My First Cesarean

We have a guest writer today, so please enjoy this experience shared by LEE LEE:

No matter how physically and mentally prepared a woman may be to give birth for her first or even last baby, complications during labor and delivery may occur, therefore a cesarean section may have to be done.
 

I delivered my babies in Texas and attended Childbirth classes for all three children. I have to say my knowledge about Childbirth was enlightened even though I had been in the medical field [Dental] for over 8 yrs. When the instructor said that 1 in 3 of the pregnant women present in the class would have to have a C-Section, I looked to my left then to my right and thought it would be one of them and surely not me. I have only gained 25 lbs. during my pregnancy and was in great physical shape. So when my water broke at home 2 weeks before my due date, [ the baby was 38 gestational weeks old- and most pregnancies go to term= 40 weeks or over], I knew it would be an exciting event but was hopeful the labor would go quick and uneventful [as far as problems go], as I had planned to go A-LA-NATURAL and had planned not to take any "drugs" during my labor to help me along.
 

I got to the hospital about 12:30 am and was prepped and checked, but to my disappointment not dilated at all. So I accepted the fact that my labor was going to be a long one, but was prepared with the breathing techniques I had practiced and was able to focus on the positive - [my sweet baby son's face] soon to be looking up at me in delivery. Finally 12 hrs later I had dilated to 9cm and more than ready to push but every time a strong, hard contraction hit I could hear his head hit my pelvis bone, [and it would make a sound like you hear when you bite your teeth together], like bone against bone, and I knew something was not right . I had dilated to 9 cm but his head had not presented itself into the +1 position in the pelvis [+3 meaning head delivered], it was still at a 0 which meant to me he was stuck in the upper part of the pelvis.
When I strongly expressed my view to my Dr he ordered me down to x-ray to check the babies position inside the pelvis [not to worry- the x-ray does not hurt the baby this far along] and sure enough, the x-rays cofirmed that my pelvis was too small to let the baby pass though it.
 

This condition is called Cephlapelvic Disproportion or (CPD).
 

An emergency C-Section would have to be performed.
 

Talk about frustration personified! I had gotten all that way with my breathing and "tenacity" and no "drugs", and it was ME that would end up having the C-Section. I tried to remain calm as my husband fretted.
 

So off to the Surgery Room we went. Unfortunately the surgical barrier was draped so that I could not see a thing. Even in the mirror that was provided, all I could see was the "rear end" of my Dr working quickly to get my baby delivered safely. Lots of pressure, pulling and tugging went on until my son Jason was finally pulled free out of my pelvis. Jason arrived still looking pale blue at the whopping weight of 7lbs. 1 oz. and 20 inches long, blonde hair, but a weak, tiny cry. He had a very pointed little head and it was confirmed he had been "Stuck" in the pelvis and had had MECONIUM INGESTION. This is a condition where the baby has its first bowel movement [called meconium] in the amniotic fluid [while still inside the uterus] and swallows it, getting it into the lungs. Jason's Apgar score was a 6 [out of 10]- [The Apgar score is given to your newborn's physical condition 1 minute after the baby is born and 5 minutes later - to determine if any extra medical care is needed, [the worst=0 and the best =10] .
 

Five minutes later Jason's score was only a 7. He was not crying much and was in Respiratory Distress, so I did not get to hold him in delivery and only 1 picture was taken as he was rushed off to the NICU [Newborn Intensive Care Unit].
 

This time I was the one who started to panic, and closed my tear filled eyes to pray that I would see him again and that he would be fine.
 

The next time I saw him he was still in NICU and had an umbilical Arterial Catheter [which is also called a UAC- a small flexible tube that is put into the artery of the umbilical cord stump and sticks out of your baby's belly button]. With the UAC in place they were able to give him antibiotics, and IV fluids, draw blood samples, check his Arterial Blood Gases [ABG's-where the amount of oxygen and other gases can be checked in the baby's blood]. This is where I held him for the first time and would have to go to him daily to breastfeed him.
 

The doctors were fearful that Jason had a condition called Hyaline membranes or Respiratory Distress Syndrome that affect the lungs, and some babies do not live through this or if they do the baby can end up with major lung problems. So once again, I prayed that all would be well with this precious gift I had been given and his lungs would recover. My middle name is Faith and I had faith that Jason would recover from all of this as I thought the labor was just too hard on his little system.
 

My new motherly intuition was correct. It was not long before all the tests on Jason's lungs came back as normal. The antibiotics and prayers had done their job and 5 days later Jason and I were discharged and on our way home.
 

Jason will be 27 yrs old on Dec. 29^th. He is a healthy, happily married, fine young man, with integrity. Through High School he was a Superior athlete who stood tall in his team mates eyes at only 5'8''. He could run 40 yards in 4.2 sec. consistently. He ran in the National Jr. Olympics Finals in CA at 15 yrs old and anchored the 4x400 meter relay which came in 4^th in the Nation. He ran the 400 meters on the AHS track team in 49.8 sec. and ran the 100 meters with a time of 11.0 sec. His speed made him a wonderful center fielder and left fielder on the Varsity baseball team as a sophomore[even started playing on a college team @ 15 yrs old that summer]. He had a vertical leap of 42'' and could dunk a tennis ball easily and could do a standing broad jump of almost 10''. He did all of these things as his we stood in awe!
 

I thank my Heavenly Father daily for blessing our family with such a sweet, gifted young man who makes my heart smile daily. Children help to fill your life with wonderful experiences and even though it was a little tough getting him here and there was a little uncertainty of his health at the beginning, I would do it all over again in a heartbeat to have such joy of a son in my life.
 

I have 2 other fabulous children, [2 daughters] and they too have many special talents. They were also born by C-Section , as with Cephlapelvic Disproportion [CPD] doctors don't usually allow a trial labor for following pregnancies [as 2^nd and 3^rd babies are usually larger].
 

It didn't matter to me how my babies were delivered as long as they were healthy. So if a C-Section is needed, don't fret.
 

BUT DO PREPARE YOURSELF THROUGH EDUCATIONAL CHILDBIRTH CLASSES. These classes help parents to learn lots of things including CPR on an infant, even what to do if your infant chokes, plus there are many educational books you can read. I suggest you do not go into labor without knowing all you can, because like me, you may look to the pregnant woman on your left or right and it may be YOU going through the unexpected c-section or abnormal labor and the more you know the better "ARMED" you will be as knowledge is the key !
Unfortunately Children do not come with Instruction Manuals so Education is a Must! And lots of prayers are a MUST because they are answered every minute of every day!
My son is living proof!
All the Best and~Happy Mothering!
Lee Lee~[ mother of 3-stepmom of 4-grandmother of 1 ]

DISCLAIMER~

The contents of these BLOG ARTICLES written on Mommy's Life Website is from my personal Life's experiences as a mother and knowledge through Childbirth Classes, plus the knowledge from being involved in the Dental assisting field for 31 years. My Articles are not intended to provide Medical or Dental diagnosis or treatment of any kind. It is only meant to provide advice through my own experience. Always seek the advice of your doctor or pediatrician with any questions you have and do not rely on these articles written in this website.

Leelee