Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Gentle(r) Cesarean

http://www.guardian.co.uk/family/story/0,,1656246,00.html#article_continue

What do you think about this? I am mixed. It makes me sad, because it makes me revisit my surgeries. So it is hard for me to be objective whatsoever. But yes, that whole scene sounds much, much "better" than my own c-sections.

If we can leave out all the why and just read it for what it is, then I give it a thumbs up for being more human. If we can leave out all the grey zone and often black and white zone about c sections, this would really give back some of what the mothers and babies "lost" when their normal births eluded them.

You know what, this actually is making me think more about what all is lost when a c section is performed. And one thing is that in the surgery suite, there is ABSOLUTLEY NO lovey dovey human or humane ambiance whatsoever.

I know alot of c-sections are called "emergency c sections". This is supposedly when it is a c section that was not scheduled. But I beg to differ. Both Mickey and Charlie were not emergency c sections, not to my knowledge anyhow. They were not in distress, their hearttones were fine. But it was determined that I could not push them out being immobilized and numb and flat on my back, and so they were cut out of me instead. Is that really an emergency?

Anyhow, there was CERTAINLY nothing like this when I had those 2. I dont think I was directly addressed once, even when I was vomiting to death, and it was running up into my eyes--all I heard was "turn her head, someone"

I wonder why we are suppossed to be protected from the horrors of seeing our own baby come out. Its so so so so so so so so so so so disturbing to the bonding process to be numb and then see some random kid and assume it is yours. Some people will get what I am saying and some will not. But I looked at Mickey and he looked at me and I didnt feel anything motherly towards him for weeks. WEEKS.

Did I mention I hate hospital birth?

1 comment:

HW said...

My second c-section was very much like this, perhaps because the doctor was a woman. She lowered the drape and allowed us to watch our daughter be gently pulled from me. I was addressed, by name, by all the staff during the entire procedure. The anesthesiologist (sp?) kept his head right by my ear the whole time and talked to me in the most soothing and calming voice, telling me everything that was being done. Whenever I voiced a concern like "I feel woozy..." He'd say "do you mean dizzy or nauseaus?" to clarify what I needed and then go to work to make things better. He even wiped the tears from one side of my face while my husband wiped the other side.
If a woman has to have a c-section, I wish they could all be like this.