Choices Matter – Know Your Options #onelesspill #momsmeet #ad

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In just under a month, it’ll be 7 years since I gave birth to our first child via C-section. I remember that day vividly, as well as the weeks leading up to it. We had a plan in place. My birth plan included going medication free for as long as possible, and if it was necessary, I wasn’t ruling out interventions and something to help ease the pain of childbirth. My plan didn’t involve a C-section, but sometimes plans don’t always go the way we think they will. 

Everything happened fairly quickly that night. I remember it was after 8pm when the doctor was giving me the choice to make – go ahead with a C-section, or keep pushing for another hour or two in hopes my baby would descend on his own, but the C-section was almost inevitable. Within the hour, my healthy baby was here and the recovery began. 

I’ve learned that a lot of women go through unplanned C-sections as I did. I was fortunate that my doctor and I were on the same page, and my pain was controlled with minimal medication. Nurses and doctors knew what my goals were after my baby was born, and they helped to make sure I achieved those goals. (I wanted to be able to hold my baby right away, and I also wanted to be able to nurse him as soon as possible.)

According to the Choices Matter campaign, 1 in 3 women had C-section deliveries and 1 in 5
C-sections were unplanned. While my first was an unplanned C-section, my second was planned and once again, my doctor and I were on the same page when it came to pain management and the end goal – to have a healthy mom and baby. 

Did you know that more than half of C-section patients are prescribed opioids to manage pain? The Choices Matter Campaign is aimed towards addressing the over-prescription of opioids and making sure women are aware of their options when it comes to managing pain after common surgeries, like C-sections. 

With my first C-section, I actually left the hospital less than 48 hours after my surgery. That’s not the case for every woman, and it wasn’t how my second C-section played out. I actually opted for an additional day in the hospital to help with my recovery. 

I love the message of this campaign. Every surgery is different, and it’s important that everyone has a plan (even for those unplanned surgeries!) 

Learn more about Choices Matter through planagainstpain.com