Babies cut during c-sections?

Specialties Ob/Gyn

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I'd really love to go into L&D nursing. I have a friend who is a NICU nurse but floats to L&D when needed. She was telling me that she was a c-section the other day where the baby's head was cut (not serious but still a cut). She felt so bad because the baby was screaming. No one told the parents who were looking so dazed at their screaming baby after all the commotion of getting sent in for a c-section. She told me it's not that uncommon. I was wondering what everyone's else's experiences were. Maybe I'd be better off thinking about the post partum units.... for some reason, the thought of that really bothers me. Should she have been the one to tell the parents?

Specializes in Pediatric Pulmonology and Allergy.

Judging from the replies on this thread it doesn't seem that uncommon...

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:yeahthat:

Judging from the replies on this thread it doesn't seem that uncommon...

Maybe a poll is in order.

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My son was cut during my C-section. He was breech, so his butt was right there and it got nicked. He didn't scream (he had to be bagged a bit to breathe) and I never even saw it. My husband was the one who saw it and told me. He says it was just a little nick and by the time I changed his diaper for the first time (3 days old), it was completely gone. No scar or anything.

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I think you need to be aware tough that L&D is not always a happy place to work. In my 20 yrs I had 2 patients that died and I took care of many babies that were stillborn or died during delivery. On the other hand I know I was instrumental in saving a lot of infants and some mothers/

I am not trying to discourage you because I certainly don't regret working in OB on the contrary they were the best yrs of my carreer so far just beware that it's not always a place of happy outcomes.

Thank you for your candid post; I definitely appreciate your honestly. :) I think about that a lot. I think OB nursing is really such an incredible area to be a part of. However, when things go wrong, I know that it's a devastating and tragic event. But I think I have a tremendous capacity for caring and compassion. I know you need that in all aspects of nursing but I have a great interest in childbirth, childbirth education, newborn care and breastfeeding. Maybe it's partly b/c I have been through it but I research it endlessly and wouldn't rule out becoming a doula or even a midwife someday (I had a midwife for my dd's birth even though it ended in a c-s). My mom is a nurse who specializes in geriatrics and people always asked me if I wanted to become a nurse. I always told them no way b/c I didn't want to do what my mom did :lol2: . But here I am, years later, rethinking that!!!!

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Specializes in Med-Surg telemetry.

my youngest son (well both my boys) were born by c-section. My youngest who just turned 14 has a tiny scar behind his ear that had to have come with the section. It wasn't big enough to need stichtes or anything, he says it is his mark for putting me through the pain of the section. Silly kid ;) I guess I never thought about how often it would happen, I just assumed it was a risk.

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My daughter was born in 1989 via C-Section and had a scalpel cut to her right forehead just at the hair line thank God! It bled like crazy! I remember thinking she looks like Jesus bleeding from the crown of thorns. She didn't grow hair until age 2 so I was always having to explain the mark. The Doctor at the time said I was lucky because they sometimes have to stitch the wound. I didn't feel lucky... I'm a nurse so I expected better! Her hair now covers the "still there" mark and last week she won 2nd Runnerup to the Miss Iowa Teen Pageant. We feel lucky it wasn't on her face but I do think there was a serious screw up on the OB-GYN Doctor.

Lisa

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Specializes in Too many to list.

Yow! I have to stop reading this thread! It makes me wince. It's a wonder anyone gets born at all!

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My youngest who just turned 14 has a tiny scar behind his ear that had to have come with the section. It wasn't big enough to need stichtes or anything, he says it is his mark for putting me through the pain of the section. Silly kid ;)

That is really a sweet remark. :lol2: My younger sister and my dh were born by c-s and I dont think they think a thing of it! I never thought anything about until it happened to me. My poor mom (who has been a nurse for 40 years) cried when the doctor announced c-section (of course I was crying too but I was surprised to see her crying). She was trying to tell me that c-sections today were so good it would be no big deal. I told her later (jokingly) that she must have forgotten the pain but she had a true stat c-section (hemorrhaging, placenta previa, 32 week deliver) with my sister so the doctor did a classical incision.

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Specializes in OB, lactation.

During my preceptorship in April, we had a baby that was cut during a c/s - actually twice... one on the cheek and one on the foot. We were like huh? I assume that his foot was up by his cheek in utero. They were very small & just had surface blood marks, nothing that actively bled.

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:) i have had 3 c-sections and none of my children were harmed in any way. i am sure there is that risk due to the doc not being able to control the baby changing positions during delivery but it is not something that happens alot because most doc's are very careful and try to manipulate the position of the baby so they can make a safe cut. my 1st daughter was wedged in my pelvic space and was not able to be moved at all and she was delivered by c-section and had not one cut to her. the doc was very careful. all 3 of my children were breech and they were all delivered by c-section with no problem. i hope this was helpul for you.:p

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Specializes in LTC, Urology, Gastroenterology, Hospice.

My youngest son got his foot cut when he was being delivered via c-section. He still has a scar from it. I'm sure things happen from time to time.

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I am so sorry, that was a horrible experience for you. My friend suffered a similar experience 25 yrs ago and says she still feels achy sometimes in her perinium. Imagine that:idea:

I know how she feels, I won't go into details but one of my laceration scars still twinges a bit now and then.

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