Pregnant & Due ______?

[Christina]

Dragon87 wrote:

With C-sections is it still that if you have one, you have to have them for the rest, because the child coming out naturally could potentially tear the scar tissue from the last time?

Or have they gotten that much better (other then smaller scars) since I was born? My mother had an emergency C-section with her first and after that both me and my brother were C-sections, for the reason that a natural birth would risk rupturing the scar tissue…

Just curious I don’t mean anything by it…
It really depends on the type of C-section originally performed, in particular, the uterine incision. Uterine rupture is a potentially life-threatening risk for both mom and babe that one takes into consideration when contemplating a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean) though, regardless.

However, if a woman had a vertical incision, especially a larger one for whatever reason (multiple babies, emergent situation seem to be the only reasons why any OB-surgeon would perform this type of C-section anymore), then the answer is generally, Yes: “Once a c-section, always a c-section.” (An old saying.)

But from my experience, the majority of OB-surgeons use the safer and smaller, better healing and stronger method of the horizontal incision, usually done just above your pubic bone, following “the bikini line”, for both abdomen and uterus. (And even with multiples, depending on how many multiples. I’ve seen twins sectioned that way, but not triplets.)

The horizontal and lower incision is in a stronger part of the uterus, which makes it possible for a woman to attempt a vaginal delivery after having had a c-section. However, it is said that the more c-sections a woman has had, the less safe a VBAC becomes, but I think it would be important to take in the woman’s health history before and during the current pregnancy, as well as before, during, and after any previous pregnancies/deliveries to determine that.

I’m thinking that it might have been possible for me, but not only am I leery over that option because this will be my fourth, I’m having more than just a c-section surgical procedure done at the same time. Plus, a personal concern would be attempting a VBAC to only wind up needing an emergent cesarean anyway would really burn my butt.

(Emergent sections are a scary time, IMO, by their very nature of being emergent. There’s a reason why that baby needs to come out and now, and generally it’s because one or two lives are at risk.)

Scheduled c-sections don’t have to be the horrible experience that so many determine they are. The procedure itself has saved lives. And with doctors becoming more open to a woman’s concerns and desires for how she’d like her birth experience to be, they’ve become that much better — as close to a vaginal as possible.

ETA: For the record, I’m not so much a cesarean advocate over vaginal advocate so much as I am an advocate for a safe and healthy birth, period. I have seen new moms go into serious depressions because of having built hopes up on “going only natural with no drugs, etc”, only to wind up needing a cesarean and it seems to blow their world apart. The amount of guilt and bad feelings over not getting to experience the birth as they’d planned and dreamed is mind-boggling to witness. I spend a lot of time trying to remind these women that the birth is just one day. Motherhood is for life. If someone had to pull my son out of my *ear* in order for him or both of us to survive, then so be it.

C-section birth plans are available (I have one available on my own website) on the internet, or one could create their own, and where I’ve worked, we’ve followed them. Babies who aren’t in distress are placed on Mom’s belly immediately after birth; some even start breastfeeding while the Mom is being sewn up. Women can discuss all of this and more with their OBs prior to delivery if a c-section seems to be the safest route for both mom and baby.

Childbirth, vaginally or surgically, is a miracle in and of itself. Whenever I’ve witnessed either, it’s always brought tears of joy to my eyes both as a Mom and as a Nurse. I’ve always been honored to have been a part of such a miracle, regardless of the method.

[Kristen]

Well, that answered my question. Thanks. My mom’s life was in danger with her emergency one, which is why she had it.

So… um… back to the original cheerful excited celebratory programming?

*puts on party hat*

[Christina]

Dragon87 wrote:

Well, that answered my question. Thanks. My mom’s life was in danger with her emergency one, which is why she had it.

So… um… back to the original cheerful excited celebratory programming?

*puts on party hat*
LMAO!

Do we have any non-alcoholic Kristal? 😉

[DragonMistress]

I’ve got some fruit juice!! (::slinks away pathetically::) Oh, FTR… I would kill for a glass of wine 3 more months…well, no, cause I’m gonna breastfeed….oh well, eventually!

[Stephanie]

Ohh… I am at 37 weeks and ready… Whew! She is head down and has been for 3 weeks now… I think she is pretty much ready too! lol 😛

[Shawna]

Oy vey, I give up woman, obviously you know everything, and no one else’s opinion matters, and if they dare to state one, you will rip them a new opening as you have done me. So much for apologizing.

Kyrin

[Katherine]

I wanted to go naturally, and I couldn’t do it because of the pain and it was lasting all day. I felt bad at first, but the nurses told me over again that it was probably a good thing to do because by the time I had to push, I would have been too weak.

[Christina]

Serenity wrote:

Ohh… I am at 37 weeks and ready… Whew! She is head down and has been for 3 weeks now… I think she is pretty much ready too! lol 😛

Oh, very cool.

My little man is still head up, and has been at least since week 33. LOL.

Come to think of it, I think he’s been that way since the beginning, LOL!

Ahh… breast feeding. I am so hoping this little guy will be as enthused about the concept as his brother was. My daughters were okay with it, but stopped on their own waaay before I was ready. 🙁 WAY before.

Since he’ll be my last, I’ve got my fingers crossed. 🙂

[Christina]

Kyrin wrote:

I understand the whys behind why you are doing it the way you are, NOW. Not having that background when I wrote my post, is why it ended up offending you, which was not the intention at all.

As for accusing me of being preachy, that is unfair. My experiences are just as valid as yours, and my experience has been that if you can do it, vaginal birth is the easiest (in the long run when it comes to recovery) way to go.

I personally have a phobia about being cut open for any reason, so for me I consider a c-sec an absolute last resort, and it should be for valid medical reasons, like yours.

That’s what I was trying to touch on, that c-sec should only be done if needed, and not just cause it is easier, more convenient, etc. And I am sure that as a OB/GYN RN, you can agree with many of my points. I wasn’t suggesting that you didn’t have good reasons for your method of birth, I was just saying that if you didn’t have to go that way because of medical reasons, avoiding a c-sec would be the ideal birth situation.

Kyrin

Quote:

I understand the whys behind why you are doing it the way you are, NOW.

See? That was the biggest problem. You jumped in without knowing anything.

Quote:

As for accusing me of being preachy, that is unfair.

No one said your personal experiences aren’t valid. The problem is that you were generalizing overall, and yes, you came off as preachy, especially since you were posting not knowing anything, making assumptions (starting with that I was planning on being induced, which isn’t the case).

You took the fact that I mentioned a scheduled delivery date in addition to my mention of my doc’s guesstimate of what my son currently weighs, and got on a soapbox about inductions and c-sections and natural births and waiting for baby, and so on.

I only mentioned my son’s potential weight because of the other ladies on this board who are close to my own expected date, and it’s fun to see how little ones compare at various stages of development.

The other support for coming off as preachy, was this:

Quote:

so for me I consider a c-sec an absolute last resort, and it should be for valid medical reasons, like yours.

Now you come off as having absolved me of some sin because you’ve decided I’m being sectioned for “valid medical reasons”. Who’s to say that’s the case? That isn’t the call for you to make. Birth is a personal experience, and women make their decisions on when/how to deliver based on that.

I have a friend who, for no medical reason whatsoever, decided to be induced on 6/3/06. Why? Because she was worried that her baby would instead decide to show up on 6/6/06 and she didn’t want 666 to be the number of her daughter’s birth. I could say it was also probably religious beliefs-based, but I never asked. Myself, I think it would have been cool. 666 = 9 which is a magickal number, but there you go. Oh, and her induction went smoothly – no c-section needed.

Quote:

I was thinking along the lines of first child, not fourth.

Again, preachy.

Brand new moms have enough fears and concerns without having someone lay a guilt trip on them based on their own personal experiences or whatever about their delivery method of choice.

A c-section is not easier, certainly not more convenient. But yes, has become more common. If you’re curious as to why, you might want to ask the lawyers in this country and those who determine malpractice insurance premiums. OB-Gyns have amongst the highest malpractice insurance premium rates. Some apparently have determined that c-sections would be safest all around at the slightest risk during a delivery in an attempt to avoid a potential lawsuit for not doing a c-section (or not doing a c-section soon enough) if – god forbid – the birth ends badly.

Quote:

I wasn’t suggesting that you didn’t have good reasons for your method of birth, I was just saying that if you didn’t have to go that way because of medical reasons, avoiding a c-sec would be the ideal birth situation.

Again, preaching your opinion.

Makes me curious as to what, precisely, in your mind constitutes a “medical reason”. Some women have extremely high anxiety over vaginal births. Extremely high, and despite all attempts, are unable to mentally cope with the thought of a vaginal delivery for whatever reasons. Some women have partners who put their own pressure on them saying they’re creeped out at the thought of their woman’s hoo-hoo stretching that much to accommodate a baby, and express doubts of being sexually attracted to the woman after. (Yeah, I know. Pieces of work, I tell you, but I’ve seen it.)

I also haven’t forgotten one woman’s cry of disillusionment after being encouraged to start pushing: Push? I don’t even push a vacuum!

As a Nurse, my job is to help make the experience and recovery the best possible for my patient(s), regardless of their chosen method.

Moving on…

Myself, I am eagerly looking forward to my first glass of a rich, red merlot with fresh mozzarella wrapped with thin slices of prosciutto. Mmmmmmm…

[Katherine]

Wait…how does 666=9? I have to ask. 🙂

[dragonmedley]

eaglefeather831 wrote:

Wait…how does 666=9? I have to ask. 🙂

Hahaha! That tells you how much I suck at math: it seemed right until you mentioned it.

Read my books! Volume 1 and 2 of A Dragon Medley are available now.
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[DragonMistress]

eaglefeather831 wrote:

Wait…how does 666=9? I have to ask. 🙂

Numerology~ 6+6=12+6=18
1+8=9
Numerology breaks things down to the smallest number, just to briefly touch on it….there’s reasons it’s done and without starting a religios debate, that’s the quickedt explanation 😀

[Katherine]

dragonmedley wrote:

eaglefeather831 wrote:

Wait…how does 666=9? I have to ask. 🙂

Hahaha! That tells you how much I suck at math: it seemed right until you mentioned it.

Hehe…I can relate, no worries, but according to DragonMistress you were right! 😛

[Katherine]

DragonMistress wrote:

eaglefeather831 wrote:

Wait…how does 666=9? I have to ask. 🙂

Numerology~ 6+6=12+6=18
1+8=9
Numerology breaks things down to the smallest number, just to briefly touch on it….there’s reasons it’s done and without starting a religios debate, that’s the quickedt explanation 😀

Haha, thank you! 😉

[Stephanie]

Krysia wrote:

Serenity wrote:

Ohh… I am at 37 weeks and ready… Whew! She is head down and has been for 3 weeks now… I think she is pretty much ready too! lol 😛

Oh, very cool.

My little man is still head up, and has been at least since week 33. LOL.

Come to think of it, I think he’s been that way since the beginning, LOL!

Ahh… breast feeding. I am so hoping this little guy will be as enthused about the concept as his brother was. My daughters were okay with it, but stopped on their own waaay before I was ready. 🙁 WAY before.

Since he’ll be my last, I’ve got my fingers crossed. 🙂

I am having lots of contrations but they are still not consistant enough… but I am having them! Dialated to a 2 and efaced at 50%, so I’ll see when all of this is going to happen! 😉

I be bottle feeding. I am personally not confertable with the idea of breast feeding. Never have been and from my understanding, if you are not confertable with it, its a waste of time since you probabaly won’t make much milk anyways. BUT I am not going to see if that is true or not. 😛

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