C Section advice I wish I had

[Mabythistime]

Just felt like I wanted to get this out there. If I can change this for one person, it would make me feel a little better

My story: After the C section, I had a drip on the one arm and a blood pressure monitor on the other, and the nurse basically put LO on me...upright so I could see him...and he was covered in a towel...then took him away again. I never got to hold him as my arms were held down by the drip and blood pressure monitor.

If I knew then what I know now, I would have told DH and the doctor to make sure my arms and all is released so that I can hold LO. By the time I got back to my room, DH had pictures of himself with LO on his chest skin to skin, and I was given LO fully dressed.

I never planned for a C section, but after being overdue, and a failed induction, a sort of planned C Section was done, and I was so confused by then, that I did not think clearly and I so wish I could have had that bonding part.

 

[LDC]

I'm the same, I wish I'd have been able to have skin to skin. I was only able to hold lo once I was stitched up and back in the recovery ward. I was glad for oh to be able to hold her etc but I was jealous!

Xx

 

[Cryssie]

It didn't bother me that hubby got to hold him first. . I guess I was too worried about him being ok from a potential heart problem. I got to see him, asked how much he weighed and told hubby to go with him to make sure he was ok. I still have a wonderful bond with him now at the age of two.

And I was afraid I wouldn't get that connection since my mother never did with me. And she had me naturally. I'm probably going to have another section with this one too by choice.

 

[Mabythistime]

Cryssie - Oh dear, hope I did not come across that it bothered me..those skin to skin pics DH took of him and LO are my most precious photos. . See LO was healthy, I was great, so just can kick myself for not thinking and asking. Just that I miss my set like of pics like that.

In my mind I was going in for a normal delivery, so when the C section happened, I was so pre-planned on natural and getting to hold LO...I ended up being dumbstruck after the C.

 

[Cryssie]

No. Just voicing my section. I know skin to skin is lifesaving to some babies and I probably wouldn't have gotten it with him with a natural birth. I was supposed to have a section due to him being breech them he turned so I got induced then I stalled at 5cm so it was back to a section. I know what you mean with dumbstruck.

 

[Mabythistime]

No. Just voicing my section. I know skin to skin is lifesaving to some babies and I probably wouldn't have gotten it with him with a natural birth. I was supposed to have a section due to him being breech them he turned so I got induced then I stalled at 5cm so it was back to a section. I know what you mean with dumbstruck.

Quite a ride you had there!

 

[c.30]

It was 15 hours after my CS before I was able to hold my DD as she was in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. I saw her for literally 30 seconds (if that, the time it took for me to say "hello, I'm your mummy") before she was whisked off but she was in the best place cos she had bad breathing problems. Plus, I've made up for it with lots of skin to skin since.

 

[havingmyfirst]

It didn't bother me that hubby got to hold him first. . I guess I was too worried about him being ok from a potential heart problem. I got to see him, asked how much he weighed and told hubby to go with him to make sure he was ok. I still have a wonderful bond with him now at the age of two.

And I was afraid I wouldn't get that connection since my mother never did with me. And she had me naturally. I'm probably going to have another section with this one too by choice.

Very similar to you. I'm not pregnant yet but will definitely be asking for a planned C Section this time.

 

[cantwaitforu]

I didn't get to have skin on skin with either of my boys until I was in recovery. but, DH got to and that was just as good for me.

With ds1, I have to say, this did not make any difference whatsoever. Breastfeeding was successful until we stopped at 12 months. He has been nothing but happy, loving and healthy.

Ds1 was breech so it was not the birth I planned for And I was really upset about that, but in the end, and in the grand scheme of things, it's everything you do as a parent in the baby's life that matters. The birth experience is more for the mother than the baby! The baby just needs to get out safely, be kept warm and cared for.

 

[havingmyfirst]

Just wanted to add I didn't get to do skin to skin or feed for a couple of hours as I was numb for a long time and then vomiting... but it didn't prevent us bonding and I am still breast feeding now!

 

[Scuba]

Just to add it's not always like this! I feel for you ladies who weren't able to hold your bubbas straight away, but incase any mum to be's are reading this and worrying I WAS able to have skin to skin and be the first person to hold our little girl, I was offered skin to skin in theatre while they were stitching me up etc but I declined as my table was tilted so far to the left I was terrified I'd drop her lol - so hubby did the first skin to skin but he was next to me and I got to see her for about 30 minutes before he was taken back with her to recovery and I was 'finished off' in theatre. I needed a blood transfusion which I was given in recovery and while they put the (three units I think) blood into me I was able to have skin to skin with her constantly. I felt I had more of an instant bond with her than I did with her sister who was born 'naturally' - I hated every stressful second of my natural delivery - other than the end result of my gorgeous daughter of course lol - but I enjoyed every second of my c section - could not have asked for a more perfect calm and wonderful birth experience xx

 

[Mabythistime]

Hey girls, note the post is not about bonding or C sections with complications.

(And I have to add, not holding him did not have any impact on bonding whatsover for us)

This post is about a memory I would have liked and could have had......but don't have just because I was to dumbstuck to ask someone to take the blood pressure monitor off, so I could hold him. It was a small thing, and don't have any impact on us, other than a "it would have been nice" afterthought.

Also, my most prized pictures are those of DH with LO on his chest. LO was about 10 minutes old here!

 

[Dani_Ldn]

I didn't get skin to skin right away as lo was wrapped in a blanket, I did get to hold him though & I held him before oh did. I then got skin to skin in recovery.

 

[TwinTV]

I didn't get to hold my boys until I was wheeled out of the surgeons room, however I wasn't told to bring in a camera to the surgery room but OH did and I'm so glad he did we got amazing photos of them being dried off with a towel and dressed for the first time- things you don't get to see when you're being stitched up, definitely take a camera in!!

 

[havingmyfirst]

I didn't get to hold my boys until I was wheeled out of the surgeons room, however I wasn't told to bring in a camera to the surgery room but OH did and I'm so glad he did we got amazing photos of them being dried off with a towel and dressed for the first time- things you don't get to see when you're being stitched up, definitely take a camera in!!

My husband brought a camera in and the anesthetist took it from him... anyway he took photos of Louie being taken out of my tummy during C section and everything... it was weird seeing the photos at first (my husband loved them) but now I'm so glad I have them to see his face as he emerged.

 

[izzlesnizzle]

I had a emcs. I got skin to skin in the theatre once they'd done the apgar scores. I remember asking if I could feed her and them saying yes. Then I cant remember what happened, OH must have taken her while I got stitched up but I remember going from theatre to recovery on the bed whilst holding her in my arms and a midwife being with me in recovery showing me how to latch her correctly. I'd had a 43 hr labour and was drugged up to the eyeballs on lots of pethidine and G & A so a lot of it is patchy as I hadn't slept for 3 whole nights but I remember the important bits at least!

 

[mercedybear]

I had an emergency c-section and baby had to be taken by the nicu team to clear out her lungs of meconium. They started to stitch me up but I had a section I could FEEL the stitching being done so I was give phentanol in my IV,after that drug, I barely remember my dh holding her up for me to see so sad it had to be that way. I didnt get to see her till 2 hrs after birth........

 

[Claudia83]

It was about an hour until I saw my LO but husband had already held him and the nurses had taken my camera and were so nice to get pictures for me while I was being sewn up. DH also got to go into OR and cut part of the cord. My c-section wasn't planned either, but I had a great team of nurses and doctors. I was told to try not to nurse him right away until they could make sure most of the meds were out of my system, which was quickly, since I felt the last 5 stitches on my skin! When I got wheeled back to where my husband and baby were, they monitored me for about 15 minutes and then helped get my robe undone so they could get him out of his blanket and put him naked on my bare chest and then they just threw a warm blanket over both of us. My husband has pictures of him latching on while I held him for the first time. I'm really glad I was so persistent to remember to pester them about holding my son ASAP and that the team of nurses I got were very kind.

I'm also glad that in my birth plan, I included an IN CASE OF EMCS portion where I requested a double stitched uterus, skin to skin and immediate bfing experience or I would have forgotten half of it while I was under all those meds.

Good post idea!