Apprehensive about first baby and c-section! Share your story! EDIT: She's here!

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Pain is no fun.  YAY DRUGS!  Use as much as you need - or they let you.  I'm all about the epidural! 

IMHO I tried no drugs for eight hours of labor, and then we went code blue, and suddenly there were doctors everywhere.  I vaguely remember it.  Mostly I remember the fear until the epidural got into my spine and then... then it was just a relaxed "I'm here and what do you want from me" kind of thing.   

Walk lots - it will hurt and you will hate it all.  WALK.

And seriously, shamed for how one brings a baby into the world.... what are people thinking....  All you need is a healthy baby in the outside world!    Best of luck and happy birthing!

[nessa16]

Congratulations Aadra!  I can't share any personal C-section stories but I am a RN at our hospitals Family Birthing Center.  Right now I work in postpartum but will be training for labor and delivery soon.  Try to think positively, but of course be well prepared and informed and be sure to ask ANY questions you have.  There is no silly question! 

Hopefully, your hospital has great staff!  I know we do and I hate to think of anyone shaming someone for their type of birth.  The only reason I can think of this would be because some doctors and therefore, patients, think of C-sections as an easy "select your day" type of delivery and therefore, some patients don't quite seem to realize that they are indeed going through a major surgery which will be painful to an extent in recovery and does take weeks to recover from.  That being said, be sure to follow instructions for your best recovery!

Touching on a few things mentioned previously, you may be able to have subsequent children via VBAC or vaginal birth after C-section.  This is something that would be a decision made with your doctor.  There is higher risk of uterine rupture, but many women are able to do this.  As far as incision goes, if your doctor needs to get your baby out ASAP (or for some other reason), you may end up with a classical (vertical) incision instead of the transverse low or bikini (horizontal) incision.  However, this may just be on your uterus itself.  On your skin, it could be the bikini cut and the uterus itself could have the classical.  As for having a breech baby, we have our newborns have a hip ultrasound at some point to ensure that their hips were not damaged from being breech in utero.  One can always tell a breech baby because they look like their legs are always up by their heads. 

For recovery, be sure to take the meds as you are comfortable.  It is going to hurt but everyone is different.  Some women need to use narcotics for pain while some are able to get by with ibuprofen and Tylenol.  Like others have said, get up and walk!  This is important for recovery as you will start to feel better faster and it helps with recovery.  Along with this, try to be able to get up to the bathroom as soon as you are able to walk so you don't have a catheter in as long (increases risk of infection, and those buggers can hurt a lot).  Go slow when eating afterwards by trying clear liquids and advancing to a general diet as some of the meds and stress your body goes through can make you nauseous.  Guard your incision when you move, cough, sneeze or laugh (basically anything putting stress on it)  Do this by holding it, preferably with a pillow against it for support. 

Finally and the most important, enjoy mom and baby time!  Skin-to-skin is a great way to bond and it's wonderful to see mom's with their new little ones

[Mkia]

I am a labor and delivery nurse and find it really sad that people have had nurses shame them for having a cesarean. I would never dream of it.

Your labor experience is still yours no matter how the baby is delivered! Don't let anyone make you feel less of a woman because you had a cesarean delivery. In some ways, a cesarean is more difficult!

If you have any specific questions, feel free to pm me

[Aadra310]

Edit on first post for new baby's arrival!

[buttonso]

So glad everything worked out! Congrats on your happy addition!

[WhispersOfTheWind]

Congratulations, Aadra.  She's beautiful! 

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Awwwww she's so pretty!  And all sprawled out again I see!  :-p  "ohhhhh, look how much more roooooooooooooooooooom I have out here!  *stretch*"

If they gave you awesome pain meds, eat dates and raisins and such... just indulge in all that yummy goodness.
Keep walking!  Of course I know it's hard to lift and reach and stretch and all that, but just go slowly.   

Sleep when you can!  You'll learn to get the shortest naps in the oddest ways. 

[Marlin]

She's adorable! Congratulations! 

[PrincessTiffy]

Aww baby! Congrats on your beautiful little girl. I didn't have to have a C section and actually had to schedual an inducement if my little man wasn't going to come out soon. He decided to finally come 3 days before, I was so glad! I'm glad yours all went well and hope you heal fast. Even without a C section recovery was painful! I ended up tearing a little, ouch! They gave me awesome drugs to help with the pain. As others have said walking really helped. And sleep whenever you can! I did in the beginning and then tried doing to much around the time he was a month old while he was sleeping instead of resting and I ended up getting sick. Breast feeding and trying to figure out what he needed was so not fun while feeling like crap.

[BethyVic]

Your baby is precious!  Congratulations! 

[Honeycomb]

Congrats on your little angel! She looks precious! Wishing you a speedy healing!

[xeevee]

What a stunner she is.  Well done to you, new mum.

[Diamond]

Congrats, she is lovely.

[Vertefae]

She's beautiful! Congratulations!!

[Beldarna]

Congratulations!