I am looking for some ideas to include in a section I am writing for a birth and spirituality book.
What are some ideas you have to create a positive cesarean?
How about to help a cesarean capture that sacred feeling?
Be aware if you are going to share your idea, if may be put into the book!
i had 4 vaginal births and 2 emergency c-sections. i can honestly say that my c-sections were as spiritual as my other births. I’m not sure that i planned for a sacred c-section. both times, i planned for a natural delivery. But, i can say three things contributed to my peace during birth.
1. I trusted my doctor.
2. I knew that American modern-day technology is EXCEPTIONAL for handling emergency situations.
3. I was given an external gift of comfort.
We moved just before i was due with my fifth baby. I found a doctor willing to take me, but after my first visit it just didn’t feel right. The day before my baby was born i switched doctors again. I felt great peace in my decision. During labor my doctor became very concerned as he felt the baby coming out hand first. Her heartbeat stopped and an emergency c-section revealed that her umbilical cord was knotted tightly and wrapped around her neck a few times. It is very likely that had we proceeded with a vaginal birth she would have been strangled. When my doctor first told me we needed to go to the operating room, i thought he was joking. They sounded a hospital alarm and my nurse started panicking and running around in circles (probably because i had convinced her NOT to give me an IV or a catheder… oops.) I felt a strong sense that all was well. I trusted that my doctor wanted me to deliver naturally and that he wouldn’t advise a c-section that he didn’t think was necessary. Because i did not have an epidural, they had to put me under general anesthesia…
Trust in my doctor, and faith in his ability to save the life of my baby, let me feel absolute peace amidst the chaos of an emergency c-section.
i had planned a v-bac for my next delivery. Again, i found a doctor that i completely trusted (my other doctor had moved). She REALLY wanted me to be successful in my vbac. When my water broke, the chord was severely prolapsed. The doctor tried to continue with the vbac by lifting the baby off the cord, but they were unable to find the baby’s heartbeat. Again, I was rushed to an emergency c-section. My doctor actually had tears running down her face as she rushed my into the operating room, she was saying “I’m so sorry, I really wanted this to work for you.” Again, I felt great peace. I trusted my doctor. I trusted the hospital. I was blessed with the assurance that although it wasn’t what i had planned, a c-section was best for me and my baby.
Although they were able to deliver my baby in less than 5 minutes, they needed to start her heart and put her on a respirator. After one week in the NICU she came home with us… today she is a normal, healthy two year old. I thank God daily for modern technology.
Yes, a home birth sounds ideal. And, sometimes it is.
There are a lot of negative comments about hospitals and doctors and hospital procedures… but i will say, i thank God every day for modern-day technology and how it saved the life of two of my babies.
I am currently pregnant with my 7th baby. The head OB-Gyn at my hospital is planning to deliver me. He supports my efforts to VBA2C… he says VBA2CS are SAFER than repeat c-sections. He supports my desire to not be induced and not have an epidural. I am PLANNING on going natural, using hypnobabies and using a doula… but i am not afraid of having a c-section. I know that my doctor WANTS me to deliver naturally. If something goes wrong he has the skills and the equipment needed to save my life and the life of my baby. To me, this is VERY assuring.
Having a baby is a sacred experience. I had 4 beautiful, routine, healthy births. But, when something goes wrong, when you feel virtual strangers doing all that they can to save the life of your unborn child, it is sacred. I felt overwhelming peace especially when things were unsure. I felt the love and service of hospital staff and doctors and friends and family. Nope. I would not choose a c-section. I wouldn’t choose a 6-week recovery. I wouldn’t choose NICU. But, every day i thank God for my two c-section babies and for the miracles that brought them to earth. Planned, no. Sacred, for sure!!
I think the first main point that I wish was shared with me is to have an OPEN MIND! Things happen, regardless of all of the good intentions in the world. Even homebirths have hospital transfers for emergency situations.
Prepare yourself mentally and spiritually for the possibility of a csection so you are ready should the issue arise.
Also.. keep a mental record of all of the events leading up to the csection, should it happen. It makes coping with it afterward so much easier.
YOU are NOT a failure either should you require a csection. And should you EVER feel that way (which I hope you wouldn’t), you will not be alone. There is always someone who has been through it too and feels the same. Always seek someone supportive to talk to about it.
I don’t know, myself…wish I had, though. I would love to read this book when it is published…maybe it would help me heal.
How about having a prayer or blessing prior to the birth, praying that the surgery will go well and for a spirit of peace? You could also ask to play music of your own choice during the cesarean–beautiful music can go a long way in creating the atmosphere you want.
Great ideas, thanks for sharing!
Janet has a great CD for healing after a cesarean – emotionally as well as physically. http://www.janetfieldhypnotherapy.com/store/pregbirthstore.php
Wow, thank you for sharing your experience! I think that you bring up a wonderful point, if you feel supported by your care providers and trust them then you can really know that you are in good hands and relax enough to let things go how they need to. I wish you wonderful luck with your VBA2C!
Interesting that I should stumble upon this post. My best friend *just* had a c-section early this morning, around 1 a.m., after more than a week of excruciating kidney pain, renal failure, pre-eclampsia, and a botched induction (and I do mean botched – they started he pitocin before the cervadil had done its job).
I am still emotional over this and her situation. Her greatest desire was to have a natural birth, completely intervention free, and it was heart-wrenching to watch her dreams fade, as she is advanced in age (somewhat) and this may be her only child and therefore her only chance at natural childbirth. She was a champ through it all, and she is my new hero.
In light of her husband allowing no other visitors, I am grateful that she allowed me the privilege of being with her for 9 out of 30 hours. But to watch her in such pain, to watch her get bumped time after time by mums in more emergent situations (Kerry’s strip looked good, but her own health was failing quickly after a week and a half of renal distress) – and then to watch her husband be her rock and her world…
It blessed me. I felt completely honored and privileged to be there with them.
I had the honor of being able to pray for her before she went into the OR, and to just *be there*.
I’m not sure what could have been done differently beforehand (other than a proper induction, but it’s too late for that). But what I do know is this: she feels like she’s failed herself and her baby. She feels like her body has completely betrayed her, and she blames herself. The most important thing is to have completely supportive people surrounding her right now. Having a completely non-judgmental support network around her right now is what can turn this nightmare into a “sacred event” for her.
She still faces more surgery later this week. There’s a long road ahead of her yet!
Melissa,
I am so sorry for your friend. I agree that part of what can make it a positive experience is the support she has afterward! That will be key.
You may want to get a CD from http://www.janetfieldhypnotherapy.com Healing after your cesarean CD, it can help physically as well as emotionally. I am glad that she had you there for part of the time, I am sure that helped so much too.
As a CBE, one thing I learned recently is that finding a match for care provider and hospital is JUST AS IMPORTANT for a cesarean as it is for planned unmedicated births. I recently had a client who I counseled as she planned a scheduled cesarean. I gave her links, video clips & resources for having a family centered cesarean. She showed her OB her family centered cesarean birth plan and list of requests, and was told that every request was against policy. The family didn’t push or argue and had a standard C-section w/ 3 hr separation of mom & baby following the birth, glucose water & formula from a bottle, breastfeeding problems, etc.
Some of the resources I gave her were:
Preparing For Birth’s sample family centered cesarean birth plan:
http://www.delicious.com/WellRoundedBirthPrep/birth_plan+cesarean
ICAN White Pages family centered cesarean
http://www.ican-online.org/pregnancy/family-centered-cesarean
“Breast is Best” trailer showing baby skin-to-skin w/ mother IN THE OR *DURING* the surgery
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cuu8UEXzVQ0&feature=player_embedded
They declined her request to do this.
They also declined her request to have her sister tag in to be by her side after the surgery when the father followed the baby to the nursery. They also said it would not be possible to permit delayed cord clamping.
Knowing what I know now about our local hospitals, I will counsel all clients to have a backup plan in place in case of cesarean, to have a supportive OB & hospital in place. This particular client had been seeing a midwife and planning a natural birth until pre-eclampsia forced her to make some tough decisions, so she had to see an OB she did not have an established relationship with, thus the outcome.
Thanks for sharing those great links. I agree about choosing the hospital wisely for a cesarean. Some are much more baby friendly, even for cesarean moms. One of our hospitals lets moms and babies recover together, other has the mandatory 3 hour nursery stay. So much harder for mom and baby.