Birth Story-My Three Cesarean Births
Congratulations, You’re Having A...C-Section?
By A. Seale
The excitement about an upcoming birth is usually about the end result: a healthy baby and
mother. It is unlikely, then, that anyone would be excited to learn that, before that joyous
outcome can happen, they first get to have a C-section. Yaaaaay.
Plans Change
First, let’s establish that all birth is work–HARD work. I knew that going into it. I have the good
fortune of knowing women who had given birth before me and were kind enough to share their
experiences. I knew that in addition to joy, that pain, stress, and unforeseen circumstances
might also be part of my experience.
With this wisdom in mind (and because my anxious brain finds preparation calming), I hired a
labor doula to help educate me and my husband about the forthcoming experience. She
discussed our preferences, answered our questions, and demonstrated the many different
comfort measures one can try to support labor. She also helped us create a birth plan. In
addition, I read Ina May Gaskin’s very informative and empowering book, Ina May’s Guide to
Childbirth. My husband and I were part of a new parents’ support group, which provided a
parenting class on labor, delivery, and newborn and infant care. All of these resources provided
an abundance of information to prepare me and my spouse for the birth of our first child.
My plan was to go into labor naturally. I would rely on my labor doula and husband and use the
comfort measures we’d learned to help ease the pain of contractions. My plan was to do this
without the use of medications. I’m not against them and certainly not against anyone choosing
to use them–by all means, do what is right for you and your body. I had thought about it and
wanted to try this experience without medication. I wanted to avoid pharmaceutical and surgical
intervention if at all possible, but at the end of the day, I would do what was necessary to ensure
the safety of my child and me.
After our routine growth ultrasound, we learned our baby was experiencing IUGR, or
Intrauterine Growth Restriction, a condition in which the baby isn’t able to grow as much as
expected. My OB at the time encouraged us to be induced. I was disappointed, but knew the
doctor was recommending it for a reason, and I wanted our baby to be healthy.
The day of our induction, my husband and I arrived at the hospital just after noon. I was
examined and hooked up to the fetal monitors. The Pitocin started at 2:00 p.m., and my labor
doula arrived soon after. Mild contractions had begun but didn’t feel terrible–more like strong
period cramps. As the evening wore on, the contractions intensified along with my discomfort,
as I expected, but the comfort measures were helping.
Fast-forward to 3:00 a.m. the next day, and I was really feeling it but not progressing very much.
All the hormones and physical exertion had exhausted me. I hadn’t eaten since before noon the
day before, since the current guidance is to stick with clear liquids once labor begins in the
event of an emergency. I was shaking from the hormones, drained from physical exertion,
feeling defeated about not progressing any further than 5 cm after 12+ hours of labor, and I
hadn’t even begun to push–wasn’t even in the neighborhood of pushing yet. How was I going to
keep doing this? By that point, the OB on call had noticed my baby wasn’t handling the stress of
labor very well, and began to recommend a C-section. Her heart rate continued to show signs of
distress, so the recommendation suddenly turned into an emergency situation. I was rushed to
the OR, and a few minutes later, our precious daughter was born. Turns out that I had
developed a rare and serious condition called a Bandl’s ring. This meant that my uterus was
effectively contracting as two separate muscles, rather than as one. This condition obstructs
labor, and can lead to serious fetal consequences and uterine rupture. My daughter’s umbilical
cord had become wrapped around her neck in the process, so it’s no wonder she was under
distress. I remain grateful for the expertise of those doctors and nurses who safely and quickly
delivered my baby under those scary circumstances.
Post-Partum and Post-Op
There I was, postpartum and post-op, and...bleeding? What?! I’d had a C-section, so why was I
bleeding? Oh yes, it turns out that every postpartum mother gets to experience postpartum
bleeding, regardless of how they cross the finish line. I was navigating breastfeeding, bleeding,
caring for my newborn, and had a major surgical scar to deal with. All while riding the
postpartum hormone rollercoaster. I continue to thank God for my wonderful husband who
remains a supportive and caring partner. He took shifts with our newborn daughter and made
sure we were all fed those first several days. He continued to support me as I experienced
mood swings, pain, and breastfeeding challenges over the coming weeks. Our labor doula
continued to provide regular check-ins and key emotional support after our delivery. Our families
and friends provided helpful support, both in-person and virtually, as we continued to recover.
Their care ensured that I had a good outcome post-surgery.
It Can Be Hard to Get Off the C-Section Train
About two years later, I was pregnant with our second baby. My OB strongly recommended that
I have a repeat C-section. Many hospitals and OB\GYN practices are hesitant about VBACs
(vaginal birth after Cesarean), and mine was no different. I was worried about developing
another Band’s ring, and I’m not one to ignore sound medical advice, so we scheduled our
repeat C-section. This time, we hired a sibling doula to care for our daughter while we’d be in
the hospital. The big day arrived, and everything blessedly went as planned. We welcomed our
son mid-day. It was a much calmer experience the second time around, and I had the benefit of
knowing what to expect with that procedure. I was able to implement the things that had helped
me recover the first time around, and they proved helpful once again.
We were excited to learn we were expecting our third child about a year later. I knew going into
it that I’d be steered towards another C-section. By this point, I’d made my peace with it and
was keen to do whatever would yield a healthy baby. The third trimester rolled along, and we
scheduled our third C-section at 40 weeks. We asked my sister to be available to watch our two
children. We had a plan.
The prevailing wisdom is that babies adhere to their own schedules and will arrive whenever
they please, thank you very much. Hence why I had to laugh when contractions woke me up at
4:00 a.m. at 38 weeks and 6 days. I’d had Braxton Hicks all during my previous pregnancies,
and this one had been no different, so I wasn’t immediately sure I was in labor. I’d never gone
into labor naturally and didn’t know what that would look or feel like for me. I quietly slipped out
of bed and began timing my contractions. By 7:00 a.m., I’d let my husband and sister know that
I thought I was in labor. A long soaking bath hadn’t made the contractions stop, but rather they
had continued to intensify and come more regularly. Welcome to labor! I hadn’t even packed my
hospital bag–we were over a week out from our scheduled C-section! After laboring while
packing a bag, we finally made our way to the hospital to get examined. Yep, I was definitely in
labor. Oh, boy. I was NOT mentally prepared for this. It was my sister’s wedding anniversary
and I’d rudely interrupted it. She and my brother-in-law were loving and kind and graciously put
their plans on hold to watch our kids. Several hours went by as we waited for an opening in the
OR. Labor is very physical (duh), but it’s also a mental experience. If you’re anything but calm
and centered, it’s not going to be pleasant. I was yelling and stressed and worried and in pain. I
was nearly at my limit when we finally got word that we’d be heading into surgery. Our youngest
son was born without complications soon after that.
Tips for C-Section Births
Here are a few items to consider that have helped me with my multiple C-section births.
Expect the unexpected. Make plans but be adaptable. Know that your plans may change and
make peace with it.
Educate yourself. Whether you are considering giving birth by C-section, or are certain you
won’t need one, it’s still important to learn about what’s involved with this procedure. Like me,
you may find yourself in a situation wherein that’s the safest delivery option. I urge you to
educate yourself and your support team about all aspects of a C-section delivery, from the
medications administered, to the incisions, the healing process, any potential complications, and
what to expect with future pregnancies. Look at reputable sources of information (i.e., not social
media), and ask your medical team any questions you have. Education is a powerful tool
against the anxiety of the unknown, and can empower you and your support team to make the
best decisions for all involved.
Enlist a support team. This goes for all births, but especially if you find yourself postpartum
and post-major surgery. Ask for help! Make sure your spouse/partner/roommate/etc. knows that
you’ll be unable to lift more than your newborn for several weeks. Did you know you can’t drive
for two weeks after a C-section? Definitely plan for that. Educate your people about the signs of
postpartum complications. Set up a meal train or prepare several meals’ worth of easy-to-heat
(and eat one-handed) meals. Plan for help with common household chores, both for the
physical help but also so that you can rest. Have emotional support people available, too!
Whether it’s your first or your nth birth, each brings with it a complex bouquet of emotions to
confront. It helps to have friends available who can lend a sympathetic ear. Consider hiring a
postpartum doula. I am so glad I had a postpartum doula after my third C-section. They helped
with holding/changing my newborn, helped watch my older two children while I breastfed, and
were kind enough to assist with some light housework.
Have a birth plan. Yes, you can write a birth plan even if you plan to have a C-section! I revised
my original birth plan to include how I wanted my incision to be stitched, the kind of environment
in the OR (music/no music/what kind of sounds), how to do skin-to-skin contact (both in the
event I’m unconscious or my husband was unavailable), and so on. It’s best to get your
preferences on paper so you at least know what your options are and how you feel about them.
The hospital may not be able to honor all of your requests, but you can certainly ask.
Ask for a belly band! These are the wide, stretchy corset-like wraps that attach with hooks or
velcro strips. They help support your abdominal muscles as you heal from major surgery. My
hospital provided me with one, and it was a game-changer! I credit this as a major part of my
successful recovery after each C-section.
Ask about pelvic floor therapy! Your future self will thank you. Just because you don’t deliver
vaginally doesn’t mean your pelvic floor isn’t affected by the experience.
Final Thoughts
How you choose to labor and deliver your child is–and should be–up to you. If you want to have
medication, great. If you want to labor in a tub, great. If you want to have a C-section, great!
C-sections are not “taking the easy way out” with labor and birth. Anyone who says that doesn’t
know what they’re talking about. A C-section is a major abdominal surgery, and birth is already a
feat worthy of a parade. You and your body are doing a phenomenal thing, regardless of how
that thing happens. Congratulations!