My C-Section Experience: The Good, the Bad, and the Unexpected

Hello everyone ?

I still can't believe it's been nine months since I became a mom.

Before I got pregnant, my husband and I had decided to have a C-section. Yeah, it's crazy to want a major surgery, but I had my reasons:

1) the risk of birth injuries to the baby is lower. Unfortunately, there are so many heartbreaking stories about babies being pushed out, broken, or having their limbs twisted. I didn't want that to happen to my baby, so I'd rather go through the surgery myself.

2) during natural births, doctors don't have control over the situation, they can only make adjustments as needed. I wanted a situation where the doctor was in control, and that's exactly what a C-section provides.

I had a pretty good pregnancy: no morning sickness, the only issues were a lack of appetite and weight loss instead of gain. I went into labor with a weight loss of 4 kg from my pre-pregnancy weight, and by the time I was discharged, I'd lost 15 kg. Of course, towards the end, I had trouble sleeping, my joints would spread apart, and my limbs would swell by evening, but it wasn't a big deal.

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I'm not going to get into the details of conception and pregnancy, I'll focus on the specifics of pregnancy and childbirth in the Middle East. In my country, there's a different approach to pregnancy, childbirth, and prenatal care, so don't be surprised by some of the differences from what you're used to in Russia.

I paid for private prenatal care (it's the only option in my country, and each appointment costs $21 without ultrasound diagnostics), and the ultrasound machine was at the doctor's office (ultrasound diagnostics cost an extra $9). I could get the lab results within 30 minutes (the cost of services depends on the parameters of the test).

First peculiarity.

There's no set schedule for doctor's visits. If you're feeling good, you can skip your appointment.

Second peculiarity.

No over-testing. Lab tests are ordered based on how the pregnant woman feels. I only had my blood drawn four times throughout my entire pregnancy. On the one hand, it's a good thing - you don't have to deal with extra stress, but on the other hand, you might miss diagnosing a pregnancy complication.

Third peculiarity.

No concept of "lying in" (bed rest). Hospitalization is only recommended in case of bleeding, which means it's too late to save the pregnancy. I was hospitalized for one night when I got food poisoning during pregnancy, and I stayed in the hospital for four weeks, even though I was only 4 weeks pregnant.

Fourth peculiarity.

Stays in the hospital are significantly shorter than in Russia. After a natural birth, it's 5 hours, and after a C-section, it's no more than 20 hours, unless the patient is in the ICU.

Fifth peculiarity.

Abortion is strictly prohibited, except in cases where the mother's health is at risk, or the pregnancy is non-viable.

Sixth peculiarity.

No mandatory genetic screening.

It's done on a case-by-case basis and for a fee (around $160):

❗️ age 40 or older;

❗️ a family history of genetic disorders;

❗️ close family ties between spouses (in Muslim countries, you can marry your first cousin, but when it's a repeated pattern, it's a good idea to get the screening done).

I didn't meet the initial criteria, but I insisted on a paid screening. All the tests came back normal.

The seventh feature.

The second-trimester screening (brain study, its structures, and the fetus's organs) is also done on a voluntary and paid basis ($100). I also insisted on this screening.

The eighth feature.

The lack of an exchange card and a card in general. This is definitely a minus. The doctor, of course, won't remember what happened to you at your last appointment, so you have to remind them. You can track your medical history through prescriptions for medications and ultrasound and lab test results.

The ninth feature.

Don't freak out, not all medical staff wear gloves when taking blood ??‍♀️. I was shocked myself. But we don't have diseases like HIV and Hepatitis C.

The tenth feature.

Cesarean without indications, by choice, they do in private hospitals (cost from $1000), in state hospitals, they only do emergency cesarean sections, planned ones - no, but relatively free (you pay for medications). When I was in the hospital with food poisoning, I paid around $3 for treatment ?

The eleventh feature.

In any hospital, there's a provision for a patient to be accompanied by their relatives. So, a woman comes to give birth (even naturally), her mom (or any other relative) can stay in the hospital, even overnight. This rule applies to ICUs and longer stays too. That's awesome! If you need help, you don't have to wait for medical staff - your relatives and loved ones can help.

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I guess we'll stop on the fun facts and move on to the real deal - the operation.

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I already mentioned that BEFORE getting pregnant, I decided on this method of delivery, but I wavered until 8 months, natural births are beneficial for both mom and baby, even though they come with high risks for both. My doubts disappeared when health issues arose that fit the concept of 'indirect' indications.

1) My vision suddenly dropped in the first trimester and continued to decline. Nobody told me what would happen to my vision if I opted for natural births, and the fear of going blind consumed me.

2) Pelvic bone misalignment. Nobody measured this in me, but I was in agony on late terms - it hurt to lie down, sit, walk, or stand. I was prescribed painkillers.

When I finally decided to have a cesarean section, I went to see my doctor, agreed on it, did the pre-op tests, and scheduled the operation for December 10. The doctor warned me that if labor started before the scheduled date and at night, I'd have to give birth myself, as the state hospital wouldn't consider my wishes, even for a fee. If labor started before the scheduled date and during the day, they'd do a coproduction in a private clinic where I'd already signed a contract. I was really worried, didn't want to give birth in a state hospital, especially naturally.

I was scheduled to give birth on December 10th. But my husband was supposed to be away on a business trip until December 8th. On the night of December 2nd, I started feeling like my waters were breaking, and on December 2nd, I had these terrible pains in my pelvic bones. I went to see my doctor, and she ran a 'coughing' test to check for any leaks. It showed nothing, but just to be safe, she sent me for an ultrasound. The verdict was: 'You're going to give birth within the next 48 hours.' I was in shock, but my husband wasn't due to arrive until December 8th! No way, little one, you're staying in my belly a bit longer. We ended up rescheduling the due date to December 5th. I called my husband, and he quickly arranged for someone to cover his shift at work. He managed to fly in just three hours before I was admitted to the hospital.

December 5th.

The day before, I had my last meal, and then I was put on a no-food-and-no-water diet until 3 pm. I arrived at the hospital at noon, and they took my blood. They gave me a private room where my husband could stay with me. We were both nervous, it was our first baby, and the wait was getting shorter by the minute. The clock was ticking – 2:30 pm, and my husband was called away to the reception desk to clarify something in his contract. That's when the nurse came in and called me over. I thought, 'Okay, maybe they need to take some more blood.' But then she said, 'Undress.' What? Where's my husband? He's supposed to be with me. I started crying from fear. It was a cesarean section, and I was going in alone. I'd had a tonsillectomy before, and my husband had accompanied me into the operating room. But this time, I was going in without him.

They put me in a special gown and took me into the operating room. That's when I had my second shock – the male nurses. Let me remind you, I live in the Middle East, and women don't interact with men unless absolutely necessary.

I lay down on the operating table, and then they inserted a catheter into my arm. I think this procedure scared me more than the surgery itself. I was so nervous that I felt lightheaded, and my vision started to blur. I asked them to let me sit up and take a few deep breaths. That's when my doctor came in, and I talked to her about the procedure, the anesthesia, and introduced me to the staff who would be working with me. I calmed down, lay back down, and they asked me if they should insert a urinary catheter. I said no, I didn't want to be rushed out of the hospital too quickly.

They decided to go with a general anesthetic due to my condition – I have hypotension, which is a contraindication for spinal and epidural anesthesia. Plus, seeing how panicked I was, and how easily I could lose consciousness from the catheter insertion, the doctor made the final decision to put me under.

I had a good anesthetic after the operation, and I didn't have a headache, plus my overall feeling was great. It was a mixed method: inhalation and intravenous. I started waking up on the operating table. At that moment, I had already been stitched up, but they were pressing on my stomach (I don't know why or why, but it was the pressure on my stomach that woke me up). Then I was taken out of the operating room. I saw my husband, he was taking me to a room from which the magical sound of our baby's crying was coming. The operation lasted 30 minutes. I was transferred to a bed, and they started giving me painkillers and antibiotics. The first day's condition was satisfactory. My baby was lying in his crib next to me, and I could already take care of him, but, as you understand, it was too hard, and my relatives who were sleeping in the room with me helped me. Three hours after the operation, I started rolling from side to side, then sitting, then standing up, and walking. It was hard for me to do all this, no, it was very hard. I started eating three hours after the operation, and there were no restrictions on what I could eat.

In the morning, they offered us discharge - I refused. I had strong pains, and I started sweating. I continued to get up.

I stayed in the hospital for another night, and I was discharged only when I had enough paracetamol to take as pain relief.

The first week after the operation, pain was my constant companion, but that was to be expected. Getting out of bed was not easy, but my crying baby was pushing me to get up.

They removed my stitches a week later. Ten days after the operation, late in the evening after feeding my baby, pus started oozing out of the stitch, not just oozing, but gushing out like a geyser. I had my stitch urgently cleaned, and the next day, the cleaning was repeated, and I was prescribed stronger antibiotics.

Why the stitch got infected - a mystery. After the operation, I was given antibiotics, and the stitch was clean. So, be prepared for this consequence of abdominal surgery.

Also, the skin around the stitch lost its sensitivity. And even now, nine months later, the sensitivity hasn't been restored.

Did I regret giving birth via cesarean section? NO. I'm completely satisfied with the result, but if I could turn back time, I would definitely buy a belly band.

Yes, the recovery period is not easy, but some women after natural births also suffer from pain, move along the wall, and get up despite the pain.

I don't think I 'didn't give birth' just because I didn't experience all the joys of contractions, pushes, and tears. I experienced other joys during the recovery period.

Now you can throw your shoes away ?

Thanks for your attention ? Good health to you and your children ?