I had one of each kind of delivery. They both seemed about equal to me in terms of discomfort. Maybe it’s just me. The kiddos are 6 and 8 now.
what do they do for people who don’t want the epidural?
I assume you’d get general anesthesia. Any reason why you would prefer this method? I’ve been told it prolongs recovery and makes things harder for the baby and is generally only used when the mother is unable to have the epidural.
I work L&D and post-partum at one of the busiest maternity wards in CA. We do 6 or 7 c/sections a day. We do VBACs sometimes, it depends on the doc. I can’t begin to tell you how many I’ve circulated on and/or recovered. Any specific questions, you can email me. I go through the process from when you come toddling into the room with your bags and video camera to pushing your wheelchair to your curbside ride 3 days later, ready to carseat your baby for her first safe ride home.
Cyn, OB/GYN RN
I had an uncooperative cervix and was induced and had a natural birth. I’d take a c-section ANY day, even if I’d have a scar.
Wow, thanks for all the information (had a pre-op interview at the hospital yesterday and was unable to come back here and check replies). I feel much better prepared now than I did before. Thanks for all the good advice. Especially the advice about moving around as much as possible. My mother is coming to be with me when I get out of the hospital and has also been concerned about the c-sectionI told her to read this thread yesterday and got an email this morning stating that I was going to be so sorry I’d made her read this as she’s now going to force me to keep moving!
Cyn, thanks for the offer - I may take you up on it if I have questions before I get to the hospital tomorrow. And SnoopyFan, the words “uncooperative cervix”, “induced” and “natural birth” all in the same sentence just make me want to cringe! 
I had two vaginal deliveries ( via UPS )
The one common thing I heard from any of my c-section friends was that it took about 5-10 minutes from the start of cutting to pulling baby out.
Then it was 45 minutes, if not more, of being sewn up.
All very anti climatic.
Several friends likened the entire sewing up experience to feeling as if someone were washing dishes in their stomach.
Good luck!X
I just know I’m going to remember this tomorrow and start giggling…
For those of you who’ve Been There Done That, how woozy/out of it were you by this point? By the time they’re ready to start stitching, Mr. Cricket can either stay with me, or go with the baby and then join me later when I’m in the recovery area. Once he leaves during the surgery, he can’t come back. I’ve heard that at this point they give you a bit of sedative (that’s what the nurses told me yesterday) and so you’re kind of more out of it then you were during the delivery part. He’s not sure he wants to leave me alone, but if I’m gonna be out if it anyway, it makes more sense for him to go with the baby, since she’ll get wheeled right by the waiting room (where the rest of the family will be) and then everyone can see her.
I don’t even remember the sewing up part at all. I was so busy trying to see the baby, etc. For all I knew, they could have invited in circus elephants to the the job. Really, the last part was all a blur.
It is funny how much you forget, though. My arms were strapped down too.
The only other bit of advice I can give you is to make sure you have underwear that doesn’t hit near the scar. I had some bikini types that were a definate NO. Now is the time to pull out your granny underwear. You might also want to take some to the hospital with you - the pairs they gave me were gauze. They were rather uncomfortable.
The sedative I recieved was the kind that made you feel good. The “I’m in the clouds and happy” type. I was not woozy or out of it at all.
Thanks for the underwear advice- I wouldn’t have thought of that. And “in the clouds and happy” sounds good to me!
No- don’t take your “good” undies, and do wear the crummy ones provided by the hospital (or bring your own crummies)- at least until you are moving around well. They run a very high risk of being permananty stained and there usually isn’t a laundry facility available.
I don’t know about you, but my grannies are my crummies!
Besides, even if you get new ones and they get stained, it’s a small price to pay for comfort. The gauze ones left my butt checkered. I had to send Mr Baboon home for some of my old pairs.
Nametag
I hope that “if it’s possible” mention includes the fact that the baby hasn’t “dropped.” You don’t just randomly start pit on a woman. Vaginal birth is not always preferable and I don’t think you meant that…Some women (aand men) believe that vaginal deliveries are prefereable because “it’s natural” but there are many circumstances that would prevent a vaginal birth.
Many women doctors are now even having elective c-sections. There are issues you can have with prolonged labor that you just don’t get from a c-section or risks that are incredibly reduced. You are way less likely to have a child with a brain injury if you go through a scheduled c-section (unless brain injury was before labor). You also are way less likely to have any issues with shoulder dystocia. However, it is major abdominal surgery and mom will not recover as fast.
Cyn How long have you been an OBGYN nurse? Ever do any expert work?
mcms cricket best of luck to you, but with a good doctor you’ll be in excellent hands–and congrats!
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BottledBlondJeanie, thanks for the congrats and the support. I do trust my doctor and that helps.
Thanks again to everyone who’s provided stories and advice. I knew the Dope would come through.
I’ve re-packed my bag and checked the baby’s room one last time. I’m ready for tomorrow - though I doubt I get much sleep tonight!
I’ll post news and pictures when I get back from the hospital on Sunday.
Whew. My last night before Mr. Cricket and I are parents!
Not necessarily! My mom had a C-section in 1968 and thanks to a doctor who was ahead of his time, was subsequently able to have four natural births.
My sister also had what what is known as VBAC (vaginal birth after Ceasarean), but had an emergency section with the third baby.
I’ve had three C-sections, the first two after hours of labor, the third planned.
Like any surgery, recovery can be a bitch, but after a week or so, you really are feeling much better! Just let others help you out as much as possible, because you MUST NOT do any heavy lifting! (They tell you to lift nothing heavier than your baby. After my son was born, I was told to be careful even with that, as he weighed slightly more than 12 pounds!)
As for resuming relations, we were told six weeks, because of the danger of post-op infection. And even though the girly bits suffered no birth trauma, it still hurt for a little while (which I thought was patently unfair!), but that too passed fairly quickly and was definitely worth the effort!
Most important to remember is this–whatever pain you have to endure, it really is worth it!
The most important thing to remember is, take your time getting up later in the day. Make sure you’re steady on your feet.
Then, get me a beer and make me dinner!!!
Nobody’s had a classic c-section? The kind with an up-and-down scar?
I have 2 kids – the first was born via natural (no drugs at all) vaginal birth. I didn’t plan the natural part, but had such an easy labor I just never needed any. From my water breaking to my holding him for the first time was 7 hours. Nick was born at 6:30 in the morning and we went home that afternoon. I went grocery shopping the very next day. We went camping when Nick was 11 days old. I resumed sexual activity when he has 3 weeks old (my husband was still livng overseas and visited us for one month when Nick was 3 weeks old). When I became pregnant with my daughter (when Nick was 5 months old – breastfeeding is lousy birth control!), I was extremely complacent – clearly I was born to have babies! Not.
My daughter was born almost 3 months early, due to a placental problem. She was in serious distress – basically every contraction was killing her – and I had an emergency c-section. I didn’t have time for an epidural (which, IIRC, would have taken 20 minutes or so) – and, because I had eaten breakfast, we had to sign some fairly scary forms about the potential problems with general anesthetic on a full stomach. They explained that it would be a classic c-section (because of the necessity for speed), using the words, “We’re basically going to fillet you to get the baby out.” They whisked me away, leaving my poor husband grappling with the implications of the word “fillet.” From the time they rushed me down the hall, to the time they came back and told Kevin that I was OK and the baby at least alive, it was no more than 15 minutes total, maybe a bit less.
My c-section scar runs from just below my navel, straight down to just the top of my pubic hair. It took 6 miserable weeks to recover – probably much exacerbated by my worry and grief over the baby, but it would have been difficult even had I been in the best of mental states. Abdominal surgery sucks. I do think, though, that my type of abdominal surgery – the up-and-down incision that goes through the grain of the muscle rather than across and along the grain – is worse. I’ve had friends with the more standard cross-wise incision who recovered much, much quicker than I did. Usually that feeling-your-guts-are-going-to-fall-out-when-you-stand-up thing lasts just a week or 10 days. I was still feeling that way a month later. Yuck. I was specifically told not to have any more children with my type of scar – not even by planned c-section, but most definately not ever VBAC. I only needed to hear the words “grave likelihood of uterine rupture” once to be convinced! Finally, I’m not at all sure they got all my ‘stuff’ pinned down correctly after the surgery. When I cough or sneeze, I can still (16 years later) feel things shifting around in there… Still, my daughter lived – and so did I, so I’m not complaining!
So, to repeat – nobody else had a classic c-section? Not in all those emergency c-sections?
Oh, and I wouldn’t have posted my horror story, except mcms cricket is already off having the newest Doper. By the time she’s back, it’ll all be over and my little tale won’t be able to freak her out.
I had two emergency sections…
For the first they already had the epidural in since I had been in labor for hours already. They told me: section time - I signed a form and people appeared from everywhere. I got extra drugs through the epidural and they had me prepped and in surgery in minutes. I still got the sideways incision and the longest part was the sewing up afterwards.
The second time - I still ended up with an epidural. I hadn’t eaten (they did not let me) but the epidural only took about 5 minutes. And I had a sideways incision for that one too. That was a long and scary day. They had a lot of problems getting my bloodpressure stable (Days high 155/108 - low 80/50)
Jess, mine is a classical- I even have a ‘part’ now 
, but I still don’t recall the recovery as being particularly difficult (as opposed to the events leading up to the c-s which were awful). I did wear an abdominal binder for a week or so and made liberal use of the medications prescribed. I also, contrary to popular practice, stayed in bed for 5 days but that was due to septicemia and debilitation from the difficult pregnancy. I’m willing to admit that perhaps my memory of the recovery is possibly hazy, but I truly don’t recall having alot of problems from the cut itself.
You c-s baby is 16?! Mine is 6- he and was very early also.
Best Wishes to mcms_cricket!!