Sunday, February 23, 2020

What you need to know about C-Section

It was February 8, 2020 at around 230pm when I heard the dreaded words: "The baby is overdue already. We need to undergo a C-section."


If you are or ever been pregnant, then you know that C-section is one of the options when it comes to giving birth.  A lot of women don't choose it because it costs higher but at the same time, the damage to the body lasts longer than a normal delivery.

With a normal delivery, recovery can take just a month though mild care must still be done to ensure that there won't be a relapse. However, with a C-section, healing of the wound alone can take years and movements are limited for the first few months.

So, what exactly happens when you undergo a C-section?

1. Fasting of 8 - 10 hours before the operation.

You are not allowed to eat or drink anything for 8 to 10 hours before they do the operation. You can't even have a sip or drop of water.

2. Epidural.


Apparently, even when it's a C-section, an epidural is still needed. Imagine being 9 months pregnant where you have the biggest version of your belly possible and you need to curl up into a letter C. Now imagine some guy sitting on your back or pushing your back so that you'd be curled up, being instructed to NOT MOVE at all or even take a deep breath because if the anesthesiologist makes a mistake, you could end up paralyzed.

That is how an epidural is. It is painful and scary. One wrong move can change your entire life and this is not even an exaggeration.

3. You will be exposed.

After they administer the epidural, you will be left alone on the bed that you were rolled in. Your back will be exposed which means your butt is shown to anyone who would deign to look. The good news is you will have the anesthesia flowing in quickly that you would no longer care about this.

I do wish that they were more humane and caring about this part. I personally felt like a slab of meat left out in the open. I know that they are used to it but I wasn't and I doubt that other people would be too since a C-section isn't an everyday thing.

4. You will be placed on a really thin slab of metal.

I know that I am overweight and big but the slab of metal that they placed me on was really slim. I think only those who are size 0 - 2 would fit there comfortably.

Honestly, I don't understand why the table was so slim. It just was and had the medicine not yet worked, my main concern would have been falling off if I made the mistake of moving.


5. You might be conscious.

The thought of being awake while they cut me up to take the baby out was disconcerting. However, I told myself that I had to be brave for my baby and so I pushed through with it.

It was surreal. I could hear them talking about mundane things like their vacation and I could feel them moving about body parts but I did not feel any pain. I knew the moment that they took out my baby (it took 13 minutes from the beginning of the surgery) and then I had a photo with my baby because, in my drug-induced state, I had the presence of mind to tell them to record my baby's arrival and to take a photo of us when he was all cleaned up.

6. You will be dirty.

They don't clean up all the blood that will come gushing out. There will be blood on your stomach and then there will be blood down there. It will look messy, feel icky, and be dirty. You need to make sure you have a binder ready so they can bind up your stomach.

Trust me, if there is no binder, the movement you make when you try to go on your sides will make you feel like you just want to remain frozen forever. A good binder keeps the cut in place so even when you move side to side, it will be okay.

7. You will be bloody.

When they finally remove the catheter and you go to the toilet for the first time, don't freak out about the amount of blood that will come gushing out. It will be a bloodbath so make sure you have a maternity pad in place. This will save you from having a Carrie moment.

8. It will be ugly.

The scar will be ugly. There's no way to sugarcoat it. It's big (it has to be so that the baby can fit) and it will have stitches. Think Frankenstein. However, it will heal and eventually, it won't be so ugly. Think of it as a badge of Motherhood.

9. Your tummy will not flatten overnight.

Mine took two weeks to deflate but it's still pretty big. Don't fret. Eventually, you can get your old body back but do not rush because you had a major operation.

10. You will feel empty.

The baby you carried with you for 9 months is suddenly gone. You will feel vulnerable and empty so make sure that you have a strong support system in place. You will need them.

I hope this article is able to help someone who is just about to undergo a C-section or has been told that this is the only way that they will be able to deliver the baby. I wished I knew about these things beforehand. It would have made my own journey a lot easier.

20 comments:

  1. Super true... Ang hirap talaga pag CS momsh.. Thanks God naman at Normal delivery po ako sa two kids ko po..

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  2. So very true here! I think what's most important is that either way, a healthy baby is delivered!

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  3. This is such a lovely post especially to those mother and women out there. Being undergo with this kind of operation is really quite dangerous for both the mother and the baby that comes with it. Thank you for sharing this kind of knowledge to us.

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  4. I am so sad to read about your experience. I had two c sections and my hospital stuff were really caring, I never felt exposed and I wasn't left with any blood on me, the recovery was slow but the incision was don just on my pubic bone where there is a natural fold, so you can't even see the two scars.

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  5. I agree My sister is c-section to her second child. Kase na overdue yung Baby kaya na c-section then Alam ko yung struggles nya that time. btw I'm not Mom yet :)Awesome post.

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  6. Great post! I have plans for a baby and knowing more about the the delivery options is very important to me too

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  7. had my c section for my youngest and i didn't feel any pain. all my other four birthing are through normal deliverly. should ive experienced cesarean before, i will demand my doctor to do it to me on my other four pregnancies.

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  8. I was always curious about C-section, thanks for the details. I am going to share it with my partner.

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  9. I had a CS and the the epidural was really painful.

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  10. Ah that sounds really scary! Being awake and feeling them move things in your body...

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  11. My mother had a c-section with myself and brother and I believe it was traumatizing to her body. I hope and pray I can have a natural childbirth when I am able to have children of my own.

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  12. So much insightful information here. I don't know much about pregnancy or delivery but knowing what goes into c-sections is so eye opening!

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  13. So much truth to this post. I was in no way prepared for my emergency cesarean. I was awake and cried through the entire operation. Though I fasted for much longer as I was in active labor for over 36 hours before I was taken in for the c-section. I was starving tired, and just wanted to hold my baby.
    I will say that it also made breastfeeding a struggle. There is something to be said about our bodies and the act of labor increasing the hormones to allow for proper milk production. Alas the c-section eliminated some of the much needed hormonal release and I struggled with breastfeeding.

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  14. This does not sound very pleasant... the possibility of C-sections in a pregnancy is something that definitely puts me off from wanting kids. I know that sounds selfish, but there are so many things that could go wrong.

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  15. Thank you for sharing such a valuable information. I have only personally heard stories about it, and to be honest this experience scares me.

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  16. This is so helpful. I'd never thought about that "empty feeling" that must happen after having a c-section. You're so strong, thanks for sharing your journey ❤️

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  17. This is very interesting! I've observed and assisted a C-section operation when I was doing practical hospital duties as a part of my college curriculum in Nursing. This type of way of giving birth is very risky for women, that's why I really praise and respect women who have had this including my sister who gave birth to my cutest nephew!! :)

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  18. Oh wow! I haven't seen a C-section operation so I have no idea. It was always thought to be the easier option than normal labor but who says having a surgery is easy? You've made me see it differently now.

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  19. i Know about C-section because my mom gave birth to me and my siblings that way. It isn't a perfect solution but it was to save the babies and my mom's live. She had problems during the pregnancy which a natural birth couldn't be done.

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