C-Section Birth Stories: Brittany Hanson

1. Please share the circumstances that led to your c-section birth(s):

My water broke at 4:30 am on October 5th (one day past my due date) and contractions started soon after. By 8:00 am, my contractions were three minutes apart and, when my husband called the office, they suggested that we come in immediately. We drove to the hospital, found out that yes, my water did break, I was dilated to one centimeter, and we had to stay. We settled into our room ready for a long haul. By 3:00 pm (almost twelve hours in), I was only dilated to four centimeters and my contractions were ramping up. I also was not getting any rest from the pain in between contractions, which made my coping mechanisms fail. I decided to get a walking epidural to give me a break. The anesthesiologist was amazing and I had a few hours pain-free. At around 9:00 pm, the midwife checked me again and I was still only at four centimeters and she could feel the baby's head molding, which suggested I was not dilating quickly enough and that he was probably mispositioned. She suggested we start Pitocin, so I opted for a full epidural.

Once everything was done, we were all settled in for a night of "rest", the nurse assuring she'd be coming in to increase the Pitocin and reposition me but that we should be able to sleep some. Only two hours in, the baby's heart rate was dropping. Any time we would increase the Pitocin or any time I was on my right side, the heart rate would drop. My blood pressure was also on the lower end, so we were trying to combat that with fluids. At one point, around midnight, the baby's heart rate dropped to the 80s. Several nurses rushed in, I was flipped over on my stomach, oxygen placed on me, and they were discussing very rapidly back and forth to call the midwife and possibly try some medications that would reverse the Pitocin. Luckily enough, the baby's heart rate stabilized within minutes and nothing drastic had to be done. They decided to stop the Pitocin and let the baby rest and try to restart later. We went through this sequence of events several times the remainder of the night. Start the Pitocin, ramp up the Pitocin, blood pressure issues for me, heart rate issues for the baby, stop the Pitocin. By 9:00 am, no progress had been made. The baby and I could not handle the Pitocin and I had only dilated to five centimeters.

My husband and I decided to push forward with a c-section. We had the scare several hours before with the baby's heart rate and didn't want to get to a point of a crash c-section. At 10:31 am, my beautiful baby boy was delivered via cesarean. Everyone was happy and healthy with no further complications. His head was very cone-shaped as a result of him trying to descend through the birth canal but unfortunately, he was faced in the transverse position and would not turn. The OB also stated that my pelvis was oddly shaped and that it looked like he would have had a very difficult time coming out even if he had been in a better position.

2. What surprised you the most about having a c-section?:

I think the biggest thing that surprised me was my emotions around having a c-section - I was not at all upset about it! I think because we had gone about thirty hours with no progression and had the heart rate scare with the baby, I was fully invested in simply getting him out safe and sound and was not worried or upset about the fact that I hadn’t gotten my goal of an unmedicated, vaginal birth. I also was surprised about how quickly they let you just get up and move around on your own. Once my foley catheter was removed, they let me freely move about and take care of the baby on my own. It was a little daunting and I was very glad that I had my husband there to support me in those early days!

3. What kind of support do you feel you received (from friends, family, healthcare team) after your c-section(s)?:

As I said before, my husband was my biggest support. Because of the COVID pandemic, we were not allowed any other visitors at the hospital, and based on our pediatrician's recommendation, we did not have any other visitors at the house for four weeks after the baby was born. Several friends came by to visit the baby through the window and often brought gifts and meals which helped tremendously. In the hospital, we had an amazing nurse for our delivery and immediately after. She was such a great resource for what to expect, getting me all cleaned up and feeling like a new person, as well as what I should plan for over the next several days. I cannot begin to thank her enough for her hard work and dedication to our family and myself on that day!

4. What’s your #1 piece of advice/encouragement for a new c-section mom?:

Don't be afraid! C-section births are births and you are a mama! Follow the recommendations for pain medication, especially Tylenol/Ibuprofen, take it consistently even if you are not in pain. Go slow. Don't expect to be moving around like you were before. Walk slower, don't lift, ask for help. C-sections are major abdominal surgery and you use your abs for a LOT of things. Rest is the best medicine!

5. How do you believe having a c-section birth(s) made you stronger?:

I believe it has improved my self-confidence that I can do hard things. I may not have gotten the birth that I pictured in my head beforehand, but I did something amazing! My husband reminds me every day that what I did was hard and I was so strong through it all. Now that I am seventeen weeks out, I feel even stronger and more confident in what my body is capable of! It will be interesting in the future to see if we will be able to have a vaginal birth, but if not, I am prepared for a second c-section and know that I can do it!

Name: Brittany Hanson

Your Profession: Pediatric Registered Nurse

How to Connect With You on Social Media: @britta013 on Instagram