C-section with second baby due to placenta previa
Amelia Smith
My C-section was expected, but not planned. I’d been diagnosed with placenta previa, meaning that the placenta was covering my cervix, and in a vaginal delivery it would have to come out before the baby. That’s a bad thing – in general, it means that the mother will lose a massive amount of blood in a natural birth, and that mother and baby are less likely to survive. A c-section makes birth much, much safer in these cases (no death! Yay!), but of course I over-researched everything and found a fascinating article about a midwife, ca. 1700, who had managed to save some mothers and babies with this condition. (https://inamay.com/mother-and-child-were-saved-the-memoirs-1693-1740-of-the-frisian-midwife/)
After an initial bleed at dinnertime on my 40th birthday, I got a helicopter ride up to Brigham and Women’s Hospital, where I was put on bed rest. A few days later, they determined that I had an amniotic fluid leak and rushed me off to get my c-section. Of course this happened right after my husband, with no cell phone, had gotten on the bus back to the Vineyard. He would not be able to return until the following day, so I called my friend Sioux, who lived just across the river in Cambridge, to come be with me through the operation. She was a much, much better doula than my husband.
The operation went quickly and smoothly, and little Christopher was fine… except that once he was in the NICU he started having apnea and bradycardia, which resulted in an excessively long NICU stay. He’d been born at 34 weeks gestation, 6 weeks early, and had to stay in for 7 weeks, which was ridiculous. Having to travel back and forth between home and the hospital was exhausting. We had a 2 ¾ -year-old at home, so we couldn’t just leave her.
Physically, I have to say that recovering from the c-section was a piece of cake, much easier than getting over the exhausting multi-day induction I’d had with my first. (Now pitocin, that's exhausting!)
I was up and walking (a little) the next day. My main complaint was that the hospital pushed opioid pain killers, which I took once but really didn’t need. I was fine with just Ibuprofen and Tylenol, and took those for less than a week. About 5 or 6 days after the birth I was back in Boston, schlepping my breast pump around on buses and generally feeling very tired.
In short, my experience was that having a C-section – without labor first – was no big deal, but having a baby in the NICU sucked.
Pre-eclampsia/Induction/Medical interventions
Jaqueline Lèbre Bacellar
I planned a natural birth, but had pre-eclampsia. I went to the MV hospital and was transferred to Mass General where I stayed in induced labor for 58 hours until I deliver my baby through a C-section. After the pre-eclampsia diagnosis the doctors tried to control my blood pressure with magnesium and induce labor with Pitocyn. They recommended a C-section but I felt pressured by a family member to keep with the natural birth plan.
After Surgery it was very difficult because I had taken way too many medicines: Pain relief, hormones and anesthesia. So was difficult to recover from those medicines. I peed through a catheter for two days and that was very scary. About a week after the surgery I went to ER with a very intense migraine and was treated with morphine. After surgery I had difficulty to move one of the legs for about a month, the nerve seemed to be damaged and I was afraid that would be permanent but I ended up recovering.
It was also difficult to take care of the baby by myself under this circumstances but we made it through. Yes everything was much harder than I expected.
I would like to advise to another mom to get a doula for her birth and I would advise them to make sure you allow the right people into your delivery room. Make sure you have somebody you trust to make life decisions for you in case you lost consciousness. Trusting or accepting the wrong person into the room can be seriously prejudicial.
What helped me get in terms with my c-section was doctors saying repeatedly that our life was in high risk. Also because the medicines made me unable to open my eyes how could I help a human being get out of my body? I did not grieve a natural birth, I was glad that it was over. I feel comfortable and thankful with the C-section because it saved our life.
There is 18 months since my C-section. I feel mostly recovered but still aware of my incision which is a little sensitive. I've had no more kids yet, but if I have I would rather have the C-section right away!
Uterine rupture/vbac
Ruby Schaefer
I had a uterine rupture and the loss of my fourth child due to having two vaginal births after a C-section. It's very important that women are aware that this is a real risk and does occasionally happen.
My first pregnancy was totally normal, no health problems and baby was growing at the normal rate. I went into labor in the middle of the night and everything was progressing normally. I was into the pushing stage and her heart rate dropped rapidly. I was rushed into surgery and woke up hours later as they had to put me under general anesthesia. I felt a little lost after her birth. I felt robbed, like I had missed something important. It didn’t stop me from bonding with her, but at the time I felt cheated.
I did not get pregnant again until 5 years later. I again had a normal pregnancy and decided I was going to do a VBAC as I had known lots of people who had done it with no issues. I did not research as I should have. Things like using Pitocin to start labor makes your uterus contract harder which can separate the scar inside much more than regular contractions. I was given Pitocin to start labor with this pregnancy. She was born normally with no issue. It was such a different experience and the bonding experience was a lot different and better than the c-sec. Recovery was so much easier.
I became pregnant around 1 ½ years later and again normal pregnancy however the labor was a bit harder as he was posterior but other than that everything went off without a hitch. I did not use Pitocin this time around. I remember saying to my husband after this baby… I could do that 100 times over a C-Sec.
I became pregnant again unplanned six months later. Normal pregnancy, everything seemed fine. I knew I was having another girl and after the initial shock of being pregnant again so soon I was really happy. At 6 ½ months pregnant she stopped moving. I knew, but I think I was in denial a little. I went for my scheduled ultrasound and discovered she had passed away. I waited over a week to see if she would come out on her own which didn’t happen. I scheduled a D&C to have her removed which was supposed to only take a half an hour and be painless. I awoke 8 hours later having had an emergency c-section because my uterus had ruptured while in the process of the D&C. I had lost so much blood that my heart stopped several times and they had to resuscitate me. They gave me a blood transfusion and repaired my uterus so that I would not lose any of my reproductive organs, with a very strong warning NEVER to get pregnant again. Lillian Grace died because the scar on the inside of my uterus was pulled and thinned out due to the other labors and she had attached to that thinning and could not thrive.
I wouldn’t trade the Virginal births for anything and I would probably make the same decision and have VBACs however, I wish I was better informed and did my research before doing it. I didn’t even know this was a risk at the time. I would have not used Pitocin or any other medicine that put stress on my uterus. There are definitely contributing factors, like which way the scar runs on the inside not the outside. They give you a bikini cut on the outside but may have done a vertical cut inside. Those are things that you should find out. A vertical cut in your uterus makes the risk much higher. Thinking back I should have gotten my medical records and read through them after my C-section. I wish someone had given me this info prior to the decisions I made. I may still have made the same decision to have VBAC's but at least I would have made a more informed decision.
Recovery from C-section (as I have had to do this twice) is all about not overdoing. I did not realize after the first one how important it is to just lay still for at least two weeks after. Scar tissue develops very easily in your uterus. I was not expecting it to be so hard to recover the first time around especially with a new baby. ASK FOR HELP….. there is no shame in asking for help! Sleeping is the great healer. You must sleep after and with a new baby that is not easy so again, ASK FOR HELP. My scar still swells up and itches after 25 years and the whole scar is numb, I really don’t know why.
C-section due to Placenta Previa following a vaginal Stillbirth at 9 Months
Cindy Krauss
My first C-section was not planned. I had already had one vaginal birth that did not go very well. My first baby was stillborn in the 9th month, I had a labor that lasted many hours. The birth was a difficult one. We knew that the baby was not going to be born alive so there was no need to try to spare him. The doctor had to use forceps to guide him out which ripped me in about ten different directions. Every time I stood up for months after that birth I felt like my insides were going to drop out from between my legs. It was a horrible experience all the way around, mostly because I did not come home with a baby. The rest of what happened was minor to that in comparison.
So it was actually my second child (first live birth) that was my first C-section. I had planned to deliver her vaginally but in the end I had placenta previa. The doctor advised against trying to deliver vaginally. Since I had already lost one baby and did not want to lose another one I had no problem going along with their plan for a C-section.
As mentioned above, I had already had one really difficult vaginal birth where I was ripped open. Recovery from that took a long time. I thought the C-section was a lot easier to recover from. It was a nice clean incision in the lower abdomen that healed well. It hurt a little for a while, but at least I didn't feel like my insides were going to drop out on the floor from between my legs. Plus, this time I brought home a baby which was the main thing. To me, it didn't matter how she came into the world, what mattered was that I walked out of the hospital with a live baby in hand. She's now 28 years old.
My older sister had two C-section births before me so I was well familiar with it all. She had labor that simply wouldn't progress. After about three days she was glad to have a C-section because that meant that she was finally going to have her baby.
I would tell other women not to feel bad about missing out on the classic birth experience. The safety and well-being of your baby and yourself are the most important things of all. It really doesn't matter how your baby comes into the world. What matters is that they make it safely. I went home empty handed once, it sucked more than I can say. It's a lot better to go home with a baby than without one. Also, the birth process is but one small part of your life as a mother. The real experience of motherhood happens once the baby is born. That's what's most important, you have many years of dedicated mothering to do with your child. I rarely think about how my kids were born, just that I'm so glad I have them.
I would have liked to have tried a vaginal birth with my second daughter (third pregnancy) but with my history of an unexplained still birth and placenta problems, plus I had some high blood pressure with my third, I didn't care about it in the end. Again, the main thing to me was a healthy, live baby in hand.
I never gave a look back. My only regret is that I lost my first child. It was my only boy. I have two lovely daughters. I focus on them. What's in the past is gone. My daughters are the here and now and have been since they were born.
As for recovery I only discovered what is true for any new mother. Rest, rest, rest, whenever you can. Taking care of a baby is a 24 hour a day job! The C-sections were so much better than the vaginal birth experience I had. I feel like I recovered so much quicker.
My children are 26 and 28 years old now. It was a long time ago. I feel like I am fully recovered. I felt fully recovered pretty early on. The only little reminder I have is when I stand at the kitchen sink to wash dishes. I guess I tend to lean into the counter a little. The edge of the counter top comes right to where my C-section incision is. It's not what I would call a pain or even a discomfort, it's just a strange little awareness that it's the same place where my c-section scar is.
Taking care of yourself afterwards
Stephanie Priore
I think the two biggest things that are important about cesarean section surgery and recovery are: firstly, have a support person for your partner in case things take that last minute scary unpredictable turn. You’ll have to stay strong, you have no choice. But your partner will need a little extra support during this time (not surprisingly since it’s major sometimes emergency surgery). Secondly I’d also urge women to do some self help work once things calm down- maybe a few weeks post birth- get some form of healing work for yourself. Whether you realize it or not, surgery is traumatic and the nature of birth suggests to women that although difficult, birth will be beautiful. This isn’t exactly the case once you’ve had a c-section and the resulting disappointment can be very physically and mentally traumatic. In my case, I needed some energy therapy and craniosacral work and so did my baby. But it was also helpful to talk through the situation with friends as well.
Congenital Defects & C-sections with both babies
Raleigh Russel
So I feel like my birth with Lyla was a lot more insane than Nico's because Lyla's was such an adventure!
When I was 31 weeks pregnant we discovered that Lyla had a heart defect and that I'd be delivering her in Boston. I had all these plans about how I was going to deliver- naturally, medication free, and only stay in the hospital for 24 hours since home birthing on the Island at the time wasn't really an option. Once we learned about her defect and that we'd be in Boston, I was crushed knowing that she was going to be born any way she decided to be born. Looking back, I laugh that I thought I had that much control over her plans for arrival. At the time though, I felt defeated.
At 32 weeks pregnant I woke up in labor and was ambulanced up to Boston where I spent eight days in labor while on bed rest at Tufts hospital.
I had my cervix checked three times a day but only ever dilated 1 cm. They kept telling me I could do it naturally if my body would let me and if she didn't become more distressed.
I ended up being wheeled back to the OR three times before she was actually born. I would have contractions and her heart rate would drop into the 50's. We were all trying desperately to keep her in me and bake, and of course once we'd get to the OR her heart rate would come right back up.
My mom was with me for the whole 8 days, sponge bathing me and bringing me goodies from China Town. My husband would drop everything and race up to Boston every time we had a false alarm. At least once while I was being wheeled back I was screaming that I wanted my mom while on all fours with an oxygen mask and my butt hanging out. I was stuck in labor and delivery so I heard multiple women giving birth all around me 24/7.
Finally we had all had enough. I was tired, they were tired and they promised that the next time her heart rate dropped we'd go back. Well of course her heart rate didn't drop once that day. David flew up and just as we had both fallen asleep her heart rate dropped so they came rushing in shouting HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
The actual surgery was quick. She shouted a bit once she came out and I was in and out in under an hour.
I was able to hold her that day (she was born at 1:30 am) but I was so heavily drugged that I don’t remember much of it. Lots of big terms were being thrown around and they were transporting her to Children’s Hospital Boston later that day for her first (of many) heart procedures. She was fully intubated and had, what seems like, lines coming out of everywhere. The next day as I was recovering and attempting to collect the colostrum that was pouring out of me, we realized we hadn’t heard from Children’s Hospital yet. We called and got the line transferred at least 5 times before someone told us that they had attempted her procedure and her heart stopped. For half an hour. And she had a brain hemorrhage. We asked if she was going to make it, and they told us to get to Children’s right away.
The next 48 hours are a complete blur. The nurses at Tufts handed me a handful of Percocets and I was literally running through the hospital to get in a cab. I never felt much pain. I never felt anything. I was also never able to make breast milk after that.
She survived. They gave us a grim outlook when we arrived. Possible foot and finger amputation. No one knew what her life would be like after the brain hemorrhage, but they were optimistic.
9 years, four more heart procedures, one open heart, one spine, and two ankle surgeries later, she’s a happy thriving young lady.
8 years after her birth, I delivered another baby via c section. Nico also had a congenital defect, but it’s completely unrelated to his sisters. I had a really hard time recovering from the surgery this time. I had a TON of scar tissue from Lyla, so opening that back up again was awful. It took me a full 12 weeks to recover fully. It’s amazing what age can truly do to your body!
Things I wish I had known about birth in general was when you plan, god laughs. I thought my second section would be just like the first. It was not.
I thought my body would bounce right back after birth, it never did. I eventually came to know and love my new body (post Lyla) and I’m working on it now post Nico.
I wish someone had told me that you bleed for months on end afterward (especially after a c section!) and adult diapers are your new best friend.
I wish someone would have told me about how the scar feels forever afterward. It’s numb and hard/weird to touch.
I wish someone would have told me to take every single hospital supply I could get my hands on for recovery.
I wish someone would have told me the emotional and psychological strain that a c section puts on you. It’s harder, or sometimes impossible, to make breast milk and that’s okay.
Exercising afterwards
Adrianne Ryan
I had a c-section 35 years ago but it wasn't too bad. A week and half later I wrapped my belly in the supportive elastic and started jogging. Probably not the best idea for healing scar tissue but I got away with it. I was fitness obsessed in those days. I find Fascia Blaster tools to be really helpful for breaking up fascia adhesions everywhere on the body, especially around scar tissue.
Big baby, easy recovery
Alison Taylor Enos
I had a surprise C-section due to Kathryn having some distress. It turned out that she was MUCH bigger/longer/heavier than they thought. Two doctors were with me for the operation as I was considered a high risk. I had part of the experience of labor, three days, before they found that K was having some trouble. To tell the truth, I don't remember a lot of that time. I was semi-conscious for the birth, in that my tolerance for the medication left me not quite unconscious. Not feeling things properly but still responding. I do remember them putting her on my chest, me talking to her and her talking back! The nurses were astonished and I finally succumbed to sleep! I had no problems afterward, no need for painkillers and no guilt regarding having a C-section. I didn't and don't believe the shit that some people try to make a mother believe about C-sections. It does not matter if you have a vaginal birth, a c-section or adopt. You are just as much of a mom in each case!
Didn’t dilate, easy recovery and no regrets
Kara Lee Steigelman
my c-section was not planned, I wouldn't dilate anymore than 5 centimeters. The surgery was easier than I expected. I was nervous at first cause that was my very first surgery. I went home two days after being in the hospital. I just kept taking my meds.
And no I'm not grieving, I was just happy to meet my baby boy. I didn't care how I had him. And my body is still the same. For anyone to have a C-section it doesn't matter how you have him or her as long as he or she is healthy. I am pain free and I don't even notice my scar at all. The doctors did an awesome job.
Group B Strep positive/ Leaking amniotic fluid/pitocin/penicillin allergy/Spinal headaches/blood patches...the Domino effect of medical interventions
Elizabeth Francis
I was young and I wish I had known so much more headed into my planned hospital delivery. I was 41 weeks and had gone in the morning before my daughter's birth for the midwife to check on us. She ended up accidentally breaking my water and I began leaking. I was group b strep positive so I needed antibiotics once my water broke. I was told to go home, get my things and head to maternity. I did just that. Once there I wasn't progressing, they told me I needed pitocin and that they would start antibiotics. Though I had never been allergic to penicillin before, in labor I was. I went into full anaphylaxis. From here the memories are kind of fuzzy. They stopped pitocin, brought me down to the ER, gave me an Epi and monitored both me and babies heart rates for a couple hours before bringing us back to maternity to begin inducing me again. I had planned on no medication for pain and wanted to go as natural as possible. I was hooked up to pitocin all night and was doing fine with the pain. Morning came quickly and they told me I had to get a c-section because my water had broken 24 hours prior. This was so hard for me but my body was exhausted and I just wanted my baby at this point. They had a hard time placing the epidural but they got it eventually and she was in my arms before I knew it. The happiness overpowered everything that happened before. But then the spinal headache came...it was aweful. I couldn't stand without vomiting. I had to lay flat for the first few weeks of my newborns life.
I wish I had known to ask to stay home until I progressed naturally a little more.
I wish I had said no to Pitocin.
I wish I had known that even if I was leaking there was still plenty in there for baby.
I wish I had been educated on spinal headaches, blood patches etc.
I wish I had advocated for myself and my daughter more.
Right now we just have our one girl, I'm hoping for a VBAC the second time around but that means being off island.
My recovery I think was so different than most, so i'm not sure how much advice I can give. All that helped me was lying flat and when I needed to get up (bathroom, shower etc) I had to make a plan so that I was quick and would hopefully not get sick from the pain. It was a lot harder than I expected. (Failed blood patch and I refused to try for a second one.)
I do still have a lot of numbness in my lower abdomen and my daughter is three! The doctors said working those muscles would change that, but still no luck.
I strongly believe that if I had better advocated for myself my birth story would be very different. I don't regret the experience because in the end I got the best gift ever, but I do think when we decide to try for baby number two I will make sure to do a better job of advocating for both myself and baby.
C-section followed by two successful VBAC's
Cathy Favreau
I ended up with an emergency C-section because the umbilical cord was around Cam's foot and his heart rate kept dropping whenever there was a contraction. I had not prepared for this option AT ALL, so it was a bit of a surprise. Luckily, I was at a birth center which was on the hospital campus and my midwife was able to attend the birth. I think that more information about how this affects the body is important! It's such a big surgery and the next few days are really painful and it's hard to manage both recovery and baby. I was lucky that I had ten weeks of summer off before I had to go back to school. I got the basic info about rest, not picking up stuff, and keeping the wound covered and clean. I had a terrible reaction to the bandage and that left more of a scar than the surgery! Luckily, both the lactation consultants and midwives were super supportive and that helped a lot. Because the midwife practice worked closely with the hospital, I was able to have VBACs with Oliver and Peter with no issues other than they had to be at the hospital. Normal births, with my midwives. It can be done!
Older mother, Breach position, planned C-section, trouble breastfeeding
Karen Hiemer
I live in Germany but I was born and raise on Martha's Vineyard. Nine years ago today I had planned C-section. It wasn't necessarily my choice to have one, but more of a medical necessity. I was an “older” woman at the age of 39. I had read at the beginning of my pregnancy that many older women need to have a C-section. I remember this because I had asked my doctor early in my pregnancy if that would be necessary for me. He had answered that only time would tell. When I was approximately 7 months, one day I felt a very strong pull on my belly button from inside. It was still hurting two days later and I hadn't felt my baby move since then. We called my doctor (my husband actually, I was still not very proficient in German) and my doctor was on vacation. I was referred to his substitute. We went and the doctor did an ultrasound. In the middle of the ultrasound my baby started to move again. We were naturally relieved. The doctor told us everything would be fine but that I should take it easy. We left that day with a great gift, not only that our daughter was still healthy, but also a 3D picture of her. As my pregnancy continued and my baby grew inside me, she moved and kicked a lot. But it was getting very uncomfortable for me. Her head was up under my ribs on the left side and her feet on the right. As it got closer to needing to prepare for her impending birth, my doctor referred me to the doctor at the hospital where she would be born. We thought nothing of this and only that this was normal procedure. When we got there, the new doctor advised us that we would have to have a planned C-section. He then offered us a few dates. In my limited German I remember his first date offered (yes, I did listen to all of them) was Wednesday, 29th September. I actually did not remember the date exactly at the end of his three other options. I only remembered that Wednesday was the earliest date possible. I answered, again in my limited German, that Wednesday was a great day to have a baby. After I gave that answer I asked (or tried to ask) if it was not possible to wait until my water broke and then have the C-section. I had a moment of worry did I choose a date too early, it was a date after all two weeks before my expected due date. Maybe it wouldn't be her time. Maybe she wouldn't be ready to join the world as a living breathing being. But in the end I do not think he fully understood what I was trying to ask. That I was trying to ask would she be ready? Couldn't we wait and let a little bit of “natural” work it's magic? His answer to me was a clear no. He advised that there was only one doctor in all of Germany who would even try to do this as a natural birth delivery. Yes, only one doctor in the entire country! And he was in Frankfurt, a minimum two hours drive away from us. We did not understand this. This is when we found out that my daughter was not going to turn herself, that she would stay in this inverted breach position. We didn't even realize that that is what she was. The Doctors had not ever told us this was not a normal position. Nevertheless, we stayed with the chosen date.
Fast forward a few weeks (if memory serves correctly it would be 6 weeks) and the 29th of September arrived. My husband and I had made bets with each other as to what time she would be born. We hadn't told anyone the planned date, that we wanted to keep to ourselves. We were told to be at the hospital for very early, 6:30 am. I had been told to shower that morning and had been given a special disinfectant soap to wash with. I was told to wash “head to toe”, not head and face, the legs and feet and midsection, but very important to do head down to toes. We had been told that upon arrival the “Hebamme” (German for midwife) would shave me and prep me with a catheter. Somehow, even though I couldn't see myself, I managed to shave myself in the shower that morning before washing in the order of head to toes. This saved us some prep time at the hospital. I had never had a catheter before. The midwife warned that it would feel like I had to pee but it was normal. I said I don't think it is normal because I feel like I am really going to pee. She said I should just let it go. It turns out that the catheter was not placed correctly and I peed myself. She corrected it and cleaned me up. It was then time to be transferred down to the operating room.
Upon arrival in the operating room, my husband knew one of the assisting nurses. I had seen her around the neighborhood but I didn't really know her. It was a blessing that she was there. It was nice to have a friendly and familiar face there in the room. We had opted for me to be awake. This meant that I would receive an injection in my back to numb me. This also meant that my husband would be allowed to stay with me. I was afraid if he wasn't with me I wouldn't understand anything. I desperately wanted him to be there with me to help me understand what was going on. I wasn't thinking that if I had been put to sleep I wouldn't need to understand. I was worrying about all the information they had given me in the event that something was wrong with the baby. That something went wrong with me. The baby would be sent to a different hospital. The hospital where we were is small and doesn't have an ICU for babies and I would be left at the hospital without my baby. If it was something with me I would be sent to another hospital and separated from my baby. All of this was running through my head, and I just knew I needed my husband to be there for me. At this particular moment in my thinking I was worried for me. Selfish perhaps but it was a few seconds thinking like this. I then did think that I know how much he wants to be a part of this and that I needed him there for that too.
I had to bend over so that they could give me the injection. I had such a big belly that I looked like I was carrying twins. I could not bend over enough. They said if I couldn't bend over enough then they wouldn't have a choice but to put me to sleep. I told my husband to push me down. He didn't even hesitate and the doctor was able to do the injection. Yay, it meant my husband could stay.
The surgery started. My husband was sitting next to my head. He was holding my hand. A cloth was draped in front of me. It also meant that my husband couldn't see. But he would look around it all the time. I couldn't feel the cut, but I could feel the hands inside me. It was a surreal feeling. It wasn't painful. I could just feel things being moved around. Next thing I knew they were showing me my baby. I saw her for a few seconds before they took her away. The midwife started checking the baby. She cried finally. My husband kissed me as he was ordered out of the room. They showed me my baby one last time and baby, husband and midwife all disappeared. This was known that they would return to the birthing room as the surgical room is too cold for the baby. I would need to stay behind. I was put to sleep to finish the surgery. I woke in the recovery room. After waking my vitals were checked and I was finally able to go to my baby. Everything was fine. We all could stay together. While I was still in surgery and recovery my husband had called everyone to say that Analiesa Marie Hiemer was born at 08:46 am on 29th September 2010, weighting 3490 grams and measuring 51cm.
What we did not know was that my daughter had the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck three times. The doctors had all clearly seen this, but did not tell us, most likely to keep the worry away from us. This I believe is what had happed way back when I had felt the tug on my belly button. Still to this day it is very sensitive to touch, more so than it had been before.
The very next day after the birth, the nurse came into my room very early, I think about 7am, which had felt like I had only been asleep for 15 minutes and she pulled open the curtains. She asked if I had stood already. I said of course not, I had just had surgery the day before. She tried to make me stand, but I played the language card. I could get away with this until my husband arrived a little while later. The nurse returned when he was there. I now didn't have a choice, I had to get up. I advised my husband I still had the catheter in. That didn't phase this nurse at all. She marched right over, took the covers off me and pulled the catheter out so quickly I didn't have a chance to say “boo”. I was then told to stand. Immediately I felt blood pouring out of me. I sat down, they got me some special underpants that are basically diapers and I was cleaned up. I had to walk that day, and right then. This nurse was from this moment on known as nurse Ratchet to me. First she wakes me up, then she rips out the catheter and then makes we walk to the bathroom. Clearly she had no sympathy whatsoever, or so I thought. However once it was done and over with she left me alone. I was told to ring the nurses when I had to go to the bathroom, at least when my husband wasn't there, which he was there every day the whole day until dinnertime when he went home to our dog. He did everything with the baby. He dressed her, changed her, bathed her, all before me. He was wonderful. Here in Germany I was allowed to stay in the hospital for five days following the birth.
Fast forward a few weeks and we were home. I had stopped breastfeeding the second day home. My daughter never latched on. The entire stay in the hospital I had to pump. The pump in the hospital was much more powerful and it didn't take long. Additionally my milk was not enough for my daughter and she continued to lose weight beyond the initial couple days. We had to supplement with formula in the hospital otherwise she would have to have stayed longer. I have since read that statistics show C-section births often do not breastfeed as long. It was ok. My baby got the first 6 days of my breast milk, meaning she got the crucial time which has the most antibodies to pass on. However, I digress. Healing of the C-section was doing well. Though my body rejected the dissolve-able stitches and started to push them out. Each day my husband had to cut a little piece off. He wanted to pull them out but I wanted to wait and show the midwife at her next scheduled home visit (in Germany they support you for up to 8 weeks after the birth with home visits). She looked at it and explained she had never seen or even heard of such a thing happening. A couple days later my husband had decided he had had enough of cutting it every day and decided to pull, and yes against my initial wishes, but more-so against my knowledge. It was still more than 3 inches long! But all was well, my body could really heal now. My baby was doing well, I was healing and we were overjoyed and blessed with a beautiful baby girl. I am lucky to have my girl. She is my miracle and I am for one very happy that science has brought us so far in the last 50 years that we have ultrasound and because of ultrasound the doctors were able to save my life and more so that of my daughter. After learning that the umbilical cord was wrapped around her neck, and as I mentioned we did not learn of this before the birth from the doctor, we actually only learned this from the attending nurse who my husband knew, today's science afforded us the opportunity to have a life-saving surgery that was planned and necessary. I hope my story will help a future mother. Many blessings to those future mothers who may have to have a C-section. Just know, you will be ok.
Induction/ not progressing/Emergency C-section/ meconium/ cord wrap/ feelings of failure
Emily May Bezanson
I was induced with my daughter at 41 weeks and 5 days. I was in labour for roughly 13 hours... when I was first induced they sent me home after they gave me the medication to wait for a few hoursa nd then to come back around 4pm. My labour didn't progress very quickly at that point until I felt like I needed to pee so I got up to go to the washroom and when I went in I wiped and there was a greenish color there that wasn't what I was used to. My nurses in labour and delivery assured me that it was just my mucus plug, which I learned afterwards it was not. After a few hours I was taken into one of the birthing rooms and my contractions started to get really intense. They gave me the gas to try but I was having such a bad time with my anxiety that I couldn't inhale it properly for it to help at all. They also gave me fentanyl which didn't help at all. My contractions were coming literally every 30 seconds which I was not prepared for. After I had my epidural everything sort of calmed down and I made it to around 8cm before my blood pressure started to get really high and my baby's heart rate started to drop. They told me at 5 in the morning that in half an hour I would be going in for an emergency c-section. At that point I was so exhausted I just started crying because I was not prepared to have surgery. I wanted to do everything by the book so to speak and I was disappointed that I had made it to eight centimeters and I had done all this work and then I stalled out and I felt like I had failed. So they took me in, I don't really remember going into the operating room because at that point I was on so many pain drugs that everything was just kind of a blur. I do remember them strapping down my arms which nobody had told me that that would happen when I spoke to any of my friends about their birthing stories. They strapped my arms down and put the sheet up so that I couldn't see what was going on except I could see them cutting me open in a reflection in one of the lights above me and my boyfriend at the time had to ask them to angle it away because I could see everything that they were doing. I don't remember any sensation of them tugging or pulling, I think probably because I was so out of it at that point, but I do remember them saying “wow” and then hearing the splash when they actually had me opened up because my water broke at that point and my daughter had had her first poop so she was sitting in the colony and that was what the green stuff was when I had gone to the bathroom to wipe hours earlier. She was so jammed down in my pelvis that my water actually couldn't come through after it had broken in the first place. So after she came out I didn't hear her cry and although I was still quite drugged I kept asking why I didn't hear her cry and they didn't tell me until afterwards that the cord had been wrapped around her throat twice and she wasn't breathing when she came out and they had to work on her for 7 minutes and intubate her.
Nobody told me how long I would have to wait alone in recovery.
Nobody told me that the effect from the drugs would be that my mouth felt so dry it felt like I drank a glass of cinnamon and sand at the same time.
Nobody told me that after my boyfriend at the time was asked to leave the recovery room to go sign paperwork that they wouldn't let him back in.
We ended up staying in the hospital for over a week due to complications with my daughter's heart rate and breathing and blood sugar levels and in that time I learned a lot of things about labor and about having a C-section.
Nobody told me that it was standard procedure to basically push/punch my stomach to stimulate my uterus to make sure everything was coming out the way it was supposed to come out.
Nobody told me that I would almost pass out in the shower after the first time I got to have a shower.
Nobody told me how excruciatingly painful and scary it would be to try to have a bowel movement 3 days later after eating only hospital food.
Oh and I forgot to mention the allergic reaction I had to the tape they used when they did my epidural, which left me drugged and super itchy to the point where I begged the nurse to scratch my back!
The best advice I can give to anyone who has to have a c-section, whether it be emergency or planned, would be to make sure that you walk afterwards as much as you can. If you're stuck in the hospital for a few days walk around the maternity wing, walk back and forth from the nursery to your room, take little stretch walks around the hospital. Ask the nurses to watch your baby for you for 15-20 minutes so that you can do that and take all of the help that you can. I'll also add that no one explained to me that I would have nerve damage still 3 years later, or the belly pooch that no matter what I do will never go away. But if I had to go through it all gain I think I would pick a planned c-section, which I will do for my next child because I don't like the uncertainty of not knowing when things are going to happen. Since i've done it once I'm more prepared for it then I was before because when I did my birth plan I didn't plan for any kind of surgery at all.
Gestational Diabetes/Epidural/ Not progressing unplanned C-section with second baby
Rhiana Westlund
I ended up in labor the day before my scheduled 39 week induction, due to large size. Thanks, gestational diabetes! Rocked an all natural labor for the first 24hrs. Ended up with an epidural at 9 cm since I wasn’t progressing and my cervix wasn’t able to slide back over baby boys head. After 2hrs of pushing, care providers wanted me to stop so I tried nitrous to relax, it was so painful and nearly impossible to stop pushing so I opted for the epidural. Didn’t get one with Frances, epidurals are so bizarre... complete numbness and cold shakes, at least for me. After another 4 hrs of not progressing to full dilation or cervix swelling going down, I opted to discuss pros and cons of a c-section. It was up to me, continue to try vaginal or submit to c-section. I made the call to do a c-section and so glad I did. Once our baby boy was out, our midwife, DR, nurses and even anesthesiologist agreed it was the best decision for me and the baby. I'm in love and so grateful we’re both safe. What a beautiful few hours it has been, so very different from the post labor experience with (my first baby) Frances. Liam was born after 36 hrs of labor. Weighing in at 9lbs, 21 inches and 15 inch head circumference. He’s an adorable chunky monkey, with loads of hair.
Just a friendly reminder you’re all strong, wise and capable of great feats. Be flexible, honor your body and listen to the wisdom within! The human body rocks!
Healing from a C-Section with an older child at home
Rhiana Westlund
Our little family of 4 settled in nicely at home. Naturally, I had a hard time staying put once home and was up and about too much. Our pediatrician gave me a gentle reminder that I just had major abdominal surgery and to take time to rest. Happy to report Frankie is doing amazing with the new dynamic of being a big sister. Overall, she’s indifferent about her baby brother. What impresses me the most is her patience with my limited interaction and attention. Also, her calmness as she watches her brother nurse around the clock. I actually nursed Frankie through pregnancy, 1-2 times a day since January. This morning I woke up engorged with my new milk supply. It was such peace of mind to nurse Liam while Daddy and Frankie read books next to us. Once Liam finished I invited Frankie to help relieve the other side (so much better then a pump!)... she didn’t fuss once while waiting her turn and she listened when I said “ok, after I sing three songs we’ll be all done nursing”, she immediately released and continued to happily read books. Celebrating the small victories and prepared for the ebb and flow which is sure to come as we transition to a family of 4.
Twins/failed induction/Epidural medication caused nausea/ recovery from surgery with Diastasis Recti/ Tubal Ligation
Amber Hunt
Carrying twins, I always knew that c-section was a possibility. I made it to my "induce if labor hasn't started yet" date. It was the day after Labor Day, Tuesday. I was able to work my landscaping job up until the Friday before that. After 2 days of inducing, it was decided to do the c-section. I'd barely been feeling any contractions, and I wasn't dilating either. I could have tried another day of inducing but decided to go ahead with the procedure. It was explained to me very well and I was totally comfortable with the decision. When the doctor was in there he found that both of their heads were right there and ready to go, but neither was allowing the other to move past, so I most likely wouldn't have been able to deliver vaginally.
- After the surgery, and when the epidural's 2 parts were wearing off, I discovered that the medication made me extremely nauseated. I had to lie in the bed with my eyes closed for long periods of time or I felt horrible. Once the medication wore off I felt better in that way, but then could feel the pain from the surgery. I had to take milder pain medications due to my previous reaction, and had to take it a little more often. That helped me recover physically. Also helpful were the restrictions I was placed under, like not lifting anything heavier than 1 of my babies until told that I could. That gave me time to start healing without straining myself too much. Having the babies' grandparents around for the 1st week, and my husband home from work an extra week after that was very helpful too. I didn't really know exactly what to expect as far as recovery goes. I knew what the procedure was, and that cutting through that much "stuff" was a big deal and would require lots of healing. I guess the biggest help to me, and what I would recommend others do too, was following the directions of my doctors. They know what they're talking about, and while not always pleasant, it wasn't a bad experience for me. I feel like I was pretty well-informed as far as what I needed to do afterwards. I would advise new c-section mothers to not only trust their doctors, but also listen to and trust their own bodies.
I felt completely comfortable with the birth experience I had. I feel lucky that I didn't have to go through the pain of an undetermined length of time vaginal delivery. From when the decision was made to have the c-section to my holding two babies on my chest, it couldn't have been more than an hour or so. Everyone that was in that delivery room was absolutely wonderful. My doctor joked as he was about to take them out of me that I was about to lose a ton of weight. He made me laugh and put me (somewhat) at ease. Don't get me wrong, as a whole I was terrified. It wasn't the procedure that scared me though, it was everything that was to come after.
One of my favorite helpful things were all the pairs of mesh undies I was able to get from the hospital. They were amazing to wear for pretty much the first 6 weeks or so. They were comfortable, and allowed for the room needed to always wear a giant menstrual pad. I was quite surprised at just how long the post-birth bleeding lasted. Having a Boppy nursing pillow was pretty key for feedings since I had 2 newborns and wasn't technically allowed to lift more than 1. Being diligent about taking my pain meds (when I was awake at least) when I needed them was important, but so was giving them some time to wear off as time went on so I could really feel if I needed them as much. Another important thing was keeping on top of caring for my incision. The last thing a new mother needs or wants is any complications from the healing of that.
Today my body is great. I absolutely feel fully recovered. Actually, that's not true, because carrying twins gave me Diastasis recti. I still have an ab separation that hasn't closed. Occasionally I'll feel a little pain/strain if I'm on my back and sit up. But I feel completely recovered from the c-section itself. I'm not sure when it happened, but I no longer have that hard ridge of scar tissue at my incision! That was something I just discovered today!
My husband and I decided that 2 kids was enough for us when we found out we'd be having twins, and we decided to wait until the birth to do anything about that. Originally my husband was going to get a vasectomy. When we decided to have a c-section, we asked the doctor if he could do a tubal ligation while he was in there. He did that after my babies were born. I think that if we were going to have more kids, I would be torn between wanting to try to do it vaginally and having another c-section because I know the latter route and am comfortable with how that all turned out. Thankfully I don't have to worry about that!
Finding peace through yoga/releasing feelings of sadness and failure about the first C-section and preparing physically and emotionally for a second C-section.
Kathryn Feeks Vieira
When I was expecting my first child, I felt incredibly supported by our very “baby friendly” community. I attended prenatal yoga to help my body prepare for the endurance of labor, and I attended birthing classes at the hospital to give me good insight for what might be in store for me. My husband learned the hip squeezes and how to be my human jungle gym to help me in labor, and I was really looking forward to going through having as a natural a birth as possible. As birthing class made me well aware, unexpected interventions were needed. First, it was minimal pain management, and then something to help me rest. Before I knew it, I was getting an epidural, and a c-section was needed. I fought for a natural birth for as long as I could, but my baby’s health was at risk, so there was no question that I needed to give up. That’s how I felt, I was “giving up.” After 42 weeks of pregnancy, and 37 hours of labor, and 9.5 cm dilation, I didn’t even get the chance to push. I was so close to my goal, and it had disappeared in a flash. I cried, feeling like I had failed, but knew it was time to accept going under the knife. I asked the team to wheel me down to the OR discretely, because I didn’t want to risk seeing other family members on our way. I needed to wrap my mind around what was about to happen. I felt like an actor, needing to take some time by myself before hitting the stage to get into character. I didn’t realize until after the fact, that I was embracing a form of meditation. I needed to breath. Running through my head was combination of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, saying, “ I’m a failure, I will never experience REAL childbirth.” and “This is is my first big move as a mom. I am consenting to be cut open, even though it’s the last thing I wanted, to bring my baby into the world.” When all was said and done, my son, Charles, was safely delivered, and I feel blessed for that. The c-section was harder to recover from than I could have imagined. I remember feeling like a turtle, stuck on my back, with my crying son on my chest, completely unable to engage my stomach muscles to turn or sit up. I had to throw something at my sleeping husband for him to come rescue me in the hospital bed. After going home, it was hard to stay off the stairs, no driving, no carrying anything heavier than the baby... I felt helpless, at the same time, my body was exhausted and I felt maxed out. Two years later, the area of my incision still felt sore whenever I would sneeze. My son is now 2.5 years old, and I am 6 months pregnant with our second child. I was able to attend prenatal yoga last night for the second time in this pregnancy, and it was great! Time has given me a very different outlook on my c-section, and I am approaching this next birth from a completely different perspective. I had given serious thought to a trial of labor, or vaginal birth after c-section (VBAC), but have ultimately decided on a repeat c-section. Here are a few of the factors that have played into my decision: MV Hospital does not offer VBACs. I don’t want to live off island with my nearly 3 year old, away from my home and husband for potentially 4 weeks. There are some major risks associated with VBACs, and vaginal births on their own I feel I can be a better mom to my toddler in the weeks leading to this birth, by planning a c-section. There are more contributing factors, but these are the ones that really stand out to me. This being said, what I take from prenatal yoga is different this time, my husband’s role is different, and how family and friends can support my family afterwards is different. Starting with yoga, I am less concentrated on opening my pelvis and breathing through contractions, but I am focusing on the strength I will need after my surgery, both physically and mentally, to be a a mom, after being sliced across my middle. I will have to breathe as the anesthesiologist places the needle in my spine, and breathe again and again, as my body wakes up, and all while I am welcoming my new baby into a world that feels comfortable and loving. I will try to come into chivasana, as I am uncomfortably trying to find sleep, and I will try to remember to om in impatience, and moments of gratitude. I am already dreading the night before this birth. Yes, I will be excited to meet my baby, but I’m also going to be anticipating the discomfort, the beginning of a hard journey all over again, and my last night being able to shower all of my love on one child. Its hard knowing that one on one time with him is going to become scarce over the next few months, and that I’m always going to have to tell him to be careful with Mama’s body, and I won’t be able to pick him up, when he asks for a hug. All of this being said, I don’t feel like there is much preparation for us mothers who are planning a c-section. Many of us are not first time moms, but some are, and I wish that there was more information for us. How can we prepare our bodies for surgery? How can we help our bodies to heal after surgery? How can I feel connected to my birth, when it’s out of my hands? How can my partner be a part of the birth? What can my family and friends do to help?
From a planned Home birth to an unplanned emergency C-section: what I learned
Katrina Nevin
I had planned very carefully and excitedly for a home birth. After swimming in the ocean before lunch I began to feel light contractions. John came home from work on the ferry and rode home fast on his bicycle and by 3:30 contractions were every 2 minutes and my beautiful birth team was by my side. Leia listened to the baby’s heartbeat, Meg inflated the tub, Fallon helped me sip water and John helped me to breath. Outdoors the woodpeckers fed their babies and the tall green grass swayed in the breeze. I was full of confidence and gratitude. The baby’s heartbeat sounded like the same happy techno beat I’d heard throughout pregnancy, like a distant dance party heard across some hills, boom boom boom boom. Time passed beautifully and I took a rest and breathed more deeply knowing that everything was good. Around 6:15 Leia listened to the heartbeat yet again and it was instantly clear that something was very, very wrong. The disco party sounded like it was coming from underwater and was so, so slooow. Fa-booom fa-boom fa-boooom. Leia called for oxygen, Meg got the tank, John brought the car onto the lawn, Fallon found me a skirt. Then we were in the car, me breathing oxygen and panting in the back seat while Leia held the Doppler and the heartbeat was so slow and Meg called the emergency room and John forced himself to drive responsibly. Fa-boom fa-boom fa-boom. Into the hospital barefoot and laboring. Then everything is a blur of pain and confusion and hearing the heartbeat and asking in my head over and over why? Why? Why? No no no this wasn’t the plan.
The baby's heart rate was still extremely slow we got to the MV hospital but the Dr. spent an hour trying to continue a monitored labor until she attempted to put a fetal monitor directly on the baby's head through my partially dilated cervix. When she did that she broke the amniotic sack and the liquid that trickled out was dark, dark brown. Bad. Very, very bad. Brown amniotic fluid means that blood and poop (meconium) were in the uterus and the baby was swallowing that and getting it into her lungs. That's when they decided to do an emergency C-section and rushed me into surgery.
All this time I had been having steady hard contractions but when they moved to the operating room they gave me a drug to stop the contractions so that they could perform the surgery on muscles that weren’t constantly squeezing. The impact of this drug on me was that in addition to painful rip roaring contractions I was suddenly shaking uncontrollably as the drug tried to stop my body from being in labor. Awesome. I was wheeled into the OR and the anesthesiologist looked down at me over his mask and said “I’m doctor Patel, I’ll take care of you.” And that’s all I remember of that.
Some things to know about Emergency Anesthesia
When I woke up from the surgery I remember having an immediate sensation of relief, I felt so relaxed and rested. Then a voice said “Can you wiggle the fingers of your left hand for me? How about your right?” and I suddenly became horribly aware that not only could I not wiggle my fingers I also couldn’t breath! I tried to take a breath and nothing happened, I tried to speak or call out to say “I can’t breath!” and nothing happened. I was drowning in air and I couldn’t tell anyone! Then all at once (or so it seemed to me) I miraculously could breath again and I was being wheeled out of the OR and back up to maternity.
I wish someone had explained to me in that moment what was happening. It was a very simple thing but I didn’t get an explanation until I asked a nurse about it later that night.
I wish I'd known I was on a breathing tube! Just in case you ever find yourself needing emergency anesthesia for any kind of surgery keep this story in mind. I had been intubated during the C-section and I didn't know it. That means that there was breathing tube that went down my throat and into my lungs. When they reduced the anesthesia to wake me up they left the breathing tube in place until they knew that I had awoken sufficiently to be able to breath on my own. Then they removed the tube in my throat. So when I awoke there was a machine breathing for me and I couldn't physically take my own breaths until they removed that tube. This was a horribly frightening experience and I wish someone had told me what was going on in the moment so I didn't think I was suffocating.
Muscle pain after emergency anesthesia
Another thing I wish I had known to expect was the seizing, shooting pain in my neck and shoulders in the 48 hours following emergency surgery. It was worse by far than the pain of my incision, (which was excruciating) and I couldn’t move or stretch my muscles out, all I could do was sit propped up uncomfortably in bed feeling like I'd been slung around like a whiplash victim.
Apparently for safety they have to strap your arms out to the sides like Jesus on the cross when you go under general anesthesia. Being restrained in this unnatural pose for over an hour frequently results in excruciating neck and shoulder pain for all types of emergency surgery patients. I'm not sure what they could do differently to prevent this from happening, perhaps just handle their patient more gently, but I wish I had known at the time why I was in such pain.
Betadine Allergy Rash (and the healing properties of Breast Milk!)
Ok this one is huge, I wish I could shout this piece of hard learned knowledge into the home of every single human being on this planet, but especially pregnant women because it would have saved me so much discomfort and distress if someone had just given me this information immediately after my C-section.
Surgeons cover the area they are going to cut with a layer of Betadine before they begin surgery. This is to prevent infection and kill bacteria. So after I was wheeled into the OR they painted my belly with Betadine Surgical Scrub and then proceeded with their surgery. After they had stitched everything back up they left the Betadine on my skin. This is common practice, but it had huge ramifications for me in the days that followed.
Two days after my surgery I was able to stand up and move around a bit so I took a hot shower for the first time and I carefully washed off all the yellow/brown staining from the Betadine. Three hours later I noticed a red rash starting to appear all over my abdomen, from the incision upward to above my belly button and around the sides of my waist. A couple hours after that I noticed that the rash was itchy. Shortly thereafter I was in a world of pain. I've had really bad poison ivy and poison oak rashes. This was like that but ten times worse because of the location. None of the doctors or nurses caring for me recognized my symptoms or had ever encountered this problem. What could be causing these severe red welts to be quickly expanding across my sore tender belly?
I mentioned it to several of the nurses caring for my baby in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and after showing the rash to them somebody said “oh yeah that’s a Betadine allergy”. Several of them had experienced the same thing after their own babies were born. It turns out that a substantial portion of the population gets a contact dermatitis allergy from Betadine, but nobody mentioned this possibility to me so when it appeared I had no idea what it was or how to treat it.
I was in a huge amount of pain, the incision from my surgery felt like it was being re-opened and my skin was extremely tender and horrifically itchy at the same time. Touching it hurt. My clothes burshed lightly agains my skin as I moved and that hurt. Itching it hurt but also perversely made it feel better. I set about treating it as I would treat poison Ivy, with a combination of Cortizone cream, Aloe and cold compresses. None of it helped. The cortizone cream seemed to inflame it more in fact as though the steroid was irritating the rash. After a day of shellacking my skin with Aloevera gel I took a cool shower. As I painfully peeled off the layers of sticky gel and cream I realized that all I had been doing was capping the rash with an impermeable barrier that didn't allow my skin to breath. I researched online and began applying a diluted solution of apple cider vinegar to my skin. This left me feeling slightly better but made me smell like a pickle.
Luckily the next morning I was in my babies room in the NICU and a new nurse said “oh have you tried breast milk? BREAST MILK FIXES EVERYTHING.” Strange as it sounded I was desperate so I took some of the milk I'd just pumped and dabbed it all over the evil red rash from hell. Immediately I felt relief! That whole night and day I applied my milk to the rash multiple times and the change was striking. From angry red welts that were raised up and looked almost neon, the rash faded to a muted pink glow that resembled a slight sunburn. The itching disappeared literally overnight. My will to live returned as well.
Why didn't the superior medical community at MGH know about this issue? If that Betadine had been rinsed off me the same night as the surgery perhaps I wouldn't have had a reaction at all, or at least it wouldn't have been as severe. Having a painful itchy rash develop on top of an area that just got sliced open and stiched back up seems almost impossibly shitty. Betadine is meant to prevent the spread of infection and it does an incredible job, but this also seems like a case of the prevention being the problem. There are viable alternatives to Betadine that can be used when the patient has a known allergy to Betadine, though none of them are as completely effective as the antiseptic properties of Iodine. Of course the inherent problem is that you will have to find out the hard way that you have an allergy before you will know to request an alternative scrub. Additionally in an emergency surgery scenario there isn't generally time to ask questions about Betadine allergies. It stinks that we all have to find out about this the hard way and it seems like an ounce of prevention, (washing off the Betadine after surgery) could have prevented a TON of pain, (5 days of severe rash on top of an already painful surgical sight).
What Helped Me With the Betadine Rash:
To be on the safe side you need to use cool water and rinse that yellow stain off your skin as quickly as possible to avoid having a reaction. I had it on me for around 30 hours and it was really, really bad. Not everybody will have a reaction and some women I talked to seemed to have less extreme reactions than me, maybe they showered sooner than I did or maybe I'm just extra sensitive. If you do develop a rash, and you are a lactating woman, rub your breastmilk into the rash and you will experience immediate relief. For non-lactating people try the apple cider and cool showers routine and try to let your skin be out in the air as much as possible.
Helpful Things to Know About Steri-Strips
Steri strips are the glue tape that goes on over your C-section incision to keep the stitches in place and hold everything together while the scar heals. The Doctors say you can gently pat the area of your incision with a washcloth when you shower, but not to scrub at it, try peeling the strips off, or soak in the tub for the first week. Everyone said to me that the strips would fall off on their own after about 10 days. Mine didn't. My belly was still so big that I couldn't see my incision unless I stood in front of a full length mirror and leaned back. I wasn't sure where the ends of the actual cut were since the strips go beyond the edges of the incision and it was very creepy for me to touch the area and feel only numbness above the scar and only hard tacky glue strips on top of the scar. I was worried the stitches weren't healed so I waited two weeks and then a bit longer and still the steri strips were perfectly glued in place. They were getting really dirty from sweater lint and fuzz and they looked terrifying but I wasn't able to pick them off because it felt like I was peeling my skin off every time I tried. Finally I got into a tub and soaked until they just slipped off easily.
Scar Numbness
I wasn't prepared for the odd numb sensation above my scar, it felt like my hand had fallen asleep and I was touching someone else, that's how little feeling their was. The lack of feeling only extended about an inch and a half above the scar but it was so strange. Around four months after my surgery the numbness above my scar finally began to fade away. But I talked to a nurse in the NICU who told me that she was still numb around her scar for one year postpartum and I’ve heard that for some people the feeling never completely comes back (especially after multiple C-sections) so just be aware that results really vary from person to person and try not to freak out.
Sadness about the Birth Experience
I felt so grateful to the medical community that helped my baby to survive and recover from her birth but at the same time I felt so much sadness and regret about losing the birth experience I had wanted. I had planned for and dreamed of an intimate, quiet, natural birth at home surrounded by my own familiar belongings and by people I knew and trusted. I wanted to go through the stages of labor, I wanted to experience my body doing something powerful and instinctive. I wanted to be able to reach down and feel my baby's head being born. I wanted to try being in a birthing pool and find out what that was like. I wanted to do something ceremonial and meaningful with the placenta and the umbilical cord afterwards, like plant a tree over them.
The birth experience I ended up with was the absolute opposite of that in all ways. It was invasive, stressful and full of loud medical machines beeping and the terrible sound of the doppler picking up my baby's slow, slow heartbeat. I was surrounded by people I didn't know. Because of the placental abruption my contractions were perhaps more intense and painful than they would have been at that early stage, I felt the power of my body but it felt out of control like a hurricane ripping through. I was only 5cm dilated when they took me to surgery, I never got to the pushing phase. The birth itself took place in an operating room, was 100% medicalized and extremely scary and high stakes for all involved. I was unconscious when my baby came into the world and I didn't see her at all until four hours later as she was about to be wheeled onto the helicopter. Then I didn't see her again for 24 hours as I waited for one of the Island's limited ambulances to become available to drive me up to Boston the next day. The Placenta and umbilical cord were sent up to Boston to be analyzed by the pathology laboratory to try to find out what had happened and when I finally tracked my placenta down several weeks later it had been entombed in formaldehyde and was given to me in a plastic bag labeled “Hazardous waste”. When I received my plastic bag full of hazardous material a sweet young medical fellow told me gently that it would be unsafe and possibly illegal to put it in the ground and plant a tree over it. This last loss brought all the other losses up in a sudden wave and the poor medical student was suddenly confronted with my despairing tears. I had been looking forward to carrying out at least one piece of my shattered birth dream and hoped to find some closure and peace through ceremony. It felt almost unbearably unfair to have had no control over my birth experience and now to lose control over what I did with my afterbirth as well.
On my baby's first birthday I had a small ceremonial tree planting and I buried the tiny piece of umbilical stump that had fallen off my baby when she was a few weeks old. It wasn't the ceremony I had envisioned but it still felt like a wound closing, like a bit of healing. I still feel great loss and sadness about the birth experience I didn't get to have. The feelings come up most often when I'm nursing my baby in the darkness in the middle of the night and my thoughts ramble. This sadness is quite common among women who did not plan to have a C-section, as you will read in the stories that follow. Time does iron out the wrinkles, but at least for me I think I will always have some sadness when I think of my baby's birth.
The End of My Story
My baby was born blue and unresponsive. She had inhaled/swallowed so much blood and meconium that her lungs were full of fluid. After being revived she was airlifted off the Island that night up to Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) in Boston where she spent the next 5 weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit recovering from substantial and extensive damage to her lungs, kidneys and heart from the oxygen deprivation and meconium aspiration. By some miracle she had no damage to her brain and she recovered fully and has no evidence of her trauma except a small scar on her neck from where they put her on a lifesaving blood oxygenating machine (called ECMO) for three days while her lung tissue recovered.
She survived and we both healed up and time has passed. Although the memories are still sharp and hurtful to think about the simple truth is that we were both so lucky to be living in the 21st century. We are so lucky to be living near a world class hospital with all the advanced medical knowledge, machines, and drugs that kept my baby alive. We are so lucky to live in a time when such highly trained specialist doctors and nurses are capable of fixing traumatic birth injuries and saving mothers and babies from the near certain death of something like a placental abruption. The gratitude and amazement never leave me. Becoming a mother has been a wonder and a joy and every day has felt simple and bright after the crazy start we had.