but also for the way you handle responses. I appreciate your thoughtful consideration of both sides.
I hope one day women and their doctors will trust the female body to instinctively do what it was made to do without interference. Doctors need to give up this need for control and remain on the sidelines as a “lifeguard.”
By the way, have you heard that insurance companies are now denying women coverage who’ve had even one previous c-section, unless they’ve been sterilized???
Thanks again,
Michelle
I have to agree with a lot of the previous posters – this article seems meant to frighten. Maybe you didn’t mean it that way, but that’s how it comes across.
My fear from things like this is that it will cause some women to believe that most sections are done without medical need, that they’re frivolous or for the doctor’s ease. Mine wasn’t – mine REALLY wasn’t. I can’t imagine my doctor wanted this at ALL.
So here’s what happened. I planned a natural childbirth and had a totally normal pregnancy. I went into labor on my own, counted contractions, labored in the bathtub, rushed off to the hospital in the middle of the night with my excited hubby and bag. I labored for 5 more hours at the hospital – I was offered the tub, but chose the shower, was occasionally monitored but was allowed to walk around. I did everything “right.”
I decided on an epidural to relax me at 5 am, after being awake 24 hours and not dilating more than 4 cm. It worked. I was 6 cm within 1/2 hour of the meds. All was right with the world.
And then, like out of a movie, my daughter flatlined. Beep-beep-beeeeeeeeeeeeeep. I immediately woke up, my husband couldn’t even get near me for all the doctors and nurses. My experienced, wonderful doctor looked scared. I’ve never seen a look like that before. My situation clearly wasn’t normal. She told me she wanted to do a section, even though at that point I was 9.5 cm. It was not even a question in my mind – I almost ASKED her to do it. Most people would if they hear their baby’s heart completely stop.
So, we did the operation, and my daughter, who had the cord tightly around her neck twice and was facing up, was delivered within 10 minutes and is totally healthy. I was held down, but only because I was shaking uncontrollably from transition and the epi (not tied). I had sutures. I have a small scar, no “shelf.” No more pain.
It hurt in the days after, but that ended. I didn’t need painkillers. I was encouraged to breastfeed, and my milk came in like a bandit. My daughter latched on immediately with no problems. We went home in 4 days.
Despite the scary situation, I think it was great. It saved my daughter’s life. Might vaginal have been easier? Sure. But would my daughter have lived? Probably not.
I am all for natural birth and for women being more informed about the birth process. I will likely try a VBAC if I do it again, just to avoid a long hospital stay. But my c-section was great. If I was told I needed another, no biggie. I won’t feel like less of a mom, or less of a woman, or sad because of it. I bet there are a lot more people like me but they don’t talk about precisely because it really wasn’t a big deal.
Melissa,
Thanks for your comment, and I agree with you 100% that emergency C-sections are great and can save lives. A quote from my post:
“C-sections are a medical tool, and should only be performed when absolutely necessary. C-sections DO have a place in obstetrics, and I have a friend who would have died, if she had not gotten an emergency C-section.”
Our C-section rate in the United States climbs every year. Many OB’s and even ACOG believes it is ethical to allow elective C-sections, when there is no medical need for them at all, despite the fact that research shows the chances of complications rise for the woman and the baby on *elective* C-sections. Isn’t it interesting that emergency C-sections have lower complication rates? Should that be telling us something?
Doctors have now resorted delivering almost all breech births by C-sections. Hospitals continue to ban VBAC’s, even though they are safe for the majority of women. They are taking birthing choices and options away from millions of women and babies, and increasing their chances of complications.
My goal of the post is to inform women who may be facing a planned or elective C-section, and to offer my viewpoint, from my perspective, on what a C-section is like. Like no two births are alike, no two C-sections are alike, and of course in an emergency what needs to be done, is what needs to be done. Maybe I need to write a follow-up post explaining this better, because I keep getting comments saying I am trying to “scare” women.
I honestly wish I had information like this before my C-section for my breech baby. It would have helped me made a more informed decision, and I did try to find information on what a C-section was like, but I couldn’t find anything. All the popular baby delivery books said you go to the hospital, and you may have a day or so recovery time longer than with a vaginal birth.
Some C-sections births ARE like that, but I wished I had at least been able to find information that would have helped me prepare in case my C-section *wasn’t* a piece of cake that I had been led to believe it was by the information out there and by the media.
I receive comments and e-mails every day from women who are thankful for this account. To the ones that I am “scaring,” I am sorry my account of my C-section is scary. It was pretty scary – honestly. It was the worse experience of my life. Your C-section may not be. There are countless websites, books, TV shows, magazines, Hollywood celebrities, and doctors who will tell you C-sections aren’t “scary,” aren’t painful, and they are nothing to worry about. I’m sorry, but I am not going to sugar coat my experience- if I was to that, what would be the point in writing about it at all?
I’m aiming to inform women who suspect there might be more to a C-section than what she is being told, like I was. That is the spirit of this post- to inform. Like the famous quote, “knowledge is power”-the more you know, the more informed decision you can make.
I am so glad you were able to have an emergency C-section, and it all ended well for you and your baby. Again, thanks for your comment, and it has inspired me to write a follow-up post explaining my position in more detail. 🙂
It’s funny, but from all of the reading I have done, I have never thought of the c-section as the easy way out. I have read more anti-section literature than “you’re posh if you push” stuff. They make it sound evil, like you’re less of a woman, won’t bond with your baby, etc. It really does, for the most part, seem to be be pushing against c-sections for almost ANY reason.
That said, I understand that the goal is to inform, and maybe that’s why I was fine with it – I was very informed and had done my research into all the possibilities. And the one thing that I believe the anti-section literature leaves out is that ANYTHING can happen in childbirth. You simply can’t have expectations – you can have goals and desires, but expectations? No. You set yourself up for disappointment and failure if you do that. And I had no expectations, so I never felt failure or disappointment.
And as I said, I do believe childbirth is natural and should be treated as such. It’s just that I worry that too many women will say “I’m informed, childbirth is easy” and refuse c-sections and suffer consequences. C-Sections are occasionally medically necessary and it’s very easy in hindsight to say “I shouldn’t have listened to the doctor, I could have had a vaginal birth.” But it would be just as easy to say “I SHOULD have listened to the doctor and had the section,” and if that’s what you’re saying, the consequences will be much worse – a dead baby, or an injured baby. I know at least two women who wish the doctor had offered a section. One has a child with cerebral palsy and the other had such terrible damage that she will not be having other children. And to them, a scar with some pain would have been nothing. So it can go both ways. I would not want to see a lot of people rejecting suggestions of doctors outright and suffering as a result.
Moreover, I wonder how many women will actually happily accept the consequences of their actions should they refuse a section that turned out to be necessary, or will they turn around and sue the hospital and doctor for not forcing them to have a section? I am an attorney – I see it all the time, and I can almost guarantee, having seen enough of human nature, that this does and will happen.
There has to be a happy medium somewhere. I have always thought that St. Luke’s in NYC, with its birth center IN the hospital would be a good route. It’s midwife run, but the doctors are upstairs, and if a section becomes necessary, they’re right there. You get the benefits of modern medicine with a less invasive approach.
Oh, one other thing I remember I wanted to mention – I was a breech baby. Frank breech – I came out butt first. My mother not only delivered me vaginally, but without drugs (she had an episiotomy, but heck, was glad for it, as would most people be in a situation like that). I had not been breach, but turned after she went into labor. Ultrasounds were not as common in the 1970s, so they didn’t realize it. I don’t even know that a c-section was mentioned. My mother’s doctor delivered me at a teaching hospital, with tons of interns around. So there was a time when hospitals DID deliver breech babies vaginally.
But again, it brings to mind the question – if given the option of delivering a breech baby vaginally by a hospital, would a mother be willing to accept the consequences, and, if necessary, absolve the hospital of responsibility for her choice, should something go wrong?
Just wondering– had you ever had surgery before this experience? It seems as though you hadn’t, and if it’s the case I think it would be nice if you mentioned that fact somewhere.
I have had two csections – while both traumatic – I would go through them again. With my second csection I knew what to expect and felt much more confident with this one. I developed intense SPD with my little boy (born 12th may this year – 2008) and ended up on crutches. Yes csections can be very painful but if a csection helps your child to live you would go through it again. My first child was a normal birth and my next two were csections due to placenta abruptions. I am now 21 weeks after my csection and the scar has opened up yet again and i have developed another infection – currently on very strong antibiotics. I developed infection after infection and had chronic indigestion with my last child. Even after all of this, I would go through the pain again if it meant my boys were alright. I would like to congratulate you on highlighting what happens with csections. If I had known what to expect with my first i would have been much more positive probably the first time around. I would just like to say to mums to be or new mums no matter what pain you go through its all for your new child. I would glady do this all again and more for my children. I follow my late nans motto of ‘ONE DAY AT A TIME’ basically take one day at a time to get through the pain barrier. Enjoy the miracle of your children 🙂
I wish i would have never had my c-section i just had my 3rd baby boy on 9-17-08 and he was an emergency c-section i had my other 2 boy 7 and 5 years old by natural no painmeds nothing and that is the way i wanted it i was right up after i had them holding them walking around with them so when i got pregent for my 3rd i thought things would be the same..I was looking forword to having him but i started to have lots of problems… So long story short i went in on the 17th to be induced 3 days early cause of my problems and i was doing good until 8 hours into thr birth of my baby.. the found out that his arm was stuck above his head and he couldn’t move and i was bleeding very bad and his heart rate was dropping with every contraction.. So the doctor come in to talk to me about what we wanted to do or what could be done.. So he told me he would most likely move his arm out of the way most babies do but he wanted me to sign the paper for a c-section just in case something really went wrong they could take me straight back…so i signed thinking they was going to do other things first to try and get him out.. ha yea right the next thing i know 20mins later i am back in the room and they are cutting me open to get him out… Don’t get me wrong i am greatful that my baby is ok but they worst is yet to come.. After the c-section they din’t put me on any type od meds. except pain killers and they forgot to take my staples out before i left the hospital so i got an infection.. so 7 days after the birth of my on i was cut back open and sent home with a 16 inches cut in my stomach that was 3 inches deep.. so long story short her it is 6 weeks after i have had my baby and i still have a 14 inche cut that is 3 inches deep in my stomach i son’t think i am ever going to heal i can’t hold me baby i have to sit down so someone can hand him to me and i had to stop breast feeding because they thought it would help the healing process and the pain is so bad i eat pain pills like they are candy.. so if anyone is thinking of haveing a c-section just to have it don’t please think about it first and think of the risk in it.. they will tell u it is not a mager surgury but it is.. thank you for reading and listening to what i had to say..
Terra
Terra,
I’m sorry you are having such a hard recovery time. I know it isn’t easy. With two other children, I imagine you are pretty busy. Honestly, one of the biggest things that can help is rest. I know that is easier said than done, but is there any way you can get some extra rest, and take it easy for at least a few days?
I was trying to do it all, after my C-section, and it just made the pain worse. I had to let it go, and give myself permission- if I didn’t heal, it wasn’t going to help me, my baby, or my family. Do you have a relative that could come help for a few days, or a friend? Can your hubby take a few days off of work? People always want to know what they can do to help, so don’t be shy in telling people what you need.
Even if you don’t have anyone who can help, do the least amount possible. Get some frozen meals, or have your hubby get take-out for dinner, if he doesn’t cook. It won’t be like this forever, but you have to allow yourself proper time to rest. Your body can’t heal, if you constantly pushing it.
When your scar is a little more healed, try putting pure Vitamin E oil on it. I have always had good luck with that, in reducing scars, but for some reason, I never thought of it, when my scar was healing.
Thank you for your comment. That is why I wrote this post- not to scare women, but to let them know, there can be real complications associated with a C-section that can continue weeks and months after the baby is born.
Please let me know how you are doing- you can e-mail me privately too.
Heather
My name is Kay, I am a bit worried, I am 33 years old 20 weeks pregnant, I gave birth naturally with my son who is now 13 it was a very long painful day with stitches involved I am worried and I would like a c section, can you help me decide, I hate that I worry about it every day. Thank you
As you said every situation is different. I had two c-sections. The first an emergency the second elected. I wish I wouldve tried vbac!!!! My first c section was smooth. No problem. The second? The one i chose to have? Horrible!!!! I was alone. The doctor cut my colon before he cut my uterus. I had hbp the last three weeks of my pregnancy. My bp skyrocketed. They overmedicated me with bp meds. I couldnt feel my left side, see out of my left eye, fluid filled my left lung. What happened to me? I dont know, never was told. Just moved to icu. To top it off, I didnt see my baby until Sunday. (My surgery was Friday morning) I really wish I wouldve tried vbac.
I had a c-section on month ago (October 20, 2008) and they used staples. So some hospitals are not using the glue. I am concerned about the area above the incision. It is puffy like swelling but the incision is completely closed. I am wondering if this will go away or if it is scar tissue forming?
Dear Heather,
I am so sorry you had such a bad experience with your c-section. You story was difficult to read. I was lucky enough to have a great experience with my emergency c-section for our now 2 1/2 year old happy and healthy son(who was concieved via I.U.I.). I breastfed 1 1/2 hours after my surgery, ate a huge meal 4 hours post and even showered that night. I was up tidying my room the next day(the nurses scolded me), I was off all meds after 5 days, and was vacuuming and cooking by day 7 post op. My incision healed beautifly as well. I am currently 27 weeks pregnant(natural conception) at the age of 42 and am scheduled for my c-section 3/10/09. I wouldn’t have it any other way. I am lucky enough to live in the Boston area and will deliver at Beth Israel Deaconess (same as our son). I realize that there are risks involved with major surgery, but I completely trust my OB- he gave me the option of VBAC and I chose c-section. I will be 2 weeks shy of 43 at the time of this childs birth and I am not willing to leave anything to chance. I think the most important thing is that women should learn as much about all the options as there is to learn. Being informed gives you a greater advantage. I’ve heard it said that natural birth is empowering and women miss out on this if they have a c-section, and that they really haven’t “given birth”, but honestly, regardless of how the baby is brought into the world, is there any one thing on the planet more empowering than having the ability to grow a human being within our body and having the ability to produce life sustaining milk to nourish this little miracle? I really can’t think of anything more empowering than that!
Thanks for your time-
Kristen
Brilliant post! Thank you so much for the photographs. I had a section 14 weeks ago, and although I have a very healthy and happy son, I have never come to terms with what my body went through. My section was done after 30 hours of labour and after reaching the full 10cms – but unfortunately my sons head never lowered enough and he was in distress. I felt pounced on at the last minute. Nobody had mentioned a section until the very last second and it was definitely something I NEVER wanted. I understand how necessary it was for me, but I still feel absolutely robbed. Not of the childbirth experience – I am no hard-core “earth mother” and just wanted the whole thing over with – but I feel I have been robbed of my fitness. Nobody told me of the physical set-backs of a section and how long my body would take to recover. It gets better all the time, but 14 weeks on I still feel physically drained and sore. For someone who was pretty fit (I’m only 24), I’m finding it really hard to do things I used to enjoy like running. My body now troubles me in ways it never used to – sore joints, aching abdominal muscles and sore scar in cold weather (not so good considering I live in Scotland).
The photo’s here help me understand better the trauma my body went through and why I am taking so long to recover. Thank you for helping me get my head around it.
oh my – those photos – I never had any issues with that . . poor ladies. I totally agree about the pain and recovery – that was terrible. It is terrible. I took me about 6 -8 months to feel okay again after my first and only 3-4 months after my second – my third – it took me a long time . . . I still get pains . . . as for the scars – argh – terrible now – a shelf I have and it is dented and loopy and my hair no longer grows there.
Very interesting posts!!
hy there
very nice website. I just had a c section on feb 18. after almost 24 hr labor. i am reading that it takes 6 weeks to recover but i am experiencing pain still. i feel I am getting worse with time. I have needle like pain from my incision down. I can’t sleep on my sides or on my stomach, I can’t sit and I can’t have the baby on me for long periods which is like impossible to avoid I am always with him. I don know to what extend is this normal.I wish doctors would have told me what to expect. All by pubic area all feels like needles are going inside is horrible. people are saying for me to watch out that they have not left something inside of me. thats a very scary thought because i don even want to think about being open up again. It does can happen because I have a friend who told me they left a piece of gauce inside of her and she went back to operating room. Can anybody tell me if they experience pain sensations like this. I would really appretiate
Cris,
I am sorry you are still having so much pain. I don’t think, almost two months after the C-section, it is normal. I would suggest you make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible. If nothing else, they can make sure you don’t have an infection, or something else going on. If your doctor can’t explain why you are still having such intense pain, find another doctor who can figure out what is going on.
Please keep me posted- I am worried about you. You can e-mail me privately too. My E-mail is on the Contact page.
Please get this checked out as soon as possible.
Heather
[…] was the third part in a series of C-section posts I have written. The first post in the series, The Reality of C-sections, has generated a wide variety of thoughts, feelings, and comments. One comment that kept coming […]
Those pictures are WAY different than the ones I have from all of my c-sections! I have videos of each of the surgeries too- the cutting and everything else, and it doesn’t look like anything in those photos!
To get the babies out, my doctor or the OB asst. would put one hand under the babies head inside my womb, then the other doctor would push down on my belly under my ribs so the baby would slide out.
Definantly not glamerous, and definantly not fun. However, it’s definantly a life saver. I’ve read about what they used to do when babies wouldn’t come out and I’m very thankfull that I was born during a time when c-sections are a relatively safe option for both baby and mama.
That said, I have had a baby go into respitory distress. I’ve also dealt with a possible spinal headache and the other usual painful recoveries. C-Sections scare me, even after having had 4.
Even so, I’ve learned some things since my first c-section that have made the deliveries and recoveries a little easier. I try to share with other repeat c-section moms so they too can have a better experience the second time around.
That’s one horrible experience, but I think most of these are successful without any implications… The doctor accounts for a lot of it, too
your scare is one of the best the best that I have seen. I know you are you are thankful that it looks that good after three years. WOW
People…giving birth is a risky business whether its natural or with medical intervention. These photos posted here are pretty gruesome and have to portray ‘worst case scenario’…but I can imagine there are some people out there with pretty horrific ‘natural’ birth stories that could match these c-section disasters.
I have had both natural and c section births and to be honest my natural birth was a complete disaster for me. All was going smooth until my last push when I felt and heard a ‘blood curdling crack’…I had broken my pelvis in 3 places and sustained ‘separation of the pubis symphis (sp?)’ I was unable to move for a week in hospital…unable to pick up or carry my baby. Then I had intensive physio and had to use a walker for the next 12 weeks before I could ‘get around’ in any sort of manner. For the next 12 months I walked with a serious limp…3 years on and I still have pain and discomfort from my injuries and this is on top of my daughter coming out with her hand first and tearing my vagina extensively requiring many, many stitches.
In December 2008 I had a c-section (planned) which was a totally pleasant and successful experience. My baby was handed to me immediately after my stitches were completed (about 10 mins) and during this time, my husband held the baby close to me…I then began breastfeeding with no problems.
I only had 2 stitches on the outside..all the others were internal (not a staple in sight). I had a quite bad pain for one night and then the next day I was up and about feeding and bathing my baby…what a different experience compared to my natural birth.
Heather, I read your posts with some bewilderment and wonder what your motives are here? Giving birth to a breech baby naturally can be extremely painful, exhausting and down right dangerous. My best friend is Canadian (I am Australian) and she gave birth to her breech baby naturally and it was so traumatic she couldn’t bear the thought of having any more kids.
In doing my family tree over the past few years, I realise with such sadness that many of my foremothers lost their lives during childbirth or the child did not survive the process.
I am not promoting c-sections but I don’t think your post portrays a balanced opinion on this subject.
I also don’t agree with your vaccination opinions.
Thanks for blogging about what to expect after a c-section. I had and emergency c-section after being induced at just 33 weeks due to my uncontrollable high blood pressure. During delivery the cord dropped and I was rushed to surgery. I was so scared, my husband was not allowed to attend. I demanded to be asleep. When I woke up my husband said I was gone for 3 hours. They finally took us to the NICU to see our baby girl weighing only four pounds. They told us she was floppy at birth. I was in so much pain and so confused about the birth. I was so much more depressed than with my other two vaginal births. It’s been 8 months now and I still have pain. The scar isn’t to bad but the belly flap is really upsetting and I’m having such a hard time losing this belly fat. It’s great to finally find a web site that explains what to really expect during and after a c-section. I thought maybe it’s just me, I felt all alone. So thank-you for posting your story!
Thank you for listing the truths of C-sections. I’ve known many people who have had them and haven’t had a hard time or a long recovery, but for me, I found it grueling and I didn’t believe it would ever end. I spent weeks sitting in my bed crying because my baby needed me, but my pain was so bad, I couldn’t even move. It would take me so very long to take care of my baby even when I had put everything I needed so close together and this was weeks after surgery. Unfortunately, I didn’t have much of a choice with my delivery. My baby was 11 pounds and 1 ounce at birth and there was no way I was going to squeeze him out. I’m thankful that we are both alive, but being treated like I was healing normal and that my pain level was like everyone else and being denied medication to help me function truly robbed me during this special time. Yes, I suppose I was healing normal, despite a bladder infection, fevers, and some other nasty things that went on for weeks, but my pain level is not like anyone else and it really broke my heart not to be able to hold my baby in ways I wanted to in order to console him due to my own suffering and pain. And, it is very hard to take care of another when you are in a great deal of pain yourself. This truly was a very traumatic experience for me. I am grateful for my son, but I will never go through this again and risk having another c-section. I’m happy for those who go through this and have a speedy and almost painless recovery, but I very much feel for those who don’t and have to also deal with added complications.
I definitely have a greater respect for mothers. And, an even greater respect for those who can push through when the odds aren’t very good.
If you don’t need a c-section, please consider a vaginal delivery before electing anything else.
And to reply to Chris L: Yes, I am also experiencing everything you just described. If I didn’t know better, I would have thought I had written it word for word. I haven’t been brave enough to seek out an exam due to pain and I definitely don’t even want to think about having to go through the whole process all over again. If my worst nightmare came true, the hospital would truly regret every operating on me. Hopefully, as I’ve already expressed, it is just a different type of tolerance for me and I hope that I just have a lower tolerance for this pain and that nothing is wrong. I wish the same for you.
Wow. I gave birth at 19. I was diagnosed with gestational diabeties around 24 weeks of pregnancy. I know that women with GB usually have large babies, and require c-sections.
I didn’t have a huge baby. My son was 7lb 9oz. I wanted to have a vaginal birth and natural as possible. Well that didn’t happen. I had an active herpes outbreak (about 3 weeks before my son was born)and based on that (I was told a c-section would be my safest option) my c-section was performed about 5-7 days before the due date. Around 39 week or so
Maybe I have an unusual tolerance for pain,but I didn’t have the horrible pain that you described. When I was in the hospital, nurses tried to feed me a stream of painkillers, something mad my skin itch terribly (alregic reaction maybe)and kind of nausea. A lot of times I refused. Some nurses were annoyed to say the least. I could walk to the bathroom w/o assistance about 24 hrs after. (but very slowly) My mom (who was with me from the or to my release 3 days later, and also had a c-section herself almost 21 yrs ago ) was shocked at how well I was getting around. My second day at the hospital , they wanted to discharge me!! I insisted a stay another day.
Breatsfeeding has hard, my milk didn’t come in for a few days, the nurses didn’t want to give my son formula (even though I couldn’t produce more than on once after 20 min with a hospital grade pump). He dropped to 6lb 1oz! Those pseudo natural nurses thought once he had formula he wouldn’t want my milk?! (That was probably the scariest part for me). I had some pain a few weeks after. I went for a check up 8 weeks later and everything was fine. Looking back THE only major problem (thus far 18 mo. later) is that it took my son 6wk before he could successfully breastfeed without nipple guards/aides. In the future I hope to have a vbac, (God willing there’s not a lot of scarring to my uterus) I’m also hopeful because my mother had uterine fibroids while pregnant with me, and my cord was wrapped around my neck twice. I was an emergency c-section in the late 80’s and my mom had a vbac with my little sister no problem.
Hi,
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.
Regards,
Jane
Sorry, but after having three children C-section (first two after 24 hour labor, third child was planned C-sec.) I must say I disagree with your opinion that recovering from a C-section is must worse than the labor itself. Yes, it is major abdominal surgery, but the pain of the postop period was NOTHING compared to those tortuous hours of continuous labor pain with NO relief between contractions. I was up walking the hall the next day after my surgery much to the amazement of the nurses. Yes, it may have been a lengthier recovery, but the bottom line is I am fine and my babies were healthy. There is not a perfect answer to the best delivery method for each pregnancy. I am just very thankful that I live in a time when there are options when labor does not go as planned. The final outcome of a healthy child and mother is really what counts in the end.
While I have this this same story from so many of my friends and relatives about there c-section, I never had any of this mine. My pelvic bones are not structured for a baby to pass through and my son would have broken my pelvic to pieces had I had him vaginally so after 4 hours of pus
While I have this this same story from so many of my friends and relatives about there c-section, I never had any of this mine. My pelvic bones are not structured for a baby to pass through and my son would have broken my pelvic to pieces had I had him vaginally so after 4 hours of pushing they did an emergency c-section. During it I was put to sleep for some reason and this was the only bad part I remember from the experience because while I was asleep I remember it was like I was on some bad trip you would see in some movie from the 60’s on people on acid or something. But after wards I had virtually no pain. My son was in the nicu after wards due to his heart stopping from the stress of being stuck in down there for some time, but to the nurses amazement I was up walking around (I think it was partly to do with I wanted to see my son and nothing would keep me from it, because he could not come to me), but even my incision sight I had no problems with, my stomach afterwards was almost as if I had a tummy tuck. A lot of this though I would have to say is due to one great doctor. But at the same time i am not down playing anyone else story of their experience there is some that have no problems at all. While at the same time I do have to say my son’s birth was very traumatic due to his heart stopping and him not breathing when he was born, which was due to the fact had they known about my problematic pelvic bones there would of never been a problem with him in the first place, the actual c-section was in no way a bad experience to me but like I said everyone’s body is different and while mine may have not been a problem some people may not experience the same as I did, not everyone will have the same doctor either.
Also to Alex’s post about the milk not coming in after wards, one of the nurses I had after having my son said that a glass of beer will get your milk flowing. She said they used to offer a glass of beer or wine to all the moms after birth and would suggest the nursing moms to drink the beer. Well the day I got home I tried it and sure enough it came flowing in, it worked just like the nurse said, the doctor even agreed with it, the dr said one beer is not enough to harm the milk you feed your baby but if you still dont feel comfortable giving to your baby pump and dump the first batch.
Its unfortunate that people are afraid. But this is the reality of surgery. No matter what they tell you there are always risks and what you have provided is the raw deal of what can occur if things go wrong. If people dont like it i guess they can find sweet little stories to make everything peachy clean some where else. Listen, to be well informed is to be aware of negatives and positives. Thank you! I am a nurse so i would like to say i know what im talking about!!
You are ABSOLUTLEY right about everything you said. I was not prepared to have a c-section when I was induced in the hospital. I was 18 years old, scared to death, past my due date, and had also watched a million episodes of a Baby Story, and Birth Day. I was mentally prepared for the pain of labor and pushing this 9 lb 14 ounce girl out of me. However, I WAS NOT prepared for a c-section. My body refused to cooperate with labor, I wouldn’t dialte, and about 12 1/2 hours into labor, they gave me a go for a c-section.
Labor was NOTHING compared to this pain.
Fingers shoved up my vagina every hour to check me was NOTHING compared to this pain.
The c-section has been the WORST pain I have ever experienced in my life. Since my surgery was at night, all I remembered was seeing my daughter born, fighting the hell out of sleep in recovery so I could see her, finally holding her, then puking my guts out from finally being able to drink fluid. The next thing I knew I was waking up the next day with the feeling of a thousand knives stabbing me in my ovaries. I couldn’t talk, I couldn’t laugh, cough, sneeze, nothing. I couldn’t even move my legs to the side of the bed without feeling the most un-godly pain right above my vagina. Everyone urged me to cough so I could get all the fluid out of my lungs from being put to sleep, but I just couldn’t. I couldn’t even change my own baby’s diaper in the hospital because I couldn’t even bend over. It took away SO MUCH bonding time that I should have had when my daughter when she was born. TLC does NOT show the real thing behind c-sections. The ONLY thing that would make me feel remotley better was standing in the warm shower, trying my best not to lose my balance and fall.
I hemorrhaged twice when I left the hospital. I’m talking blood pouring down my legs and filling the toilet, I coughed up blood, and could seriously not get out of the bed by myself to save my life. It was seriously a goal if I could do it by myself. Of course I had to learn to by myself, being 18 and all, my husband left me while we were still in the hospital, and my mom worked and went to school, so it was all left up to me. I couldn’t have done it without the grace of God.
The most horrible side effect besides everything described was indeed the belly flap. I was so disgusted with myself after I healed. I could not understand why it wouldn’t go away. I knew it would take more time than a few months, but when those few months turned into more months, I became very self-contious. Now with my daughter being almost 2 I can say that it is not as bad as it was and is reasonably better. I guess now it just looks like I don’t work my lower ab muscles..lol..when I do but they are just worthless! Still numb in the region too. I could get stabbed with a pen there and wouldn’t even fill it. AND I also have a dent on my left side of my insicion where the staple came loose. I am forever indented!
I think any woman that can honestly say having a c-section was not the most painful physical experience of her life must have had many drugs she was doped up on and had tons of people helping her around 24-7. No offense to those moms, but getting sliced open and an almost 10 pound kid pulled out of you is not a “less” painful matter.
I’m just glad to read about someone’s experience whose was EXACTLY like mine. I often wonder if every woman’s belly is like mine and all that good stuff. I guess it’s just a part of giving birth. I’ll take it 🙂
I read your story and everything that you said is correct. During my pregnancy I read 5 books on all of the treatments, surgery available during pregnancy. I also watched an actual birth on the TLC channel in all different hospitals in the
U.S. 99% of the births were by c-section.
After seeing the procedure performed so many times and how aggressive the physicians were in recommending it coupled
with the information I had read I was horrified at the fact that it appeared to
have to do whatever they said. Their
behavior was bizarre due to the fact that
those decisions are made by a physician
or midwife not nurses. I was harassed the
entire time I was at the hospital and to top it all off they called DYFS(child protective services) and had my newborn
placed in fostercare the reasons cited were refusal of c-section, fetal heartrate
monitoring, fetal scalp stimulation, Sonogram, medicine and past psychiatric
treatment. Even though the fetal heart
rate monitoring, sonogram and fetal scalp
stimulation was done and I never refused
medication or a c-section if it was medically necessary the nursing staff lied
in their documented notes. Yes depending
on the hospital that does happen. It has
been over 3 years and my lawyer recently
filed a petition for certification with
the NJ Supreme Court and it will take a long time just to get my case heard. If I
could go back I would have used a midwife
and gone to Morristown Memorial Hospital
or Overlook. I’ve done some research
recently and found out that Casey Pellicer
an infant born at St. Barnabas Hospital
in 1998 four months after his birth had
surgery and was deprived of oxygen and
it resulted in brain damage. He won a 70
million verdict,however, that was vacated
by NJ Supreme Court and the case was remanded for a new trial. I’m sure he will win the case. In addition, in 2007
an infant Rebecca Rabinowitz was born at
St. Barnabas and was discharged too early.
The next day the parents rushed her to the
emergency room and the DR. told the parents that there was nothing wrong of course that turned out to be a lie and
the baby died the next day. I do not
recommend anyone go to St. Barnabas to
deliver their baby because you will not
only have an unneccessary c-section but
you will get abused. I think if I could
go back I may have even considered a home
birth with a midwife. In the end I hope
I get my baby back.
be detrimental to maternal and fetal health. Basically, I can to the conclusion that women and their fetuses were being harmed and that the matority of
time it did more harm than good. The c-section surgery just seemed so high risk
to me and the natural birth seemed low risk. I made the mistake of not using a midwife and used an OBGYN(a surgeon at heart) and went to St. Barnabas Hospital
in Livingston NJ that has an approximate
75% rate. I met with resistence the minute I arrived in the maternity ward. Before my Dr. even arrived without my permission they administered pitocin, The
nurses were highly abusive screaming at me
constantly that I would have to undergo
a c-section. That also stated that I would
I can’t agree with you more, C sections are horrible and after two C sections the scarring is worse and overflap belly is for ever even if you lose the extra fat. I still feel numbness and the cut was not done even so is deeper on one side than the other. And sometimes I feel pain out of nowhere. Both were emergencies because my pelvis is very stretch and I had big babies who kept getting stuck, I honestly don’t recommend it.
my experience of childbirth was horrific and will haunt me forever….however it was a natural labour.
my labour was 26hours with 13 episodes of foetal distress on the ctg.
my son was born vaginally after 2hours of pushing
he had the cord wrapped round his neck twice, tightly and had sustained serious head injury due to the excessive manipulation of his skull to get through my pelvis.
he was blue, floppy and unresponsive. he didnt breath spontaneously and had to be actively resuscitated for 10minutes using and ambu bag.
he was taken to scbu where he began to fit due to oxygen starvation and brain injury. we were told he would have level 1 or 2 brain damage and would probably never lead a normal life.
i didnt get to hold him for 3days as he was heavily sedated and medicated.
A natural labour does not guarantee such things as bonding, breast feeding, getting to hold your baby…….i have never had a more horrifing experience than natural childbirth.
if i could turn the clock back i would grab a c section with both hands. a section is not the easy route but neither was my labour.
section is not right for everyone but there is noway i could ever attempt a natural labour again.
Thank you for your truthful portrail of a C-section. My first C-section was an emergency from an induction that was too early and my little man just did not want to come out 2.5 weeks early so my OB could go on vacation!! I was induced at 8 pm the night before with cervadil and then started on Pitocin at 5:30 am the next morning and he was not delivered until 11:00 that night. So I got to go through the pains of labor 17.5 hours before they decided to take him. My epidural was ineffective in stopping the pain when they tested me with the little shocker thing they have so they had to knock me out cold, I did not get to see my precious little man for 4 whole hours after he was born, and that is something I can never get back. After the c-section I was not informed how to take care of and clean the incision so two days after being home I developed a high fever and discovered what I thought was bleeding but later discovered was pus oozing from my incision site where it was infected. I had to be off work for 10 weeks as did my husband who had to clean and pack my wound twice a day!!! And the pain you talk about is very real, it is hard enough caring for a newborn without being able to bend over, sit up, or stand for very long. Breastfeeding is very difficult because you always have to be mindful of the incision and how you move.
My sweet daughter was born 2 years later and she was also a c-section, Dr wouldn’t have it any other way due to the infection in my first incision and worries of ruptured scar tissue. Her delivery went much smoother and I did get to see her when they delivered her and then about 30 minutes later I got to hold and feed her, thankfully the spinal still had me numb from the pain. I knew what to do with the incision this time cleanliness wise so when I went for my week check-up to have the staples removed we thought it was smooth sailing until 2 days later I developed a HORRIBLE rash from the glue they used after the took out the staples to keep the incision closed longer!!! That was another painful experience I had to indure on top of having a 2-year-old, newborn, and c-section pain to deal with.
It is now 3 years since I have had a baby, I am done the good Lord willing, because I just don’t think I can handle that again. I still have sharp stabbing pains in my stomach if I move to quickly or at certain angles and I have that lovely belly flap as a momento of my experiences.
I have watched both my sister and SIL have babies vaginally and it pains me everytime because that was my wish, to have my babies and then be able to just enjoy them not have to worry about my own healing.
I caution everyone who reads this DO NOT let your Dr. “talk you into” a c-section without making sure you know all of the facts, good and bad. My gut told me not to let my Dr. induce me because my protien and bp had gone back down to normal once I was on bed rest but a 22 year old who is in her first pregnancy and tired of being pregnant anyway is easily swayed especially when it is her first baby and I did. Had I waited 1-2 more weeks my little man probably would have come on his own and been a healthy happy little boy instead of an underweight baby with jaundice and acid reflux because he was not ready to be here and the DR. guesstimated his age!! Think of your little ones as well as yourself before you do anything with delivery. If not you might be facing a longer road than the 1-2 weeks you might have weighted for your baby to come on their own!!
Thanks again for this truthful blog, its something I think women needed to know!!
Having birthed my first child vaginally and had an aweful experience – a severe shoulder dystocia (where the head comes out, but the shoulders get stuck…an emergency because the baby can become asphyxiated) with my son having a clavicle fracture, a manual placental removal, severe 3rd degree tear of the perineum, a major post partum hemorrhage that almost killed me, and a vaginal hematoma (large blood clot) afterwards where I could not sit for two weeks. This is compared to my emergency CSection for my smaller second son for heart rate abnormalities – and despite the fact my incision did fall apart a bit, I felt WAY better than with the first delivery! Day and night comparision…
Just be aware that there can be major complications from vaginal delivery, and that the OBs suggest elective or in labour Csection for certain conditions (like macrosomic (large) babies and breeches) to avoid disasters like my first delivery…
Just to represent the other side of the story…
Thank you for writing about your c-section!I can relate to what happened to you because I had one myself. I also thought I did not have other options other than having the doctor turn the baby around. The doctor obviously scared me about turning the baby around (my baby was breech). After I saw the doctor I read about c-sections (obviously from the medical point-of-view)and I knew there were risks. Yet, I wish I had read about c-sections from other women’s experience and point-of-view because the experiences women live through speaks louder than what a doctor has to say. Anyway, after the c-section I ended up getting pleural effusion (water in lungs– I had to stay an extra day at the hospital), a sinus infection, and tendonitis on my right hand. It was extremely hard to breastfeed and to even take care of myself! I ended up with post-partum depression along with anxiety attacks. It has been 8 months and I feel pain around my “c-section” that I did not have before and now I am hypothyroid. I do not want to have anymore children because this “c-section” made it worse on me (I was already dealing with asthma, being celiac, supposedly having interstitial cystitis, adverse reactions to most antibiotics–just horrible). I know that other women have it worse, but to me it was an aweful experience. It was suppose to be a joyful experience.
Wow – how incredibly what an unbelievably self centered view of your birth. Why do you leave out how studies have shown vaginal breech deliveries to risk such unacceptably high rate of neurological injury and asphixia that they can no longer be justified. There is no mention of what would be best for your baby or how happy you are to have had a healthy baby that wasnt in the NICU while you relished in your intact belly. You are like those fanatical people on TV shows b/c you care more about you stupid belly than your baby. Hello … ITS IS ABOUT THE BABY NOT THE DELIVERY
Selfish Account,
My intent for the post was to alert women of some of the issues and complications that they may encounter when they have a C-section. I felt a lot of the information I included in the post was not information that is readily given to women beforehand.
In making any decision about our health, and especially when dealing with bringing a new baby into the world, we should have ALL the facts, information, and possible outcomes disclosed before the surgery.
In my experience, and what seems like a lot of others experiences (based from some of the comments here, and private e-mails I have received), none of the negative outcomes were discussed before- hand with many women. Or they are quickly brushed over, never discussed in any detail.
Of course every woman is happy her baby is born healthy, but women are NOT happy when the C-section experience causes them countless problems, emotional, and physical that they were not aware of before agreeing to a C-section. Furthermore, these problems can and do affect their babies and the rest of the family many times.
If a person has heart surgery, and the heart is repaired we can assume the patient will be happy his heart is fixed. If he was not informed of the complications beforehand, does this mean the patient is “selfish” when they voice their displeasure on the complications they were not informed of before surgery?
I find the “defense” that a woman should be happy no matter how her C-section or birth experience goes because her baby is healthy, flimsy and weak. We don’t hold any other surgery patients to this standard so it is time we stop expecting women to be happy no matter how their C-section goes.
I have heard from hundreds of women, who trust their doctors, nurses, and hospitals BEFORE the C-section. However, once complications arise women feel like they were misled by these healthcare providers because the realistic aspect that complications can and do arise, were not fully disclosed to them before the procedure.
Everyone has the RIGHT to UNDERSTAND and QUESTION any procedure being done on their bodies. If they don’t know the questions to ask, how will they get accurate answers? If the healthcare providers don’t disclose potential realistic complications of C-sections, how can we say that a woman is making an informed decision?
My doctor told me flat out delivering a vaginal breech baby is not any more “dangerous” than a regular vaginal birth. I had not other complications where a C-section would have been “needed’ other than my baby was in the breech presentation. But because medical schools aren’t even teaching breech vaginal delivery anymore, women with breech babies are automatically given the “choice” of a C-section. Unless they can happen to find a doctor relatively close to them or a midwife (providing the state they live in allows midwives to attend breech births), they are out of options. A C-section is the *only* way they can deliver their baby in the hospital. What kind of choice is that? Assuming you do want the expertise of a doctor and nurses, it is that, or find another place to have your baby.
I refuse to believe no matter how many medically necessary C-sections there are, that it is in the best interest of *every* woman with a breech baby to have an automatic C-section, just for that reason. This standard procedure for delivering babies because they are breech is not in the best interest of women and their babies every time.
There are a lot of sources on the web citing the safety of VBAC for most women (obviously it is not safe for every woman every time.) Here are just two links you may wish to check out.
Several studies suggest that PLANNED C-sections can be up to THREE times more risky than emergency C-sections. https://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/02/12/c-sections.html
Elective C-sections for non-medical emergency reasons are more risky than vaginal birth: https://www.ican-online.org/vbac/postion-statement-elective-cesareans-riskier-than-vaginal-birth
I’d be interested in reading somewhere the statistic you quoted, “studies have shown vaginal breech deliveries to risk such unacceptably high rate of neurological injury and asphixia that they can no longer be justified.”
I feel what is best for the woman IS best for the baby. After all, the two are connected and share a body until the baby is born. In the end, it is what each woman decides is best for herself and her baby. Some may call this being selfish. I call it being informed and educated.
Thankyou for posting this. I have had two c-sections, both at the end of long labours. The first one may, looking back, not have been necessary. But you are vulnerable and not in a position to question after 24 hours of labour. I am left with an “overhang” which has affected my self esteem or at least my sexual confidence and at both c-sections took a long time to recover from physically. The first one left me feeling a failure and disappointed although hugely glad my baby was alive and well. Cheers!!
I’ll just add. I’m in Australia and at least here c-section is commonly thought of as “the easy option”. No way! At the birthing classes c-section was briefed over in about half an hour and no discussion took place about it. Women should be educated fully even if just to be prepared, and they should have extra support afterwards. Noone would think to expect anyone else who’se had major abdominal surgery to look after a baby virtually on their own straight afterwards. I remember having to do things that made it difficult for me to heal. Thanks
I am a member of the medical community myself and you have pretty much hit this nail squarely on the head. At issue here are three things a) time b) money/profit and c) liability.
Everyone knows this, but no one with any power has any incentive or ability to fix it. Say you’ll take more “A” with an L/D(a natural birthing center for instance) and automatically “B” goes down and “C” goes up, putting you out of business pretty quickly. The medico-legal establishment will see to that.
Couples/women get “sold” C-sections just like folks get “sold” fancy caskets at the funeral homes, and for the same reason. $$$ Believe it or not as you wish, but talk to women who are practitioners (like me) and see what types of births they try to ensure for themselves … I promise you won’t find many elective C-sections! Most of us do everything in our power to stay out of the giant sucking vacuum that is the hospitalized birth process. When I was “diagnosed” as pregnant I immediately called the head of our OB/GYN Nurse Practitioner’s program, only to learn that the nurse-midwives were being “phased out”. Luckily, she, as a four-time natural birther herself, knew of ONE pair of “progressive” physicians in our large city who she said would be the least likely to dope me up and/or cut me open. Their CS/VB stats (obtained for me by another friend) confirmed this. Also, they didn’t share call with other practitioners who would … that’s a huge point always overlooked! Don’t count on the one “nice guy” in the practice being the one who attends you.
I went in armed to the teeth with knowledge and took control from my first visit with BOTH physicians, and they were fine with that, as I was with the ultimate possibility that we might have to go another route in a true emergency. We negotiated everything from monitoring type and frequency to medications to what I could wear. It was all noted in my chart, plus I took it (with both their signatures) with me to the hospital. They were totally cool with all of this too.
I took the intensive Lamaze classes and practiced diligently, and luckily all went according to plan. My daughter made her appearance right on schedule, no meds required, and less that 2 hours after delivery I was up hanging up my clothes in the closet and walking down the hall to the nursery asking to have my baby back.
The next day we were home and I was pretty much able to resume my normal life .. no headaches, no gas, no incisions. Just vaginal drainage for a week that we ALL have, regardless of delivery route.
And yes, many people thought I was “crazy” not to turn all this over to my doctors ..that is, except for those I worked with in the medical field! We all know what goes on …
Oh, and that daughter, who is now also a medical practitioner, just pulled off the same feat (natural birth) with my granddaughter, but 25 years later and in a much bigger city, it was MUCH harder for her to do so, because of the prevailing anti-VB “climate”!
A fascinating stat is to compare birth route against insurance status … amazingly, uninsured women are much better at pushing out babies than insured ones!
https://www.springerlink.com/content/p32055107425716n/
Things that make you go “hmmmm”!!
Hi!
I wanted to say that I had 2 csections and they both turned out well. I will say that they are extremely painful at first, I didn’t take any pain meds after the first day except at night to sleep. While it was painful, it meant more to me to be alert to hold my children. I made a point to get up and move as soon as they would let me. It was excruciating…but it helped me deal with the pain a bit more and by the time I left the hospital after 4 days I was pretty good to go.
I was never tied to the table either, except my legs because they were so numb. I was able to move my arms and touch both of my children. I think that has more to do with hospital policy than having a c-section. It maybe something you ask when you go to a hospital tour. You don’t have to go to any specific hospital as long as the doctor/midwife you want has privileges at the one you choose.
I has one at one hospital and one at another…I will say I liked the first one better! They gave me a belly support band ( a really big elastic belt) the first day and it helped a ton…the second hospital didn’t and I actually asked for one. I have a friend in Scotland that had a section and they didn’t give her a support band at all…
My scars are fine and they healed great…though I do have a lot of numbness. My husband had a hernia in the same spot as my section and he said that his scar/area is still numb and feels weird as well. It helped to know it was normal! LOL
I will say this though…people do forget that it is MAJOR SURGERY. This isn’t like getting your tooth pulled. They are cutting you open and taking something out. It’s gonna hurt. The risks are high for infection or other complications.
This is why I had my tubes tied…due to the way my pelvis is made I cannot deliver naturally…and two times was plenty for me. I took the risk, came out fine both times…I don’t know if I would do so well again.
Suzanne,
Thanks so much for your perspective and balanced comment. The link you provided to Springerlink, was very eye-opening.
I hate that sometimes it seems like women are “against” their doctors, nurses, and hospitals. I wish there was a more cooperative spirit.
Maybe if more medical professionals, such as yourself would speak up, the birthing climate would improve.
I am so glad that you and your daughter were able to have a natural birth. I like to think that the examples my generation is setting today, will help lower the C-section rate in the future- when our children are having babies. Your story is proof that this can happen.
Thanks again for sharing your thoughts.
Heather
I just devoted a full hour and a half to reading this entire post and all the comments in it! I can appreciate your experience of having a C section, but I have to say, it did scare the living daylights out of me! My daughter was born 3 years ago via vaginal birth and I had an awful experience. I’m a small person and apparently my pelvis wasn’t large enough to fit her slightly larger than normal head through! My doctor didn’t do an episiotomy and I ended up with 4th degree tears in both directions and a broken tail bone. My recovery was very hard. And now 3 years later I’m 26 weeks pregnant with my 2nd daughter. Things are MUCH different this time though. A year and a half ago I had a tumor the size of a grapefruit removed from my right abdominal muscle. An implant was put in it’s place. The only thing that is left of my right abdominal muscle is about an inch at the top and an inch and a half at the bottom. So basically both my doctors and I are going into this birth with little knowledge about my birth. I have to have a C section for multiple reasons. Since I have no stomach muscle on the right side, it would make it extremely difficult to push! And also, from my first birthing experience my doctors have suggested a C section as well. I trust my Dr’s greatly as they are all high risk maternal medicine specialists and also because they have already shown great care with not only myself, but my husband and daughter. As far as the recovery from my vaginal birth, I’ve never felt 100%. I still have pain in my vaginal area. My stitches “fell apart” on several occasions and I experienced an infection. That being said…..I am scared to death of this C Section. I find the fact that I don’t have to go through labor pains very appealing! BUt I find the fact that I will be awake while having major surgery extremely frightening. I have problems with anxiety and am very scared that I won’t be able to control it during the surgery. The recovery doesn’t scare me at all. I have a pretty high pain tolerance. I recovered extremely quickly after my surgery last year, after having my stomach muscles ripped out! So I’m thinking this might be at least slightly easier. I’m also not worried about the scar. I already have a 7″ vertical scar on my right side from my previous surgery. I’m just happy to be able to still have children!
Brandi
I’m sorry but the thought of having a c-section is truly horrible. What a terribly unnatural way for a child to be brought into the world. That being said they have saved lives, so they do have their place. The number of c sections being performed today is much too high. The WHO estimates no more than 5% of births should be c sections, but we all know the statistics. Doctors can actually be sued for not performing a c section, which obviously contributes to the problem. Plus, they can be scheduled. Why do 90% of c sections happened in the middle of the day and not in the middle of the night? I had the most amazing natural childbirth. I attended Bradley classes and PREPARED for my son’s birth by eating right (100 grams of protein per day) and exercising. A Harvard University study proved you can actually prevent mainly pregnancy complications like preeclampsia by eating the right foods during pregnancy. I also got rid of my OBGYN when I heard her philosophy on c sections. She stated, “If you need a c section you’re going to have a c section.” Obviously my midwife was supportive when I mentioned I wanted to try to do it naturally. Women are never given options. When a problem arises, doctors push a woman to a c section. I honestly feel for women that have had c sections. I was so connected to my childbirth experience. I think about constantly. It was such a life changing event. I’m a different person after giving birth. I was walking around few hours after his birth. My son was born so alive and alert. The nurses all knew I did it drug-free because of how alert he was. Please educate yourself about the horrors of c sections. Thank you for this site. Hopefully more women will begin to understand they are in control of their bodies.
Someone who works in a hospital told me that if c sections were not performed, a hospital would not stay in buniess.
50% of a hospital’s profits are earned in the maternity ward. Labor is a business.
They charge insurance companies $50,000. A vaginal delivery is a one third of that.
Wow, I have been reading these posts on here for quite a while now.
I myself had a C-Section 11 days ago. Although I am extremely happy my baby girl is healthy and happy, I wish I could have delievered naturally!
I was due Oct 9th. On Oct 20th at about 4 pm, they started inducing me, I was still not dialated what so ever. The next morning I went in and they started the oxytocin “drip”. My water would not break, and broke on its own 2 hours later, I was in hard labour with in 20 mins. I was in hard labour all that that day and that night aswell, I was still only 4-5cm dialated. I was having contractions 2-3mins, less than a min apart, and 15-20 in a row. They were loosing my baby’s heart beat! Finally at 8:05am on the 22nd I was informed they were giving me an emergency C-Section, I wasnt given a choice. By that time I didnt much care anyways, I just wanted my baby out and healthy!
Anyways….. The recovery of MY C-Section was/is just as hard and painful as you explained!! 11 days later, it still hurts to laugh, cough, sneeze or move quickly. Everything I do like sit up, stand, walk, its all in slow motion!
I read in one of the responses that in Canada it is different and your hands are NOT tied to the table, that infact is not true. Maybe just in that hospital or that case. Mine deffinately were tied down, and I was stapled, which I read in a seperate comment they dont do anymore either.
I think alot of these people are too opinionated. You are doing nothing wrong by sharing your experience.
Here our OHIP pays for the surgery, however it is expensive when my boyfriend had to take time off work to stay home and help me. I am a new mom, and with the c-section and first baby things can be overwhelming. Since he is a truck driver and gone for 1-2 weeks at a time, it was not possible for him to be home to help without taking weeks off of work.
I have yet to see the full recovery of my surgery, I am scared to see how my body completely heals. I am only 19, and have the rest of my life, lol. Im not complaining, I am happy to have my daughter safe at home!! I still have to go back in and be checked out, my bladder is still leaking blood, the nurses told me it was from the cathiter, but since then I have read some things online, and it in fact is NOT suppose to do that!.. We will see how it goes.
I just wanted to let you know, I enjoyed reading your post. Since I was released from the hospital 3 days after the surgery, and been home I have been feeling like I am lazy and not taking this well, and just keep reminding myself women do this everyday! I refused to take the morphine, and stopped taking the tylonal 3’s after about 2 days! But now I can see this is just the way it is!
I didn’t bother to read the posts. Each person’s experience with a C-section is going to be different because there are so many variables involved. With that said with my experience I’d have to agree you. We are not given an accurate depiction of what a c-section is.
I underwent an emergency C-section on the 5th of October. I hadn’t even considered the possibility of having a c-section. I arrived for an NST at 8am. Went for biophysical at about noon and was admitted around 1pm due to high blood pressure, possible pre-eclampsia and baby failing NSTs consistently. I went in for a c-section at about 2:15pm. It sent me for a spin when I was told my baby would be delivered that day. I was not prepared for that at all. I couldn’t reach my husband in time it happened so fast. My mother who was a L&D nurse was there with me in the operating room.
For me the pain of the epidural was the worst. It was the worst pain I had ever experienced and you have to sit still and take it. It was awful. While in the operating room after the epidural there is no pain but it is definately frightening. I vomited twice, the room was spinning, I was not able to breathe twice. Afterwards I was told that my heart rate dropped dangerously low.
After my baby was delivered I heard her cry and then she stopped breathing. After the repiratory therapist worked on her, she was shown to me. She was beautiful, but then I noticed that she started gasping for air and she was taken again. In an effort to help her breathe the first time the resp therapist injured her lung and she ended up needing to go to NICU.
My pain after the c-section, in my opinion was not that bad. it was manageable with pain medication. But the pain medication DOES NOT alleviate all of the pain…..not even close to all of the pain. The epidural lasted for about 2 hours, so there was no pain in the abdomin until the next day…I then began the pain meds. You are right it will hurt to cough, get out of bed etc and you will be advised to not wal stairs, drive, or lift anything heavier than your baby for 6 weeks. I was able to walk to the NICU and see and feed my baby that evening however and did so every two hours from 11 am until 8pm each day I was in the hospital. So don’t think the pain is so bad that you can’t do things. Just stay ontop of you meds and you’ll be alright, and be sure to attempt to get up and walk around, shower and use the bathroom regularly. I was told to not do things for 6 weeks but I’m bad at sitting around. Just be smart about it and pay attention to your body and don’t over exert yourself and you’ll be fine.
It is true that a c-section is MAJOR surgery. My nurse said to me, “if you saw what they do to you down there, you’d understand that there is going to be pain for a long time, even with pain meds.”
The complications for me, where frightening. I couldn’t breathe, my baby was injured, I have lost feeling in four of my fingers on the left hand. I was told that I was given an incision that will allow for vaginal birth with future pregnancies, but I am seriously concerned now about future pregnancies whether vaginal or c-section.