So You’re Going to Have a C-Section…

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If you were a resident of South Carolina in late June of 2009, you might remember the location of our governor was big news. He left town for a couple of days, telling folks he was hiking the Appalachian Trail, and then told the truth about his whereabouts at a news conference during the late afternoon of June 24. This event is significant to me because at the time, I was in my hospital room preparing for a c-section.

I did not plan to have a c-section. I thought I would have a vaginal birth the way nature intended, but my water broke almost 18 hours earlier, and my body had not progressed. I was tired, I was hungry, and most of all, I just wanted to meet my baby. So I agreed.

From start to finish, the c-section was done in a flash. There were less than 30 minutes between the time I was wheeled into the operating room until I saw my baby and was in recovery. Within an hour and a half, I was eating dinner and successfully breastfeeding my new son. The following day I was walking up and down the corridors of Baptist Hospital, and my baby and I were discharged on Saturday morning after a 3-day stay.

I was still a bit groggy but I was happy that my boy was finally in my arms!
I was still a bit groggy but I was happy that my boy was finally in my arms!

I’ve never considered having a v-bac (vaginal birth after cesarean.) Not for any particular reason, other than the fact that I was (and still am) terrified of something going wrong. I trust my doctors completely, and have had two subsequent c-sections. I will have a fourth c-section in less than 70 days!

So, if for whatever reason, you and your doctor have decided that you are going to deliver via cesarean section, let me help calm your fears. You can do everything that your vaginal-delivering girlfriends can do (albeit possibly a little bit slower and more deliberate than they do.)

Here are a few observations from my experiences:

Prior/During the Procedure

  • Be prepared to hurry up … and to wait. There are a limited number of operating rooms, and it’s first come first serve. I was scheduled for a certain time, but got bumped and had to wait an additional hour past the time I expected to have my third delivery.
  • One of the medicines I received made me really nauseous. And because I didn’t make it to either of my scheduled deliveries I was terrified that I was going to lose my breakfast all over the operating room. But just as soon as it started, it stopped.
  • The operating room is bright, and loud (ish). Of course the staff needs to be able to see what they’re doing, and I LOVED the fact that the doctors were playing some sort of 90’s satellite radio station. It kind of took the edge off of my nervousness.
  • I did feel tugging the first time; a whole lot of pressure as they pulled my son out. He’d gotten pretty far down in the birth canal, and my husband warned me that his head looked like a party hat. (It eventually smoothed out.) Because I didn’t labor for numbers two and three, those two were born with perfectly smooth, round, heads.
  • The wait from the time that the doctor makes the announcement that the baby is born and the time that you hear his first cry is unending. In reality it was probably less than a minute, but it seems like an eternity.
  • After the birth, I woke up in recovery. Two out of three of my babies were brought to me almost immediately.

Recovering in the Hospital

  • Stay on top of the pain meds. It’s available, so take advantage of it at the recommended time intervals. You may not be feeling pain when it’s time (which lets you know it’s working!), but you’ll realize real quick when it wears off that you should have taken it. Also, I didn’t know it but morphine makes me itch. Post c-section #1, I clawed through my skin I was so miserable. Post #2 and #3, I requested (and received) Benadryl to take the edge off.
  • Let the nurses do their jobs. I have yet to change a diaper in the hospital. My husband has changed his share, but a nurse was always conveniently available when I needed that to happen. So the dreaded meconium is something that I haven’t experienced.
  • Order anything you want off of the menu (even if it’s the same thing in multiple quantities). Those first few days after giving birth, I didn’t feel like eating much of anything but a grilled cheese sandwich and fruit. And I did. For every meal. Other c-section mamas have told me they were only allowed to have liquids for 24 hours after their procedure (jello, broth, Italian ice, etc.), but my doctor didn’t mind me having solid foods during that time frame.
  • Showering for the first time is somewhat embarrassing. The nurse tech was in the room, ready to take care of me if I fell. She saw more of my post-baby body than I would have liked (pretty much all of it). It didn’t matter though, it was heavenly (despite the tiny hospital towels).
  • Walking is slow, but it helps with recovery. As soon as I was given the go-ahead, I walked the hallways of the hospital. It seemed like I was walking for miles. It was slow going at first, but I was told by more than one nurse that she wished all moms walked the halls. I’m convinced that made for an easy recovery.

Recovering at Home

Newspaper, pillows, couch, and probably ice water and the television remote very close by!
Newspaper, pillows, couch — and probably ice water and the television remote very close by!
  • Netflix and the DVR are your friends. I breastfed all of my babies, and newborns constantly eat. So I parked myself on the couch with the biggest cup of ice water I could prepare myself, and surrounded myself by snacks. My older two watched a good bit of television those first few weeks!
  • I weaned myself off of the prescription medications as soon as I possibly could. For births #2 and #3, my husband had to return to work pretty quickly, so I was on my own. I didn’t want to feel out of it or take medicine if I didn’t truly need it. Also, it’s not advisable to drive while taking some prescription painkillers, which is a major hindrance if you really need to leave the house for something.
  • Accept help. Not only is there a new life to take care of, I was also recovering from major abdominal surgery.

I don’t know what it’s like to have a vaginal birth. And I’m sincerely okay with that. It’s the twenty-first century, and I’m thankful for the medical knowledge that has allowed me to have three successful births (and I look forward to a fourth, final birth in just a little less than two months!)

What advice would you give to a mom who’s been told she’s having a cesarean section? Leave your advice in the comments!

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