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Don’t Hate Me Because I liked My C-Section

You heard me right…I liked it.  Wanna fight?  
I kept hearing how terrible c-sections are.  Oh, you do not want to have a c-section.  People always talked about the recovery and how tough it is.  It’s surgery after all!  When my grandma told me her first born was breach I asked if she had a c-section, Heavens No! she said, as if I had asked her if she just drank a bottle of gin.  Even I was one of those ‘our bodies are meant to do this‘ type of people who believed in natural birth–although never one to be preachy and to think this was the only way to have a baby.  But still… c-section’s were to be avoided it at all costs.  That’s all I knew.  
But in the back of my mind, there was a part of me that sorta, kinda wanted a c-section.  I was going to try and go natural again, and had even been reading about and practicing hyponobirthing.  I’ve had a couple friends who’ve had some great success with that.  So when the good Dr. told me I was having a c-section–no if’s, and’s or but’s–I was a little relieved.   First, the choice was being made for me.  It took a lot of pressure off.  I don’t know about you, but sometimes this birthing business feels like I’m not just choosing a method of birth, but that I’m also making a statement on my entire belief system.  Or at the very least, I put a lot of pressure on myself for a specific outcome and if that isn’t achieved I might be disappointed and feel a sense of regret.  Which is stupid.  As long as the baby gets here and my experience isn’t too traumatizing, I should just be happy with whatever works right?   So like I said, I was sort of relieved when the decision was made for me–I was having a c-section.  And I was especially excited since it was scheduled early… because that meant no contractions.  No contractions? Cha-ching.  I hit the birthing jack-pot.  
Then I started reading up on c-sections and was getting a little nervous.  The morphine-like drug makes you itch like crazy.  You don’t feel pain, but you’ll feel a lot of tugging and pulling on your insides, which might even make you feel nauseous and make you throw up.   Be sure to take all the pain meds to stay on top of the pain, otherwise you will pay.  It really hurts the first time you have a bowel movement, so be sure to take the stool softeners.  Even going number 1 can hurt, so make sure you don’t wait to go to the bathroom too long, or it will hurt more.  Get up and walk around ASAP to help with recovery…it will hurt, but in the long run it will really help.  Etc, etc.   As you can see, there was a lot of talk of ‘hurt’ and ‘pain’ in there…so of course I was nervous.  But all I kept thinking was, well it’s not liking giving birth the first time felt good.  Let’s see, going to the bathroom?  Yep, hurts.  Pain meds?  Yep still need them.  Could I even get up and walk around on my own the first day?  Nope.  
So while I feel like a traitor to the whole natural birthing world, I have to say my c-section was kinda awesome.  Not only was I totally numb, they gave me something to calm the nerves and I was a happy little camper.  A spaced out little camper, but happy.  Then as I was laying there waiting for all this tugging and pulling to begin I actually said, Have they started yet?  Everyone sorta looked at me and someone said, Yeah, she’s out.  And that was it.  With nary a tug or a pull.  They showed me my baby and commenced stitching me up.  Afterward I kept waiting for the pain to hit, but it never did.  Yes I stayed on top of my meds, but even after a couple of days I would sorta forget and be like, Oh yeah…I need my pain medication.  And whenever the nurses asked me what my pain level was from 1-10 I always said a 2 or a 3, which always felt like a slight exaggeration.  Now one of the biggest reasons I didn’t want a c-section was so that I could hold my baby and have some skin on skin time as soon as she was born.  Well since I have Dr. Cool Pants (not his real name) and told him about my wishes he kept them from taking my little angel back to the NICU right away and I got to hold her.  Then I got to snuggle with her on my chest.  YES!  After my c-section!  It was great.   
I know experiences with any method of birth vary greatly.  Regardless of the fact that I had a c-section, I’m just glad it was a good experience.  I know the amount of pain one feels during birth isn’t directly related to it necessarily being a good experience, but after the crazy pregnancy I had I just wasn’t sure I could handle anything other than a pain-free, no contractions, no pushing, c-section.  For me and for this baby it was the perfect experience.  So there you have it.  C-sections…not so bad! I say.    


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