Elective C-Section Stories please!

[abbymeg]

I'm getting nervous - I had emergency section with DD. I'm not relishing the thought of having the epidural AND spinal put in cold (without contractions and gas and air to distract me). I've yet to have a pre-op; it's a few weeks away so I don't know much about what they do and when. If anyone has a positive elective section story then I would really appreciate it - although don't cover up any nasty bits as I'd rather know than not.

Also, I don't know whether I'm supposed to do a birth plan?

Thanks for any help. It is really appreciated.

[abbymeg]

Thank you melmamof3 . It's good to hear of positive experiences and I hope your next one goes well. I'm just wondering what the "they've had worse" might be, and hoping I don't find out first hand! Thanks again.

[constancereader]

I had an emergency one the first time and have just had a planned one. The second was immeasurably better in terms of pain afterwards and healing, I was mobile much quicker. I was terribly nervous going in, but soon calmed down and was totally delighted by the first sight of dd. I was wheeled into theatre after being given instruction into how to sit to have the spinal, which meant it went in really easily. I didn't like looking at the tray of instruments while they were doing the spinal (which was painless btw) and suggested they moved it for the next person!

Good luck

[Lcy]

Hi Abbymeg with regards to birth plan, I recently had an emergency c-section due to failure to progress and asked for the following things.

I asked the midwife if i could find out the gender of my baby. She held her over me and i moved the umbilical cord and discovered she was a girl. I started crying (with joy) and everyone in the room clapped.

DH took photos of our baby as she was born (although not of my actual tummy).

I also asked that everyone be quiet when she was born so she heard my voice first.

I asked for my baby to be placed straight on my chest - skin to skin - to help with breastfeeding. She lay there while they stitched me up.

They cleaned her up quickly when the op was over and then passed her straight back and helped me breast feed.

Even though it was an unplanned c-section the hospital staff were fab, really respectful of my wishes and understood that i was upset that i didn't get my home birth, and really celebrated her birth with me.

[prada]

hi maggymeg, i had an elective with ds and it was a very civilized affair, there were a ton of people in the operating theatre with me and dh and i couldn't feel more relaxed or in safer hands. don't worry!

have to say you have me thinking of asking for gas/air for when they put the spinal in (that bit i cried) as i am terrified of needles....

only nasty bit is after my epidural wore off (about an hour after recovery) i was in a lot of pain and didn't push hard enough for strong(er than paracetomal type) pain relief, kept getting told "in 2 hours for 10 hours!" till i got the morphine, so this time i WILL!!

take peppermint teabags in with you and sip it after, it will help with the wind! i also took arnica in pill form...good luck!

melmamof3 i am having my second elective on 21st november, just after you! good luck!

[prada]

we also took a cd in with us of our cheesy wedding songs!....

[nicky111]

I had a planned section for DD2 (em-section for DD1) and it was fine. Spinal blocks are much better then epidurals as they wear off more quickly. The operation was fine although felt very sick at one point. Downside was the doctors conversation meant i knew the sex before dd2 was born. Skin to skin and breastfed her in recovery and that was great. sorry typing with one hand as dd2 is clinging to me!

[hattyyellow]

"I also asked that everyone be quiet when she was born so she heard my voice first". Lcy that is just such a beautiful thing to do - you've made me cry! I will definitely request that if I end up with another section

(heavily pregnant hormones alert)!

Abbeymeg hello!

I found the hospital team just great - they were aware that I was incredibly nervous and speaking to other people who've had sections, most hospitals seem to be very kind and sympathetic. I remember the staff chatting to me and being extremely good at distracting me. One of the nurses asked if I was wearing toe nail varnish and then started rabbiting on about pedicures and where the best place was to have them! Before I knew it, they'd done half the preparations!

Elective sections are very calm. I had GA so can't help much on the procedure after going into the operating theatre but I'm sure they will look after you.

Do be prepared to be "bumped" by emergency sections as well. I was down for something like 9am on a Monday morning and wasn't in theatre until after lunch.

I had also chosen a CD for the op before I knew it would be done under GA. Didn't want my child to be born to the sound of a local radio advert! Second peppermint tea also for the wind.

Good luck! When are you booked in again (pregnant brain)!

[HeadFairy]

I've only had a planned cs as ds was a footling breech... Mine was really quite a pleasant experience. I too walked in to theatre, through the labour ward (I could hear all the labouring women - that felt wierd) and hopped up on to the table. I was really nervous about the spinal, but I didn't feel a thing, just a wee bit of pressure as they put the line in. Then that odd feeling of warmth as the anaesthetic runs down your body. Then they laid me back on the table and while the spinal was taking effect they put in the drip and a vent on the back of my hand. That was worse I think because you don't have any fat to protect your hand. Considering a spinal in any situation isn't that much fun, I think I'd rather have it when I'm not having contractions even if you are a bit more aware and then possibly a bit more nervous. I was honestly quite surprised at how painless it actually was, but I was able to keep very still as they put it in, which I imagine is really hard when you're having contractions, esp if they're close together and you don't have much time between them to get the needle in.

Anyway, next up was the catheter... I kept saying warn me when that's going in so I can brace myself and they laughed and said it was already in

They then tested to see if I had full numbness with a cold spray, I couldn't feel it until about mid chest so that was very reassuring

My gown was then pinned up to form a screen (the one thing I regret, next time I will ask the screen to be lowered) and I was amazed at how little I could fee. Nothing in fact, lots of friends have said having a cs is like someone doing the washing up in your tummy, but maybe with a spinal you have more anaesthetic cos I couldn't feel a thing.

Dh went round to have a look as they were pulling ds out. He was well and truely wedged under my ribs He was taken off for about a minute for tagging, apgar, and a bit of suctioning. That was the worse bit I think because ds didn't cry and I kept saying is he ok? Is he ok? Despite them saying he was fine, you're never convinced until they hand them over are you?

Anyway, I did get to hold him after a minute. I was happy I could manage to hold him as some had said it was difficult with a spinal, but I had no probs. They stitched me up and wheeled me off to recovery where ds had his first bf.

Back on the maternity ward I got settled, I had to change beds unfortunately as they had put me in the wrong bed in theatre, and while that wasn't exactly painful, it wasn't the easiest either. I think I was more scared of hurting myself rather than actually in pain.

My recovery was fab, I was on my feet that evening (if a little unsteady) and properly the next day. DS fed loads, my milk came through after 48 hours, so not really too delayed. They gave me morphine in the hospital for a day, but really I didn't need it. After that it was paracetemol only. I was walking easily after two days, and it was like I'd never had a cs about four days later. I was driving after two weeks but I could have done it earlier really, just being lazy.

I did have a birth plan, but of course no one referred to it. I think if there's a next time I'll just shout up in theatre about what I want.

The only downside to my cs was a tiny infection. Nothing scary, just a bit of redness around my scar, which was dealt with quickly with 5 days of antibiotics. The one other thing that might have caused a little problem was that ds was quite sleepy for a few days afterwards which made bfing a bit harder, but not impossible, but I imagine that's the case with any cs, emergency or otherwise. Plus I presume you are on stronger pain meds for longer after an em cs so that might make the post cs sleepiness in babies much worse.

Sorry, this has turned in to a bit of a novel... Never say in 10 words what you can say in 100!!!!

Hope that helps, don't worry about it

[YesSirICanBoogie]

I had an electice c-section with DD. I was up and about a few hours later, no problems with the scar and virtually no pain. One word of advice though, pay attention to the advice from the physio who you'll probably see some time before the op. I didn't and twisted round to get out of bed and so slightly hurt my stomach muscle. It was uncomfortable for a few days but not too bad. I'm pg and have asked to be referred to the same consultant so I can have the same again. Good luck!

[LilRedWG]

I had one! It was not the birth I wanted BUT it was lovely, despite being about as far from my ideal as possible.

Initially I wanted a home birth - DH said NO WAY, maybe next time.

Then I a wanted to stay at home as long as possible, walking up and down holding DH's hand, then a leisurely trip to the local hospital and a pool birth with everything and everyone very chilled and relaxed and a six-hour discharge.

What I got was a planned section at 38 weeks, with me arriving half-starved at 8am in my wheelchair and six nights in hospital. Luckily I had time to come to terms with the wheelchair (I had severe SPD and many other problems) and accept that I was having a section and write my birth plan accordingly.

DH had skin-to-skin contact when DD was first born, whilst I was being stitched up, and did not leave my side the entire time. The professionals there could not have been more respectful of our wishes and concerned that we had as 'normal' a time of it as possible. I will always remember that time with fondness.

[abbymeg]

Thank you all so much for your responses. It's lovely to read about good experiences, respectful staff and feeling more in control of the situation. 5 weeks and 4 days to go. Not that I'm counting! Thanks again .

[FiveGoMadInDorset]

Lovely Thank you

[Trebuchet]

Reading all of the fabulous tales and advice with releif. I am booked for the 28th, but having a lot of scar pain from previous c sec so they say they may bring it forward a week. Sorry to hijack but did anyone here have trouble with old scars?

[abbymeg]

Waswondering Thanks for posting your announcement - I did look through a few on that thread, but there aren't many that deal with elective sections. It was very helpful.

Sazzles I like the picture. When I had emergency I ordered DP to take in the camera and the MWs were horrified that we might take pictures of the operation itself (forgetting, I think, that I was having my first baby and wasn't particularly bothered how it came out by that stage, I wanted pictures!). Thankfully, things seem to be changing in the 10 years since that happened.

Trebuchet in the last week old scar has been getting increasingly painful (33 weeks). I've heard it is common. Doesn't stop it being quite worrying.

Did anyone have a spinal block and an epidural as well? They give both at my hospital. I only had a spinal block last time.

[Trebuchet]

Thanks Abbymeg and sazzlesA.

[EBenes]

If there was a problem with mine, it was that it was a bit too efficient and non-distressing. The staff up the my-head end of the procedure talked to me wittily, kindly, and NON STOP all the way through, so I had no idea what was going on, and had to forget about it, really, because I was thinking up answers to all the conversation with the staff.

It was not traumatic, it was calm and sweet and painless. However, I wonder if maybe I should have felt the moment a bit more, and then I would have been a bit less shocked when they produced a little baby for me to hold.

I'm sure they've tried it all ways and this works well, and I'm sure if they had a mother who said 'SHUT IT YOU LOT! I WANT TO FEEL THE MOMENT' they'd have been happy to go with that too.

But I have nothing but amusing and happy memories of that part of the birth.

[LolaLadybird]

I had elective cs for 2nd pg after emergency the first time ... and it was lovely! The whole thing was a v positive experience and laid to rest some 'ghosts' I had hanging around from the negative experience the first time. The midwives/theatre staff were all great and the aneasthetist was fantastic - came and had a chat before and really put my mind at rest. I really felt like he was there to look after me once we were in theatre. He even scratched my forehead for me when they were stitching me up and I got that wierd itchy thing in my face which apparently is something to do with the spinal.

The icing on the cake was getting to do skin to skin with DS which I missed out on the first time because of the em-cs drama.

The only negative was having the catheter inserted before I went into theatre so no anaesthetic at that point - for me that was the most uncomfortable bit. I would definitely recommend asking to be catheterised after the spinal if you get option.

Also, much quicker recovery the second time - went home after 48 hrs.

I think the post-birth photos from both DC's tell the story themselves - with DD and the em-cs, I have a dazed 'wtf' look on my face whereas with DS I just look v pleased with myself!