The Essential C-Section Guide: Pain Control, Healing at Home, Getting Your Body Back, and Everything Else You Need to Know About a Cesarean Birth

by Maureen Connolly, Dana Sullivan

Childbirth is a life-altering experience for any woman, but a Cesarean delivery can be overwhelming, whether it’s unexpected or planned. Despite the fact that roughly one in four babies in the United States is delivered by c-section, very little information about the experience is included in typical pregnancy books and physicians and childbirth educators often gloss over the details.

The Essential C-Section Guide is written not only for women to read in preparation for a scheduled c-section and for those considered “high risk” who know that a c-section may become necessary but also for women recovering from an unexpected surgical delivery. This book provides answers to important questions about what the surgery entails, what a woman can expect as she recovers, and what considerations should be made for future pregnancies and deliveries.

With frank discussions about the physical and emotional aspects surrounding a c-section, the authors share comforting wisdom about early bonding, pain control, breastfeeding, infant care, healing from surgery, postpartum exercise, partner involvement, and much more, in detail not available anywhere else.

Written by authors who have firsthand knowledge of birth by c-section, The Essential C-Section Guide is well-researched and addresses its unique concerns with intelligence and compassion.


www.broadwaybooks.com

Genres: Nonfiction, Parenting

240 pages, Paperback

Published June 8, 2004

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is awesome. I checked it out from my public library after seeing it at a bookstore, and I enjoyed it so much that I plan to go back and actually buy it. Whether or not you're going to have a C-section or have already had one, this is the book to read. For starters, the authors are mothers who have had 5 c-sections between the two of them. There are other c-section books that are total trash - I've read them - so save yourself the time and read this one.

This book details just about everything you'd want to know about the actual surgery, short of coming from an obstetrical textbook, including the team of people performing the surgery. It talks about your reasons you may need/want a c-section, the incision and scar, healing in the hospital and at home (boy, I wish I'd known the part about keeping a stepstool by the bed!), your baby post-op, breastfeeding tips, VBACs, and it even has a chapter for questions and concerns your partner might have.

My favorite parts about this book are chapter 7, which does a fabulous job of covering the emotional side of having this surgery (see below), and chapter 10, which looks to be an excellent, detailed, and graduated workout regimen for losing the pregnancy weight and getting back in shape.

Chapter 7, "Dealing with Mixed Emotions," pretty much hit the nail on the head for me. I was prepared for a vaginal delivery - I was in shape, had taken the classes, done the exercises, had great prenatal nutrition - I'd done everything in my power to assure a 'successful' vaginal birth. Then my baby got stuck, after hours of natural labor and pushing with no drugs, and a c-section was offered as the only option left. After this experience, here are some quotes from the book that I really identified with:
"If you're someone who spent nine months expecting, desiring, and preparing for a vaginal birth, having a c-section can throw you for a loop. It's not unusual to feel as you've somehow failed, or that your doctor, midwife, or labor nurse failed you... In addition to failure, you might also be overwhelmed and disappointed, and feel guilt, sadness, fury, rage, and betrayal."
"If you're like us and plenty of other women, you could still be grappling with emotional issues surrounding the birth - weeks, months, even years, later. As you rehash the experience in your head, you may wonder: Could something have been done to prevent the surgery? Was it my fault... my doctor's... the labor nurse's? ... Maybe if I had pushed harder, waited longer before agreeing to a c-section... hadn't gained so much weight?"
"Experts say that women who have high expectations about their birth experience may be more prone to negative feelings when things don't turn out the way they'd planned. These are women who like to set goals for themselves and expect to achieve them. When your goal is a vaginal birth, delivering by c-section can feel like a failure."
The book discusses and addresses these issues and many more. The whole book was informative and applicable, but this section definitely was the biggest help to me.

Maybe it's just the point I'm at in my life, but I found the information extremely valuable and applicable. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

[K · Rating 4 out of 5]

slightly outdated but still informative

[Shira · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was devastated to find out I needed a C-section because my daughter was breech. As with most things that make me anxious, I responded by reading all the books I can find on the subject to diminish my feelings of lacking control.

This was probably my favorite one, and it may have been responsible for my (generally speaking) excellent recovery, and also for the complications I did experience (constipation, incontinence, bloating), it made me less surprised. I was able to take actions beforehand, including taking supplements and washing with antimicrobial - and I recovered very quickly, which I believe is in part due to my forcing myself to follow the suggestions in this book, get up as soon as I could and walking up and down the halls. The guidance may have even helped me maximize chances for VBAC (which I did have with my 2nd!)

I would recommend this for everyone giving birth, ideally early in the pregnancy, just in case you may need a c-section - I know people who had to have emergency C-sections and were totally unprepared because they really didn't want one and didn't want to even consider the possibility! That would have been me had I not had a heads up with my baby's positioning.

[Rachel G · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had everything I wanted to know about c-sections. If you're likely going to have one or had one in the past and want to know more, I highly recommend. The tone was perfect: educational, empathetic, not preachy or patronizing.
It is an older book--I've been told that is no longer the case (at least in my area) that they restrain your arms during the procedure, which they mention a few times in the book. I don't know if anything else is out of date, but I was honestly surprised the book was 20 years old just based on the way it is written.

[B.]

To clarify- I’m not pregnant, I’m reading books on this subject for work. This book is a bit outdated as it was written in the early 2000s and much research has been updated since then. There are definitely good sections in this book that are timeless in their recommendations. Would recommend with the caution that it may best to couple with a more updated book to know what current practice is best.

[Jenell Bakey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some info seems slightly out of date, but I found this to be a really helpful overview. Would recommend even for women who aren't planning to have a C-section because you never know! And it's much better to understand and be prepared before you're in that situation.

[Katieloowho · Rating 3 out of 5]

Anti-home birth and obviously not very VBAC friendly. Had some good tips, but overall i was not impressed.

[Juliet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Super informative and helpful prep, if a bit dated (pub date 2004).

[Ciara · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was a loaner from one of jared's professors. i didn't read it until i was a good six or seven weeks post-partum, unfortunately. it would have been helpful for me to read it sooner, but at that point, we were still driving back & forth to the NICU every day & i barely had the energy to comb my hair, let alone read a book.

nonetheless, this book still contained a lot of helpful information that enabled me to make sense of my c-section. for instance, i learned from this book that i was most likely given morphine right before i was wheeled to recovery, which would explain the unbearable itching i experienced.

this book isn't really geared to women who had emergency c-sections. it's more for women who know they have some kind of issue in their pregnancy & will be delivering by cesarean. so i felt kind of left out sometimes. but since most women who have cesareans know that it's coming with at least a little advance notice, this book plays well to the majority of women to whom it is relevant. the authors definitely seem to have a viewpoint when it comes to birth & they are definitely in the rah rah medicalization camp, which was somewhat off-putting. at one point, they write, "home deliveries are for pizza." i mean, maybe this is just their way of trying to make women who have cesareans feel better? but for me, it kind of made me feel like they were medical model of care apologists & it cast their cesarean info into a weird light.

but if a reader can overlook that & just use the book as an informational resource, it's pretty good. i personally could have lived without the whole exercise routine part of the book, but i'm sure there are women out there who would appreciate it.

[reading momma · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book after I coming home from the hospital after an emergency c-section. I had 2 drug free deliveries with my first two children, but with my third, I had a placental abruption and started hemorrhaging two days before my due date. An emergency c-section was the only option to save our lives.

That said, I obviously had no knowledge of c-sections. I had no warning that I would have a c-section and I had barely skimmed over the c-section chapter in the "what to expect when you're expecting" book five years ago during my first pregnancy. I was dazed and confused when I came home.

I couldn't read parts of the book because it brought back some of the trauma parts of the day leading up to the delivery, but I learned about the healing process, both physical and mentally/emotionally. The authors (and my friends who have had c-sections) are quick to tell you that it's ok to have conflicting emotions over your delivery, what's normal and what's not. They even have a chapter to husbands to cover their fears and questions after the surgery.

I referenced this book almost every day, especially when something changed with my body (bleeding, pain in incision, etc). There is a wealth great information and support in it's pages. This book is much more thorough than the single chapter devoted to c-sections in pregnancy books! I would recommend this to anyone who has had, or is planning to have a c-section.

-Dana (3 wks post surgery)

[Amelia the Strange · Rating 4 out of 5]

During my pregnancy, it never once crossed my mind that I would have to have a c-section. I attended child-birth classes and researched about natural deliveries verses epidurals. The day before I went into labor, I was four cen. dialated so I was only further comfortable knowing my delivery would happen just how I was planning. So when the doctor told me I was going to need a c-section, I cried. It was the last thing I thought would happen. I am a creature who survives by planning, so when I came home from the hospital, I felt lost. I just read this book in pretty much one sitting and I am so happy I ordered it. It was incredibly thourough, frank, and realistic. It answered so many of my questions and it was very easy to read.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book to read in preparation for a c-section or just if you know that you are pregnant. It's good to be familiar with both vaginal and c-sect deliveries because you never know what may come up during a pregnancy. I wish they would write an updated edition. Some of the information is dated and no longer current. I did fin it disturbing that right after having a baby they are telling you how to diet and exercise to get you pre pregnancy body back. I think the diet and exercise focus should be on healing after surgery and hopefully breastfeeding. I don't think this is the time to focus on outward appearances.

[Corinne · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the world going green the movement has been toward "natural" birth and anti C-Section. It is refreshing to have a book that doesn't force its view upon you but gives you detailed information and personal stories to work with. I'm still debating my personal choice but feel much better equipped making the decision after reading this book. I also highly recommend this book for someone that is anti C-Section because it will much better prepare you mentally in case you find yourself recovering from an emergency C-Section surgery.

[Lindsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for first time or repeat c-sections. I had a repeat and even though I'd been through it before, this helped remind me of what would happen. I had been planning to do the recommended liquid diet for 2 days prior but went into labor 3 days prior! I haven't done the exercises as much as I should be, but what I have done has felt great and hasn't hurt too much. I highly recommend this book to all women--even if you aren't planning a c-section--as it will help prepare you for any possible outcome.

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I had scoured the internet for as much information as I could find on c-sections and a lot of it was fear-based information intended to frighten people away from c-sections and the rest was very brief and repetitive. This book explained in good detail recovery timetables, how much help to get after baby's birth, etc. I read it on my Kindle and highlighted a LOT in order to return later for reference. I'm glad that I bought this book instead of just borrowing it from a library because now I have those references available to me any time.

[Blair · Rating 5 out of 5]

So far this is the only informative place I've found anything really. It stays out of much of the debating over c-sections by keeping a neutral point of view. It also walks you step-by-step through what is going to happen so you know what to expect, what questions to ask and when to stand up for yourself. I haven't gotten to the post-c-section workout chapters yet but I'm sure I will. This really did a good job of making me feel less helpless in my body.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, I felt it was a very balanced and scientific approach. The historical accounts, statistics and medical information was all really interesting, well-researched and thorough. Lots of great great tips. I feel very prepared after having read this. I also feel more at peace with the birth we're planning.

[Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am so, so glad I read this book. I really think that every pregnant person out there should read this on the chance that they end up having a c-section. I felt so much more prepared for what was going to happen and knew exactly what questions to ask my doctors.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scary, of course. But very informative for me since I know I will have a planned C Section.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lots of info - and doesn't focus on the negative! Phew!

[Diana Jimenez]

I liked this book. Some of it was very helpful as I was healing. Of course, I didn't read the whole thing, having a tiny newborn to take care of!

[JennyG]

Great book for those like me who had anxiety before c-section!

[Valerie Wyse · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took notes on from the section on a post-c workout. Also, I really gleaned from the section on a vbac vs. repeat-c.

[Cuong]

interesting book

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

a little hard to read at times because it made me more worried about the c-section. I think it would be better to read after a C-section or for a repeat, not before a scheduled c-section. also, it needs updated because it hasn't been updated since 2004 and things have changed for C-sections in 14 years. and Kindle version is not an easy read. however, I did find out some helpful stuff and do plan to utilize some of their recovery and diet/workout plans after the C-section.