# Cesarean Support Circle-June/July



## equinox (May 31, 2004)

Starting a new thread.







This is a support thread for anyone who is planning or recovering from a cesarean birth. Shall we start with a roll call?

equinox-2 c/bs 3/2000 and 9/2003


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

KKmama here.


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## AnaNicole (Jan 30, 2004)

Count me in. And I just posted Graysen's birth story--took a couple of weeks to write it!


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## bwylde (Feb 19, 2004)

I'm here


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## shelbean91 (May 11, 2002)




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## tammylc (Apr 4, 2004)

I'm here. And happy to report that 9 weeks PP, that damn pulling pain is finally gone for good!


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## chester (Jun 14, 2003)

Hi,
I'm wondering if anyone had a vaginal birth with their first child and then a c-section birth with their second due to Pelvic Floor Problems (ie incontinence - urinary or fecal)?

Thanks,
Chester


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## Jessica36 (Oct 14, 2003)

Jessica'a Here!


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## prmom (Jun 14, 2004)

i am here too. I am new, but have appreciated the depth of support from this group.


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## OnTheFence (Feb 15, 2003)

Kim's here too but mainly lurking. You guys keep the thread active!


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## rainbowmoon (Oct 17, 2003)

Hi mamas!









I am now 17 weeks post c/s and physically feeling so great for the most part! Emotionally I am doing well, but I have my moments when I get caught up in thinking about my c/b and what I could have done differently, I'm sure many of you have BTDT, so you know the space I'm talking about of self doubt and questions..ugh..

So anyway I must ask... is it normal to get mild tingly pain around the c/s incision during ovulation/AF?


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## OnTheFence (Feb 15, 2003)

:::cough:::

Where are all of you?


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## bwylde (Feb 19, 2004)

I've been going through some thinking lately with my next birth coming up soon. I think I'm going to stick with trying for a VBAC, but part of me wants another c/b, probably because that is "known" to me. It's conflicting having both sides open to me as the power is in my hands to ask for another c/b but I know I should try for a VBAC. We'll see what happens


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## calla lily (Nov 23, 2002)

Well I guess I'll join in here. I'm about to have my 2nd c-section tomorrow. I have been trying and hopeing for a vbac since I found out that I was pg. Ds was a c/s due to distress and ftp. Well this baby just won't cooperate and is transverse. My due date was yesterday and my doctor is going on vacation Friday so tomorrow is the day. I have no signs of labor beginning anytime soon and I'm not going to try to deliver with a unknown doctor who will probably not allow a vbac anyway (even if this baby was to turn).

So I am mentally trying to come to terms with this. This will be our last baby and I was really hoping to have the birth I wanted. I'm sure I will be needing the support of you guys here.


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## Henry's_Mamma (Jan 23, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *calla lily*
Well I guess I'll join in here. I'm about to have my 2nd c-section tomorrow. I have been trying and hopeing for a vbac since I found out that I was pg. Ds was a c/s due to distress and ftp. Well this baby just won't cooperate and is transverse. My due date was yesterday and my doctor is going on vacation Friday so tomorrow is the day. I have no signs of labor beginning anytime soon and I'm not going to try to deliver with a unknown doctor who will probably not allow a vbac anyway (even if this baby was to turn).

So I am mentally trying to come to terms with this. This will be our last baby and I was really hoping to have the birth I wanted. I'm sure I will be needing the support of you guys here.











That must be so frustrating. I've often wondered how I will feel if that should happen to me in the future.

I don't really have any advice, just empathy and support. And I guess, personally, I would be better off mentally knowing I was having a c/b and be able to make the appropriate accomodations for that, than to try for a VBAC and fail, or end up w/an emerg. c/b (for example, if you went into labor with the transverse presentation and had a cord prolapse or something).

Anyway ... look at the bright side ... you get to meet your little one tomorrow!

Please post when you have a chance and let us know how you and your little one are doing. We're here for you ...


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## tammylc (Apr 4, 2004)

Even though I just had this baby, I think about my "next birth" off and on. Thing is, I was never certain that I wanted more than one baby. DH does, and will certainly be encouraging it, though. Anyway, I find myself more interested in having another baby than I was, I think because I'm hoping to be able to have the kind of birth I wanted. But that's a darn stupid reason to have another child! And what if I wasn't able to deliver that baby vaginally either? I think I'd feel even worse about that.

Well, it'll be at least a couple of years before we start thinking seriously about it, so I guess I've got time to figure it all out.

Good luck today calla lilly - hope everything goes seamlessly - enjoy your new baby!


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## Peppermint (Feb 12, 2003)

Hi all! I'm still here too







.


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## rainbowmoon (Oct 17, 2003)

calla lily-i hope all goes well for you







I am so sorry this isn't the birth you planned for yourself. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason though. good luck to you mama and happy birthday to your litle one!


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## gothmommy (Jul 2, 2004)

My 2nd son was my c/s baby. I still have adhesion pain and bladder spasms (from bladder trauma caused by the bladder blade during surgery). I just had a VBAC 7 weeks ago which was fantastic emotional healing for me and my family. Nate knows he was born by a "cut in mum's tummy", and for him to participate in my labour and be present for Jhonen's birth was really magical for him as well as me. So to all you mamas here I offer huge







hugs!! In my book, all the moms who undergo surgery to have their babies are the true superwomen.


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## its_our_family (Sep 8, 2002)

no time... but i'm here and was wondering where you all were!!


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

Hey, Carie, my VBAC baby was born on the 19th of May!


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## shelbean91 (May 11, 2002)

I had my post partum check- all is well. I'm feeling pretty normal physically- I still think it's strange to have to have a c-section after 2 vaginal births, but I'm ok with it. If I knew then what I know now, we probably could have avoided the c-sec, but with the info available at the time, that was how things played out (water broken for 36 hrs, ds ended up presenting forehead first).

I asked doc if there was a reason I wouldn't be able to VBAC if we should decide to have another baby- he said it shouldn't be a problem, but he wouldn't be allowed to deliver b/c he's not an OB/GYN, but a family practioner. I don't know if it's his insurance or state laws or whatever, but he could do another c-section or refer me to an OB who would be able to VBAC. We're not planning on any more, but who knows how things will turn out.


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## kimberlylibby (Dec 28, 2003)

I'm here.

Preparing for my c/s any time now.

Just hanging in there with the pre-eclampsia.... at this point if anything changes pre-e wise, we'll go ahead and do the gutting.

Does that offend anyone that I refer to it as my gutting? I don't want to use that word if it does. It's honestly how I refer to my c/s in my daily life though.... I even use that word with my ob.

But if it bothers anyone I don't want to use it.

I'm nervous about recovery with my 18mo dd... with bedrest she is really missing me, and every day she gets more and more impatient for mama to come play with her.

Kimberly


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## HoneymoonBaby (Mar 31, 2004)

I'm here. I had a C/S on June 14th. I'm finally starting to feel a lot better, but I'm still bleeding a little bit. Don't know if that's normal.


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## kimberlylibby (Dec 28, 2003)

Kirsten: You can bleed up to 6 weeks and still be "normal".

I only bled 1 week at period-level and then a few days after that of spotting.

I had af back around 1 month pp. Blech!

Hope you feel 100% soon!!


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## Henry's_Mamma (Jan 23, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kimberlylibby*
Does that offend anyone that I refer to it as my gutting? I don't want to use that word if it does. It's honestly how I refer to my c/s in my daily life though.... I even use that word with my ob.

It made me laugh so it doesn't bother me.









Good luck w/everything, and keep that baby cooking as long as possible!


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## shelbean91 (May 11, 2002)

I bled for a full 8 weeks. It was heavy for the first week or two and then light for the next 6 weeks. I honestly thought it would stop any time, but it didn't.


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## tammylc (Apr 4, 2004)

Here's another long bleeder - every time I thought I was done and would go somewhere without a pantyliner, I'd live to regret it. I had less than a week of real bleeding, but I had a little bit of lochia for at least 6 weeks.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Hello! I never thought I'd be here, but here I am. My little girl was born via emergency c-section just over two weeks ago (birth story.) I'm actually here because I have a question: what can I use to clean my incision? It's leaking some smelly puss and it's kind of tender and sore again. I know that this is, in large part, because I've been so stressed and doing a lot of running around (Rivkah is not well) but I think I've developed an infection. My husband keeps telling me to use alcohol on it, but that's his answer for everything and just thinking about it sounds painful!







: But what else can I do?

I think that another part of it is that I've been feeling (physically) very well. Much better than I did a few weeks pp with my son (very traumatic vaginal delivery). I've had lots of energy, and no pain at all around my incision site after the first few days. Having such a high pain threshold made me more inclined to be active, and made it hard for me to wrap my head around the idea that I'd just had major surgery and that I needed more time to recover. I'm hoping that I haven't messed things up too badly for myself, but I really haven't had the opportunity to relax over the past two weeks. *sigh* I guess it's more important that I realized.


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## Peppermint (Feb 12, 2003)

AFAIK- just soap and water are best for cleaning, but I never had any puss.

I really suggest you slow down now, since you haven't yet, it was major surgery!

Your birth story was amazing and a HUGE CONGRATULATIONS to you, you are one strong mama.









It is great that you did what was safest for your baby, you said in your post that she is "not well", did something happen since her birth, since the birth story sounded like all was ok?

Here at MDC, no one expects to "end up here" in the c-support thread, which is why it's so important. I wish everyone would read here when pregnant, so that if something like your situation happens, they will know what to expect/demand







, I know that I never expected a c-birth the first or second times around, it really caught me off-guard and the first time I really wished I had read up on the possibility.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Oh, the birth went fine, it was actually way easier than my vaginal delivery. I was fairly relaxed, partly because I didn't believe it was actually happening (I'm still not sure I believe it!) but mostly because a) the cesearian really seemed to be necessary and b) I know that the OB who did the surgery doesn't like doing cesearians (because I asked about the practice's statistics when I was 37-38 weeks.) The doctor said "We took heroic measures so that two women could deliver vaginally today, but I know when to hold 'em and I know when to fold 'em." :LOL

It's still hard for me to wrap my head around the surgery, because aside from the fairly recent development of pus, I've felt amazingly good the whole time. Even the immediate post-operative pain was nothing compared with how I felt after my son was born.

Rivkah's being ill has nothing to do with her birth; there's something wrong with her kidneys (we don't know what yet). It's terribly stressful and I hate not knowing what's going on, but at this particular moment I feel totally resigned to letting whatever happens happen.







I can't keep grappling with shadows, so I'm dealing with what I can see-- her thrush (which is finally going away), changing her pants, giving her nursies, and carrying her in the sling (which she adores







). We're just taking things one day at a time, and trying not to sink when several days attack all at once.


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## its_our_family (Sep 8, 2002)

Congrats!! I'm glad it turned out to be a good experience!

I'd ask your ob about the puss. If it has a funny smell its an infection most likely and you do NOT want to have to deal with a bad infection!

I just used soap and water on my incision. I have one of tose shower heads that detaches. I would stand with the water on "light spray" for 10-15 minutes. It felt soooo good and I knew that I got it clean!
Congrats again


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## TexasSuz (Mar 4, 2002)

Oh, if you have puss get to the doctor right away. A pocket can form in the walls of the skin and cause an infection. Leaking puss is bad. Mine went away in about 2 weeks with the proper medication and cleaning but it was so not fun!

Good luck.


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## townmouse (May 3, 2004)

hello!

I may be facing a c-section. My gestational diabetes and lupus are working together, causing the placenta to deteriorate at a faster than normal rate. We're watching things closely, but I think I can tell how this is going to pan out







. Its been a stressful, emotional pregnancy, but thankfully I do trust my OB. That's something, anyway!

I'm here because I need a crash course; C/S 101. I don't know where else to ask! How does an AP, crunchy mama prepare for a c/s? What do I need to find out? What do I insist on?

I'm arranging for a visit with the head L/D nurse, and a tour of the hospital. I'm going to meet with our ped. to sign waivers, etc ahead of time about no circ, no vax, no eyedrops, etc.

My mom is coming up, to be at the hospital with dh and me. Her thought is that maybe they won't even want to let me hold the baby, since he'll be well over 10 pounds. She thought if she was there, to stay with me, we'd have better chances of keeping the baby in the room. Also that way, either she or dh could be with Toby at all times. Does that sound logical to you all? I know that our nursery has windows all around, and there shouldn't be any reason why they'd have to take Toby out of dh's sight.

What do I need to know about recovery? I'm a veteran BF'er, how is it different after a c/s?

thanks for any info. Like I said, this week I'll be investigating, finding out our hospital's policies, but I could really use your input.

Oh, and is there anything weird I should expect about the surgery itself? Stuff in preg. books is kinda vague, if you ask me.

Maybe I won't have to do this. Maybe he can be born vaginally. I just need to be prepared.


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## tammylc (Apr 4, 2004)

nak

Townmouse- Here's my birth plan for my planned c/s - you might find it useful. It's cobbled together (stolen?) from a bunch I found online, including here. I'll post again with more thoughts when I'm not typing one-handed...

---
Birth Plan for Tammy and Eric

As this is a planned Cesarean birth, we are looking forward to a positive birth experience. We want to participate in our birth to the fullest, and have it be as much like a birth as possible, rather than like surgery. Our preferences are listed below. Your help in attaining these goals is very much appreciated. We fully understand that there may be unexpected situations that are not reflected in this plan, and are willing to cooperate with medical staff in pursuit of the best possible outcome for mother and baby. But we ask that informed consent be sought before any procedure or medication is used.

Please note that although they have different last names, Tammy and Eric are legally married, and thus Eric has the legal right to make decisions regarding Tammy's care, should she be unable to make her own decisions.

Tammy would like the catheter put in after anesthesia is administered.

Tammy would like a verbal description of the birth as it occurs, and welcomes conversation during the process.

Tammy should be allowed to wear her glasses throughout the surgery, as she is very nearsighted and has difficulty seeing without them.

Tammy would like to see the baby immediately after birth. If at all possible, she would also like to be given the baby to hold. If Tammy is unable to hold the baby immediately after delivery, Eric will do so, and should be allowed to stay with Tammy as long as possible before moving to the recovery room.

Please wait until after the first nursing to bathe the baby and to apply the eye ointment.

In the event that the baby requires immediate emergency interventions, Eric should stay with the baby at all times.

No mind-altering drugs should be administered without Tammy's express permission. It is important that Tammy be alert throughout the delivery, and that she not feel drugged, "fuzzy," or unable to remember the events of the birth. She would like to avoid any pre-op or post-op drugs that cause drowsiness or sedation.

Tammy would like Duramorph for immediate post-op pain relief. If Duramorph is not available or contraindicated, she would like access to Patient Controlled Analgesia, such as a PCAPump, etc.

Tammy wishes to breastfeed as soon as possible. Please do not give our baby bottles of formula or water, and no pacifiers. If sugar water is medically required, please administer it orally with a syringe if at all possible.

Please remove Tammy's IV and catheter as soon as no longer medically necessary. She wishes to get up and move as soon as possible after the birth of the baby.

Tammy and Eric intend to "room-in" with the baby throughout their hospital stay. We would like baby's bassinette positioned as near to Tammy as possible, to facilitate her responding to the baby's needs.

Tammy and Eric would prefer that any routine tests or procedures to be conducted on the baby be performed in their room, with one or both parents in attendance at all times.

If the baby is a boy, we will not be circumcising him. Please do not attempt to retract the baby's foreskin in any way.

Hepatitis B vaccination will be administered by our pediatrician in his office, and should not be administered in the hospital.


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## calla lily (Nov 23, 2002)

Just thought I would update. We are home now with our new baby girl born via repeat c/s. She was still transverse at the time of the operation. Although things went smoothly, recovery will still be difficult as I also have a 2 year old. I will update more later. We just got home and I'm in alot of pain still.


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## townmouse (May 3, 2004)

Tammy, thank you for taking the time to post that! Very, very helpful. There were several things that I never would have thought of, yet found important.


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## mollyeilis (Mar 6, 2004)

I'm trying to figure out what might have been helpful for me to know...

One question I have had is...why do they want to put drops in the eyes of a surgically born baby? Makes no sense to me.

Anyway...

I am super-crunchy, hate the medical profession, and so on. Hired the WRONG midwives and they plopped me straight into c-section-land. After we got to the hospital we fought The Man for 6 hours, but after 4 days of labor and so on, we were just too tired to fight anymore, no nurses were allowed to come in and help me birth, etc etc etc etc...c-section.

I was bleeding a lot so they were still seriously working on me when E was shown to me. I could not hold him. Know that this might happen. If so, and if there will be people waiting in the recovery room, make sure everyone knows if YOU allow them to hold the baby before you do. I didn't know that everyone was on their way, and so MIL, Aunt-in-law, friend, and so on held my son before I ever did. If that would bug you, say something NOW.

I don't know if the anesthesiologist put extra in my epidural (I didn't mind...didn't want to be awake for surgery anyway) or if I'm just really sensitive, but I fell asleep during the surgery and didn't wake up until DH told me we had a son. I guess I fell back asleep until I heard him wailing his lungs out, then he was brought to me. Then I fell asleep again. Know that this can happen.

The drugs afterwards (percocet and ibuprofen, along with the morphine thing they put in the epi just as the surgery was finishing) made me REALLY hazy, and I have very few memories of the days after his birth. Even though I was only in hospital 42 hours after he was born, it felt like forever and yet I barely remember it. Know this can happen, buy a tape recorder and a videocamera to capture as many moments as you can. Bring lots and lots of film, both B&W and color. We only had B&W because we thought it would be a nice messy homebirth. Then we had a nice "clean" c-section, a too bright room so we shut the curtains, and the experiments with the flash just didn't work well...led to some really fuzzy shots. Matches my fuzzy memories, but not so great for documenting the moments. Have lots of film and lots of disposable cameras around.

At my hospital they bugged the everything out of us until we bathed Eamon. He was a "biohazard" because he had spots of dried blood on him. We wanted to wait until we were home, but "had" to give in to get them off our backs. Know that this might happen.

What else?

This was my first birth and baby, so I can't compare, but nursing was really super-important to me, so I just did it. Some moms give up or do it later, because it's too hard with an incision. Someone mentioned that codeine can dry up the milk, and I *believe* that percocet has codeine in it (it's related to vicodin, and I know that vicodin has it). Learn the football hold and learn it well. It's your incision's saving grace.









Our nurses just made sure that one other person was in the room with me and baby; they didn't even care if all three of us were asleep, just as long as one other person was there. I even had E in bed with me; he has never slept alone except for an hour nap here and there...the nurses didn't mind. So your mom might not be absolutely necessary to keep everyone together, depending on your hospital.

I'm almost 7 weeks out and am finally starting to feel like a human.

The perco and ibu made me hallucinate for awhile, and it was such a strong hallucination that I didn't realize then couldn't verbalize it for DAYS. If you're having strange thougths that someone is giving you different babies every day, or that there's a small robot needing to have a computer chip changed (explaining the loud wailing coming from the robot) next to you, please tell someone. It was that computer chip thing that I was finally able to verbalize (I'd wake up with a cottonball-tongue the size of the moon and couldn't speak) to DH, and after that he woke when Eamon cried, to make sure I was taking care of him through the hallucinations.

I had a lot of pain, I had a lot of lochia (finally almost stopped, knock on wood) that turned bright red whenever I'd do too much. Don't do too much.

If your husband is going to watch the surgery, tell him it's quite an experience. Robert still can barely speak to me about it. He's probably able to tell friends about it, but looking at me and telling me what they did to my body is just about too much for him. It's not a gentle surgery. At the same time, he enjoyed watching it in a strange way. Eh, he's odd. He also got to be in the room watching the monitor as I had my eyes Lasik'd.









What else? I hope my experiences can help you...I didn't look into c-section AT ALL because I sooooo did not think I'd be going there. Or if I did, it would be a true true true emergency. The middle ground that I found myself in has thrown me for a loop, and part of me is OK not knowing about it, and part of me wishes I'd looked into it just a little eensy bit. So I hope I help.

If I've mentioned something that doesn't make sense, ask! And if you have specific questions, it's all still fresh in my mind (what I remember), so ask.

But I hope it's all moot and that you can birth the baby in a non-surgical manner.


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## kimberlylibby (Dec 28, 2003)

The bathing the baby thing!!!

Oh MAN did that drive me nuts!! They had to call the freaking health department on me because I was a "biohazard" because I wouldn't let them bathe my daughter the first day. My sister is an ob nurse and she came up the 2nd day and I finally caved and let her do it, but I was RIGHT there and watching and it was very sweet and we have pictures.

But the nurses would all come in and then GASP and say "OH, this is the unclean baby who hasn't been bathed yet, right?"

uke

Kimberly, rebel with a cause


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Molly, it sounds like you had a really crappy experience







.

Rivkah didn't have eyedrops, because she was born by c-section it didn't even come up.









Neither percocet nor vicodin contains codiene; they contain oxycodone and hydrocodone respectively, and both contain tylenol. Oxycodone and hydrocodone are related to codiene, but they're three different drugs. I'm a biochem geek, so the distinction is important to me. When I got out of surgery, the first time I asked for pain medication I was given morphine through my IV, because I wasn't supposed to eat anything until I passed gas ("Call us as soon as you fart!" :LOL) and they could tell my bowels were moving. The second time, I said I didn't need anything as strong as morphine (in fact, all I really wanted was some tylenol) so they gave me some crackers and decaf tea and said if I held them down for half an hour they'd give me some percocet. I did and they did. The third time I asked for pain medication, I just wanted ibuprofen and the nurses thought I was nuts but they brought it. Then I stood up to sit in a chair and hold Rivkah, and I wanted the percocet again. :LOL

I stopped taking anything for pain 5 days after Rivkah was born, and didn't need anything more until I developed this infection.







I've still got most of a full bottle of percocet that they sent me home with.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Oh! Something I want to add-- if you know you're going to have a c-section (or even if you don't) make sure that you've got some underwear that comes up to your navel and some pants/shorts that do the same thing. I'm a short person, so I've always worn bikini underwear and low-rise maternity panels because they fit me best. The first thing I noticed when I got dressed was that my underwear rested right against my incision, which was inordinately painful. My shorts did the same thing, and I couldn't get them to stay put when I pulled them over my cut. While it had occured to me that there was a slim chance I'd have a cesearian, I never stopped to think about the practical implications of having a big cut in my lower belly right where my underwear normally sits. I had to run out and get new ones, and they didn't have my size in ladies so I had to get men's briefs. Man-panties!







I've suffered through not being able to wear my shorts by wearing maternity overalls, but they look a little silly when you're not obviously pregnant. (At least, they do on me.)


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## tammylc (Apr 4, 2004)

Eye ointment is legally mandated in Michigan, regardless of delivery route. Stupid, I know. But we decided to choose our battles and let them go ahead and do it (not until about 90 minutes after the birth).

My experience was quite different from mollyeilis. I think there's a big difference between a c-section that's scheduled and one that comes at the end of a long labor, and that the scheduled ones are easier to recover from. Silver lining, I guess, of not having the opportunity to try a vaginal delivery.

My birth story is here: http://www.mothering.com/discussions...69#post1403769

As for recovery - my boppy was invaluable for keeping him off my incision while nursing for the first few weeks. A friend who'd had a vaginal delivery told me not to bother taking it to the hospital because they had tons of pillows - but with the c-section, I really wish I'd had my boppy. Co-sleeping was a little tricky too - DS had a lovely habit of kicking my incision!

Some people think that c/s interferes with your milk coming in, but I didn't have that problem - mine came in 2 1/2 days after delivery. DS was really sleepy for the first day and didn't really latch on for the first time until 29 hours after birth (but there were other corroborating factors that made nursing difficult for him at first). I think that c/s babies might tend to be a little sleepier because they just get plucked from the womb with no warning and need some time to adjust.


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## kimberlylibby (Dec 28, 2003)

Calla Lilly: I think we missed your announcement! CONGRATS on your new baby!!!!!


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## Leilalu (May 29, 2004)

Hi, I'm still pretty new to mothering. I've been lurking/trying to figure it all out.
I'm 3 weeks postpartum with my second c-section.(June 20th- My birthday! How cool is that?) It was a boy. My dd first was born on November 4th 2002.

I'm pretty crunchy in alot of ways- and I was totally planning/researching/etc. for a VBAC birth- but circumstances dictated otherwise. With my daughter- who was a very persistant footling breech- I was 4 weeks overdue, never started labor. Didn't know until the very end that she was footling. She turned all the time! With this baby- I actually started labor 2 weeks late. But then my water had to break- with mecomiun. The baby was doing really well- never any distress- but my contractions, which were pretty strong- never really strted picking up- the baby wasn't dropping, I was only 2 cm dilated- and time was starting to run out based on the water breaking. My daughter had never dropped either. I had the most wonderful OB(seriously- that really says something, as I HATE DOCTORS and think for the most part they are pretty unnecesary)and midwife. He wanted to keep baby healthy though- since I have b-strep, and suggested a VERY low pit. drip. Which we werent going to use since it's VBAC, but none of the herbs I was taking were doing the job either. I knew if I went that route- I would end up needing an epidural- which would leave baby doped up. Or- since he was pretty big- I could rupture, have had pit., and epi, and then possibly an emergency c-section under a general and not see my baby for hours afterward. No thanks. I opted for a c-section again because I know the spinal doesn't really pass to the baby. And my daughter was very alert after.

So, alll in all- I don't have any regrets- and I feel happy that I got to experience labor somewhat, and that I could make an informed descision, and that my OB was so awesome he would let me go longer over due date as long as I was healthy. He also sticthed up my abdominal muscles- which had split from previous birth(I didn't know)and previous OB never stitched them!!!. The doctor and midwife also think that maby the shape of my uterus for some reason just doesn't allow my babies to drop. To which I am very grateful for c-sections or I could possibly never have a family if that be true. But thats a different thread!
My baby was very healthy- and weighed 9 pounds 8 ounces.
Well- I've rambled enough.

I will ask though- what could be the cause of this weird, pullin gpain above my sttches on the right side? Adhesions maybe? My cut feels(or doesn't feel)fine- but this pain just won't go away. Hurts to laugh- etc. Any thoughts would be nice.

Leila


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## tammylc (Apr 4, 2004)

Hi Leila! Welcome.

I had that pulling pain too, whenever I turned or sat or stood up wrong. At my 6 week PP visit, my OB said it might be adhesions, or it could be a nerve that got stitched into the suturing. If it was still bothering me after another month, I should go back to see him for a trigger point injection. Mine went away on its own after about 8 weeks. But it was hands down the most painful part of my recovery! Might be worth talking to your OB now to see if a trigger point ijection might help.


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## Leilalu (May 29, 2004)

Thanks for the input!
Is that just a quick shot?
It's reassuring to know that I'm not the only one experiencing this, as my "worst-case scenario" thinking has had me feeling a little worried! You know- like"Wow this pain is pretty close to were my appendix is suppossed to be"...
Well, thats great that your pain went away on it's own- too bad it was 8 weeks...
Leila


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## edamommy (Apr 6, 2004)

I had my emergency Csection 16 months ago now. I'm just starting to recover. May I still be part of this group?
Kimberley


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## tammylc (Apr 4, 2004)

Leila - yep, just a quick injection of a local anasthetic and a steroid, apparently.

Vegiemom - but of course you can be member - there's no time restrictions! Welcome.


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## rainbowmoon (Oct 17, 2003)

welcome vegiemom, of course you are welcome here!







How are you doing with your recovery?

So I haven't had really any incision pain for a while (except during AF I get a little tingly-which btw is 2 days LATE this month and I'm freaking!) Could adhesions possibly effect AF? I have menstrual like cramps but frankly am a bit worried as I haven't had a ate period in over 15 years! I've already had 2 very normal PP cycles too, now this?

we asked for no eye drops at our hospital and they did them anyway..not sure why as I was not in any condition at the time to do anything about it. they did it while DH was taking pics btw and did it so fast he didn't have a chance to refuse it.









we did refuse the bath and got into a little confrontation with the nurse but I just firmly told her NO and that ds was not dirty..I found out later from another nurse that the nurses really hate this as then they have to wear gloves each time they touch the baby as they are considered "contaminated".


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## mollyeilis (Mar 6, 2004)

"they have to wear gloves each time they touch the baby "

Um, I wanted them to wear gloves to touch the baby, for the baby's sake! Don't want those ooky nurse germs all over his skin. Zoiks.

For those who thought my story is bad, unless you've seen my other posts, you don't know the half of it. The c-section was actually the *good* part of labor and birth.







I have more trust in the OB than in midwives now...at least I *knew* I couldn't trust the OB...

Excellent distinction with the vicodin/percocet vs codeine. A friend told me that's what her doctor said...it was the reason she was given for having "no" milk, that she'd had something with codeine (and she remembered she'd had V or P). My milk came in about 4 days PP, lots of colostrum beforehand, no problems or real worries.

Beyond the hallucinations, of course.







Which are really caused, in me, by ibuprofen. I could never take Advil at work because it would make me high...obviously I should have worried about a 600 mg pill of ibu.









In Washington eyedrops are law too, but as the hospital nurses said (which is unlike how the midwives said it) as a parent I can refuse anything I want to refuse. So we refused the eyedrops. And it really made sense to do so with the c-section, so I'm glad we made that decision. Especially since I made sure I was tested for the bugs they are given for!

I agree with the underwear thing. Get the big huge old lady panties! If you've gained lots of weight (as I did) with the pregnancy even the mesh panties might not go all the way up (mine did not) and that can be quite scary around the incision.

Luckily my hubby is a bigger guy, and his Fruit of the Looms fit well at the end of pregnancy and the beginning of baby's outside life.









Hungry baby calling!


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## edamommy (Apr 6, 2004)

rainbowmoon said:


> welcome vegiemom, of course you are welcome here!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

That's something I'm having a problem with, actually; was my daughter born, if she didn't come out of my vagina? Sure, she's out and I'm no longer pregnant, but I don't feel like she was born and I have trouble saying it out loud as a result.

The other thing is that I had a really hard time believing that I wasn't pregnant anymore, because I had no labor and everything moved so quickly. One minute I was pregnant, and an hour later my husband hands me this perfect little girl. Our daughter, but when did I go from being pregnant to being a mother? The craziest thoughts went through my head! I remember thinking that I should really stop watching "The Outer Limits" because a lot of the thoughts I had were totally wacky in an Outer Limits kind of way.

Eli looked instantly familiar when he was born. I first saw him at about 20 hours, and I knew right away that he was my baby, I could have picked him out of a thousand babies. Rivkah didn't look as familiar to me, and I think that contributed to the whole "Are you sure I'm not still pregnant" feeling that I had. In fact, I wasn't positive until I went with her to the nursery for an asessment; When I saw her next to four other babies, I could tell that she was part of my family.


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## edamommy (Apr 6, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *eilonwy*
Eli looked instantly familiar when he was born. I first saw him at about 20 hours, and I knew right away that he was my baby, I could have picked him out of a thousand babies. Rivkah didn't look as familiar to me, and I think that contributed to the whole "Are you sure I'm not still pregnant" feeling that I had. In fact, I wasn't positive until I went with her to the nursery for an asessment; When I saw her next to four other babies, I could tell that she was part of my family.

**I'm so glad, that for me, Baylor looked instantly familiar to me. I saw him 48 hours after the surgery, for the very first time! And I said out loud that I think I'd known him all my life. He must have felt the same way because he shrugged aside all doubt and latched on with gusto!


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## tammylc (Apr 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *eilonwy*
The other thing is that I had a really hard time believing that I wasn't pregnant anymore, because I had no labor and everything moved so quickly. One minute I was pregnant, and an hour later my husband hands me this perfect little girl.

I had "phantom baby movements" (like amputees phantom limb pain) for about a week after DS was born. Maybe I would have had them even with a vaginal delivery though... I really loved being pregnant and feeling DS move around inside.


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## tammylc (Apr 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mollyeilis*
I agree with the underwear thing. Get the big huge old lady panties! If you've gained lots of weight (as I did) with the pregnancy even the mesh panties might not go all the way up (mine did not) and that can be quite scary around the incision.

I hated having to buy the ugly underwear, as I referred to it at the time. It was one of the most concrete, visible signs that I'd given up on my hope of a homebirth.









But it was more comfortable.

Back to bikinis now, though.


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## kimberlylibby (Dec 28, 2003)

I totally agree on the weirdness of a c/s and feeling like the baby wasn't born.

I was in the throes of pitocin induced labor and then suddenly, EMPTY.

I looked down after my c/s and my gorgeous round plump tummy was mushy and empty. And dd was in the nursery forEVER.

So it was VERY surreal. Then they finally brought her in, all wrapped up and diapered and clothed, and it was like "Hi, stranger baby."

DD luckily looked JUST like dh so I never had the fear of a mixup, but she also looked nothing like I'd imagined her... so it was very very odd.

Kimberly


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## tammylc (Apr 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kimberlylibby*
I looked down after my c/s and my gorgeous round plump tummy was mushy and empty.

I loved my gorgeous round burgeoning belly! I felt soooo tiny after DS was born! Of course, here I am just about the same size 11 weeks later, and not feeling so tiny anymore, LOL!


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## prmom (Jun 14, 2004)

I have not had time to read or post lately. I just wanted to comment on how much I feel like I need to process my c/b with anyone who will listen. It was so strange b/c I had a general and I felt like the whole experience was a dream. My labor went so quickly I started having reg. contractions at 10 pm was fully dialated and attempted to push a couple of times by 1 am and by 2:20 Gavin entered the world through a c/b. Sometimes I ask my husband if he really was in the room b/c when I went under he was still in the hallway. Ds2 looks exactly like Ds1 so I know he is ours. Sometimes I wish we would have thought to videotape the birth b/c even though I had an epi with Ds1 I mourn the fact that I was not able to see either one of my boys come out of me.

one more thing before I go... I am so sick of people telling me how nice and round my baby's head is b/c of the c/b. Especially since he did have a cone head b/c he was stuck in my pelvic bone. Petty but I had to mention it.

Sandra--mommy to Logan 7/8/01 and Gavin 6/3/04 (I still don't know how to do signature lines)


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## townmouse (May 3, 2004)

you all are awesome.

I've got a nice long list of stuff to arrange!

Can we talk about pain meds some more? was looking at mom2baldie's links (fabulous, thanks







) and learned a little about Duramorph. supposedly it has a lesser effect on the milk coming in, than narcotics. Tammy, you had Duramorph in your birth plan. Did you get it?

So Percocet and Vicodin do not contain codeine, and therefore do not delay the milk. Did I get that right?

If its a planned c/s, with a spinal, what reason if any would they have to give mind-altering drugs?

Did anybody have a baby with respiratory probs. from not going thru natural birth? Toby won't exactly be a preemie, and he'll be over 10 pounds, and we'll do the amnio for lung maturity...but still he might not be quite 'done' at 37 or 38 weeks. Does anybody have experience with this? I'm afraid he'll be snurgly and raspy, and not able to nurse because he can't breathe well.

thanks for your patience and the info. I keep telling myself, a planned c/s could not be that much worse than the horrific induced labor I had with #3. That was bad, bad, bad. At least with a c/s I won't have long, artificial labor, ending too injured and exhausted to hold my baby







. Trying to look on the bright side!


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## tammylc (Apr 4, 2004)

I had Duramorph. It was great. I got the itchies a little bit - but my husband got some lotion from the nurses and rubbed it into my feet, and that made me feel better. For some people the duramorph is all they need for pain for the first 20 hours or so, while others will have some breakthrough pain. I was in the lucky first group - the duramorph lasted me a good long time, and by the time it wore off all I needed was Tylenol and Ibuprofen.

Re. mind altering drugs - I'm guessing they like to give you a sedative to relax you, maybe? I didn't get anything like that and I still zoned out for a little while when they were stitching me up, so I definitely wouldn't have wanted anything else.

Can't speak to respiratory problems - Liam was a little raspy, but nothing that was of concern to anyone.

As I said in my birth story, one of the things I most appreciated about it being a planned c-section was that they were able to put a warming blanket on me in the OR. The OR was so cold that if I hadn't had that I'm sure I would have gone into shock - I think it's probably one of the things that makes an emergency c/s harder to recover from.


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## its_our_family (Sep 8, 2002)

Welcome new gals!!

I have major phantom baby too. My stomach visibly jumps and twitches.









I have propblems saying "I gave birth". No, I had major surgery and baby was the result. Were they "born"? Kinda, but they were extracted.

I think I have more issues about this than I thought....


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

I've never heard about codiene affecting milk supply, so I can't speak to that but I did have percocet and it didn't delay my milk at all. I'm not sure what you mean by mind altering drugs; if you want to get technical about it just about anything is a mind altering drug. Are you referring to something specific?

Rivkah didn't have any respiratory problems. Nowadays she has slightly jumpy breathing, but it's so much better than her brother's was that I can't bring myself to worry about it. She was born at 39 weeks 1 day, though, so there was no reason to expect a problem.

The phantom baby! :LOL When I was fairly early in my pregnancy, I'd feel the baby move and think "That was probably just gas" but after the pregnancy I'd feel the gas and think "That was the baby." It's funny how your mind plays tricks on you.

Tammy, I asked for blankets in the hallway going back to the OR because I was _freezing_, and they actually brought me a warm blanket before I even got into the room. :LOL I got another one afterwards for my legs, but I couldn't feel anything below my boobs, really.


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## CharlieBrown (Jan 20, 2004)

I'm very late but here.


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## Al Dente (Jan 8, 2004)

checking in.
















eilonwy...update us on rivkah when you can. she is beautiful.


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## Henry's_Mamma (Jan 23, 2004)

Drugs ... I think you can only get duramorph if you have an epidural (vs. spinal) as they inject it into your spinal cath. before removing it. I had MAJOR itchies on my face, nose, and eyes, and frankly, it was awful. I shook for hours, too, but that started while I was in labor. I think its b/c I was in heavy ketosis from lack of food and sleep for so long. But, I had no pain for a long time after the surgery and moved right to ibuprofen. I never did take percocet or morphine or anything. But everyone responds to pain and pain meds. differently. All that said, although I had colostrum, my milk didn't come in for 6 days (that's a whole other sad story). I think the milk issues just vary from person to person.

Anyway ... do you have any other questions about preparing? I recommend having a birth plan and discussing it with your providers. Call the hospital l&d and talk to the nurses. Go on a tour if you can. Learn about which battles will be the hardest and pick them wisely and carefully. I personally think had my c/s been planned (vs. at the end of 23 hours of labor), it would have been easier both mentally and physically. But overall, I think my recovery went well. Oh ... recovery issues ...

Granny panties all the way. Also, soft high waisted pants/shorts/jammies (or better yet, nightgowns or sundresses).

Take the stool softeners and gas pills. You will need them. And you will be happy you took them. Many hospitals won't let you eat unless you pass gas, and most won't release you until you have a bowel movement. And that first bowel movement isn't easy. Trust us. You'll want the stool softeners.

Get out of bed and rock in the rocking chair, walk around, do what you can to move as soon as you can. Take it slow and easy, but do move. The more you move, the faster your recovery, and the faster your GI tract will get back in gear. That first week its hard to know if you over do it, but increased bleeding and pain are pretty good signs.

Get something to put next to your bed at home to help you get to a sitting position (something to help pull you up). That was the hardest thing for me. You also might want to make sure you have a number of extra pillows. For me, the only comfortable sleeping position was with 2 pillows under my head and one under my knees. I used ds's co-sleeper to pull myself up.

I personally found nursing on my side to be impossible for about 4-6 weeks. It pulled painfully at my incision to lay on my side. So you might want to consider how else you'll nurse in bed with a Boppy or lots of extra pillows.

Get help. You won't be doing a lot of stair climbing for awhile. You aren't allowed to drive for at least 2 weeks. You're not allowed to carry anything heavier than the baby for about 6 weeks (or longer). And you can't vaccum or do laundry. You'll need people to do these things for you. Line them up now (or at least warn dh!). Also, since you have a little time, stock your freezer, especially if you don't have anyone else to cook for you (my dh can barely boil water). If people ask how they can help, tell them to bring food and help in the house.

That's all I can think of for now. I'm sure others will pipe in w/ other suggestions!


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## townmouse (May 3, 2004)

thanks, Amy! (BTW, my name's Amy, and I have a Henry, too







)

I feel alot more prepared, now. I have an appt. with OB, tomorrow, and his nurse can help arrange a tour of the L/D at the hospital, and a talk with the nurse. I met the head nurse when I went in for BP issues in the sixth month, and I liked her, very approachable. I've had two babies at this hospital, but never learned about c/s or the nursery or anything. Also I want to meet with the anesthesiologist...I had an epidural with ds#2 and I want that guy again if possible.

So what I'm hearing is, a planned c/s might go alright. Seems like its the emergency ones, after long or induced labors or whatever, that take horrific turns.

Ours will be scheduled. Hopefully that will give everybody a chance to be calm and sane (including me).

Thankfully, I'll have lots of pp support. My mom and my sister are both coming, and planning for one of them at least to be here for 6 weeks! Luxury...I was pretty much on my own after each of the first 3. Dsis is coming early, to help me cook and fill up the chest freezer before the birth.

I feel very non-crunchy for mentioning this, but I'm so grateful that I'm not having another pit-induced birth. I've never done a c/s, and I totally get that the recovery will be a bear, but I was having a hard time coming up with the courage for an induction. I had a homebirth with ds#1, and after that experience the induced labor was so shockingly awful and painful, and took twice as long. I never want to do that again. But homebirth is not an option now, and induction is off the table, too. I guess after this baby, I will have done it all, LOL.

You all have really helped me come to some peace about this situation! I've appreciated you sharing your birth stories and advice. Even the tough stuff; I'd rather know than be blindsided.

Bought my granny panties today.


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## its_our_family (Sep 8, 2002)

townmouse said:


> I feel very non-crunchy for mentioning this, but I'm so grateful that I'm not having another pit-induced birth. I've never done a c/s, and I totally get that the recovery will be a bear, but I was having a hard time coming up with the courage for an induction. I had a homebirth with ds#1, and after that experience the induced labor was so shockingly awful and painful, and took twice as long. I never want to do that again. But homebirth is not an option now, and induction is off the table, too. I guess after this baby, I will have done it all, LOL.
> QUOTE]
> 
> I had pit enduced labor with ds1. I would never do that again. Give me a c/b recovery anyday over that! Of course its the pit that put me in the OR to begin with.
> ...


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## Leilalu (May 29, 2004)

I am wondering-
How many of you had stitches, vs. staples?
My first c-section I had staples. This last one- I had stitches and they were SO much better- didn't feel like my inards were going to fall out, etc.
And did any of you have your abdomen seperate? My Ob(awesome) actually sewed mine back together. I guess they split with my first pregnancy and the other OB didn't bother to fix them.







( I always wondered why no amount of Pilates seemed good enough to get my stomach back







)
I was looking at pictures of women with this condition(severe cases)and it was pretty scary. I'm just so glad- my doctor saved my tummy!
Leila


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## kimberlylibby (Dec 28, 2003)

I had stitches AND staples. Not kidding. I had 42 staples I think? I counted them and it was an insanely large #. INSANE.

I can't have morphine.... it has ZERO effect on me. Same thing with novocaine at the dentist's office. Might as well give me a shot of saline cause that's all it does.

Of course they still injected morphine into my thigh in the hallway as they were wheeling me to my pp room. I was going "waht is that you're putting in my leg?" and she says "morphine" I said "good thing MORPHINE DOES NOT WORK. GO READ MY CHART!"

Grrr. Then I had to wait 2 hours for more meds while they waited for my non-working morphine to get out of my system









I am a Percoset girl. LOVE it. It works like a pro for me.

We had a ton of Nigerian nurses at our hospital and they were big on "In Nigeria, women don't have pain medicine after c/s" To which I would respond, "That's nice. But this is America, and I want my meds every 4 hours on the hour, not a minute too late!" They were REALLY hard to talk into giving me my meds! I would have to BEG them and then they'd cut my pill in half and say "I think you only need half".

OHHHHHHHHH, that made me SO mad. I finally had my sister (who is an ob nurse) come up and she reamed out the nursing staff. Let me tell you, I had a pill in my hand every time I blinked after that









But you know, the more on top of your pain you are, the more manageable it is. You can wait until you're in pain and take 2x as much meds and get the same result as if you'd just taken them all along at a lower dose.

Welp, 2 weeks from today is my "deadline date"

Kimberly


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## rainbowmoon (Oct 17, 2003)

townmouse I hope that your birth goes well..congrats to you!







You are going to do so great going into this so prepared and have a wonderful experience.. I know this isn't probably what you had planned for your birth but it can be an amazing experience regardless..I know mine was and I will cherish it even though it may not seem the *natural* way.. I was treated very well in any case.

:LOL I am just now retiring my granny panty's (I'm a thong girly normally)! I must agree get some big comfy clothes to wear after the c/s as it hurts to have anything press up against your abs as they will be sore! youch!

Also I used my nursing stool to get in and out of bed which helped..I couldn't nurse anyway but lying down for the first 3 weeks as well.

definitly stay on top of the pain meds the first few days! I let myself go like 6 hours in the hospital at one point and boy did I regret that!

btw I had an epidural and I never recieved any sedatives that I'm aware of just stuff for nausea as I started to puke before going into the OR.

I went into shock after my c/s..no fun and it was super scary as my BP dropped to something crazy like 50/18







I literally could feel myself fading fast and DH was practically hysterical. It was very scary right after just having a baby! Luckily they gave me an epi shot I think and it brought me right out of it then I was given ds immedietly to start nursing..it was the sweetest moment to as he lifted his head right up off my chest and gave me the wisest most knowing look like we have know each other forever. That was amazing..

I also ended up with complications a week after my c/s-(pancreatitis,blood transfusions, and gallbladder problems) not to mention I had numerous viens infiltrated in the hospital and was treate dlike total crap the second time I was admitted. (wierd as the materity ward was just AWESOME!)

as or drugs I took percocet and ibuprofin until I was rehospitalized for 6 more days then I was strictly on phenegran/tylemol (suppositiories as I was not allowed to eat for days) as I had been puking for a week straight,great memory of my ds second week of life,right? I truly thing the complications and recovery from them were so traumatizing compared to my c/s which was a breeze in all actuality. I could have died because of this c/s complications and it really scares me & DH now to think that he & ds might be here all alone.

I totally understand what you mamas are saying about being unable to believe your dc was born! For me I pushed for 5+ hours (and was in labor for another 35+ hours before that) or so before the c/s and could feel him moving down and then right back up..I am so thankful for that memory of pushing and him moving! I think the pushing was the BEST part of my whole birth experience. I am so sad I never got to see ds cord though or be the first person to hold him..that one was really hard to get over.

ETA-I had 22 staples and my abs did split though it's not noticable in clothes as my tummy is smaller than it was before getting preggers (and my bb's too but that's a whole other thread!lol)
ok enough of my rambling..


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## LisaG (Feb 23, 2003)

*Townhouse* - I missed Mom2Baldie's pain med links, could somebody repost? Thanks!

Also, someone else (sorry I forgot who) mentioned the meds from a spinal not getting to the baby. I was wondering if there was anymore info on that - are baby's more grogged with an epi vs. a spinal?

Thanks ladies! We're back on the ttc wagon







:

Lisa


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## Mom2baldie (Oct 29, 2002)

Lisa,

I actually just posted a link somewhere on Birth and Beyond about how to make a cesarean more mother/family centered, but it didnt have anything about pain medication on it, I dont think. This is it right here: http://www.radmid.demon.co.uk/csgood.htm

I will look to see if I have anything that might be helpful to you though...


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## mollyeilis (Mar 6, 2004)

"I personally found nursing on my side to be impossible for about 4-6 weeks."

Oh absolutely. I'm just now being able to nurse on my side, 7 weeks pp tomorrow.

*Mind altering drugs*...I made them give me something before putting in the epidural, I think it was fentanyl. That made me so relaxed and happy (completely stoned) that they might have been able to do the surgery just with that. Of course, they didn't, I had 2 hours of the epidural to relax and try to get my cervix to go the 2 more cm...

But if the thought of a needle near your spine doesn't bug you as much as it did me (my emergency birth plan was for a general b/c I so didn't want a needle there), no need to get that kind of thing!

Of course, for me, ibuprofen is almost as strong as the fentanyl in terms of making me stoned. I'm just really sensitive.

*codeine*...don't take my word for it that it can hurt milk supply, it's just something a friend of a friend said to me. She was told the info when she was having a hard time nursing, but it was probably just in the colostrum days when everyone's getting antsy for the true milk to come in. If she had just been patient it might have all been okey dokey.

But don't believe codeine hurts supply from me, because I have no idea!









*granny panties*...I'm still wearing 'em. I'm still _willingly_ wearing maternity clothes, though, and everyone always says you'll never want to wear those again! I like them, though. Bummed because I'm losing enough weight so they are falling off of me, and I'll have to get back in my regular underwear and clothes soon.

*this ab muscle separation thing*...what are you guys talking about? I've heard that a normal part of pregnancy is for your abs to separate a bit, but that it's normal and will go back by itself. I don't seem to have had it happen, or not that I notice at least. What does it look like, what does it feel like? Is it a vertical separation or a horizontal separation? And what does having it stitched up do for your future pregnancies?

Also, where is it stitched? I always imagined this separation to be up near the navel...if so, how is the surgeon for the c-section getting all the way up there? yikes!


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## Leilalu (May 29, 2004)

Well, I know Codeine is just plain evil. I read somewhere long after my daughters c-section birth that it can make you gassy. GREAT! A wonderful thing to give someone who's just had a section!
This time I specifically asked for no codeine and I had no bowel pain whatsoever. I think it did affect my milk supply a little though. Of course, my body is used to no pain medication- ever. I never take asprin or anything.
I will admit to lying to the nurse who wouldn't let me eat until I "passed gas". I had only been drinking juice for like 2 1/2 days, not able to sleep, etc. Not that the food was any good- but it was at least something.

I still don't completely understand how my OB actually stitched my abs together- but I found this about the condition:
Diastasis--a condition that sometimes occurs during pregnancy--is a separation of the vertical tendon that divides the rectus abdominis muscle. Check for it by lying on your left side with pillows under your shoulders. Place your fingertips 1 to 2 inches below your bellybutton. Lift your head and feel for a ridge protruding from the midline of your abdomen--that's a diastasis. If you have it, avoid pressing your belly outward or rotating your torso when doing abdominal exercises--you'll exacerbate the separation.

I also saw pictures on some plastic surgery/tummy tuck site I found on Google. They were extreme cases I'm sure- but scary. I guess some people don't realize they have it and therefore don't do the proper excersises to help it heal. I think mine actually got worse- which s why the doctor helped me out.


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## its_our_family (Sep 8, 2002)

Just chiming in on a few things.

I had staples. Tghe first time the guy putting them in out in a few crooked. They pulled really bad. BUt I only had them for about 5 days. Then I got the dreaded steristrips... those were a bigger pain than the staples!

Second time I had staples. I had several fall out the day of surgery but it was no big deal. The steri strips were applied a lot more careful so I didn't have any problems with those.

Painkiller: I'm a percocet gal. Problem is that I can't take it that often. It makers me loopy and it makes all of my sense very very sensitive. So, I need the room super quiet and the lights low. Not to mention that it makes me pass out. It took me a couple fainting episodes to relate it back to the percocet.

After my second c/b I told the anesth. that I didn't want anything to make me feel "loopy" So, he put nothing in my epidural but the epidural. I didn't get morphine or anything. I had that little push button machine for about 10 hours. Then I had a couple sets of percocet and then I was done with meds.

With my first c/b they kept giving me something besides the percocet and I was out of my gord for days! I can't even remember Tracy as a brand newbie







I can remember him being born abd our first nursing session. After that is when they started the "wierd" drugs and everythng gets hazey









It pays to be very open with your pain guy. He is your friend! If you have prior experience and have had sideaffects tell him. He may be able to do somthing different. If you have no experience jsut tell him that you don't want to feel this way or that way and he may be able to help you avoid it too.


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## Henry's_Mamma (Jan 23, 2004)

I had stitches & steri-strips and had an allergic reaction to the steri-strip glue (made my skin peel). I didn't have any real problems, just some normal fat ooze (yucky, but not dangerous).

Overall, my pain management went well, seeing as I hadn't even thought about the possibility of a c/s let alone pain management for one. But if you have the opportunity, talk to your anesthesiologist before the surgery. Discuss spinal vs. epidural. Discuss possible pain meds. during, immediately after, and in the days that follow. If you've been sensitive to anything in the past, make it known loud and clear. There are lots of options out there, and many don't interfere w/bfing or milk supply.


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## Henry's_Mamma (Jan 23, 2004)

I've been thinking for some time about how nice it would've been to have a LC at the hospital who was: (a) very pro-bfing; (b) gentle; (c) understood how to help a mom who had just had major abdominal surgery; (d) understood how to help a sleepy, lethargic baby; and (e) understood how to help a mom (and baby) with a milk supply that took forever to come in. I had none of these things and we really struggled. So, I've been toying with the idea of becoming a LC that specializes in post-c/s bfing help, as I could've really used that help myself. And in some ways, I think it would help me heal.

What do you ladies think? Could you have used more lactation support? Did you feel that the LC's you saw had no concept of c/s recovery and bfing issues? I'm just wondering if there really is a need or if its just something I experienced.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Staying on top of the pain was hard for me. I felt so much better after the section than I did after Eli's birth that I couldn't really wrap my head around the idea that I'd just had major surgery (truth be told, I still can't) so I felt silly asking for pain medication, especially before what I had wore off completely. So I felt fine, until I'd go to change position or get out of bed or pick up Rivkah and find out the hard way that the medication had worn off and that I had in fact had major surgery. Then I'd page the nurse practically in tears, and she'd very sweetly say "Would you like one pill or two?"







They never pressured me to take more than I wanted, and that's a good thing because I was really afraid of taking so much percocet (I actually spent several years addicted to that stuff, and getting off was no fun at all!







)

I still wish that someone had told me I might need granny panties and shorts that came up to my belly button before Rivkah was delivered. Someone should post a thread in "I'm Pregnant" --what you should know just in case of a c-section. I certainly wasn't expecting to have one! Really, it ought to be a sticky. Three pairs of granny panties would have made the early days of my recovery much more pleasant.

Oh, you can get duramorph in a spinal; I know, because I did. I liked the spinal better than the epidural I had with Eli, because it seemed easier to recover from. My back hurt for ages after the epidural, I think Eli was 4 months old before it went away entirely. This time, I can barely feel the site at 3 weeks pp.

I had stitches, because I'm allergic to surgical steel.







I totally forgot about that when they were asking me about my allergies until I looked over at my mom and saw her zipper showing a bit, which reminded me. My mother had open heart surgery and forgot to mention that she's allergic to surgical steel. She had zillions of staples going down her leg and closing her zipper, and good grief did she get sick from it! Both incisions started swelling and they wouldn't heal right, and of course they couldn't just pull all the staples out and stitch at that point... it was awful.







I'm glad I remembered in time! Anyway, the doctor who did my surgery said he doesn't routinely use staples, because they're harder to keep clean and recover from than the stitches & super glue.









The lactation consultants I saw were really great, and they were all thrilled to hear that I was still nursing Eli. The only thing I wish is that someone had told me how to situate a toddler and an infant around my incision. In fact, I think there should be some kind of class on how to deal with a young toddler after a c-section. He was so hurt that he couldn't just climb onto me after the birth.







It was so bad that when I asked him if he wanted to nurse, he reached down his grandmother's shirt as if to say "Sure I want to nurse, but not with you!"







I think in a lot of ways, the surgery has been more difficult for Eli to recover from than for me.


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## its_our_family (Sep 8, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *eilonwy*
Someone should post a thread in "I'm Pregnant" --what you should know just in case of a c-section. I certainly wasn't expecting to have one! Really, it ought to be a sticky.

Don't hold your breath. This is one of those topics that is like "its not really going to happen if you are really prepared" so no one wants to talk about it. I've encouraged women to write a c/b birth plan and they flip out!

Does it seem to you that more and more gals here are having those unexpected c/bs or is it that ppl are more willing to be open about it?

My LC was worthless. I don't think it had anything to do with me being cb. I think she was just worthless as an LC all around.


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## bwylde (Feb 19, 2004)

I had the staples. If I need to have another one, I'm going to ask for stitches though as I really hated them. I had them in for more than two weeks. The wound wasn't closing properly with a lot of seepage and I was too paranoid to have them take them out, so they let me keep in them in longer. I have the "classical" incision and I'm glad that I normally wear underwear that are really high up, well over my bellybutton as my incision went right to my bellybutton.

It escapes my mind what I had for pain relief, they gave it to me in suppository form though (yay







: ). I do know after the second day I didn't have anything and it never bothered me. I am a wimp when it comes to the thought of pain, but I actually have a pretty high pain tolerance when it comes right down to it.


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## bwylde (Feb 19, 2004)

Oh yeah, the LC. I only had one nurse in the hospital show me how and it was while I was still groggy from being put to sleep. I'm glad I had done a lot of reading before then as I felt pretty much on my own after that. I did have the public health nurse visit after I was home and she showed me that I had a bad latch. I think they really need more help in the hospital for BF period! They are very pro breastfeeding and have an excellent breastfeeding library but they aren't really hands on when it comes to helping new mothers, which is probably why so many turn to formula.

They have had some articles in the paper more recently about breastfeeding programs so I'm looking forward to seeing what they have done in the past two years.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *its_our_family*
Don't hold your breath. This is one of those topics that is like "its not really going to happen if you are really prepared" so no one wants to talk about it. I've encouraged women to write a c/b birth plan and they flip out!

Does it seem to you that more and more gals here are having those unexpected c/bs or is it that ppl are more willing to be open about it?
















I remember some of those threads. I think I got really lucky in that my emergency c/s was handled really well and went remarkably smoothly, so much so that many of the nurses thought it had been scheduled well in advance. I think there's a fine line between being prepared and 'expecting the worst/self-fullfilling prophecy' that women here are terrified of crossing. That's a real shame, because a little extra preparation could make the situation a lot easier to deal with for everyone involved. Why not think "better safe than sorry"? I wish I'd talked to someone on this thread before I delivered, if for nothing else so I'd have known in advance to have some granny panties on hand just in case. (I'm really stuck on the underwear thing! It's still bothering me, I guess.) My c/b experience went really amazingly well, and I still wish I'd recognized the possibility and prepared myself for it just in case. Maybe I wouldn't have had such a hard time wrapping my head around it all, you know?

My sister kept saying "You don't believe it yet, reality hasn't set in. I'm betting that it'll set in when they do the spinal." Actually, reality still hasn't quite set in. Here I sit, with my little girl sleeping in a sling, getting ready for her fourth round of bloodwork and smelling her beautiful baby breath, and I still can't believe she's here.














Nothing about her delivery seems real to me, and I'm starting to wonder if it ever will. Maybe if I'd thought a bit more about the possibility instead of just dismissing it out of hand, I wouldn't be having these problems.


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## tammylc (Apr 4, 2004)

Did anyone else get self-administered medication (SAM pack, as they called it at the hospital)? About 12 hours or so after my section the nurses dropped a little plastic bag full of tylenol, ibuprofen, stool softeners and simethicone tablets (for gas), along with instructions and a sheet to record what I took when. If I wanted anything stronger I was welcome to ask for it, but for basic pain relief I was able to manage it on my own.

At my nurses's suggestion, I took something for pain every two hours, alternating between tylenol and ibuprofen (so I had 4 hours between any one drug, but only two hours between *something*). And then the other meds as instructed. I definitely found that staying on top of my pain meds made a big difference - rather than waiting till I was already sore, they totally helped keep the pain at bay. And I liked that I was in control of my own meds, and not waiting on nurses (or having someone tell me I only needed "half a pill" - sheesh!).

The LC at my hospital was totally overworked. I didn't even get to see her for over a full 24 hours after DS was born - and this was a baby who wasn't nursing at all for that first 24 hours (took him 29 to get started, then he stopped again 15 hours later when my milk started coming in). She wasn't very helpful (he eventually latched on with the help of one of my homebirth midwives who was paying me a postpartum visit in the hospital). Nobody even noticed DS's tongue-tie until his first visit at the pediatrician's office.


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## Leilalu (May 29, 2004)

I think in general it would be nice if they actually educated hospital staff about the pain meds used for c-section and how they affect breastfeeding- or how the IV's affect sweeling, etc, etc. It would also be nice if there was more teaching on how to deal with a new baby and toddler after a c-section. ITA with whoever suggested that.
Toddler jealousy is one thing- not being able to do much about it because you can't hardly move is another.
At the first hospital- they had LC's coming into my room ALL THE TIME. Not that they knew anything about helping me deal with a c-section though. And they also were pro- formula at the same time.
This time- they hardly helped at all. Not that I needed their help being a second-timer and everything going fine- but if I actually had problems I would've been in trouble. The nurses also kept offering formula or sugar water the first night when my baby was very fussy. BUt- he was fussy beacuse he ate like 6 hours straight(colostrum)and of course that much colostrum will make his tummy upset, it's a laxative. So the rest of the night I have a gassy baby and nurses offering formula. And the nurse is saying "newborn babies only cry because of hunger". I think I knew more about babies than she did.
I was itching like crazy for a few days from the duramorph or whatever its called. SIL and I were joking that if they are going to give you morphine can't they at least give you the kind that makes you feel good? Instead of just making you itch...


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## its_our_family (Sep 8, 2002)

eilowny-- How is Rivkah doing? When will you have a better idea as to what is going on? I tried to look at her website but I don't have the right info to see it


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## mollyeilis (Mar 6, 2004)

LC...they had a special nurse team roaming the hospital helping women. I don't have it scanned, but the first picture of me and Eamon is his first "meal". The nurses swaddled him nice and tight then held him up over me, like a flying baby, and he nursed pretty much that way. Then I think they slowly put him down on me, way up high on my chest.

Either that same time or the next time he was hungry they showed me the football hold, and I was set.

I'm not sure they even mentioned the incision, and I remember not even thinking about not nursing. I just dealt with it. Then again, I've been surrounded by nursing women all my life and have seen the holds over and over, so I could just switch him around if I needed to. Someone who hasn't been around b'f'ing would probably not be so comfortable doing that.

So maybe my experience was unique.









I was also lucky to have a little while to chat with the anesthesiologist. Since they were giving me the epi to buy me time, there was nothing rushed about it. So he knew Demerol would be much loved, but I would be completely asleep and borderline addicted within a day (not good for baby-caring), he knew that anything with naproxen (I hear of some women getting Aleve pp) might kill me (also not good for baby-caring), and that I wasn't allergic to anything else. And he knew that I had no interest in being awake for the surgery, and I still think he popped a little something extra in the epidural catheter, though I did wake easily when Robert told me we had a boy, and when I heard E yelling from across the room.

I guess the not-quite-emergency-but-no-getting-out-of-it c-section I had was somewhere in between planned and emergency in all ways...didn't know to bring granny panties, but they had many many many warmed blankets for me (I think I had four on me at once?).

I think MDC should *put* a sticky there, but I don't think it will be read by the die-hards like me. Like I was? Like I am? Hmm, still not sure on that one.


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## gothmommy (Jul 2, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *KKmama*
Hey, Carie, my VBAC baby was born on the 19th of May!

Rock on! Must be something about May babies. Was your VBAC easy too? Jhonen's birth was AMAZINGLY easy and comfy. Im still in shock and awe over it


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

I got a SAM with tylenol, ibuprofen, colace and MOM. Of course, I got one after Eli was born, too. I was incredibly greatful for the colace!







Good grief, I was terrified to go to the bathroom after both births.

I'm sorry to hear that a lot of you didn't have support for breastfeeding. I did, but I didn't have any problems at all. It's not like Rivkah was even close to being long enough to rest on my incision; I just sat with a pillow under my arm and nursed her that way. She latched on right away and didn't look back, only fussing when she wanted clean pants on her minibuns.


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

No, Carie, my VBAC was not easy, but it was easier than my C, and it was very empowering.


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## shelbean91 (May 11, 2002)

I didn't get the self-med pack after my c-sec, but I did after each vag birth. I probably didn't get a self-med pack b/c they were giving me percocet and 800mg ibuprofin. They were awesome about my pain meds- even reminded me if I forgot for some reason. They said it's better to stay on top of the pain than to try to let it get ahead of me.

The LCs there were awesome, but very overworked (only 2 for the busiest hospital for deliveries in my area) but one nurse was almost qualified to be an LC.

Overall, the experience was as good as it could have been.


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## LisaG (Feb 23, 2003)

Thanks Mom2Baldie for the link - there's some really great info there and it will come in handy!









LisaG


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Okay, so this may be a strange question, but do I really have to wait 6 weeks before I can have sex? And what about orgasms, are those okay post-op sooner than six weeks? I never thought I'd be thinking this way, certainly not after Eli's delivery when I was in no hurry to get back into the swing of things, but 6 weeks seems like an awfully long time these days... :LOL


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## shelbean91 (May 11, 2002)

I think I read as long as the bleeding has stopped, the risk of infection is gone. (My bleeding just stopped- hopefully for good this time, we've had a few stops and starts- at 8.5 weeks.)


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## Peppermint (Feb 12, 2003)

Yeah, I'd check with your Dr., it is all about the risk of infection. I agree with the PP about waiting until bleeding stops, for me that was over 6 weeks as well, stopping and starting. I was told no penis, tampons, anything in there for that whole time.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

nak

i thought that my pp bleeding had stopped for sure (i went a day and a half with nothing) so in the shower i decided to try to check my cervix. i discovered that my uterus is no longer where it belongs, and that my cervix is actually flush with my anterior vaginal wall.







wtf?!?! does anyone know what this is, and/or what correcting it might entail?


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## LisaG (Feb 23, 2003)

Rynna,

Sounds like a little bit of prolapse - I don't think it's that uncommon as tendons and ligaments that support the uterus are going through their postpartum adjustment. Rather than the uterus and cervix being suspended where it is "normally", there's a little bit of a sag, so the cevix presents lower (in severe cases the cervix can actually protrude). I'm pretty sure that Kegels are the best thing you can do to help things get back to normal. In severe cases they'll do surgery, I think.

Others should be able to add their personal experiences.

Take care,
Lisa


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## its_our_family (Sep 8, 2002)

I'm not one to jump and say "talk to your doc" BUt I don't know of that happening after a c/b. BUt then I don't talk to a lot of women IRL about where their uterui are









We resumed sex once the bleeding was gone. For me it stopped at 2 weeks but I had tinged cm for another week. So, I was about 2 weeks 5 days pp. I know this is your c/b after a vag delivery BUT you will still be tender, not just your incision sites and such but the whole workings.

I would think orgasm would be fine... have fun :LOL


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## Kiki Runs (Oct 7, 2002)

I had some uterine prolapse after my c/s, too. The midwife I asked about it said that probably it was partly due to DS' size (12 lbs), but that it could have happened even if he was smaller.

She also said to do Kegels and that more than likely, things would shape back up, so to speak. That was back in February, and I can see an improvement, so there is hope!

Kinsey


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## LisaG (Feb 23, 2003)

Hi ladies,

Just curious - how long did you have to wait to eat real food and drink something? Anyone know what the rationale is for the delay







?

Thanks!

Lisa


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## shelbean91 (May 11, 2002)

I had my c-sec tuesday night and didn't eat real food until Wed night, but I started vomiting about 3 hrs after the surgery and that didn't stop until Wed morning, so I had a liquid lunch on Wed and kept that down, so got real food for dinner.


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## bwylde (Feb 19, 2004)

I had my c/s at night and was eating lightly by noon the next day.

I have a question: If you have a repeat cesarean, do they always cut in the same location as the first? I have the classical incision and in the event I need one this time, I'd like the bikini cut. I'm trying for a VBAC, but want to cover everything. I don't see the OB until the 3'rd and the doctors at the clinic don't seem to agree on much







: . I'll probably have a long list of C/S do's and don't's when I see the OB, lol!

I don't mind having two big ol' scars as I don't bare my stomach and don't care much what it looks like.


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## TexasSuz (Mar 4, 2002)

I was starved to death at my hospital. I had my baby on Thursday at 1pm and did not get real food until Sunday morning! I had not eaten since Wednesday night! It was awful! Don't let them do that to you.


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## Leilalu (May 29, 2004)

the strength of the scar.
I guess the doc could always mend it if need be when he does a new cut- I guess it might be more work but Hey, it's your body right?
They normally do reopen the same incision. Both of mine were bikini.
Also- for a bikini cut- ask for stitches, not staples. Staples don't feel as secure, and they leave a better scar.
Leila


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## Henry's_Mamma (Jan 23, 2004)

I had ds at 8pm on Monday night (hadn't eaten since 6pm night before) and had breakfast at 10am on Tuesday morning. If they didn't bring me food dh was going to as I was STARVING!


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## Leilalu (May 29, 2004)

They don't want you to eat real food right away as there is always a possiblilty for complications with your bowels. Also, there can be air trapped from surgery suppossedly.
I was told no solids until I "passed gas" They just want to make sure everything is working properly.
Leila


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

nak

I don't remember exactly how long they withheld food when ds1 was born, but it was at least 2 1/2 days... I wasn't farting (hello, food would have made me fart!).


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## PinkSunfish (Oct 20, 2002)

Hi everyone,

I don't know how I missed this thread before but I am glad it is here and I thought I should introduce myself.

I gave birth to my DD at the end of March by emergency C-section. After more than 16 hours of labour I never got past 4 cms dilation, I experienced very strong, very painful contractions but they weren't doing their job. I had the full dose of syntocinon (that what we have here in the UK) to try to get things moving but the contractions stopped and DD became distressed. I realised about 30 mins before they proposed it that the section was inevitable and to be honest felt relieved about it at that point.

The surgical team did a wonderful job to make it as positive an experience as possible for us. My DH was encouraged to stand up to see her after she was delivered and to announce the sex himself. He got to cut the cord and to hold her as soon as she had been checked over. He brought her over to me and helped me to hold her and the anaesthetist took a wonderful family portrait whilst I was still on the table.

However, I had a horrible recovery as I got an abscess in the wound which had left me more emotionally "scarred" than the actual delivery I think.

Next time I really hope to have the birth I still want (natural, drug free) but accept that I may end up with another section.

I don't really mourn the fact that I didn't get to vaginally deliver DD but I do regret that fact that my choices for next time will be severely limited. My chance of ever getting a waterbirth are highly unlikely and that makes me a bit sad.

Obviously, I am glad that my DD was delivered safely but I would have loved to have pushed her out. I was really looking forward to that part of the process.

Luckily, I had no problems with feeding and have been able to BF DD very successfully. I think I would have more upset if I couldn't have BF than about the birth.

Re: food. I had DD at 5.45pm and was allowed to eat breakfast the next day. I think the policy was to allow you to eat once the catheter and antibiotic IV was out. One woman on my ward ate some crisps despite the warnings and was loudly and copiously sick all over the floor. She didn't get much sympathy from the rest of us







. I was amazed she could eat to be honest, I was very thirsty but wasn't hungry until breakfast (and then I was ravenous).


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

The morning of my c-section, I had a handful of Sugar Pops after giving my nieces their breakfast (ick!) and I had a popsicle at 2 pm, just before I went in for my version. I was told around 3:30 pm that I'd be having a c/s ASAP, so I wasn't allowed to eat after that. I was kind of hungry right up until they told me I was having an emergency cesearian and then my appetite vanished in a sea of paperwork. Rivkah was born at 7:15 pm, the next morning around 8:30 am the OB came to look at my scar and said I was okay to eat. (The nurse was very surprised at this; apparently most people stay on a liquid diet for a while.) I had some crackers around 6 am, I think, because I wanted to take pills instead of getting another shot of morphine and they said I had to hold some food down first.

I was told that the reason you're not allowed to eat immediately following a cesearian is that your bowels kind of freeze up as a result of the surgery, and they need to make sure that they're moving again before you start to eat. My stomach growled, and that was enough to get me some crackers, which were enough to get everything else moving well by the time the doctor got there.

I've been trying to kegel, but it feels funny...


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## its_our_family (Sep 8, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *eilonwy*

I was told that the reason you're not allowed to eat immediately following a cesearian is that your bowels kind of freeze up as a result of the surgery, and they need to make sure that they're moving again before you start to eat. My stomach growled, and that was enough to get me some crackers, which were enough to get everything else moving well by the time the doctor got there.

When I had Bryce I had a full breakfast waiting in my rom for me







They said that they would NOT restrict what I at e but I had to be aware that if I ate too much of the wrong thing I would only hurt myself. They would give advice if I asked though.

This hospital was very patient friendly. They did everything they could to do things your way. I lvoed that place!


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## mollyeilis (Mar 6, 2004)

I had eaten for about half of my 96 hours of labor (except the 24 hour period when everyone forgot to feed me anything but Recharge), and then when I was arguing with the midwives about the transfer I used up a lot of calories...same at the hospital. Just before the anesthesiologist came in I realized I really needed to eat, but it was too late. ugh. Luckily I didn't have BP problems with the epi.

Anyhoo, baby out at 6:45pm. And I ate at breakfast. They were really busy in the two days I was there, and just wanted me OUT of the hospital. They didn't even wait for me to pass gas, just heard some rumblings in my intestines through the stethoscope, and they let me go home. (a bit HA on "let me go home", I didn't want to go, I wanted my full 96 hours that insurance would allow, but I only got 42 hours, sob)

I don't even think there's a true reason, different hospitals, different OBs use different standards. I think they are just going by what has always been done, with the occasional change for things like too-busy-hospital. The fact that we were all told different things and allowed different things makes me laugh really hard at the idea that there's an actual *health* reason behind it all.







:


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## kimberlylibby (Dec 28, 2003)

Hi guys!

I had my c/s Sunday night. My water broke unexpectedly (I was 37w2d) and I went in, and she was transverse. We were planning a c/s for July 27 anyway.

I had general anesthesia because of an ordeal with the spinal. He was having a hard time getting the right spot.... he tried *7* times and it kept sending electrical shocks down my legs and I refused to let him try any more and demanded GA.

It went fine and I'm already home!! I came home 42 hours after delivery!!









Stats:
11:26 pm, Sunday July 18th
7 lb 8 oz
19 3/4" long

http://picturetrail.com/kimberlystamps There are pics in teh folder "Katie is here" and some diapering pics in Katie's stash









Kimberly


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## Henry's_Mamma (Jan 23, 2004)

:









Welcome Katie! And congrats Kimberly! Hope your recovery is going well. I like your daughter's b-day -- its the same as mine.

Enjoy your babymoon!


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## bwylde (Feb 19, 2004)

Congratulations, Kimberly!! It must be so nice getting home







. Hope you have an easy recovery to fully enjoy your beautiful girl


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## bwylde (Feb 19, 2004)

Last night I got to thinking if I need a repeat section, I probably wouldn't mind so much if it were done in the same spot. I got to thinking about two uterine scars and future births. If I don't have a sucessful VBAC this time, I still want to try in the future. Plus if I have incision pain in two incision scars like I'm having in my one this pregnancy, it would be very unpleasant to say the least!!


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## kimberlylibby (Dec 28, 2003)

Carla, my incision is the same as my old one.... just fyi. They cut right through it and actually cut away the old scar and replaced it with the new one... which is mucho smaller already than the old one! My first incision was wider than this one....

Kimberly


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## witchbaby (Apr 17, 2003)

i need some serious support right now, mamas.
a friend of mine just had her first baby last night. she was induced in the morning (due to kidney stones; she was in incredable pain and had a stint in) and the kid came quick. i don't know at this time if it was a c/b, but...
i'm already feeling SO JEALOUS. if she gave birth vaginally, i may scream. she didn't really care a whole lot about giving birth vaginally, wanted an epidural immediatly. i dreamed about a drug-free vaginal birth since before i even concieved k and ended up with an emergency c/b due to fetal distress-- can't get too much further from my fantasy! i'm really upset that she had the OPPROTUNITY for the birth i wanted and didn't care!
i feel like an awful friend. i want to be excited but, as soon as we got the news last night, i've been ANGRY. i obviously have some unresolved feelings about my own c/b here. i don't feel there was anything that could have been done to avoid a c/b in my case... usually. i feel conflicted all the time and angry and hurt and betrayed, but sometimes feel fine about it? i don't know what's going on in my head or heart.
am a horrible friend for feeling this way??


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## Henry's_Mamma (Jan 23, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *witchbaby*
i need some serious support right now, mamas.
a friend of mine just had her first baby last night. she was induced in the morning (due to kidney stones; she was in incredable pain and had a stint in) and the kid came quick. i don't know at this time if it was a c/b, but...
i'm already feeling SO JEALOUS. if she gave birth vaginally, i may scream. she didn't really care a whole lot about giving birth vaginally, wanted an epidural immediatly. i dreamed about a drug-free vaginal birth since before i even concieved k and ended up with an emergency c/b due to fetal distress-- can't get too much further from my fantasy! i'm really upset that she had the OPPROTUNITY for the birth i wanted and didn't care!
i feel like an awful friend. i want to be excited but, as soon as we got the news last night, i've been ANGRY. i obviously have some unresolved feelings about my own c/b here. i don't feel there was anything that could have been done to avoid a c/b in my case... usually. i feel conflicted all the time and angry and hurt and betrayed, but sometimes feel fine about it? i don't know what's going on in my head or heart.
am a horrible friend for feeling this way??

BTDT, so you're not alone. I have friends that were induced, got epidurals at like 3 cms, and had quick, uneventful, vaginal births without so much as a tear. They put all faith in their drs. and did no research on their own as to risks, etc. Their babies latched on right away and they never had a problem nursing. Makes me







since I did do all my homework and ended up with a c/s in spite of it all. My own cousin, who had her dd the same day as my ds was born, who is a nurse, had this remarkably easy and short labor and asked for a c/s (and got one!) for FTP after 2 hours of pushing. No fetal distress or anything. And I know if she has a second baby, it'll be a repeat c/s, no questions asked. Frustrates me to no end.

Just know that your feelings of jealousy, anger, frustration, grief, loss, etc. are perfectly normal and are part of the healing process. I think it just takes time -- sometimes a lot of time -- to work through it all. Feel free to post about those feelings whenever you need to. That's why we're here.


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## tammylc (Apr 4, 2004)

Right there with you, witchbaby.

My neighbor (and I live in a close knit cohousing community, so I see my neighbors regularly) should be having her homebirth any day now. With the midwives I was going to use. And with the birth supplies and birthing tub I purchased for my birth and never got to use. She didn't even decide on a homebirth until she was about 34 weeks pregnant, where I'd been wanting one since long before I even thought about getting pregnant.

I'm already jealous and sad, and she hasn't even gone into labor yet. Heck - I'm even jealous about that, having never had the chance to go into labor, or wait anxiously for it to start.

Sigh.


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Congrats, Kimberlylibby!
















Witchbaby. I don't really feel that way, so I can't relate to it. My daughter's cord prolapsed, my water had broken, she was breech... I go over the details over and over in my mind and I'm certain that I did, in fact, need to have the section. My only regret is that I never went into labor at all, and thus never made the transition from being pregnant to being a mother. I think that labor releases hormones that help with that, but I missed them all.

If Rivkah had been my first baby, I might feel differently about it, but as things are, I can't really relate. I can only wish you well on your journey to accepting your birth experience.


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## prmom (Jun 14, 2004)

witchbaby: I totally know how you are feeling. I have many times felt annoyed/angry with people who never put thought into l & d and had a smooth vaginal birth. I don't have those feelings as much anymore. I think it is b/c my girlfriend who was pregnant during the same time I was ended up with a c/b very similar to my first. I felt so much for her and even though she did no research like I did on l&d she totally planned on a vbirth. I saw her and still see her going through the emotional pain that I did and it reminds me of the pain that in spite of my jealousy for others I would never want them to go through. Now...I still get annoyed when people talk about their labor and say " I would rather have had a c/b" as if it were a choice. I hope I am making sense. The nice thing is I feel like I am accepting my body and my c/bs more than I ever have and I just had a c/b 7 weeks ago. I think it just feels good that I tried to vbac and I know I did everything in my power to. okay sorry for the rambling...


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *prmom*
Now...I still get annoyed when people talk about their labor and say " I would rather have had a c/b" as if it were a choice.

I said this over and over after my son's birth, and my c/s reaffirmed what I had known all along deep down: a cesearian would definately have been preferable to what I went through bringing him into the world vaginally. Absolutely. Even though I've had an infection, and my uterus has resettled in a strange position, and I can't quite say my daughter was "born", I still think I should have had a cesearian with Eli and that I would have been better off. The recovery this time has been so much easier, the two don't even compare. I'll be four weeks pp tomorrow; at this point with Eli, I was still unable to sleep because I was in so much pain, and I was unable to think straight or function well because I was so thoroughly traumatized by the labor. Mike brought up sex a few times and I looked at him like he was from Mars, and when he mentioned "the next baby" I looked him dead in the eye and told him that any subsequent babies would have to be adopted because I wasn't doing that again.

This time, I've been thinking about sex already for a good three weeks, I'm looking forward to the next baby, and I feel fabulous (except for my strangely positioned uterus, which kind of hurts a bit when I try to kegel). I've still got fluctuating hormones messing with my emotions, but all in all I feel a thousand times better than I did when Eli was a month old. I'd rather have delivered Rivkah vaginally, but if it looked like I was going to have to deal with the kind of agony and misery that accompanied Eli's birth, I'd have begged for a cesearian. Now that I've actually had one, I know for certain that I was right all along.


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## mollyeilis (Mar 6, 2004)

I have a question about the 6 week PP visit to the surgeon. The OB didn't seem to be too concerned with me coming in for it (he didn't even know why I was there at 2 weeks, and he was the one who insisted I make the appointment for that visit), and I've cancelled twice and now they have me coming in for my "6 week" visit August 17, and Eamon was born May 26.

Do I even need this visit? I do NOT plan on him giving me any kind of internal exam, unless one is done to check for some kind of post-surgical something. But if it's just the pap, etc, no thank you, do not want that man's hands near me again.

Is there anything else that was done at your visit? I have little bits of pain leftover, but they mainly happen when I'm tired. My hips are out of whack and painful, but I think that's from the long labor and rotten-feeling transition, not from surgery. And he can't do anything for it, that's for my chiro to take care of (plus, I have a refill on the ibuprofen and he gave me a second scrip for percocet, should I choose to fill it and take it, though both of those are doubtful that I'd do for baby's sake!). I drove today and it went fine, I have no interest in sex whatsoever, so who really cares about that?







The lochia stopped FINALLY at the middle of last week.

Is that worth going in to see him again? I know you guys aren't doctors, etc, but I'm asking for what happened at your 6 week checkup (or right around there), or if you went, and what I might miss out on, if I don't ever see the OB again.

Oh, and *witchbaby*, I'm right there with ya. I know almost no one in person who really cared how their babies were born, and they all did it vaginally, though not naturally. I've been dreaming about giving birth for all my life, and I end up with a surgical birth. Unwanted, unneeded (at least for the reasons they gave), and really sucky.







: I know how you feel.

Thanks in advance!


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## KKmama (Dec 6, 2001)

Witchbaby, I understand, too. Whenever I'm around "crunchy" women and birth comes up, I get a little jealous about other women's easy pregnancies, labors, births, whatever (but I seem to have fairly easy babies, so maybe I shouldn't complain). I sure as hell wanted them and prepared for them, but it doesn't seem to work that way for me. (Oh well. I'll keep the babies, though.







) And I also get annoyed about feeling like I need to "explain" stuff... Like yeah, my C with #1 *was* justified, and yeah, I *did* need to see an ob in the last pg, and yeah, I'm *so* glad I had a vbac, but it sure wasn't quick or easy!! And let's not even get started about how necessary I feel the epidural was for the success of my vbac...









The best thing to do is just to come here and tell us.
















Molly, have you figured out what you're going to do for birth control? 'Cause that's an important thing that could happen at this visit.


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## witchbaby (Apr 17, 2003)

she DID have a vaginal birth and i've been cranky all day.
thank you for the kind words, ladies, i needed it. i need to get into therapy and talk to someone about all these feelings (well, about other things, too!).
hey, kkmama, where in colorado are you? i'm in wash park in denver...


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## mollyeilis (Mar 6, 2004)

KK, I shudder to imagine discussing birth control with the guy who was simply on call when the midwives dragged me in.







But it's a good point! I also shudder to imagine discussing it with the midwives who I won't even speak to!

Luckily, I'm a simple gal who is anti-hormones, and we've got it all figured out.









So, anything else that went on at that visit that I'll miss out on, or feel less healthy for missing? Any ultrasounds of the uterus to visualize the internal scar, make sure it's OK? External palpation of the uterus to see if it's gone back down to proper size? Anything else?

(those could be done by my primary care physician, a naturopath who is also a non-practicing LM, I would imagine)

As to an epidural being necessary for a VBAC, I can see how that could be, now. I couldn't have even related to that before, but I think I'm seeing the trees in the forest, as well as the whole forest, now.


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## jenniferB (Aug 7, 2002)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mollyeilis*
I have a question about the 6 week PP visit to the surgeon. ...Do I even need this visit? I do NOT plan on him giving me any kind of internal exam, unless one is done to check for some kind of post-surgical something. But if it's just the pap, etc, no thank you, do not want that man's hands near me again.

great question molly. i'm wondering the same thing myself. during my 6 week PP visit my ob wasn't so concerned that i come in. i did anyway and i got an internal exam. pap smear i think. it didn't seem so necessary so i'm hoping to skip it this time around.

*question for everyone:* how long was your post c/b recovery time in terms of when you could leave the hospital? i had a pretty easy time with my first c/b recovery but stayed int he hospital for a week because i wanted to be close to my baby who was still there. this time i want to get home as soon as possible.


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## tammylc (Apr 4, 2004)

My c/s was scheduled for 11 am on Monday. We left the hospital around 6 pm on Wednesday (we could have left earlier, but we were waiting for some lab results that were delayed, and then decided to stay through dinner so we wouldn't have to worry about eating). We hated the hospital and were eager to get out.


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## jenniferB (Aug 7, 2002)

wow. that was fast! only two nights. you must have been up and walking very soon after the delivery. hope my stay can be as short.


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## mollyeilis (Mar 6, 2004)

Zoiks, I only stayed 42 hours, but I *wanted* to be there the whole 4 days my insurance allowed! Unfortunately, all the hospital's normal checks and balances for when you can go home fly out the window when they are packed for 2 solid days (I still blame the blackout last August for many of those pregnancies, even though I'm on the West Coast LOL) and have nowhere to put people with already-delivered women like me taking up space.







:

I feel that my recovery has been slow for many reasons, not the least of which being that I was forced to go home, which meant climbing THREE flights of stairs just to get to our apartment, after 96 hours of labor and a c-section only 42 hours before.


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## GatorNNP (May 17, 2004)

jenniferB, my c/sec was at 12noon and I went home on the 3rd day. I was up and walking at 4am the night of my c/sec. I decided the iv analgesia was making me loopy and it was only catching-up to my pain instead of keeping it in check. I switched to ibuprofen/ 1 perc at a time and was ok. The walking is good at first since I think it helps you feel better. Another thing I did to feel better was take comfy maternity clothes and got dressed during the day and took my own nursing nightgown for at night. Also those high waisted panties are nice for comfort. I started eating right away since I only had a spinal. My friend got me a milk shake from arby's and I had brought krispy kremes for the nurses and my family so I had one of those in recovery as well. I am not exactly a "compliant" patient, but my ob (who took me on at 41 weeks and 5 days) knows better than to expect too much. She was surprised that I showed up to my 6 weeks visit.
As for the visit, sometimes they check your bloodcount if you had any heavy bleeding at delivery.

My favorite day in the hosp was when my sister stayed the night with me. My dh just doesn't have natural "mothering" tendencies so it was nice to have someone there to help look after me. I highly recommend having a woman around to help out the first week-someone who will really help you.


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## witchbaby (Apr 17, 2003)

k was born by c/b at 8:42 pm saturday and we went home around 3:30pm monday.
the nurses, the doc and the midwife were all very impressed by the speed of my recovery. apparently, it's not all that normal...


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## its_our_family (Sep 8, 2002)

Tracy was born around 9:40 Friday night and we wenthome Sunday afternoon at 2:00.

Bryce was born on Thursday at 8:25am and we went home saturday at 1:00pm.

Bryce was in NICU for 30 hours. I was with him all I could be but the time I wasn't wsa spent sleeping. I hated that he was away from me but I think it did help in my physical recovery. Plus, it motivated me to get moving.

My dh was with me in the hospital. i cna't imagine doing it alone. He helped me shower, changed my clothes, scratch my back... you name it he did it. He is such an amazing man







He treats me like a princess


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## shelbean91 (May 11, 2002)

ds was born tuesday night, we went home sat afternoon. I probably could have left early, but ds was born at 34 1/2 weeks, had jaundice bad enough to need lights, so was too tired to nurse. Not to mention the c-section wasn't planned and I had a 4 and 2 year old at home-I wanted as much time in the hospital as I could get.


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## tammylc (Apr 4, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mollyeilis*
Zoiks, I only stayed 42 hours, but I *wanted* to be there the whole 4 days my insurance allowed!

Our room was unbearably hot and stuffy, and someone came in every two hours all night long, so it was impossible for any of us to get any sleep. Blech. We couldn't wait to leave.

Quote:

I feel that my recovery has been slow for many reasons, not the least of which being that I was forced to go home, which meant climbing THREE flights of stairs just to get to our apartment, after 96 hours of labor and a c-section only 42 hours before.









That would be hard. I only had the c/s to contend with - no labor. I'm sorry you were forced to leave before you wanted to!


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

nak

molly, you know that they can't legally force you to leave before 72 hours, right? I can't imagine someone forcing me to leave that soon after surgery.. that's just nuts. When I had Rivkah (even when I had Eli, who was a vaginal delivery) three different people asked me if I'd have to climb stairs, if I had help, etc. With Eli, they even asked me if I'd be able to get back to the hospital (he was a NICU baby.)

At any rate: Rivkah was an emergency c/b at 7pm on Thursday; we went home Sunday around 4pm (we also were waiting for lab results. I was discharged at 11am, but Rivkah couldn't leave until her bilirubin came back from the lab.)

Eli was a very traumatic vaginal delivery following four and a half days of labor; he was born around 5 am on Friday and I left at 8 pm on Monday. I nearly stayed another night, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to sleep if I stayed in the NICU. Even so, every day he was in there someone reminded me that I could, if I chose, spend the night with him in NICU.


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## LisaG (Feb 23, 2003)

Hi ladies,
One of the things I've always wondered about was whether or not it's possible to delay clamping the cord and what the logistics of it would be so mo could still be protected from incision infection.

Yesterday I found this article that describes the benefits of delaying as well as the logistics for how to do it. Basically somebody holds the baby after they've been delivered and waits for the doc to remove the placenta from the uterus. Then the baby and placenta (still connected) are transferred to the warming table (don't see why they also couldn't go to mom with some assistance) and kept level so that the goodies that still need to travel from the placenta to the baby are allowed to and then once the cord stops pulsing, it's cut.

Seems pretty reasonable and not too inconvenient for a doctor.

Here's the full article:
http://www.cordclamping.com/dunn72a.pdf

Lisa


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## polka123 (Nov 27, 2003)

c/s 11 mos ago - still cant get my body back - anybody have any luck with pilates?


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## mollyeilis (Mar 6, 2004)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *eilonwy*
nak

molly, you know that they can't legally force you to leave before 72 hours, right?


No, I did not.









I tried really hard, I told the OB (not the one who did the surgery but another from his practice who saw me when the surgeon went off his shift) that I wasn't ready and didn't want to leave yet, I told the nurses, I told everyone that I wasn't ready.

Who should I have told that I didn't?

One of the nurses started talking about Group Health and how they generally only allow 2 days, and I tried to convince her that just b/c the OB was with Group Health didn't mean I was, and that my insurance company allowed 4 days no questions asked, but she got vague on me (did they not believe me?) and left the room.

Not sure who I could have told or what more I could have said to convince them that I wasn't ready to leave.

No one asked if I had stairs, they all knew b/c I was telling them.

I dunno, part of me wonders if it was because I was *such* an unwilling patient and had argued with the OB for 6 hours. But I was nice to the nurses, and did try my best to be nice while arguing, making jokes and such...perhaps it was a bit of payback for the homebirth "attempt".

Any thoughts on who I could have told, just in case there should be some kind of true emergency needing a c-section that I can't be bitter about next time? (don't you like my qualifiers?)


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## eilonwy (Apr 3, 2003)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *mollyeilis*
No, I did not.









I tried really hard, I told the OB (not the one who did the surgery but another from his practice who saw me when the surgeon went off his shift) that I wasn't ready and didn't want to leave yet, I told the nurses, I told everyone that I wasn't ready.

Who should I have told that I didn't?

I can't imagine







.







I think I'd start getting really loud while talking to someone else, mentioning "casually" that I know that legally, I couldn't be forced to leave sooner than 72 hours after a c-section. You might want to look at the laws for your state, or talk to a lawyer about it, but I'm pretty sure it's the same all over the country.


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