My facebook post answers... C-Sections

I thought I would take a second to answer the questions that I posted on our facebook page over the past couple of days related to c-sections.

Click "like" on this status if you had a c-section... was it planned? emergency? We will have some c-section posts over the next few days and would love any moms with experience to comment/post.
I had a c-section in July 2009 with my daughter... It was unplanned for fetal intolerance to labor.

Okay moms that have had c-sections, how long after delivery was it before your baby was skin-to-skin or snuggled up to you?! I feel very fortunate. It was probably 5-10 minutes after delivery that she was being held by my husband and snuggled up to my shoulder and face. As soon as I was moved from the table to my recovery bed (still in the operating room) she was placed skin to skin and I held her as they wheeled me into recovery. I was nauseated, exhausted and don't remember these moments very well but I can remember how beautiful she was and how happy I was that she was okay. I don't remember exactly when but I know there was someone helping me breastfeed her while I was still in the first hour of recovery. I think she latched well... I can't remember. I do remember my family kept calling her a little lizard because her tongue was going in and out of her mouth so much... I'm lucky that even after a stressful labor and c-section she was ready to latch from the moment she was born.

Was your c-section recovery easier or harder than you expected? What surprised you most about the recovery? Was your pain well controlled? It was SO much harder than I expected. I am amazed as I watch women moving around on only motrin day one post surgery!! I still can't believe the burning feeling that I felt for the first couple of days at the incision site. I staggered motrin and percocet for pain control. It worked okay but I was on pain meds for a couple of weeks. I had a very hard time walking up stairs and/or leaning over to pick up my baby for at least a couple weeks after I got home. I thought it was strange that one side of my incision always hurt more (I think the left side) than the other. I remember being surprised at the numbness at the incision site. I had never thought about the nerve endings being cut during surgery. I don't have a vaginal delivery to compare my experience with but it was about 6 months before I really felt like my body had recovered.

We will be continuing with c-section posts and discussions... the reality is that many women deliver via c-section (32.8% in 2010, CDC National Center for Health Statistics). Many of these are unexpected, unplanned. What can we do to better support and prepare our c-section moms? The World Health Organization suggests that best outcomes for mom and baby occur with a c-section rate of 10-15%. What are we doing and what can we do to lower our c-section rates? So, so many things to explore... thanks for participating and sharing!!