Caesarean Section 101

I is back. In pain but doing fine. So, back to writing.

I always look forward to new experiences. This would explain why I do some things at an earlier age than the average Joey. Doesn't mean I know any better or that I am better prepared. I just feel that life is more fulfilling that way. Even if we are talking about a C-sec or a Caesarean section.

Technically a Caesarean section is major surgery, whilst natural birth is major pain. Let's leave it at that. Either way, the baby is coming out and the mother will be in mind-numbing pain: natural birth, during; C-sec, after.

So what happens in a C-sec? I'd suggest the guys skip this article, unless their wife is delivering and they are dragged or being forced into the operating theatre, whereby I think it is more important that you know what you are getting yourself into, than to feign ignorance throughout the whole process.

The Prep

You arrive at the delivery place of your choice the night before, or in my case, an hour before where a nurse will prep you for your surgery. They will shave unwanted hair off you so that it does not get in the way of the delivery. They will dress you in a degrading one-piece, opened back dressing gown with hideous flowery patterns. They will also be controlling your urine output by inserting a tube in you, somewhere, I'm not sure where, but it doesn't hurt and you don't have to get up and pee for a day.

Once the doctor is done with their other patients, the anesthesia doctor will come in (you will become increasingly anxious) and tell you what he will be doing for you in terms of pain management:

"We will be giving you half body anesthesia so that you will be awake (awake? why would I want to be awake?!) during the surgery. You will feel no pain (are you sure? what if you miss?!) and you will be able to hear and see your baby the moment he or she comes out of your womb (oh my god, this is it, isn't it?!) and your husband (who me?) is joining us right? (Do I have a choice now?) Okay, we will suit him up and we will let him cut the umbilical cord if he wants to (Oh great, I have something of significance to do. What the...? How come you get to cut the umbilical cord? Cause you will be out from the meds. Oh, right.)."

And off he goes, and you wait summore.

The Doctor is in the House

First part: Anaesthesia
So once your surgeon is done with his previous engagements it will be your turn. You will be asked to sign something like a consent form (I'd suggest you read yours first before you sign, I was too excited to be reading anything at the time) and then they will wheel you down to the operating table. And then, everything happens at the speed of light. Seriously. It's like they all have a movie to go to and you are holding them up.

You will be given anesthesia at your spinal cord (some people call this an epidural, I still can't find the distinction between an epidural shot and a non-epidural shot) and although it is cold and you are scared, the surgeon will ask you to try to not shiver. Even if it is beyond your control. At this point, it helps to breathe in and out slowly because you have to be really still for the doctor to give you the shot. It doesn't hurt if you can stand insect bites and it is over in 5 seconds.

Then, they make you lie down. You begin to fill numbness all over the lower part of your body. You will still feel pressure points, but you will not feel pain. In case you are fearful of the anesthesia not working fast enough, move your feet, swirling them at the ankles. The moment the med kicks in, you won't be able to swirl it anymore, then you know you won't feel any pain.

You will still shiver your butt off (figuratively speaking) and it helps to have someone you know in the room with you. My husband was there, and the moment he held my hand I stopped shivering.. for like 5 seconds. Beggars can't be choosers.

Second part: "The delivery"
My surgeon told me it will be done in half an hour and he kept to his word. Five minutes after I was laid down, the doctor say you will feel a bit of a pressure, which I did all the way down my abdomen as they push my daughter out of me, and then I heard my daughter's first word: WAAAHHHHHHHH.

The surgeon shows me my baby's bum (instead of her face) before they took her away to clean her and it took me a while to realize that he was showing me my baby's sex. Hey, I knew she was a girl from my 6th month of pregnancy. It's not gonna surprise me. What did surprise me was she was covered in white fluid-like residue all over instead of blood. This turned out to be the amniotic fluid. If it was natural labour, you would see the baby covered with blood.

Then, my husband was summoned over to God-knows-where and I was left there shivering, again...

Intermission: Go get a breather.

Third part: The baby

You know, the moment you know you are a mother is when your baby's cries can automatically reduce you to tears.

As stated in the last paragraph I was left there shivering on my own... and subjected to the torture of not knowing what the heck is making my baby cry like that! Honestly, what you don't know really will scare you.

Later on, I found out that the father was asked over to cut the umbilical cord (which has a higher tensile strength than your IV tube), inspect the baby throughout; and the baby had to have her nose and lungs cleared out with tubes and equipment. My husband could not be more specific, he was too much in awe from seeing his daughter, face to face. Childbirth has that effect on fathers, apparently.

Fourth part: Closure
Your partner will leave you to the care of your doctors because they had to follow the baby out and so you may have to go through this part alone. Your surgeon will be doing a lot of pushing downwards on you to clear your placenta and to stitch you up. You will also hear a lot of suction as they clear out the amniotic fluid, blood and other fluids that are supposed to be taken out from your body.

From the time I saw my baby's butt until they wheeled me out of surgery, it took 25 mins the most. My doctor even showed me the amount of blood loss I had throughout the surgery, just enough to fill a Coca Cola can. And I was breastfeeding within an hour from the moment I went into the Operating Theatre (OT).

Overall, even though it was a Caesarean section, major surgery, with anesthesia and constant shivering... the thing that hurt the most was this:
That's the way they use to insert the meds and IV fluids into your body. When they were trying to plug it into you, it will hurt.

I was discharged two days after. And that's when the pain of parenthood hits you.

To be continued...