CJ - An Elective C-Sect Birth
This is quite long, and quite late, but chatting to some girls about my birth has prompted me to get my act together and to get this written up and posted here.
Hope it is not too long.....
The decision to have a baby was a very hard one for my DH and I to do, with me having been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in my mid 20's. But after some discussions and looking at my health, we decided to just go for it! However, the need for me to keep my body in good shape, meaning as stress free as possible during the pregnancy would give me the best opportunity for me not to have a relapse after the birth, and for me possibly not to be able to care for my baby. All my relapses have come during times of high stress and physical and emotional exhaustion so I now do all I can to minimise myself ending up in those situations.
Having said that we chose to birth naturally as long as bubs came prior to my edd, but schedule the c-sect for my due date. Unfortunately bubs rolled posterior about 37 weeks, and despite my best efforts, I could not get him to roll back and engage, so surgery here I come...
The day prior to the birth we booked into the hospital and did all the pre surgery blood tests and met with the anaesthetist. We ran through the procedure for the epidural and pain relief and I left feeling as comfortable as possible for the next day.
DH and I spent the last night at home with me anxiously running around stressing about everything and DH trying to keep me grounded. "babe? what time are we leaving here tomorrow to get to the hospital?" "babe? do you have everything ready to go?" "babe? do we need to get petrol in the car???" "babe?." "RUFFI ... Calm down. Come to bed and get some sleep. We are organised beyond belief." "but babe????? " Fun night in our house!
We were booked in for an afternoon surgery and needed to be at the hospital around 1pm. I had to eat at 6am, then nothing after then but water till 10am. We got to the hospital around noon, and I watched DH eat lunch and drink coffee... Not fun for a pregnant lady who is starving and thirsty and slightly anxious. We then spent the most dull 3 1/2 hours sitting in the waiting room for OB to run late as usual, with me getting hungrier and more anxious with every minute that passed. I just wanted to have my baby already ... But we patiently waited, and DH did a great job keeping me sane through the wait.
When we finally got things started and DH and I were both given gowns to change into, and it finally started to feel real. We had some fun getting changed and "frocking up" for the big event. Poor DH got a nice bright pink scrub hat for the procedure, and man did that make me laugh!!! Next thing we are talking to the anaesthetist outside the operating theatre, and running through the procedure again. My OB popped his head and said hi and in a couple of minutes I was shown into theatre, and DH was left outside. Apparently DH's are not good watching the spinal go in, so he had to wait outside.
My anaesthetist was very lovely and he talked me through everything he did, and I must say it really helped keep me calm with him explaining everything that was going on to me. In fact all the staff in theatre were fantastic and they all helped make my surgery quite positive. The midwife introduced himself, and explained what would happen after the birth so I was prepared for that too.
Spinal and epidural in, DH was shown in, and took up his place right beside me, I was hooked up to all the monitors, pressure stocking put on my legs, and then the funny leg massagers, and then there was no feeling from the boobs down. And in comes my OB and a few more nurses and the screen goes up and I know we are nearly ready to start, and my little man will be here with me in my arms soon...
DH was sitting up with me, and I looked at him and said oh we must be going to get started soon, and the anaesthetist said, oh, no, they are on their way already. Wont be long at all. Wow. I could see my OB over the screen, and he glanced over and smiled and said "we are nearly there, You might feel a little pressure and pulling but he will be here soon" DH got the camera ready, and next thing I know, screen came down and I could see a head emerging over the screen. And then, there it was a huge huge wail. WWWWAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The most amazing sound you could imagine, and a blue little man poking out of my tum. And then out popped the rest of him, and he was held up for me to see. Hooley dooley. Wow um geez crap... So many emotions. I looked over at DH with a tear in my eye, and he had one too.
As it was explained to me prior to starting, my little man was whisked away by the midwife, and DH was sent quickly over to help him out, and I was left alone, but I didn't care. I finally had my little man earth side with me. DH was able to cut and clamp the cord, and DS was wrapped in warm blankets, as he was quite cold, and theatre was cold too. And he was brought straight back to me to kiss and for us to get some first photos, and then DH was able to hold him, right up close to me while I was stitched up, and my OB finished things off. Everyone else in the room vanished for me then, and it was just my family I could see. Nothing else mattered, and everyone in the room left us alone to have that time together.
I was hoping not to be separated from DS and DH after surgery, but it was late in the day the midwife had to leave, and could not accompany us to recovery. So DH was strictly instructed not to let DS out of his arms or sight and that we would meet back in my room asap. I was rushed through recovery, put on the pain meds, and taken up to my room. DH got to take DS to get weighed and measured, and we met up in my room quite quickly. I estimate the time from going into the theatre to all of us meeting up in our room was around an hour.
I got to finally have my first hold of him, and the midwife on the ward helped me get him straight on the boob for a feed. He took to the boobs like a trooper, and after a good long feed, DH and I were able to just take the time to check him out and let him drift off to sleep for 12 hours, and that left me plenty of time to start my recovery. We did have a couple of attachment issues, and they were fixed with a LC helping me to do a breast crawl on the 2nd morning, and that helped DS and I work out our attachment issues, and we did not look back from then.
DH was so good, and stayed by my side in the hospital room for the whole time I was there, except for a quick trip home to get some supplies. I was lucky enough to get discharged from hospital on the early discharge program and was home after just 3 nights. And my follow up care was done by the community nurse.
We have the most amazing series of piccies of the birth and DS being born. I have the most beautiful memories of the whole thing ... it was a calm and positive experience, and DH had the same feelings of the birth as me. I know I did not feel the pains of labour, or have the experience of pushing my son into the world, but I feel like I gave him the best I could offer by choosing this birth, as I was physically able to be there for him after the birth.
I also want to acknowledge that emergency c-sects often come following a long or traumatic labour, and are often thrust upon people seemingly out of the blue, which can generate a whole different series of events and feelings than I experienced.
I hope the sharing of my experience with you was helpful.
xo
