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Kathy's Caesarean

Kathy describes the disfiguring caesarean scar she is left with

I had my beautiful baby boy, Matthew just over three months ago, on Sun. 27th Oct. 2002 (that stormy Sunday!).

I'd had a perfect pregnancy, managing to avoid morning sickness, putting on excess wieght, stretch marks. I also kept up with my exercise - gym at least once a week/aquanatal/cycling etc. (even in the last week !).

My birth plan was natural/waterbirth.

Obviously that 'went out the window', and after a longish labour, (during which I had entenox, pethedine, two anti-emitics, syntocinon and an epidural; and my son had an internal monitor attached and three separate attempts to draw blood from his scalp), I gratefully accepted assisted delivery attempts (two failed ventouse and a failed forceps) and the eventual emergency c-section.

However, I now have an ugly, asymmetrical/off-centre scar, that extends from just left of my linear negra to nearly touching my right hip.

Unfortunately it's been this that has most upset me. It was not explained to me nor was any reason given. I dicovered it for myself at home, when the initial swelling and pain had subsided enough to let me see. It seems so unfair that the only lasting, permanent, physical effect (the scar) is the one thing I have trouble coming to terms with. (I also eperienced more actual, physical pain on my right side during the first two months and took maximum doses of paracetamol and Voltarol for around eight weeks, but that was temporary.)

Perhaps I was naive to think that my scar would be neat and central. It has been such a shock, particularly as I have yet to hear of it happening to anyone else. All the other c-section births in my ante-natal group have central scars, with a few having other scar problems, i.e. slow healing, raised scarring etc., all of which I'd previously heard about.

I feel upset because I worked so hard to look after myself, yet the surgeon didn't appear to bother, neither when actually performing the op. nor enough to inform me afterwards.

The fact that I had a ceasarean birth is fine, but my scar is most definitely not. I dread the arrival of summer, when I will have to buy new swimwear just to try and hide it.

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