Fortunately, I was mentally prepared for a C-Section when my doctor decided to deliver that way while I was in labor. The call was made at 7:30pm on May 16th because my baby girl's heart rate dropped during what the monitor called an "intense" contraction. I still didn't think it was a very intense contraction. The nurse threw an oxygen mask on my (no idea why) and a slew of people came in and out of my triage area. I signed away my life and saw a variety of medical professionals. The nurse explained the C-Section process to me and the anesthesia tech explained how I would be numbed from chest down. The tech asked what kind of music I wanted to hear and I requested hip-hop. Best decision of the day.
Sometime around 9:30pm the team wheeled me out of the triage area into surgery. I had to say goodbye to my husband while the team prepared me for the surgery. I was scared! The only surgery I ever had was getting my wisdom teeth removed. When the surgery room door opened and I heard hip-hop blasting I burst into laughter. I wish I could remember the first song I heard but the next song was "Snap Yo Fingers" and I did a little dance on the table. Next came, "In Da Club" which was appropriate for celebrating my baby girl's birthday.
Getting the epidural was painless. It felt a little cold and then I felt it drain down my legs. The team helped me lay down and I thought it would be a good idea to try and wiggle my toes. Don't try to move your feet or legs after getting an epidural. Your brain sends the signal but your body doesn't move...freaky! My husband came in and my doctor checked to make sure I couldn't feel anything. Go time!
In about 3 minutes the anesthesia tech was lifting me up so I could see my baby girl coming out. Holy cow! What an incredible sight. She was covered in goo but she was here at 10:01pm. I waited patiently for her first little whimper and felt instant relief when I heard her cry. The NICU team took my baby to the warmer, drained fluid and cleaned her up. My doctor stitched me up and I couldn't believe she was having a normal conversation about weekend plans with the team. I guess a C-Section is as routine for her as interviewing is for me.
The C-Section process was quick and painless. After the surgery I spent about an hour in recovery before being admitted into my maternity ward room. My husband and I started sharing the good news via text. Crazy how you can have this major abdominal surgery and then get access to your phone and start connecting with friends and family. Sometime around 1am I was admitted into maternity and could get settled into my room.
I was hooked up to all kinds of machines. I had these fancy compression socks on my legs to help prevent blood clots and an IV drip running nutrition into my body. I was incredibly thirsty and hot. My body was also itchy from the anesthesia. The nurse or patient care assistant visited my room every hour to check on me and my recovery. My poor husband tried to sleep on a small cot in the corner despite the noise. Sleep was impossible for me. With the noise of the machines nurse interruptions and unfamiliarity of it all the best I could do was nap briefly.
At 6:00am the nurse asked me if I wanted to try pumping. My immediate response was no (I was too sleepy to even think about it). Luckily, my husband chimed in and encouraged me to give it a try. The nurse gave us a crash course on pump set up and pumping basics while we still groggy (not an ideal time for such an important lesson) and put these cone things on my boobs. With the push of a button, the machine started pulling my boobs into the cones and miraculously a little bit of colostrum came out. The nurse praised me and with that positive enforcement and success I was hooked. More on pumping later.
The day after my C-Section the nurse helped me get out of bed into a wheelchair to go see my baby girl. Holy pain! Moving felt like my stomach was being stabbed by multiple knives while being pulled apart at the same time. Later that night, despite my best bargaining the nurse removed my cathater. I was now forced to get in and out of bed more often. The pain was horrific, I dropped the F bomb on the hews nurse and it was demoralizing to call for help to get out of bed to pee. The pain I felt trying to sit on the toilet after a marathon was nothing compared to this! When my husband got back to the hospital the next day he was the lucky bathroom assistant. What a humbling experience for a very active, independent woman. Guess those vows are accurate, through sickness and health. If the process of having a baby and delivering that baby doesn't bring you closer to your husband I think you might have some issues to work out.
Each time I got out of bed got a little bit better. My husband taught me how to work my bed to my advantage and to use the recline feature to my advantage. A smart nurse taught me to breathe (channel your inner yogi) during the most painful parts. Eventually, I was able to get out of bed on my own.
The process of C-Section recovery is a slow one. The hospital sent me home with a binder (apparently women order these things on their own to help get their figures back) and I can't wait to stop wearing mine. My husband said it is just a way for me to get used to wearing high-waited mom jeans. (Not happening anytime soon!) Yesterday (nearly two weeks after surgery) I sneezed my first non-painful sneeze. I stopped taking the pain medication about a week ago and no longer need Motrin. Things are starting to look up! I guess that nurse who made me get up out of bed at night was right. Moving around does help with recovery. I definitely don't feel like less of a woman after the process is done and over with. If anything, I feel like a champ!
