In-Between the C-Section
My confidence was over the top when it came to being ready for having my c-section. After all, I had worked in the medical field for years and have been exposed to a lot of surgeries. One of the requirements for clinical’s for my degree was to witness a c-section being performed. You would think that would make me feel more prepared.
I will spare you some of the icky details, but there are definitely some things I took away from that experience I want to share. The main thing is to have a birth plan. I thought the only people that needed a birth plan were the ones who planned to have a natural birth. Why would I need one, it’s a planned c-section and would be pretty cut and dry right? No pun intended.
One big part I didn’t realize was the time in between the c-section. I was without my husband for a long time while they were preparing me for surgery. It was much longer than they had told me it would be. My husband later told me that when he walked in and saw my face, he could tell I was very unsettled. After my son was born, they took him and my husband back to the room. Again, I was told it wouldn’t be long but it was almost 40 minutes! I know it doesn’t sound like long but trust me after going through surgery, especially for the first time and being separated from both your husband and your baby, it was rough. I consider myself a pretty tough and strong individual, but during a c-section you are very exposed and vulnerable. I was definitely longing for my husband and my baby by my side.
I consider myself a pretty tough and strong individual, but during a c-section you are very exposed and vulnerable.
There are tons of other things that I didn’t look into beforehand that I wish I had. I won’t list everything, but I will say doing your own research is very important. I went into this thinking I didn’t have to worry because the doctors and nurses would know everything and have the answers to my questions. While I had mostly great doctors and nurses, sadly they weren’t experts in every aspect. I asked questions that they didn’t know the answers to. Some of these were pretty important questions. For example, I was given medication and because of my medical background I questioned the need for it. When I asked, the answer I got was “I am not sure why you would get that” and when the doctor was asked the same question he didn’t really answer, he just paused for a moment and then said “We can discontinue it.”
I know some c-sections are not planned and everybody’s experience is different. This is why, after the fact, I realized how important a birth plan is because you don’t know exactly how things are going to go no matter how much knowledge or experience you have. I have already started working on a birth plan for my next child to utilize one day in the future. Having a birth plan set in place and doing research will help your confidence and bring you a little more comfort during what could be an anxious time.
Written by: Chelsey Decker
Chelsey Deck Mattoon, IL
“Having a birth plan set in place and doing research will help your confidence and bring you a little more comfort during what could be an anxious time.”
