I had what you’d call a “vaginal C-section.” My son crowned, but we put him back and instead did an emergency C-section.
This is how it all happened. I have no clue how long I pushed for, it was all a blur. But I remember that they gave me a mirror and I saw his head coming out. Suddenly, though it was like alarms were going off. The doctor came in and said “we’re going to have to take this baby out a different way. Do you understand what I mean by that?” I started crying. I knew she was talking about a C-section.
Every time I pushed, my son’s heart rate would drop. In hindsight, I’m not sure why they didn’t try a vacuum, or forceps-assisted delivery to get him. Still, it was a real emergency. Problem was, the epidural didn’t fully take effect. When they went to make the incision for the surgery, I screamed. I could feel it. The doctor told the anesthesiologist to hurry up with more pain medication because the baby needed to get out asap. Second try, nope I could still feel everything. Finally, on her third attempt at cutting me open, I was numb.
My son was born at 5:39 a.m. on December 17, more than 24 hours after I first went into labor. And, despite all this, I did go on to have another baby. Given what happened, I think that’s important to note!