Having a C-section Sucks, but it’s Not all Bad

Now that I’m pregnant again, I’ve been reflecting on my previous experience with giving birth with mixed emotions. I ended up with a C-section the first go around. It was definitely not what I had hoped for, but it ended up being the only real choice.

This time around, I’ve requested a C-section. Not because I want one but because it seems like the best option available to me. The circumstances that lead to my first C-section are likely to recur and if you are going to have a C-section anyway, it’s much nicer to have a planned one than an emergency C-section after a long time of trying for a vaginal birth and not getting anywhere.

But I can’t say I feel 100% comfortable with the decision. I don’t feel that anyone pressured me into having a C-section – there really was no other option, but I do feel like my body failed me. I feel a little betrayed that it wouldn’t do so many of the things required to birth a baby. Perhaps part of the reason I don’t want to try again is because I don’t trust my body anymore? I don’t know. Regardless, this is not a decision I have made lightly and I do not suspect I’ll be changing my mind.

While I’m thinking about it, I thought I’d share a bit my first experience having a C-section. A few things that surprised me and a few benefits to having a C-section.

But first, a PSA:

Denying the possibility that you could end up having a C-section, will not ensure that you will not have one, but will ensure that you are not as prepared as you could be.

Trust me – if denial worked, I would not be writing this article. By all means think positively, but at the same time, don’t skip that section in your book or however you are preparing yourself and make sure you have a plan in place for if you need to be in the hospital for 3 days (or more).

Things that Surprised Me:

Even though you can’t feel any pain you can still feel everything. I did not see this coming. It is kind of creepy and this makes many people nauseous.

You will still bleed. Have pads in your bag. Big ones. These will also come in handy if your water breaks before you get to the hospital.

Some Benefits

Medical professionals stop being so interested in your lower lady parts.

There is no way you’re going to get an episiotomy and the ‘trauma’ to that general area is low.

You don’t have to wait any longer to have sex after having your baby or to have your next one than women who have vaginal births but you may be more likely to listen to the recommendations.

In Calgary you get priority for a private room. This can quickly turn into a negative as if there is not one available when you are getting your room they will not move you to a private room and you will be sharing for the whole 3 days.

Your husband or support person will probably change all the diapers in the first couple days.

So did you have a C-section? How did you feel about it? How did you decide whether to try for a vaginal birth or not afterwards? Did you feel as ambivalent about the decision as I do? Any other benefits I missed?

Wordless Wednesday

 

Peanut Butter Banana Yogurt Pancakes

Our pancake kick continued, but the blueberries we used in our previous recipe didn’t last. So I thought I’d try a new modification. I love peanut butter and these pancakes are fantastic. A little skiff of peanut butter on top while they are still warm makes them even better. They’d also make an awesome peanut butter and banana sandwich.

Blueberry Banana Yogurt Pancake Recipe

(Adapted from Bed & Breakfast Inns Online)
1 Cup Flour
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
1/4 cup Peanut Butter
2 Large Eggs
1 Cup Plain Yogurt (Balkan is nice)
1 Ripe Banana Mashed
2 Tablespoons Butter, Melted

Directions:

1. Mix dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
2. Add the peanut butter to the dry ingredients and mix well. It’ll have a crumbly texture when it’s done, but it will totally work.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs, add yogurt, melted butter and mash in the banana. You can do this by breaking it into pieces and then mashing it up with the whisk or you can mash them first. They need to be small but do not need to be completely mashed. If you hate mashing you could even just slice them thinly.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet (half the time I do this backwards, but this way you don’t have flour mixture stuck to the bottom). Mix just enough so that you no longer see any dry flour.
5. Cook the pancakes on a medium-high heat for about 2 minutes per side. If you haven’t cooked them before try doing a test pancake before making a whole bunch.

What’s Your Role When Your Kids are Outside? – Life Outside

Now that the Life Outdoors – Fall Challenge has been going on for a couple of weeks, I’ve noticed another set of expectations that I have for outdoor play that makes it seem like more work than just staying in.

I have no problem reading a book or writing a blog post while Gordie is happily playing by himself inside. But to take a book outside just seems so… deliberate. Like I am planning on ignoring my child.

It doesn’t really make sense does it? Just because I bring a book out, doesn’t mean I have to read it. And if it’s there, and Gordie is happily playing by himself, I’m going to have a much better time out there reading my book instead of tapping my foot until we go back in.

If the point is for Gordie to get outside, it doesn’t really matter what I’m doing does it? It’s about him, not me.

I think that being able to play independently is a really good skill for kids to have – both inside and outside. It’s not that I’m never going to play with him. I do and I will continue to do so all time. But letting him or even encouraging him to play by himself isn’t an inferior form of play.

So, this week I’m going to try to worry less about whether I’m being a good enough mom outside and just feel good that we are outside.

Wordless Wednesday–Life Outside–Airplane Watching

Blueberry Banana Yogurt Pancakes

I almost never make pancakes. I made some off hand comment that used the word pancakes (what on earth could that be? I cannot for the life of me figure out how you use the word pancakes without saying something like “let’s have pancakes”). Regardless, Gordie thought this was the best idea he had ever heard. I managed to get out of making pancakes for lunch but promised he could have them for dinner.

I put this together so I could feel like even though we were having pancakes for dinner, we were getting some decent nutrition too. Whole wheat pancakes always seem to be lacking something so I decided to add things to the pancakes instead. Plain yogurt, a banana and blueberries make these a lot more nutrient dense than your average pancake as well as sweet and moist.

Blueberry Banana Yogurt Pancake Recipe

(Adapted from Bed & Breakfast Inns Online)
1 Cup Flour
1 Tablespoon Sugar
1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
½ Teaspoon Salt
2 Large Eggs
1 Cup Plain Yogurt (Balkan is nice)
1 Ripe Banana Mashed
2 Tablespoons Butter, Melted
2 Handfuls of Blueberries

Directions:

1. Mix dry ingredients in a medium sized bowl.
2. In a large bowl, beat eggs, add yogurt, melted butter and mash in the banana. You can do this by breaking it into pieces and then mashing it up with the whisk or you can mash them first. They need to be small but do not need to be completely mashed. If you hate mashing you could even just slice them thinly.
3.Add the dry ingredients to the wet (half the time I do this backwards, but this way you don’t have flour mixture stuck to the bottom). Mix just enough so that you no longer see any dry flour.
4. Add the blueberries and gently fold them in.
5. Cook the pancakes on a medium-high heat for about 2 minutes per side. If you haven’t cooked them before try doing a test pancake before making a whole bunch.

Easy Outdoor Fun–Spray Bottle

As part of our “Life Outside – Fall Challenge” I’m trying to find simple things to do outside. I had a spray bottle hanging around the house (used only for water) that I gave to Gordie to try out.

  

It was seriously, the best thing ever! For something so simple, it amused him all week. It was a little difficult for him to figure out at first, especially since it was a bit too big for him to handle but he persevered. The best thing is, because we were outside it didn’t matter what got sprayed (well except for when it was me!)