Pro-C/Section Support / Chat / Tips

Oh what I meant is a birth with no drugs or medical intervention eg forceps, epidural, spinal block, gas...obviously there are people that do have completely natural births but like I said nobody that has ever talked to me falls into that category. Also I was in a slightly venting mode so was generalising

Well, just had another fantastic experience with a elective CS this time instead of Em CS. Went to Tauranga Hosp and was treated brilliantly by the staff, not one grumpy mw among them! Operation went really well, laughing and joking in theatre, no pain from spinal needle. Very weird sensation when they were rummaging around in there after my little girl was born tho, (was fast asleep the first time after labouring) Definitely fits the saying "rummaging around in the bottom of a handbag". But recovery has been great too. Four days in hosp in total which was just right for me, and that bonding time with my precious new girl was wonderful.

Hello!

Thought I'd insert myself in here.

I'm 37wks UTD with baby #1, and she's a stubborn little wench - has been breech since I've been able to feel her! So will be going in for my elective c-sec on Jan 25th.

Like someone else in here, the thought of a VB always scared me but didn't want friends/family/strangers thinking I was too posh to push! And now bubs has taken the option of a VB away from me anyway. (I know she may still turn but I really don't think she will.) Luckily no one has started saying it's a shame I wont get to have a VB. Wouldn't know what to say to them if they did.

To me, getting baby out safely if the most important thing, regardless of how it happens. Right?

Thank you :) We started TTC in April 2008 so it's been a long time coming!

I'm looking forward to it, but very nervous about actually having an actual baby! Because I thought I may m/c with this pregnancy as well, I haven't really bonded to my bump. I'm sure it'll all change when she's born and we'll be sweet as but still a bit nervy!

Hey just a question for anyone. Have you ever had a puckering with your CS scar. I've got a small (5c piece) of skin that has puckered out from the scar, the rest of it has healed beautifully and flat. And this little piece is still quite raw after a week and half of discovering it after taking initial dressing off. MW is checking it each week, but it still hasn't healed yet, not infected, just still bit weepy. Where its situated makes it difficult to heal I guess as I am quite active (but not overdoing it) and because of the CS apron it covers it, so hard to leave dressing off to air dry. Has anyone experienced anything like this before?

My c/s birth story:

Basically, I cried as I walked into the operating room. The last two times I had had surgery before my c/s I had done the same, so meh. They got me on the side of the bed to do the epidural, and I freaked out. Neil sat on the chair and held my hands while they did the local and the epidural. Freak out subsided as my knees went warm and fuzzy. They lay me down and I told them that I wanted them to put me under. The obstetrician talked me through it, while the anesthetist prepped for a general. Ob managed to talk me into staying awake, mainly by saying that it would be that much quicker that I'd be meeting my girl. (How wrong was he!) And so Neil and the anesthetist talked to me throughout the procedure. I can only describe it as someone tickling the inside of my tummy! No pain or anything. They pulled Evie out and Neil leaned over to look at her, and they lifted her up so I could see her. And I said... "Eww." I knew she wouldn't cry right away as I had heard that a lot of c/s babies are a bit shocked and need a bit of oxygen. Neil was allowed to go over and see her, but neither of us were prepared for the emergency team to get called in. I don't really know what went on as I was crying and couldn't see anything. From what I understand there was something unidentifiable (but possibly vernix) (like an inch long length of stuff) stuck in her throat and she needed compressions and oxygen. Finally, I heard her cry.
So she was wheeled to the NICU and I was wheeled to recovery. DH, Mum, Dad, little bro and MIL all came in once at a time to see me, then all went once at a time to see Evie. Neil took some pics and brought them in to show me. I got to see her on the way back to the ward and it freaked me out seeing her in the NICU. And I was so drugged up that I can't remember it. In the middle of the night, a nurse came in to help me express my colostrum, then I was wheeled down to the NICU to see her. She was eventually brought into me when she was about 24hrs old. And we spent the next 5 days in a nice routine of 3hr sleep - wake - change - feed - repeat. In between all of that (because 5 days in hospital all blend into one!) she developed jaundice. We also realised she has Positional Talipes (so club foot that is because of how she was sitting in my tummy, and should come right with massage, exercise and time.) We have an appointment on Thursday at Starship to check on the cyst and discuss surgery - the thought of which makes me teary to think of. We have been referred to the renal team about the kidney, and yet to hear from them.
Because I didn't get my skin to skin and I saw her only twice briefly in her first 24hrs, I really didn't feel attached to her. But I looked at her today and started crying, I love her so much that it scares me. And it's made me love Neil so much more too. Maternal Mental Health came to see me in hospital as some of the nurses could tell I was a bit sad and that I wasn't too attached to her. I just hope that her little while with no oxygen wont cause any developmental problems.

Coming home was scary, as suddenly I didn't have midwives and nurses with me, but Neil and his mum are here with me full time for the next two weeks. And... Routine has gone out the window somewhat. So I'm demand feeding and her sleep time varies. The biggest shock was that she'll sleep in the bassinet during the day, but refuses to go down in it during the night. So Neil sat up with her sleeping in his arms for a few hours. When she woke, he woke me up and I changed and fed her, while he went for a sleep and I stayed up while she slept in my arms. Except I fell asleep and so we ended up co-sleeping. Woke up and felt so so terrible about it - what if I had rolled on her? It really made me feel like I have no idea what's happening and how I'm going to cope.

kelzie-rose sorry to hear you've had a rough time. I had a roug time with my first, though for very different reasons. I was just lurking in here out cos the board is so quiet, and I saw myself in your comment about feeling terrible about co-sleeping. I had all the same feelings when it would happen accidently with DD1, so during my second pregnancy I did some serious reading and if you do it safely, then its ok. I co-sleep most nights at the moment although I start every night with DD2 in the cot and will phase it out at some stage. Anyway, here is a link to the safe co-sleeping guidelines. It really can be a sanity saver, don't write it off just because plunket says not to. and hang in there, it gets easier

Eta link, duh! cosleeping

Edited by T_Rex

Hi everyone - I've been watching this thread for a while. 

My first birth DD was overdue at 41 weeks + 1 day.  She was an emer CS after 6 hrs labour due to fetal distress.  Her heart rate was going down and later the placenta was found to be somewhat calcified.  She was born perfectly healthy.

This time I am sitting on the fence about what requests to put in place for upcoming birth in August (yes I'm a 'planner').  I'm humming and haa-ing over VBAC or elective CS. 

I have some reasons why I would like VBAC:

* I have no health problems.

* Presumably No 2 baby will be healthy.

* Previous CS was due to fetal distress - not my body doing something 'wrong'.

Some reasons why I would like elective CS:

* Because I am comfortable with the process - it is all I know from my previous experience.

* I healed very well last time.

* I will be almost 38 when I deliver this time.

* I've read that birth is higher risk if the maternal age and gestational age are older - if I go overdue again then I definitely want an elective.  I'm willing to try VBAC if labour arrives around 40 weeks.

* I'm also of small stature.

Some other things to take note of - I really don't deal with extreme pain that well, and even with a VB it is likely I would have an epidural/spinal.  I managed six hours and 6cm before requesting it last time.  So a VBAC with epidural would still be quite intensive. 

My midwife isn't really the proactive sort who is going to ask me 'how I want things done' - she sort of ploughs along with all the standard stuff, and probably expects that I will want the 'standard VBAC'. 

I really want to discuss my options at length with someone - maybe a specialist.  I have done a lot of reading of medical studies on VBAC vs CS.  Will I be sent to a specialist sometime during this pregnancy automatically because I had a CS last time?

The above probably reads like a collection of random thoughts.  I'm worried about people judging me for even entertaining the idea of elective CS - can anyone add any further information or anything else I might want to think about?

Thanks Mummytobe and all the best for your upcoming birth. 

I looked at my DD's birth photos yesterday, and I still feel happy with the birth even though it ended up as an emergency CS.  You are right about being hooked up to an epidural - I already was, so there was no mucking around when the CS was needed.  I don't even remember the epi going in. 

A lot of the information given out at antenatal classes etc is quite negative and some people feel really cheated if they end up with a CS.  I didn't feel that way.  I just felt I'd made a major achievement by creating a healthy little person and it didn't matter which way she came into the world. 

I'm leaning slightly VBAC at the moment, but I'm also against interventions such as induction, episiotomy, ventouse and forceps.  I'd rather have a CS if a VBAC was going to involve those interventions - but sometimes you don't know until you get there. 

Edited by Blankney94

Not sure if this thread is frequented often, but as someone who has just found out they have to have an 'elective' c-section its been great to read all the positive (and the negative) comments that are here. I'm just looking forward to meeting my baby and want that to be as happy an experience as it can be. I do feel a bit cheated that I won't get the birthing experience I wanted, but at the end of the day I know that I'd give it all in a heartbeat for a healthy baby and a healthy me!