Traumatised after emergency C-section...?

[Xjssc]

My 9-week-old son came into this world via emergency Caesarean. For the first 3-4 weeks of his life, I couldn't function properly at all. I thought "shock-mode" would wear off a day or so after the operation, but it didn't. Time seemed to go so quickly, and I was so irrational and I simply couldn't think at all. I was so detached from reality and myself, it was so bizarre. I guess it got me through the experience, though.
How did your C-section affect you?

 

[biliboi2]

I think i was traumatised. Healing from the surgery takes a lot out of you! Wondering if i will ever recover fully. Sure I will in time.

 

[hopeforamirac]

i think section's especially emergency ones really traumatise ppl
i think you may want to go have a chat to your doctor he may be able to offer some help, ie councelling. i was given a number for my hospital to talk to someone about my section as it was traumatic, maybe your hospital offer similar?

 

[tabitha561]

I had a sceduled C-section I was back to myself about 2 days later.....I think Its different if its a emergency and a sceduled...

 

[JJS2012]

Okay my son's was bad.

My labor failed, so the c section seemed like it was going to be ok - it wasn't rushed or anything, just "the baby isn't coming naturally so we're going into cscetion".

It turned emergency when the epidural failed and I had to be put to sleep.

I was sick for 24 hours afterwards. It was horrifying.

This took me a lONG time to get over. I had flashbacks, nightmares, everything.

I gave birth to my daughter 19 months later. After a failed VBAC, my epidural was failing again, so they gave me the spinal. I was awake and there were no complications. I found the second one that I recovered much more quickly - however, it isn't easy to recover from period.

I completely understand. It's very difficult. But rest assured I am now expecting number 3 and am at peace with the idea of another csection. It took some time but I am doing much better with any trauma it caused previously

 

[socitycourty]

I felt exactly like that too. I had never really entertained the possiblity of having a c section let alone an emergency one. For at least a month I felt nothing like myself I couldn't focus, and the sleep deprivation was even worse.

I am just now starting to feel better but I get anxious thinking about the birth and stuff and I still don't feel 100% "right"

 

[hastbury]

i think section's especially emergency ones really traumatise ppl
i think you may want to go have a chat to your doctor he may be able to offer some help, ie councelling. i was given a number for my hospital to talk to someone about my section as it was traumatic, maybe your hospital offer similar?

Hey hopeforamirac..I lost track of our 13th July thread...my labour ended also with an EMCS.

I only had mine last Sunday, and every day has brought its challenges (not including those of our baby boy) The physical impact has also shocked my OH, not in a vain way, just in how upsetting it is for me...

I may look into counselling, just taking one day at a time at the mo.

 

[novella86]

I completely agree it is traumatising. I had my emergency c section a month ago due to complications during labour where the baby had turned his head and got stuck. They also found out in the emergency scan that my placenta had started coming away. Emergency section was done where they knocked me out. Later found I had lost 2 litres of blood. Baby and me were fine thank god but the surgery really took it out of me. I felt drained, couldn't get out of bed or lift my baby due to being tired and sore. Also lost appetite for a week and very bad vomiting but found later it was an allergic reaction to the antibiotics. Broke my heart not being able to do anything and felt like a bad mother. After 2 weeks I was finally able to do the things I wanted with my baby. Can't keep us apart now and he's a month old now. Definitely a pretty long recovery.

 

[M&S+Bump]

My 9-week-old son came into this world via emergency Caesarean. For the first 3-4 weeks of his life, I couldn't function properly at all. I thought "shock-mode" would wear off a day or so after the operation, but it didn't. Time seemed to go so quickly, and I was so irrational and I simply couldn't think at all. I was so detached from reality and myself, it was so bizarre. I guess it got me through the experience, though.
How did your C-section affect you?

This was me as well - it was a horrible, long labour followed by decision to c-section and the operation carried out within half an hour of the decision being made without really getting any chance to process the information. Everything about the whole experience was the exact opposite of what I had wanted.

I started off feeling totally detached, just walking around in a daze - still functioning, just, but unable to make even the simplest decision or hold any information, as if I'd been drugged. This progressed to anger and a lot of crying, a diagnosis of PND and a referral for counselling. I also went and had a debrief meeting at the hospital which helped somewhat, but it took several months to feel as if I was starting to mentally recover from everything. I was discharged from counselling after nine months.

I have a history of depression so obviously I can't say that everything was caused by the EMCS, some of it might have happened anyway regardless, but it definitely didn't help! Hoping for a very different experience this time round.

 

[Banshee]

I was very traumatised by my first emergency c section. Ds1 was found to be in serious distress just after I arrived at the hospital in labour and I had to be rushed into theatre and put under a general anaesthetic to get him out as soon as possible. I would cry about it for a long time afterwards coz it was the opposite of all that you hope that your birth will be. The thing that used to drive me mad was when people would say 'well at least you have a healthy little boy' as if my experience did not matter at all.
I have another emergency c section with ds2 but like one of the previous posters this was because I had tried for a VBAC which had not gone as planned so at least I could have a spinal and be awake for the birth.
I'm not sure if it is time or going through my second caesarian that has helped but I am genuinely say that I am no longer traumatised by what happened during the first birth. I can only hope that you too will recover from your experience in time

 

[ladysarcasma]

I didn't even see this thread before I posted mine. Five years ago, I had my labor induced. After 32 hours of labor, I had an emergency c-section. It did not go well. Because they'd pulled my epidural from labor, the second epidural failed. I was awake for her birth, but felt everything. I bled out and my heart slowed. I had a transfusion. During all the insanity, they kicked my then-husband out of the OR and put me under general. I was so insanely traumatized, that right now, at 9 weeks pregnant, I'm paralyzed with the fear of having a scheduled cesarean in 7 months. Everyone says a planned one is SO much better, but I'm so terrified, I can't even bring myself to be happy!

For months after the whole ordeal, I was so thankful that my daughter and I survived, but I had nightmares and horrible thoughts almost constantly. I really probably should see a therapist.

 

[Arisa]

hey definetly look into counselling if you can, i also went back on my stronger medications after having my LO as the whole experience of it was overwhelming even though i wanted a scheduled c section the experience of an emergency one three weeks early was a bit scary but i did come to accept it and do not regret having a section now

 

[Xjssc]

This was me as well - it was a horrible, long labour followed by decision to c-section and the operation carried out within half an hour of the decision being made without really getting any chance to process the information. Everything about the whole experience was the exact opposite of what I had wanted.

I started off feeling totally detached, just walking around in a daze - still functioning, just, but unable to make even the simplest decision or hold any information, as if I'd been drugged. This progressed to anger and a lot of crying, a diagnosis of PND and a referral for counselling. I also went and had a debrief meeting at the hospital which helped somewhat, but it took several months to feel as if I was starting to mentally recover from everything. I was discharged from counselling after nine months.

I have a history of depression so obviously I can't say that everything was caused by the EMCS, some of it might have happened anyway regardless, but it definitely didn't help! Hoping for a very different experience this time round.

Sounds quite similar to me. Your description of your mindset after your C-section matches my experience completely. I'd been seemingly coping fine after my operation because I had been numbed emotionally by the whole ordeal, but a couple of days later, the wall of safety between my thoughts and reality began to crumble and I cried - wailed, actually - explosively and uncontrollably and begged to be released from hospital. I'd developed extremely heightened anxieties on that day, and had a slight nose bleed and raised blood pressure, so I'd actually convinced myself that I was going to hemmorage and die. Hospital staff were quite rude to me, probably assuming that my odd behaviour was because I'm a younger mother (17) than because I was struggling to come to terms with what I'd just gone through.
This irrationality and anxiety lasted for weeks. But I'm fine now. I really hope you do have a contrary experience this time 'round! Did the counselling contribute to your recovery much?

 

[eden2012]

i had a csection 10 months ago, that was a c1 , and they had about 6 mins to get him out. it completely shook me up. and my partner was affected badly, hes not a guy to cry either but when he was telling me what had happened he broke down. wasnt very nice at all. i didnt get to hold my son for ages it broke my heart, we said we'd never have another baby for ages. and 7 weeks later, i got pregnant. im now nerli 35 weeks and facing a high risk pregnancy of uterine rupture. so i coulf hemmorage. but im gonna go vbac! these babies r worth it in the end. nd iv just found im closer to my little boy now x

 

[x__amour]

Erm, not so great... I had insufficient pelvic space and my LO went into severe fetal distress. Think she was out in about 10 minutes or so. I'm still struggling...

 

[LittlePeople]

I had an EMCS and that was all fine, but the labour was what traumatised me - and it only hit me half way through my 2nd pregnancy!!

 

[havingmyfirst]

How you feel is normal - I was exactly the same. You need to talk about it - to friends, doctors, the midwives, your obstetrian - but talk about it. That's what I have done.

 

[mama_t]

I was the same after my first section, it was emergancy and the had to put me under general, so my DH couldnt be in the OR with me. It took me years to get over it, when i got pregnant again, i knew right away i wanted another section but this time a well planned one where i could be awake and DH could be with me the whole time! I didnt want to risk a vback and it ending in e. section again! I wanted to see my baby born and share it with my hubby. I turned out to be a perfect c section and i dont regret choosing an elective one. Best experiance ever!

 

[Caitlin.]

After dilating to 9cm I was told I needed a c-section. After she said that I have no clue what else came out of her mouth lol. I felt in shock the whole c-section but once I held my daughter it didn't matter anymore. I will be getting another in March but it will be scheduled.

I'm sorry so many of you had a hard time with it.
*hugs*

 

[Wannabeam]

soooo glad I found this thread. my emergency c-section was bad too.I was strapped down and wheeled in,I was told my hubby would be coming in but they never let him in.I cried the whole time and shivered badly from the aircon, in the end the nice anesthetist covered me up as I was shaking so badly.And they spoke in greek the whole time for two hours so I never knew what was going on.They took my baby away without me seeing her and rushed her to a hospital the other side of town and put her in ICU. I didn't see her for almost a week and when I did I was so depressed being wheeled in to see her that I couldn't accept she was mine,to me I hadn't given birth I had been abducted by aliens and operated on. There was no joy in it. What hurt me most was the fact that the staff ignored my family and hubby whilst I was being operated on because no one wanted to tell them that things hadn't gone well. When we visited our baby I let hubby do everything even when we came home. It was so weird I couldn't even remember being pregnant and looking forward to birth,I just wanted to go away for a few days and clear my head... I didn't of course as I would have felt really guilty for shying away from motherhood. I was given no counselling or offers for support. I am very scared about my next c-section as they said they almolst cut into my bladder last time as it is in a funny place!!!!! I am scared of being pregnant again, but I want more kids. I just hope next time we will have the 'joyful' experience TOGETHER and baby will be OK. Now we are at home and happy though and I can't stop cuddling my sweet girl, she makes all the bad memories go away.