Whether you are planning a c – section or not, there is always the possibility that you could end up delivering that way. My second son, Blake, arrived via c – section after he began to show signs of stress during delivery. I had not been planning a c – section and knew next to nothing about it. There was no real time to anticipate it or become afraid, because I was moved out of my room and into the operating room with barely any time to think. Fortunately, the operation went well and both Blake and I recovered quickly.
There are a few things that not many people know about having a c – section until after they have one. The first is that you may feel a slight tug or pull as baby is removed from your abdomen even though you have anesthesia. I did not experience that, because somehow I got a rather heavy dose of anesthesia that numbed me all of the way up to my chin instead of just up to my chest. During the operation I felt nothing, which was great except that because the anesthesia went up so far I felt like I could not breathe even though I was breathing just fine. That was kind of scary.
Another thing that you may not know is that even though your incision will heal, it may freak you out at least for a little while. Many women report feeling shocked and horrified when they first see their incision. I did not look at my incision for a good two weeks after the surgery because I was afraid to look. Fortunately, the shock does not last long and the scars heal and fade. I’m totally over it now. Many times, the incision is not very large and is located in a place which is always covered, even if you wear a bikini to the beach. Not that I’ll be wearing one any time soon – but that has nothing to do with the scar!
Although I was not expecting to have a c – section, looking back on the experience I can say that it was not as big of a deal as I thought that it would be. I was able to heal fairly quickly, and by about four weeks postpartum I had healed enough that I could go out for short walks. By six weeks, I was able to walk four or five miles at a time. Getting up and moving, and getting back into doing normal everyday tasks like dishes and laundry (as soon as my body was ready) as well as caring for my two boys really helped me to recover from my c – section. Let your body (and your doctor) be your guides, and you will hopefully have a smooth recovery too.
Photo by wax 115 on morguefile.com.