Caesarean Issues

Why did you need one, and did you think it was necessary?
With Caden it was an emergency C Section for failure to progress, id been in labour for 47ish hours when I had my C Section. With Isabella it was an elective at 9 days over due, was trying for a VBAC, but she want gonna come anytime soon and I didnt want to risk going through another long labour like Cadens.

Were you other options well explained to you?
Yep, they were

Do you think you were adequately informed about the risks/recovery involved?
Yeah I was, but I didnt realise just how hard it would afterwards, was A LOT worse after Caden than Isabella though

Would you do things differently if you could go back to the situation?
With Caden nope, I didnt have a choice, with Bella, I sometimes wish id waited a bit longer to see if I could have had her naturally

What did you like/not like about it?]
The only thing I "liked" about having an elective was no labour lol, but I pretty much hated both my C Sections experiences, its a painful recovery and so hard to care for and breatfeed a newborn when you are so sore. I also had a lot of health issues after my first one, after Bella I wasnt too bad, but had a lot of wind issues for a while

Why did you need one, and did you think it was necessary?
Fetal distressed, at the time Willow was in bad shape, heart beat dropping fast. Her umbilical cord was connected to memberins(sp?) So emergency csection was very necessary

Were you other options well explained to you?
Everything was done very fast. MW and Dr I think did explain but I went into shock. It was all very rushed (from decision to all over 30mins)

Do you think you were adequately informed about the risks/recovery involved?
It was very rushed but MW had beliefly talk to me before during birth plan

Would you do things differently if you could go back to the situation?
Thinking back I had dilated 2cm (3-5) in 1.5-2hours. If I had been aloud to stand up and move around maybe I could have gone even faster?

What did you like/not like about it?]
I didn't like any of it. I had not wanted one at all but in the Willow wouldn't be here today if it was for the section

I hope this is usefull for you

Why did you need one, and did you think it was necessary? I had pre eclampsia so was induced at 37 weeks. As I was waiting for induction lying on the bed I had 2 seizures, specialists controlled everything with drugs & the induced me. 12 hrs later I had not gone past 1cm, my health was going down hill rapidly to the point where I was drifting in & out so emg. C section it was. In my opinion now this should have happened a long time earlier (the c section).

Were you other options well explained to you?
Yes & No. I didn't really have options due to my health. Baby was fine, not in distress and probably would have been fine waiting but I was not ok & was close to dying.

Do you think you were adequately informed about the risks/recovery involved?
No, not at all. I think the risks were told to my husband as I was in no conditiont o take anything in. The recovery afterwards however they were capable of informing me of as 2 hrs after the birth I came right. I was in no way prepared for the recovery afterwards. I was also not informed that I can call a nurse to help get bubs out of the bassinet for a feed. I had no idea that the pain I was in was not normal and that I could ask/demand better pain relief. It took 4 weeks before I was on more than panadol which happened when I went to emgency after Iw as at breaking point with pain and my inability to move. I was given 3 dif. pain meds and within half hour was up & walking! This med should have been available straight after the c section. I was left feeling like I had to suffer through and that calling a nurse while in hospital was nothing more that a nusience for them.

Would you do things differently if you could go back to the situation?
Yes, I would demand help from the nurses once up on the ward and not feel bad about it. I would also be more verbal to the midwife I had although I do think that she should have asked more questions not just to me but also my husband who could have informed her of how I was coping/recovering too. It's only now I realsie how not normal my recovery was. I wouldn't wait so long for the c-section either. As soon as I had had seisures I should have demanded the C section, perhaps then it wouldn't have been a full blown emgency.

What did you like/not like about it?]
I liked the fact that I got to live. I did not like the pain afterwards that went on for weeks only due to lack of pain relief. I also didn't lke the lack of support and assistance from the nurses during my week in hospital. Simple things like they would come in to do my blood pressure and push the bassinet away from the bed then walk out and leave the bassinet miles away from the bed. Bubs would start crying & I couldin't reach so I would drag myself out of bed, pull him over then get back on the bed and then try & get him out of the bassinet. All this was painful and VERY slow. I also thought that after a C-section when in a shared room with 3 others there should be more of a limit on visitors. It was impossible to get any rest when the bed next door and 7 visitors a time that kept spilling into my area. I do believe that we should have individual rooms for recovery.

Why did you need one, and did you think it was necessary? I had been in labour for 32hrs and hadn't progressed past 6cm. And it had been 17hrs since my waters were artificially ruptured so needed to get bub out quick smart!
Were you other options well explained to you? We tried all other options but nothing was happening. C-Sec was last resort.
Do you think you were adequately informed about the risks/recovery involved? Yup, absolutely.
Would you do things differently if you could go back to the situation? Had no choice in the matter really. She needed to come out and we'd tried everything else. It needed to be done.
What did you like/not like about it? I didn't like that I got a massive case of the shakes when I was wheeled into theatre. Apparently that is a side effect of the Epidural but no one told me that. I hated how they told me that it was going to feel like someone was rummaging around the bottom of their handbag tying to find their keys. I just couldn't get that image out of my head while they were 'rummaging' round in there. It freaked me out and I was crying the whole time (until I laid eyes on my baby girl).
Final comments:
As opposed to C-Secs as I was before having Isla, I would definitely be happy to have another. Infact, due to the complications I had this time round, it's highly likely I'll have to have an elective next time round as well. Doesn't worry me in the slightest. I was surprised at how fast and relatively easy the recovery was and the scar is minimal. They did a great job. I'd put my hand up for a C-Sec anyday over the hellishly horrid labour I had! Plus, my daughter was 11lb 8oz so doubt that would have been the most pleasant vaginal birth so glad I had a C-Sec in the end or I don't think I would have walked the same ever again! lol

Hope that helps

Why did you need one, and did you think it was necessary?
with Rhyley he was breeched and because he was a big baby a elective was advised. With Elodie it was failure to progress emergency c section - waters been broke for 72 hours she was now where near coming out - 2 cm dilated for 2 days even after a full day of induction.

Were you other options well explained to you?
Yes but as I said Rhyley too big and Elodie was not going to come down on her own

Do you think you were adequately informed about the risks/recovery involved?
Yes - on a side note though I had a tubel with Elodie and I go no information about it afterwards. Nothing wrote in my notes either - makes me wonder - did i actually get one (I sure hope so!)


Would you do things differently if you could go back to the situation?
Perhaps waited longer to see if I could have my VBAC I so wanted for Elodie but in the end knew she was best to come out sooner rather than later.


What did you like/not like about it?]
I hated Rhyley's ceasarean. but more so for afterwards - he was a horrible feeder (suspected tongue tied) and cried most of the first night ( i had him late afternoon so still could not move during night very good) it wasn't till the middle of the night round 2am that a lovely midwife put him int the bed with me and pulled the sides up that he settled. With Elodies she fed so well and I was more aware of what I needed to do etc..and this may sound silly but I felt I had the 'having a baby drama' with Elodie so felt I laboured...

Note I have had 2 natural births before my 2 ceasarean.


Edited by Chickaboo

Why did you need one, and did you think it was necessary?
Emergency c-section after going into prem labour and Jade being bum down. Yes it was necessary, Jade was well and truly settled in her position, and there was no way I could have had her by VB.

Were you other options well explained to you?
Yes. I had an appt with my MW the week before where we talked about it, and she gave me a lot of info to read. I didn't have a lot of other options due to Jade's position.

Do you think you were adequately informed about the risks/recovery involved?
Yes. The recovery was actually far better than I expected.

Would you do things differently if you could go back to the situation?
No. The doctors discovered while getting the girls out that even if I had been able to have Jade in a VB, I would have needed a CS for Amber anyway, as she was tangled in my ribs and the cord was wrapped around her neck. My main purpose throughout my entire pregnancy was healthy little girls, and that's what I got.

What did you like/not like about it?
I didn't like having to go through an unnecessary 5.5 hours of labour before being sent up to theatre, because of a stubborn, stupid on call ob. It was made very clear to me that because of the fast progression of my labour, there was no way that my labour was going to stop with medication. My waters had also broken. I didn't mind experiencing the contractions, as it made me feel that I had done something, but the final 2 hours of my labour before the c-s was unnecessary and unfair when there was no chance of stopping the labour or having a VB. Other than that, I would happily have another one if necessary, although I am going to try for a VBAC next time

Why did you need one, and did you think it was necessary?
Failure to progress secondary to High temp and risk of infection
Were you other options well explained to you?
Yep

Do you think you were adequately informed about the risks/recovery involved?
Yeah I think so,
Would you do things differently if you could go back to the situation?
probably not....maybe walked around a bit more to try and speed the process of having a natural birth.....then again I should have been more active during pregnancy!

What did you like/not like about it?
I liked that I was still awake when bubs was born!.....that I had a happy and healthy baby. My c section experience was good, and should I need to have one again it's not something that I will be afraid of.

DS1 was 2 weeks o/d I went in labour at 1.30am (on day of induction) went to hospital at 9.30am on advise of m/w, fetal distress on arrival & meconium.

I knew my m/w & because of that I think she lost sight of the bigger pitcher.

Later in day she called in a team of doctors (because my DH demanded a C/section) & they did a scalp scrap on my unborn baby to see if there was brain damage because of the length of time he had been in distress...I had been throwing up for hours & had had a couple of epidurals. They then rushed me to the O/R (5pm) & they whipped him out in 5mins , 10mins later he was breathing by-himself & has had no health problem, he is now 9yrs old. I had a large blood loss &vomited all the way through & was still ill till the next morning, so not much happy bonding time.

DS3 was also c/sect, I was induced x2 (from 7.30pm & 10.30am) but both failed. He was to be delivered 2 weeks early due to GD.
The woke me up at 12.30am to say they had called a DR from home to come in as it was now an emergency & they need to get him out asap, (the other O/R's were full).
He was fine & no health issues. He was delivered at 1.50am.

With DS1 & 3 I think my s/sections should of been done much earlier as they both ended up being emergency's & I think they put them at risk by letting them stay in a distressed state for hrs.

Hope this helps :)

Why did you need one, and did you think it was necessary?
I chose to have an elective because I as having twins. I knew from the second I found out it was twins that was what I wanted. They tried to push me towards a VB but in the end I got an cesarean because my presenting twin Esme was Breech.

Were your other options well explained to you?
Absolutely. My MW to be honest didn't give me a lot of info but she knew I was under specialist care anyway so she left it up to the specialists to give me most of my info. Which they did. I was slightly disappointed in my MW though when she found out it was twins she basically just handed me off to the specialist and whenever I rang her with questions she often didn't return my calls :( She wasn't even at the actual birth. She had been at the hospital delivering another baby and was on her way home as I arrived for my c/section. She left me a note saying she was tired! I thought that was a bit off. It would have only taken an extra hour.

Do you think you were adequately informed about the risks/recovery involved?
Yep. I guess because I knew from 12 weeks this is what I wanted I got more info than most. I got to sit down with a specialist once every two weeks in the third trimester and we covered EVERYTHING. They gave me all sorts of info to take home. I was only disappointed with my antenatal classes as they never really discussed c/sections. They only touched on emergency c/sections briefly. I think people should be given all the facts on c/sections right from the start so they can be ready no matter what their birth plan. I think a lot of women probably have bad emergency c/section experiences because they don't really know whats involved and when it happens I imagine it's just a frightening and unexpected experience. I think all pregnant women should be given a full run down on emergency c/sections early on and what to expect. So many pregnant women are afraid of c/sections and I think thats because they don't know much about them and get so set on having a VB that they don't ever really consider the possibility of CS so they end up having a really traumatic experience when it happens.

Would you do things differently if you could go back to the situation?
Nope I had a great experience. I was fully prepared and everything went smoothly :)

What did you like/not like about it?
I liked the feeling of control I had. There was no way I was going to get into theater then have someone say sorry this Cesarean isn't working we're going to have to have an emergency vaginal birth lol.
I liked how quick and easy it was.
Obviously the next 24hrs after are not pleasant but it's major surgery so it's to be expected lol. Really though there's not a thing I regret about it.

Why did you need one, and did you think it was necessary?
I had 2 electives, very necessary as have had extensive surgery in childhood on my hips and pelvis for missed dislocated hip. It was the only way they were gonna come out!!

Were your other options well explained to you?
VBAC was brieftly discussed but the risk to myself and the baby was too high. 2nd son was 9lbs 7oz so he would have well and truely got stuck!

Do you think you were adequately informed about the risks/recovery involved?
Both times had sifferent midwives for each baby, explained the risks, recovery e.t.c. I recovered better after 1st c section as didn't have a toddler to look after! Knew it was take a while, lots of pain e.t.c, have excellent midwives who explained everything and an OB.

Would you do things differently if you could go back to the situation?
nope not at all, very positive, calm birth expereinces for both boys, loved the skin to skin with son number 2. He was born, dried off an on my chest it was amazing.They are trying to do that now with all c setions if they go smoothly and there are no complications.

What did you like/not like about it?
I liked the fact that i could carry full term even with my history and give birth, doesn't matter to me they were born by c section, they had to come out some how!
It was calm, amazing and wonderful. I liked knowing the date and preparing myself for it. It was freaky that both my boys are born on the 26th of differnt months of course. The date were chosen by the OB as i was exactly 39 weeks on the 26th with both. The risk of going into labour was too great to even wait one more day. Had a lot of braxton hicks. makes it easy to remember their birthdates.!
2nd c section recovery was harder, heaps of swelling, pain. I think i had just forgotten!

hope that helps