Wednesday, January 5, 2011

My Twin C-Section Story

Pre C-Section...


From the moment I met with my doctor when I was having twins, I was advised that a scheduled c-section would be my best option.  My OB/GYN said it was the safest for the twins, especially since it was my first pregnancy.  At the time I blew it off and did not think twice about it since giving birth always frightened me.  Relatives and friends also told me that c-sections were so much easier and they actually preferred that over natural birth!  But as many moms do, I suppose, I started researching what exactly goes on during the c-section... and even watched videos of the whole operation.  Not only was I scared during the whole 3rd trimester, I knew that natural birth was not in my favor either.


A month (4 weeks) before my due date, and four days before my scheduled c-section, my water broke.  It was weird because I got the PUPPPS rash right before this and started having terrible contractions and even a little bleeding... which the doctor kept assuring me was completely normal and I was NOT going into labor.  Well... umm.... after she told me this on the phone, my water broke the next morning.  AND if any of you have had the PUPPPS rash, I feel for you... it is hell and I would rather go through the whole surgery again than have that horrible thing!


Onto the actual c-section...


I've never been so nervous and scared.  I was starving and thirsty, and neither of these I could satisfy at the hospital.  All I could think about was that spinal they do and whether or not I would feel them cutting me open.  Not to mention that I was having TWO BABIES in the afternoon... which would change my life forever.


"Just breathe, it's not that bad," the nurses would tell me each time I asked them if something would hurt.


Right.

Luckily, my husband got to stay with me the ENTIRE time during the c-section.  Now, from what I've read on other blogs and web sites, hospitals usually don't let the husband or accompanying person into the operating room until you are ready to have the baby.  I thought this was weird, but I didn't peep a word since I didn't want to be separated from him at all.  He basically never left my side!  The nurses even had to keep telling him to get closer to me... maybe the needles and blood freaked him out since he has needle shock hehehe.


First of all, they give you penicillin through the IV (a long time before you go into surgery).  This hurt SO bad.  It felt like someone was taking a huge knife and sawing my shoulder off... literally.  But after they decreased it, it would linger away.


The whole hospital and operating room are FREEZING.  I suppose I could have asked for warm blankets, but that was the last thing on my mind.  They made me wait for 8 hours in my hospital room to make sure all food/water has left my stomach... which made me so thirsty, it drove me crazy.  When it was time for the c-section, I walked down with my IV saline water bag, shaking like mad.  Once I walked into the operating room, everything was so bright and there were a ton of doctors/nurses.  I sat on the operating table, which was like a hard metal slab, and leaned over the side so they could do the spinal.  They kept telling me to arch my back forward as much as possible so the needle could go between my spine and not hit a nerve.  OUCH!  Well, it did hurt, mostly felt like a big sting.


They did a practice cut on my skin, and I thought I could feel it (and I freaked) but they said I was numb.  I was surprised because they started the procedure right away and in like 5 or 10 minutes they pulled the first baby out!  It took A LOT of tugging and pulling.  It seriously felt like I fell 10 stories flat on my chest and the wind got knocked out of me.  I couldn't breathe for like 30 seconds.  This was maybe the worst feeling during the whole c-section.  Having twins does not make this any easier.  Once you finish with one baby, you still have to go through it all again.


But I remember when they pulled the baby out, all I could hear was screaming and crying coming from my belly!  I thought I would cry, but I think I was too petrified of the whole surgery thing.  I got to kiss each baby and I clearly remember being so surprised at how soft and warm their cheeks were!!


After they were out, I started to freak out again because I could feel burning around my belly and I thought I could feel them sewing me up.  So they gave me more anesthesia and knocked me out until I was being rolled back to my room.  Unfortunately I didn't get to take the babies with me since they had to go to the NICU to get checked on.




A side note on the hospital food:  it's not as good as it looks.  You might want to get some outside snacks if it doesn't satisfy you.  In my case, I was so sleep deprived and hurting from the surgery that I didn't really have time to enjoy any food.  Plus, I was completely bloated and suffering a lot from the gas in my stomach after the surgery.  It truly is painful, and the medicine they give you doesn't help that much (in terms of the bloating).  We also were right next door to the snack room, so my husband would always go in at night and stock up on sandwiches, juice, and crackers!!




My most important advice if you're having a c-section?  Get up and move around as much as you can and as quickly as you can in the beginning.  I mean, don't over do it and just do little by little.  But the faster you can get out of that bed and take those first steps, the faster you'll heal.  I learned this from other moms and thought it was crazy (and painful!!!) but I followed their advice and was completely walking normal and healed in two weeks.  Sounds crazy, but it's true!!

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All who would win joy, must share it; happiness was born a twin. -Lord Byron