~Mark of Love~ c-section mom/mum support group

[chele]

Were NTNP at the moment - Although I am breastfeeding so I dont think we will have any luck for a while yet. Both my sisters have children and I always wanted a big family. So fingers crossed I am hoping to be pregnant by the end of the year.

I think the choice is up to the surgeon. All the girls that had a csec on the day I was in were stapled by the same surgeon. The stapling part didnt bother me it was that he didnt put enough staples in so the wound didnt seal up...

Thanks for the welcome girls. xxx

Its interesting to know that different surgeons choose different ways, i would definitely be asking next time!

How did you find breastfeeding after your section? I'm determined to BF next time. When i went in for the section i was numb from the neck down so couldnt move my arms or feel my chest rising it made me panic a bit and it took a while for the feeling to come back in my arms so i couldnt really hold her properly for quite a while after. I'm not sure why this was as most people i know who had sections said they could move their arms

If I am reaslly honest I have found breastfeeding a doddle. I know many people struggle with it though after a csection and I find that heartbreaking when you want to but cant for whatever reason. It took nearly 8 days for my milk to come in properly but I was on so many painkillers for my wound that the pain that is normally experienced in those first few days completely evaded me. xx

I'm not sure about the numbness - I thought it was chest and below - I held Olivia for a while whilst they were putting me back together. I would of been petrified if I couldnt move my arms

8 days, wow, and I thought 4 for me was long! So did you presumably use formula those first few days?x

 

[mrsraggle]

Hey all! Welcome!

Great, reassuring stories here. I'm more bothered about being able to breastfeed next time, more than I am about the birth.

Interesting that the surgeon gets to pick the way they piece the wound back together. I just had dissolvable stitches. Hope I'd get that again next time. I've heard a few people who've had issues with their wound after the birth and needed to be hospitalised. That does bother me for the future. I'd hate to be admitted without my baby.

 

[_LauraK1982_]

Were NTNP at the moment - Although I am breastfeeding so I dont think we will have any luck for a while yet. Both my sisters have children and I always wanted a big family. So fingers crossed I am hoping to be pregnant by the end of the year.

I think the choice is up to the surgeon. All the girls that had a csec on the day I was in were stapled by the same surgeon. The stapling part didnt bother me it was that he didnt put enough staples in so the wound didnt seal up...

Thanks for the welcome girls. xxx

Its interesting to know that different surgeons choose different ways, i would definitely be asking next time!

How did you find breastfeeding after your section? I'm determined to BF next time. When i went in for the section i was numb from the neck down so couldnt move my arms or feel my chest rising it made me panic a bit and it took a while for the feeling to come back in my arms so i couldnt really hold her properly for quite a while after. I'm not sure why this was as most people i know who had sections said they could move their arms

If I am reaslly honest I have found breastfeeding a doddle. I know many people struggle with it though after a csection and I find that heartbreaking when you want to but cant for whatever reason. It took nearly 8 days for my milk to come in properly but I was on so many painkillers for my wound that the pain that is normally experienced in those first few days completely evaded me. xx

I'm not sure about the numbness - I thought it was chest and below - I held Olivia for a while whilst they were putting me back together. I would of been petrified if I couldnt move my arms

8 days, wow, and I thought 4 for me was long! So did you presumably use formula those first few days?x

Nope I just had her constantly on my boob I would fall asleep in bed and leave her on me with oh supervising !! My HV said that if I was adamant that I wanted to BF her then I had to just feed feed feed and feed some more and grin and bear it. xx

 

[chele]

Were NTNP at the moment - Although I am breastfeeding so I dont think we will have any luck for a while yet. Both my sisters have children and I always wanted a big family. So fingers crossed I am hoping to be pregnant by the end of the year.

I think the choice is up to the surgeon. All the girls that had a csec on the day I was in were stapled by the same surgeon. The stapling part didnt bother me it was that he didnt put enough staples in so the wound didnt seal up...

Thanks for the welcome girls. xxx

Its interesting to know that different surgeons choose different ways, i would definitely be asking next time!

How did you find breastfeeding after your section? I'm determined to BF next time. When i went in for the section i was numb from the neck down so couldnt move my arms or feel my chest rising it made me panic a bit and it took a while for the feeling to come back in my arms so i couldnt really hold her properly for quite a while after. I'm not sure why this was as most people i know who had sections said they could move their arms

If I am reaslly honest I have found breastfeeding a doddle. I know many people struggle with it though after a csection and I find that heartbreaking when you want to but cant for whatever reason. It took nearly 8 days for my milk to come in properly but I was on so many painkillers for my wound that the pain that is normally experienced in those first few days completely evaded me. xx

I'm not sure about the numbness - I thought it was chest and below - I held Olivia for a while whilst they were putting me back together. I would of been petrified if I couldnt move my arms

8 days, wow, and I thought 4 for me was long! So did you presumably use formula those first few days?x

Nope I just had her constantly on my boob I would fall asleep in bed and leave her on me with oh supervising !! My HV said that if I was adamant that I wanted to BF her then I had to just feed feed feed and feed some more and grin and bear it. xx

Gosh that's really amazing. Max only latched on once and suckled for 50 minutes but then just wouldn't take to it so I was told to move to formula as they were worried about him not feeding/getting anything from me. Now that couldve been because he was 3 weeks early but could have been for a number of reasons

I also had a milk and nipple phobia so def gave up at the first excuse. Time will only tell with the next one

 

[_LauraK1982_]

Olivia was a week early - I think I read somewhere about earlier abbies not being able to latch correctly - Not sure if thats right or not but will try to find it and post a link......

 

[chele]

That would be interesting to find out. I'll see if I can find anything too

 

[mrsraggle]

Ellie was 2 weeks late and we really suffered with her latching on. She just wouldn't unless I basically shoved my nipple really far into her mouth. Which is probably why she found the whole thing so distressing.

 

[Heidi]

How do you go about booking a de-brief? Would i just need to call the Maternity unit at the hospital?

 

[Mizze]

Hey mizze Welcome look forward to hearing your story

Morning! Am not on here much at the moment but will pop in when I can. So sorry to hear that people had trouble with their wounds. So far so good for me. I took advice from the hospital mw to heart and kept a seperate towel especially to pat it dry and never used my normal towel on it to help keep infection out -have no idea whether it helped or not but no problems so far.

I didnt know you could be stapled - I had disolvable stiches the end one of which poked out which freaked me out but as HV said it would it fell out after a couple of weeks.

My story - I was up for as natural a birth as possible all the way through my pregnancy - had agreed to go into the local birth centre (part of my hospital) and was thinking of waterbirthing it. However my due date came and went and nothing, and nothing.... I had various sweeps - not a thing. Eventually I had a little bloody show after a sweep and got seriously excited at about 10 days over but again - nothing. So I had to give up my idea of the birth centre and agreed at 12 days over to go into the prenatal ward for induction. In my naivety I thought they gave you drugs and off you went into labour. Nope...
So day 1 in hospital - 1st lot of drugs - monitoring every two hours - nothing
Day 2 - repeat - woman in bed opposite gets to go to labour ward
Day 3 nothing - wards too busy so all inductions on hold
Day 4 repeat induction -watch 4th women in my room go to labour ward infront of me and still NOTHING - brutal internal exam from Dr with mw pushing my uterous down and the sadistic Dr causing huge pain with her tiny hands at the other end - result - lots of blood loss and pain but apart from that NOTHING!
After 3 failed attempts we finally talk about a c-section which upsets me greatly but the last monitoring after induction drugs show some occasional drop in heartbeat - this is the first indication that baby isnt happy.
Dr and consultant want to wait and try another induction - But Im worried now and my thingy score is still the same as it was when I came in - basically my cervix is still fully closed. Fabulous and never to be forgotten newly minted midwife (who qualified the week before!) convinces consultant and sadist Dr to agree to c-section. At this point I am 16 days over and desperate to know baby is okay.
Caitlyn Sophie was born 10.52am on day 17 - the 13th Jan 2011. The cord was so tight round her that it was preventing her fully engaging - so no pressure on my cervix to open and trigger labour. I try not to think about the consequences if I had gone into labour naturally. Even with the c-section she needed a whiff of oxegen (sp??)
Anyway -she came out with a full head of black hair which she still has and she latched on straight away and bf has been fine , loads of milk and certainly no more difficult than I expected and easier for me than for my sister who had v births with both of hers.

oops baby stirring again - time to go..

Mizze xx

 

[lolababes]

Hi all mind if I join too?

Im also a bit of a pro

DD - elective c/s (breech 39wk)
DS1 - emsc (17days late and failed induction)
DS2 -emcs (due date)

I am still really struggling with LOs birth. I really really wanted a VBAC, got to pushing and his heart rate was dipping too low and not recovering

If you want a VBAC it is perfectly do-able (just not for me apparantly!!!) but you may have to fight for it.

 

[mrsraggle]

How do you go about booking a de-brief? Would i just need to call the Maternity unit at the hospital?

I contacted PALs at the hospital I gave birth in and they sent the email onto the relevant people. Took a couple of weeks to get an appointment.

 

[Heidi]

Welcome lolababes! do you have any more babies on the cards or is 3 enough for now?

Mizze i love the name Caitlyn so pretty! It's good to see breastfeeding isn't always a problem as some may think after a c-section
That's one long induction almost reminded me of a friends episode when Rachael is in hospital waiting to have her baby and women are going in and out of the room before her

Must have been scary for you though, glad Caitlyn was ok, Millie needed oxygen afterwards too, i didnt know this until i read my notes and it said she was on it for 4 minutes!!??

 

[Mizze]

Welcome lolababes! do you have any more babies on the cards or is 3 enough for now?

Mizze i love the name Caitlyn so pretty! It's good to see breastfeeding isn't always a problem as some may think after a c-section
That's one long induction almost reminded me of a friends episode when Rachael is in hospital waiting to have her baby and women are going in and out of the room before her

Must have been scary for you though, glad Caitlyn was ok, Millie needed oxygen afterwards too, i didnt know this until i read my notes and it said she was on it for 4 minutes!!??

Oh believe me I thought of that scene over and over again!

We loved the name hte moment we considered it.

The oxygen was scary as was the reason for it - but all well now. 4 minutes - oh my goodness. How can they not mention that!

Funnily enough I never thought of the bf being a problem after a C-section and the hospital midwives never mentioned it so it didnt occur to me - maybe that had something to do with it.

Mizze xx

 

[Mork]

Hi all!
I have been lurking for a while.
My DD was delivered by emergency c section 16 days late after induction, followed by failed ventouse and failed forceps. After all of that I did initially struggle to bf - mainly due to latching issues I think now, but as you can see we got there in the end and are still doing it now nearly 10 months on. I am really confused about what to do next time i.e. planned cs or vbac........
xx

 

[Heidi]

Hi Mork i remember you from the Tri's, it's definitely a difficult decision to make, do you know when you will be trying again? x

 

[Mork]

We have been trying for a few months already!! But as I have not had af back yet think we are unlikely to fall for a while x

 

[Heidi]

We have been trying for a few months already!! But as I have not had af back yet think we are unlikely to fall for a while x

I hope it catches you by surprise You never know we may be preggers at the same time again!

 

[Heidi]

Couple of links i have saved in my favourites:

https://talk.sagemama.net/2011/02/14/so-you-want-a-vbac.aspx
https://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/homebirthaftercesarean.asp (good facts)

 

[Mork]

Oh forgot to mention-I had staples. Now one side of my scar is barely visible but the other side is red and raised-not pretty!! (not that I will be getting it out on display!!) x

 

[clairebear]

Hi all!
I have been lurking for a while.
My DD was delivered by emergency c section 16 days late after induction, followed by failed ventouse and failed forceps. After all of that I did initially struggle to bf - mainly due to latching issues I think now, but as you can see we got there in the end and are still doing it now nearly 10 months on. I am really confused about what to do next time i.e. planned cs or vbac........
xx

It's a very personal decison. When I first got preg with my second I was sure a planned section was right for me. After reading a few articles and discussing my feelings of faliure after my section, I decided that an attempt at a vbac was very important to me x

No one can make the decision for you or judge you for it x

Hope you get you bfp soon x