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A c-section would be waaaay worse to recover from.
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Jul 6, 2013 19:24
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Dermaplast, and line your pad with witch hazel pads. I think you can only ice your lady bits for a couple days before they start scolding you and telling you that warm sitz baths are better. Although I'm not entirely sure, they didn't mention sitz baths at all when I had Emily and they didn't even set me up with the basin thingy, I used the one I got for Chris. Maybe it's a first baby thing.
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Jul 6, 2013 19:33
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Just a tiny tear, I got a stitch or two "for cosmetic purposes", as the midwife said, but they don't hurt at all - there's not really any pain to speak of, but a weird...bulging sensation, and things look (I know, I know, I'm an idiot for looking in a mirror three days after giving birth)...bulging as well. I'm just concerned whether it's normal and will pass or whether it's something more permanent.
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Jul 6, 2013 19:52
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Sockmuppet posted:oh my god, this and this. non stop nursing, and it's like having to take care of a tiny falling down drunk girlfriend. Aww she's precious! Congrats! And yeah c-section recovery is no walk in the park.  You did the right thing!
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Jul 6, 2013 20:10
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Sockmuppet posted:Just a tiny tear, I got a stitch or two "for cosmetic purposes", as the midwife said, but they don't hurt at all - there's not really any pain to speak of, but a weird...bulging sensation, and things look (I know, I know, I'm an idiot for looking in a mirror three days after giving birth)...bulging as well. It will pass, most likely. If it's still weird after a few weeks, mention it to your doctor at your 6 week check up. But yeah, things are going to be weird for a little while 
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Jul 6, 2013 20:37
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Whelp, here I am. I already let the facebook group know but I was waiting until after I talked to my brother to post here. He's a goon, too. Had a positive test as of Monday, and a bunch of other positive ones since, because I couldn't stop myself. I'll be getting the "official" blood test this coming Monday and my doc already gave me a referral for an OB at the nearby hospital. This all puts me at week four, I guess, and it's too early for most symptoms but I am thirsty all the time, and bloated. So drat bloated. I can also never decide what to eat because nothing sounds very good. And my sweet tooth is gone  everything is TOO sweet now. Also my boobs feel weird.My mom knew we were trying, so I let her know that we finally are, after trying for a year. So then my husband told his mom, and now his aunt and grandfather know. Uhg. I hope they keep it under wraps for now, but his aunt is pretty talkative. Kind of annoyed about that, but I guess we had to be ready for people to know if we were going to let our parents know.
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Jul 7, 2013 04:42
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Oh, I know, when it comes to the immediate recovery period, a CS is way worse, I just googled and ended up reading a bit too much on recticele and sunken uterus and got really worried that something was permanently broken. I wish someone would make a site with pictures of what's normal during the first weeks after birth. Also I can't stop stroking my baby  she's the softest thing I've ever touched, and she's mine and I can pet her all I want!
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Jul 7, 2013 09:04
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Sockmuppet posted:Oh, I know, when it comes to the immediate recovery period, a CS is way worse, I just googled and ended up reading a bit too much on recticele and sunken uterus and got really worried that something was permanently broken. I wish someone would make a site with pictures of what's normal during the first weeks after birth. Congratulations Try and think of your ladyparts as a face that has just been beaten with an iron bar. Give it a couple of weeks and things will most likely be back to normal but right now it's all swollen and bruised. If you are worried though ask a midwife or whoever you see. Edit: Pelvic floor exercises will help as well
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Jul 7, 2013 09:42
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I don't remember this, the 102 degree fever I had during labor has made it all a vague fever dream but after the epidural wore off and the nurse asked how I was feeling, I told her that my vagina felt like I had clown shoes in my pants. ...it made sense at the time I guess! I didn't tear at all and didn't need stitches so I recovered very quickly. I still couldn't make myself look till last week, 2 weeks after delivery. I was surprised everything looked normal, for the most part! Congrats Sockmuppet! I do the same thing, just pet his head, he has such soft hair!
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Jul 7, 2013 12:37
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I tore a lot, and it was agony for two weeks, and still not quite right now at 8 weeks, so I'm not sure if I made a good decision or not to avoid a CS, but I am grateful for intact stomach muscles now I have to haul baby up and down steps in her stroller every day.
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Jul 7, 2013 14:05
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There's a reason most short-term disability covers 6 weeks for vaginal birth but 8 weeks for a c-section. I had a 2nd degree tear with stitches and although it felt awful, I looked pretty much normal a week or so later. Target has these really nice witch hazel wipes I used every time I used the bathroom.
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Jul 7, 2013 15:02
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I had zero issues with a c-section recovery, and was back to most things within a pretty short time period (they don't cut your stomach muscles, unless maybe a crash section), was in the gym two weeks later, and riding sometime around then. I think it's a crapshoot - a straightforward vaginal delivery is generally easier to recovery from, but you have no idea ahead of time if that's what you'll get, since by all accounts, forceps are the worst. I didn't really need any pain relief afterwards, my lower abdomen was just a bit sore. Disclaimer: I didn't have a TOL beforehand, and I have no doubt that would have been a worse recovery.
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Jul 7, 2013 16:11
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ChloroformSeduction posted:I had zero issues with a c-section recovery, and was back to most things within a pretty short time period (they don't cut your stomach muscles, unless maybe a crash section), was in the gym two weeks later, and riding sometime around then. I think it's a crapshoot - a straightforward vaginal delivery is generally easier to recovery from, but you have no idea ahead of time if that's what you'll get, since by all accounts, forceps are the worst. I didn't really need any pain relief afterwards, my lower abdomen was just a bit sore. Disclaimer: I didn't have a TOL beforehand, and I have no doubt that would have been a worse recovery. What's a TOL?
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Jul 7, 2013 16:38
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My c-section was an emergency and not all c-sections are like this, but please don't ever consider opting for one without even trying a vaginal birth first. Obviously there are a few medical issues where a c-section is the only option, but those are few and far between. It's like saying you should just cut out your gall bladder because one day you might need to. Why rush to have surgery? Yes, some people recover from it well, but some people also die from even minor surgical procedures. I'm glad my son is alive but I hate that I had to have a c-section. I hate that a bunch of strangers got to hold and care for my child while I was still knocked out. It was hours after Dexter's birth before I got to hold him. People who want to have a c-section just to save their precious vagina need to rethink their priorities. Our bodies are built for shooting an infant out of there, it won't be exactly like it was before but it will get better. Sorry if I seem bitchy but I really hate how people glorify c-sections now.
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Jul 7, 2013 17:10
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rectal cushion posted:What's a TOL? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trial_of_labour Trial of Labor I think?
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Jul 7, 2013 17:12
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hookerbot 5000 posted:Congratulations Pretty much this, it's hard to believe when you see how much of your inside bits are on the outside, but it all heals up to look like a normal vagina eventually. I'm at three weeks post partum and finally wiping without pain, it's pretty nice to be back to a point where I just have to change my pad and not have to apply a bunch of stuff down there so I can sit normally.
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Jul 7, 2013 17:23
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Isis Q. Dylan posted:My c-section was an emergency and not all c-sections are like this, but please don't ever consider opting for one without even trying a vaginal birth first. Obviously there are a few medical issues where a c-section is the only option, but those are few and far between. It's like saying you should just cut out your gall bladder because one day you might need to. Why rush to have surgery? Yes, some people recover from it well, but some people also die from even minor surgical procedures. I'm glad my son is alive but I hate that I had to have a c-section. I hate that a bunch of strangers got to hold and care for my child while I was still knocked out. It was hours after Dexter's birth before I got to hold him. People who want to have a c-section just to save their precious vagina need to rethink their priorities. Our bodies are built for shooting an infant out of there, it won't be exactly like it was before but it will get better. Sorry if I seem bitchy but I really hate how people glorify c-sections now. Absolutely agree. I don't think Sockmuppet was saying she wished she'd had a section, she was probably thinking of all the stuff she went through with the baby being breech, pelvic measurements, and external version, all of which she did specifically to avoid the section 
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Jul 7, 2013 17:56
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^^^ Yep, she was breech, and I spent 1,5 hours every day the last several weeks on all fours trying to turn her, and finally nagged my way to an external version, all to avoid a CS - I'd feel pretty bad if it turned out that the vaginal birth I so desperately wanted did some sort of horrible damage. Isis Q. Dylan posted:Our bodies are built for shooting an infant out of there, it won't be exactly like it was before but it will get better. Sorry if I seem bitchy but I really hate how people glorify c-sections now. Oh, I totally don't expect it to be like before (in fact I'm kind of hoping it won't - several of my girlfriends claim the sex is better  ), but things like rectal tissue and the bladder herniating into the vagina are things I'd really rather avoid.Lyz posted:Pretty much this, it's hard to believe when you see how much of your inside bits are on the outside, but it all heals up to look like a normal vagina eventually. Thank you, that's what I needed to hear I've been stupid lucky with the lack of tearing, there's just mild discomfort from sitting and standing too long, but the whole inside on the outside-thing was freaking me out. I'm back on the kegels now too, hopefully they'll help.I think my new number one advice to pregnant girlfriends will be "don't look at yourself in a mirror three days post partum "just to see where they put the stitches""  (best bit - both stitches looked perfectly fine, the bulging, not so much)
Sockmuppet fucked around with this message at 18:22 on Jul 7, 2013 |
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Jul 7, 2013 18:14
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Isis Q. Dylan posted:Our bodies are built for shooting an infant out of there Sort of. Humans have a lot of problems birthing infants compared to other animals because of narrow hips and large baby heads. Evolution for humans is a delicate balance between baby heads wide enough for intelligence, and hips narrow enough to run fast. The huge maternal mortality rates in pre-modern societies can tell you how harsh evolution is on the individuals involved. My baby was late and my doctor told me I had the option for an induction or a c-section, and I didn't like the high odds of an induction leading to an emergency c-section, since pre-planned c-sections are safer, so I stretched out the decision as long as I could and thankfully ended up with a normal birth.
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Jul 7, 2013 18:22
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rectal cushion posted:What's a TOL? Isis Q. Dylan posted:People who want to have a c-section just to save their precious vagina need to rethink their priorities. Our bodies are built for shooting an infant out of there, it won't be exactly like it was before but it will get better. Sorry if I seem bitchy but I really hate how people glorify c-sections now. I don't see anywhere that a maternal request c-section is glorified. Even here, just saying that my recovery wasn't bad at all is apparently glorifying a c-section. What, because I didn't and moan about how awful it was? I've had several surgeries and injuries, and it was nowhere near any of them in terms of recovery. I know women who had better recoveries than I did when they had a vaginal birth, and just as many, maybe more, who had worse ones with vaginal birth. Also, you can't guarantee that "it will get better." It does for many women, but not all. I did have a CS without any medical indication. I'm happy to go into my reasons and the decision making process behind it, but it's bullshit for you, without any knowledge of me or my circumstances to assume that I just thought "my precious vagina." Even if my primary reasoning was to maintain sexual function, that's still valid. If you want to respect autonomy in birth choices, you can't just respect the ones that you yourself would have made.
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Jul 7, 2013 18:29
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ChloroformSeduction posted:If you want to respect autonomy in birth choices, you can't just respect the ones that you yourself would have made. I very much agree with this.
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Jul 7, 2013 18:35
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ChloroformSeduction posted:
Ok, for some women it might not get better. But Sockmuppet is 3 days post partum with an uncomplicated delivery and minimal tearing. I'm pretty sure she's not going to stay like she is now for the rest of her life... bilabial trill fucked around with this message at 19:29 on Jul 7, 2013 |
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Jul 7, 2013 19:18
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If its any consolation, Sockmuppet, I'm 11 years post delivery with a second degree tear that required 15 stitches to sew back together, and my (new, never been with a woman with children before) husband loves my vagina. It may not quite be as tight as it was pre-baby, but we are talking millimeters here, not inches. It takes time as others have mentioned, but the swelling goes down, and as your uterus shrinks, it kinda pulls everything necessary up as it tightens down.
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Jul 7, 2013 20:36
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jota23 posted:It takes time as others have mentioned, but the swelling goes down, and as your uterus shrinks, it kinda pulls everything necessary up as it tightens down. The bulging bits retreat upwards after I've been lying down for a bit (checking has become a sort of horrible mental scab I can't stop picking at), hopefully that's a good sign. Again, I'm not at all worried about how it looks or about things being just like before, I was just concerned about actually medical issues from tissue herniating in from where it shouldn't be. It's great to hear that what I'm seeing/feeling sounds like what's normal at this point. I kind of imagned that things would be more wide if anything, not more smooshed together and outwards. She's sleeping properly for the first time today, it's wonderful - she's been hanging off the boob non stop for days but falling asleep and not eating a proper fill at any one time, so she's been waking up frequently, not getting enough sleep and ended up screaming at the boob instead of latching on and actually eating, so when she finally realises that hello, your food is right there, she's so tired she zonks right out again, thus continuing the whole ridiculous cycle. But this morning she finally ate a big meal, slept for almost three hours, woke up properly hungry, ate a big meal, and now she's been asleep for another three hours. I'd feel well rested if I wasn't suffering from a head cold - my nose and head feels like my boobs 
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Jul 8, 2013 13:15
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Ohhhhh Sockmuppet, I feel your pain on the days of hanging off the boob 24/7. C is 3 weeks old today and it's gotten a little better, but he'd be hungry all the time, but tired from not getting enough sleep, so he'd just nurse for 5 minutes on one side then drift off, wake up shortly later screaming and ravenous, rinse repeat. The past 2 days have gotten slightly better; he went 3 hours this morning which is huge! (I won't go more than 3-4 hours during the day because then he a) won't sleep at night and b) need to keep my supply up.) I would say "it gets better" but uh, I guess eventually we won't still be breastfeeding teenagers right?
sudont fucked around with this message at 15:50 on Aug 23, 2013 |
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Jul 8, 2013 14:50
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I have a 22 day old who since about 4 pm yesterday has been pretty much attached to my boobs. I hope this phase passes soon! We were going 2-3 hours during the day between feedings.
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Jul 8, 2013 15:21
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ChloroformSeduction posted:Even if my primary reasoning was to maintain sexual function, that's still valid. I'm genuinely curious about this. I mean hell, it's pretty common to hear women denigrate "non-natural" birth- I get women hold up zero intervention, zero medication birth like it was an Olympic gold medal all the time when I interview them on their gyne history. And maybe it is a laudable achievement, I honestly don't know what to think yet. I'm still information gathering before I make my mind up. So what drove your decision for the elective section, and why? Was it really the threat of sexual dysfunction? How does vaginal birthing ruin sexual function anyway, apart from the risk of rectal/uterine/bladder/vaginal prolapse/fistulae?
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Jul 8, 2013 15:48
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New Weave Wendy fucked around with this message at 18:26 on Jun 28, 2015 |
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Jul 8, 2013 18:40
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I had an unmediated natural birth with no interventions. I couldn't really tell you my reasons for it other than I didn't want to expose myself or baby to drugs (I rarely take anything ever for anything) and I hate needles so having an IV for pain meds or an epidural both were horrible options for me. I didn't know if I'd be able to go through with it but I did.
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Jul 8, 2013 20:16
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Sockmuppet posted:The bulging bits retreat upwards after I've been lying down for a bit (checking has become a sort of horrible mental scab I can't stop picking at), hopefully that's a good sign. I worked with a pelvic floor physical therapist and she recommended starting kegels about 48 hours after an uncomplicated delivery. You can start by doing a set of 10 where you contract for ten seconds and relax completely over five seconds three times per day while lying down. Then you can progress to sitting up, on all fours, and standing up. You can use your finger on your perineum to make sure you're contracting the right muscles.
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Jul 8, 2013 21:59
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I had a c-section because of medical reasons. I was somewhat afraid of vaginal birth but ready to take it on to get my baby here, and was hoping for it despite my largest fear being of injury to my perineum/anus (I had hemorrhoids through the second half of my pregnancy on top of having to constantly be on stuff for constipation and have a history of fissures/constipation, so the thought of aggravating that even more wasn't sounding fun. So at least I didn't have to worry about my poor butt  It turned out my baby was breech and being in the US my options were c-section, or c-section, especially because only two days after I found out my water broke, so I didn't get to try and turn him like I wanted to. The recovery wasn't fun, my hospital stay was horrible, and I stayed for 4 days. The medications all were causing other side effects, like nausea, and the surgery gave me the weirdest gas ever that would like, not pass, it would feel like it would be on the verge of passing, but then it would just vanish back inside me  If I went too long without taking my pain meds or tried to go without I would be in agony trying to get out of bed and get to the bathroom. And after the first day or so the nurses started to pretty much not help me with hardly anything to make me do it on my own. I didn't start to feel more comfortable until 10 days after the surgery. Even now, almost 6 weeks out, my incision area is still a bit sore/uncomfortable especially when I move certain ways. But, my baby got here safely, and he suffered no ill effects of being a c-section baby and has even been a pro at breastfeeding.
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Jul 8, 2013 23:48
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I had a c-section for medical reasons--I had gestational diabetes and he was also breech. I think in another country, I may have been allowed to try to birth vaginally, but I didn't really have a choice where I live. I healed fine eventually, although it took a long time for the scar to stop hurting and I still don't have full sensation there. I just want to point out that just because you don't birth vaginally doesn't mean things are just like before sexually. It took me 8 months (maybe more?) before sex started feeling good again. It was downright painful before (but is better than ever now). Things shift around whether or not you push out a child.
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Jul 9, 2013 01:23
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rectal cushion posted:Ok, for some women it might not get better. But Sockmuppet is 3 days post partum with an uncomplicated delivery and minimal tearing. I'm pretty sure she's not going to stay like she is now for the rest of her life... New Weave Wendy posted:I am actually really curious about this too and count me as another person interested in hearing what your reasons were. nyerf posted:I'm genuinely curious about this. Disclaimer - I'm not "glorifying" a c-section, this is just my decision making process. For myself, personally (and I know a few women now who have had CDMR - caesarean by maternal request, an elective section refers to a section done prior to the onset of labour for medical reasons, emergency is after labour has started, crash is where they just get you open ASAP because minutes count), I had a couple of reasons, so in no particular order: 1. Before I had my son, a friend of mine's baby died due to a mismanaged labour. This was a perfectly healthy baby, she was a low risk pregnancy. She laboured for 30 hours, and it turns out he had the cord wrapped around his neck twice and there was a true knot in it. He ended up going (we think), around 18-20 minutes without oxygen. It's very weird visiting a full-sized baby in the NICU who looks healthy. This was the level III NICU, where micropreemies and the like go (not the ones that have jaundice or whatever.) He could never suckle, needed tube feeding, and only lived around 8 weeks. I flew out there on weekends to give her a break during the short time she brought him home to change his feeding tubes. 18-20 minutes. If they had sectioned her an hour earlier she would have ICAN all up her rear end about her unneccessarean. So you could just write tokophobia as reason #1 if you wanted to. In uni, I did job shadowing at the ME's office for about 6 weeks, so that's coloured my perception as well. 2. Safety (baby) - this was going to be the first one, but it makes more sense as second for example purposes. I've seen all sorts of stats quoted in this thread in the past, and they don't make a lot of sense out of context. For example, people will say that c-section babies are sicker. Well, yes, that's why they're c-section babies. They've already gone through varying levels of distress, possibly have congenital issues, etc. My friend's son? He would be counted in the c-section statistics. She was airlifted to the hospital, and gutted like a fish (vertical/"classical" incision), but the c-section was not the cause of his issues. Also, he wouldn't be counted in the perinatal mortality numbers since he lived past 28 days (I don't recall the exact time in that particular province, it might be 21 days.) He's in the infant mortality numbers, which includes things like homicide, car accidents, SIDS, viral infections, etc. Again, people will quote things like infant mortality rate thinking that it's counted the same in all countries, and that it's a measure of obstetric care. It's not. Further example - in this pregnancy, I had an early twin demise. If there is any sign of that embryo attached the placenta, it will be counted in the stillbirth statistics for my province, because it was expelled from my body after 20 weeks (though the estimate is that it died closer to 7-8 weeks.) I will have to fill out paperwork accordingly. Anyway, back to the point - when you're comparing apples to apples - that is, healthy, term babies, c-section ones do better. Ideally, you would want a straightforward vaginal birth, but you are not guaranteed that, by any means. Most of the stats are comparing planned vaginal deliveries that went well with planned vaginal deliveries that ended in a section. Do all the yoga you want, do what you can to reduce your risk, it's still a crapshoot. There are some minor risks to the baby, such as the possibility of laceration (practically unheard of in a non-emergent situation), and some transient, very mild breathing issues (their lungs don't get squeezed out, so you might have to do extra suctioning or a couple pats on the back), but you aren't going to get anything catastrophic. As far as things like breastfeeding success rates, etc., the hospital I deliver at is a maternity hospital. No separation from baby, the nurses in the recovery wards are LCs. This is likely different depending on the hospital you deliver at. But I would rather deprive my kid of breastmilk than oxygen, if it were a choice. 3. Recovery period - Recovery is another crapshoot. You might be out and about the same day doing cartwheels, you might be in for several months (because a planned vaginal delivery doesn't always equal an uncomplicated vaginal delivery.) I know women who've gone through both, and going into it, no one really had any inkling how it would end. With a c-section, barring something like infection (which, again, is a possibility anyway), I have a pretty good idea where I'm at. Also, and this sounds lovely, but if you have a c-section, generally people are thinking that you are needing some rest, not cracking jokes about sitting on a donut because they figure you're a little banged up, not dealing with a 3rd or 4th degree tear (like someone here said, there's a reason CS entitles you to more leave, because everyone assumes VB recovery is dandy.) 4. Long-term consequences - in my own family (keeping in mind, the genetics surrounding childbirth experiences probably don't count for much), I know women who have spent the rest of their life incontinent (some dually incontinent.) When I'm stacking up the odds, in the back of my head, I'm wondering what chance am I willing to take that I will be unable to control my bowel movements? 1% ? 5%? 0.2%? What about urinary incontinence? That's not so bad, not everyone is going to know that you need to wear Depends, since there's no odor. I could still hold down a regular job, run my company. How much am I willing to risk that? My OB, who has zero problem with my request, devotes half of her practice to gynaecological reconstructive surgery, and works with urogynaecologists. Granted, she's seen the worst, but she still delivers around 20 babies a week, and she opted for a CS. For my postpartum visit, we were talking, and she has patients that will go 20 years with long-term issues, but no one acknowledges it, or just tells them to suck it up, it's part of being a parent. Assuming they tell anyone at all. Usually they're just too embarrassed. And yes, sexual function is important. I like sex. It's an important part of my life experience. The most important? No. But it ranks pretty high up there. 5. I don't really care about vaginal birth. I couldn't give two shits about my "birthing experience." This is obviously not true for everyone. I do not view it as a right of passage, or an experience I need to have. The experience, in my mind, is the next 50 years. The day my kid is born is great, BUT... it's one day. Those are my main ones. You can check out some blogs on it, Peace out of Pieces, or Caesarean Debate. There aren't very many though. Bottom line is it's my choice. TL;DR: I LOVE MY PRECIOUS VAGINA MORE THAN MY BABY. ETA: That was kind of more novel-ish than I intended. ChloroformSeduction fucked around with this message at 07:57 on Jul 9, 2013 |
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Jul 9, 2013 07:53
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ChloroformSeduction posted:
That's really interesting, thank you Where I live elective cesearean isn't really a choice you can make but I don't think I would have been overly upset if I had needed one - like you I don't see the birth experience as anything special, more of a bit of a slimy painful mess.But I'd never even thought about my sexual function being diminished after vaginal delivery, it all seems to go back to normal by the time I want to have sex again and the way that breastfeeding fucks with my sex drive that was the far bigger issue. Out of my four childbirths all of them have been vaginal, and for three of the four the only pain relief was gas and air. Last time I asked for the works, as soon as labour twinges started I asked for the strongest pain relief they could give me and just kept asking up until I got an epidural (and asked again after that too just in case they fancied throwing in some diamorphine).
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Jul 9, 2013 09:23
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My hospital didn't really offer elective c-sections either. Which is not the norm for the US.
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Jul 9, 2013 11:30
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If the option had been available to me, I would have had a maternal request c-section. I couldn't afford to though, for insurance reasons. My reasons for wanting a c-section are pretty much the same as what Chloroform Seduction listed, though without the personal experience she gave in number 1. For my particular situation I was just more comfortable with the risk profile provided by a planned c-section and I had no particular emotional attachment to the idea of having a vaginal birth.
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Jul 9, 2013 12:05
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The highlight of my "birth experience" is when it ended with the baby popping out safely. I am a coward, so the experience of going through pain didn't appeal to me at all, and I got as much drugs from the epidural as I could get away with. In fact, I got too much which caused problems with the pushing. I guess I will never be an Earth Mother. Doing it without an epidural sounds horrible to me. I had to wait over an hour or so after I requested one because the anaesthetist was busy, and that was so incredibly painful. It does seem to me that if you end up with a painful or numb caesarian scar, that doesn't sound so bad as ending up with pain in your most very sensitive area, which has a lot of important and delicate functions. We'll all end up in Depends one day, but I'm hoping at 85 rather than 35! Thankfully that has not been an issue, but as ChloroformSeduction points out, it can be. I wish we could get better information on the odds.
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Jul 9, 2013 12:47
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I had scheduled C-section with both of my children. My daughter(my first child) was breech. I saw a specialist who decided that because my uterus is partially bicornuate, an external manipulation would be both unsuccessful and potentially dangerous. They also discovered my amniotic fluid wasn't as plentiful as they would like. My ob decided a scheduled section would be best for me. At that point, I would've given birth orally or nasally, I was so tired of being pregnant. With my son(second), we just planned another C-section from my first visit on. She said if I really had my heart set on a Vbac attempt, we could. I read everything I could, asked as many questions as I could. My then-husband and I decided a repeat section would be best for us. Actually one of the doctors in the practice wanted me to at least try labor first, the other didn't. When several of my friends found out I was having sections, they immediately assumed it was because I just didn't want to possibly stretch out my vagina. If that had been my reason, I don't know if the doctor would've been okay with it. I never asked. My oldest just turned 17 years old last week and my son is almost 12 now. I still don't have feeling in the area of my incision (and about 2 inches around it as well). I can tell if it's being touched (vaguely) but not where exactly. To each their own.
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Jul 9, 2013 12:51
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The numbness lasts a lot longer than the typical pain from your vagina. It's 17 months later and parts of my incision are still numb and other parts are repulsed by touch. Probably both permanent, and I would still consider myself to have had a very successful and well-done c/s. I actually take offense to Chloroform Seduction tossing out that someone said "there's a reason CS entitles you to more leave, because everyone assumes VB recovery is dandy." No one said that. It's not because people ASSUME vaginal recovery is "dandy." It's because there are more potential complications involved with recovering from loving surgery. Yes, some c-sections are great and some vaginal births are terrible. It doesn't mean all are like that.
Ben Davis fucked around with this message at 12:56 on Jul 9, 2013 |
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Jul 9, 2013 12:54
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DwemerCog posted:The highlight of my "birth experience" is when it ended with the baby popping out safely. I am a coward, so the experience of going through pain didn't appeal to me at all, and I got as much drugs from the epidural as I could get away with. In fact, I got too much which caused problems with the pushing. I'm the opposite - I'd rather have a VB because I don't want drugs, I don't react well to them, and I don't like the way I feel when I have to have them. If I have to be sedated/given pain medication, I'd rather they just go ahead and load me up and do a CS. I scar pretty badly, too, with loss of sensation and all that, so I guess I don't want that. Basically this whole time I've been certain I'm actually two weeks further along than my OB says (I am), and sure that I'll give birth at the end of September, not mid-October... but, uh, actually I hope they're right and I don't go til mid-October, for purely selfish reasons. The childcare place we chose doesn't have a place for us until December, and while I can take up to 12 weeks maternity leave, I'd rather take just six. I might email the childcare center just in case. Now that the nursery's finished and we're just waiting around, I'm finding all kinds of new things to worry about!
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Jul 9, 2013 13:18
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