After A Cesarean Birth

Sorry, guys you probably don't want to read this. This hub is for women unless your a man with a wife who's going to give birth, then kudos to you. I happen to be in the minority of women who chose to do a vaginal birth after a cesarean birth. I further am a rarity because I chose it twice. I am writing this because when I gave birth to my second child it was a huge deal that I had chosen natural childbirth, but no one tells you why.

With my first child there were complications and while we knew that those complications could potentially ruin my birthing plan we had hoped that I would be able to deliver without a cesarean. That was not in the cards though because my child wanted to be out two weeks early and all my dreams of normal childbirth were shattered. I might have built up natural childbirth in my head because my Lamaze teacher made it seem like anyone who had a cesarean was cheating or doing something wrong. I now understand that she works for the government and it is her responsibility to save the state as much money as possible. Let's face it c-sections are not cheap. I, like so many women was told that if I were to give birth to my child by cesarean then it was very rare that I would ever give birth vaginally. I was a naive person so it never occurred to me to ask why that was or to look into it.

While my c-section was less pain for the actual birth and more of a burning afterthought after. It's like any surgery you have, an inconvenience until you heal. The thing is though and these are the pluses there is very little work because you are out for it. You get some pretty good pain medication if you choose to take it. It's over in a matter of minutes as opposed to waiting all day to get to the pushing and delivery. There is no ripping . Since my first child was my biggest I think I might be happy that I didn't have to push her out even though I felt cheated.

I would never say this to anyone that could take it the wrong way, but for nine months I was excited to meet that little bundle of joy and at the finish line I was knocked out. For an hour and a half my child's father was holding and caring for her while I was sleeping. And I realize it was an hour and he deserved that with her that isn't why I feel cheated. I feel cheated because it was an hour I had no part and I was off sleeping somewhere. I am fortunate that my doctor performed the c-section in a way that made it possible for me to have a natural birth. My particular scar is horizontal at the bikini and evidently that does not hinder a natural birth.

Quite surprisingly, I got pregnant again a year later. When we talked about it with our doctor it was thought that since I already had the scar it would be no big deal to open it up and take this baby out the same way. It was just assumed I would be willing and to my doctor's surprise I was not. Im all for my doctor getting paid, but I do not like surgery and to me if my body could do it naturally that I would rather forego an unnecessary procedure.

And I am one of those people who can't stand to be told you can't so I immediately said I would have a natural delivery. The conditions were favorable for it so I charged full force ahead.

WHAT NO ONE TELLS YOU:

In the delivery of your child there is a natural process your body is going through to make delivery possible. People will normally tell you it's easier with the second or the second will come faster because your body has a memory of doing it. I think these people are right. I think it's like a balloon the first time it is really tight and hard to blow but after a few times it loosens up and it takes less force to start. So let's say that with your first child you progress to 5 centimeters and then you have the c-section. If you are having a natural birth the second time then it should be easy to get to five, but anything after five is like doing it the first time because you never got to six on the first child. This is just my experience but I have talked to some others who agree with me.

So I don't even think I got to five with my first child because we had a cesarean like 5 minutes after the contractions started and they could of been braxton hicks they could not have been. The reason I say that is because when I had my first child I could not feel a tightening in my tummy area and with my second child I did feel this tightening like all the muscles were working together. But with my third child again no tightening. I did tense up with my second shild because I had no clue. I was sure I was in labor but then my labor stopped so we did this pinp pong back and forth between ptocin and pain killers.

With my second child it was a 21 hour labor delivery and some of those times were quite painful and I remember them all, but I also remember that weI have a special connection that my oldest child and I won't have. I worked hard to get to meet this child and it's like we were working together for that same goal. My second child reminds me of a line from the movie

Stepmom 28 hours. The doctors wanted to go in and get her, but I knew she’d come at her own time. You can never rush her.

My child and I have been through a lot and this line continues to ring true from birth till now. After my second child I gave birth to one more child 6 years later and from start to finish four hours and though my attitude about birthing had changed I no longer support the Lamaze method. I can honestly say that I believe the birthing esxperience of my first two children combined with my confidence in my hynobirthing method allowed me to have my third child easily and I would say mostly painless.

I want to be clear that I am wholeheartedly about what is best for the baby. I was toxic my first pregnancy and it was in my child's best interest to be born csection. I knew before Lamaze that I may not have a natural birth, but the class made anything, but natural seem wrong. My last two children we were all healthy, but it was assumed by almost every doctor I saw that I would have a csection. And that is where this article is based that you have an option just because you had one csection doesn't mean they all have to be. My first baby is 8 lbs 11 oz and I have narrow hips so I'm grateful because it was hard pushing a 7lb and 6lb out. So I am not knocking csections merely giving hope for the next birth.

Just a reminder: If you start to tense up you will delay your labor so even though you have been through this once and the process ended with a baby try to remember birthing experiences differ like kids differ from one another. I say this because at some point during your natural birth you may question why you opted to do this instead of the easy way and what is important to remember is you will be awake and able to hold your child the minute after it is checked out. And so while the c-section may have been a quicker reward any way you get to say hello to a child is rewarding.