Positive elective c/s stories??

[Jandals]

I'm sure they are out there but I can't seem to find them through the search engine. Can anyone point me in the right direction? I've read more than enough 'horror stories' and want to get some balance.

Thanks

[rufalina]

I have two... Will find my story for you when I log on properly later.

ETA - Ok... here is a link to my birth story from DS 1. I am happy to chat re elective sections if you like. I did try for a vbac with DS2, but things did not happen, so I had another section for him, and it was as good a the first.

Let me know if you have any questions. And good luck with your birth. xo

[Rach75]

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...3-10-09-a.html

[~Kim~]

Here's mine.

I had mine booked when my waters broke.

[Sophia73]

Positive experience here...I sometimes feel there is an unwritten rule that you're not allowed to say that but I did have one!

After a difficult and traumatic VB with DD1 I weighed up options, did lots of reading and followed my heart to an elective C-section and never looked back! I healed quickly and recovery was good. Pain was very well managed initially by the hospital and then I stopped the meds after 4 days as I felt I didn't need anything. It was all very cruisey - very different from my first experience.

People always want to know about the scar and yes that healed really well for me (depends on your surgeon's skill too).

Good luck with yours and keep trying to find a balanced view on this issue.

[Jandals]

Wow! Thanks girls. It's a relief to read some happy c/s stories. It would be really good if there was a place for positive c/s stories within the birth stories section. They are, after all, still as valid a birth story as any other

Sophia - I also had a traumatic VB with DD (which took months to heal) and after much reading and discussion with DH we decided an elective c/s best this time for many reasons. I feel very empowered in having made this decision for my baby and myself. However, like you mentioned I feel like this is often seen as less acceptable in some people's eyes. I've been thinking that the amount of c/s horror stories can't be statistically indicative of how it is. I think maybe women that had a difficult c/s have a greater need to talk it through to help them process it, which I can totally understand after my VB.

rufalina - I've heard a few ladies mention the blood tests that are done before a c/s but no-one has mentioned these to me yet. Should I ask at my next appt? Do you know what they are testing for?

Also any suggestions for the best pain relief after? I know from previous surgery I've had that morphine makes me very drowsy and I want to be with it after the wee guy arrives so I can get straight on to breast feeding. I realise that any narcotic will probably make me a bit sleepy and I'll probably need something like this to begin with but I'm keen to minimize this as much as possible, kwim?

[~Kim~]

Jandals I had a very positive anaesthetic story. Make sure you speak to the anaesthetist in depth before hand and explain to him exactly what you want.
I didn't cope with morphine the first time, so with Nate had a fentanyl based spinal and PCA, with as much ondansetron as I needed - much better experience.

Also the feeding thing. With DD's c/sec it was my first bub so I trusted the m/w suggestion of routine feeding. I had no milk until day 6. With the little guy I fed and fed and fed everytime he squwarked - milk on day 2

[melbel]

I just had a C section 15 days ago and as much as I was anxious going into it, in hindsight it was the best experience. I had the best team as in anaethetist, obstetrician and paediatrician and to be perfectly honest if we were to go for number two I would lean heavily towards another c-section as my birthing method of choice. the recovery has been remarkably easy, pain relief included morphine by tablets for the first two days but it was a form of morphine that is slow release over twelve hours and I found it didnt make me as fluffy in the head as standard endone does. I was able to express straight away (my little man had to spend a couple of days in special care for unrelated issues and was unable to be put to the breast straight away).

I was able to get out of bed as soon as the catheter came out about 16 hours after the op.....that first day movement was limited to assisted visits to the toilet and wheelchair visits to my little man in the SCN but the next day I had pretty much full mobility back.....I was even able to cut my toenails the day after which was awesome cos thay had been driving me insane for a couple of weeks before...LOL.
I came home on day 6 taking only nurofen plus and panadol for pain relief and have only needed that maybe once a day as you get a bit tired as the day wears on type thing...now 15 days on the wound just looks like a scar and the pain is just twinges if I move too quickly in a certain direction type of thing....

I certainly do not feel like I missed out on anything but not going through labour....for me it was definitely an empowered c-section birth....hope that helps hun.....