My Gentle C – Section Story

I had an incredible gentle c-section experience. My birth plan went pretty much how Kai and I wanted it to be, and we had a full team of amazing doctors and nurses. Prior to all this, I never imagined I would get my stomach cut open or how much I wanted to have a vaginal birth. It was physically and emotionally difficult to accept that my placenta previa wasn’t going to move at 37 weeks, and that I would have a scheduled c-section. I think having a strong support system, and doctors who I trusted helped get me through this pregnancy and delivery process. I am extremely grateful for that. Every delivery is different, and I have heard from some women that it all becomes a blur. So I decided to write down my personal journey right after I gave birth. Everything felt like it all happened at once…time seemed to have sped up, but it also felt like it was just yesterday that I was in the surgery room. It all seemed overwhelming and confusing, so maybe this is the brain fog that some women talk about? Anywho, here’s my personal gentle c-section story.

January 31st, 2019 was a quiet and peaceful morning. I managed to take a hot shower and gather my thoughts before the big procedure that was about to happen in a few hours. Everything is ready, and the timing is perfect; the whole process will go smoothly, baby and I will be safe and in good hands; these are some of the things that I tell myself.

It was 6:20am when we arrived at the hospital. After parking, I waddled in and signed some consent forms. I was weighed at 141 pounds, and then brought to a room where I changed my clothes into a gown with a belly fabric bandage to wear underneath. I remembered feeling pretty excited, but calm. Having Kai there was a huge support for me, he’s my anchor and keeps me grounded. After I got changed, the nurse attached 2 monitors on my belly – one lower and one a little higher on belly. This was to track baby’s heart rate and it ranged around 130’s. We were talking to baby and when Kai sang to her, her heartbeat went up to 140’s. I also turned on some music to keep the atmosphere as relaxed as possible. I was monitored for about an hour, and while all this was happening the nurse gave me forms to sign. One of these was a Hep B shot consent form, which we declined, opting instead to have baby get it at 1 month. There was one more form, but I forget what it was. At the same time, there was another nurse who gave me an IV, which was a bit stingy and painful honestly – my first time getting an IV. Me and needles just don’t mix well, I mean who likes needles? Maybe after this whole process, my fear for needles will subside…maybe…deep breaths, I told myself. This has been my go-to motto the past couple months. Luckily I brought a pillow and put that under my left arm so it felt a lot better.

My OB doctor came in to see us and to check if we had any final questions before the procedure. Her being there was so reassuring for me. We had talked and reviewed my birth plan a few days before, and she really made sure to have my plan carried out. The doctor who performed my c-section also came in, and I handed her my birth plan. There was another nurse that came in who gave me antibiotics and nonslip walking socks.

Gentle C-Section Birth Plan :

• Would like partner to be with me during c-section procedure and spinal block
• Please explain what is happening during surgery
• Allowed to wear eye mask during spinal block procedure
• Do NOT want extra dosage. ONLY the MINIMUM.
• Catheter inserted after the spinal block has taken effect
• Only use medications that don’t alter mom’s cognitive abilities
• DO NOT want arms to be strapped down at any time
• Stitches, NO staples

• NO ICE at anytime
• Sheet covering during c-section procedure
• Allow lavender essential oil nearby
• Sheet lowered and see baby coming out of tummy (if possible – a nurse to help take a picture of baby coming out )
• Delayed cord clamp
• Skin to skin immediately if conscious, or skin to skin with partner immediately
• breastfeed immediately
• keep placenta
• NO SEPARATION unless absolutely required: Be with baby the entire time throughout all procedures (such as weighing and shots)
• Please NO sedatives after birth
• Music played ? (I will provide)
• The room as quiet as possible
• As few interruptions as possible
• Hospital staff limited to my own doctor and nurses (no students, residents or interns present)
• To wear my contact lens during procedures

I think the most nerve wracking part of the procedure wasn’t that I would be getting my stomach cut open, but rather the spinal that I was going to get beforehand. I have a huge fear of needles, so in my birth plan I had written for Kai to be there while it took place. My OB had asked the anesthesiologist and was able to discuss the details of my birth plan before she stopped by my room. Usually this isn’t allowed due to the safety and the precision that is required for the spinal, but luckily we had an anesthesiologist that agreed to it. After the anesthesiologist explained her portion of the operation and answered our questions, we slowly made our way upstairs. We did bring a hospital bag and had to drop if off in the recovery room. I think a good tip to others is just to not bring everything if you have someone accompanying you. You can have he/she retrieve what you need from the car later. It just makes it easier so you don’t have to be lugging around so much stuff.

The room was a tad cold when we stepped in, and it looked like a typical surgery room-not that I’ve been into one before but it looked the same as those that were shown in movies. I sat at the edge of the bed, and one of the nurses placed a stool under my feet. Then Kai sat on a low rolling chair facing me, and I put my leg on his thighs bent high and straight at a 90 degree angle, and rounded my back for the spinal shot. I had an eye mask to wear-I didn’t want to see what was going on during the spinal, and definitely not the needle. I was glad to have brought the eye mask, because uncontrollably I was trembling a bit and tears couldn’t stop rolling down my face. I guess it was the pre-nerves coming out and maybe the slightly cold temperature of room. From here on out, everything seemed to have quickened. As the needle went in, it was a sharp thin poke first, and then a numbing sensation from the second shot. After that, my legs felt tingly in the short span of a few seconds. I was laid down quickly with my legs spread wide for the insertion of the catheter. I didn’t really feel much, just a light poke. I felt the medication take effect, and my legs started to lose feeling little by little. My legs were strapped down, but my arms were left free and placed on attached armrests sticking out to the sides of the bed. During the operation, there was a lot of tingling sensation and pressure. The pressure increased when the baby was being pushed out. It wasn’t painful, it just felt as if my belly was tugging and pulling. I was a little nervous when I couldn’t feel my legs, but it was quite relieving when I realized I actually didn’t feel any pain. During this whole time, Kai was calmly speaking to me, and reassuring me that everything was going well. I was also listening to music and smelling my lavender oil, which helped a lot! It was a nice distraction in a way. I was in this weird state of being half awake and half asleep (most likely from the medication and the fact that I only had about 3 hours of sleep the night before). Honestly, my experience wasn’t as bad as I envisioned it. Knowing I was in good hands, and having such an amazing team of doctors and nurses there for me really put my mind at ease.

I heard the doctors saying, she’s coming out! I don’t think my brain soaked that in fast enough. All of a sudden, a loud shriek sounded the room. Surprisingly, I didn’t realize it was my baby’s cry at first. It took a little while to register. Her cry was loud, not too high pitched or low pitched. Her cry sounded foreign to me, almost alien-like…if that made sense. I’ve heard a lot of babies cry before, but to describe her cry the best I could it was a water-stuck-in-my-throat-almost-gurgling-crying-and-shrieking voice. As I slowly came to my senses and realized it was my baby’s cry, the sheet was lowered and I saw her. I couldn’t help but tear up. All the emotions, the anticipation, the anxiety, the stress, all seemed to have washed away as tears rolled down my face. These were happy tears, proud tears, and tears that marked another milestone in my life.

After the nurses clamped and cut baby’s cord, baby gets whisked away for the shots on a table just a few steps away from me. Kai was called over to cut the end of the cord. (My placenta was healthy enough to take home, so I also experienced cutting the cord when we got home. It was like cutting through a tough, thick gelatinous tube.) The nurses cleaned baby up a bit and wrapped her before handing her to me.

The skin to skin moment with my baby was one of the most amazing life experiences I could ask for. Words can not aptly describe the roller coaster of emotions I was feeling at the time. Let’s just say, once you experience it for yourself, you’ll know what I mean. Baby calmed down immediately, and tried looking for my boobs. The position was a little hard for her to start sucking, but her mouth kept opening and rooting. She smelled like the baby smell all mothers talk about. She felt warm and soft. She was also sticky from the womb residues. She was so cute, tiny, and beautiful. She’s a fighter for coming out to this world 3 weeks earlier at 5 pounds and 8 ounces.

The procedure came to an end as I got stitched up while doing skin to skin with baby. The pushing, pulling, and tingling sensation was still here, but no surprise feelings at this point. After all the final touches in the surgery room, I got wheeled to the recovery room, while Kai went with baby for a few more checks before reuniting with me.

I had my heart rate monitored for about 2 hours, and it was normal. The pediatrician came in and said things were good with baby as well. There were also a few more papers to be signed such as understanding the leaving restrictions, and having a car seat before we can take the baby to leave if we were driving. I was so tired, I actually dozed off here and remembered just nodding to people as they walked in to say more things to me. A while later, compression cuffs were put on my legs to prevent blood clots. My legs and feet were so swollen after the surgery.

This wraps up my personal gentle c-section story! I had an amazing experience! As I finally got a chance to edit and post this, baby is currently very healthy and almost 9 pounds! I am slowly recovering and feeling a lot better. Kai and I also have to come up with a name for her soon! For now, I hope this was interesting to read=)