Caesarean General Chatter & Discussion #6

[nic]

I can't even remember when my drip came out!
sarah, I can't believe you had yours in until an hour before leaving the hospital :eek:

I know that at some stage I ended up with one in each hand. I think the dr did a 2nd one as she wasn't too sure about the first one she had put in. I have a photo that my mum took while she was standing at the end of my bed and you can see the 'hole' they left in my hand from trying to put the drip in! Makes me shudder to even look at the photo.

I have been thinking a lot lately about reading some books suggested on here, but I find that if I read too much about the whole thing/statistics etc.. I get really anxious and upset. Anyone else get like this or is it just me?

Nic

[Debbie Lee]

Nic - I'm a bit like that too. The more I read, the more baffled I become, LOL. I will, however, read up a little on my rights when having a caesar so that I know what boundaries I can push next time round. I guess I don't want to know so much about the actual procedure but what I can and can't demand (eg. skin to skin contact straight away - I didn't get that with Gabby. I even got told off for looking at her feet whilst in recovery!! Grrrr! Shoulda slapped that nurse stupid!! ).
Ouchies @ the IV having to be put in twice. When I hollered when they put something through the IV when the procedure had already started, they talked about putting it in the other hand. The thought of them doing it again scared the crap outta me so I just said, "If it's working, don't worry about it. I'll just put up with the pain!". There was no way I was going to let them jab me in the other hand! I could see that the darn thing was working fine. I think they ended up putting a local in my hand to stop it from hurting so much?? I really can't remember. I was rather spaced-out after that. I think the events leading up to the caesar had sent me a little la-la... plus I threw up laying flat on my back so that was a bit to deal with, LOL.

[christy]

Debbie thats a great idea, there are some excellent books out there that I have read in preparation for VBAC but also for making decisions IF something happens again so I can be better prepared. In my birth plan I have details specific to c/s and what I want to happen. After Matilda, I went a bit crazy and anxious on the morphine & actually ripped my drip out of my arm 4 hours after surgery... it worked well for me

[Debbie Lee]

LOL Christy... glad that worked for you
I'll definitely be writing a birth plan even tho I'll be having a caesar and I'll be making sure they all know about it! My birth plan for Gabby wasn't even looked at. Twas a complete waste of time writing it!

[{sarah}]

Yes they kept asking me too Linda, but the stupid thing was I actully did it in recovery & told about 14 nurses the same thing!

[nic]

Thanks Deb! Nice to know that my feelings are normal. I think I may have to just bit the bullet and get some reading material - and just skip those nasty, make me anxious pages! LOL.

Going to visit my parents next week, so might be able to check out some book shops while I'm there.

Nic

[Debbie Lee]

Good idea, Nic. I guess once you've been through it, you know how important it is to be better informed. I know I will be asking a hell of a lot more questions during my next pregnancy. I'll also probably be a bit of a PITA patient.. and, if I get the same arsehold sonographer as last time, I'll be putting my foot down!! LOL That's unlikely anyway as I am sure I'll be getting my ultrasounds done in Hamilton?? Or somewhere closer.
I would probably want to have the baby in Geelong tho... I wonder if I'll be allowed to do that?? There ya go... got questions already!!

[nic]

How far between Hamilton and Geelong Deb?

Nic

[Debbie Lee]

Ummm I know it's a 2.5 hour drive but I have no idea how far in KM's...

Whoo... I just had a brief read through the birthrites page and their suggestions for having a positive caesarian... I must say, I like the suggestions!! I didn't realise how much I had missed out on with my caesar with Gabby. Things like seeing the placenta, having skin to skin contact with her straight away:

I bet you would love to meet your new baby in his/her unclothed, naked newborn state - a wet, slippery baby? Then request that the baby please be placed on your chest with a warm blanket over you both. It would do a lot to make this surgical delivery a bit more natural for mother, father and baby. And it may even resolve a few inner conflicts that are faced after the birth.

Too right I want that experience!! 2 guesses what I'll be demanding next time!

[Trish]

Deb, when I had Noah I knew that I was a having a csection because he was breech. Anyway, the night before I sat on my computer and made up myself yet another birth plan. I made sure there were 3 copies, 1 to stay with me, 1 for Noah and 1 for my mum to hold on too because I knew if they tried to go against my wishes she'd give them what for.

I requested that no one else apart from Mark was allowed to nurse him. That he was not to be bathed. He was not to be fed a bottle, if there was some dire need for him to have any fed it would be from a syringe. The nurses were great, when I was finally taken back to the ward, Noah and Mark came in to me, Noah was still naked, they had him wrapped up in a blanket, my gown was pulled down at the front and his naked body was put on my chest for our skin to skin contact. Around this point he weed 3 times all over me

I wish I knew then what I know now and I would've insisted that he was not taken away from me at all. That all his checks were done beside me.

I guess in some ways I am lucky because even though I ended up with a c section that I did not want, I begged for them to let me try to birth him myself but no Dr's wanted to assist. I ended up with a pretty positive cesa experience. Funnily enough though, I didn't say that I wanted that naked baby, that was the nurse. I never did realise at the time how much it meant to me.

[Debbie Lee]

That's so awesome, Trish! That nurse obviously knew her stuff!!
It's funny tho. Before I had Gab, I wouldn't have known that I had any idea to have the "wet, slippery baby" handed to me for skin to skin contact was what I wanted. I guess knowing the bond that I have with Gabby now has taught me what's more important to me at the birth?? I think I was just a little too overwhelmed with having her... uno, fear of the unknown??

LOL... I'll have to tell Gab when she grows up that she was just the dry run, hehehe

[Trish]

LOL at Gab being the dry run. If that's the case all 3 of mine before Tehya were that. I watched my birth dvd again yesterday and I still get teary over it.

Here's to wet slippery babies hey

[Debbie Lee]

LOL... fourth time lucky, hey??

Yeah!! Here's to wet slippery babies, getting an eye-full of the placenta and cutting the cord!! LOL

[christy]

Nic about the reading thing... I went whole hog into it and then had to put a few books down because I was over it, but I would pick them up again later. I started in my first few weeks of pregnancy and I think that helped heaps. Some are more scary than others!

[**Helen**]

Hi guys, well I have had my little man Eithan and have posted my birth story. Thanks again for all your help leading up to the c/s.

I now have an infection along the skin either side of the incision. I was worried but was sure that I didnt have one, but went to dr anyway to get it checked. Lucky I did because it is only just infected so we have caught it in the early stages. I was pretty upset as I have looked after it really well, but the dr says it happens in about 20% of cases. Well anyway I am on antibiotics and have to clean it with dettol each day, so hopefully in a few days it will be better.

I have heard horror stories about infections so am so glad that we caught it early. Once it is gone do you think there is any chance of a reccurence?

Love

[Debbie Lee]

Congratulations, Helen! And welcome to the world little Eithan. Sorry to hear you got an infection. I'm not much help as I managed to get away without getting one but I'm sure someone else will be able to help you out with that question

[Kirsty77]

Congrats Helen!! I also had a minor infection and was on antibiotics. I used a pad over the scar and that seemed to help alot and used a different towel each time I showered to dry it to prevent it getting re-infected.

[nickers]

congratulations Helen. off to read your birth story now.
I am unsure how to prevent an infection re-occuring but what Kirsty said sounds pretty good, make sure you use a different towel when wiping, fash washer etc