Emergency C-Sections are not easy. They are not planned. They are an unexpected challenge for your body and for your mind. The physical recovery runs into weeks and the mental recovery can often be glossed over. And after this unexpected, unplanned assault on your body, there is a newborn; an unknown newborn with their own story. And that first moment of connection with your newborn after an emergency c-section might not be what you expected or dreamed for. Here is our story…
This story is part of our newborn series.
Who Are You?
Mummy - (at the start)
An emergency caesarean section – the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind that I might need this to get the baby out. To be honest, I hadn’t really let myself think too much about the birth up until this point. The trials of the third trimester had been forefront in my mind – hunger (all day and all night), heartburn, itchy skin, a massive belly, hardly being able to walk by the end. And the birth was meant to be the end of this mammoth nine month journey… right?
Wrong!
Induction, water breaking, pain, pain, drugs, more pain, epidural, different pain, exhaustion, fear.
Theatre. Noise. Light. Strangers. More strangers. Fear.
And then he’s out. I think… because to be honest, I’m feeling a bit out of it. The lights are bright in theatre. There’s a lot of strange noises. The doctors and nurses are happy and laughing – oh, that’s because he’s just done a massive wee. I’m really not sure I want to know where that went – I’m a little bit open to the elements. I know they say childbirth is not glamorous, but I think that might be a bit of an understatement.
He’s crying. I think that’s a good thing – probably should have been worrying about that rather than him weeing into my innards. Oh my, what have we done? Afterwards, my husband tells me I said something rather less polite at this moment. But I think he was feeling the same – inside.
But seriously, he's actually here.
And I’m not ready. I’m surrounded by strangers pulling and pushing. There is a new midwife who I haven’t spent the day with – because of the shift change just before our jolly jaunt down to theatre. And I’m sure it is “marvellous” how enormous he is – for someone who has not been lugging him around their middle for the last nine months! Do I want them to put a nappy on him? Yes please – I think I’ve been weed on enough.
The anaesthetist is saying she can’t come to A&E right now. She tells me not to worry.
But I am worried. Because I thought I would know him
I didn't think that out of all the terrifying things in my world right now – the biggest thing would be him.
They are trying to squeeze him onto a tiny space at the top of my chest which makes looking down almost impossible. He’s crying again, his face all scrunched up with a tiny tuft of light hair on his head. His weight feels strange on my chest and my husband is having to help hold him as my arms are so heavy.
His eyes are looking intently at me, taking me all in and I feel totally helpless, useless, lacking. His eyes close.
I'm clueless to the verdict.
The medical staff pull me away again – handing him to Dad. More pulling, pushing, tugging, moving. Exhaustion keeps crashing over me again and again. My mind is nagging me to stay awake, to see him, to find him in the chaos.
But my body is winning. I need to sleep – just for a little while.
For more information on emergency and planned c-sections.
If you are looking for more information on what happens during a c-section, click here.
Or you can read 5 Ways to Prepare for an Emergency C-Section here.
The Rest of the Story...
Click here to read – Experiencing an Emergency C-Section – a Baby’s Point of View
You can also click here to find more of our family stories or use the search bar at the top to search for parenting advice on specific topics.
DISCLAIMER: The LEGO Group of companies does not sponsor, authorise or endorse this site.