Hi everyone!
I got this idea from the members of the C-section mummy's group, so they're to blame if you don't like this.... o and by the way this is my first article!!
Anyway, this is about my birth experiences, so it can't be wrong!!
I have 2 girls (I didn't know they were girls when I was carrying them), Caitlin is my princess and was delivered by C-section, due to pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure) at 37/40 on Saturday 15th November 2003. Emily is my little angel and I delivered her very very naturally at 39/40 (3 days before my elective section!! which I was booked for due to SPD - symphasis pubic disorder) on Friday 20th October 2006, in 2 1/2 hours!!
Caitlin presented breech from just before 30 weeks (noticed when I had an additional scan following a small bleed), and she didn't move round from then on. I went for a scan and consultant appointment 2 days before she entered the world, and I didn't leave hospital after that appointment, cause they wouldn't let me!!
My consultant was booking me in for a C-section at 38 weeks, due to the position Caitlin was in, as the scan that I just had showed her to be extended breech (her legs were straight and her feet were next to her ears!! - I wish I could do that!!!) and then the midwife took my blood pressure..... 148/101 (ish!). So, no going home for me!! Just lots of close monitoring instead! The only symptom of my blood pressure was the reading, otherwise I felt fine, which was weird, as during my stay in hospital my BP fluctuated between 172/126 at its worst to 136/98 at its best!!
My worst BP reading was that night and I was whizzed down to delivery, where my BP reading then went right down to a borderline pre-eclampsia reading. So as baby and I were otherwise ok, off we went still as one back to the ward!! Where I spent the next 24 hours peeing into a bottle!! I still don't know why I had to do that, even to this day! It was kept in the sluice room, it had my name on and everytime I wanted a pee, I had to do it in a jug and then pour it into my bottle!! If anyone knows why I had to do this please let me know! But, I was not alone, there were about three of us on the ward with big bottles of pee!!!
I was also wired up twice a day, to monitor the baby's movements and heart rate, and it was during my time wired up on Saturday afternoon that baby decided to let us know that she wanted out!! Her heart rate dropped to about 68, and stayed there for hours!!!! Not really, but it seemed like it.... It was about 15 or 20 seconds, which was long enough for the staff to say that this day was going to be my baby's birthday!
I was very happy, 
and then the next minute I was balling my eyes out!! This is how it continued through the afternoon.... The curtains round my bed were never opened and closed so much!!!
O.... I forgot to mention that just as i finished my lunch when I had been put on the monitor and so they couldn't do the section straight away! Instead they left me on the monitor so that I could be whizzed off to delivery if baby became destressed again... Which she didn't and I went down to theatre that evening...
By the time I went down to theatre I was having contractions!!! But because of baby's previous destress, positioning and my BP they took me in!!
I was a nervous wreck!! I'm scared, no not scared terrified of needles!! But you're a nurse I hear you all cry... That's as maybe, but I'm still a wimp over needles!! Also, I had never had an operation in my life, and I was about to have a baby cut from me, while I was awake!!!!
I had a spinal injection, not an epidural, and they catheterised me, then my husband was let into the room.....
Weird does not describe the weirdness of knowing that you're being cut open and you can't feel it! I was shaking like a leaf, having hot and cold flushes, telling my hubby not to look at what they were doing, but I was ok..... Honestly it was ok, I thought it would absolutely scar me for life as an experience, but no, it was good.... Well maybe not good, but..... Well it kindda felt like someone doing the washing up in my tummy!!!
Then I felt a tug and I knew my baby was born, 'what is....' I didn't finish my question as someone shouted out that I had a daughter, 'why isn't she cr...' again I didn't finish my question as she started to cry, then so did I, and so did Craig when they brought our little princess over to see us, as I was being stitched... Neither Craig or I noticed or asked, but if someone knows... How do they deliver the placenta during a C-section?
HORRAY!!! I was a Mummy.... After breast feeding for about an hour in the recovery room I went back to the ward, and sadly Craig was asked to go, as it was about 1045pm.
The next day, this is how I looked!!! O the joy of morphine, what a fantastic drug!!
Over the next 24hrs I had the catheter removed and had to start moving around... I felt like I was in 2 pieces!! I was shuffling around like an old woman in lovely white thigh length stockings (thank god it was November!), I was all puffy and I hate looking back at the snippets of video that were taken cause I sound drunk as a skunk, and I look like hell, except for my HUGE breasts!!
We left hospital on the Thursday after lunch, after both being throughly checked over and totally losing our dignity!! Caitlin had her pelvis and hips checked, was given the ok and I had people looking at my stitches what seemed like every 5 minutes! I also had countless blood tests to check my iron level... Which was low, then normal, then high... I think they got some results mixed up!! But finally we were home... HORRAY!!!
My midwife visited me daily, and on Saturday she removed my stitches... I think that I was lucky, because I had a running stitch with a bead at either end, so she just snipped off a bead, pulled the other end and they were out, it just felt like someone drawing a line across my belly!!! That day I had all the health professionals visit... My GP (doctor) and Caitlin's health visitor also put in appearances!!
So, there is my C-section experience, it was ok and I don't know what I was so worried about, it didn't hurt until after and I still got to experience a natural delivery 3 yrs later!!!!
When I found myself pregnant in February 2006, I didn't tell many people as I had miscarried at 12 weeks in March 2005. My GP referred me to the early pregnancy unit as I requested and I had my booking details and scan done there in March, the scan found me to be 9 1/2 weeks pregnant, i thought I was only about 8 weeks!! Everything was fine and I was closely monitored throughout my pregnancy.
Then, I started to struggle with lower back pain and discomfortin my hips, I had sufferred a little in Caitlin's pregnancy, but this was worse and as I finished work at the end of August I was having to wear a support belt... Then, 2 weeks later I was on crutches!!!
It was really frustrating, but my physio let me continue to drive short distances, as my reflexes weren't impaired and I was in a comfortable position driving the car!
By October, I was tearing my hair out, because I couldn'tplat with Caitlin and do things as I wanted to do... So, at my consultant appointment I booked in for an elective section, not at 37 weeks as my consultant wanted, but at 39 weeks, as I really wanted to experience child birth if I poosibly could.....
And that I did!!!!
I had 2 false starts, one on the Monday/Tuesday, and another on the Thursday, so when I woke having contractions on the Friday, I thought nothing of it, and waved Craig off to work!!! I was due in hospital on Sunday, for the 1st theatre slot on Monday and had by then resigned myself th the fact that I wasn't going to experience natural child birth... How wrong can you be??!!!!
I ignored the contraction and did what I wanted to do:
1) I drove to the local super market, with Caitlin and my Mum (who didn't know I was in labour!) in the car.
2) I walked (with the help of my crutches!) round the supermarket.
3) I drove home and cooked a meal for hubby.
4) I sat watching TV at 730pm (Coronation Street), then I told Craig that I had been having contractions all day, and they were now regular and 8 minutes apart!!!
Panic then ensued!!!
I phoned the hospital and they said I could go in if I wanted to... So I phoned my parent's, and this is where the chaos really started!!! The conversation between my father and I was somewhere along these lines:
DAD: Hello??
ME: Hi, Dad.
DAD: Hi, you ok?
ME: Well... I think this is it, so can you come over for Caitlin?!
And then he slammed the phone down on me, whilst shouting at my mother: Bloody hell 'G', come on this is it!!
And so as I began to laugh the flood gates opened!! Literally!! Needless to say, I'm very glad that I have laminate flooring in my dining room!!!!!
Then the pain really began to kick in!!!
And a little voice piped up: Mummy, are you going to be alright??? What has happened to you???!!!
BLESS!
Got to the hospital at light speed!! I phoned on the way to try to let them know that my waters had broken, since I last spoke to them, I think they got the idea of what I was trying to say... Well, they got my name anyway!!!
As I was let in, security tried to ask me what I wanted, but soon gave up as I started to make a puddle of water, or something on the floor!!!
I was met by a student and a healthcare assistant, who I informed to ignore my birth plan and give me an epidural.... NOW!!!!
Then my head spun round and I projectile vommitted everywhere!!!!
Well, I did vomit, but it made the bowl! So, making and eating a meal was a pointless task!!
I was then hooked up to monitors and a midwife entered the room to TUT! at me and tell me that my contractions were actually less than 2 minutes apart... Like I didn't know!!!!
Then she examined me (bye bye dignity - again!), and said that I was only 3 cms dilated and my labour could be a long one, or it could stop!!
Apparently, labour will only continue if you get past 4-5 cms dilated!!
Again, I politely requested an epidural!!! But, there were a lot of sections being done in emergency circumstances, so I was told that I had to wait for a dr and an anaethetist to be available to see me... Thank god for entinox!!!!
I was then moved to a delivery suite, just in case is what I was told!!!
At 1045pm, 3 yes I said 3 dr's strolled in and asked me how I was, by this time I think that my husband was scarred for life at my screaming, demanding, and pooing!!!! Yes, I'm afraid it does happen!!
They soon turned on their heels and said they'd send in the next available anaethetist, adding to my midwife: For god's sake give her some pethadine!! Which she was about to do when they entered the room!!!
So, I had my pethadine at 1050pm, and the midwife took off the heart rate monitor from my belly and put a clip on the baby's head as she examind me... And apologised!!!!
10+ cms, so I'm afraid it's time to push! She said... Adding that unfortunately I wouldn't feel the benefit of the pethadine!!!
BURNING....
4 crippling pushes and out she came, when I say crippling, I mean agonising, I'm sorry but I thought I was going to be torn in half, or possibly even die! That was 1101pm!
I know, I'm a drama queen... The descripton of burning is absolutely on the nail, that is exactly the sensation of pushing a baby out... Especially as I tore! A lot!
Anyway, when I could finally talk the 1st thing that I said was... I'm not doing that again!!
Quickly followed many of the usual questions about baby.
But, that was not the ond of my far too natural child birth... After 25 minutes there was still no sign of the placenta!
The midwife then asked me a classic question: Have you had a wee?
I had no idea! I had been thinking ablout ither things... I knew I had done something else, which shall never be mentioned on minti again!!
So... she said, if you don't want to go to theatre I'll try catheterising you, that might help!! It did thankfully... As my bladder emptied so did my uterus!!
Then, I struggled to relax for her to stitch me, so she kindly left me to feed baby 1st!! Otherwise I would have to go to theatre for my stitches!!
Luckily when she came back, I relaxed my legs enough for her to stitch me back together!!! It took ages and ages, and I had loads of entinox!
I lost count at 40 stitches! My midwife was fantastic, and made me laugh at every possible opportunity! I had a running commentry as I was being stitched about how Emily's nose probably tore me there, and if I had done a couple more pushes I wouldn't have torn so much!!
But... I didn't care, I had my little angel and she was and is, well both my girls are totally gorgeous!!
I stayed in hospital until the Sunday afternoon, as Emily was a sleepy head for her first 24hrs, cause she'd had pethadine!! And I wanted her checked out as she has a sacral dimple... We got the all clear and Emily found her voice as the pethadine wore off!! Then we were homeward bound!
I now always look at my family with a smile in my heart, my girls are the best things that I've ever done, and yes I would do it all again, but knowing what I know now...
I'm definately 'too posh to push'! C-section everytime I say, that is, based on my experience!!
But, I am very glad thatI have had the experience of both types of delivery, because I would have always been wondering what a natural delivery was like, and now I know!!!
Anyhow, if you've made it through my ramblings, well done! I give you 5 stars!
These were my experiences and everyone is different, but to all those who may have got worried from reading this, it is very true that you forget very very quickly, as the pain of child birth doesn't last forever and it gives you a most precious gift at the end!
Lol to all of you and your precious little ones,
Lisa xxxx.
(June 2007) (
.......regards Sandra xxx