C-Sections?

So, the baby is still in a breech position and I'm about ready to pop. Today I'm meeting with my OB to discuss c-sections.

Are there any questions I should ask? Concerns I should voice?

I know she's experienced simply based on the fact that my appointments are in the afternoon or early morning most of the time because she runs in to do the surgery in between.

I'm a little nervous.
 
Surgery is surgery, and comes with its own set of complications. That said, the concerns of a breech birth probably outweigh the concerns of the surgery. I don't know anyone who's had to have it done, but I know there are concerns about recovery...having to adjust your routine so you don't pop your stitches, that sort of thing.

--Patrick
 

GasBandit

Staff member
I've known several women who have had C sections. As Patr says, it's surgery like any other, and one that happens all the time. Really, I think I might actually know more parents who had C-Sections than gave birth naturally.
 
One of my best friend's wife had 2 babies, both delivered by C sections. My wife delivered normally.

This will answer many many questions : http://www.babycenter.ca/a160/caesarean-section

Expect hospital stay to be twice as long compared to normal deliveries. It's an important surgery. It will take you 3-4 days to feel decent and over a week before you can feel normal again.

Be strong and enjoy the new one.

I didn't even know you were preggers. :)

Congrats again Sin. :)
 
My brother and I were both c-sections. My brother had a complication during an attempted natural birth so they had to do a c-sec in a hurry. It apparently went so well though that when I came around c-section was always the plan from the start.

She said it was nice with me because it was kind of like any other appointment. "Welp! 10 o'clock! Let's go get this thing out of me I guess!"
 
My wife had a c-section, it's serious surgery but overall very safe. It has consequences though so ask them about future births if you plan to have more kids. In the end do what you must to protect you and your baby. And congrats!
 
Two of my friends have had to have c-sections due to breech. It took them a little longer to recover, but they and their kids are both fine and healthy.

I'd read the article Jay links to; it's got a lot of good information about the actual surgery. If your OB is practiced at this, that's a good thing. Ask her to walk you through the procedure like she would have it done, and also if there's any things you should look out for post-surgery that may indicate an issue. If you're really worried, ask if there is anything that can be done to move the baby into position if you'd prefer a vaginal birth. With one of my friends, they kept turning her son, but he would just move himself back into breech. Eventually they gave up and decided on the c-section.

I know a lot of people want to demonize it, but when it comes to a baby's (and mom's) health, there's a reason it exists.
 
My wife had our son via c-section. She had no real complications with the surgery itself (she was a high risk pregnancy due to developing gestational diabetes, being overweight, and high blood pressure) - the problem she had was more of afterwards - she didn't let her body heal up completely before doing things like going back to work/lifting heavy things/etc and got an umbilical hernia. So my thought would be if you do have it, let your body fully heal up.
 
My mom had both me and my sister via c-section. Any surgery carries risks, but this is a pretty common one, just make sure you focus on recovery afterwards and let yourself heal before any strenuous activity.
 
And there will be a recovery. My wife had some of the very common side effects, like an extended belly (full of gas) that took a few days to go down and wasn't terrible comfortable and post surgery shaking/shivering that was actually really scary but they took good care of her.
 
If you are sensitive to anesthesia or pain medications, please talk to the doctor and anesthesiologist about it. My neighbor and one of my friends both got seriously ill after their c-sections. Tossing your cookies repeatedly after abdominal surgery is not fun.
 
If you are sensitive to anesthesia or pain medications, please talk to the doctor and anesthesiologist about it. My neighbor and one of my friends both got seriously ill after their c-sections. Tossing your cookies repeatedly after abdominal surgery is not fun.
Ow.

--Patrick
 
Oh my. I am terrible at checking my own threads.

So, we talked about trying to move the baby and we decided to give it a skip. I'm apparently too heavy for it to even be viable. So, we went ahead and schduled a c-section for June 4th.

I some how find it awfully relieving to know I at least won't go OVER my due date.

I've only ever had one surgery and that was for my wisdom teeth. My reaction to the anesthetic then was..unusual? Not tossing my cookies but I was so hungry and nothing could fill the void. It was painful, starvation kind of hunger and they were telling me it was all in my head...until one doc said 'Oh...yeh..that happens to,like, one percent of people...."

At this point I'm actually more nervous about an epidural and shit than the surgery. The only needle I can really handle it a tattoo needle!
 
Epidural was a piece of cake with my son. It didn't feel like more than a hard pinch. Then...ahhh. Hit the button for more. AHHHH! Easy peasey, though being unable to move my legs was really weird.
With my daughter I was having hard contractions and the anesthesiologist was having some problems getting the needle in the right spot. By the time it got placed it was too late. I had her with one bolus of whatever is in the initial needle before they insert the catheter. There was no time for it to take effect.
 
My anesthesiologist wandered into my room when I was having contractions. He had bed head and a cup of Tims coffee in his hand.

His name was written on his coat in sharpie and he was wearing a ripped Iron Maiden shirt. He looked at my arms and marvelled at how "wickedly veinless" they were.

...I went natural with Jet.
 
I've had two C Sections. One emergency and one planned. Planned ones are SO much better :)

I would try to get the records of what you had for your dental surgery so they can avoid it for the section. Also ask for a pain prescription well before you are discharged :D

You will be in the hospital for four or more nights.

I could type a book lol!!
 
Ahhhh, the epidural. I was all ready to go natural with Li'l Z. I have fairly high pain tolerance and the Braxton-Hicks contractions felt like cake-walk.

Then I ended up with back-labor. They couldn't get that needle in fast enough. (Seriously, they couldn't. They accidentally called the wrong anesthesiologist on call, and I had to wait extra long. All the Lamaze breathing and repositioning in the world wasn't lessening THAT pain.) And once it was up and running, I actually fell asleep for an hour. It was awesome.
 
I am terrified of needles, but I was overheating and nearly throwing up and passing out everytime I had a contraction so let them do the epidural. Honestly I didn't even notice them doing it, other than the fact that I had to lay on my side.

Second kid I went straight for the epidural, but she was out before it even kicked in all the way, and I made my husband help me walk it off within an hour of my daughter being born, to the horror of the nurses. ;)
 
Just had to go into the hospital with some VERY intense pain that triggered contractions.

Baby flipped. :)

Contractions haven't stopped but they aren't bad enough, apparently.

So I am home.
 
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