threeriversbirth

Hey all: I'm a certified doula and just attended my fourth birth (newbie!), and it was my first one that ended in a cesarean section. I'm trying to process all that went on and get a few things cleared up in my head. Do you mind answering a few questions? This particular mom labored BEAUTIFULLY for several hours - after 6 or so hours of really working hard and having lots of vomitus, poop, moaning and starting to sound pushy (all great signs, right?) she was checked and was still at a 3 - which is what she started at. Doc said it felt like scar tissue (she hasn't had a previous surgery) and said her cervix felt soft and supple, but it felt like a rubber band where she wasn't dialating. Doc stretched her manually to a 5 and she made it to a 9 by herself, but then she just stayed there for 4 hours and her cervix began to swell...and you know the rest. Into the OR. Inside, they found some evidence of the beginnings of a uterine infection (something about the way the linings cut and mom had a slight fever) and the doc thought that might have made her contractions less effective (although still quite painful). Mom had SROMed 36 hours before but had 6 bags of antibiotics. - Any experience with women whose cervix felt that way (scar tissue, "rubber band" feel)? Any idea what besides surgery could have caused this? - Could that cervical feel have affected her ability to dilate past a 9? - What are the chances, you think, of this happening in future labors? - Have you heard of a uterine infection effecting the ability of a woman to dilate? (She was on the Pit because contractions hadn't started on their own after 24 hours ROM) - How would you have handled the situation? I do want to say that both the nurse and the doc were AMAZING - the most patient I've worked with so far by far, and besides the end result (which seemed necessary to me) it was my favorite birth. I realize that everyone is different but I'd be interested in any similar experiences shared, or general knowledge about such things. Thanks for any insight you might be able to give. Kristina