No Cs for me please!

Even though I'm about three months away from delivering, the end seemed nearer and more frightening today than it has in the past few months when the doctor said:

"For such a small thing, you've got a good sized baby in there."

"I do?"

"Yes," he said. "It's measuring very well."

This in and of itself doesn't worry me. I'm glad the baby feels free to spread out and grow large in its fluidy environment. I want it to thrive, obviously.

But secretly, I don't want it to get TOO big. I'm pretty small, all things considered, and a gargantuan baby might not... uhm, come out. At least not by the means I've been hoping for.

All of my short, small friends who have given birth in the last few years have had c-sections. The baby's head has been too big for a natural birth, they've explained, or they didn't dilate enough or they couldn't live through yet another 27 hours of labour.

This makes me nervous because I don't want to have a c-section. I am not too posh to push. I don't want to have my ab muscles sliced for fear that they will never snap back. And I don't want to look forward to fluid-heavy, balloon-like legs that often result from the procedure or having to become dependent on pain-killers (well, maybe that's not soooo bad).

Now I have heard that it isn't all horrible. Many moms say they'd schedule a c-section again for the delivery of their second child. And they swear that the flat stomach returns - eventually, usually with work.

But I'm not convinced. Surgery's not my thing, ya know? I had my appendix out a few years ago, through tiny incisions in my abdomen, and my belly button has never looked quite the same again.

But I guess I got used to the new one. And if I have to go under the knife for this kid, hell, it'll prepare me to go under the knife again. That's right, it'll prime me for that tummy tuck I'll need to get in a few years!

Comments

[elliott carew]

..don't stress too much..it's all so out of your control..
with my first i'd skipped the "c-section" chapter in the "what to expect"..book and when at my second last OB appointment the doctor told me the baby was breach and it was "absolutley TOO late for it to turn naturally etc.".. i wept on my lovely doula's shoulder as i left --quite scared of the now 'scheduled' c -section procedure.I hadn't "planned" for this and boy, I'm a planner!
..my last appointment before my due date the doctor examined me again and amazingly the baby had turned..she was speechless (which was not like her at all!!) and i was able to 'enjoy' a natural birth (which i won't talk you through..you'll have your own story about that when the time is right!!) hang in there.. :)

[NEWMOM]

Don't panic! I am 5"2 and 110 lbs. I had a baby about a year ago and also didn't want a c-section. Labour was not easy but he was delivered vaginally. Good luck!!

[elorem]

No point in worrying about it. I'm also small, and I have tiny hips, and labour for both my kids lasted less than 5 hours and was completely straightforward (babies were both around 7-8 lbs). Granted, I was lucky, but size really has nothing to do with it. It seems to me that genetics play a more important role. Ask your mom how her labour went.

[betty24twelve]

When D-day comes, the decision of whether to have a C-section might not be a choice. If the baby's heart rate drops or you develop complications (God forbid), the first priority is getting the baby out of there, to heck with "preferences."

Just go with the flow. Take what comes with this, as with all other baby-related things. You'll save yourself unnecessary stress and guilt.

[Pregnancy]

My friends are also disagree about CS..they are saying that you are so fulfilling when you feel the moment when the baby is going out in your womb it is the most happiest moment of your life.

[Size 6]

I had my baby at Mt. Sinai and was asked what my shoe size was. I said "6" (I am about 5 feet tall) and the doctor told me that 80% of women with size 6 or under will need C-sections. Turns out he was right, and yes, I needed one. The truth of the matter is size does matter in this case, so be prepared.... buy really large underwear to be on the safe side (you'll want them to go over the scar if you do have a c) and just know that at the end of the day, things heal and if you do end up needing one, it's just the way the cookie crumbles. The baby being delivered safely is the most important thing anyway. The frustrating part was that the doctor admitted he saw it coming all along but never clued me in. So best to adjust to the possibility now than be blindsided. That way, if you don't need one, it'll be a pleasant surprise.