Length of labor (not pushing)
Did not go into labor
Length of pushing
N/A
Who was with me
My husband, till I went into the OR
What I would do differently next time
I would spend more time discussing my birth plan with my OB ahead of time.
What I did to prepare for birth
I was a high-risk pregnancy due to a heart problem. I spent a lot of time reading about labor, hearing other friends' birth stories who have the same heart problem, and creating a birth plan. My OB also had me meet with the anesthesiologist ahead of time to discuss how the birth would go, as it was mandatory that I had an epidural to protect my heart.
How my birth happened
At 37 weeks I was told an epidural wouldn't work and a c-section under general anesthesia would be safest for me and the baby. I did research and came to the same conclusion. However, I was still disappointed, not only that I was going to need to have a c-section but that I wouldn't be awake for anything. In the end though, I decided that having a baby under general anesthesia is kind of like Christmas: little kids go to sleep and wake up to presents from Santa. I'd be going to sleep and waking up to a baby!
My husband and I arrived at the hospital for my c-section at 39 weeks. The doctor was running late, so the surgery was an hour and a half after I expected. Even though I've had lots of surgeries, I realized I had little idea of what to expect. I didn't know they'd do a catheter while I was awake or that I'd have to have an arterial line. My husband had to wait in the recovery room for me instead of going into the OR.
I suffered cardiac complications during the surgery and my son & I were separated for the first night. No one on the cardiac unit would tell me why I was there (I didn't find out about the complications till the 2nd day), and although I was allowed to breastfeed, the nurse who brought my son to me every few hrs would not let my husband hold him (no social visits, she said). The cardiac nurse also refused to allow my son on the floor the next morning, so it was afternoon before he and I were reunited on maternity floor.
Lessons learned
- Don't be embarrassed to discuss my birth plan at length with my OB.
- Ask the OB to explain everything that will/might happen with the surgery.
- Now that I know what can happen, next time around I'll be really direct about my post-birth expectations. This will include my husband being made aware of what happened with the surgery and to talk with the maternity ward ahead of time about allowing the baby to room with me, even if I'm on a diff. floor. I realize some rules aren't negotiable but with preparation they might be willing to bend some.
