I've had 3 of them.
Did I want to? No.
Do I advocate and push for them?
Not at all unless it genuinely is needed.
Having said that, I will say:
If you have one, you have not failed.
I felt like I did after my first 2.
My third was a true medical emergency.
Let me begin this with my experience. I got pregnant with my husband at 19 and had our first daughter at 39 weeks with a scheduled c-section. My doctor at the time told me I was incapable of delivering vaginally all because I hadn't dropped by 37 weeks with my first. 38 weeks went by and I still hadn't. He basically scared me into having a c-section stating I could kill the baby if I tried to force things and this would be way faster.
Pause there.
I was 19. First timer. And no one had ever told me doctors did this kinda thing.
Scared and defeated, I signed my delivery away and we had her March of 2006 by c-section.
While elated and happy as we could be, internally I struggled to accept how the birth went. I wanted to experience the high of a natural birth, to hold my baby immediately, to be the first one to hold her. None of that happened. I waited 5 hours and it was just a policy the hospital had. I remember doing the ugly cry face when a nurse finally handed her to me. She was finally in my arms.
Recovery was hard.
Not gonna lie.
But I'll get to that in a moment.
14 months later we fell pregnant with our 2nd girl. This time I switched doctors and was DETERMINED to VBAC.
(A VBAC stands for "Vaginal birth after a C-section)
Fast forward to Feb of 2010 when I reached 40 weeks and I went into labor.
Joy! I was doing it! YES!
I held out for 2.5 days before my husband rushed me to the hospital and we got situated. I had read a few things here and there and felt confident. My water broke shortly after arriving and things were going great.... That is until her heart rate suddenly declined.
We waited an hour before the Doc came in and shook her head silently saying it was a no go. She had turned wrong and become stuck and since I was a former c-section mom, they didn't want to risk it.
Off we went for C #2.
Defeat mixed with happiness with our new arrival. A very potent concoction for post partum depression once again.
At this point I basically wasn't sure if we'd do it again. I learned my pelvis was narrow and making 9 lb babies made things difficult.
Fast forward to 2012 when we fell pregnant with baby #3, our last bitty, and only son!
*hubby does a fist pump haha*
At this point I felt a little leery of trying again. But my doctor said I was allowed. My scar looked good on ultrasound so we made plans for a VBA2C.
Fast forward to last year in April 2013 and I went into labor early on the morning of my Dad's birthday and a week after my 25th. We were excited and anxious!
How would this play out?!
Upon arrival they checked and I was already a 3. What?! I never was that far ahead checkin in with our 2nd!
Water breaks and we got to a 7-8. I held my breath. I couldn't believe we were there.
This time they had me rotating side to side and he was going lower and lower.
And then the alarms went off. A team rushed in and checked my cervix. Blood.
Baby's heart was going up and down and mine was accelerating.
"We need to get her to the OR STAT!"
I remember feeling the blood drain from my face. Everything blurred around me and the panic gripped every fiber of my being.
"What's happening?!" I shouted.
I was in the middle of having a uterine rupture.
I kept thinking "how can this be happening?!"
What usually takes 45 mins start to finish took about 3 hours. Thankfully after a shot of adrenaline and two different Or teams, my son and I survived that delivery. At that point, I was thankful for a c-section. It saved our lives.
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So, cooling off from all of that, I wanted to share a few things that helped me after each of these deliveries.
#1. A belly binder for post partum tummies. The hospital should provide this but if not, Babies-R-US and Target carry them. This was my number one go to item after delivery. It supports your insides and incision area and keeps you held in comfortably. I found it helped make things go down some too. They are easy to take on and off and go under most outfits too.
#2. Colace - AKA stool softener. You just had a major abdominal surgery. Unless you'd like to fill out a second birth certificate for pushing out a collosal sized poo that's been building up after surgery (anaesthesia constipates you....Snd sneezing, laughing, and coughing hurt already) pushing that kinda boulder out weighing in at 8-9 lbs figuratively speaking would be torture. Super important!!!!
#3. STAY ON YOUR PAIN MEDS. Stay ahead. Don't wait to feel pain, time it as the doctor says. If not, you'll suffer and it's not something you need in that time if you can avoid it.
#4. If you can, pre-cool and freeze meals. It will save time and stress when you're adjusting in the early weeks.
#5. Drink TONS of water. This helps flush post partum fluids and the anesthesia that the delivery warranted. You'll feel much better too.
#6. Grannies panties that go up and over your waist. To your belly button! You don't want ANYTHING rubbing your fresh incision. This will prevent that.
#7. Iodine. The brown liquid. I dabbed this on my incision after a shower and dabbed it dry with cotton swabs. Infections are easy to get, so stay on top of this.
#8. Sleep in a reclined position until you feel comfortable to ease yourself flat again. Use a pillow between your knees for a while as well until your body has adjusted itself back. This will reduce any post partum hip discomforts you might have.
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I really hope this helps someone. After 3 times, I found these helped me the most.
And most of all, enjoy your new baby and congratulations! You deserve to be happy mama. 💖
And before you go...
Here are my 3 Bitties.
Xoxox
Stay cozy!
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