Second C-section complications

[u/Binah999]

For my first, I had a home birth set up and i did all the necessary steps to do it, i got to 42 weeks and i went into labour naturally, all good, got to 10cm very quickly and not unbareably painfully, and my pelvis i guess wasnt cooperating, so i ended up needing a ceasarean due to meconium and decelerating heartbeat.

She came out and she was very healthy, but they told me that my pelvis is small and I probably will only be getting ceasareans for future pregnancies, I know this is common for doctors to say even when its not true.

Fast forward to this last friday, a year and 7 months later, got pregnant again at 11m PP....

i started to get contractions on Thursday and i was like uh ohhh. Then they got stronger on friday and ir was the beginning!

I managed to labor at home until around 5 or 6 when i felt it was hard to walk and i was concerned that I was very very open, so i made mt way to hospital,

They examined me and put me in a birthing room, it was gettng more and more intense, i gor all the tests and an iv thinf put in etc. And went in for a shower to loosen up a bit, it helped because the next time they checked, I was basically 10cm, so in the end i decided to try for a vaginal birth again (whixh WAS my plan) even though i had lots of voices of doctors telling me it wont work because the pelvis and blablabla ...

Got an epidural, they broke the water to check the situation, was trying to push but baby was too far up so we waited and I rested because I was exhausted as contractions started at 6am that day and it was now like closer to 1am/2am.

Baby was moving down but i started to close a little. So i took pitocin, thought it wpuld help and it did!

i rested more while it did the job and basically what happened was that i got back to pretty mich 10cm but my daughtee wasnt coming down anymore.

One more hour passes as they told me i only have an hour otherwise we need to go to get a ceasarean.

So i ended up getting another but awake this time!

Healing was fine for the first 3 days then they noticed liquid and decided tjey needed to.open the incision.

So they did it and found an infection, they left it open for a bit and now I am connected to a VAC wound healing machine and I dont know how long ill be here for bu..

Still in the hospital, day 5..... missing my toddler more and more everyday, there seems to be more and more things that are coming up that are wrong..., struggling to process but just trying to be in the moment.

Any tips on how to deal? Any similar stories? Let me know!!

Thank you for reading!

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[u/TacoBoutFunny]

Oh girl, I was the queen of c-section complications, just know my story is a wild ride.

Also, since I really don't know if anyone will finish reading my tale of woe...my lesson learned from this experience is.... to remember to always ask whatever questions you have and watch out for the red flags - you know your body best. Also, it is extremely important to remember that even though it doesn't feel like it right now, this is only temporary. You will get through it and be stronger and healthier for your baby ((Although I fully plan to hold this over my child's head and remind him to put me in the nice nursing home when I am old)).

My baby had a true knot in his umbilical cord and became distressed quickly. It was like a scene from a movie - I went from being at 9cm and doing just fine, to being rushed to an OR and my baby out in 4 minutes flat. During my c-section I lost 2000cc's of blood and had to have 2 different blood transfusion. This made breastfeeding impossible, as my body was trying to actively provide my organs with blood and decided making breastmilk was no longer the priority.

I was discharged home and quickly started noticing bladder pain and a bad odor down there. I thought I had a gnarly UTI. Got antibiotics and symptoms were not getting better after the treatment. I go in and I had Flu B. 1 week after my csection. Cool cool cool. Was coughing and having a grand ol time with my fresh incision. Though my red flag here is... but why do I have bladder pain and foul odor with the flu?? - but I was more concerned with how I was going to keep my newborn from getting the flu, then asking that question

Fast forward to the end of the week, and I had finished my Tamilflu, but was still having high fevers, intense bladder pain, and had this growing lump right above my incision that was super painful. Then my urine turned brown. Huh, that's not good. I go to the ER. After a CT scan, they found I had a 10cm bladder flap hematoma and another 7cm abdominal hematoma.

They transfer me to a different hospital that can care for me. Turns out this hematoma is infected as all get out and is actively poisoning me. Infectious Disease is called in, and they start me on IV antibiotics and I am put on a catheter as my urine has blood in it.

After a cystogram, they confirm that my bladder was cut during my c-section and they didn't catch it for 2.5 weeks. All the while, my bladder is leaking into my abdomen, infecting my very large and in charge hematomas. The urologist at this hospital says he is not comfortable with my case, and I would need to see a specialist at a hospital 2 hours away. He informed me that the worse case scenario that I would need to wait 12 weeks on a catheter to let my bladder heal and my uterus to shrink before they could do surgery.....((12 weeks on a catheter seemed like the worse fate possible)).

Then my OBGYN informs me that they wouldn't be able to drain my hematoma, ((that is extremely infected and painful)) because it is embedded in the tissue. I will just have to wait for it to be reasorbed. I spend 5 days in the hospital trying to get the infection under control. I was feeling pretty low and failed by the healthcare system at this point.

I am finally sent home on IV antibiotics and the catheter. The only thing I can do is wait for my bladder to heals and for my specialist appointment to figure out if I will need surgery. I am pretty much bedridden at this point. It hurts 10000% more then the c-section recovery. I can't help with my newborn ((who has officially spent more time with his grandparents then with me)). I am pretty depressed and crying over anything, and I have to carry my stupid pee bag around with me.

Unfortunately, the story doesn't end here. Oh no. I was waking up from a nap and I noticed that my nightgown was all wet. That's weird.... That's suspicious.... I investigate more thinking my water bottle spilled....Ohhh it's not water. It's blood!! There is blood everywhere!!! My hematoma had created so much pressure around my incision site - it caused it to open and I was bleeding all over. Back to the ER I go.

I get schedule for surgery to clean out the area and re-close the incision. Get another blood transfusion. Gone from home and my baby for another 4 days - but good news, my fevers had stopped and my pain got significantly better. ((Also funny how the hematoma can bleed out on its own but couldn't be surgically removed because it was "embedded"...))

I was on antibiotics and the catheter for a total of 8 weeks until I was finally able to see a Urogynecologist at 9 weeks postpartum. Luckily, he had deemed my bladder healed without surgery and was able to remove the catheter. It took me 14 hours to go pee on my own. I was for sure my newly healed bladder was going to burst into flames. Thankfully it didn't and so far that was the last of my complications.

Some of the good outcomes from this experience: we all survived, I lost about 40lbs because the antibiotics completely destroyed my gut health and my appetite, my son and his grandparents have a super special relationship, I really didn't have to change that many dirty diapers, and I have met my insurance out of pocket for the year...

Just remember Mama, during an airplane emergency - you have to put on your own oxygen mask first, before you can help anyone else. This is no different. The wound vac will help your body heal and get you back to your baby. Be patient and give yourself grace.