In the seven months since I first wrote this, I have received a lot of comments from readers. I have received even more private e-mails; the majority from women who just wanted to say thanks for sharing my experience with my C-section, and they too, had a similar experience.
Not all comments have been positive, and I didn’t expect them to be. It seems the biggest “complaints” from the comments about this post, is that C-sections are not really like what I wrote about, and I am trying to scare women. Since there are a lot of comments, and I am sure not everyone reads all the comments and my replies before leaving a comment of their own, I wanted to clarify my viewpoint about this post, hopefully BEFORE the post is read.
This is a realistic account of MY C-section. There are certain aspects to a C-section that EVERY woman will experience, such as scaring, and increased chances of uterine rupture with future pregnancies. There are other aspects to this account which I experienced. These may or may not be experienced by every woman who has a C-section. Just like no two vaginal births are the same, no two C-sections are the same.
I agree and support emergency C-sections 100%, and they do save lives. However, as you will read, I believe that the medical community is over-using C-sections in non-medical emergency situations (such as breech births). I feel I need to clarify this point as well, because when I originally wrote the post, my goal was to inform women who may be facing a planned or elective C-section (not an emergency one), and to offer my viewpoint from my perspective, on what a C-section is like, since my experience with my C-section was not a emergency C-section.
I wrote this post to inform women who suspect there might be more to a C-section than what she is being told, like I was. That is the spirit of the post-to inform. Like the famous quote, “knowledge is power.” The more you know, the more informed decision you can make.
To the readers who feel I am scaring women, I am sorry my account of my C-section is scary. Honestly, it was pretty scary. There are countless TV shows, websites, books, magazines, Hollywood celebrities, and doctors who will tell you C-sections are not scary, are not painful, and they are nothing to worry about. That was not the reality I found at all. I do not want to sugar coat, or tone down my experience. If I were to do that, there wouldn’t be much point it writing about it.
So having said this, before you read the post, please be forewarned that this post could be scary. I am attempting to share what a real C-section was like. If that has the potential to scare you, then please think twice before reading it. If you are searching for information on what happens during a C-section, possible complications that could arise, pictures of the procedure, the recovery period, possible impact on the family, and general information on C-sections, and how the medical community using them, and feel this information would not scare you, than this may be something you would be interested in reading.
If you have a comment after the post, please feel free to comment. I read every comment, and try to respond when appropriate. Please know I will delete any overly disrespectful comment. You don’t have to agree with me, but please keep it civil.
Thank you.
Heather- A Mama’s Blog
This post has been several months in the making. I have been thinking about what I wanted to convey in writing a post about Cesarean sections, better known as C-sections, or even as a “C.”
As I thought about it, there were so many different angles to take. I thought about writing a very detailed researched post, but you can find a lot of those by doing a Google search on C-sections. I decided in the end, I was going to write what comes naturally from my personal research and experience of having a C-section.
My intent for writing this post is to convey the reality, which is not often mentioned, of women, their new babies, and families, endure from C-sections. It is not meant to judge or make any mother feel bad who has had a C-section. I write a lot of the things that I wished I had known before hand about C-sections, which I was not told. This post is only meant to inform, and bring to light, issues involved with C-sections, that as a woman, and a mother I seldom hear anyone (doctors included) talk about in our society.
- My C-Section
I had a C-section with my first birth, with Ryan, only because he was a breech baby, and refused to turn. I wasn’t very informed on other alternatives for turning breech babies at the time, other than the external version, and accepted having a C-section was the only way to give birth to my baby.
- Lack of Options
Unfortunately, it pretty much WAS my only alternative. I did not feel comfortable having a home birth being a first time mother, with a breech baby. Not to mention, there were zero doctors in my area who would attend the birth of a breech baby. This is despite living in a college area, with a number of top rated medical facilities. So we agreed to the C-section, but really what choice did we have?
It has always bothered me more alternatives are not available for birthing breech babies. I did not want a C-section, but it was my only option. Even a home birth isn’t always an option- in several states (mine included), it is actually against the law for a midwife to attend a breech birth! This isn’t to say it isn’t done, but if you know ahead of time your baby is breech, this could be problematic in finding a midwife who is comfortable attending a breech birth, and possibly be in violation of the law, and thus be putting her certifications and her practice in jeopardy.
Finding an OB these days, who will deliver a breech baby, is a joke at best- even though as I found out later, delivering breech babies vaginally is very safe, in the majority of situations. In my opinion, this is a HUGE failure in the medical community to have only one option for a mother facing a breech birth- an automatic C-section.
- Major Surgery
C-sections are MAJOR abdominal surgery. The pain is agonizing. I never experienced greater pain in my life, than after my surgical C-section. Even going through natural labor and contractions with a VBAC (vaginal birth after Cesarean) birth of my second child for eleven hours, the pain was not as bad as it had been with the C-section.
The best way I can describe it is imagine your most painful, intense, contraction, and multiply it by at least 50 to 100%, depending on your pain tolerance. Now, realize the pain does not go away, after 30 seconds or a minute like the pain during contractions does. It is constant and never-ending. That level of pain is with you for DAYS (not seconds or minutes). Imagine your insides feeling like they are going to split open for several weeks, after the surgery, every time you laugh, cry, sneeze, get out of bed, stand up, or move too fast.
- Media Portrayal of C-Sections
It is also very disturbing to me how some avenues of the media, and celebrities portray C-sections. I have seen on numerous TV shows- including a prime time, number one show, (named Grey’s Anatomy, to be specific), where women who refuse a C-section, because they desire to have a NORMAL, vaginal birth, are portrayed as fanatic, and ridiculous. There is another show, The Baby Story, which shows many elective C-section births.
As a new mother-to-be, and even before I was pregnant, I watched The Baby Story. In my case, seeing so many C-section births, almost made it seem like it was a normal, healthy, alternative to giving actual birth. I NEVER saw the downside: pain, infections, and inability to get back to regular life after a C-section, shown on The Baby Story.
It is almost glamorized by the media when a famous celebrity has a C-section. “Too posh to push,” is how they sum it up. Whether that is the case or not, it is misleading to millions of women, who are faced with the same decision. What is NEVER mentioned is even if a celebrity chooses to have an elective C-section; she has resources available to her, which a normal woman does not. The celebrity can hire nurses, nannies, chefs, and cleaning services to take over for her while she recovers from surgery, when an average woman cannot. The strain and time it takes to recover from a C-section puts the average family under enormous stress.
Yet, the media continues to glorify and glamorize C-sections. It even seems like they make a special point to say, “Actress A had her baby (or gave birth), born by Cesarean section.” I have yet to see, hear, or read, “Actress A had her baby, born by normal, vaginal birth.”
I certainly never gave much thought to what really was involved with a C-section. I honestly thought, since I had seen so many women on The Baby Story, give birth by C-section, and they seemed fine, and never mentioned any drawbacks, certainly I could handle it.
- What A C-Section Is Really Like
Naive? Absolutely. C-sections are NOT as they are portrayed on “reality” TV shows, prime time TV shows, or by the media when reporting a famous woman had a C-section. Maybe if I hadn’t been bombarded by all these positive messages about C-sections, I would have thought twice about it. Maybe if I had, had someone actually tell me what a C-section really was like, I could have prepared better. Maybe if I could have found in a mainstream pregnancy book, the truth about C-sections, I would have known what I was getting into. But I didn’t, and at the time, all the information I had, said C-sections were no big deal.
C-sections ARE a big deal. So big, your life will never be the same. Here are some of the REAL outcomes from C-sections:
You may lose precious time with your newborn baby. Time that you will NEVER get back, because you are doped up on strong narcotic pain medications for at least 24 hours- usually longer- after the birth. Your baby might be groggy after birth in most cases, because the epidural and or spinal tap medication used to numb you, is in their system too.
Instead of spending the first few moments after birth holding, nursing, and bonding, with your baby, your hands may be tied down. Because of this, you probably won’t be able to hold your baby during this time, while you are being stitched back up.
Your baby may be taken out the operating room from you, while your uterus and incision site are being stitched. In my case, my hands were still restrained. You will probably have to wait at least 30 minutes after the birth (usually longer), before you can really hold your baby for the first time.
If you are lucky, your baby will want to breastfeed, even though he/she could still be groggy from the birth. If not, then starting breastfeeding becomes a much bigger challenge. As any new mother will tell you, breastfeeding a brand new baby can be hard at first. Now imagine trying to position your baby to nurse, but you can’t have your new baby’s feet, or body anywhere near your incision because you can’t risk having them push, or kick you in that area. You can use a pillow to block the site, but it becomes another aspect to figure out.
By having a C-section, your chances for hemorrhage, post-partum infection, internal injuries, post-partum depression, breastfeeding problems, reproductive problems, and maternal death, are increased than if you gave birth vaginally.
By having an elective C-section your baby’s chances for neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), physician caused prematurity (since they can only guess, what the correct due date is), persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPH), are cut by the surgeon’s scalpel two to six percent of the time, and are less likely to be breastfed, are increased than babies who are born vaginally.
In most cases, you will have metal staples in your incision for several days after the surgery. I thought my tummy looked liked Frankenstein’s forehead. It was so awful I couldn’t even look at it.
Your uterus will have permanent scar tissue, which is at a higher risk for rupture with future pregnancies.
You will have an scar just above your pubic bone for the rest of your life. Your stomach will more than likely hang over your scar, known as “belly flap,” for the rest of your life. Your incision / scar area will probably be numb for several months, several years, or even for the rest of your life.
Your birthing options with future pregnancies are SEVERELY limited, after you have a C-section. There is a saying, “once a C-section, always a C-section.” VBAC is a very safe choice for the majority of women, but VBAC’sare discouraged and you will be lucky to find a doctor and a hospital that supports this choice. In some states, it is against the law for midwives to attend VBAC births. In all actuality, you will be pressured to have a repeat C-section with future pregnancies, even though with every subsequent C-section, the uterine rupture rate increases, especially during pregnancy as the uterus expands. Usually another C-section is the only choice offered to you, even if that isn’t the best choice for you, and your baby.
You will probably have a longer recovery, after a C-section than if you had given birth vaginally. You can’t drive for usually 10 days. You are sore, and it can be a struggle to just get up and move, let alone walk, sit-up, sit, and lie down. It is recommended that you don’t climb any stairs for two weeks-too bad if your house has stairs- it can be very painful, every time you have to go up or down your stairs. You don’t dare laugh or cough for several days, because it just hurts too much. You may only have a limited amount of pain medication, because most doctors want to “wean” you off the strong pain narcotics a few days after the C-section. Keep in mind, this is all while you have a brand new baby to take care of as well.
(Many of these facts in the above blue boxes can be found on Childbirth Connection’s page on C-sections.)
- Recovery Time and Complications
Being a new mother is one of the most challenging life experiences. We rise to the task, but when you are trying to recover from a MAJOR surgery, YOU need to rest, and be taken care of. That does not happen after a C-section, for the majority of women. Maternal instincts take over, and we need to be with our babies. We push our pain, and discomforts to the background, in order to take care of our baby, and family.
This only adds to the recovery time, and often results in women “overdoing it,” which leads to ruptured scars, which leads to infected scars, which leads to another hospital stay, which leads back to square one, all over again. It can be a vicious cycle.
The general thought is it usually takes about 3 weeks, to recover from vaginal birth, and 6 weeks to recover from a C-section, IF everything goes well.
That was not true for me at all. It took me about 12 weeks to feel almost 100% again- meaning I didn’t have pain that kept me from doing daily activities. That is 3 months! If I were to count the time that it took for my scar to heal, and to not feel any pain whatsoever- I would say NEVER. Even now, four years later, if I move at an odd angle, I will get a weird pain in my abdomen, that I never had before having a C-section.
After the VBAC birth I had with my second baby, I felt back to normal, after about a month. Yes, there was pain, discomfort, and stitches involved with a vaginal birth, but it was SO, SO, SO much more manageable and less painful than a C-section. Having given birth both by a C-section and vaginally, I would pick a vaginal birth every time- without hesitation. As one of my friends who also had a C-section, and a vaginal birth said, “The worse vaginal birth, beats the best C-section anytime.” No wonder we were made to give birth vaginally, not surgically!
- Risks Outweigh The Benefits
C-sections are a medical tool, and should only be performed when absolutely necessary. C-sections DO have a place in obstetrics, and I have a friend who would have died, if she had not gotten an emergency C-section.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says anytime a country’s C-section rate rises above 15%, then the risks outweigh the benefits the surgery could provide. In the US, the C-section rate is 30.2% of all births. Just 100 years ago in the US, almost every baby born, was born at home! What has happened? Clearly, something is very wrong, and thousands of women are receiving unnecessary surgical C-sections, where the risks are outweighing the benefits.
- The “Hidden” High Costs of C-Sections
Another aspect that is hardly ever mentioned is the financial aspect and costs to a family. Obviously a C-section is more expensive than a vaginal birth. My C-section in 2004 cost 50% more than my vaginal hospital birth in 2006. That was with no complications- just a “by-the-book C-section”. Even with insurance, a family pays substantially more for a C-section, and that is just for the procedure! Most women have to stay in the hospital for a minimum of three days after a C-section, compared to anywhere from 12-48 hours with a vaginal birth. I had to stay for five days. Not only do you get charged for your care, but you get charged for the care your baby gets too.
If you factor in the extra long recovery time, the costs of hiring some household help, extra doctor and or hospital visits due to infection, pain medication, extra time the father may take off of work, to name a few- it is astounding how expensive a C-section is, and how fast it all adds up.
For a woman who has to return to work, 6, 8, or 12 weeks after giving birth, she may not even be fully recovered from surgery, before she has to take on the demands from a job as well.
- Ignorance Is Not Bliss
I believe that every woman who is faced with the possibility of having a C-section (emergency situation aside) should be given ALL of the information on the surgical procedure including the emotional and financial aspects beforehand. Ignorance is NOT bliss- it just keeps you from having to face the reality of this surgical procedure until you are in the thick of it, with nothing left to do, but see it and its consequences through.
During my recovery, I was in so much pain, and realized that I didn’t even know why, until my husband (who had watched the surgery) said, “If you had seen what they did, you would know why you are in pain.”
Then it hit me that I had no idea, what they even did during the C-section. They never show that on The Baby Story either. I have decided to include several REAL pictures from actual C-sections that I found by doing Google and Yahoo searches. Believe it or not, pictures like this were very hard to find. There just aren’t that many pictures of actual C-sections out there. I spent a lot of time trying to find pictures with the goal of showing what really happens during a C-section.
The pictures are graphic in nature- that is the reality of a C-section. I have provided the link to the site where you can view the pictures as well. There will be descriptions of what the picture is of.
Since some will prefer not to look at the pictures, I will include my closing comments now, instead of at the end of the pictures.
- Conclusion
Despite what we are told in the media, C-sections are NOT glamorous, or posh. If you choose to view the pictures below, you will see what it really is.
The emotional and financial toll it can take on you and your family is massive. Ironically, a lot of women choose C-sections, because they think it is a lot less painful than vaginal birth. You will have no pain during the C-section itself, because you are numb from usually the chest down. But, a surgical C-section birth is not a way to avoid pain during birth. Ironically, in most cases, it will cause you substantial amounts of more pain in the long run.
The end result of a C-section is beautiful- a new, hopefully healthy baby and mother. For me, that was my goal. But I never realized beforehand, as I wrote, you lose a lot of time with your newborn when recovering from the surgery. Time that you only get one chance at. If you have to return to work, as you know, your time is not endless with your baby, and that time goes by in a blink of an eye.
No mother I know, would willingly give up her precious time with her new baby, to attend to surgical dressings, be “out of it” due to pain medication, maybe miss out on breastfeeding, if they choose to do so, raise their risk of post-partum infection, and depression, and pain. Yet, that is what happens to one degree or another, with EVERY C-section.
If you prefer not to look at the pictures, I hope some of this post will help you, a friend, a sister, a daughter, a cousin, or anyone, who needed more information and truth on what is involved in a C-section.
I know first hand that sometimes a C-section is your only option. In these cases, I hope some of what I wrote may help in giving you more information on what to expect, so you can prepare better than I did. If you are considering a C-section that is not medically necessary, or you have other options, I hope if you have read this far, that maybe you are reconsidering having a c-section.
While writingthis post, I decided to write another post in the near future with ideas for mothers who are preparing for a C-section. I plan to include information on things she can do to prepare for it before hand. I also will include ideas and tips she can do post-partrum, to help with the healing process, pain, and the overall transition back to family life. E-mail me if you have any tips or suggestions, you would like to share.
Every woman deserves to know ALL of the facts, before facing a major surgery, especially one with the goal of bringing a new life into the world. Doctors should take into account ALL the factors, pre-AND post-surgery, on how C-sections can affect their patients and their families. The entire medical community (doctors, hospitals, etc.), should start offering vaginal breech baby birth options. Finally, C-sections should stop being glamorized by the media as a healthy alternative to vaginal birth. It is very dishonest and misleading.
I sincerely hope by sharing my experience, and facts that usually aren’t disclosed about C-sections, it can help women who are facing C-sections, to make an informed decision.
I would love to hear your comments and feedback.
- Additional Information
I urge anyone facing a C-section to read the article, “Cesearean Birth in a Culture of Fear.” It is written by Wendy Ponte, and it appeared in the September/October 2007 issue of Mothering magazine, and is the best article I have read on the subject to date. If you can get the actual magazine, there were some very good illustrations, showing the C-section procedure. I tried to find these illustrations on-line, but was unsuccessful. I was able to find something along the same lines, in a slide show presentation, with ten drawings from The New York Times, showing the C-section procedure. (These drawings are not graphic- they are what you would see in a newspaper.)
************************WARNING!!!!! ********************************
************DO NOT READ OR SCROLL ANY FARTHER IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO VIEW C-SECTION PICTURES- GRAPHIC IN NATURE************
Removing the staples from a C-section incision.
There is also a picture of a new C-section scar held together with staples, and more post-partum C-section scars, including verticle ones, in this gallery at About.com .
Mother 1: C-section scar 2 days after the surgery, 20 year-old mother
Mother 1: (The same mother as in picutre above), her C-section scar, 11 weeks after the surgery
Mother 2: The C-section overhang (“belly flap”)- this is after the first c-section (third pregnancy), this 28-year old mother had, one year after the surgery
Picture from Terra, (a mother who read this post and sent me some of her C-section pictures) of her C-section incision
Picture 1 of Terra’s Infection at Incision Site
Picture 2 of Terra’s Infection at Incision Site
Mother 2: (picture 2) Same mother as the above picture; side view
Mother 3: Picture of scar, more than 3 years after C-section (it is the second line, towards the bottom-not the thin red line)
Mother 4: Pictures of infected C-section scar, 3 to 4 months after the surgery, during this 38 year-old mother’s
fifth round of antibiotic treatments for the infection
Above pictures from http://www.caesarean.org.uk/ScarPictures.html#group1. There are several more pictures of C-section scars at this site, in various stages of healing.
My scar- 4 years after C-section.
Another picture of my scar. On the right end of the scar, you can see how it looks indented. A few of my staples became loose, while I was in the hospital, so the skin there was open, while healing. It left a lot larger scar on that end of the incision, and tends to “cave in.” I doubt this will ever go away. The marks higher up on my stomach, are the marks from my pants. 
(All of these photos, the ones of myself included, are unedited. They have been reduced in size, however so they could fit on the site. )
Technorati Links: C-Section,
cesarean section, birth, pregnancy, VBAC vaginal birth after cesarean section
I am on the outside looking in but in loving fear and angry confusion. My precious daughter-in-law had our first grandchild 4 years ago by c section and had horrible complications from it. The first thing that threw me for a loop was when she knew something was wrong, just a few days after the baby came, she went to her doctor office as advised by her doctor. Right there I mean right there in the office they cut her back open. Then put in a wound vac and told her how to look after it and come back in a week. And this went on for five weeks. Now just 2 days shy of our second grandchild being 3 weeks old she finally quit ignoring the signs and came to the emergency room. After blood work and dye scan they found that she again has developed an infection again. We have been put in a room waiting to see a partner of her OBGYN. And what’s even stranger is the first time she used this doctor it was in a different hospital and not long after the first baby see moved to a different hospital. Also, my daughter-in-law was told that she had to have a c-section with her second child and really wasn’t given any other option. Now after all that tell me something, same doctor different hospital what’s the common denominator? I have advised them in getting a surgeon to look at her chart and get a second opinion before letting the OBGYN DO anything. I know I shouldn’t be butting in but they are still young and small bit of advice is all I can do for them. I ask for any advice both medical and legal that someone might give that may have had a similar situation. Isn’t it somewhat strange that she has had an infection with both c- sections?
This blog seems very scare mongering. Sorry but you do NOT have your hands tied down during a section. You are not a mental in patient you are having a baby! Granted it does hurt a lot and i would have chosen a natural birth second time if it weren’t for the risk of having another severe tear from my first. I also only had very little pain relief as the NHS refuse to give more than paracetamol. I was with my baby from only a minute or two and i was very happy. You don’t lose anything.
Re the pouch. It hangs. Its horrid but i am not that shallow that it affects my daily life. I would rather be healthy with a scar and a tummy with gorgeous kids than worrying about something like how i look. People with cancer etc have a right to worry not me with my section scar.
I find a lot of what you say true. This is my third child and had major complications. I was warned of everything and had a good team of doctors. When I was in the OR for emergency c section my arms were tied down but when i had to scratch my nose i would tell them and they let my arm go. I was also under many anxiety attacks and half in and out of it so I don’t remember much.
Hi I had our first child c section they wouldn’t let me push him out because his head got stuck because the medicine they used to induce me made me thin wrong. Well about a week after he was born I was having severe pain and went into the doctors office. He checked me and said nothing was wrong but to wear a belly support band. I put this on the next day and it busted my incision open because I had a fluid build up in it. They ripped my incision open in office with out any type of pain medication. I had to get my incision packed for 3 months before it finally closed. My son was born in August of 2012 and it didn’t close until after thanksgiving. I’m hoping to have a vbac if I can ever get the nerve to have another child.
I am actually at the other end of the spectrum. I had an emergency c-section, I had preeclampsia. They tried to get my little nugget to come on her own but she wouldn’t. The surgery it’s self was terrifying they broke my water there was blood in it. The nurse gave me ipecac as I was barfing she was shaving me. I had to yell at her to back off and let me barf. 2 min later I was rushed in for surgery. They wouldn’t let her father come in, they were putting me out completely. Before I was out I could hear the doctor saying oh shit. I said you all are freaking me out. Like I’m gonna die or something. Next thing I woke up in pain. My hubby showed pic of my little girl and all I could do was yell at him because I didn’t want her alone. I spent 6 days in the hospital had a 2 unit blood transfusion. I have celiac disease so I just couldn’t absorb iron and my levels were low. We left hospital at 9:30 at night. I truly believe due to insurance. After leaving the hospital my pain was well tolerated with pain meds. If you make sure and have a pillow around stomach the bumpy worked great. My little one rested on it happily, and I never had pain. Breast feeding was not an option. We had to feed are little one every three hours and she just wouldn’t latch. But I pumped as much as I could to get the colostrum. VERY important! My pain was minimal even though I was on meds I remember a great deal. I was terrified to have staples out, there was no problem. So really I would prefer the c section. I want my vagina just as it is.
my major problems were the hospital. My scar looks great. Sorry for those whom had a bad experience but even though mine was terrifying I would do it all over again. No changes. The thought of my anus tearing no thanx. Plus I have a fantastic birth story. I always say I have more love for my daughter than her father because I almost died bringing her into this world, he has no retort. 
lol. No matter your expirence everyone is different. Try to have an outlook of my baby and I are alive and rejoice in that… Not everyone should have a c-section and not everyone should have a vaginal birth! Good luck.
My arms were definitely strapped down.
Wow, I’ve never had a vaginal birth, but my c-section was pretty easy to deal with. I felt pretty normal after the second week and I don’t have flabby skin that hangs over my scar (I didn’t know that was something that was specific to c-section moms, I thought your stomach being stretched out from pregnancy would do that to anyone, I guess I got lucky). I had to have a classical on my uterus due to complications with my baby (low transverse on the outside thank goodness) so no VBACs for me because of the classical on my uterus. But seriously this post makes me feel like a terrible person for being ok with the fact that I had to have a c-section. I didn’t care how I had my son, whatever was best for him. He had surgery right after he was born so I wasn’t going to get to hold him anyway. Also, I was a c-section baby and guess what, I don’t even remember it..
I have had four c-sections over the course of fifteen years.. Yep, I was tied down for each and every one of them. I compared it to Jesus nailed on the Cross because that is how your arms are. No disrespect intended. Thankfully, I did not develop any infections. Some of my friends had their scars removed with the next csection being performed. I did not. I have four scar lines there, but they are just barely visible.
I had my emergency C-section only 7 weeks ago today. I am only 16 and I live in the UK. By the sounds of it, the surgery is conducted very differently in the USA. However I do agree that it was the most horrible thing I have ever gone through. I was not anticipating a C-section as my pregnancy was perfectly normal and I am also own a very fit, young body, so when I was rushed into surgery after 6 days of slow labour and 2 hours of active labour it was unexpected and very intense. Luckily I was able to recover very well and very quickly and only received 2 doses of oral morphine pain relief at the hospital and was sent on my way 2 days after the surgery. After reading the post about the effects a C-section has to your uterus and the rest of your body I am quite worried about going in for another baby in a few years time. I was drugged, out of my mind, terrified and lying on the surgery table as the surgeon was informing me very BRIEFLY about the whole experience of a C-section and the risks. I was then asked to sign the paperwork to which I left no more then a scribble of what my signature should have been. I felt this was very unfair!
i too felt like there was no choice but to have a c-section with my first baby, he was small so they really pushed me to op for it. naieve isnt the word.. i felt clueless,unprepared,uneducated and ripped off and yes no idea what was ahead. the pain was also as you describe. my second pregnancy again they pushed for a csection i fought it every step of the way. labour was induced with balloons and a drip but they pushed for another csection. knowing what i was in for it took alot of coaxing for me to sign again but i did it for fear of my babys life.. during the c-section the epidural failed, i felt them digging inside of me and next thing i was out cold on general anesthetic. the first week of pain was as hellish as the first time round but i must say this time has been alot less painful surprisingly because i also grew a very large haematoma on the right side of my incision, i would have to get it lanced and push on a fresh scar to release fluid build up. it has been 11 weeks scince the birth and im still spotting and very out of wack hormonally,im now going for an ultrasound to see it there is any birth product still inside..hmm what next
I wad.induced left.in hard labor for 48 hours and than given a VERTICAL.classic c section. Belly button.all the way down! Spent five days in the hospital. Got infected. Stapled fir almost 3 weeks 40 staples!!!! My scar.2 years later is horrid and always will be lol. But I wear it proudly! My. Battle scar. And from it came my 10 pound soldier lol my baby girl.
I am really sorry you had a bad experience with your c section, however this was your experience. Other women such as myself have had c sections with no complications. Again I am sorry for your experience but to generalize it is a bit is eliciting fear and a bit irresponsible. A pregnant woman could be reading your blog and may become very anxious about the procedure. This could be problematic if a c section is her only option, for instance she could refuse to have the surgery and cause harm to herself and the baby. No I do not believe c sections should be elective. However I will not be judged for doing what was best for my child and that was to have a c section so he could safely come I to this world.
I have to say this is definetly a tricky subject . I feel everyone needs to make the decision that’s best for them and their pregnancy . You will always hear a zillion “my pregnancy experience ” stories during your pregnancy . Everyone will have their own experience . Some good some bad . I’ve had 2 c-sections and just 2 children. My first was a breech pregnancy and they just recommend a c because its not easy going in to try and turn baby . Back in the day most women died with breech pregnancies. Luckily you can have a c section now days that saves many lives including child and mother . It wasn’t an easy recovery I felt burning sensation where incision was wich was pretty painful . It’s from the skin fusing back together. I had stitches though from the inside . over time my scar was practically invisible . Absolutely no skin flap either . My second child was a scheduled c section. I decided it was best for me . The thought of pushing it out of my vagina was worse then the thought of another c section. The entire procedure was about 40 min with a spinal my hands were not tied down this time. The recovery was a little worse at first then my first one . But I got through it . I was back at the gym 5 weeks after . No skin flap at all the second time either . I do a lot of yoga and I think that’s why my stomach wasn’t to bad . The moral of the story is having a baby is definetly not easy . Whatever happens happens . Everyone has a different story to tell and that’s just the way it is
either way it’s going to suck . You have to get that baby out some how ! 
I had an emergency C-section with my first. After being induced, having my water broken manually, and enduring several hours of labor pain, the doctors told me I had to have one because my baby’s heart rate would drop with each contraction. I was very upset because I had planned on having a natural birth, but I was very ready to see my baby and wanted to do what was best for her. was not strapped down but I was also not the first one to see and hold my baby. Her father held her while all I could do was look while they stitched me up. The pain afterwards was as you described, the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life, and undoubtally the worst pain I ever will feel. I could not get up by myself (or at all for the first 12 hours). The first time I got up it was because a nurse made me and helped me up. I promptly started bleeding all over the floor and had to go back down. I’m not much of a pill taker, only aspirin for bad headaches, but HAD to take the Lortabs they gave or be in intense, undeniable pain. If I did not take the medication on time, the pain became so bad it was hard to even speak. I had a little trouble getting around for the next 9 weeks or so. We put the baby’s bassinet in the living room and I slept on our couch because I didn’t want to use the stairs. Thank God my mom and my sister were there to help out; my baby’s dad had to go back to work after 3 days. With my second child, I was told to have a VBAC I would have to go to a different hospital and was told that having a VBAC increased the risk of uterine rupture, maternal death, and fetal death. Of course, I opted for a second c section for my second and third pregnancy. I know now all those risks were caused by the first one. I didn’t have any problems whatsoever with my second except I had to take it slow for a while. The pain was slight and I didn’t need any pain medication at home. My third was easier than my first, but harder than my second. It took several hours for the spinal to wear off, with my first two it took maybe an hour. I also could not reach the call button for the nurse while I was feeding my baby in the hospital bed. I could not move while holding her because of the incision and all I wanted was a diaper from the cart so I could change her. So I had to lay there for almost an hour with my baby, call button out of reach, everything out of reach, not being able to move until a nurse finally came in. When I asked if she could change her, she said she couldn’t because she was my nurse and not the baby’s. I told her, “Well can you at least give me a diaper so I can?” After consulting with another nurse about my ability to change her, she finally did. I had had two other children, one of which was still in diapers when my third was born-I know how to change a diaper while in bed and pretty much every other situation imaginable. The pain was greater than my second, mostly because I developed a severe cough during my stay, and anyone who’s had a c knows how painful that can be. I do not plan on having a fourth child, and if I did, I’d probably be pushed into another c. There is only one hospital about 50 miles away from where I live that will perform VBACs that I know of. My first was an emergency, but knowing what I know I would NEVER recommend a voluntary c section for anyone.
I also have weird looking scar because with my third, one of the staple broke in half while they were removing it and they couldn’t get the other half. They told me it would probably push itself out after a while, I think they were just trying to get me out quickly because it was 2 days before Christmas. They didn’t seem to try real hard to get the other part. It did push itself out but it hurt and I was worried about infection. Now I have a big dent on one side of the scar (only one scar though because they used the same site for all 3). I never knew the belly flap was a c section thing; I just thought I got the bad genes.
My mom had 3 kids, all natural, no flap, just a few marks. I have marks that are almost invisible, but the most disgusting flap. I used to love my belly, now I hate it.
I’ve had two c-sections because of positioning and complete lack if labour. The first nearly killed me (twins, major blood loss etc, didn’t see babies for 16 hours), the second was WONDERFUL! Held DD immediately, was breast feeding within 15 minutes, minimal pain, invisible scar etc. Do not be afraid. P
Very different experience here in australia I was 12 days overdue and after 33 hours of being induced and not dialating at all my onlu option was to have a c section. My LO was stuck to high in pelvis…I never wanted any meds I wanted natural birth all the way however circumstances can change and you really need to do what is safe for baby. I had prepared mentally for the pain I was going to experience from childbirth and then all my energy shifted to get prepared for surgery. I didnt want people looking after my child , this gave me the motivation to get on with it I was walking as soon as I got feeling back in my legs. I wasnt dancing! But I took small steps, keeping my baby in kind as my reason to recover. I didnt take any meds after leaving hospital . Its amazing what you can achieve your mind is in control. It felt like id done 200 sit ups the day before..my wisdom teeth recovery hurt way more then this and its all because I didnt have time to concentrate on me it was now bout my little girl. My hospital experience was great I had a spinal tap not epidural and I had my baby placed on my chest in less then 2 mins after docs had checked her out. I was also breast feeding her after 20 minutes and letting her bond with her father was the best thing for us as he finally felt the same joy I had experienced for the past nine months. Dont be scared of a c section, if u have pain or infection seek medical advice but YOU can do it you just need to believe. I dont have a great pain threshold I cry when I wax my legs!! Goodluck and remeber its a true miracle that you have created.
2 years after my c-section I discovered Mutu System:
http://mutusystem.com/
It has really helped to lift the ‘overhang’ and to strengthen my core.
I had my son is september 2010. we tried to have him natural and the doctors started noticing that every time i would have a contraction that my blood pressure would drop very low and his heart rate would also go way down. after being in labor for almost 12 hours and pushing for about two hours they told me that i needed to be rushed back for am emergency c-section. i wasnt told anything about the procedure only that if i didnt get it my son could die. the medicine that they gave me made me horribly sick. i was literally throwing up all the way from the delivery room to the operating room. my husband was not allowed to come in with us. once they got me on the operating table and got ready to start the incision and the doctor said here we go, i felt a really sharp pain in my lower abdomen. i told the doctor that whatever it was he was doing was really hurting he tried to tell me that he was just pressing on my stomach to see where my son was at. but i told him no he wasnt because i could feel him cutting my stomach. he looked at the other doctor and told him that he didnt think the numbing medicine was working the way it was supposed to. come to find out it wasnt. i felt just about everything they did to me. the cutting and the pulling out of my son. it was horrible. i dont remember anything after seeing my son when they got him out because i pretty much passed out from the pain. i was knocked out for almost 36 hours after delivering him because of the pain meds they gave me. i like another lady that posted was given meds to take home for the pain and sent home three days after having my son. which i think was because of insurance as well. about a week later i got my staples taken out of my incision. three days after that i started noticing yellow stuff coming out of it. i went back to my doctor and he said that it was normal there was nothing to worry about. my incision took almost three months to heal all the way. and still to this day you can tell that it didnt heal right. the left side of my scar is a lot wider than the right. and like you if i move the wrong way i still get a weird pain in my stomach that i never had before. i have the “mommy apron” as some women call it. it is the most difficult thing in this world for me to get rid of. after almost three years of trying to get it to go away you still cant tell that much of a difference. didnt have that problem when i had my daughter back in march 2009 naturally. i think women and girls who are thinking about a c-section should really do their homework and look up everything about it. because it is the utmost painful thing i have ever dealt with. i wouldnt wish that pain on my worse enemy. natural birth hurts but at least that pain stops after about two weeks and you can still feel your who-ha i still have no feeling in my stomach at all around my scar. ladies i know that it may be “trendy” and you may not want your stuff to “get out of whack” but to me there really is nothing like having a baby naturally and being able to look at that precious little miracle and knowing that you brought it into the world. you worked your @$$ off to have that beautiful little creature in your arms.