Recovery

I remember when I was newly pregnant with Charleigh, I had a discussion with my OB regarding having an elective c-section.  There was no way in hell I was pushing a baby out of there - I'm far too much of a wuss.  

I remember him telling me that he knew that I could have a vaginal delivery, that he believed in me.  He also said that if I was dead set on a c-section, however, he would consider it.  

After all was said and done, I ended up delivering Charleigh vaginally.  I'm honestly glad that I did - it tested my strength.  I can say that I've experienced it, and have no regrets about my decision.  It wasn't nearly as horrible as I had anticipated. {thank you epidural}

This time around, I was truly terrified of having a vaginal delivery.  The thought of delivering one baby vaginally and then needing a c-section for the other was frightening.  How difficult would it be to recover from both a vaginal birth and a c-section?!

At the same time, the thought of a c-section scared me as well.  I'd obviously experienced a vaginal delivery and had a nice, easy recovery. A c-section would be a completely different ball game - I couldn't imagine not being able to pick up or carry Charleigh for any extended period of time.

When Coleson turned breech and stayed breech, I knew that a c-section was pretty much inevitable.  I was fairly okay with that.  Of course, we all know that the birth of the twins didn't exactly go as planned.  To this day I still cannot believe that I labored at home naturally, sans medication.  That alone was something I said I'd never do!

Although I still struggle with our birth story, I cannot complain about the c-section or recovery.  In fact, I thought it was pretty easy.

Yeah, the day I delivered I was pretty drugged up but I got up out of bed and sat in the wheelchair and was taken to NICU to see and hold my sickly babies.  The next morning, just barely 24 hours after their arrival, I walked to the NICU on my own to see them - I also stood there talking to the neonatologist, who was impressed by my pain tolerance.  {his comment about my high pain tolerance still cracks me up}. I used the bathroom without assistance too, and the on-call OB came in and saw me walking out of the bathroom.  She looked very confused and checked her paperwork on me - questioning whether I truly had a c-section and had delivered twins just the day before.

During my five day hospital stay, I had nurses tell me that I was their easiest patient because all I ever asked for was ice water.  Almost immediately, I started weaning myself off the pain medication - which proved, at times, to be a mistake.  

Less than a week after the twins were born I went to the final walk-thru of our house.  Our builder was shocked that I was driving and moving around as well as I was.  His wife didn't have such an easy recovery from her c-section.  Neither did my friend, Liz.

Apparently I'm the exception to the rule.  I've always done phenomenally after surgery {and let's face it - I've had a lot of surgeries}, and this proved to be no different.  Maybe it's because I've had fairly major surgery in the past or because I have such extensive Endometriosis.  Chad believes it was a 'walk in the park' compared to laboring at home without medication.  Sadly, that is probably true. 

You may wonder why I am sharing this or think that I'm bragging.  Well, in some ways I am bragging - I'm the worlds biggest wuss so this was a pretty big deal.  That being said...

I'm still proud of myself.  I did a lot of things that I said that I'd never do.  I'm not sure that there is any pain that compares to what I went through. {and I'm not saying I'm a superhero}. I kicked ass and took names.

If you need a c-section, however disappointing it may be, keep your chin up and don't fret.  The important thing is that both you and your child are safe and healthy.  There are much worse things in the world than a c-section.  Plus, if I can do it, anybody can...