Traumatic EMCS

[Kirstyh249]

Hi girls

My due date was today but my baby boy was born on the 8th of Oct at 11.16 almost two weeks early . The reason I am posting my story is that it was a very scary experience and I think if I write it down it may help me to get over the trauma ! So here goes ... On the morning of the 8th I went for my usual midwife app at 10.15 the midwife found that baby's heartbeat was a little low at 120 so she told me to head to the hospital to have an ECG to monitor the baby's heartbeat she said it was probably nothing to worry about , so my father in law took me straight to the hospital. When I got there I was hooked up to a monitor and next thing I knew I was getting scanned and examined and wheeled into theatre as they said the baby's heart rate had dropped to 70 , next thing I knew I had the mask over my face and was being put under, I honestly thought they were trying to kill me !! (my OH had no idea what was happening as was basically all alone) I woke up a few hours later to find that I had a baby boy (9 pound 15) I can't quite remember the first couple of days as I was on a morphine drip , I then found out that I had lost 3 litres of blood in surgery and had to be given 4 blood transfusions. I had all sorts of tubes going into my hands etc it was quite scary. But I seemed to recover well and was put in a private room for a total of 4 days. The first few days the care given by the midwives was excellent but the last two days the midwives admitted that they had forgotten about me , so I was basically put in a room and left to do everything myself Even though I could barely walk no-one checked how I was breastfeeding or checked my wound so much so that I developed and infection, they also forgot to give me half of my medication and I received one meal the whole time I was there , they didn't let me know when meals were or help me to get to the canteen as I couldn't walk ! Luckily my OH was there to help me . I am so happy that my little boy is here safe and well but I am just sad to have missed out on being the first person to see him and missing out om the birth experience it was all just so sudden ,and I am appalled by the treatment I was given the midwives just seemed so unhappy and unhelpful!! Anyway sorry I just had to get that all out !! My little boy is amazing he came out kicking and screaming they said there was no reason for his heart rate to become so low. I will attach a wee pic and hope that no one else is treated the same was as I was !!

 

[novella86]

First of all it will get better but it may take a few months to get over. It took me a month to get over the physical pain and another 2 months emotionally. Like you I had a traumatic emcs where I went into labour but my baby turned his head and got stuck. His heart rate also dipped from where I was pushing so long. I was rushed into theatre put under, and lost 2 litres of blood. Was told later that my placenta had come away which caused the big bleed. My OH was the first to see and hold our baby after the delivery, while I didn't see him til I came around some 4 hours later. The aftercare was like yours absolutely disgusting! I was in a ward where the nurses and midwives really didn't care knowing I could barely walk. I was in tears in the end. Some of them really need a kick up the rear end and start doing their job! Only ones who were good was in the recovery room before I was wheeled into the actual ward. Anyway it may take time but you will be fine. Just think of your little boy who is absolutely gorgeous rest up and let your OH take over now and again for a while. It will help a lot! Take care x x

 

[weebun]

congratulations first on the birth of you ever so adorable little boy x

I ended up with an emcs with my little girl last year and got a bladder tear duing the procedure which pro-longed the postnatal healing period cause I had a catheter for 10 days and i had scar trouble as in it took time to heal after the stitches were removed.

me and baby were fine but as the above reply states, physically and emotionally the time it takes to get over will vary... I struggled emotionally for a time after, I couldn't even watch one born every minute and stuff, watching other women have no problems heal well etc I just felt cheated. cause I was stuck on the table for 2 hours and my partner and daughter were whisked away after a short time to leave them to sort my bladder tear out.

you will get better but I understand how you must be feeling x

I am due number 3 in december so it didn't put me off, I am due to have a planned c-section which I am worried about, but I will raise the issues at my final consultant apt in a few weeks x

 

[Chalrhow]

That sounds terrible... What hospital was it ? Congratulations on your gorgeous son

 

[weebun]

I have to say the care at my local hospital could not be faulted, the whole time I was in labour and afterwards post emcs, they were so attentive and looked after me. The bladder tear I had was totally accidental and unavoidable as I have lots of scar tissue and as they cut through scar tissue to get to the part they needed to cut to get baby out my bladder was cut, as it was attached with by scar tissue to my uterus.

 

[Banshee]

Wow, that does sound like an awful experience so

I had a traumatic emcs too (though it doesn't sound so bad compared to yours). I too had ds1 under a general anaesthetic as his heart rate was very low during labour. I can understand how disappointing it is to miss out in the whole 'birth' experience. My cs was in the middle of the night so when I was out of recovery they dumped me on a 6 people ward with my baby and my DH was sent home so I was all on my own, traumatised and with no one to help me. The midwife support wasn't great but was no way as bad as what you had.
I'm not going to say 'well at least you gave a healthy LO' coz that used to drive me mad but I just wanted to say that for me, two years on and after a second emcs it doesn't seem as bad and I really hope that you will come to terms with your experience as well.

 

[ladysarcasma]

I also had a traumatic EMCS after 32 hours of induced labor. I had an infection from prolonged labor. Baby had to be pushed back in because she couldn't fit out and forceps couldn't reach. Transverse uterine incision was extended into inverted T because she was majorly lodged in my pelvis. Even with the extension, they couldn't get her out. I bled so heavily I needed a transfusion of 4 units of blood (half the blood in my whole body). They put me under because I was freaking out so much. I woke up in ICU alone on a breathing tube with my hands strapped to the bed. Didn't get to see my little girl for nearly 2 days.

It is now 5 years later and I'm expecting another baby. I was just told today I will have to deliver at 37 weeks to avoid labor. I'm terrified. My physical recovery only took about 6 weeks. Emotionally, I felt fine overall after a couple months. But I have an anxiety problem, so I had anxiety issues even at the dentist when they put the light on over me! I don't know if you really ever get completely over something like that. My hope is that this cesarean will go very very smoothly and it will help me to heal from the trauma of the first.

As long as you don't actually have anxiety issues like I do, you really should feel fine in a couple months. I sought therapy. It's really not a bad idea.

 

[wifey29]

My EMCS story is the same as yours, my LO's heartrate dropped to 70bpm when I reached 5cm and we were rushed to surgery. The last thing I remember was begging the doctors to save my baby and a nurse pressing down on my throat to stop me being sick as they put me out. I remember nothing about his first few days and it makes me so sad, especially as he is likely to be our only child.I have only just been able to start talking about it, nearly five months after he was born. Weebun said it right, I feel cheated somehow.