Our son recently turned 7 months old. Which means seven months ago Myles and I were at the hospital for my third trimester fetal non-stress test -- a routine appointment that we expected to be in and out of the doctor's as we just had our last ultra sound the day before and got the seal of approval that our baby was developing right on target.
Two vanilla Haagen Dazs cups later (an attempt to "wake" Logan up) and Logan's heart rate still wasn't reaching high enough levels. While I did have a nagging feeling, I wasn't worried just yet because I knew how active my baby normally was and thought maybe he was having a more relaxed day, as I had experienced these lulls throughout my pregnancy.
My obstetrician happened to be on call at the hospital that afternoon and ordered another sonogram just to make sure everything was ok. Mind you we had now been at the hospital for three hours. Myles and I were both exhausted and all I could think about was the cheeseburger I was going to have after we got to see our baby and show the nurses/doctors that he was doing just fine in there. I started to get a sinking feeling though when I heard the nurse say, "looks like he's not getting oxygen" to the doctor. They then showed us the flow of oxygen on the screen and how in one section of my umbilical cord there didn't seem to be any movement. My mind was racing. What did that mean for our baby? Was he okay in there?
Logan today. Can't imagine life without this happy, smiley boy!
Things began moving in what felt like hyper-speed, but slow motion all at the same time. My OB was called to take a look at the umbilical cord and then we were told I needed to have a C-section. Myles was the first to respond, and asked when would we have to schedule it, not realizing they meant I'd need to be prepped for surgery right then. I started crying -- I was scared. This was not how I had pictured my delivery going, and I was worried about my baby coming six weeks early. I also didn't know what to expect from a C-section. It never crossed my mind as a possibility during my pregnancy, so I hadn't researched it. I knew all about natural births and epidurals, though.
A wheelchair was brought for me and I was wheeled to another room to prep for surgery. My mind was racing. And I had to pee. I told the nurses, but was told that they were going to insert a catheter -- they didn't want to keep me disconnected from the sonogram machine, as they wanted to keep an eye on Logan.
Myles and I said a prayer and I was wheeled out to get my spinal shot--something I was terrified of. I'm not a fan of needles and I had heard this was a big one. I also didn't like that Myles wasn't allowed in the room with me while it happened. But, my nurses and the anesthesiologist were really kind and talked to me through the entire thing. I didn't feel a sharp pain as I was expecting, but rather a dull pain that wasn't too awful. Myles, my OB and another doctor who would aid in the surgery came into the room after. A curtain was placed, separating me from the doctors and the bottom half of my body.
I remember telling my doctor to let me know when they were going to make the incision, so I could prepare myself as I was worried about what that would feel like. Turns out, in the minutes before when we were talking he had made the incision. I didn't feel a thing. It was a surreal experience. I felt tugs and pulls and then the next thing we heard the cries from our baby! I think from the moment I was wheeled to the prep room, to when Logan was delivered--it all happened within an hour.
Looking back on this time there were a lot of things that took me by surprise. I talked to three other friends (ranging in age from 25 to 35 years old) who also recently went through C-sections to get their perspectives and see what we had in common and what differed.
1. Delivery to birth was fast! How quickly Logan was delivered from when we first heard we needed a C-section to birth -- it all happened within an hour. On the other hand my three friends labored for hours before a C-section was necessary.
2. The spinal shot wasn't as awful as I had built it up. I was terrified of getting the spinal (deathly afraid of needles!) and it ended up not being too bad. It wasn't painful in the sharp, pinching pain I was expecting to feel, but it did feel weird -- I wish I had a better way to explain the sensation -- you could definitely feel the needle, but it didn't hurt per say.
3. First moments seeing your baby. Because Logan had complications that required him to go straight to the NICU, I didn't get to hold him when I was out of recovery (which takes a couple of hours if you don't need extended monitoring) and the only person who was able to be there with me was Myles. I saw my family after I was transferred to my room. My friends on the other hand were able to see their babies after recovery.
Seeing Logan for the first time the day after surgery.
4. Going to the bathroom after is... interesting. Peeing after removing the catheter was an experience. I knew I had to go, but had to force my body to actually follow through with the action and even then sometimes nothing would happen. I ended up drinking a lot of water to get to the point where I had to pee. One friend suffered severe constipation as a result of the pain meds, however, nurses do offer a pill to help you go.
5. Recovery time varies. The group was actually split evenly on how quickly we were able to get up and walk. I was up and moving the morning after my surgery (I was in recovery around 9:30-10:00 p.m. the night before) with mild pain. Another friend was up and moving the same night -- she delivered around midday and also experienced slight pain when moving about. Two others felt severe pain when trying to move in the days that followed.
6. A liquid diet. After surgery I was ravenous and ready to eat a burger. I had my meal of a burger and Cajun fries already planned out. Unfortunately for me, I was on a broth/Jell-O/ice cream/Cream of Wheat diet for a day and a half. Another friend had to wait a day, while another was able to eat a normal breakfast the next morning.
Finally eating my burger!
7. You bleed. Obviously all that extra blood your body has been pumping for the last eight-plus months has to go somewhere... I just didn't realize how long you bled for. I think my bleeding was one of the longer lasting of the group. Most were done after six weeks, while I bled for eight-nine weeks. I must have called my doctor in a panic twice in one weekend thinking I was bleeding excessively, but he assured me that it was all normal. Also, you're not supposed to use tampons and as someone who stopped using pads after grammar school, this took some getting used to.
8. Feeling in the area above the incision mark. Seven months later and I still don't have 100 percent feeling back in that area. In the weeks right after delivery it felt numb, like the sensation your gums feel after the dentist gives you a Novocain shot. You slowly begin to regain some sensation, but I think it takes a while to get it back fully. And for one friend, her C-section scar still itches even though it's been almost two years since she had her baby.
9. Regardless of the way your baby made his/her way into this world (vaginal vs. C-section, unmedicated vs. medicated), it is still a miracle of life and you, momma pulled off an amazing feat. I've read a few comments regarding C-sections and how having one makes you less of mom. I call BS. I don't think experiencing one way of birth makes you any better (or less) than someone who did it another way. At the end of the day we all experience the joy, pain and overwhelming sense of love that comes with hearing that first cry as your baby takes in those first gulps of air and getting to see that little person you've been growing for the greater part of the year.
-Ravelle