We graduated! Yesterday was our last Childbirth class--woo-hoo! We have a one-session baby class (can't even remember what it's for) in a few weeks, but we're finished with all our long-term classes. We're qualified (loosely) to be parents! We celebrated with cupcakes.
The last day of class was spent (1) practicing positions that will help with labor pains, and (2) discussing C-sections. If any of you are planning on having a baby soon, please stop reading the rest of this. Go find a happy story about moms and babies and how much they love each other (I recommend Love You Forever, Guess How Much I Love You?, The Runaway Bunny, and anything with a puppy on the cover). The rest of you, hold on to your lunches.
Our instructor decided to show us a video of an actual C-section. The docs in the video put up a curtain to block the area between the mother's chest and her abdomen. The video said this was to prevent any sort of infection. Uh-huh. Why did they have to strap the mother's arms down, then? It's because they know if that woman glimpses the scalpel, she's going to punch the nurse in the face and make for the door. They need that curtain up to protect them, not the baby.
So, the doctor makes a cut through the skin and fat layer, about 4-6 inches above the pubic area (which will only heal down to about 2-3 inches later). Enter blood. I was all done at this point, but I couldn't look away. With his hands, the doctor opens the cut, pushes aside the abdominal muscles, and cuts the uterus. I looked away just as more liquids were pouring out. When I finally looked back, two sets of hands were scooping out the baby and pulling its head through the hole.
"No, no, no," I said, shaking my head. A guy next to us in the room looked at me like, "I'm with you on this, and I'm not even having the baby!"
Some doctors, according to the narrator, pull the uterus out to give it a good once over (before slapping it back in). I didn't keep watching to see if that's what went down with that poor woman.
Removing the baby took less than 10 minutes, during which the mother was awake but drugged. She didn't feel pain, they claimed, but did feel "pulling and tugging" motions. The mom would eventually feel pain, obviously, but they didn't talk about that. Afterwards, the doctors spent 45 minutes sewing or stapling the mom back together.
Our instructor reminded us that although C-sections are major surgeries, they are relatively safe. She handed out a fact sheet with extra information for us to read at home. I glanced at the paper, and here are a few points that, and this is my opinion, temper the statement she just made:
*Women have 5-7 times the risk of DEATH with C-sections.
*Twice as many women require rehospitalization after a C-section as women having a normal vaginal birth.
*Twice as many women require rehospitalization after a C-section as women having a normal vaginal birth.
*1-2 babies per 100 will be cut during surgery.
*Babies born after elective C-section are 4 times as likely to develop persistent pulmonary hypertension.
*1 in 10 women report difficulties with normal activities 2 months after birth; 1 in 14 report the same thing 6 months after birth.
And, finally:
*Women who have C-sections are less likely to decide to become pregnant again.
You don't say?
2 comments:
Liza-
I know what it's like to have a C-section. Unfortuantely, it was out of my hands to have one. Gabby had a bowel movement in utero and, after 14 hours of labor, without any kind of medication, also out of my hands, I had to have an emergency C-section. It completely amazes me that some women choose to have this MAJOR SURGERY done instead of letting it happen naturally. I wish that it would have worked out differently and that I would have delivered Gabby vaginally. Alas, it was not to be. And yes, it is true that women who have C-sections are most likely to have a longer hospital stay. I went in to labor at 2am Dec. 22nd of 1996 and had the Gabster at 4:09pm later that day. I got an infection because of the surgery, which is very commom, and anytime I held Gabby, I had to wear a face mask so that she didn't catch whatever it was I had. I was in horrible pain because the infection caused me to have a bad cough which is pretty uncomfortable when you have a large incision on your pelvic area and also trying to breast feed the baby!!! I cried a lot the day after I had her because I just wanted the pain to stop. They had to try out four different pain medications because nothing was even remotely alleviating my pain and I have a very high tolerance for pain. Anyway, we did not leave the hospital until Christmas Day at about 6pm. I was so ready to get the heck outof their. Unfortunately, I had a bad experience regarding the hospital staff the minute we got to the hospital. It got better before we checked out though. I pray that all will go smoothly for you from beginning to end!! I am sure it will.
Also, check your blog about your search for a wonderful pediatrician.
Love ya-
Monica
Regarding
Monica, I completely understand emergency C-sections and ones done because of other medical reasons. I just can't get the people who voluntarily do it for the sake of convenience of scheduling the delivery date. They obviously didn't see the video I did! You're a trooper for going through one unplanned. You are a better woman than me. :)
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