Positives of a C-section?

[Tiffylove]

I know a vaginal birth is ideal. Matter of fact I was just told it's very likely I will have to have a c-section and I am devastated.

But if I have to do it I want to focus on the good instead of being down and depressed about something that might have to happen.

I know everything has an upside and a downside so what's the upside to a c-section besides no labor if scheduled?

Share the advantages and positives for those of us who might have to have one but are scared to death of it.

 

[ama]

Ive had two c -sections ,the second time i actually went into labor and had to have the c section anyways . For me personally ive never looked at it as not giving birth ,it doesnt change the bond at all (for me ) i actually feel more in control because im so highly monitored thru out the c section and they talk you thru it so i feel apart of something very special(which it is) straight after they place the baby onto you and encourage skin to skin .(might be different in other countries) i cant say the advantages as opposed to vaginal as i have not had that experience but what i can say is i remember both my c sections with the most amazing and awesome memories ever and if you need to have a c section then you will too. Thats just my opinion from my experience of course every situation is different ah im rambling lol x sorry for the long post

 

[ama]

I actually got happy teary writing that and remembering lol hormones eh

 

[Clarabell543]

I had an emcs under general anasthetic and i only remember eating toast and holding her as they wheeled me to the ward. I cried for a few days feeling like i had failed as my hubby wasnt allowed in and i slept through it but it was a midwife that snapped me out of it reminding me that i had spent nine and a half months growing her and i would be the one bringing her up and in fact it was me who had done all the hard work
I will more than likely have a section for any future kids and the only hope i have is that i can be awake and hubby there! Yes your tummy has to heal but i know of plenty of ladies who had a much more difficult and longer healing process than me after vaginal births x

 

[poohme]

Do not have to worry about water breaking or contractions at the middle of the night(most labour pain starts in wee hours of night), dont have to worry about the transit to hospital and checking in, dont have to worry about whether it is a 8 hours or a 22 hours worth of pain.
I just have to relax and go to the hospital on a scheduled time and follow the procedures. I am in more control of the situation and my baby's birth.

 

[Tiffylove]

Any tips for healing faster, less pain, etc...?

 

[SamsMum]

Arnica tablets are great to help with the bruising/swelling after.

xxx

 

[becky2002ukuk]

Your downstairs will be just the same as it ever was . My advice is just to make sure you keep on top of your pain relief. Good luck with whatever you decide

 

[whispersof3]

get up and start walking as soon as your able to! If you stay in bed it makes it worse in the end, i found that out with my first. After 20 hours of back labor i was exhausted after the c-section so i was a lazy bones. My second was planned and I knew better that time, I was up and walking within 6 hours and walked whenever i got a chance and i felt soooooooooooooooo much better!!

and one of the better parts is that afterwards you can pee without being in pain!! After a vaginal delivery most women have to use a water bottle and squirt the water down there as they go to prevent irritation. So to me that's a big plus lol

Also look into stomach binding! i had no clue about it after my first and my stomach stayed quit large for a long time, I used a wrap after my second delivery and by 4 weeks pp i was in my size 6 jeans again doing nothing different except for that during my recovery time.

 

[baileybubs]

I agree with whispersof3, the best way to heal quicker is to get up and walk (well hobble) as soon as you can! Obviously don't be doing cartwheels lol but do as much as you can within reason that you aren't overdoing it (fine line to find I know!).

Positives of a c section are no episiotomy or tears so no painful stitches or problems peeing afterwards.
For me I found a positive to be that df got to hold her first, now I know that sounds strange as of course I would love to have been able to hold her first and was sad I couldn't, but it meant that df could have that special moment after me having already had 9 months of special moments and bonding. Other women might not feel the same as me on this but for me it felt like I finally got to share her with him and watching him hold her for the first time and see that look on his face of "wow this is really happening, I am a daddy" was just amazing.
And I too actually just shed a happy tear typing that just like a previous poster!

 

[whispersof3]

I agree with whispersof3, the best way to heal quicker is to get up and walk (well hobble) as soon as you can! Obviously don't be doing cartwheels lol but do as much as you can within reason that you aren't overdoing it (fine line to find I know!).

Positives of a c section are no episiotomy or tears so no painful stitches or problems peeing afterwards.
For me I found a positive to be that df got to hold her first, now I know that sounds strange as of course I would love to have been able to hold her first and was sad I couldn't, but it meant that df could have that special moment after me having already had 9 months of special moments and bonding. Other women might not feel the same as me on this but for me it felt like I finally got to share her with him and watching him hold her for the first time and see that look on his face of "wow this is really happening, I am a daddy" was just amazing.
And I too actually just shed a happy tear typing that just like a previous poster!

exactly!! I feel so sorry for the daddies not getting to experience much so its just an amazing thing for them to hold the baby first! My husband was so tired after being awake with me my whole labor so in total almost 36 hours straight from waking up the previous morning, going to work, then staying up with me after my water broke then the 20 hours of labor then to the c-section - he told me he was so tired he was freaked out he was going to drop her on the operating rooms floor and mixed that with holding his first baby for the first time he said he didn't know how he kept from fainting.

its a magical experience no matter how the baby is delivered

 

[baileybubs]

its a magical experience no matter how the baby is delivered

Exactly! Besides the look of joy and love on my df's face he did look slightly petrified too when he first held her, I did have a little chuckle about that lol.

 

[Hispirits]

I had my section 1st may. My baby was born at 14:20, I was 37+3.
The procedure itself was very quick. I think once the sheet was up & blocking my view, the baby was born within 5-10mins.
It's was very relaxed and calm.
I had my baby with me within 3-5 minutes.
After about 20 mins, dad and bsby went to recovery to wait for me while they finished stitching me up, I was back with them within 10-15 mins.
(My baby did have to go to special care, but I won't go into that)
I recovered really well and really quickly, I took
The arnica before and after and took the pain relief when ever I could have it.
I bled very little.
It may have been that baby being in special care made me recover fast because I had to soldier on get up and get moving to be with him, and worrying about him I forgot about myself, but I can't remember feeling and pain from the insision.
It looked a bit angry at first. But I paid no attention to it, I was so preoccupied, and now 2.5 weeks later it looks great, nearly flat again.
I have lost half of the 3 stone I gained too.
At the end of the day, no matter what happens, & really I went thru the wringer baby in special care for a week and I just went back in Thursday and had to have a d&c Friday. I don't care, because every time I look at my baby's beautiful face, I no I'd do it all over again a million times and not complain because each time I look at him, he is totally worth it.

Keep hydrated, take the drugs, take the arnica. Make sure you ask for help if you need it.

The only thing that is shocking is pooping!
Omg! That hurt more than anything!
My hospital gave me lactulose and peppermint water which helped with the wind pains, but I ended up needing (tmi) a glycerin suppository to do a poo.
That was the worst part for me, the pooping. The caesarean was easy

 

[baileybubs]

^^^^ agree with the pooping!! I too had to have a glycerine suppository too, I stupidly thought that I was ok without the lactulose coz the first few times I went we're fine. My advice, take the stool softener they offer.

 

[whispersof3]

yes def on the stool softener!

 

[SamsMum]

Oh, yes, that wind and the first poop was very memorable for all the wrong reasons!

 

[LadyLupton]

Hi,

I had an emergency c-section. At the time I was absoluely devastated because I was so invested in having a natural birth. My son is now 11 weeks old and I feel much better about it. The fact is that without the possibility of a c-section, neither of us would ahve survived. Also, hearing my friends' troubles with episiotomies and tearing and urinary incontinence...it makes me grateful I had a c-section, really.

At the beginning I went through a (hormonal) phase of feeling I wasn't really a mum as I hadn't pushed him out. This tuned around for me when I thought about my adopted relatives. How insulting would it be if anyone were to say that an adopted mum isn't a real mum? Likewise with my gay friends. I would be so angry if anyone said to them they weren't real parents so why on earth was I saying that to myself?

I was surprised how easy recovery was, and everyone is right: walk. Walk walk. even if its three hobbles awy from the bed and three hobbles back: walk. I took the pain meds as precribed and had no pain. I bled for 6 weeks exactly. Started to breastfeed was incredibly difficult, but I don't think that was necessarily down to the c-section.

My two cents: do what is best for you and baby. If you need to have a c-section, don't feel bad or kick yourself.

x

 

[whispersof3]

yes the breast feeding! If you are going to do it read read read! i tried with my daughter and i was so confused by all the different nurses and lactation consultants telling me different things to do and how to hold her I got so damn confused and upset I just gave up. With my son I went in there and figured it out for myself, I just told everyone I knew what i was doing lol. They left me be so I could figure it out for myself and I am so glad I did. Not saying you won't have an awesome lactation consultant, but just in case if they do confuse you, just ignore them!

 

[Ninagrrl]

I had a horrible experience with my c-section but that is only because the anesthesiologist didn't want to listen to me. I am a big girl and was informed that bigger women don't take to it well so he gave me a high dose. I told him that I was sensitive to anesthesia and sleep meds in general (I take only 25% of the recommended dose of melatonin and it knocks me out). Didn't matter. It made me so sick and I could barely move my head from side to side. I could barely look at my son, let alone hold him, from being so out of it and it took me 3 hours to recover enough to be brought to my room so I could see my son.

That being said, like people have said... on the plus side, no laboring to worry about, the actually procedure took an hour (15 mins to prepare and deliver and about 45 to put me back together). My downstairs is in the same shape as before I had the baby.. plus, one that no one has mentioned. My son had a perfectly round head not a cone shape (that goes away) that vaginally delivered babies typically get. You also usually get to plan when your child will be born so you get to prep better for it unless something happens before you reach your scheduled date... and because of that, pack ahead of time even if it is scheduled because my son arrived 2 days before my scheduled date and it was my first baby too. I didn't have anything but my son's bag with me and I would have loved having my own clothes/underwear and some books and stuff with me.

I agree with the walking as soon as you can but also recommend taking a shower (even if it has to be assisted) as soon as they okay it. I waited because I didn't want to stand up cause everytime I did it felt like all my guts were going to spill onto the floor. It was a mistake. I felt so much better after showering (there was a seat in the shower and a removable shower head so it was very comfortable and enjoyable).

I also recommend looking into maternity underwear that is specially designed for c-sections. It has a sizable strip that is designed to give support to a c-section scar.

Oh and if you cough, laugh, sneeze or anything.. keep an extra pillow ready and available to put pressure on the c-section cause it feels horrible if you don't.

I'm going to attempt a VBAC this time just so I can experience the other and maybe not have such a miserable time but I'm preparing for a second c-section since it is likely the way it will go. I'm diabetic so I am considered high risk.

 

[eve21]

Any tips for healing faster, less pain, etc...?

Hi id say get up & walk soon as d nurses tell u to. Its horrible, im not gonna lie its very painful but do a bit of walkin every now & then. by the second, third day it gets easier. Also dont lift anything heavy, the say dnt lift anything heavier then ur baby, i lifted heavy things about a wk or 2 later because i felt great but it took a toll on my back, so just b careful. Take all the painkillers the hos give u. Also wear big knickers up over ur belly button like granny pants lol, so that its not hurting ur scar.

Good luck