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Following on from my story about cesarean risks, I just wanted to tell you a little about my c section recovery after my third child.

Because I had had a general anaesethic, my initial recovery was less then pleasant.  In between being sick,  I was left with trying to look after my new baby girl on my own.   There seemed to be a baby boom happening and the  nurses were run off their feet.   I was lucky enough  for the nurses to take the baby the first night though,   which allowed time for the aneasthetic to wear off.

I had organised for my husbands mother to come down to help,  but unfortunately  she was put into hospital for an emergency appendectomy the same day I was to have my cesarean.  Luckily, my own mother was able to come and stay for the week after I came home,  as I’m not sure how I would have coped with a new born, as well as an 18 mth old and a 3yr old, after having a major operation.

The day after my daughters birth,  I was allowed to get up and shower.  This also wasn’t a pleasant experience as the room spun and the nausea emerged.  Feeling the pain in my abdomen I was wishing I had opted for the natural birth as I can remember feeling great only hours after delivery of my first two babies.

On the third day the doctor examined me and announced I was ready to go home.   I informed him promptly that I wasn’t ready to go home   and  managed to get one more night in hospital.  As it turned out, I am very grateful that my intuition had kicked in, as after a routine feed, my baby couldn’t clear her lungs and was having terrible trouble to breath and had to have a lot of fluid “sucked out”.   I later found out that this is common in babies born via cesarean as  a baby born vaginally,  is able to clear the amniotic fluid from its lungs, whereas a baby born by cesarean hasn’t had that time during labour.

On day four I was ready to go home.  The doctor told me not to lift or stretch for 6 weeks – as if that was going to happen with three children to take care of.    After about the seventh day I was able to have the staples removed and then after about day ten I was standing up straight again.    All in all my c section recovery went well and I was very grateful that my baby and I were both healthy.

Some women are not so lucky and may suffer from infection of the wound or uterus,  heavy blood loss, blood clots in her legs or injury to the mother or baby during the operation.  If your concerned about any risks of cesarean,  please talk to your doctor until you feel comfortable about the whole process.

Have a great day

Jackie Stenhouse

After having two children naturally, I was quite happy to accept the doctors advice to have my third baby via a cesarean, as she was breech.  Not so deep down I was a little frightened of going through the pain of childbirth for the third time,  so it was a relief to not have to go through it again.  I wasn’t even concerned about the cesarean risks involved.  Now my daughter is twelve and I have a beautiful scar to show for her entrance into the world.

If I was to have anther baby, which isn’t going to happen in this life time, I would be doing a lot more research into what the real risks of delivering via a cesarean section are.

Most women you talk to who have had a baby will be happy to share her birthing story with you, so I will share a little of mine without the gory bits of course.

My Cesarean Story

When I was approximately 37 weeks pregnant I went for my routine check up and after the doctor had done her examination, she explained to me that the baby was breech, which means that she hadn’t turned and she had her feet first.  She gave me two options, one was to try and turn the baby around while she was in the womb and the second was to have a cesarean, which I jumped at without doing any research on cesarean risks.

At 39 weeks I went in to hospital to deliver my baby.  After preparation the aneathatist came in to give me an epidural which is a needle injected into your spine to stop all feeling to the lower half of your body. It was a very strange sensation not being in control of your legs.  I was then taken to the operating room with my husband in tow.  All was good until they unleashed the scalpal where I was instantly aware the epidural had not taken full effect.  (yes I felt it)  My husband went white as they ushered him out of the room quickly while they put me under general anaesthetic.  A short time later I awoke to find my husband and new baby beside me.

It felt strange to not have been there emotionally for the delivery of my daughter.  Sure I was there physically but I  had no connections with the passage of birth and the actual baby.  It took me three days to feel an emotional connection with my new baby girl, which is not what I felt with my other two delivered naturally.

In my next post I will tell you about the recovery side of things and some specific cesarean risks to think about.

Have a great day,

Jackie Stenhouse

With so many products on the market stating they have the safety for babies as their first priority, it is sometimes hard to determine which ones would best suit your environment.

From a very early age, I taught my children not to touch,open or go near anything which may harm them, but I still had safety latches on poison cupboards and guards over my hot water taps, as  a mother knows,  you can’t be watching your baby or toddler 24hrs a day.  They do wander while you are preoccupied with other things, especially if you have more then one small child.  Some children are also a little more curious then others,  and will often get into things which  they shouldn’t, while you are not watching.

Products Available to Ensure Safety for Babies

For everything around our home, you will more then likely find a safety device to stop babies and small children from hurting themselves.  Some of the products available  are safety latches for your cupboard doors to stop little hands from opening them,   heaps of bath safety items including covers for your hot water taps, and non slip mats as well as gadgets to measure the temperature of the water to prevent scalding.    Safety gates are also useful, especially if you have stairs or just want to stop your little one from entering a part of the house which could cause them injury, such as the kitchen or bathroom.

Simply take a walk around your house to identify the possible risks to your baby but don’t go overboard as you could end up turning your home into Fort Knox.   Anything poison, burning or sharp should be made safe as these are the major things which could cause great injury.

Everyone in the family should be aware that safety for babies in the house should always be taken seriously and in doing so making sure they close cupboards properly, store poisons and medicines up high and don’t leave small objects around which could choke a small child.  Too many children die in accidents which may have been prevented with a little more care.

Have a Great Day

Jackie Stenhouse

Whether you have one child or ten, chances are you suffer from what I call Parents Stress.  We can’t help it.   We want the best for our kids and if we can’t have the best – we stress.

In the 21st Century a new type of parents stress is emerging,  that being,   whether to go back to work or stay home with your children to be their primary care giver.  When my husband and I decided to have children, we made a decision that I would be the one to stay home and take care of the kids.   We have three children with  my eldest  now 16  and I am proud to say I have been there every step of the way and I am so grateful that I have had the support of my husband to be able to do this.   Not all families are so fortunate.

We have made a lot of financial sacrifices for me to be able to do this, even moving towns at times to chase the higher paid work or cheaper real estate,   but needless to say I have three very happy,  well rounded kids who all excel academically and fit into the world in a more then acceptable manner.

What Can You do to Reduce Parents Stress

One of the biggest stresses that parents have is trying not to neglect their kids, while still maintaining their busy schedules, and meeting all their obligations.   Most parents would love the opportunity to stay home with their kids and not have to work, but unfortunately, most parents never get that option, because they need the income that their job provides.

Realistically,  plan your schedule and leave enough time to accomplish each task will make a difference in the amount of stress and the amount of time that you have.  Instead of wearing yourself out trying to finish an impossible list, learn how to budget your time and make sure that the important things get done first.

Learning how to effectively manage your time can get you and your family off the to-do list treadmill and on your way to having more time to spend together and enjoy your relationships with family and friends.

The use of glass feeding bottles for babies has always been popular,  but recently with the  outcry of the use of chemicals used to make plastic baby bottles, they have become even more popular.

As quoted in Wikapedia , “Bisphenol A, commonly abbreviated as BPA,  is an organic compound  used to make plastics and has been suspected of being hazardous to humans since the 1930s.   Concerns about the use of bisphenol A in consumer products were regularly reported in the news media in 2008 after several governments issued reports questioning its safety, and some retailers have removed products made of it from their shelves.  A 2010 report from the FDA raised further concerns regarding exposure of fetuses, infants, and young children.”

I personally used plastic bottles to feed my babies as there was no media coverage about BPA back when I had my children,  but I now no that it’s not worth the risk.

Questions to Ask When Buying Glass Feeding Bottles for Babies

When you are a new parent, you are very unaware of the choices available to you in regards to buying a simple baby’s bottle.   You need to think about size, weight, whether its breakable, easy to clean, whether you can heat it up to sterilise it and many other questions.  The easiest way to learn firsthand is to ask other mothers whether it be via a forum on the internet or your local playgroup.    You can also ask your doctor or healthcare nurse what they would recommend.  They should be able to give you advise and help save you money on unwanted items.

Glass feeding bottles for babies seems to be the safer alternative if you need to bottle feed your baby.