Please tell me you stories.

[Roopee]

I am 37 weeks and was told at my last appoint, last week, that my baby has gone from being engaged to being breech:eek:. She is measuring in at 39 weeks and the Dr doesnt want to risk me going into labour at home as my labours have all been pretty fast (40mins or so). I find out this thursday if she had turned (she hasnt atm as i can feel her head near my belly button) and if she hasnt the it looks like a c/s is for me.
Now here is someone who has drug free (not by choice, just too fast), stitch free (yeah, you hate me now) births. I am absolutley petrified of having a c/s. I am scared of the pain, i am scared of the recovery as i already have three little children at home but most of all im scared of the lack of control i might feel.
I know that if she is breech then i will have a c/s as i am not too keen on giving birth to a baby thats coming out feet first:eek:.
Please can you tell me how you coped with the pain and how long your recovery was? Thanks in Advance:hugs:

[~Kimba~]

I may be unusual, but my c-sect wasn't anywhere near as painful as I expected it to be. It hurt a bit for the first few days while I was in hospital, but in hospital they are great with offering regular pain relief (that Endone is great stuff!) so I never felt 'really' sore. By the time I came home I was just using the odd panadol for pain relief and didn't even need the panadeine forte they gave me.

I found the most painful time was in the first 3 days when I was breastfeeding the first few times and my uterus was contracting back into shape when I fed bub, it was a bit sore. Also getting up for the first time and having to bend over while I shuffled to have a shower, or trying to roll over in bed, and also when I laughed or coughed. BUT even then it was only the first few days and nowhere near as bad as I'd been told. Maybe I was lucky and had some temporary nerve damage or something which made it relatively numb...??

I was walking around and very mobile within a very short time, even in hospital they commented on how mobile I was. I took it easy, but could do most things including driving within 2 weeks. Walking for more than short distances in the first 4 weeks or so was painful in my back more than in my scar (from lack of back support, from weakened stomach muscles). My bub was 4kg but I still had no problems lifting/carrying/ feeding him!

Hope this has eased your worry a bit! :)

[nats]

ENDONE :barf:
Didn't work with me and I had an epidural headache :no:

The only thing I regret (apart from having had the c/s) is that I wish I took more care of my back. The back pain for the last 12 weeks has been hurrendous!

And I could've invested in a dress and more appropriatly shaped undies that didn't rub against my scar.

oh... and I wish I got to see him being born :yes:
If only I asked them to drop the partition. But I'll never forget DH "Oooh, it's a boy" the bond was instant :thumbsup:

[becca74]

Roopee, why hasnt your dr offered to do an external version? have you been practicing OFP to try and get bubs to turn? (http://www.spinningbabies.com/)

Here is some info on breech babies/birth, so you can widen your options:

http://www.breechbabies.com/contents.htm
http://www.aims.org.uk/Journal/Vol10No3/handOffbreech.htm

If C/sec turns out to be the choice you wish to make, www.birthrites.org has a section on planning a positive caesarean, and also a tonne of info about caesareans.

best of luck....sending you baby turning dust :wizard:

[Minke]

Mine seems to be the exception, not the norm. Mine was an em c/s - the only pain relief was voltaren, which i only used for the first 5 days. I was up and walking 12 hours later, and made myself walk the halls (and down to the chemist/flowershop to buy cute stuff) I was driving 7 days later and we moved house! I could usually tell if I was doing too much as the scar would start to get a bit achey, so would put my feet up... The worst was the day after - trying to lift bubs out of his bassinet thing - so i ended up having him sleep with me (easier for BF). I was very lucky - i had no ongoing pain at all. And i had no problem carrying bub - he was 4.5kg.

Good luck getting bub to turn! :fingerscrossed: for you!

[chameleon]

I had an emergency C/S and it was not as bad as I expected! I was absolutely terrified. But I was really happy with how it went... of course it wasn't a walk in the park by no means... but most births aren't!

I recovered fairly well. I was up within 12 hrs. The first time you have to get up is probably the most painful. And just walking around is very SLOW. But I was out of hospital in 3 days, and off pain relief within a week.

I'm not sure about picking up your baby, because I couldn't pick DD up for over a week (premmie) and by the time she was out of Special Care I was well and truely feeling like my old myself again.

Hope everything works out ok for you!:fingerscrossed:

[moreboys]

hi sorry no advise on c/s as have not had one but i had a friend who's baby was breech at 37 week also and she had acupuncture (sp?) and it worked the baby turned within 1 day. may be something to look into if not really wanting a c/s.:thumbsup:

[becca74]

hi sorry no advise on c/s as have not had one but i had a friend who's baby was breech at 37 week also and she had acupuncture (sp?) and it worked the baby turned within 1 day. may be something to look into if not really wanting a c/s.:thumbsup:

excellent advice! I have heard of this working many times!

go the accupuncture :thumbsup:

[Two Little Buggalugs]

If you do have a c-section, try attaching a maternity pad to the inside of your undies so it is cushioned against your scar. I had an emergency caesar and my dd was in NICU for 6 days, so by necessity I was up a lot going down to see and feed her. As the other ladies have said, getting up and about (within reason) is probably why I recovered so well. My friend who had an elective caesar couldn't believe I was up so early. I guess you just have to trust your body. A caesar is a lot bigger deal than popular belief, so if you have one, take all the help you can get and all the pain relief you need (they don't let you take it home!).

[SorenLorensen]

If you do have a c-section, try attaching a maternity pad to the inside of your undies so it is cushioned against your scar.

i did this for weeks and weeks i think i was over protective of my scar.
i didnt really have time to worry about having a c/s i got told 20 min befor i went in. luckyi had already had an epidural going they just pumped a little more into me and i was sweet.
the most painful part of the whole c/s and weeks after, and i am telling the truth right now, it was when they were removing the tape on my back where the epidural line was OMG it was that plaster tape :eek: . so with any luck you will get away with it like me :yes:
hope all goes great for you and wishing you the best of luck :hugs:

[mummyof5]

With little ones at home to look after, I would be doing everything I could to avoid the c/s. I would be finding another practitioner who would deliver my baby butt first, or at the very least trying any and everything to turn bubs.
If you do happen to end up with one though, get up asap!!! I got up to use the loo about half an hour after I got back from recovery (about 3 hours after surgery) and showered a couple of hours after that.
I went home the next day. Only used panadol for pain relief for a couple of days, and I put that down to getting moving soon after surgery.
Goodluck wth your mission, and I hope baby turns for you soon.:fingerscrossed: :fingerscrossed:

[Mummita]

I had an emergency c/s but it was not as bad as i thought it would be. As others have mentioned it's best to get up and mobile as soon as you can. i had to stay in bed for 24 hours afterwards (blood pressure probs) but as soon as i was able to get up i'd get up regularly and walk the halls and would also sit in a comfy chair instead of being in bed all day.
Worst part of c/s for me was being extremely cold! I just remember shivering & hoping it would be over asap so i could meet bubs & get warm!
My best piece of advice would be to ask for pain relief in hospital if you need it - don't be a hero! And once home, except ALL offers of help.

[Roopee]

Thanks guys!!

She turned thank god and is now fully engaged so ready any day now.

Thanks for all your input and advice:hugs:

[krikki]

and i've survived to tell the tale...

actually not much to tell, my situation was the same as yours - breech baby. i tried accupuncture but didn't work for me - worth trying though.

i was up and about the same afternoon once i got feeling back in legs - i felt like uma thurman in kill bill when she was trying to wiggle her big toe after she came out of coma!

as for pain, only had panadol.

maybe if your births are usually easy and painfree then maybe the same will apply for your ceasa.

good luck - maybe your baby will turn back in the meantime!:fingerscrossed: