Impact of a C-Section on the body

[Suiren]

I can't help but think, that a C-Section could have an impact on the body on the long run, other than just lengthy healing.

I had to have a C-Section. I went almost 43 weeks in pregnancy (which also seems weird), and my baby's heart beat dropped to 50 during a check up (placenta was old). I was literally slapped on the surgery table within seconds (I agreed to it of course).

Anyhow...many other mothers always rave about how quickly they "healed" from a C-Section, and many would do it again or prefer it to natural birth.
To me a C-Section seems so wrong. I still somewhat feel down about the fact that I was not able to give birth naturally. It does not feel like giving birth, I was not able to hold my baby right away, breastfeeding was harder because of it.
No doubt, I felt okay and like I could manage after, even with a very low dose of pain meds, which I had requested to be low. I was able to get up the same day, walking was never a problem...but I did not feel good doing all that.
Aside from the obvious pain at the incision site, it felt like there were all kinds of things wrong, uncomfortable and achy.
I was able to function once at home, but I did experience prolonged pain. Up to 6 months postpartum it was worst, and even now at 9 months postpartum I still experience minor pains. Recently I worked out for the first time since pregnancy (pilates our neighbor teaches) and some of the moves were just impossible to do because I felt like my stomach was going to tear apart (I also had diastasis recti, abdominal separation).

Long story short, I really wonder if a wound this dramatic has any impact on my body other than the obvious risk for future pregnancies. In nature you would never survive if someone tore your stomach open! Makes me think if my body is always somewhat dealing with the aftermath, using extra strength to fix me up (I could use that strength for something else)...

Next child, I am really hoping for a VBAC, natural birth after C-Section. But the risks scare me...another C-Section scares me too. I really want more children, at least one sibling for my son would be wonderful

Can anyone tell me more about it?

[CitrusHigh]

Wish I could help with info but all I can really do is commiserate. Every time I hear about an unnatural birth it irks me a little because I know that it likely could have been avoided if this or that had been a certain way, usually if the mother had better nutrition, or if her parents had better nutrition or...

Anyway, things will turn around eventually, sorry you had that experience, I hope you get your natural birth second time around. Is your doctor holistic?

I loath doctors, but if one insists on having them, then go holistic at least. Personally I'd rather have a native medicine person helping the birth along than anyone else.

[joej627]

You might look into the work of Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt.  He is one of the most successful practitioners of things like lyme, ms, chronic fatigue, parkinsons, etc.  They have found that one block people can have is called "interference fields."  This is basically anything that blocks the natural flow of energy through your body system.  For me, I had a bad atlas subluxation blocking nerve flow from my brain to my body.  Scars and dental occlusions are also problems.  They do note C-section scars as being a big deal for some people.  It blocks energetic flow along certain important regions of the body.  I know that they have treatment options for these types of things but i haven't looked into it that closely as I'm a guy =)  I know that they can be corrected and energy restores though.  So no, I don't think you are crazy for wondering about this, I think other people are just not as in tune with their own bodies.

-Joe

[Dorothy]

Yes Joe - what you say makes me think about the "conception vessel" meridian that runs straight up the body in traditional Chinese medicine  - how a cut along that must be energetic traumatizing and how much energy building a new pathway must take. The power center below the navel is another thought - the chakra system would have to be affected.

It doesn't mean that you can't compensate, work it through - it just takes so much energy. It's appalling to me how standard c-sections are now whether needed or not. C-sections are less risky in terms of lawsuits so have become the norm. Yours sounded like it was essential though - so you can be glad you were able to have one.

It would be interesting to have someone skilled in acupressure/acupuncture evaluate that meridian for you to see it's affects and/or someone that can see the chakras take a look at you.

You have the blessing of your baby to make up for any amount of work you have to do to re-establish those energy pathways.

[jessica]

i dont have any ideas to add about c-section but i did learn this about birth
keeping a newborn attached to the placenta until the placenta stops pulsing is extremely important as it fill the child will a ton of nutrient and blood as it pulses to its own end, this can take from 15 seconds to a few minutes, after which time the cord should be clipped, i dont know what the common practice is but i assume its to clip immediately

[Dorothy]

Jessica - I read a book such a long time ago that said something about that. It was "The Magical Child". You would probably enjoy it. It was written a very long time ago but probably most of it is still the same.

[RawZi]

    Suiren, I wish you the best of recovery.  When I birthed, it could have been better, had the doctors not interfered..  but I was grateful too, as I had a healthy baby Do you have a lot of scarring?

until the placenta stops pulsing is extremely important as it fill the child will a ton of nutrient and blood as it pulses to its own end, this can take from 15 seconds to a few minutes, after

    Jessica, it may be better to wait longer than a few minutes:

http://thestir.cafemom.com/pregnancy/121831/Another_Reason_to_Delay_Cord

http://www.indianpediatrics.net/feb2002/feb-130-135.htm

www.lotusbirthcampaign.org

    I don't know if animals go straight for the cord after birthing. I think they eat the placenta first.

[Suiren]

Thank you for your replies!

Thoth
I'm not a fan of doctors either and would only chose them to help me when I feel guidance is truly needed. I say guidance bc I will choose myself what to do and what not to do and not just blindly listen. I make the rules

I had a birth plan ready, and was trying to make sure doctors do it my way. But the emergency changed it all, sadly.
My nutrition was the worst while pregnant. Due to a lack of money we mostly ate what my in laws provided, take out.

joe
That is very interesting about the flow. It makes sense. My nerves were damaged and I had numbness (still have a very minor numb feeling).
I agree many people are just not in tune with their bodies (or their instincts).

Dorothy

It doesn't mean that you can't compensate, work it through - it just takes so much energy. It's appalling to me how standard c-sections are now whether needed or not. C-sections are less risky in terms of lawsuits so have become the norm. Yours sounded like it was essential though - so you can be glad you were able to have one.

It was, but it could have been prevented, had the doctors listened to me regarding my due date. When I got pregnant, I was using the NFP method. I knew when I ovulated and conceived and had calculated a much earlier due date. I went to see an OB a bit later in my pregnancy and they were unsure about how many weeks gestation I was judging by the US alone, but in  the end my DD was two weeks off. So after my C-Section, doctors were pretty much like "ooopss! This placenta is pretty damn old..." My son had signs of a post term baby too.
I would have preferred an earlier induction over a C-Section. Although I prefer all natural birth of course.

It would be interesting to have someone skilled in acupressure/acupuncture evaluate that meridian for you to see it's affects and/or someone that can see the chakras take a look at you.

I will look into that! I just hope I will find something covered by my insurance. My insurance does cover a lot of alternative medicine, so its worth checking with them.

jessica
We were planning to keep him attached quite some time, but with the emergency c-section they cut the cord right away to then proceed to check him. I feel bad about it but there was no way around it since they also wanted to make sure he is okay after his heartbeat dropped so much.

RawZi
My outer scar is not too bad, but hypotrophic. I seemto have a tendency for raised scars with bigger cuts. Luckily I did not have an infection.
Most of my pain comes from underneath the scar.
And also, what may be TMI...I have vaginal pains, like closer to the cervix. Worst during intercourse. They have very slowly bettered, but I have ups and downs.
My OB thinks its due to breastfeeding, but it does not match the description, and why would it get better every month since giving birth? She also stated it will get worse the longer I breastfeed...which does not make sense at all...how would that even work in nature...<_<

[RawZi]

RawZi
My outer scar is not too bad, but hypotrophic. I seemto have a tendency for raised scars with bigger cuts. Luckily I did not have an infection.
Most of my pain comes from underneath the scar.
And also, what may be TMI...I have vaginal pains, like closer to the cervix. Worst during intercourse. They have very slowly bettered, but I have ups and downs.
My OB thinks its due to breastfeeding, but it does not match the description, and why would it get better every month since giving birth? She also stated it will get worse the longer I breastfeed...which does not make sense at all...how would that even work in nature...<_<

    You're welcome, Suiren!

    Breastfeeding may trigger prolactin release which may cramp the uterus to expell the placenta. Cramps may be uncomfortable. This is all natural. It goes away. You're OB may not be familiar enough with breastfeeding. How much did she breastfeed? What kind of familiarity does she have with breastfeeding support groups? Maybe she wants you to stop nursing for another reason, but does not find it necessary to tell you her other reason.

    Did they cut your cervix? Is it just healing?  In time, things usually heal normally, if left alone, nourished and not overly stressed.

[Alive]

I hope that eating raw foods will energise you and your child to be able to make the most with a difficult situation.
 
Denie Hiestand in his book Journey to Truth talks about there also needing to be time for signalling across the umbilical cord to complete - such as chemical and electrical signals as part organising this major change. From memory with my children the team wanted to hurry things along, maybe for increased efficiency so they could move onto the next job?

[Suiren]

    You're welcome, Suiren!

    Breastfeeding may trigger prolactin release which may cramp the uterus to expell the placenta. Cramps may be uncomfortable. This is all natural. It goes away. You're OB may not be familiar enough with breastfeeding. How much did she breastfeed? What kind of familiarity does she have with breastfeeding support groups? Maybe she wants you to stop nursing for another reason, but does not find it necessary to tell you her other reason.

    Did they cut your cervix? Is it just healing?  In time, things usually heal normally, if left alone, nourished and not overly stressed.

Bf triggered cramps a few weeks postpartum, but does it do that at 9 months postpartum? At least I don't feel like it.
My pain is not cramp like, more like inflamed or a like a wound.
My OB does not have children. I guess you could say I am still searching for a great OB. We will see how she will react to my PAP test results...haha 

Cervix- it was not cut during the C-Section I suppose? (would there be a reason to cut it?) I never went into labor either,but to start contractions my doctor performed an exam...I forgot what it was called but it was painful and I bled after. I only got it done once.
My cervix is scarred from a LEEP surgery 2010, but it was not painful prior to pregnancy, not even the day before my C-Section.

miker
thank you! I hope so too. I don't feel bad overall, just still have weird aches and twinges. Too bad the umbilical cord was cut so soon , I even asked about it before the surgery and they said they have to cut it right away. My body must have been very confused after a C-Section.
I hope by now it understands I had the baby alive. I mean all a C-Section signals is "the baby got ripped out of the mothers stomach, but something is wanting to nurse"...hope that does not cause confusion.