The Big C

C-Section that is.

Get ready, this is a novel.

I have been debating about what my "birth plan" (please, dont confuse me with a person who thinks they can plan every single aspect of a birth. This isn't my first rodeo!) will be. Really there is only one question, C-section or No?

Gasp! You are considering an ELECTIVE C-section?! 

Well, Yep.

Here's my story, short and sweet.

Went into labor with Ryder, pushed for almost 3 hours. Not labor, pushing. I remember falling asleep in between contractions and waking back up to push. My doctor was on vacation and this other doctor that I had never met before was going to deliver Ryder. I'm not someone who gets hung up on absolutely having MY doctor there, all I care about is if the one I have to see is nice and understanding. Of course if I had to choose I would like my doc, but hey I get it, you aren't completely devoted to me. I feel like that's how movies portray how doctors are supposed to be. Then if the doctor isn't there the pregnant woman always freaks out and the husband is always like "we wont accept this! You tell Dr.____ that he better leave his sons soccer game and come deliver our child!" As usual I have gotten off track.

Moving right along....

After I was just ready to meet the Lord instead of giving one more push the doctor game in and said Ryder's heart rate was dropping and they would like to do a C-Section. YES. For the Love of God, get this kid out of me! I feel like if I had any energy left I would have used it to scream that victoriously. 

They wheeled me out, got him out, brought me back to the room, and thats all I know. I remember them asking me if I wanted them to bathe him or if i wanted to feed him first. Nope, didnt want to feed. I have video of me that George took during all this and I swear my eyes roll into the back of my head at one point. Recovery was awful. The experience was awful. Awful.

Ryder had a huge bruise on his face where he kept hitting my pelvic bone and thats "why I couldnt push him out". Oh yea, also, since the nurse that was with me instructing me to push kept shoving her arm to "make way" I wound up with a blood clot the size of a golf ball. Had to have 8 ob/gyns in the practice examine me, talk about me at a party they had, and eventually send me to the UAB Oncology department because they had "never seen anything like it". 

Whew. Maybe that wasn't short and sweet after all.

2 years and 9 months later, Lucy was born. C-section again. WHY? Well, I asked my doctor about giving it a second try the old school way and she wasnt a fan. I didnt push it because I just didnt want to. She told me a horror story of a woman insisting on Vbac and her scar ripping open and her and the baby died.

Is that true? I don't know. Is it true that my hips or pelvic bone is shaped weird and thats why I couldnt push Ryder out? I dont know is my answer to that one too. Probably not.

But let me tell you this. Lucy's birth was one of the easiest, most enjoyable things I have ever done. George and I woke up, finished making the house perfect for when we came home, and I even went to Target an hour and a half before I was scheduled to have her to get Ryder a big brother gift. I know, procrastination!

The c-section went fine, everything was lovely. There were forest animals in my room from Snow White it was so magical. Moments after, I was sitting up, eating a grape Popsicle waiting on them to hand her over. Recovery time was amazing. Unlike Ryder's entrance I didnt feel like my guts were going to fall out. I was up walking around about 2 hours later. Seriously, it was awesome.

Now here we are with number 3! Ive thought a lot about what route I want to take with this one. I know my doctor isn't for Vbacs, so there wasn't even a point in asking her. I have talked a lot with my friend Ashley who is taking that route and she was awesome and even sent me several doctors in my ob/gyn group that are Pro Vbac. 

Ultimately though, Im just going to stick with the C-Section. 

I have considered keeping it a secret since I have several FB friends who are very clearly against C-sections. Not that I really give a rats ass what kind of statistics you have to share with me about how doctors just want to do sections to get more money and to make it easier. Listen I know, I have read all of the stuff. Im just not gonna love private messages urging me to reconsider. I have a LOW LOW tolerance for super opinionated people. And if I hadn't had such a crap experience with Ryder, and then such a wonderful one with Lucy I might be pluggin away switching doctors, hospitals, everything. Just to make sure I could deliver the regular way. 

Honestly, I do feel cheated that I will never have a vaginal delivery. It sort of makes my heart a little sad.

And hey, its still early in the game. If YOU, YOU PERSONALLY, have had two c-sections, were told your hips were small, and then delivered your third vaginally I would like to hear from you. I could be swayed if I hear from someone in my exact situation.

I guess that's it!