C-section?

[rosalinda]

I always thought that I wanted to at least attempt labor without drugs, and my goal was a vaginal birth. I came to this decision after talking to my mom (6 unmedicated vaginal births), MIL (a Labor and Delivery nurse with 9 unmedicated vaginal births), and a trusted fellow opera mom (1 vaginal birth, 1 emergency C-section).

I was especially influenced by my friend's description of her emergency C-section and the negative effects on her abdominal muscles. She said she had to relearn to use them in singing, and it took her a lot longer than she expected to recover. I was really put off by this, and had decided that I, too, would only allow a C-section if it were an emergency.

However, my voice teacher recently told me that many opera singers prefer scheduled C-sections. Her reasoning (having never given birth herself) was that a) it helped with scheduling, b) the recovery time was quicker, and c) there was less strain on the muscles used for singing and deep breathing. This made me want to reconsider.

These two accounts seem to be conflicting. I would usually trust my voice teacher with my life, but she doesn't exactly have firsthand experience in this department.

What do you all think? I would really love some personal input and/or some reputable medical sites that I could further study.

Thanks in advance!

[Hopper]

I think we all have to relearn how to use our support muscles after having a baby no matter what type of delivery. I haven't had a C- section but 2 vaginal births and my pelvic floor has never been the same since. But that tends to affect me more for other activities....Trampolines are a no no!!!

The main strangeness I felt singing post partum was the absence of the baby which I sort of leaned on when singing whilst pregnant. That would have been the same had I had a C- section. It meant that I had to use my muscles in a different way to when I was pregnant, which took some practise. When you are pregnant I think you support slightly differently but since the baby growing is gradual it doesn't seem strange until suddenly there is no baby anymore.

I'm sorry I can't give you any real medical facts just my own experience but there are definitely pros and cons for both. I personally would never choose to have an operation like that cutting through all my muscles unless it was necessary. I feel that childbirth is an organic experience that is one of life's major moments and I personally wanted to go through it with out intervention if possible. I don't regret my decision at all.

BTW My first became distressed in labour so I ended up having an epidural in preparation for an emergency C- section which didn't happen. My second had to be induced and was almost 10lb and I felt like a real champion not using pain relief afterwards but at the time I started to wonder about my sanity!

We always worry so much about what will happen on that day but it is only a day and whatever way it goes there's a cool prize at the end. Then the hard work really begins.

Don't let anyone push you either way. You choose what is right for you.

Hop hop

[slownsteady soprano]

I happen to have strong opinions in this area. I had a c-section a little over three years ago and I cannot understand for the life of me why anyone would go through that voluntarily. Yes, there is a "convenience" factor with being able to schedule things, but by all accounts, the recovery time is longer, not shorter. You can't drive a car for two weeks afterward and I had to be careful with any activities involving my abdominal muscles for about three months post-partum, and you don't realize how many activities this involves until you no longer can use them. I couldn't even get in and out of bed by myself. My husband had to help me and it all made caring for a newborn that much more complicated. It hurts to laugh. We were visiting my parents about two months after the birth and I was sitting in a recliner and tried to push the foot rest back down but felt a sharp pain and had to stop.

As far as recovering the muscles used for singing, it was months before I could even think about trying to restrengthen those muscles. I haven't had a vaginal birth, so I can't speak to what the recovery time is like there. My understanding is that you can start doing things like yoga just a few weeks post-partum with a vaginal birth. But like Hopper said, you have to relearn to breathe without a baby pressing into you either way.

If you're looking for some research on the subject, I highly recommend "The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth" by Henci Goer. It's probably at your local library. It's slightly dated (1999), but still very relevant. It's very readable and she has extensive footnotes if you want to do further research on any subject. A c-section is major surgery and every surgery carries risks. No birth is completely risk-free, but all the research indicates that if you're healthy and have a normal pregnancy, the risks are lower if you just get out of the way and let birth happen the way it was meant to without all the tampering that the medical community usually thinks birth needs. By all accounts the risks with a c-section are higher than those of a vaginal birth, especially if you plan on more children in the future, a c-section can be a blight on your record.

That's my input on the matter. There are so many misconceptions in this country about birth. (That reminds me, another excellent book on the subject is "Misconceptions" by Naomi Wolf.) Given that your teacher has never had a child herself, my guess is that she was probably just repeating what she's heard. There's a saying that the real threat comes not from what we don't know, but from what we do know that just isn't so. So much of obstetric practice is based on incorrect information, but we have such trust in modern medicine that sometimes it's hard to see it. As far as the "convenience" of a c-section, babies are not meant to be convenient! They have their own timetables that I strongly believe need to be respected.

I'm planning a homebirth for this baby because I've been unable to find a local MD who isn't knife-happy and the hospital midwives here are really under the thumbs of the OBs. I've done extensive research and there absolutely are situations where medical intervention is warranted, but the vast majority of births are not crises. I live five minutes from a hospital if we end up needing assistance, but my gut is unmistakably telling me that my best shot at a vaginal birth is to stay in the peace and safety of my own home.

That is my tome on the matter. A couple of other books I like for childbirth preparation in general are "Birthing from Within" by Pam England and "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth" by Ina May Gaskin. Wishing all the best for a healthy pregnancy and uncomplicated birth.

snss

[stinky]

This is maybe blunter than you are hoping for, but my feelings are strong (and unsurprising to anyone who knows me on this board).

Elective c-sections have become almost fashionable and are considered by many professionals (both OBs and midwives) to be a negative trend. It's a major surgery with all the attendant risks associated with anesthesia, long recovery, complications, etc.

The time it takes to recover from childbirth & get used to a new baby is *useful*. It forces you to slow down and pay attention to your baby and to your own body's needs. Having a baby will change you; take the time to learn what those changes really are. (My stupid opinion, anyway.)

Also, I personally would not take non-voice-related medical advice from a voice teacher, especially one who is childless. There really is a difference between people who have children and people who don't. Now that I have them, I realize that even those childless people who think they get it, don't. It's not a slam on them, it's just a thing that nobody can understand without experiencing.

[rosalinda]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is perfect!

I appreciate all of your opinions, wise advice, and book suggestions. I always hated the thought having a major surgery to remove my child from me (and the thought has become especially distasteful after suffering through a D&C a year ago after a missed miscarriage), but I appreciate being able to back up my actions and feelings with facts. It's easier to battle insensitive people that way.

I totally agree that I've been singing differently since my pregnancy has progressed, but I never thought about how that would change once I was no longer able to push against the baby. Thanks for bringing that up!

I, too, regret that C-sections have become the fashionable, "convenient" way to give birth. I also feel that birth should be organic, and I think I'm going to try to do it with as little intervention as possible.

Stinky, I love that you brought up the point that having a baby should necessarily slow us down, that it's important to take that time to get to know our baby and ourselves in our role of motherhood. I am a very go-go-go person, but I know I'm going to need to remember to slow down after I give birth. I'll probably be helped along by exhaustion, so it shouldn't be too hard!

I can't wait to dive into all those books you suggested, snss. Thank you all, and feel free to add anything else that comes to mind!

[Hopper]

Don't rely on your exhaustion to tell you to slow down. The adrenaline you have just after having a baby helps you to go and go and go like a duracell battery. It's important to make yourself slow down otherwise in about 6 weeks when no one is offering to help anymore you will just stop like a battery and find you can't go on when in fact this is when you should be starting to recover. This happened to me with No 1 and I made myself rest as much as possible and asked people to help me do that the second time around which made it so much better.

Hop hop

[stinky]

How true that is, Hopper!! I'm still struggling with it in a different way. My second son (3 mos. now!) is a mellow guy who gets messed up by a whole lot of activity/stimulation. He mainly seems to want to snuggle up with me and do little to nothing. It's tough because my big boy is 3 and a half and is a whirlwind of energy. It's hard to accommodate both tempi, or to find a balance so nobody gets his way all the time. (And I tend to get antsy when I have to be too still, so that's surely not helping.)

Anyway, sorry to hijack, Rosalinda. Best wishes as you complete your pregnancy and begin the amazing journey of motherhood!

[ellamenno]

Hi Rosalinda!
congrats on your pregnancy! Just wanted to clarify something posted earlier: A C-section surgery no longer involves cutting through the abdominal muscles. But they DO have to move them out of the way which involves lots of stretching/pulling and after the surgery it takes a while for them to settle back into place.
I wanted to do the natural child-birth thing, but after 20 hours of labor, I had to have an emergency C. Childbirth IS a natural process, but if we all had to go it alone, some of us wouldn't make it. 100 years ago I would have been a name written in the family bible next to the words "died in childbirth." So while I was disappointed that my experience wasn't what I'd planned, or the wonderful experience some friends boast about, in the end I had a healthy baby girl who is thriving and I'm fine.
It DOES take longer to recover, but my voice is the same as ever and my support is back to normal. I lost all the weight, and the only evidence is the fading scar 'below the treeline.'
If I have another baby, I may decide to go ahead and plan a C-section given the fact that my chances are slim that my body will comply with a VBAC. At least that way I can avoid hours and hours of the discomfort of labor & internal moniters etc. Plus, I wouldn't have the 'trampoline' problems (mentioned above) for the rest of my life!
In the end, it's up to your body & the baby. Find a doctor you like and trust.
Ellamenno

[agreeable]

"or the wonderful experience some friends boast about,"

Hear! Hear! I couldn't agree more about the boasting thing! The most important thing is that you have a healthy baby. Don't buy into the vanity of some who boast about doing "just like Eve".

Yuck.

[bunnyrh]

Stinky has strong feelings??? Nooo... say it isn't so! lol

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread. I figure that rosalinda has heard enough of my opinions. But, for my 2 cents, I would try to have a vaginal birth. If a c-section is necessary, then so be it. But, I wouldn't go looking for one.

I'm sure it will work out, rosalinda! Good luck!

[stinky]

Oh no. I think I've unintentioonally been horrible.

Ellamenno and everyone else, I hold no judgment against mothers who have a medically necessary C-section, and I can't possibly say how much I am glad that you and your baby are alive and healthy. I was blessed with two vaginal births (one a near C-sec but baby had other plans) and I'm glad I was lucky enough to have births that suit my politics! I do understand that some C births are necessary and appropriate & I wouldn't presume to second-guess those with more knowledge than me.

My gripe is with the fashion trend of opting for surgical birth out of a notion of convenience or fear of litigation. In my (possibly misguided but deeply held) opinion, those are not good reasons for C birth.

Ellamenno, I apologize for having written anything that made you feel anything other than my full gratitude for your happy outcome.

[slownsteady soprano]

bunnyrh said:

If a c-section is necessary, then so be it. But, I wouldn't go looking for one.

bunnyrh, I couldn't have put it better.

I wish to add my apologies as well if I came across as holier-that-thou or combative. My c/s was a horrible thing to go through, but it saved my baby's life. And I recognize that it may be necessary again. I'm going to do all I can to avoid it, but ultimately it's beyond my control. For me, recognizing that almost everything about childbirth is beyond my control is one of the hardest things to accept.

snss

[mogzilla]

I feel a bit like the dissenting voice here, but what your voice teacher said makes sense. I had an emergency c-section with my son after 17 hours of labor and opted for a planned c section with my daughter 5 months ago. Remember, even if you have an epidural during labor, your abdominal muscles are still working to push the baby out -- you just can't feel it. After 17 hours of hard labor, my muscles were tired. Also, an epidural works for a c-section, but is not the preferred method of anesthesia. For a planned c-section, you are given a spinal which is a one-time shot in the same place you would get an epidural. The spinal is a different drug (I can't remember their names) and contains a type of morphine (duramorph?) that stays in your system for 24 hours. ( An epidural pretty much stops working when it is removed. ) So you don't have a severe dip into the valley of pain after a planned c-section like you do after an emergency one.

With my son (emergency) it was difficult to get out of bed in the hospital. With my daughter I was walking around and showering 24 hours later.

[rosalinda]

Thank you all for your input! I guess the recurring theme I am seeing here is that whatever will work out for this pregnancy and this baby is what will happen. I can go in with a goal in mind, and it may have to change, but I think that's probably the way parenting will be for the rest of my life.

Thanks, everyone!

[stinky]

Ain't that the truth! You can do it, Rosalinda, whatever happens. That's the ultimate lesson of parenthood, the gift that keeps on giving!

[rosalinda]

Just a little update: it's a boy! Our ultrasound showed everything is going great and Jr. is measuring big for his fetal age.

[Mommee]

Congratulations! How wonderful - and it's so exciting too that you've past the half-way mark!

Wishing you ease and comfort in the coming weeks.
Mommee

[KelInfito]

Generic Quality And Viagra Sildenafil Purchase Online Online Pharmacy No Prescription Needed <a href=http://addrall.com>my alli canada</a> Amoxicillin 875 Buy Viagra In Indonesia

[Lesemaity]

Costo Viagra In Farmacia Emploi Levitra <a href=http://rxasian.com>viagra</a> Amoxicillin And Beer Neggram

[Lesemaity]

Dht Propecia Finasteride Bentyl Purchase C.O.D. Fedex Delivered On Saturday <a href=http://ciali20mg.com>buy generic cialis online</a> Achat Viagra Pas Cher