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”
thank you for your detailed, well-researched post. i can tell you put a great deal of time and energy into it. you brought up a lot of things i know i never would’ve thought about either – like breastfeeding possibly being harder because you can’t let the baby anywhere near your incision. that thought never even crossed my mind.
also, it was very interesting to see the photos. i’d never seen a baby born via c-section before. wow!
i’m glad that your c-section has made you such a strong advocate and i hope that by sharing your experiences, others may make a truly informed decision
For your collection. I had a c-section and this was painful to watch. So many layers they went through.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBiU08xWarE
I had a c-section 5 yrs ago and I am so happy with the outcome. The scar is like a crinkle from jeans and is BARELY noticeble. As for the stomach flap hanging over it, try working out. My stomach is fine. I just recently had surgery on the same scar to remove a cyst on my ovary and I have never had infection or any problems other than soreness. I continued my everyday routine, besides going to work. Therefore I believe to blame infections and FLAB on the surgery is completely ridiculous. It would be the care and excercise (well lack of, in this case) maintained by the patient, not the surgeon or surgery!
Thank you for blogging about your experience! I was in labor for 14 hours before I was wheeled in for a C-section. Of course this was not how I wanted to give birth and was very upset over having to have surgery.
It’s been 17 months since I had my baby girl and I still deal with the emotions of having had a c-section. Everything you wrote is exactly how I feel! I always feel alone when talking about my experience and I feel like nobody even gets it! So many women think having a c-section is the easy way out. No way!!! You did a great job detailing why it’s not the easy way out.
Important details that so many women don’t get is that you CAN’T hold your baby right away, you DO have problems breastfeeding and it’s NOT easy to take care of a newborn when you are recovering from major surgery. These 3 details really take a toll on your emotional well being, on top of trying to get through the normal baby blues. And then, once you have gotten past the pain of surgery and the emotions are a little more in check you have to deal with emotions over the “flap” that hangs over your scar, that almost never goes away.
I am just so happy that I stumbled across your blog. It feels so good to not feel like I’m the only one out there that sees it this way. Thank you.
I had an emerency c-section on aug. 8th 2009. I was in labor I was having contractions and his feet were alrwady coming out. We had to do a c-section because he was a heart baby and it was too much stress. It wasnt a PLANNED C-section because he was 6 weeks early and after my water broke his feet were coming out in about a hour and a half! My c-section was not all that bad. Although the pain afterword is not pleasent. It does hurt when u stand up, sneeze or cough. even a few weeks after surgery. I did not have staples they put stitches in me inside and out. I had no problem with infection and the site healed fast. My son was a heart baby so had to be airlifted 3 hours away. so 24 hours after my c-section I had to go to him. I had to walk up stairs and I wanted to go see him everyday all day! I never got the chance to rest and heal but I think thats what helped me heal..I worked those muscles. Now I wouldnt choose a c-section over natural birth ever!! But it jut depends on the person, how well they take pain.
Hi, in relation to the flap belly, how exactly it is relevant to c-section? Do you mean that you have more chances of getting a flap belly after c-section rather than after the natural birth. sounds ridiculous to me.
Thank you, you said it perfectly. And to those that claim you are scaring women I bet you they are doctors and they don’t want there money affected by how much they make off of us innocent women and or they are ashamed to admit they feel there doctor was wrong. Or lastly they just believe everything there doc tells them. I tell you how much beting I have received for not being happy about my c-section… thank you for admiting your not happy about it either. Means so much to not be alone out there. It is that bad and you should be scared….
much love to you and way to go on a VBAC I hope to do that one day as well.
http://www.spinningbabies.com
my best friend had a c-section for baby 1 breach VBac for baby two at hospital and 3rd baby would not turn she did some esercises and he turned and she had him at home in the water…
there are choices but doctors to do a breach delivery no way they prefer to cut you open. Sick place we live… it’s all about money and how they are in love with being surgeron’s
I feel saddened by your site as i read it. I am 18 and facing the likelyhood of needing a c-section because my baby is in the transverse position and has been my entire pregnancy. I am 35 weeks yesterday. My Ob informed me that a breech birth is very dangerous for both me and my child. I don’t understand why you are insisting that it’s not dangerous. Our bodies are built a certain way for our children to safely exit our bodies and when they are not in the proper position to do that our bodies are not equipped to handle it. I was given the option to have a procedure performed to try and “turn” my daugter to the correct position however it’s about 80% likely that she will go right back to the position she is currently in not to mention the fact that this procedure could harm her and/or potentionally create numerous issues for me during a vaginal birth. So a c-section is the safest way for my baby to come out healthy. Perhaps your hospital was not up to date on procedures. My hospital uses staples that melt on their own with no need for removal and my daughter will be handed to my husband as soon as she is cleaned off and swaddled…she will be right next to me for the duration of surgery. She will be able to breastfeed within an hour…perfect time to bond. I am nervous about pain but a vaginal birth is painful too. If your looking for a non painful birthing experience than use a surrogate or don’t have children. Your experience while bad is your experience…don’t use it to scare young mothers like me who don’t have the option of a vaginal birth
SURE KATHLEEN… POST AGAIN AFTER THE PROCEDURE AND WE’LL SEE WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY. THE CONTENTS OF THIS PAGE SCARE YOU BECAUSE THEY ARE FRIGHTENING AND REAL. SHE ONLY MEANS TO EDUCATE THOSE WITH A CHOICE OBVIOUSLY AND TO INFORM THOSE WITHOUT A CHOICE OF THE TRIALS AHEAD. OR WE COULD JUST GO WITH YOUR ATTITUDE AND “CROSS THAT BRIDGE WHEN WE GET TO IT”, EH?
I think this post was a bit over the top! I recently had C section by choice and it was the cleanest most smoothest procedure ever. Of course there will be pain as you are being cut open but by day 4 I felt great and the day after I got out of hospital I was doing housework and running errands. I mean you cant run a marathon but I wasn’t bed ridden. I didn’t even take any pain medication after the second day of surgery i dont have a ‘belly flap’ and my scar is looking great. Its visable but its not offensive.
The surgery itself is the most common abdominal surgical procedure in the world so if you have no pre existing medical problems there is really no need with the exaggeration !!!
Nikki I don’t know how old you are, but Kathleen is 18 and her post sounds more mature than yours! Kathleen good luck to you, you may have a positive experience or even a bad but don’t let that discourage you. I am facing my 5th c section and can truly say have not had a bad one with the four and look forward to this one. I had four different doctors with the four and none sugar coat the c section process. I knew what to expect, was terrified but all were speedy without problems and healed within a week. It depends on the hospital, doctors, and your body. I am disappointed with the post. Everybody has a right to their opinion of course but things like how well you tolerate pain, willingness to recover, following doctors orders, (a doctor with little experience or uncaring) I think in the end is how our opinions of the experience is given and affected. The worst part of having a c section to me is the shot in the back, I hate shots and it makes me jittery thinking about it. Almost makes me want to have the surgery without it 🙂 Be informed, know what to expect either way, and make the best of it. It’s worth it!
I am currently in the hospital 3rd time now.I have been here a week.I had complete placenta previa.It slowly turned into lowlying but the bleeding got worse since it started at 25 weeks.The docs and ultra sound tech have had a hard time finding out how low the placenta is and it looks like I have a long cervix.We have prepared for a vag birth but just sceduled for a c-sec for december 30th cause they really dont want another bleed.I am 36 weeks and 1 day.History on my births:this is my 2nd and my 1st was a text book vagbirth with no drugs! I did have a really hard recovery with my 1st.He had his hand on his face and my labia tore really bad:( It took 20 minutes to sew me up and my stiches busted.I STILL really wanted to do it again with this one but I have bled so much and had 2 really scary hemorages.The last bleed was a week ago..So needless to say Im afraid to have a vagbirth.I would really need the docs to say the placenta is far enough away.They have the best ultrasound machines and techniques to see whats going on.So I will keep you posted on how different a c-sect verses a vagbirth is for me.I am curious to know if they use stables here.I do know that they dont cut thru your muscles they pull one side of the rectus abdominus from the linea alba so hopefully my muscle tone will come back.
I’ll start by saying I have not had a C-section and never did any research beyond what I read in, as you refer to them, mainstream pregnancy books. I read this blog thinking I would learn something new, but all the things you talked about were in those books, maybe not as graphically, but nothing was a surprise.
Please don’t assume women as a whole are naive about C-sections….before giving birth we’re naive about EVERYTHING!!! You never know what your birth experience is going to be like. Yes, I’m sure there are endless C-section horror stories…BUT there are also even more natural birth horror stories. And women don’t know about the truth about vaginal deliveries until they actually have their own either!
There’s probably not a lot of people who know that you can break your tail bone during birth or that the effects on your pelvis and sciatic nerve can be lifelong (as it is in my case…I can no long roll over in bed without shooting pain in my groin or put my pants on without sitting down b/c of the pain). There’s just no way to be prepared for every circumstance.
I’m sorry for your negative C-section experience and support your decision to share it. But please don’t think a C-section is the only birth method that leaves women feeling this way (physically and emotionally). If all of the complications of pregnancy and childbirth were covered in mainstream books and classes, the books would be volumes and volumes long and you’d have to take years of classes to learn and be prepared…and there would STILL be surprises! That’s just the nature of life. Sometimes you just have to have faith that things will work out and that you can handle your own personal situation. Otherwise, no one would ever get pregnant again! ; )
This is a documentary that I found a while ago that is a little biased yes but is also very informative on the use of c sections in the U.S. Just thought I would share it since it seems relative to this post and discussion.
https://topdocumentaryfilms.com/business-being-born/
A helpful read to anyone who is interested in hearing an alternative story to the c-section, your experience was similar to mine so I sympathize with you.
I did not want a c-section at all it was medical reasons to have one, however I did get to hold my baby straight away, but it was sooo painful to breastfeed with the scar let alone the actual pain of breastfeeding for the first time. I was reduced to heartbroken tears, if anyone has a choice I urge them to have a natural birth where posible.
Every experience is different yes, but mine was terrible the best thing about it was my 8lb 8oz baby boy 🙂 unfortunatly my c-section experience has put me off having anymore children even tho I crave another one! uk
I had a c-section one month ago. It was awful. This is my second baby-the first I delivered vaginally 3 years ago. After experiencing this c-section I am seriously appalled that women choose to have elective major surgery like this. In my case, I had a placental abruption and the baby became tachycardic (heartbeat of 210) so it was a true emergency c-section. It was necessary in this case-but I still hate the fact that I needed one. I agree-women should seriously be more informed. I agree that a woman has a “right to chose” what is best for her own body…but come on ladies, let’s at least explore the facts.
For the record- I work in the Operating Room for a living, so it was even more terrifying as I knew exactly what was going on. I know that I know have a lifetime risk of forming abdominal adhesion’s and incision pain…
I spent 5 days in the hospital post-op. I was drugged off my gourd-in IMMENSE pain. I literally did not sleep more than 90 minutes all total over the course of a week and started hallucinating. Fortunately, I breastfed my first child for 2 years and was able to latch my new baby on with no issues and breastfeeding is working out well. But yes-it can affect this as well.
I am home now but have not left the house except for doctor appointments. All the antibiotics that they give you after a c-section caused me to have full-body thrush and hives. My edema was MUCH worse than normal and took over 3 weeks to go away. ( My legs were twice their normal size…this is due to all the fluid, meds, pitocin they give you to shrink your uterus down etc…) The edema was a thousand times worse w/ the c-section versus the vaginal delivery. Also, I lost a ton of blood and was very ill. The blood loss was actually from my uterus and not from the abruption…they couldn’t stop the bleeding and almost transfused me.
I also have a lot of pain. It’s hard to move. I can’t maneuver the stairs well so I’ve had to literally live upstairs. It hurts to take a shower. My incision keeps oozing a little. Also-the tape that they used along w/ the steri-strips has caused me to have dark purple marks all over my belly. It has also devastated me that I can’t pick up my toddler 🙁 My OB did not authorize me to drive for three weeks…and like I said, I still have not even left the house.
Even though mine was a true medical emergency (women can die from abruptions,) I am sill sad and mourn the loss of my natural birth. Don’t even get me started on all the studies that show that babies are generally healthier when delivered vaginally. Section babies have higher incidences of chest problems and asthma…since the excess fluid was not “pushed” out during a vaginal delivery. My little guy makes all these horrible sounds when he breathes that my daughter never made. The pediatrician says it is because he was delivered via c-section.
Sadly, my recovery has been so awful that I don’t plan to have any more babies.
I had a vaginal birth with my first son. This was the most horrific thing I have ever experienced. He was face up when he delivered and my coccyx was displaced, the pain from that lasted for 18 weeks! I had a third degree tare with 30 stitches! I was adamant about not having a c-section with him and boy was I wrong!!! Vaginal births can be just as traumatic as your c-section, there are no guarantees in birthing whether it be a c-section or vagnial birth. Doctors are much more likely these days to suggest or pressure for c-section because they are sued so often for circumstances that are out of their control. Many people want to blame the medical community for this, but patients are often to blame when they sue a doctor for their child having CP or other traumatic birth defects.OBGYN is the most sued profession, often costing us billions of dollars! The doctors want to do what they feel is best, they want to do their best, they do not make more money for doing a c-section although it does cost more, they do not gain anything from doing a c-section. I am having a c-section with my next baby due in may and I am looking forward to a speedy recovery…your horror story is not helpful, its hurtful…I understand that it was horrible for you but that does not make it okay to portray c-sections as wrong or unnecessary.
My c-section experience was as you described, and I wish I would have been more prepared. After 4 healthy, quick vaginal deliveries, I was forced into a section due to breech twins. My OB was willing to deliver breech (esp. since these babies were so small, being delivered at 34 weeks), but I HAD to go into labor on my own. Hospital policy stated that breech births could not be encouraged via induction, purposeful water breaking, or walking the hospital halls.
I was admitted a couple of days before 34 weeks due to a blood flow issue to one of the babes. I was already 4cm and 80% effaced. C-section was set for 2 days later. All I could do was lay in the hospital bed and pray my water would break or that I would progress into active labor in those next 48 hours. Sadly, that did not happen and off to surgery I went.
I was given so many painkillers and “relaxers” that I don’t even remember all of the procedure and I spent the next 18 hours after surgery in dizziness and vomitting and of course pain.
I will tell you that I have a high pain tolerance, but this section was a beast. I also have a low tolerance for pain meds, so I spent my recovery on Iburprofen with the exception of the of about 5 half doses of percicet (sp?).
I am very upset at the hospital and their policy, although I understand their needing to cover their liability from breech birthes (I suppose too many previous patients had outcomes they felt the need to sue for, and I had to suffer because of that!).
I am only a week out from the surgery, and can’t tell you how consumed I can be with terrible frustration that I was given c-section that was NOT medically necesary. (My OB aknowledges that both babies could have handled labor and could have been safely delivered breech. They did need to be birthed early to be “better safe than sorry” due to the blood flow issue. BUT this could have been done had my labor been encouraged!)
I was a surrogate for this twin delivery. While I had hoped to carry again as a surrogate, I will confess that this end to this experience has placed bigger doubts than I could have ever imagined.
Fortunatly I never opened or got infected. the recovery with my first wasn’t so bad. BUt the second was hell… with an almost two year old and a newborn it was really tough for several months… I have help, but it was limited and I couldn’t do anything it felt like forever…
It has almost been two years since my c section. Still experience pain and just got over the numbing a few months ago. A couple months after my surgery I noticed a little hole in the incision which became infected. I went to the doctor who tried to blame it on an ingrown hair and told me she would run tests on it and let me know when she found out. (never got a call back) And to this day I still have problems with mine. Not all are the same, I am just sharing my story. I don’t remember much and barely remember seeing my daughter for the first time. All of my family were in the room waiting for me and got to enjoy the first half hour of my daughters life before I was. To this day I still feel like a very crucial bond was taken away from me.
Bonding moment I mean.
Not too mention lost all sex drive due to “the belly flap” and how disgusted it makes me feel.
I had a c-section last year because my baby’s head got stuck on the way out after a long 17 hour delivery. I was in recovery for 2.5 hours, waiting to see my baby and try to breastfeed her. She ended up not latching (drugged up and I was in severe pain with my surgery) and so I have pumped and bottle fed her my breast milk for 14 months now. I still feel strange pains in my scar and it’s also sort of numb. When I have a bowel movement, the scar hurts more. If I press in on it, the pain goes away. I too have the ‘flap’ of skin that comes from the surgery. My body is never going to be the same, and I’m sad for the loss of my old self and my old body. When I wear underwear, the scar is below, but it’s still there and I can see it, so can my husband. It’s embarrassing and I wish I could have given birth naturally. I guess that just was not meant to be. We tried vaccum but she just didn’t want to come out!!! I’m coming to terms with all of this, but I don’t want to have any more kids. It was just too hard for me. The surgery, the unexpected pumping of breast milk due to latching issues, etc. But I love my daughter and she’s perfect in every way. So I guess that’s all that really matters. Thank you for the candid post. I wish I’d read it before I had my baby….
I was 19yrs old with my first.On Aug 23 I went into labor progressed pretty quick then all the sudden stopped progressing baby was showing signs of distress I had already got the epidural then I found out I was going in to have a emergency c-section when I got ready they immediately took me back then gave me meds tied me down just to find out the meds didnt work so they had to put me to sleep so my husband wasnt allowed in the operating room with me thats the last thing I can remeber until waking up slowly 2 1/2 hours later so drugged I was seeing three babies when they put my baby in my arms it scaried me i was seeing three plus the pain of the nurse just throwing my son on my incision and was extremely weak i just couldnt hold him at the time so since i couldnt or they say wouldnt hold my baby they called social services on me which tramitized me even more and we had to stay in hospital for 5 days and get an evaluation in the hospital and at home to make things worst while in surgery a freakin nurse poked her finger with my used needle so they took triple the blood they taken plus they overdosed me with the meds during operation and I started running a fever the last day and they said everythings fine and sent us home just to find out I got an infection and had to stay alone in the hospital the first night my baby came home luckly i only stayed that night got mds and went home to be with my baby wow i could of threw a punch at every nurse i dealt with through my stay in the hospital my mom kept telling me to sue but i was young scared and just glad it was over
oh the cord was around his neck thats why i had emer. c-section
Thanks for this post. I hope to be a mom someday and found your article to be very informative. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I was born in 1980 and was breached, my mom delivered me all natural! And I thank her for going through that pain every year on my birthday. 🙂
Wow I have to say you are the first site I have ever seen who actual says yes it hurts like all hell. I have had 2 C sections and am facing a third in 6 weeks. I can only tell you my experiences. My kids are 9 4 almost 5 and now my third is due aug 19 2011.
My first C section was NOT MEDICALLY NEEDED despite what the doctors said at the time. And since I would not agree to it they drugged me up thus making me INCAPABLE of making my own decisions and imposing the decision on my family. All they had to tell them was the baby was in trouble and they signed. I had a C section after around 12 hours for failure to progress. This is code for it was taking too long. I know many many women who went 24 to 48 hours before having their kids. But since no one would wait off to surgery I went against my will. I was given a spinal during very active labor which needed to be redone twice as they didnt do it right. I was tied down to a metal OR table and given more drugs than I can even tell you. I have NO MEMORY of my surgery and very limited memory of the 12 hours that followed. I was later told I breastfeed, by the nurses literally taking my breast out and holding the baby to me then taking her away. There was zero bonding time period. I have no real memories until the next day. I cried and cried from the pain and had to be given even more drugs because I had a side effect from the pain meds. The pain was incredible. The worst ever. I was miserable they nurses were mean and forced em out of bed I fell on 2 separate occasions. This pain lasted over 3 weeks. I finally got to a point then where the percocet finally did its job. But the whole time I had to fight the docs for the drugs because they didn’t want me to be addicted. I didnt feel completely pain free for for over 5 weeks and had pain at the site for years. I have been prone to the site opening and getting infected since. Since I have a belly flap they say it is dark and moist so thats why it happens but none the less it hurts and smells very very bad. With My son i was a repeat C section premature. They were even more inventive then the first not only did they tell me failure to progress would make a VBAC impossible but they also convinced me to have an amino. This extremely dangerous and painful procedure caused my son to be born very early in a scheduled c section. The pain this time around was mush less that the first but never the less still pretty bad. My recovery was faster at 3 weeks but the infections and opening and smell presists. Now that I am prego with the 3rd and last I am facing you guessed it yet another C section. I have protested to no end and the doctors are flat our nasty to me about it. They threaten me and have even said they will obtain a court order to force me. I have been raped out of any any all happyness in all my deliveries and this upcoming one is no different. I waited 5 years between each one because of the emotional scars these procedures have left. This epidemic is no joke. Although one person cannot change it because they more you fight the more of a chance the courts will get involved and can even take your child away from you for endangerment. If this trend continues i forsee a lot less women having multiple children and women having home births to avoid the knife. The only way to cure this is to bond together and demand birth reform. And no matter what anyone says your story was important to tell and many women who had similar horrible experiances will bond to you, everyone else ignore. They may be the 2 percent who have no pain or are to good to push out their kids so they accepted all the pain. And I have watched a baby story a lot to they act as if no one is ever in pain its ridiculous and so far from reality that it should be banned.
Thanks for the comment Erica. I’m sorry it’s been such a rough road for you. One of the reasons I decided to share my C-section experience was because of what you wrote- I never heard or read anything negative about it. Had I been more informed on them, I might have chosen a different route. I hope our experiences can help other women facing elective C-sections.
Have you had your third child yet? Let me know how it goes. I’m thinking good thoughts for you.
Whatever your intentions may be,the way you put forth your story serves more to scare than educate,I had a csection 13 days ago after 44 hours of labor and only dilated to 2 cm.you have expressed opinion (yours and of others on the internet) as fact and must happens,I was never tied down,I felt pressure which I had been forwarned I will feel but not pain.I was up walking the next day a bit the only reason i didn’t walk right after the epidural wote off was because I had pre-e and was still on mag sulfate.I think the side effects of a csection dnt happen to everyone and will not happen to everyone.my scar is barely noticeable my doctor used glue which is falling off bit by bit leaving very little scarring I stopped taking pain meds the second day I wasn’t in enough pain to warrant percercet plus I was breastfeeding which I was able to do right after being stitched up. Side effects occur even in vaginal birth urinary incontinence,epiostomies, which sometimes require months of repair etc some women have glorious vaginal births some horrid vaginal births same with sections.Your matter of fact type id writing is leading many readers into thinking this bad things must happen ….. plus breech deliveries are not so popular with doctors now for a reason they carry a great risk of cord prolapse and compression creating great risk to the baby it is n not only because of litigation this is an unnecessary risk and method of birth is judged by which one poses less of a risk to both the mother and baby. Granted women should make informed decisions but not intimidated into one which your article seems to do.
First, can I say that I am truly sorry for what you went through with your c-section experience. You have every reason to be upset, and every right to share your story. Please, do not consider this post to be a criticism.
That said, to anyone who may be out there considering whether or not to have a c-section, there are two sides to the coin. I experienced a traumatic vaginal birth my first time around that resulted in a diagnosis of PTSD. It nearly ruined my life. The vaginal tears I suffered took nearly three years to heal. My marriage was seriously impacted. Worst of all was the fear of going through that experience again. I was so afraid of getting pregnant that even the minor contractions involved in sexual climax would send me into a dissociative state that would last for days. For me, then, my c-section was the most beautiful, empowering experience of my life. I found a fantastic doctor who respected my opinions and wishes all the way through and was exceptionally supportive of me. My experience was truly perfect. I entered the hospital clean, well-rested and excited to meet my new baby. There were no complications with the birth and I was able to begin breastfeeding while my doctor was stitching me up. I was up and walking 5 hours after my daughter was born and off of all pain medications after 4 days. My scar now is a thin, smooth line, barely noticeable at all.
Most important of all, I was alert and aware for my daughter’s first days, and I haven’t missed out on a moment since. I am healthy and happy, because I made the right choice for ME. I knew my body and my situation and I devised a birth plan that would address my needs, and I didn’t let anyone else interfere.
You know who you are and what you want; make your choice based off of that knowledge. Don’t let fear take center stage as you prepare to meet your own beautiful new child.
My OB says that the horror stories you hear generally tend to be the exceptions rather than the rule, and that seems to be the case with this post. Nobody posts that they had a c section and it was fine, because that wouldn’t be sensational enough. Approximately a third of all deliveries end in a c section these days. Do a third of the moms you meet whine like this or spout gloom and doom about their c section? Use common sense and don’t let this depiction of a c section scare you.
[…] The Reality of C-Sections | A Mama's Blog Jan 31, 2008 … I have decided to include several REAL pictures from actual C-sections that I found by doing Google … […]
the pain part has to be the most accurate of a csection any1 has posted so far that ive read. ive had 2 c sections and another one to happen in a few months. my first was so painful that for nearly a week I couldnt move unless I had to pee, and sometimes it hurt so bad that I had actually peed on myself trying to get out of the bed. not to mention the most painful part being I managed to keep myself awake somehow through all the drugs to see my daughter but didnt get to hold her for the first time until 7 hours later when I regained feeling to my upper body. I had been planning to breastfeed her the whole pregnancy, but she wouldnt take to the breast because it had taken so long. over the next month I kept trying to get her to the breast before I would give her my pumped milk but with no success. I finally gave up, feeling like less than a woman and no kind of mother. my second pregnancy I had been planning a vbac and my dr was in agreement with me but the day I went into the hospital, 41 weeks and having contractions, my dr was not on call and I was left with a dr I had never met. she did a sono of my son and said he was too big, that the sono showed him to be 12 pounds and it would almost surely break his shoulders to pass through my vaginal passage. heartbroken once again I gave in to the c section because I did not want my son in pain or harmed in any way. I threw up from the epidural, the whole time they were taking him out of me, during my first c that didnt happen, but it was an epidural too. this time around, I was ready to hold and breastfeed my son within 45 minutes of my c section, and he took well too the breast. within hours I was up (pretty painlessly, thanks to the percocets) and walking around the hallway as they requested. everything was great, till I ran out of the pain meds that is. I had him 5 months ago and every single d@mn day im in so much pain. probably agravated by me being 14 weeks pregnant as well. getting up hurts, coughing, sneezing, laughing, picking up my 20lb son…all so extremely excruciating. it hurts so badly that even to touch the area around the scar ( as the scar itself is numb) makes this horrible almost ice cold feeling pain. and for the passed 3 weeks my stomach has felt as if its just going to bust open, my dr just says thats normal after giving birth only 5 months ago and being pregnant again (btw with no option of a vbac, my insurance wont support it since ive had 2 already). but I say NOTHING about a c section is normal! this is not how your body naturally feels before cesarian! its not how its naturally felt your whole life! yet we must suffer at the hands of dr.s that r most likely not doing this for yours and your childs health! sometimes its necissary but most of the time it isnt! this has affected me not just physically but emotionally for the REST OF MY LIFE. I appreciate you posting this and informing women when no1 else will!
I think that it’s incredibly irresponsible to be writing such a detailed account of your traumatic experience on here as young/old/new mums will delve through google for information on birthing and c-sections etc. How do you think they are going to feel after Reading through your experience? Confident? I don’t think so! I have a planned c-section 2nd january next year and after Reading your post I am dreading the damn thing. However I ain’t got a choice, so now I have to spend the next four months petrified about what’s going to happen to me after my c-section. My daughter is brain damadged and has severe learning difficulties and cerebral palsy because of a forceps delivery gone wrong. 4th degree tear and a child with serious problems. If they had delivered my daughter by c-section she would be living a normal life now. So was kinda looking forward to it before Reading this I think it should be removed.
Emzy:
amamasblog did warn preemptively about the nature of her post. You had a choice to read it or not. I don’t think her point was to strip women of their confidence…Quite the contrary, I think. She is trying to inform and empower women in an overly-medicalized world.
I cannot begin to know what pregnancy or birth feels like. But still I am so passionate about informing women of their CHOICES, and I believe that amamasblog is as well. After all, surgery is meant for emergencies or at-risk pregnancies. It’s not that I don’t support C-sections. I do feel that elective c-sections are a result of:
–women being out of touch with their natural ability to birth (in most cases)
–lack of cultural support for birthing naturally
–hospital protocol, health insurance and malpractice constraints which, in many cases, use the guise of the woman’s and baby’s safety to encourage or require c-section
–fear-based birthing
I am so sorry that your daughter has learning difficulties and cerebral palsy as a result of a forceps delivery gone wrong. I am never happy to hear of ANY birth going wrong. Nor do I know the circumstances of your birth or what led to you having a forceps delivery in the first place.
I just hear so many medicalized-birth-gone-wrong stories that make me wonder if women were given strong support and education to birth vaginally, as is biologically intended, would they have had a different outcome. If more women took back birth, so to speak, rather than defaulting to doctors, perhaps we wouldn’t be talking about such high C-Section rates (many of which are elective and/or avoidable.
It is also understandable that nurses and doctors would become defensive after reading this post and some of the comments. I need to mention that my wife is a physician and worked in a hospital. She did a complete 180 after finding the right support from friends, educating, watching films like the Business of Being Born. She had typical fears about birth and birth pain. She opted in for an epidural, pitocin and any medical procedures that might ensure a safe and healthy birth. Her OB had her thinking she was high-risk simply by her age (38 at the time she was pregnant).
After all of the learning and soul-searching she changed course and had a beautiful home birth. I don’t know if that’s rare for a doctor to have a homebirth, but my guess is that it is. My point is that it IS possible to redirect your fears and perception of what birth is or should be.
Perhaps I’m overstepping my bounds. But since you don’t have a choice about your c-section, you should balance reading sobering posts such as this with spending time focusing on a positive outcome…Find out if there are ways to prevent complications, infections. Find out ways that you might help the healing process. In addition to the physical, I encourage you (as would my wife) to spend time visualizing a healthy outcome…Meditate…Affirm to yourself…Even use self-hypnosis. Talk about your fears and release them. Do everything you can to ensure that you will have the most positive outcome.
The last thing I want to say is that I am so happy this post was NOT removed. It is a beautiful thing for someone to reach people with their experience and insight (even if just a personal anecdote), and it is a beautiful thing that opposing comments such as yours are equally part of the discourse.
I wish you and your family a fear free birth!
Thanks for the recent comments, Jeremy and and Emzy. I have stated several times, why I think this is an important post to have on my blog, and I could not say it again, as well as Jeremy did.
Hi,
I had my son by C-Section in 2006. He was breech and my gynie was extremely reluctant to try and turn him. He gave me all the information about how the cord can wrap around his neck and how it can affect him. I found out that i have an inverted uterus and he was under the impression that was the cause of him being breech.
I was so determined to have a natural birth with no medication, that when i found out that i had to have a C-Section, i was utterly devastated.
I must say that everything went extremely well. I only suffered with pain for about a week or two afterwards. There was some discomfort but it was nothing that a paracetemol tablet couldn’t sort out.
Also, my scar is hardly noticeable. If that’s one credit that i can give to my old gynie, he did a fantastic job of stitching me up. There were no staples, or stitches. It was almost like he used internal, dissolvable stitches and then glued the skin afterwards.
I am now pregnant with my second child. I am going to a different gynie and hopefully this time, i will be given the choice of a natural or a c-section birth. I am hoping for a natural this time but we will see what happens.
Thank you very much for all the information that you have put up on your blog. It will definitely help with my decision when the time comes
I’m 21 and my daughter is now 2 weeks 3 days old. She was born by c-section (elective) and although I’m in the odd bit of pain here and there I feel a lot better now than I did in the days after. I had her on the Wednesday morning (9.59am) and by the next morning was up having a shower. The pain was immense seriously I felt like a 90 year old woman all bent over, I daren’t stand up through fear of splitting open!! The midwives had to do all my daughter’s 1st nappy changes and feeds which was so annoying because obv I wanted to do it.
I came home on the Friday night and let me tell you, the pain was so bad I was nearly crying (im normally quite good with pain) but had it not been for my partner being there to support me to/from the loo and getting in/out of bed I don’t think I’d have coped!!
I also have a 2 and a half yr old who was born by emergency c-section due to failure to progress at 2nd stage after 2 inducements.
the pain of my 2nd section was 10x worse than that of the emergency 1 and I think it is because with my 2nd, they cut through the SAME scar they used to bring my eldest daughter into the world 2 years earlier. So my body now has to repair that scar all over again (ouch!).
At the minute I’m happy with my two girls and I dont want anymore but in future who knows?! I know if I get pregnant again I will automatically be given a section and the thought of that pain all over again is a BIG put off!!
I’m sorry to see that you had a rough time with your C-section…
I’m scheduled to have a c-section for my son this friday and I honestly can’t wait. We make some big babies in my family, and I knew from the start that a c-section was going to happen. Last Thursday my doctor had me do an ultrasound to double check my son’s size. Let me add that I am 6’3″ and was 9.14lb when I was born. My husband is 6’10” and was also over nine pounds at birth. Despite telling the doctors this EVERYTIME I went to an appointment, they still acted amazed that my son was 10.8lb at 38 weeks (I’m sure he will be 11lb by the time he’s born). I’ve gained 37 pounds throughout the pregnancy too, so its not like I went on a seefood diet because I was ‘eating for two’.
Long story short, if I don’t get a c-section, my baby can be seriously harmed. He could end up with palsy, loose the use of his arms or even need to have the clavicle broken to get him out vaginally. If my giving him his best possible chance at life hurts my body instead of his, I’ll do it ten times over.
My own mother was two weeks late with me, induced,and in labor for 36 hours before the doctors finally took action. She said her body was feeling great again by two weeks and she’s thrilled that I can skip the agony of what she went through and be mentally ready for what needs to be done. Just knowing I can go in and have my baby safely is a huge relief.
I feel ready and able to do this; I know many women who have had the procedure done and thier only complaint was that they had to go through hours of pain before hand. I’m also blessed with having an RN for a roommate to help keep my wound clean and healthy. I just hope that people don’t take one person’s unfortunate c-section and think that they are all like that. If they were all that way, wouldn’t the doctors stop doing them?
so i am pregnant with triplets and its pretty much set in stone that it will be a c-section. i have a almost two year old(she will be 2 once the babies are born) I am a single parent. The dad wants nothing to do with them. I am ok with that, but I’ll be honest. The c-section scares me because, how will i manage with a 2 year old and then 3 little very needing babies and heal. Any advice???
Leslie,
That’s a lot on your plate. I’d suggest enlisting the help of friends and family for the first 4-6 weeks. Don’t be shy about letting people know, and asking for help. Most people want to help, so let them. You will need the time and help they give, so your body can recover. I know it can be hard to let people in your realm, or you feel like you “should” be doing it all, but sometimes we can’t.
Have friends bring meals, come over to entertain your 2-year old for an hour, ask them to run a few loads of laundry for you, or anything else that comes to mind.
If you want to drop me a line at amamasblog@yahoo.com, let me know where you live- I maybe be able to find some resources for you. If you live in Colorado, I know lots of great people who can help.
Best of luck to you- stay in touch and let me know how you are doing.
I am a 42 year old mother of 4, all my children have been delivered vaginally. My first delivery was very traumatic and at the time I said I would never have any more. My son was born via forceps, I had 3rd degree cut, tailbone broken, massive infections. Now I have a lot of trouble with my perineum during sex. I went on to have my other 3 babies naturally with no complications. However, I am now facing my very first C-section. My baby has Macrosomia (big baby) I was offered the C-section, given the pros and cons and the risks. I HAVE NO PROBLEM with my decision even after reading your blog. I would rather face any trauma then have my son go through it. My only problem is I am scared of the inital spinal block. I have already made my partner aware that if it is a choice between me and my baby I would like my baby to survive.
I am 22 years old mother of 2. Both by Cesarian Section. I am currently 7 weeks pregnant again, due July 22 2012. I will have another C-Section. My first was breech, delivering breech is VERY dangerous; ripping, breaking of bones and trauma and even death to baby can occur. A doctor can’t definately tell if the Cord is around the baby’s neck and that may be the reason the baby is breech. So deliver Vaginally and chance pushing your child out and with every push cutting off air supply? No thanks! If you have the RIGHT doctor whom CARES about the health of you and your baby he will tell you his expert opinion. Trust your doctor, you have your whole pregnancy?Why distrust him now?
Above to Viki: The Spinal Block can be bad and it can be good. The first Spinal I had hurt horribly, and only affected my right side, he had to do it twice which made me really scared of getting one with my second C-section. This doctor that gave me this spinal block was a GOD, I felt a Pinch, It was literally nothing. He did a wonderful job. So make sure you get someone who has experience 🙂
My C- Sections afterwards. Yes I have a scar, its under my underwear line. Not a big deal. Im proud of having children any way that I had to have them. yes it is SOAR, and hard to do things for about a week. I seggust any new moms to a C-section stay in the hospital as long as you can for help… Sleeping in a recliner was the easiest thing for me b/c it rocked forward when I needed to get out and rocked back when I got into it. When I needed to get the staples out it was painful, yes. but it lasts for 5-10 min and then you don’t have pain of staples being in. The pain of the staples are annoying if at the most. The ones on the ends of the incision are usually tender. If you take your medicine like you are supposed to your pain level is MINIMAL. Very tolerable!
VBAC: Vaginal Birth after Cesarian Section: VERY SCARY! When pregnant after a C-section the doctors monitor your scar. any signs of stress or rupturing which is very possible you have to deliver. When you choose to have a vaginal after cesarian think of good and bad… Better for baby yes, major surgery yes, etc. Cons- Your uterus CAN rupture(Rip open in previous scar site) when your pushing. And you can DIE.
Women whom push their luck with pregnancy of natural births by waiting hours and even days w/o wanting to do meds. I understand wanting to do natural birth its healthier for the baby and you. But there is a point where you have to realize that your DANGERING your child, of running out of oxygen, still birth… Please think of the BABY, and how the baby struggles becuase of your actions.
If I had to choose when i got to the point of someone telling me if I deliver naturall I may die and the baby, but C-section I Live and so does my baby…i would do the but if both of us can live through it and it may be a little painful and tough through it…I would love to be around watching my childs feet grow….
Add to above: It took me about 4-6 weeks to FULLY recover. I was up and about 4 hours after surgery walking aorund. The sooner you get up and get your blood flowing, the better your blood circulates and your able to heal faster! The pain is what you make out of it!
I would plan for help for about 3 weeks. But not 24 hour needed help. Have someone stop by with lunch, see the baby and help throw a load of laundry in. Quick stuff like that is awesome and tends to have a great feeling of help.
i had a c-section with my second little girl they took the staples and drain tube out two days after my c-section i went home and for a few days i was fine then i felt a buring and pianfull filling on the scar i looked and it had opened up i had a fist size hole were they cut me for my c-section i went back to my doctore he siad it was not my fault he took the drain tube out to soon and there was stuff coming out it looked and smelled awfull so he gave me pian meds packed and cleaned it in the office then sent me home well it got no better just worse so he sent me to the wound clinke were i live they gave me silver cell goze and stuff to clean it with at home i had to pack and clean it everyday wich was very pian full so i could not take care of my baby the way i wanted to well it got smaller and better so i stoped going on a year later i still have a small hole there and it leks yellow and white stuff bleeds and is very pianfull i have gone to a million doctors and they give me pian meds and antebiodoicks that helps with the redness around it and the pian for a little while but it just keeps comeing back. im hopeing maybe you can give me some answers on what to do…thanks monalisa
Hi, just read your article and I m 100 percent agree with you that the c section is the most scariest thing. I tried a lot fi a natural birth but after 36 hours of labour I hardly dilated for 5cm only. Then the baby’s heartbeat was distressing and so I had to have an emergency c section. And that was the toughest time since I and my husband are alone in UK and have no other support except him. Its been five months now and I still feel the pain if work hard a little more. I have a very purplish and bad scar line:( and a hangover tummy and right after birth start gaining weight:( Although I breast feed along with bottle feed but stillnot loosing any weight. In a nutshell Iust say one should never go for c section. Whenever I will be pregnant again withy second baby I would love to have a vginal birth.
Everything you have said is right… I was stitched instead of stapled. I’m 3 months post c section and at the age of 24 have a over hang and modelling carer ruined just because of a scar. I am lucky and had no stretch marks and only half a stone heavier than pre pregnancy. I still hold a grudge not because of the hideous scar but because my block went wrong and temporarily paralysed me from cheeks down and stopped me from breathing. Due to this I has to be put to sleep and they tried forceps while I was asleep scared my babies face and caused me to loose 2 litres of blood. I had to stay asleep for 2 hours after birth and had a night in High Dependency for a blood transfusion. What annoys me more after 29 hours of labour and fully dilated my epidural failed and they would not let me get on my hands and knees and i still believe to this day if they did i could have had a natural delivery like i wanted. I defiantly want a VBAC next time. The pain was horrendous and i had 8 days in hospital. I Glad my baby is here safe but we both paid a price. The first 2 hours after he was born we will never get back and i don’t remember meeting him for the first time either and it breaks my heart.
OMG i was so angry when i wrote this i typed so fast and spelt my name wrong… Kerry
Hi, I’m sorry I didn’t read your whole original post I started it after I read the post about people’s comments on your original post but gave up after the agonising pain and being doped etc. While I am sory I had to have a C section with the birth of my child and was frustrated the first couple of days in hospital when I was forced to look at the nurses and my husband taking care of Max and not being able to do anything myself for a couple of days, there was no pain. In fact I got morphine because my Carpel tunnel in my arm was awfully painful but unless I tried to move or cough or laugh too hard there was no pain from the operation. While I would choose a natural birth anytime I think you had very bad luck with your operation or perhaps I was very lucky with mine. I was slowly taking care of Max on the third day afer the operation in hospital where everything is high and one and a half weeks after the operation at home. Of course it took me a long time to do things and I was awfully tired at the end of the day for 2 weeks there was no agonising pain for months. Besides posting a picture of your vagina after a natural birth with rupture – my baby was huge and in breech – wouldn’t look any less frightening.