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Planned C-Section after stillbirth
Back in 2009 I lost my little boy at 34 weeks pregnant due to a horrifically rare condition, where my womb rotated round 180 degrees so that it was back to front and ruptured in several places. I was very ill and had to be rushed to theater for a c-section, I was put to sleep and awoke 3 days later after being in a coma in ICU. I lost 5 liters of blood and nearly died. I was told I would be able to try again for another baby about 1 year after and that I would be monitored very closely and the chances of it happening again were very slim.
I am currently 26 weeks pregnant with baby no'3 and I am having scans every couple of weeks and seeing the doc very regularly. I had a scare at 12 weeks with very heavy bleeding and spent 3 days over xmas in hospital thinking I was going to miscarry, but it all cleared up and baby is fine. I have been told I will be admitted to hospital at 32 weeks and have a c-section on the 10th of June at 36 weeks due to the fact that my section scar from last time goes up toward my belly button and not hip to hip and the one on my womb is now on the back of it as they cut me open before realising it was twisted round.
As I was unconscious in 2009 when I had to have an emergency c-section I am terrified about what will happen this time. I know I will have 4 weeks in hospital to talk to the nurses and doctors about what will happen and the procedures and things they will do (I have a big list of questions already written out) but it does not stop me stressing now. I had an epidural with my first daughter back in 2006 but was in the middle of a contraction at the time so felt nothing, and I am worried this time as I will be fully conscious that it will hurt. I know once I have had it I will feel no pain and thats ok. I am also worried about loosing so much blood again, and keep annoying my consultant by saying "I hope you will have enough of my blood type in stock ready".. I am also worried about the baby being born at 36 weeks and what problems it will have, I want to be able to hold him as soon as he is taken out as I didn't get that chance with my last little boy.
I am trying not to stress as I know this is bad when you are pregnant, but I cant help thinking about everything that went wrong last time, and I know on the day of the section I will be incredibly stressed and upset. I had to have another op in feb last year and in the pre-op room where they get you ready for op's I was a mess and stressing about being put to sleep again, I kept shouting at the doc's saying I didn't want to die and I was worried I would not wake up again.
I would like any ones thoughts who has been through something similar and was terrified of having a planned section.
I am currently 26 weeks pregnant with baby no'3 and I am having scans every couple of weeks and seeing the doc very regularly. I had a scare at 12 weeks with very heavy bleeding and spent 3 days over xmas in hospital thinking I was going to miscarry, but it all cleared up and baby is fine. I have been told I will be admitted to hospital at 32 weeks and have a c-section on the 10th of June at 36 weeks due to the fact that my section scar from last time goes up toward my belly button and not hip to hip and the one on my womb is now on the back of it as they cut me open before realising it was twisted round.
As I was unconscious in 2009 when I had to have an emergency c-section I am terrified about what will happen this time. I know I will have 4 weeks in hospital to talk to the nurses and doctors about what will happen and the procedures and things they will do (I have a big list of questions already written out) but it does not stop me stressing now. I had an epidural with my first daughter back in 2006 but was in the middle of a contraction at the time so felt nothing, and I am worried this time as I will be fully conscious that it will hurt. I know once I have had it I will feel no pain and thats ok. I am also worried about loosing so much blood again, and keep annoying my consultant by saying "I hope you will have enough of my blood type in stock ready".. I am also worried about the baby being born at 36 weeks and what problems it will have, I want to be able to hold him as soon as he is taken out as I didn't get that chance with my last little boy.
I am trying not to stress as I know this is bad when you are pregnant, but I cant help thinking about everything that went wrong last time, and I know on the day of the section I will be incredibly stressed and upset. I had to have another op in feb last year and in the pre-op room where they get you ready for op's I was a mess and stressing about being put to sleep again, I kept shouting at the doc's saying I didn't want to die and I was worried I would not wake up again.
I would like any ones thoughts who has been through something similar and was terrified of having a planned section.
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xx
Sorry to hear about your little Angel, Cai is a beautiful name.
I completely know what you mean about never having a normal pregnancy ever again. I have women coming up to me all the time at my daughters school and out in the shops saying things like "wow, how long have you got to go" and "how exciting, have you got everything ready"... I don't want to scare them or sound like a mad women so I just smile and say yes. I know other people feel very uncomfortable talking about stillbirths and complicated pregnancy's as they don't know what to say to you, so I just try to act like its a normal pregnancy to spare their feelings. When really inside I am so jealous of every other woman having a normal, happy, stress free pregnancy and want all the school mums to know how awful I really feel about being pregnant again. Non of my friends really know any details about this pregnancy, I don't tell them when I have scans and never show the pictures, I just try to avoid talking about all the time, and feel if I do it might jinx things. I feel like I don't want to get too attached to the baby in case anything bad happens again. Even my husband wont touch my belly and feel it moving this time as he said he does not want to get too attached either.
I know I can ask the doctors at the hospital anything and they will give me a medical answer, but non of them have been through loosing a child the way I did and don't really have any idea of how the women in this type of situation really feel. I can only get that support from others who have been through this type of situation too.
XX
I can give you some advice about the section that you have planned, firstly the epidural does not hurt, (I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to needles!!) once its in and it takes effect they will call in your DH put the screen up and begin, you will feel a bit of pulling during the op but not pain.
a planned section is a lot calmer than an emergency section you can walk into theater, play music, (if you choose) you can have a birth plan just as you would a normal delivery. you can have baby put to your chest straight after too.
once you have been stitched up they will take you through to recovery room for a while where you or DH can feed and dress baby.
I can't comment on the losing blood as I don't think I did (if I did I'm sure they would of said)
good luck and I hope that helps a little xxx
The previous poster was absolutely right - a planned section will be very calm and controlled. There was a lovely lady called Maenad in my Born in April 2010 forum (sadly she doesn't come on much now). She had a traumatic birth with her first so, like you, was worried about her planned section with her son. She wrote a very detailed birth plan and was quite specific about what she wanted. If you look in the Born in April 2010 forum and find her name, click on 'My Other Topics' and you should be able to see it and read about her birth. Let me know if you have trouble finding it and I'll see if I can dig it out for you.
Much Love,
K x
All the info you mentioned does really help thank, to know what sort of atmosphere and some of the things likely to happen. It was all so rushed and paniced last time my brain cant get over the fact it wont be like that this time round (I hope). I am being admitted to hospital for the last 4 weeks in 6 weeks from now so I will talk to the midwifes and docs then and see what sort of a birth plan I can do, I have been very reluctant to do one before as this is a high risk pregnancy so I don't know if things will be done in the same way. I am hoping that the baby can be placed straight on me after they take him out, but being 36 weeks I am not sure what they have to do with premature babies and how he is likely to be. He is a good weight at the moment around 1 lb 11oz so hoping that continues and his weight will be good by 36 weeks. I will try to find Maenad's posts and have a read, thanks for your help.