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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Sept 08 2011 at 10:32pm | IP Logged
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Today I was ready to know more.. I need to talk to my doctor about more specifics for my situation.. exactly how much previa there is and how far it needs to move etc.
But with the info I have and what I've looked up.. I'm thinking a better than 50% (maybe as much as 90%) chance that I'll have to have the c-section.
So.. now I know a good bit.. and I can look up a good bit.
What I'm really looking for is things that might be useful that I haven't previously found to be useful. Like I've seen references some places to a support belt for after a c-section.. I know that you can provide support with a pillow and such.. but would this be something that would be really useful or not?
I normally don't use any support under my babies.. i'm somewhat short waisted and large breasted so it doesn't take much for baby and breast to meet in the middle without any additional lift.. BUT maybe somethign would protect the tummy and make it easier that way? what would you recommend?
anything else?
I was looking up average baby sizes at different gestational ages.. and baby is on the high end of the range (I think doc said 87 percentile) so I'm not worried about not having clothes that fit or stuff like that.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Sept 08 2011 at 11:03pm | IP Logged
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When I had my emergency C, the hospital gave me a hard-ish, square "pillow" to use when I walked around the hallways, which they told me I had to do. It did help provide counter-pressure - it was maybe 12x12x3 inches. Not hard, but not soft either. Once I was home I didn't need it (ds was my first, maybe I would have needed some support if that had not been the case) but it sure helped in the hospital.
When I had my C it was a weekend, so the "B" nursing team was on duty and they did not tell me I had to get up and move around. I lost a day because of that (my goal, always, is to get out of the hospital and be at home where I belong). If you can talk to maternity nurses at your hospital, ask them about post-C recuperation tips so you know what milestones you'll need to achieve in order to go home.
You might as well ask them now if they are going to wake you up in the middle of the night to find out how many ounces your nursing baby drank. (!)
Also ask about post-C showering; I had to do some interesting things with bandage tape and plastic bags to keep my incision dry, but it did work; I had almost no scarring.
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Sept 08 2011 at 11:20pm | IP Logged
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I've been talking with the nurses.. figure I'm stuck here might as well use my time productively 
They seem very supportive of breastfeeding and the only weighing mentioned was with preemies. probably depends on the baby's doctor though.. wonder how I go about that 
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
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zookeeper9
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| Posted: Sept 09 2011 at 1:56am | IP Logged
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I have had 3 c-sections, all for emergency preemie delivery (2 sets of triplets and one 25 weeker).
For me the 24 hours was the worst. With my first C they gave me dura-morph for pain control. That made me horribly sick and I was throwing up. Not a great thing to do with a fresh C. My 2nd the pain pump wasn't working correctly so I locked out medicine and basically was having no medicine for 5 hours. My 3rd one I was kept flat on my back for the first 24 hours.
Once I was able to get up and move around it was actually better. I did have a corset type of thing to wear with my 3rd. It did make moving around a bit more comfortable, but it wasn't necessary. Other ones I just used a pillow for counter pressure if I had to sneeze or cough.
I would say you would need a pillow for support while nursing, at least for the first week or so for your comfort. A kick on the incision HURTS!
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jawgee
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| Posted: Sept 09 2011 at 6:07am | IP Logged
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I've had three C/S. I've been lucky because I had really great recoveries with all of them.
Most places use morphine for pain for the first 24 hours. It can make you itch terribly, so definitely ask for the anti-itch medicine (I don't even know what it is) if you need it! I didn't with one of mine, and I didn't realize how much I scratched until I got in the shower in the morning. Ouch!
I didn't have anything like a support pillow, so I can't offer a recommendation.
Prayers! Is there any possibility the previa will move out of the way over the next couple of months?
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Becky Parker
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| Posted: Sept 09 2011 at 6:44am | IP Logged
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I've had 4 c-sections and the support belt for afterwards was very helpful!
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Mackfam
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| Posted: Sept 09 2011 at 6:59am | IP Logged
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** Check on pain control options.
Can you have a say? Have you ever taken morphine before? (It can have weird effects on different people) I have a high pain tolerance and asked to step down to non-narcotics a few hrs after the C - not pleasant, but doable and I preferred not feeling the side-effects of the morphine. Of course, there's a balance to be drawn here and it's not a time to be a hero with pain control since that can affect milk production and nursing.
** Check on discharge options.
They seem weird from hospital to hospital - from walking to bowel movements required for discharge. Check into the requirement so you know what you've got to do. The type of C section may have an affect on the requirement as well.
** Yes to a pillow.
It is a help to hold something against that incision site for nursing, sneezing, coughing, and even rearranging in place for a while.
** Nothing with a waist (elastic or otherwise).
For going home. Glad you have the clothes options down, just underlining this one.
** Coordinate with your surgeon/doctor AND the baby's doctor.
If you communicate with them openly it's possible that they will release you earlier than the standard issue hospital response, but you HAVE TO COORDINATE WITH BOTH! Usually, baby's doctor is fine with a release at that point. If you can work with your OB/GYN ahead of time, get a good sense of his expectations and concerns, let him know your concerns and needs, you can *usually* work within the system.
** Showering.
I loathe hospital showering so for the post-C hospital time, I preferred to cat-bathe small sections just to manage until I got home. Consider your options there.
** Spell out clearly YOUR expectations with regard to the baby.
If there are health concerns to address after the delivery, that is of course understandable, and welcome intervention! If he's healthy, has no need of special care, my husband and I specified (through baby's doctor) that baby was to room-in with me and was not to be taken from our room for any reason. Any checks could be completed in-room. The problem/challenge when the nursing staff takes baby for something simple like a weight check is that there is a whopping floor of other babes to weigh, too...and a limited number of nurses. This means it could be some time before baby is returned to you and that can have a profound affect on mama, whose milk has just come in and should have been nursing baby the whole time he was gone!
I never even knew about a support belt, so didn't use one. No clue if it's helpful or not.
By and large, Jodie, if you end up with a C-section, working with the staff in place can really go far in making the experience more understandable and fit more within your parenting/pain management style. I know that's what you're doing and I think it will pay off for all of you! Glad you have this time to consider options, talk with staff, learn about their facilities, and plan for your care should the C be needed. I'm still praying for that previa to move UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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SusanMc
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I've had c-sections with both my boys. One scheduled and one emergency. The calm of a scheduled c-section was a nice change! The biggest part of my recovery was walking. My second son had to be in the NICU at a different hospital for the first two weeks which meant LOTS and LOTS of walking a few days after birth for me. I can't tell you how much faster I recovered from that one.
I didn't need to do anything special to protect my incision as it was glued on the top...just let water run right over it! Since I like to leave the hospital on the early side, right before discharge the doctor gave me and injection of what amounts to ibuprofen--it was sort of a jumbo dose to get me through that first day at home.
I didn't use a belt but needed underwear and clothing that came up high above my bikini line so they didn't chaff.
Hope this helps!
~susan
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Sept 09 2011 at 9:24am | IP Logged
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ahh... the undies.. never thought of that and I wear ones with that lower waist.. so definately need a different option there.
Jen, I've already discussed pain managament because like you I have a high pain tolerance and hate feeling "drugged" rather than relief.. I have had one other surgery plus the d&c a couple years ago so do have some experience with how I handle that. I was telling the nurse I was chatting with how I'd rather refuse pain meds if I'm sure something lower would help.
they use toradol after surgery which is an anti-inflammatory like advil sorta.. and I had that after my kidneystones so I know it works well for me. 
There isn't a nursery option.. it's all rooming in unless you ask the nurses to "babysit" and then they just keep babies at the nurses station (like for a mom alone, so she can sleep a while or take a shower since no one else is in the room with her) so rooming in is definately encouraged.
I hope to talk to the doctor soon about exactly where the placenta is and how much needs to move.. but once I got past just needing reassurance that it could move.. I wanted to know a ballpark on the odds of it actually doing so.. found a wonderful professional paper from AAFP and from what I know and of course guessing at the middle of the range since I am between two categories for dates.. greater than 50% that I'll need the csec and could be as high as 90%. so yes there is still definately a chance on it moving but the chance of csec is high enough that I need some time to prepare and it makes most sense to do that now while I am in the midst of the hospital and nurses and doctor that would be here for the csec. instead of panicing when at home and trying to get info from 2 hours away.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
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JennGM
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I had to have c-sections for placenta reasons between 36 and 37 weeks. If your baby stays tucked in that long, he will probably pretty little still. The hard thing with c-sections is bringing baby up to nurse, instead of leaning to feed the baby. I swear by My Brest Friend. Works so well especially those early days -- no pain on incision and brings baby up.
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Sept 09 2011 at 3:36pm | IP Logged
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thanks jenn.. yes doc said between 36 and 37 weeks
and because I'm the type that doesn't necessarily wait on someone else to give me information.. I went looking for a chart (found one) that shows approx sizes of babies at different gestational ages.. very cool chart.. it shows the average but also the 10percentile and the 90percentile
And my babies are big.. this one the doc mentioned when we were discussing dates for baby.. that he's most likely a 29 week 87percentile because of my chart and history rather than a fairly normal sized 31 week (by LMP)
So at 36 weeks a baby is usually 5#2-7#4 and at 37 weeks is 5#8-7#13.. and mine would surely be closer to the upper end.. so yes small but not tiny.. newborn sizes should fit fine and such.
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JennGM
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| Posted: Sept 09 2011 at 3:58pm | IP Logged
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Mine were under 7 lbs, not preemie, but the first few weeks preemie did fit better for boys.
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Sept 09 2011 at 4:08pm | IP Logged
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that's what I was figuring but most of my boys tend to be big.. 9#6, 10#2, 10#8 and out of all my kids only 2 were under 8# at term.. that's why I'm figuring pretty close to 7#
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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I second the recommendation of the My Brest Friend nursing pillow. It is a very comfortable nursing pillow. I didn't put my $0.02 in on it before now since I've never had a c-section and didn't know how it would be for that, but since JenGM said it's good with a c-section incision, I'll say I love it. I had tried a couple of options before that, but the My Brest Friend pillow is my favorite.
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JodieLyn
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hmmm I'll look at that.. maybe if I can manage without my arm under baby's head.. i see some of the pictures make it look wrapped around instead of under... I just don't need hardly any lift to get baby into a proper position.. but it's been ages since I looked at support pillows.. the last one I had was when the boppy was still pretty new and the only one out there
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ShannonJ
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JennGM wrote:
| I swear by My Brest Friend. Works so well especially those early days -- no pain on incision and brings baby up. |
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I loved mine too! LOVE LOVE LOVE. I never had a C section, but I lugged mine to the hospital each time. Definitely on my must-have list. You can clip it right under your breasts if you like and it is no strain on you.
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Angel
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You might consider asking for staples vs. stitches. I've had 4 C-sections, and with my last one, it took 2 months for the incision to close because the glue didn't work like it was supposed to. That's less likely to happen with staples. Originally I thought it was because I'd had repeat C-sections, but when I was researching, I found it happened to many people having their first C-sections, too. Something you don't hear about from doctors, though.
Will you be by yourself rooming in? I'm not sure I could do the complete rooming in thing after having a C-section by myself (my dh has never been able to stay with me)... I usually sent the baby to the nursery at night so I could get a little sleep, as I was often achier at night. With my NICU baby I overdid the activity and felt kind of rotten at the end of each day. He was born at 37 weeks and swallowed some fluid on the way out. He had feeding issues after his NICU stay because he only wanted a bottle, so I had to work to get him to nurse.
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KC in TX
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I've had 4 c-sections. I've never used a belt before, but always used a pillow for nursing. When I had to sit up or turn from one side to the other, I used the bedrails while in the hospital. Helped quite a bit.
Walk upright when you walk. Healing happens better this way. If you don't, the incision will heal with you hunched and then when you start walking upright, it'll have to stretch. Not pleasant. I learned about this at my second one.
I don't know about anyone else, but oftentimes it took me until 6 weeks to feel a lot better. Remember it is a major abdominal surgery.
My prayers, Jodie. I've missed this completely in the past week.
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Sept 12 2011 at 9:19pm | IP Logged
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Thanks KC.. yes I'll remember and my mom and my sister who'll be around afterward to help have both had c-sections and will help keep me remembering that
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Jodie, wife to Dave
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guitarnan
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| Posted: Sept 12 2011 at 9:29pm | IP Logged
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I had staples...they caught on my clothing and were annoying (sometimes very painfully so), but the scar healed very nicely. You will want to be sure to keep that incision area totally dry (I taped two layers of plastic over it when I showered, to be sure).
Also, you will need people to help you carry anything heavier than your newborn for quite a while. No grocery bags! (And no vacuuming...)
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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.
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4Real Forums : Tea and Conversation
Topic: Ready to consider my options - c-section
