my c-section was a repeat c-section.
My Dr scheduled this a week before my due date so i didn’t have to go through all the labor pains. It was scheduled for Monday, June 8th 2009.
The Friday before, i went to register at the hospital. They took my insurance info, my emergency contact, and pretty much typical registration stuff. Then a nurse came to get me and drew some blood for testing. They also took a urine sample and instructed me about my appointment that coming Monday.
They told me they would draw one more tube of blood for another test . They confirmed my appointment which delivery was schedule for 10:30AM but wanted me there at 8:30AM for prep. The nurse asked that i don not eat anything after midnight , including medications, or other. She asked that i shower with an antibacterial soap and wash about 3x around my belly and down there with that soap then rinse out, and not to apply any lotion or cream anywhere in my body the day of surgery.
Also i was told not to wear any jewerly and if i had to bring my jewerly , my husband should carry it. I was also told not to bring lots of cash, as we all know i wasn’t going to carry my purse to the operating room.
I arrived that morning on time and there was a very sweet nurse waiting for me, her name was Nancy…I loved her. She really made me feel comfortable. She explained everything that i already knew in details. She had me change into a gown, i put on my socks as the room was chilly. she hooked the baby monitors around my belly to monitor the baby heartbeat and oxygen. They checked my blood pressure and vitals. They had my husband move my hospital bag and my belongings to my recovery/permanent room. While he was out they hooked up my catheter in and yes , i felt the pinch and the slight pain, but not too horrible ( yes i was not on pain meds yet)
She explained to me step by step what was going to happen to me. My doctor was already there, however was called to perform an emergency c-section to another patient …so keep in mind if you have a scheduled c-section, you may end up waiting a while, since emergency c-sections will be performed first., so just be mentally prepared for that possibility.
The anaesthelogist came to see me and explained what he was going to do, and the effects. They were going to use the spinal and not the epidural as the spinal kicks in within seconds, plus with the spinal no needles would be left stuck in my back during surgery unlike an epidural. They answered questions that i had and then left.
My Dr came in to check on me as well, and to let me know another nurse was going to come in and they would take me to the Operating Room. Nancy told me since it is a repeat c-section, this would take a little bit longer like an extra 25min to clean up the old scarred tissue from my previous C-Section , and by doing this it would leave room for a clean tissue in case i decide to have another baby…It was good to know, but 2 babies are enough for us, lol.
My husband kissed me goodluck and was told to wait till i was prepped in the OR then they would come for him. I walked to the OR. Iwas holding my catheter in one had, while the nurse held my other arm. The nurse told me , it was good for me to walk, so i can still feel like am in control, given what was about to happen to me, which kinda made sense. I was wearing socks only and no shoes. The OR was extremely cold.. i mean really cold! My sweet nurse brought some warm blankets and put them around me as i was already shivering.
They helped me sit up on the bed (which was raised really high), sat on the edge and arched my back in a way that i was bent forward and my lower back sticking out. then the anesthelogist administered the spinal on my back, and as soon as he was done, they literally said 1-2-3 lift your legs up to the bed, and lay on your back. Then slowly i started getting numb and my Dr pinched me apparently really hard on the belly, i didn’t feel a thing. They asked me to wiggle my toes, in my mind i thought i did, but nothing moved, and that is when they called it ready.
They placed a blue curtain in front of me like from my neck , so i couldn’t see my belly. My hands were spread apart causing my body to be spread like a cross, and the anestethologist was close by, on my right shoulder, talking me through the process the entire time. I mean they really made me feel ok. They brought my husband in, he came in with his camcorder ( yes my Dr let him record the whole thing) he sat by my left shoulder. He stood up to record it, then all of a sudden i see someone lower his camera, grab my hand , squeeze the life out me and literally, sat down like someone had dropped a bag of potatoes..
I knew , he saw something he wished he hadn’t. i looked at him, like boy you better don’t pass out on me.
Then he collected himself stood up again and this time the baby was already delivered. I heard that cry. That wonderful, loud first cry. The Doctor goes, he is a pretty decent size. very good looking, here mama look… they lowered the curtain so i could see him, and i started crying. Crying tears of joy. He looked handsome and pretty big! The anesthologist wiped my tears away, saying look at you you cried into your ears, i laughed, and cried some more. My heart felt with joy. All the worries, the fears, the doubts, the restlessness all gone. My baby was here and he was ok.
My husband took off followed the nurses who were cleaning up the baby across from me in a baby station set up in the OR. Now it was cleaning the tissue time for me, and then closing me up, then it was all over. a total of 45min. They wheeled me back to my room. The post op nurse stayed with me , never left my side. She checked my vitals, blood pressure and all that stuff. It took me a long time for my body temp to come back up, so she brought me more warm blankets. During this time she always checked to see if i could wiggle my toes, or feel anything yet. My husband had stayed with the baby the entire time after delivery. The baby was taken to the nursery where they cleaned him up some more, weighed him, and checked to make sure all was ok.
Within 30 min they brought the baby to my room. The nurse helped me try to get him to latch on. I had made sure they knew i would be breastfeeding him and not to offer him the bottle. I said ok to give him a binky though. Latching on was hard.. you would think because i had breastfed before it would be easy, but no. I had to remind myself, the baby is learning to do it too, so we had to help him.
Finally my body temp picked back up and i could feel myself again. The post op nurse left then and i was left with the baby nurse working on feeding the baby. After 30 min of feeding, the nurse took the baby ( yes, they won’t leave you alone with the baby yet…) My husband finally left around 2PM to go get Julian. I was already missing him. He was home with his uncle that day.
Julian and Shil came back and Julian got to meet Eli for the first time. He kept on saying woow, a baby 
. The nurse held Eli on Julian’s lap, he was all smiles. He was a bit scared seeing me on the bed though with all that IV still hooked up to me. They brought me some liquid diet as i couldn’t eat solids yet till after passing gas.
Talking about gas…It is painful…You know if you have regular birth you do not have to worry about gas. With a C-section, all the air from the belly and below is usually trapped on the shoulders. Mine was on my right shoulder. I had never felt that pain before in my life! My incision did not hurt me as bad as the gas hurt me then. I was screaming like a baby. I had symptoms like heavy pressure on the chest, but i ignored it, not knowing it was gas. So when they ask you to walk after they have removed the catheter…please just do it. take your pain meds, and push that baby bed and walk on the hallways. This help move that gas. I heard from another friend later that sodas like sprite or 7up help as well. My attending nurse ended up giving me a suppository and when it kicked in , boy i didn’t realize i would be happy because i passed gas, boy i was happy! I called that relief! of course and i could eat too, i was starving!
All in all, my surgery went great. My recovery was even faster this time. It was not an emergency, so i had not pushed or gone through all the pain. I walked as much as i could and took my pain meds on schedule. A friend of mine that is a nurse recommended i take that IBuprofene religiously, as that is what actually treats the wound and takes the swelling down. The narcotics given usually numbs the pain, as they are supposed to, but what treats you is the ibuprofen.
If i was to have another baby, C-section is the way to go for me, personally. If you had asked me before Julian i would have said no, after Julian i begged my doctor to do it natural, but she said no. I am thankful she said no. It went well.
So if you are about to have a scheduled C-section, hope this has given you a mental picture.
You will be ok, and good luck!
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