Baby Ruby’s Cesarean Section Story + Recovery Favorites

Our sweet little Ruby Joy entered our family earth side back on January 17th and we couldn’t be more delighted. I’ve shared in the past that we’d be having a repeat c-section as 4 of our 5 other kiddos were also born this way. (The one VBAC we had with baby #2 did not go well and both Jack and I almost died. You can read more about that here.) To learn a bit more about cesareans, be sure to check out my ‘What To Expect With Your C-Section Birth’ and ‘What To Expect After A C-Section’.

Leading Up To D-Day

While knowing our delivery date in advance is nice, as I have confirmation of when I will for sure have baby in hand, it can also be quite nerve wracking. My doctor was especially concerned about the possibly of me going into labor early as he felt that would be extremely dangerous in my case with this being my 5th c-section. An early delivery was a very real possibility as I went into labor with four of our previous children, with only baby number five making it to her scheduled c-section date.

So every doctor appointment leading up to d-day consisted of my doctor asking me repeatedly if I was having any contractions, abnormal pains, or signs of delivery. While I wasn’t originally worried about going into labor, as I felt very strongly that God called us to have this child, his concerns over this definitely started to make me worry as we got closer to the 17th. I did offer that we could bump the date up a few days if he wanted but, of course, doctors don’t like to deliver before 39 weeks if possible so we kept the original date.

Thankfully, we made it to our scheduled delivery day with no problems or incidents.

Monday, January 17th

For scheduled cesareans, they usually want you at the hospital bright and early. This is because the doctor wants to finish the surgery and be ready for his normal clinic appointments by 8 am. So that meant our arrival time was slated for 5:30 am. This meant my farmer husband got up at midnight to mix feed and do as much around the farm as possible before having to take off at 5:10.

I awoke around 3:30am (not that I actually slept much anyway……..as I think I finally dozed at around 2-ish.) They request that patients shower with a special soap before surgery to help prevent infection so I showered, straightened my hair, and waited for my husband to get in. Then we headed towards the hospital.

First Part Of Prepping For Surgery

Once we arrived, they took us back to a room where they began to do some prep for my c-section surgery. This included taking vitals, starting and IV, giving some fluids, and going through a ton of questions and paperwork. The anesthesiologist, doctor, and baby nurse all came to speak with us as well. This part of the process took about an hour total.

During the visit with my anesthesiologist, there was some talk about my morphine allergy and whether or not I could have the DuraMorph pain drug in my spinal. Because paperwork went digital after our last child (over 7 years ago), there was no way to see if I’d had this before. So to play it safe, we decided to forgo and he substituted another pain drug in its place. BIG MISTAKE……..read on to see why.

On To My C-Section

Around 6:30 am, I was wheeled back to the OR. They typically don’t allow husbands back until the spinal is done and the rest of surgery prep is complete but my doctor allowed Mike back for the spinal. (Being a farmer, he doesn’t get queasy too easily so they’ve made an exception for our last two c-sections.)

Once the spinal was complete, they helped lay me down and the final surgery preparations were finished. When my doctor came in, I asked him about DuraMorph and he immediately said I’ve had it with the others and that it reacts differently than regular morphine. I didn’t say anything else at this point because it was too late to alter what was given in the spinal.

Surgery

It was now time for surgery to begin. They tested my feeling and I couldn’t feel any sharpness, just the typical ‘pulling’, so they got started. Everything went well at the beginning and baby Ruby was born at 7:33 am.

After Ruby was out, they allowed 60 seconds before cutting her cord. (Side note: I have been requesting delayed cord clamping for all my babies and this is the first one where policy had changed at my hospital and we were given 1 minute. Studies have shown this to be very beneficial for baby so if you are expecting, look into delayed cord clamping.)

Ruby Joy – 7 pounds 15 ounces, 20 inches long

Once Ruby was out and they started closing me back up, the pain began. While I didn’t necessarily feel the needle as they sewed me up, I could feel A LOT. I was in so much pain that I only managed to hold Ruby for about 20 seconds for a quick photo and then had to pass her back to Mike. Sewing me up this time took longer than in the past as my uterus had some thin spots that made things trickier. The entire process of putting me back together was awful this time and my pain was off the charts. Throughout the entire process, I was constantly asking Mike how far they were and if they were almost done. My doctor knew I was in pain as I kept saying ‘ouch’ as well.

Off To Recovery

With all my other cesarean sections, I would hold my baby in the OR and have even nursed there. Then, I’d hold my baby as they wheeled me off to the recovery room. This time, I needed Mike to hold her and walk her to the recovery room. Once we got to the recovery room, the anesthesiologist came in and did a stomach block where he inserted a needle and numbed my stomach. I felt this 100% as well. I was telling Mike later on that I didn’t think it helped AT ALL and he said ‘just think how much worse the pain would have been without it’. So whether or not it did alleviate any pain is still up in the air.

Typically they have me starting to sit up and bond with baby in the 30+ minutes we’re in recovery but I couldn’t do either this time. Every time they tried to move me AT ALL, the pain was unbearable. With this happening, they gave me as many additional pain meds as they could but nothing was touching the pain. I honestly lost track of time here so I can’t even remember how long they kept me in recovery but I know they finally moved me back to my room even though the pain wasn’t under control yet because all my vitals were stable.

Again, Mike was on Ruby duty as I still couldn’t even bear to hold her or move at all.

Back To Our Room

They wheeled me back to the room I’d be in for my stay and continued trying to get the pain under control. Every time I attempted to hold Ruby, she would squirm and fuss. Mike would take her and she’d settle down. This has never happened before and broke my heart but I’m convinced she could feel how tense I was with the pain being so bad.

We spent the majority of d-day working on pain management, which we finally got a grip on around supper time. So Mike headed home for evening milking and I managed to hold Ruby and try to start nursing her.

When my doctor came to check in on me around 5:30 pm, he said he didn’t visit the recovery room because he knew I was in a lot of pain. At that point, I made a comment about the DuraMorph and how I didn’t realize how important it was and he was surprised. Until that point, he hadn’t realized that I had NOT received it in my spinal. He said it makes a huge difference in pain management and recovery and was apologetic that the anesthesiologist hasn’t realized it would have been okay to give, even with a morphine allergy.

A Rough Start – Nursing Woes

Now, with such a rough start, my milk supply has not been as adequate as with our previous children. This threw me for a loop as it was completed unexpected. I’ve nursed most of the other kids for over a year (except for our first) and a couple for over two years. So not having an adequate supply has been heartbreaking for me because Ruby will most likely be our final bio baby. We are still working on it and I breastfeed as often as possible but we’ve also had to supplement with some formula as she just wasn’t getting enough no matter what I tried. (And I feel like I’ve tried it all! — lactation cookies, oatmeal, nursing on demand, skin-to-skin, extra pumping, lots of water, Body Armor drinks, and more.)

Recovery Favorites

On day two in the hospital, I was very ready to get out of the hospital gown and into something a bit more comfortable. So I showered and slipped into some of my favorite nursing pajamas (which made breastfeeding SO much easier!) I also utilized the soft and comfy Emmaline Robe when up and about or if I got chilly.

Once I got home, I basically camped out on my couch. With a c-section, pretty much any movement is tough! This means that having comfortable clothes, a cozy place to rest and recover, lots of snacks and water, and help is important.

For those first three weeks, I LIVED in my Kindred Bravely pieces! They have a great selection of maternity clothes that I fell in love with when pregnant but their selection of recovery and nursing apparel is also fantastic. (PS> I have still been wearing some my maternity pieces since giving birth as they are very forgiving as my body heals and recovers.). It’s hard to see them below but I HIGHLY recommend these Everyday Lounge Joggers as they are a all-time favorite for pregnant moms as well as non-pregnant women! Super comfy and cute!

My favorite items since giving birth include:

Everyday Nursing & Maternity T-shirt – This super cute top also offers easy nursing access which has been extra important with our breastfeeding struggles.

Sublime Adjustable Crossover Nursing & Lounge Bra – Comfortable nursing bras are a must. Be sure to find one that fits well as ill-fitting bras can cause clogged ducts and even lead to mastitis.

Signature Cotton Nursing & Maternity Tank – Another favorite, especially to wear around the house is this tank. It’s a great option as you learn to breastfeed and I just layer with a cardigan if I get chilly.

Martina Maternity & Postpartum Support Crop Leggings & Louisa Maternity & Postpartum Support Leggings – Both of these leggings options provide extra support on the belly, which I love for multiple reasons! Number one, it provides a little support to my c-section scar area. Number two, the panel is perfect for nursing mamas as it keeps your belly covered in the event that you have to lift your top all the way up to breastfeed! Plus, it has a phone pocket!

❤️ Baby Ruby ❤️

Thanks for taking time to read our birth story! We are so excited to have Ruby here and she has been such a joy.