QuoteReplyTopic: Your CS story Posted: 30 April 2007 at 7:59pm
I'll start...
*copied from our earlier thread*
Got to 9.5cms at home, thought all was going well, got in birthing pool (had only gas to help pain) and then contractions all stopped after a couple of hours, then Caitlin got stressed and passed thick meconium, got back onto bed, had epi as needed to kick start the contractions (with syntonin?), I went through 3 bags of saline for energy (nada worked), then her BP and mine went all over the place, eventually the Obst came back and agreed with my MW that I needed help (bubs was stuck and posterior), Obs tried vontuese (sp?) twice which failed (obviously), then had CS. Declared failure to progress advanced 2nd stage.
After all that, I was lucky enough to have a really good recovery and was mentally fine with what happend until 3 months ago when it all went pear shaped for me, was blaming myself for not putting in enough effort etc during the labour. I requested my labour notes and had a chat with my MW who advised that there really was nothing anyone could have done that wasn't done to prevent the CS.
I feel a lot better about what happend now, but I would not consider a VBAC as I would not want to put myself or another baby through that trauma again
Twenty five and a half years ago I had Kelly(caitlynsmygirl's mummy) by emergency cesarean after 2o hours labour diagnoisis pelvic disproportion and she was posterior,
twenty three months later I had Cameron her brother who was supposed to be a trial of labour and ended up also being cesarean and Kate our last child now 21 was supposed to be elective cesarean, I went into hospital to rest the day before and ended up actually going into labour but she also still ended up being cesarean.
Here's mine:
Hannah Abigail was due on 29 December 2003. On the night/morning of the 23rd/24th I had a pinky show and after that she felt exceptionally low and heavy and I felt so drained and impatient (just in time for Christmas ). Finally at 8.30am on 27 December I felt a contraction! By 1.30pm contractions were 10 minutes apart, they got to 5 mins at about 3pm, when I called my m/w and arranged to go to the hospital. Established labour was stated to be 4pm.
Things started hotting up a bit around 6pm and the mw suggested I might like to try the bath. It felt so good, but then she turned the spa bubbles on "which everyone loves" and oh my goodness, it felt like I was put in a paper bag and shaken up. I had been doing so well with the contractions but when the bubbles were on I felt really out of control. They got turned off pretty quickly. While I was in the bath, I felt my waters pop and suddenly the bath filled with this yellow-green coloured liquid. Then DH saw some blood at the bottom of the bath and yelled for the m/w. She came and immediately I was almost hauled out of the bath and dragged to the bed. As I was walking, I looked down and saw my entire footprint on the floor in blood. Uh-oh.
I had exam and was 4cm, and Hannah's heartrate was monitored and dropped significantly. Anxious talks began about a possible emergency c/s, or otherwise lose one or both of us. (Fortunately they used better wording than that and it didn't really sink in for me until after.) They said if we went that way, I would need an epidural right then (to give it time to set in) - I said yep, I'd love to have one right away! I felt so relieved at that point (from pain), although talks about the c/s made me pretty nervous. An Ob was called in and he was great at explaining everything I needed to know and checking I was okay before getting prepared for theatre.
The c/s was my first (and only) operation and I was pretty nervous. Not to mention that I hate needles (still don't look for blood tests!) and I suddenly had needles (IV line/blood test) in both arms. My biggest concern in the theatre though, was that my arms were shaking uncontrollably. Apparently that was because of the high drug dose I was getting (since everything was done on emergency basis). I had a woman anaethetist and she chatted to me during the whole op which helped to settle me, as well as it didn't feel like it took very long at all. After funny pulling and sucking sounds (and DH asking "can you feel THAT!?") a baby was removed from my tummy and the Surgeon let DH announce the sex, since she was a surprise. It was a very exciting and emotional moment.
Hannah swallowed some meconium and was only average-high on the AGPAR score, so she went down to neonates for the night (it was 10pm at this stage). She came up for feeds and then roomed in with me from 8am the next day. It took a little while before I was able to stand properly again and when I showered later the next day, DH had to help support me so I wouldn't fall over (fortunately he had his togs packed in preparation for water-birth).
I struggled with a sense of failure after Hannah's birth as I had hoped so much for a drug-free birth and got the opposite. I had to stay in hospital for a few nights because of the c/s and after getting the blues on day 3, I cried and said I wanted to go home. I went home on day 4, physically I wasn't quite ready because DH wasn't able to take time off work, but I really needed to be home and in my own bed. But just 2 weeks later I was (just) in my jeans again and going for walks, and felt really good.
My haemorrage was a "freak accident" and my chances of having that occur again are just the same as anyone else's. So I went on to have two VBACs (actually technically one VBAC and then a VB).
Thomas was born by elective caesarian because, even after all the coaxing possible (pelvis tilted legs up the wall, on all fours rocking, positive visualisation, prayer, cold bag of peas on my belly where his head was, and an unsuccessful attempt by a specialist to turn him), he was breech. After two normal vag births this came as abit of a shock. I'd never entertained the idea of a CS. I have to say that I was really really nervous about it. Not just the fact that my belly was going to be cut open, but even the thought of the epidural scared me.
So, one thursday I went in to see the specialist, he confirmed that this baby was stuck head up, he phoned the hospital and within 10 minutes I was told I'd be having this baby on the monday. WOW ... mindblowing really. I wasnt expecting it that soon. What a nervous weekend it was to be. The next day I had an appointment with the anaethiatist (sp) and I decided on a spinal block and epidural. That night we had a lovely romantic dinner at the skytower revolving restaurant, a yay baby is coming present from the whanau - an awesome gift. Saturday/Sunday was spent relaxing, pacing, organising, panicing, cuddling, preparing, packing, unpacking, repacking ....
Monday came around very quickly. We were still finding it very weird knowing exactly what time we would be having this baby .... I woke early to have a light breakfast as I couldnt eat after 7am. 12pm we were in at the hospital, met the midwife that would be attending, she weighed me, took BP etc, and gave me my sexy NSH gown, paper undies , stocking and booties, hubby got his blue shortland street gear too
We then got to wait with the other expectant and stylie dressed mum and dads to be ... we met the attending anaethiatist (sp) (andrew ... lovely guy) and the doctor who was to preform the op - a very cool lady.
I do have to say that all the staff at NSH were brilliant.
3.15pm we went into theatre. They put a line into my hand. I then sat on the edge of the bed to have the epidural and spinal block done. What a weird weird feeling that is. The local anaestetic they put in first feels like a beesting. I didnt feel the rest of the procedure apart from a wee bit of discomfort and a small sensation that pinged down my spine like an electric shock. I was so nervous, I was terrified that it would hit a nerve and it would be damaged, I was nervous about the whole thing really. The staff were excellent, explaining exactly what was happening and what I could expect to feel.
Whlie all this was happening my poor hubby was relegated to a seat at the side of the room ... I could see he was finding it really hard to watch them prod and poke me and he wasnt alowd next to me to comfort me. He said afterwards that that was the hardest part for him, the epidural.
My leg and bottom then felt like jelly - I couldnt stop laughing it felt so funny. The sprayed some cold stuff on my chest to see how far down the spinal block had worked - after a little while they said right we are ready to begin. I was like "hey .. arent you going to test my tummy to see if the spinal has worked". to my suprise they had! I hadnt felt a thing. ... Hubby got a seat right next to my head ... he also got a good view of my tummy too. I next felt what I can only describe as someone drawing on my lower tummy with a vivid or marker pen .. thats what it felt like when they cut me open ... I could feel them touching me but no pain . Next came tugging, rummaging ( I had to laugh as I'd read on here that it can be described as 'someone rummaging through the bottom of your handbag' and it came to mind while I was on the table hehe), tugging, pulling, pushing ...... and at 3.56pm Thomas was born with a squawk!! I got a very quick look (not as long as I would have liked) and then he was taken to the side of the room (with dad following very very closely behind) to be sorted .... I must say that I did kinda feel abandoned abit being left laying there .. I had to yell out hey .. is he ok???? before anyone would tell me anything ... and yes he was perfect :) While they were cutting me open I felt really queezie ... so they gave me something my drip to fix that ... but they forgot they were pumping it into me until I had such a banging headache they went whoops and turned the infusion down ... and the headache subsided pretty much straight away. It took awhile to stitch me up .. and then we were wheeled into recovery ... hubby wheeling baby ... and as soon as we were in recovery we all had skin to skin and I put Thomas on the breast .... He was so alert and onto it .....
15 minutes later we were up at the ward ....
We went home on the thursday :)"
A postscript to that story:
Ive recovered well after a very weird reaction to either the drugs used or just the huge hormonal shift ... I had a skin reaction on my face, arms and hands which turned into photosensativity and put me in hospital when thomas was 4 weeks old.
Apart from that, my tummy has healed nicely. Ive a little bit of a pouch and the scaring is still a little thick ... Ive not much numbness and my scar is really neat and starting to fade (not that you can see it unless you lift up my poochy LOL).
Best of all ... Thomas is just wonderful. Such a joy!
Thought it might be a good time to write my CS story.
My c-section was scheduled for Tuesday the 22nd of May, 2007 as Sam was a kneeling/footling breech and was NOT budging. His knees were stuck in my pelvis.
I didn't sleep much at all on the Monday night purely from nervous excitement! The Monday afternoon was my pre-appointment where they checked me over, checked Sam's heartbeat, took blood (this took about 12 jabs of the needle in my hands and arms as they couldn't get it right).
Tuesday morning we got there at 7:30AM. Waikato Hospital does two elective c-sections a day. The other woman, who happened to have a breech baby and also happened to be one of my midwives ladies, went first. I had really really bad wind/gas before I went in. It was terribly uncomfortable and I remember all I could think about was that I was going to fart in front of the entire operating theatre staff and not be able to control it.
So, then at about 11:15AM, it was my turn. DP got his blue scrubs on and we went in. Everything was very straight forward, my BP was good, pulse was good, the spinal worked well. My legs felt warm and strange. I started to feel nauseas, so I mentioned it straight away and they gave me something to fix it. Then they started work. Took a while and I agree it definitely feels like rummaging in a handbag!
This went on for a while then they said 'A bit of pressure now'. This was followed by big yank and something coming unstuck, which we were later told was his foot coming out from some strange place.
They then took him over to the table to be checked, cleaned and weighed. I couldn't see anything!! He squawked immediately.
Then they all said 'Oh, he's a decent size!!'
Then some STUPID ASS nurse says to me 'Are you sure you had a gestational diabetes test done?!' My midwife was in the room as well and said 'Of course she did, he's just a big boy'. He was 9lb 10z, which yes ok is quite big, but big babies run in DPs family..
So anyway, I wanted to know if he was ok, and DP quickly told me that he was perfect. Then they put him on my chest. It was very overwhelming as he is a big boy and literally covered me and stuck his hands all over my face. He was up so close I couldn't even focus my eyes on him. He kept rolling around so I asked if he could be taken and given to DP. They wrapped him in something and gave him a hat which he hated. He also tried immediately to get out of being wrapped and pushed his hands out.
Then we went to recovery. They needed to take my blood again but couldn't get it right so they ended up taking it from my feet. Apparently this is very painful so I was thankful that my spinal hadn't really worn off at that stage. Mum came in and then a few other people came to visit as well.
They tried to put him on the breast and he wouldn't have a bar of it. He screamed and fought and tried his best but couldn't latch and still can't, so it's expressed breastmilk for the moment.
Then I went to the ward. Two or three of the nurses were so lovely to me, but overall I found Waikato Hospital to be absolutely inhospitable. They were too busy, all had conflicting ideas, were rude to my visitors, rough with me and my baby and once I was up and walking they virtually ignored me, even when I was in serious pain and pressed my buzzer.
The Tuesday night in the ward I started bleeding very heavily. I called the nurse and she cleaned me up and said to call her if it happened again. Which it did about two hours later. I was bleeding a WHOLE lot, so they called the doctor to come and check me. She had to check for clots, and then they stuck a needle in my leg to help my uterus contract more, as it wasn't doing it properly, just making me bleed a whole lot. So this injection made me very very nauseas and I vomited. This would have to be the worst pain I have ever experienced in my entire life. It took three nurses and a doctor to convince me that I had not infact ripped wide open. The retching made me feel like my stitches had come undone and I never want to feel like that again. They gave me something to stop the nausea and then began pressing VERY hard on the top of my uterus to check where it was. They were NOT gentle.
The next day I was ordered to get out of bed and have a shower. I came back and they had decided to put my suitcase inside the cupboard. I needed underwear from it, but couldn't exactly lift it out of the cupboard it was in, and I needed it fast as I was bleeding quite badly still. I had to call the nurse to help me. They took over 10 minutes to answer my buzz, and then wouldn't even help me get my undies on! She got my suitcase out and just left me to it.
I stayed for five days and by the end of it I was extremely sick of the nurses man-handling my breasts, shoving my sons head onto my breast, squeezing the hell out of my nipples, getting annoyed with me because Sam and I were getting so upset that I couldn't get him to feed. One told me to express, the next one said not to, the next one made him drink out of a cup, the next one said don't do that, the next one decided that Sam was lazy... and so on and so forth.
One nurse came in every morning in the bitter cold and opened my window wide open! Then someone would come in and tell me off for opening it!
Nobody showed me how to bath him or anything, and when we left they didn't even bother to make sure we had a car-seat. We could have just lay him down on the back seat for all they knew.
Sorry to go on and on and on, but I came away from my c-section feeling really dissatisfied with Waikato Hospital, the majority of the staff and their lack of care.
Oh Renee!! It was lovely to see you and Sam but what an awful experience your week was! At least you are now at home where you can be comfortable I hope you have a nice, supportive MW
Okay will start with the full story. Sorry might be really long. Well from the beginning I really wanted a waterbirth but started getting scared about it and wanted to talk about an elective cecerean with my gynae (yip they dont really do midwives in SA unless you specificially go with one). I was in an antenatal class run by a midwive that was really good with giving all the different options although she prefers natural. She had one of each and my gynae as well.
Both of them encouraged me to do natural and my gynae told me straight out baby is perfect and it is better to do natural unless she feels it is unsafe. By 37 weeks I still only went to go see her every second week and she made an appointment for 39 weeks although she said she doesnt think she will see me, she will see me in labour first.
At 38 weeks I really started feeling strong contractions. They were different. I really had to breath through it ect. Still didnt pack my bag. (some part of me thought this was all a cruel joke and I will never have my own baby) Hubby got really nervous and told me I must pack that bag so started too. Every night he told me I think tonight is the night. They even got really close with 2 minute intervals and as soon as I think okay lets go they totally dissapeared.
So at 39 weeks I went to go see her and she was almost flabbergasted and told me usually your first is late but I had a funny feeling about you. Guess me and your hubby was wrong. I then told her of the feelings and contractions I got and she immediatly got really excited. She then felt my tummy but told me baby hasnt dropped yet. She did a scan and bubs was fine but my BP started rising. Had previous BP problems and it was like really low through out the pregnancy so this was a real bit of concern because as soon as it rise then it rises quickly and I get symptomatic when it is 140/90 and it already went over that.
We had a big chat and she told me straight out she is concern and gave me all the options and told me she cant allow me to go over my due date. Which was exactly a week. So we could wait and see if I go further in labour naturally. She can induce but the chances that bubs will drop then lessens a bit and it will in most cases end up in cecear or we can wait until next Tuesday and if it hasnt happened naturally do a cecear or we can do a cecear the next day. She will make a plan with the hospital to get me in.
That scared me as I know she wasnt even willing to discuss a cesear for me and now she is talking about booking theathre just for me and not even wait for her normal surgery day. I knew something was up and did for a whole week already. So we booked it for Friday morning (this was Wednesday afternoon). This way Grant could get time off ect and she did tell me baby looks good she is more worried about me. Grant needed to keep a check up on BP and if it went higher real quick to call her and they will rush me into hospital.
So I didnt wanted to spent time in hospital the night before. So had to stop eating 12 hours ahead. Not that I could even imagine eating anything. Too nervous. Went into hospital like 3 in the morning. My opp was suppose to be at 7. Nurses came and did their normal little stuff. I was really worried about the spinal. Aneathatist came in and he really looked a lot like my FIL. For one moment I wanted to tell him he could have at least knocked before coming in and couldnt understand why my FIL of all people came to see me before going in. My dad called and wished me luck. Had to drink a horrible and I mean a horrible drink to keep the tummy fluids from coming up during surgery. He told me to drink it really fast but unfortanately I formed a vacuum with my lips and had to break it so it was like 3 sips and I just wanted to vomit.
The idea of having to drink it again however stopped me. They kept checking if I was shaved there (hubby did it for me the night before) I just couldnt imagine having to go through that embarresment as well. They wheeled me to threatre and got Grant to go get dressed and told him they will bring him in once I am prepped. My gynae came to see me in the waiting area to make sure I am calm.
I was surprised when I got into threatre and everyone was so friendly and I really wasnt scared anymore. They put a drip up and he told me this will be the worst of the surgery. Ha ha ha ha. Big joke. They then started with the spinal and I got really sore. He told me come on now you shouldnt feel that until I told him exactly what I felt and where he was prodding. Scared him and then they only realised I wasnt lying and that I do have Spina Bifida occulta (closed back). so he was like a blind man working on me. They tried 6 times at 2 different places. An hour later and me having swore twice and tears running down my face my gynae checked baby and just told them knock her out we need to get the baby out. (I only realised later baby started getting in distress and my BP was going sky high as well.)
They asked me if hubby was a fainter. Which he was so they got a chair for him and I asked if I can see him before going under but they said they will bring him in afterwards. Grant was really worried outside waiting and everytime someone came out he asked them when can he go in. they kept on telling him not to worry ect but he heard a woman vomit and thought it was me (was the next one on the list.) They were really nice to him and made him sit in a chair facing the aneathatist that explained why they did what they did and that we will both be fine. They didnt put up a screen so if he turned around he would have saw everything. One moment the pediatrician asked him for his camera and he heard the gynae saying his Blond girl is here. He got to hold her there and then went of with bubs to nursery as I insisted he should do Kango care with her no matter what happens in surgery.
When I woke up in the recovery room I was getting a panic attack. I all of a sudden sat up and then felt really sharp pain in my abdoment. They were busy taking the breathing pipe out and they told me we will have to bag you if you dont calm down. I realised then what happened and if I want to see my girl I need to calm down. I was so tired and just wanted to sleep and had a hard time keeping my eyes open. But realised the more alert I look the quicker I can see my girl. I kept on asking them if she was okay and they told me she was and it was a girl. I then asked them what the weight was as she was estimated to be a bit big (3,5kg). They called the ward and asked and all I heard was Ms van der Merwe your baby is 4,2kg. My maiden name is Ms van der Merwe. I couldnt understand or fantom that my child was 4,2kg big. The patient that vomited was ms van der Merwe and her boy was 4,2kg.
I was wheeled to my ward and they checked me once over and then went to go get my hubby and baby. All I could see was the back of her head. Really small and almost no little fine blond hair. He told me she wants boob and wants it now. Took her an she latched herself on. It was perfect. Until the freaking lactation consultant came in ( I guess you can detect some sarcasm there) she prodded McKayla and told me I need to unlatch her ect and she will teach me all the different positions. I told her I am tired just leave my child and me alone and I just want some peace and I did go to antenatal class and I will call if I need help. Ga as if that happened.
My MIl came in during this as well. (with my permission) She was waiting in the parking area since 6:30 to make sure me and her grandchild is okay and if something happens she was close by. Grant havent sms'ed her yet and it was getting late so she just wanted to hear an update.
First day was hard. Nurses keep on coming in telling me to feed the baby (just unlatched her ect) wanting to take her to the nursery so they can check her ect. I told them to do it right there and what cant be done hubby can go to get it checked with them.
Eventually on the second day they realised I am not intending to just drop my child of in the nursery and I had a book to tell them when she pooped, pee, colour when she fed how long ect. (big surprise to me to realise they actually have that here. )
By the first night I was ready to give up BFding. I hated them pulling on boobs. McKayla having trouble latching as she was screaming and her tounge totally up and then they push my boob in. But that night when hubby went home to check on animals I had her on my own and she was hungry. I just looked at my girl and told her she is a natural and me and her will get it right. Latched her on no trouble. After that I told the nurses straight out thanks for the help but dont touch her and dont touch my boobs. We are coming right and you are just stressing us out.
We were lucky as we had a private deluxe suit and hubby could sleep in with us and it really was a wonderful experience.
I have had 2 sons and 2 emergency c sections and with two different results. The 1st in 2005 was due to bubs being breech. My waters broke one night and nothing happened with contractions so i was admitted to hospital and it was discovered that bubs was breech. my theatre time was not straight away and about 7 hours later after admitted to hospital i went into theatre. By this stage his foot has started to come down the birth canal. ouch!!!. I had concerns of having to have an epidural during pregnancy i didn't like the sound of being my bottom half being numb. However during the waiting for theatre stage and with that ouchy foot it was a pleasant relief when the spinal block was inserted. i started to get scared lying there, hubbie beside me lots of people around. I was told i might start to shake of which i did thankfully they told me that otherwise i might have had a panic attack if that had come on and i hadn't expected it. I was just given some stuff which took it away. i remember the tugging feel pulling Jack out of me and they saying look what you have, couldn't see whether it was a boy or girl because of the screen but hubbie told me we have a boy. He was born 12 days early. I could hear Jack crying and he was taken away for a tests which came back 10/10. i remember a tugging and pulling feeling as i was being stitched up. but nothing to panic about. I stayed 4 nights in Hastings Hospital and then 2 nights at a health centre where there was one on one care. My recovery was awesome with no problems whatever.
My 2nd emergency c section was 11 weeks ago.. I have recently posted on the stillborn/neo natal forum. I was 35 weeks pregnant and was in my kitchen when i had a gush of blood. Within 1.5 hrs i was in theatre and put completely out to it due to the need to get bubs out quickly. He was born on 19 March and born a very sick baby, so sick that were flown to Wellington Neo Natal Unit. His lived for 25 hours. I had Placenta Abruption, a significant abruption that affected his lifeline which left him severe brain damaged and his internal organs failed. For this c section recovery i spent 4 nights in hospital and went home and had my boys private funeral. My recovery was also good. Had a couple of openings that were possible infections sites but luckly they were ok. I was back to my yoga and brisk walking within 4 weeks.
With both c sections i didn't have pain relief from day three onwards..
And my advice to anyone having a c section is they don't all with recovery problems because mind didn't..
Sheree
Jack - 2.5 years old, anaphylaxis to egg
Kaleb - 1 day old died March, '07
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Your CS story
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I hope you have a nice, supportive MW
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Thank you for sharing your story 