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Contemplating the c-section.

2008-04-19 - 7:30 a.m.

32 weeks yesterday, and I think I sensed hiccups from the Biscuit for the first time a few nights ago. I have 4 weeks left of work, 6 � weeks before I go under the knife to liberate this little guy.

I confess I�m kind of nervous about this second c-section. I�m not a fan of needles, etc. (who is, really?) but last time labour was a huge distraction from all the medical stuff being done to me. I couldn�t freak out a whole lot about the needle being put in my spine or the IV being inserted when I was combating waves of pain, and trying desperately to stay still, and thinking about how Grommet � whose readouts were sporadically scary � was doing. In other words, labour sucked for me, but it certainly kept my mind off of some of the stuff that would have otherwise been very scary to contemplate and painful to experience.

I know that most people say a planned c-section is much easier on a woman to undergo and recover from than an emergency one, but the advantage of the first is not knowing what to expect either. I had expected the recovery to be painful and absolutely horrible, and it wasn�t as bad as I thought it�d be. But it wasn�t fun either, and the aftereffects did linger a lot longer than I had anticipated. It took a full year before I was really recovered to the point I could do everything I could before the surgery. Sure, I could get around pretty well after 6 weeks as predicted, and at 4 months I started taking the weight-lifting class I normally teach, but I could feel a pulling and discomfort at the incision site for a full year when doing certain exercises.

Despite this foreknowledge, it�s the first 6 weeks that really concern me � not for the pain and loss of mobility, but because I have an active toddler this time who will be making a huge adjustment to having the new baby around. I�m afraid she�ll end up with the short end of the stick as I try to look after myself so I can heal, and the new baby who will need much of my attention. Last time J managed to take the 4 days off that I was in the hospital and never left Grommet and I for very long, but he had just opened his business a few weeks before Grommet�s birth and the day after we got home from the hospital he went back to work� for 6 weeks straight without a day off. And, J being the good guy he is, the first day he did have off he went to help a friend move. This time the business is established, but he only has so many people on his staff and he normally puts in a full week at the front counter, in addition to all the behind-the-scenes stuff that a business requires (making sure there�s stuff to sell, managing the staff, etc.). I�m concerned that, even if he manages to cut back on hours somewhat, he still won�t be able to be around all that much.

Of course, whatever happens, we�ll get through it. I got through the first 6 weeks last time and we had been totally unprepared for the possibility of a c-section. This time at least we have an idea of what we�ll be getting into. Forewarned is forearmed, after all.

Before - After


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