- At 37 weeks, I needed an emergency C-section.
- I was completely unprepared for the surgery and had no idea what to expect.
- I was better prepared for my second C-section.
It would be an understatement to say that I was not prepared for my first pregnancy. I didn’t know anything about birthing, baby care, or pregnancy. Before my son was born, I had never changed his diaper.
Because that was my goal, I had focused all of my energy learning about unassisted deliveries. A wonderful team of midwives followed me through my uneventful pregnancy, without any invasive tests. My baby was born prematurely after my last ultrasound.
This was the opposite of what I had prepared for, and I panicked — mostly because I didn’t know what was going to happen, so I was processing things as they occurred.
My second C-section was years later. However, I felt confident from beginning to end because I knew what was coming. I was prepared for what shocked me the first time. This included the shaking after giving birth and caring for my stitches. I had a much better experience giving birth.
Here are the things I wish I had known the first time.
Still feel the effects of spinal anesthesia
My first surprise, and the one that scared me a lot, was my ability to feel things even after I had spinal anesthesia. Even though I was not feeling pain, I could still feel the doctor’s hands and wiggle my feet.
Before performing my second C section, my obstetrician conducted a sensation test. She asked for my anesthesia to be increased because I could feel her pinch.
I also could feel the hands inside of me while the doctor and nurses moved organs out of the way for the baby to come out. It sounds as crazy as it is.
Shaking is normal
My entire body began to shake immediately after I had my first child. My anesthesiologist held onto my hand and told me to let the shaking go. This is common in births. Hormonal changes that the body goes through.
Due to twins and the shaking, I felt nausea after my second C section. To make me feel more at ease, I informed the team and they administered medications to my IV.
After surgery, you will receive a catheter
I didn’t know that a catheter had been inserted shortly after my spinal anesthesia kicks in. I can only imagine how shocked I was when the nurse came into my room to ask if I was ready. Take out the pee bagFrom the side of my bed. It makes sense to have one, considering you can’t move for 24 hours or until the anesthesia wears down.
Although I didn’t feel any pain when the catheter was inserted, it wasn’t painful to have it removed.
It’s hard to sleep at the hospital
“Sleep when the baby sleeps”This is the first thing new moms hear. This is impossible when you’re in hospital after major abdominal surgery. My baby was usually awake and eating at night, so I had to have many check-ups in the middle of the night. This meant that I got very little sleep.
But, routine check-ups are often life-saving. Due to my second C-section, I had a lot of blood loss and was very anemic. I received iron transfusions throughout the day.
After a long day, you can’t eat right away.
After reading stories about mothers’ first meals after giving birth, I was eager to try a rare burger, fries and milkshake. However, a nurse advised me to chew ice chips for the next 12 hour.
Already starving, I had no food or drink to eat during the day and was now hungry knowing that I would not be getting food until morning.
It feels strange to go to the toilet.
It is important to talk about the importance of urinating after giving birth. For most, it’s uncomfortable. I felt my stitches would rip open as soon as I sat down. This sensation lasted several weeks and, looking back, I believe it was more mental than physical.
It is possible for blood to leak from the vaginal area after giving birth. This can make it difficult to clean up after using the toilet.
Although every birth experience is different, I found that knowing what to expect and when was helpful in my recovery, both mentally and physically. Looking back, I wish that I had read as much about postpartum recovery and C-sections as I did about vaginal birth and pregnancy.