Caesarean Chatter #2

Did you have a caesarean? Was it an elective caesarean or an emergency caesarean? How did you feel about it? Share your experiences here!!

I never imagined I'd be here, but well here I am!

Alexzander was born by emergency c/s after 36hrs of labour - I dilated to 9cm, but that was it. I begged for 2hrs that they do it, but they said it wasn't necessary. After 5hrs at 9cm they finally decided to do it.

I'm happy with how it turned out although I would have preferred to have a natural birth. My mum is really upset, because the exact same thing happened with her first & I was told I would not have the same problems. IF we decide to have another baby it will definately be by elective c/s as I am not going through, as Tootie has mentioned before, 2 births again.

My wound is healing really well, but in the last few days I've noticed some spots around it are a bit numb - is that normal??? Also I have developed some red dots, not painful at all, that look like mozzie bites below the wound right in the middle. Does that make sense? Did anyone else get these?

I would get the spots looked at Sarah. Not sure what they could be.

Did they stitch you or put staples in ?

Can i ask where did they cut you ??

I was cut on my bikini line and could not see anything unless i looked in a mirror.

I got some infected hair like things or ingrown hairs afterwards and they looked like small bites under the scar line...and I also had scars where the drain was removed. Oh! I've even forgotten where the staples were took me 2 weeks to heal.

Oooh Christy you might be onto something there with the ingrown hairs.... I didn't have a drain, wonder why some Drs use it & others don't :-k

I had staples Michelle, but the red spots aren't from them. Umm, my cut is just below or right on the hairline I think. I can really only see it in the mirror too.

Getting very frustrated with this bleeding as well - I thought it was way less with a c/s? This is way worse than a normal period & driving me bonkers!! I think once it's gone I'll start feeling a bit more like my normal self.

I'd actually heard that bleeding was worse with a c/s. Not really sure why. But mine was REALLY heavy for a while as I said in another thread Sarah. It's not very nice is it.

As for the numb spots....I still have those!! An entire section above the scar is completely numb. I reckon you probably have a few ingrown hairs as well. Unfortunately there wasn't time for them to do a quick shave with me and I had this horrid tape stuff stuck over the top of the hair etc.....thank god the incision wasn't any lower LOL. I didn't have staples at all, just the internal stitches and the tape over the top for 2w.

I had a c-section too! I haven't written out my birth story yet (trust me, it's a looooonnnnng one! ;) ).
Basically, I had been given an epidural and put on a sintocin (sp?) drip to bring on stronger contractions. Every time the drip was turned up, Gabby's heart rate (which was measured with a scalp-clip because the CTG was useless) would go down. There was also meconium in my waters when they broke them earlier. They turned the drip off and tried again a few times but each time Gabby would show signs of distress. So it was announced to me that with each contraction there was pressure on the cord somewhere. It might have been that the cord was around her neck or some other way, they couldn't be sure. So, I would need to have a c-section. I didn't really mind because I just wanted the baby to be safe and well so I didn't care what I had to go through.
I didn't have staples just the disolvable stitches.
My wound seems to be ok. I had a big tummy to begin with so I have to lift it up to be able to see it. I am more aware of it since I took the steri-strips off but it doesn't really hurt. We have a few warm days coming up so it will be interesting re: the sweating. I may have to have a couple of showers I think.
As for the bleeding, mine hasn't ever been any worse than a strong period. Right now it's kind of like a light period. The MCHN today said that it would probably last another couple of weeks and be really off and on. I have noticed I get a bit of a gush when BF and she says that is because the uterus contracts when you BF. My Mum told me that with my 3 younger sisters, she would feel slight cramping when she was BF'ing them. Interesting!

Deb sometimes my cramping during bf even felt like small contractions... yuck...

My scar has all the feeling back!! I didn't notice when it happened because like Tootie, my scar was numb and I just checked while reading the posts and I have feeling! :)

I too was of the misconception that you don't bleed as much after a c/s, but boy, I sure did. It was 4 weeks before I stopped, and the first 2 were really heavy. Especially (sorry if TMI) when I got up in the morning. I freaked out in hospital about this and thought I was passing clots but the nurse explained to me that it just pools all night cos you're lying down and makes it seem worse when you get up.

My scar is still numb too, and I get a bit achy there if I've been for a big walk or something. Oh yeah, had some ingrown hairs too. Geez, what a list of ailments - I'll stop complaining now, lol!

I had an emergency caesarian and it was absolutely fine - just chatted with DH while the medical team did their thing. My female ob stitched me up leaving a neat and hardly noticeable line below my pubic line.

As most of you know, we had an elective caesar due to Sebastian's size. The procedure itself was fine...although the spinal block was VERY weird.

I had quite a lot of pain in the week following though, and the cramps when BF sometimes got a little bit out of hand... if that's what contractions feel like I'm glad I didn't have to wuss my way through them :)

My wound has healed very well, and because I'm quite flabby I'm keeping a cloth in my flab fold to keep things dry and not irritated (I'm sure there's a better word for that..) down there. I still get a bit of pain when I over do things, which is mainly when I get up in the morning feeling prefectly fine.

The bleeding is really giving me the ****es though. I always hated getting my period, and LOVED not having to worry about it while I was pg, and now I've had the bloody thing for 4 weeks!! It plays tricks too, being quite heavy then slacking off to virtually nothing for a few days only to gush later (sorry if TMI). I'm hoping that it won't go on for much longer though.. I hate having to walk around with a surfboard between my legs!

It's horrible isn't it Zola & I've only had it for 12 days so far!

You know what's driving me nuts - "are you going to the toilet alright?" - it seems like every Dr / midwife / nurse that you speak to asks this. And they all write your answer down, why can't they just read what the last person said?!

LMAO Sarah!! I remember wondering what was wrong with them... TMI but I did everything needed by 7am the next morning! So I kept saying I've been doing everything since 12 hours post c/s, no worries... and can I now get some personal privacy? I mean its bad enough with everyone wanting to poke & prode your bb's :)

Hi everyone
I'm finding the second time around to be alot easier than the first,
I am basically recovered now whereas the first time i was sore for months, i too have ingrown hairs where my scar is Sarah, my healthnurse told me its very common and not to worry about it.
(TMI Warning!) I have stopped bleeding, but i have been having a brownish discharge which is a pain because it's alot lighter than a period, but still warrants a pad, i can't wait till it stops.

Naomi - I had a bit of that brownish stuff too, which was how it all started tapering off for me.

Zola - I had afterpains when doing the BF with Jacob...nasty!! I would also have bleeding-free days and then all of a sudden, woosh....yucko!

Sarah & Christy - I remember when I was in hospital that they were asking me if I was going to the toilet alright and also (TMI) if I was passing "flatus" LOL!! Geez........I think they need to know to make sure that your bowels are working normally (or beginning to return to normal) following the caesarean as it is major abdominal surgery and the bowels don't work for a little while.

Yeah apparently you can't eat until you have passed wind in case something went wrong & you have a blockage somewhere. They didn't believe me that I had in recovery (at 2am) and refused to give me anything for breakfast other than liquids. So I had breakfast at 7am Saturday then nothing but water until lunch at 1pm on Sunday!

Thats awful Sarah!!! I had breakfast delivered to me before the am midwife arrived!!! To check me out...actually the maternity ward had a tea room available at all hours to new mums and I went & grabbed breakfast myself...LOL toast & yogurt & coffee for me...before I even talked to the midwife about wind/wees/poos.... weird [-X

I wasn't allowed to eat anything much for days!!! I was allowed fluids and some yoghurt. Mind you, I must admit that I didn't feel like eating.

it doesn't matter if you've had a GA (general aneasthetic) or a spinal/ epidural, the bowel still gets paralyzed during the procedure. Asking if you've passed flatus, or used your bowels is the only way nurses can tell if things internally are working again. The worst thing you can do is strain to use your bowels post csec, when there's lots of medicenes you can take to prevent it! so yes nurses are bowel obsessed but for a very good reason, and I know it seems intrusive for you, but to us ( obviously I am a nurse) its just like asking if you are hungry. It 's a question we ask after any theatre not just csecs!!!! So don't be embarassed and try not to be tooo annoyed at us, we are just trying to make sure you are OK.
I have no harsh feelings about my csec, but I'm fingers crossed bigtime that I don't have to do it again. And you sometimes bleed more after a csec, coz not much comes out during delivery compared to a vaginal ( when heaps comes out then and there!!) The uterus contracts when BF and thats another reason health professional recommend it at least for a few weeks, it helps everything go back where its meant too!!!
Anyway girls, I am hoping I'm not going to be here saying I've had to have another csec, but if I do, I know everything will be ok too.

Bleeding is finally settling down \:D/ Oh boy, the things I get excited over these days!!

Spoke to mum about the numb spots (she had 4 c/s, the last 19yrs ago) and she said she still has spots that are numb. Weird hey?!

Strange that you weren't allowed to eat for a few days Tootie, why was that?

I still have a teeny bit of numbness, but I have noticed over the past year I am getting more feeling back which is good. I don't remember not being allowed to eat LOL! But they did give my fibrogel or something to get me to go to the loo soon after. As for the scar itself I can't see it, I had a drain (ugh that was weird to be taken out) and all bar I think 1 or 2 stiches (1 either end of the scar) the rest of the stitching was done on the inside so I couldn't see it and I think thats why I don't have a scar. I have noticed recently though that when I have uterine contractions either with AF or certain *other* activities ;) that my scar pulls a little and is a little uncomfy, Marc thinks its because its strengthening but I don't know its weird coz I had paris nearly 4 yrs ago :shock:

*hugs*
Cailin

sorry to sound like a know it all, but the numb spots are severed nerve ending, and depending if they grow back or not, you may never have feeling in them again, like your mum sarah
The pulling sensation when the uterus contracts ( no matter the activity that causes it!!) is most likely scar tissue, and nerves combined, and nerves can take years to regrow, so not odd at all!!!!
The drains depend on the OB that performs the op, and what the wound was bleeding like during the op ( I had one!!) and they are as weird to take out as they are to have it taken out!!!

Vanita you are not sounding like a know it all at all. Its good to have knowledgeable input! My Dr also told me about the sensations he said that some people do regain feeling others don't. I guess I have just been hopeful as I know of people who didn't regain it for years but some did eventually return, which is whats happened to me. Thanks for the info about scar tissue/nerve endings I had hoped it was something like that and not something serious. So its good to know. I saw my scar recently on an US and they told me everything was ok so I was relieved.

*hugs*
Cailin

i have full sensation in my scar but DH cut his leg in an industrial accident 9 yrs ago, and doesn't have full sensation to the area, I don't know it doesn't really bothe rme coz I figure whats a numb spot here n there, but I have MS so have few numb spots anyway ( like the fingertips on my left hand) I guess you just need to be mindful of numb spots and try not too burn them ( like I did my tummy when ironing the other day!!)

I agree with Cailin, it's good to have someone knowledgable around :) Thanks Vanita!

Sarah - congratulations on the birth of your beautiful little boy...I did look for a birth announcement, but couldn't find one - so hope it is OK to post in here! He is just gorgeous BTW!!

I have booked an elective c/s for the 2 June - how are you feeling now just a few days after the birth?

Megan

Megan at 2w after the birth I'm feeling really good :) The first few days were tough getting in & out of bed mostly, but once the staples were out (day 5) I felt waay better - I think I was worried about them coming out more than anything. Now I have some pain above the wound where the muscles got stretched & moved about, but that's fine as long as I don't overdo it.

If we have anther bub I will definately be going for an elective c/s.

And thank you for checking out the little man's website. We think he's gorgeous too - but I think we're biased ;)

Sarah - I wasn't allowed to eat for a couple of days because the bowel stops working for a while, and they told me that you have to start back onto food slowly so that your bowel doesn't throw a total reggie (well they didn't say that exactly LOL, but YKWIM). So after a couple of days, I started back eating very light things........as I said, I didn't feel like eating anything anyway........was an emotional wreck!!!

Hi girls

I hope you dont mind, I have been lurking in this thread for a little while, as I am a bit worried I might be having a c-section this time around. The reason I am wondering about this is that my first baby was a biggie (9lb 4oz) and he got stuck for 2 hours. They eventually got him out with a pretty severe episiotomy, and we are lucky they got him out in time. He had become distressed (me too!) and had been passing meconium in the fluid. I was wondering if anyone else had something like this happen, and were they recommmeded to have a c-section after this sort of experience? I am going to ask my ob at my appointment on thursday, but I dont want to sound panicky or ignorant when I do!

Thanks so much!!

re the drains. MIL who was a midwife for 20 years said you are more likely to have a drain if you are overweight (hope i am not offending anyone by saing that) or also if there is too much blood gathering in the wound before stitching up.

re the farting, i know women that had competitions going in hospital to see who could fart first so they would get to eat. my sis said generally in a labour ward when someone farts there is a round of applause for that person, haha!

nixie, i guess it depends on the size of your next bubs. if you get to 36 weeks and they suspect bubs is going to be a biggen again, they would most likely schedule you for a c/s given your last birth experience. but if bubs seems to be a lot smaller, there might not be any need for it. was is purely bubs was too big, or your pelvis was too small?

Min, I think it was a bit of both, but I am really not sure. My problem is that when I had Isaac I was 18, and I was treated very differently by the midwives, no-one wanted to tell me anything, and I was too scared to ask. Now I dont have all the information as to what even happened last time, so I have no idea what the chances are of it happening again. And of course that was over 6 years ago, which doesnt help either.

:soapbox:
Thats so rude that they didn't tell you what was going on - who cares what age you are, it's still your body & your baby.
Sorry, I just find that terrible that they left you in the dark as to what happened. Can you get the info from the hospital somehow? I''m not sure how extensive the records are that they keep.

You have the right to request your medical records from the hospital( somtimes need to pay an admin fee, and fill out a form) and they have to give it to you.

They were pretty rude, but I still should have had the guts to stand up and ask questions, rather than just being passive and letting it happen. I just didnt have the confidence to do it, but I sure learned something from it! I am not sure how long they keep the records for, I will call and ask them. I now live in a different state, but they should be able to post it to me. Thanks for the advise guys, I really appreciate it, makes me feel a bit better about the whole thing.

That's good the hear that we can access copies of our medical records. I have been thinking of doing this myself sometime soon.

Nixie, I had a similar experience with DD. Pushing for 2 hours before they figured out DD was stuck. They took me straight in for a c-section and afterwards made a comment about needing to have a caesar next time. No reason given to me, but on my baby book they wrote - "cpd ?" - in the tiniest writing, almost like they weren't sure if they should write it or not.

Nic

Nic, CPD is cephalo-pelvic disproportion - the baby is perceived too big for pelvis.

CPD is also just commonly used as a diagnosis when the dr wants the birth to hurry up... Some drs also try to diagnose cpd before even a trial of a labour.. which doesnt make sense.. they have no idea how the pelvis and etc will move in the chemical and physical changes in labour.

K

Yes I find it irritating when they diagnose CPD toooo early, coz the facts are the babies head is squishable, Thats why the skull is not fused,and mums pelvis is flexible!!!!

Thanks Sarah, I did know that already - sorry for not explaining myself better. :) When they wrote it in the baby book the actually put a question mark after writing cpd, like they weren't sure that was the reason why.

I didn't know what it was so searched on the net and found out. When i went back to my local GP, I asked him what it was and he said he had no idea!!! I was gobsmacked to say the least.

I went to the hospital on my due date for a check up, only to be told I was in labour and had to go to the labour ward, this was 8am on a Friday.
A couple of minutes before midnight on the Saturday night I started pushing, after a couple of hours the midwives were asking me if I had ever hurt my tailbone. Then they told me DD was stuck, (we could even see the top of her head) they called a Dr who walked in and checked me out and said there was no way she was coming out that way and i would need a c -section. The midwife said even if DD wasn't stuck they would probably have done one anyway as I had been awake since 5am Friday morning, DD was born around 3.25am Sunday and was 7lb 5 oz, so not a biggie.

DH said that his Aunty had 3 caesar's because of something to do with her tailbone not softening during labour?
Either way, i might have to see if I can get my hands on a copy of my records from the hospital.

Nic

Hi girls,
I don't think doctor's diagnose properly why labours end with c/s as there is usually such a rush at the end and it usually all ends well and then they move on to the next person. It is not something they have to "cure" if you know what I mean. But it is a problem for the woman of course when she wants to go back again. when I had a c/s, my dd's heart rate took a long time to recover after each contraction and when I did not dilate more than 9cm, and they put a drip in to get me to 10cm, she really got distressed so they did the c/s. but the doctor also made the casual comment - oh you were probably too small to deliver her anyway!!!
Medical records are kept, for inpatients, for 10 years at least in Victoria. Probably best to get your GP to request the specific things you want, then it doesn't cost anything, it is quicker and they can interpret them for you.