experiences with c-sections

[hawalkden]

I’m Type One Diabetic and 21 weeks pregnant. My due date is 10th December but the midwife has pencilled me in to be induced or c-section for the 26th November, depending on the baby’s size.

I’m just wondering what experiences you ladies have had when you’ve had a planned section. I’m feeling a little nervous but I think I’d opted for the section because I don’t want to go through 19+ hours of labour to say the baby is to big etc.

Thanks x

 

[AimeeM]

I will be watching this as I have been given advice to have a section after my last son had shoulder dystocia and tightly wrapped cord round his neck plus my history of big boys. My consultant is leaning to doing one.

 

[hayley123]

I have had two sections, one after a very long and difficult labour and the second was planned, but I went into labour before my due date. The first was a relief to be honest, I had done all of the work but she still wouldn't come out (posterior position). The second was lovely, I did go into labour but went to hospital, waited for a theatre to be free, I think the labour was only about 4 hours, before they could do the section.

I had great recovery both times, but the second was better because I hadn't been up laboring for two says beforehand so I wasn't so tired.

Do you have any specific questions or concerns?

It's great that you know early on that it's a strong possibility you can prepare yourself better that way.

Hayley

 

[hawalkden]

I don't have a clue about what I want to do for the labour.

I want to experience the natural way or labour and child birth but I've got a huge fear what I can't get rid of with the pain, I know all you ladies have felt the fear of labour but I've had this phobia in a way since I was young and I know I would be having children one day.

I am totally rubbish with pain and I though if I have an epidural then why not a c/section I know it sounds like I'm being lazy and cheating but I feel like my birth plan options are very limited due to diabetes, before I was diagnosed I always wanted to have a water birth and gas and air but now if I had a natural labour I'd be on drips led on the bed and not being able to walk about or different positions on the bed due to having the monitor thing on my stomach.

I also have the worry that if I had a natural birth, it would be a really long one like 19+ hours and I'd have to have an emergency section which would scare me so much...

So this is why I'm thinking of talking to my Diabetic Midwife and ask for a planned section so then I know I have it in my mind that it's going to be a lot more easier on the day and not change.. hope it doesnt sound like I'm trying to opt out of the natural way but I just can't think of the fear my body and mind will go into if I had a natural birth if that makes sense..

also our local hospital doesnt have a maternity unit so it's the birthing centre that normal pregnancies go to so i'd have to travel 6 miles to the nearest hospital due to my diabetes I have to be in hospital so thats the last thing I need to travel whilest the contractions are coming and start going into panic mode, i'd rather drive over on the day two weeks before i'm due and have it all relaxed?!

 

[AimeeM]

I don't suppose you know what happens to your uterus after a c-sect? I know after normal birth it naturally contracts back down but how does it happen after a sect? Also does your mucus plug come away? I am really unsure how the body reacts to that way of having a baby x

 

[Jenni4]

Hi...I had two elective c-sections...first due to breech positioning and second due to oligohydramnios. My second was much better as I was a more informed patient...I had a birth plan and asked for immediate skin to skin contact and baby to stay with me the entire time....the first time was in the US and they took her to bathe her and footprints, weight etc...all of that can wait. More important for skin to skin and breastfeeding. as long as you are bf'ing your uterus should start contracting on it's own...once the spinal wore off i could feel my uterus contracting when feeding....i think it might take a bit longer to go down after section but it goes down quickly when bf'ing.

I also bled a lot after my sections which is normal...it was very bloody and full of mucous the first few days, similar to a natural birth I've heard. I am very open and honest about my section experience...if you have any questions please feel free to ask.

 

[hawalkden]

Thank you .

I just wish my midwife team would work with me and listen at the same time instead of last minute plans!
I dont know what they do about your preferences and stuff when we're in theatre regarding holding and seeing baby asap.
OH makes me laugh he's very excited if we can defiantly have a section about him watching the full procedure! I'm worrying about the noises etc and smell of burning skin when im led there but away!
Was going to ask about the bleeding.. is the bleeding like a natural birth, youre body returning back to normal?

x

 

[Ozzieshunni]

I don't suppose you know what happens to your uterus after a c-sect? I know after normal birth it naturally contracts back down but how does it happen after a sect? Also does your mucus plug come away? I am really unsure how the body reacts to an unnatural way of having a baby x

Comments like this really hurt! Having a planned section in the UK is usually not by choice. I had a planned section because if I went into labor, there was the potential for my wee man's heart to stop. I did what was best for him and it broke my heart that I couldn't have a water birth. I'm not getting on at you, but please think about how these comments would affect someone without a choice.

As for having a planned section, I found it very easy. The consultant and midwives were very lovely and everything was explained to me in full detail before and during the section. Alex was taken to the NICU after my section, but because he wasn't in distress I got to get a quick cuddle. My spinal wore off after 4 hours and I was able to go in a wheelchair to see him. I had my 6 week check over a week ago and I had stopped bleeding by week 5. All the stitches were dissolvable and I could barely see anything. My scar looks like a fold in my skin. If you want, I wrote a lot more in my birth story, if that helps. You have to do what's best for baby. Initially, I did feel very guilty, but keeping him safe and healthy was my number one priority.

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Wanted to add, they wouldn't let DH really watch. He took a few sneaky peeks. There was no smell at all either

 

[Snuffy]

I don't suppose you know what happens to your uterus after a c-sect? I know after normal birth it naturally contracts back down but how does it happen after a sect? Also does your mucus plug come away? I am really unsure how the body reacts to an unnatural way of having a baby x

I shall leave aside the "unnatural" comment which I feel was unnecessary, however I haven't had a planned section (yet) but after my emergency section my uterus was checked for contracting back just as it would for a mother who had had a vaginal birth. After all, a baby has just left it, by whatever method.

 

[AimeeM]

I don't suppose you know what happens to your uterus after a c-sect? I know after normal birth it naturally contracts back down but how does it happen after a sect? Also does your mucus plug come away? I am really unsure how the body reacts to an unnatural way of having a baby x

Comments like this really hurt! Having a planned section in the UK is usually not by choice. I had a planned section because if I went into labor, there was the potential for my wee man's heart to stop. I did what was best for him and it broke my heart that I couldn't have a water birth. I'm not getting on at you, but please think about how these comments would affect someone without a choice.

As for having a planned section, I found it very easy. The consultant and midwives were very lovely and everything was explained to me in full detail before and during the section. Alex was taken to the NICU after my section, but because he wasn't in distress I got to get a quick cuddle. My spinal wore off after 4 hours and I was able to go in a wheelchair to see him. I had my 6 week check over a week ago and I had stopped bleeding by week 5. All the stitches were dissolvable and I could barely see anything. My scar looks like a fold in my skin. If you want, I wrote a lot more in my birth story, if that helps. You have to do what's best for baby. Initially, I did feel very guilty, but keeping him safe and healthy was my number one priority.

Sorry to offend. Like I said I will be having one too but it is an unnatural way to give birth. Nature intended it to be vaginal but it doesn't make you any less of a mum or anything for having a section. Seriously, don't get offended by it as that is not how it was meant. Mine isn't through choice, well I could choose to try vaginal but there is a very high chance my baby wouldn't be safe, to me that takes the choice out of it. I see it as necessary.

 

[AimeeM]

I don't suppose you know what happens to your uterus after a c-sect? I know after normal birth it naturally contracts back down but how does it happen after a sect? Also does your mucus plug come away? I am really unsure how the body reacts to an unnatural way of having a baby x

I shall leave aside the "unnatural" comment which I feel was unnecessary, however I haven't had a planned section (yet) but after my emergency section my uterus was checked for contracting back just as it would for a mother who had had a vaginal birth. After all, a baby has just left it, by whatever method.

So being sliced open by another human and having the baby taken out is natural? It's not. As I said above I don't see how this is offensive and I will be having one and I wouldn't be offended if someone else said the same thing. Your a mum no matter how the baby comes out. I had a epi both times last times which is unnatural. I don't care I am no less of a mum. I don't get why people get so touchy about it.

 

[Jenni4]

natural or unnatural...doesn't really matter in the end as long as baby and momma are both alive and well. . It's funny...I didn't even see the word unnatural the first time I read it. And I have never thought of my births as unnatural...only less than ideal for me, but it was what I had to do to have two healthy babies. I don't think any offense was meant by the word unnatural.

 

[Snuffy]

I didn't say I found it offensive, just unnecessary. As like Jenni4, I didn't think of my daughter's birth as unnatural.

As I said though, apart from the method of delivery and different healing process, as far as I am aware everything else happens as it would for a vaginal birth, including uterus contracting, tummy gradually returning to normal, etc

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Perhaps not, but another word choice might be best, like less than ideal

 

[AimeeM]

Ok sorry to upset anyone it wasn't intended and maybe I will feel different after I have had one xx

 

[Londonbump81]

Hello!!

I had gestational diabetes and therefore was induced early which was absolutely horrible! Anyway...as you have probably guessed I ended up having an emergency c-section due to my son's heart rate rapidly dropping.
Of course I would have liked to have given birth to him vaginally BUT he wasn't ready, I wasn't ready and the hospital weren't prepared to let me go into labour on my own.

My c-section was quick and my recovery has been absolutely fine. I was exhausted after 3 days of induction so was freaked out when they were doing the op but if I were to have another child I would opt for a planned c-section as my chances of being allowed to go full term are pretty much zero and I do NOT want to go through induction again, it was horrible!

 

[katy1310]

Hi

I didn't have a planned c-section, mine was an emergency, but it was a pretty calm atmosphere for an emergency (if you ignore the number of people who were in the room, and the neonatal team waiting to whisk Sophie away).

I can't answer any questions on elective sections but i can answer any general c-section questions anyone might have.

DH was allowed in with me but he wasn't allowed to watch what they were actually doing. There was a screen up so neither of us could see what was going on. He got a teeny glimpse of Sophie as she was whisked away but she was a 27 weeker so they had to be really quick. I didn't hear or smell anything. We were just totally caught up in the moment of Sophie being here, breathing on her own, crying even though they didn't expect her to cry at that gestation, her being a girl and the fact that so far, she was actually ok and safe. I would imagine at a full term section you'd be caught up in all the anticipation, the elation of the baby being here etc and might not think about what's actually going on. I honestly hardly thought about what they were actually doing to me! DH and I both cried when she was born.

The whole thing was really quick, Sophie was out in 5 minutes, the stitching up took less time than I expected and the whole thing from me being taken into theatre, to being taken to recovery was all over inside an hour.

I had bleeding afterwards the same as if I'd had a vaginal birth but I didn't have as much as I thought I would. The midwife said that sometimes if they do a particularly good job of a section there isn't too much bleeding. My uterus was checked to make sure it was shrinking back down, the same as if I'd had a vaginal birth.

Re what happens to the mucus plug, I have no idea but have always wondered that!

 

[hawalkden]

Hey,

this is why I'm thinking of getting a planned c-section because of people telling me about how horrid their induction was also my midwife has said that my pelvis is very small and a 'normal' pregnancy full term would be a struggle...

 

[Snuffy]

Hey,

this is why I'm thinking of getting a planned c-section because of people telling me about how horrid their induction was also my midwife has said that my pelvis is very small and a 'normal' pregnancy full term would be a struggle...

There is a chance I will be advised to have a planned section this time - in fact I thought it would be a cert from what my GP said when he signed me off last time, but my MW gave me a booklet on VBACS at my booking in appointment so now I'm all confused until I see my consultant, whenever that may be!

I would prefer a planned section, as I've had that in my mind for the past 3 years, although I wouldn't dismiss a VBAC out of hand if it was advised. One thing I will definitely fight tooth and nail against is another induction though. Last time mine was horrendous - I have no idea if my experience was the norm or I had some reaction, but I won't happily accept another.