When I was pregnant with my first child, never in a million years did I think I would end up having a c section. I read so much during my pregnancy about different types of birth – home birth, natural birth, birth with an epidural, even water birth. What I didn’t read very much about at all was c section birth. I just never thought that would happen to me. I didn’t even see it as an option.
Fast forward to my due date. I was getting anxious to meet my baby, but so far there had been no signs of labor. We had been tempting fate, taking day trips and doing a lot of walking around, hoping to jump start labor. This particular day, we had gone to a local seaport and done a lot of walking. Still nothing. I went to bed that night not expecting anything out of the ordinary.
Then my water broke in the middle of the night. I woke up to a gush of warm fluid that I knew instantly was my water breaking. I called my doctor, got dressed, and off we went to the hospital.
My First C Section Was an Emergency
Like so many c sections that you hear about these days, my first c section was an emergency. After being at the hospital for hours, I was still only 3 centimeters dilated. Nothing had progressed since I arrived, even after being given medications to induce labor. I was on monitors to check my daughter’s heart-rate. At first everything seemed fine, but then suddenly her heart-rate was dropping. After that, everything happened very fast.
They made me turn to the side, then quickly to the other side. Then all I remember is being asked to sign a form and someone putting an oxygen mask over my face. It was panic inducing. I was not at all prepared. I barely had time to speak with my doctor or the anesthesiologist before I was being whisked away to the operating room.
My husband didn’t even get to accompany me to the OR. He was brought to a separate room to change into scrubs while they prepped me for my c section procedure. I was terrified without him there. I kept asking when he could be brought in, and it wasn’t until they began the procedure that he was finally able to join me in the operating room.
My Emergency C Section
Since my labor had not progressed to the point of needing anything for the pain, I did not have an epidural in place. If I had one in already they could have used that to administer the numbing medication. However, since I didn’t, they had to set up a spinal block. I had to sit on the edge of the table and hunch my back while they inserted the needle into my spine. Let me tell you, this was the WORST part for me.
Not to scare anyone, because all in all, if this is the worst part, it really wasn’t that bad. I have never had a natural childbirth, but from what I have been told, I am sure that would be much more painful. However, there is something about the spinal block procedure that is akin to nails on chalkboard. When they were moving the needle around trying to find the right spot, a weird and somewhat painful sensation shot through to my hip bone. I was quick, but it caused me to grab the nurse’s hands and squeeze hard.
Once that was over with, they had me lie down on my back. I could already feel my lower half going numb as they arranged me on the operating table. A curtain was placed in front of me that made the doctors seem farther away than they really were.
Not the only one pregnant? Read my article on How to Plan a Baby Shower for some great step by step advice!
The C Section Procedure
Up to this point, even though I remember so much in vivid detail, everything really did happen fast. It was an emergency c section after all. It seemed like there were a million people in the room. Doctors, nurses, anesthesiologists. And in case you are wondering, yes, the room looked very similar to the operating rooms you see on TV. This was no cute little labor and delivery room. Bright lights and gleaming metal dominated.
Once I was laid out on the table, curtain in place, they began testing to see if the numbing medications worked before they started actually cutting me open. Luckily for me it definitely worked, as I didn’t feel any pain. The anesthesiologist told me they pinched my inner thigh really hard and I didn’t feel it at all. I had a bruise there later to prove that I had in fact been pinched.
What’s so strange about it is that although you should not feel any actual pain, you definitely still have some sort of feeling. You can feel pressure. So while it doesn’t actually hurt, it’s not as though you can’t tell anything is happening either.
At some point during this is when they finally brought my husband in the room. It was strange to see him in blue scrubs with his hair and face covered. Somehow I wasn’t expecting that. But having him sitting there on a stool by the head of the table brought me much needed comfort. I was scared to hear what was going on, scared to even really KNOW what was going on at all, so I made him keep talking. We just talked and talked the whole time. I kept my eye on the clock behind his head, having been told it would be a matter of minutes before my baby would be out.
When the procedure began, I could feel waves of nausea. I was told to speak up if this happened, and luckily they were able to push anti nausea medication through the IV. Being petite, I also had the sensation of my entire chest and arms being numb. I was told this was also quite normal. Even though it kind of felt like I couldn’t breathe, that was just the numbness. I could actually breathe just fine.
I felt a lot of tugging and pulling, but again, no actual pain. Then I was warned that I would feel a lot of pressure. It felt like someone pushing really hard on my stomach, without any pain. And then the pressure stopped and I heard my baby cry.
Once you hear your baby cry, the fear goes away
Hearing my baby’s first cries, knowing that she was OK, was all I needed to forget my fear. The c section was over as far as I was concerned. It was a minute or two before I was able to see my baby while they checked her over and cleaned her up, but that was OK with me. The relief I felt was extraordinary.
One tip – make sure to give a camera or phone to someone on the staff before they start. This way, even though we were behind the curtain, the staff was able to capture images for us of our baby as soon as she was born (tactfully avoiding any gruesomeness). Make sure whatever you plan to use for pictures is brought down to the operating room if you find yourself in this situation.
They actually handed us the camera with the pictures they took before they even brought our baby over. We were able to see the pictures while we waited.
Very soon after they brought us our new baby. I couldn’t really hold her yet as my arms were still numb, but they placed her on my chest. My husband also got to hold her while they stitched me up. This part takes longer than the actual procedure, but once you have your baby, you really don’t care anymore. The hard part is over.
Soon enough after, my incision stitched up and bandaged, I was wheeled to recovery. Immediately we got to work on nursing for the first time. I had a nursing champ on my hands, she latched right away. My mother was able to come down and see us. My husband started making calls to extended family and friends. It was every bit as exciting as I am sure the period after a vaginal delivery is.
C Section Recovery – Day One
As much as I didn’t expect to have my baby by c section delivery, I definitely never expected to be recovering from major surgery. The most surgery I had experienced up to this point was having my wisdom teeth out. This was major abdominal surgery.
For that first day after my daughter was born, I really couldn’t feel much from the waist down. No pain (thanks to the numbness and the pain killers.) Unfortunately, even after the feeling starts to come back, they still won’t let you just get up and walk around. There is a catheter in place that has to be removed before you can use the bathroom. They make you get out of bed and stand there then get right back in. It was frustrating not being able to get out of bed and tend to my baby. My husband was there for the first diaper change, first vitals, all of that. But I was grateful that at least one of us could be there.
Having visitors that day wasn’t so fun. People were all passing my baby around while I lay there unable to move. I don’t recommend it. Being a first time mom I was overwhelmed with worry. I was scared someone would accidentally drop her, or she would need me and I couldn’t just get up and take her from someone. It was terrible.
Finally much later in the evening I was able to get the catheter out, shuffle to the bathroom and clean myself up. What a relief that was! I will never forget it. I was so grateful to the very kind nurse I had who helped me clean all the dried blood off my incision.
Recovery Continued
There was pain, but not a terrible amount of pain. When the meds start to wear off, the pain of the incision, for those that have never had surgery, feels pretty much like a normal cut you might get, just bigger. However, if you allow the meds to wear off too much (or if someone accidentally misses one of your doses as happened to me) the pain can get pretty intense.
Nursing also contributes to the pain. Those first few days, whenever you nurse, it causes your uterus to contract. This is a good and necessary thing, but with a c section incision, this can hurt a lot. Be prepared to grin and bear it a bit while nursing. Plus, for me, the narcotic painkillers made me nauseous, so I had to make due with half a dose.
After the first couple of days I was fine getting off of any narcotics for pain. I was up and moving around and feeling a whole lot better. The incision didn’t really hurt, and the cramping from my uterus contracting had eased up a bit.
Once I got home, things went very smoothly. You aren’t supposed to lift heavy things or do anything too strenuous, but each day you feel a little better. Besides, taking care of a newborn baby takes your mind off it.
The C Section Incision
Most of you have probably seen what a c section scar looks like. My scar, like most that I have seen, is a small horizontal scar right along my bikini line, several inches wide.
At first, the incision was closed up on the outside with little strips of tape-like material. The actual stitches were only done on the inside. After a few weeks the strips are supposed to come off on their own, or you can take them off yourself when advised by your doctor. Peeling them off is pretty similar to peeling off a band-aid.
There is a lot of numbness around the area of the incision. This numbness never really went away for me. It’s a strange sensation if I run a finger over the area, but otherwise it doesn’t bother me. The scar healed nicely and isn’t something I really notice much – even after two c sections. The second time they must have gone in exactly the same spot because the scar looks the same now.
Scheduled C Section
When I was pregnant last year with my twins, my doctor and I discussed whether or not I would try for a VBAC. I went back and forth on how I felt about this. Part of me really wanted to try for a vaginal birth. But I also knew that the likelihood of ending up needing a c section anyway was high. I didn’t want to end up starting labor with the intention of a vaginal birth and then being rushed into an emergency c section anyway.
It was decided that if I went into labor on my own and was progressing without the need for medication to induce labor (which they could not give me due to my previous c section and the risk for uterine rupture) then I would be able to try for a vaginal birth. If, however, I had not gone into labor on my own by 38 weeks of pregnancy, I would be having a scheduled c section.
The date for my scheduled c section was set for December 3rd. I’m not sure if knowing there was a date for the procedure made things easier or not. Having had a c section before, I knew what to expect. Having never had a vaginal birth, and it being twins, I was terrified of what could go wrong.
On the other hand, I was terrified of having another surgery as well. In the past few years I have developed terrible anxiety especially when it comes to health related anxiety, and the thought of surgery brought on an almost debilitating fear.
A Scheduled Emergency
As it happened, my water broke with my twins at 35 weeks and 6 days. However, labor did not start naturally. So it was that I was prepped for my second c section that night.
It wasn’t an emergency this time though, not the same way as with my first. The doctors and nurses weren’t rushing. They took their time getting me prepped, trying to keep me calm. The babies were doing great so they didn’t keep them on the heart-rate monitors which was nice (those things are uncomfortable especially with two babies).
I will admit, I was still terrified. I wasn’t sure how I could actually go through with it, even though I really had no choice. My husband had to keep talking to me as a way of distraction. Even though I was glad there was nothing wrong and no need to rush, at the same time I wanted to get it over with.
One I was in the operating room, everything was the same as the first time, from what I can remember. The same spinal block was used with the same uncomfortable and somewhat painful feeling as they tried to find the right spot. This time it was my doctor whose tiny little hands I squeezed.
My husband was brought in at the same time, once they had me on the table and tested me to make sure I couldn’t feel anything.
The procedure started the same. Nothing was noticeably different with twins. I still got nauseous, I still got numb up to my chest and arms. I still felt that odd feeling of pressure and tugging without any pain.
The only part that I will say was worse with twins was the part where they actual take them out. The pressure was intense. It’s hard to describe though because again, there was no pain. Just a strange feeling of intense pressure that you want to get over with. The relief once I knew both babies were out was massive.
Recovery the Second Time Around
Amazingly, recovery was just about the same the second time around. I worried, being five years older, having already had a c section before, and having twins, that the recovery might be more difficult. But amazingly, it wasn’t.
The ONLY thing that was different this time is that they were using new medications during the procedure that they apparently didn’t use five years prior. One of the medications, although apparently great for pain management, causes itching shortly after the procedure that can last several hours. Luckily, the doctors and nurses are well aware of this side effect and were able to quickly get me some medicine for the itchiness.
Otherwise, everything was the same, including the incision. If anything, perhaps thanks to different medications, I was up and walking around sooner this time. That was especially great for me since one of the twins was sent to the NICU and I needed to be able to at least get into a wheelchair myself before they would let me go see him.
Would I do it again? Absolutely. As scary as it seems, looking back, it really wasn’t all that bad. The most exciting two days in my whole life were the births of my children. Nothing else will ever come close to that. And I don’t think having had them by c section makes it any less so. I don’t regret “missing out” on having a vaginal birth. There are many different types of birth, and a c section is one of them. Even though there are probably far too many of them performed, sometimes it really is necessary for the well being of mom and baby. So if you find yourself having a c section, whether an emergency or planned, try not to be scared and allow yourself to enjoy the birth of your baby (or babies)!!!
