Cesarean section, mainly abbreviated as CS is what Wikipedia describes as “the surgical delivery of a baby by an incision through the mother’s abdomen (belly) and uterus (womb).” Naturally CS is applied when Natural delivery is considered risky for both mother and baby. The risks involved may be brought about by medical complications such as:
- Placenta previa, this happens when the placenta which help in supplying the baby with oxygen is not in good condition and can cause excessive bleeding if strained during vaginal delivery.
- HIV Infected, a mother suffering from HIV can easily infect the baby with the virus during vaginal delivery.
- Prior CS or surgery, any mother who has undergone CS delivery before has limited chances of successful vaginal delivery
- Diabetes and high blood pressure. These are known to damage the nerves and stress the heart and hence causing complications.
- Carrying multiple babies, could be twins, triplets or more.
Cesarean section can also be performed as an emergency option to mothers scheduled for natural delivery. This happens when:
- Labor either stops or progresses too slowly.
- The baby is huge.
- The baby is not turning to the required position; say the head is facing up instead of down.
- The umbilical cord prolapses (getting into the vagina first hand before the baby).
A planned CS normally takes place when the pregnancy is 39 weeks old, this is to allow the baby develop completely before birth and also have delivery done before labor. It can however be performed earlier than this if a further medical complication arises. All thanks to modern technologies that have rendered CS delivery less risky, most mothers are voluntarily settling for it. This they do to evade excess bleeding, Labor pains, loss of bladder control, and vaginal injury. However, doctors advise against voluntary CS delivery for any mother who plans on having many children.
It is also advisable for any mother on a planned CS delivery to work hand in hand with her doctor to understand the procedure in details including the risks involved. Cesarean Section will save you from labor pains but may cause you Hysterectomy which is basically removal of the uterus and in serious cases extends to all the surrounding organs likes Cervix, Fallopian tubes and ovaries. This means you can neither have menstrual flow nor get pregnant again. Asides the mothers, babies born through Cesarean Section stand the risks of developing a breathing disorder called transient tachypnea.
While welcoming a new baby in the family may sounds so beautiful, it takes a CS mother much more than anticipation and excitement to prepare for the coming of her bundle of joy. There is always a lot to process for these mothers, and in most cases fail to prepare physically, emotionally and mentally for delivery. With all set and ready, a CS mother is expected to:
- Confirm the scheduled delivery date early in time and pin it down.
- Book an appointment with an anesthesiologist (a medical practitioner dealing with the preoperative care of surgery patients before, during and after the surgery.) to help understand the risks involved and how to get through them.
- Do a lab test to reveal the red blood cell components, blood type and level of hemoglobin. These will come in handy if at any point you’ll need an urgent blood transfusion either during or after the surgery.
- Recruit help ahead on time to assist with the baby during your healing. Be sure to either get a trained help or train one in readiness for the D-day.
- Engage your health care provider to have as much information as possible, be in the know of various birth control options and make a solid decision depending on if you’ll need more children or not.
Be it a planned or an emergency CS, hospitals have embraced the modern techniques therefore offering more comfortable and safer environments for mothers and with the advanced medical technologies in place CS has become a quick, and straightforward procedure. It takes four basic steps to the actual operation.
First, a mother is expected be on nil by mouth 8 hours before surgery, this is done to reduce chances of vomiting hence avoiding lung complications.
Secondly, a mother should neither shave nor trim her pubic hair two days before delivery to avoid surgical infection, suppose there will be any need for shaving or trimming than a surgery staff will handle it.
Thirdly, you are wheeled to the theater where the doctor in charge will most likely clean your abdomen, insert a urine tube into your bladder and provide you with fluid and medication through intravenous lines.
Finally, just before the procedure the doctor injects you with anesthesia which in recent days are regionally done (meaning it only numbs the lower part of your body, allowing you the opportunity to stay awake.)
Truth be told, no one has the right picture of a CS journey, it’s different in all tales. Every mother has her own experience, it could be, weird, scary, emotional name it, but even with that they all admit to experiencing this after delivery.
- Not being able to walk or use the washroom unaided for several hours or days and having to make use of a catheter to pass urine.
- Feeling confused drowsy and nauseated for a few hours due to the anesthesia.
- Not being able to either breastfeed or attend to the baby for a few hours after delivery.
- Developing blood clots caused by immobility.
- Undergoing intense post birth cramps with heavy vaginal bleeding.
- Taking absolute care to avoid any form of wound infection or reaction.
- Experiencing hemorrhage (in some) this is excessive bleeding.
It may take you an hour in the delivery room to hold your baby, but it sure needs way more than that to finally heal. The road to recovery isn’t a walk in the park, owing to the fact that abdominal surgery in its self has a challenging recovery path. A CS mother must put in time, commitment and a lot of sacrifices to get through this. In your journey to recovery observe the following:
Find a reliable help as asides breast feeding, there will hardly be much you can do also straining may cause you more abdominal pain which can quickly send you back to the hospital.
A major surgery like your own brings about serious exhaustion; it is there for proper for you to get enough sleep and rest.
It’s unreasonable to act tough, religiously take the prescribed pain killers to help calm down the pain. Be sure to stick to the doctor’s prescription to avoid interfering with the breast milk.
Incorporate whole grains, healthy protein with fresh fruits and vegetables into your diet to grant you energy and regulate your level of constipation.
Pay close attention and care to the incision by keeping it clean and dry always to avoid infection. This also means skipping a bath for the first few days as water is an enemy.
A little exercise here and there goes a long way towards healing and avoiding blood clots. Try taking short interval walks every day for your energy revamp, this also helps loosen your muscles and reduce constipation.
Wardrobe malfunction should be your last worry at this juncture. Find loose and stretchy clothes, comfortable enough to accommodate the incision and not provoking it. You may want to put panties at bay for the time being.
Avoid strained bowel movement by taking plenty water, and also invest in stool softener if need be. Do not ignore or postponed any bowel movement urge lest you ruin your bladder.
Follow up with your doctor religiously through the scheduled checkups. Do not wait for a reason to visit; a pinned appointment must be honored.
A Cesarean Section mother may have evaded labor pain, but they surely pay the price several months after, before you refer to her as a lesser mother, think about her agony and try walk a mile in her shoe.