Cut Open

August 28, 2021

With the freezing room…

Lying on the surgical table ….

Tied and can’t move…

Feeling anxious and dizzy…

The bright light is blinding…

Eyes are drooping...

I hear voices…

Yes, I've been there. The experience, the feeling, being in the situation.

C-Section or Caesarian section is a kind of surgical procedure that happens when a mother who is about to give birth is not able to fulfill it via normal delivery or vaginal delivery. In this operation, a cut or an incision in the abdomen and then in the uterus is being done. You can opt to have it vertically (up and down) or horizontally (across from side to side). The procedure takes about 45 minutes to an hour, it can be done while a woman is awake or under general anesthesia where the patient is put in a sleep-like state and completely in deep sleep. An epidural is administered by a physician anesthesiologist where a small area in the back (epidural space) is injected or a spinal block where the medication is injected into the spinal fluid. A urinary catheter is also inserted to drain the bladder during the operation. While waiting for the anesthesia to take effect the abdomen is being cleaned with an antiseptic then it will be cut open with an incision of 15cm or 6 inches. The second cut is to open the uterus to take the baby out. After which both incisions will be closed, the uterus and abdomen will be stitched. You can have it stitched or stapled, your choice. The good thing about caesarian is that before giving birth the mother can already tell her physician that she wants to go under the knife.

What causes or scenarios can lead to a c-section? Here are some of the common reasons why a mother needs to undergo such kind of surgery.

• Abnormal fetal heart rate – is observed while monitoring the baby’s heart rate during labor

• Size of the fetus – it could be that the baby is too big to be delivered vaginally

• Health condition of the mother – high blood, diabetes, or has HIV infection

• Breech birth – the baby is not in a birthing position, baby’s position should be head down or cephalic presentation facing the mother’s back

• Twins or more – delivering a twin or giving birth to multiple babies

• Previous C-section – the patient already underwent or gave birth via c- section before

• Placenta previa – the placenta is detached and blocking the cervix, a premature detachment of the placenta

• Cord loop – the cord is looped around the neck or other parts of the baby’s body

• Opted for a Caesarian delivery – the parents or the mother decided or requested to have a cesarean delivery

• Active herpes sores in the mother’s vagina or cervix – in this case even if it can be done on a normal delivery a c-section will be done to prevent the baby from getting infected

..... and many other reasons to consider or your health care provider have other reasons to recommend a c-section….

Yes, I delivered my second child via c–section or caesarian section. A condition that never entered my mind but it happened. I was confident that it will be a normal delivery like my firstborn but it turned out to be a caesarian delivery, sometimes the unexpected occurs. He was an example of a cord loop case that’s the reason my dilation stayed at 7cm and didn’t improve to reach a 10cm dilation to have him delivered normally.

When I got back to my senses I’m already in the recovery room and my baby is in the nursery room. I was just truly thankful to God and the doctors who helped me get through the ordeal that my baby and I were both safe.

Photos are from pexel