Elective C-Section

[bstromsmoe]

I'm a 25 year old mother to a 16 month old boy, and I have another baby on the way, due in November. I am starting to think about labour already, and I'm contemplating an elective cesarian. My son was born vaginally, and I had a very healthy pregnancy and uncomplicated labour, however I was in hard labour for 43 hours. Obviously, it's hard to forget such a difficult labour, and delivery after 2 full days without sleep was also very difficult. Not to mention caring for a newborn when I was so extremely exhausted was next to impossible.

So, I am strongly considering a c-section. I'm completely aware of the risks involved (my father is a surgeon), and I know that recovery is difficult, but it's still tempting..... Any c-section survivors have any advice for me?

I know that the second labour is supposed to be faster, but anything faster than 43 hours is still pretty darn long! Help!

[CheleRae]

We were all set to have a natural birth and I came upon 39 weeks with no signs of labor. I had the pleasure of going to the hospital for 8 days to try to induce labor using cytotek (sp?). No such luck. Nearing 41 weeks the doctor tried inducing with pitosin (again sp?) which seemed to kick things off. I was having regular contractions and little pain. I dialated to 1cm. By the afternoon they felt I was having good enough contractions that I could have an epidural, which I opted for. I did not progress (dialate) all day and they stopped the pitosin so I could get some rest. The next day they started the pitosin again about 6am and by 9 still no change. They broke my water and all day I never moved from 1cm. By 7:30 they docs said that if I did not start active labor by the morning they may have to do a c-section, as the night before, before they broke my water, my amniotic fluid was a little low. Soon after my doc left, the nurse came in to check me and the heart rate fell drastically and she had trouble getting it to recover. They ordered an emergency c-section, which was a little frightening, but I felt confident in the hospital and doctors that everything would be okay, and withing a few short minutes we had our first daughter, who by the way had an apgar of 9 both times. We say she just wanted to come out and did it any way possible.

The first day I felt great, up and walking around no pain, but that all hit me the next day. (Morphine has that effect) The pain was a little more intense but some motrine seemed to make it tollerable. The third day was great, very little pain and I was up and around. The most difficult thing was I was so constipated it took nearly all day to go, and they wouldn't take my iv out until i did. But finally it all come around and we were able to get ready to go home the following morning.

Then for baby number two we had a planned c-section which I knew what to expect and it seemed to go better than the first. The only thing that I would say was the worse part was getting poked for my epidural. I was nervous which probably did not help and i ended up with a grapefruit size bruise on my back. I also seem to have minor back issues (seems to be arthritus type or spurs of some sort since, nothing I can't tollerate).

Now I am preg with number three and was expecting to have a c-section, still am but found out I have Placenta Previa. Which does not bother me so much since, like I said, we are going to have a c-section. We are waiting until 25 weeks to do a thorough ultra sound to see if the placenta is full or partial (right now it is partial) and to see if it is accreta. If it is accreta, I will have to deliver at a different (bigger) hospital due to the increased complications. I fell okay so far, and there is no symptoms from the previa so it is business as usual.

So i really enjoyed my c-sections and am glad that I had them. Did not miss having labor that's for sure. I would suggest having your baby natural if you plan to have a few more because c-sections can increase risks in your next pregnancies.

Hope that helps.

[bstromsmoe]

Thanks for sharing your story!
I go to see the doctor today, and I'm hoping that he'll be open to the idea of a planned c-section. Like you, I had my water broken in the hospital, and with that there's always the risk of a dry birth. So, I'll mention that and hope that he sees my point!