I am 37+4 and will most likely be having an ELCS due to polyhydramnios and breech baby. (the CS isn't booked yet but that's an entirely different thread!)
Anyway, I am looking for information of what happens before, during and after a CS (first birth was natural).
Is it scary? I'm not fearful of it, perhaps a tad anxious but nothing that you wouldn't expect me to be.
Someone told me today that for 6 whole weeks after you can literally do nothing and for the first two weeks it is impossible to lift your own baby. That the MWs shower you because you are so incapacitated? Were they just scaremongering and exaggerating or does it sound like she was giving an honest/accurate description?
I want to be prepared mentally for what to expect, what the spinal is like, how it feels to feel them rummaging inside you 
and mostly about the recovery procedure so if anyone would like to share their experiences I'd be very grateful :)
Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.
Childbirth
An idiots guide to ELCS :)
ALovelyBunchOfCoconuts · 14/09/2011 20:41
they were scaremongering and exaggerating. After my EMCS I was able to shower myself and lift my baby as soon as the spinal wore off, after my planned section I felt pretty much ok fairly soon afterwards.
It is strange having them tug around inside you but it doesn't registers that much, you are too focused on seeing your baby.
My planned c section was lovely actually, a very very positive experience 
Ah Humphrey thank you. I was convinced she was exaggerating quite a bit and I think I had a 
face on most of the time she was babbling.
She said that it was impossible to climb stairs for weeks after wards too. I live in a first floor flat so not sure what she would expect me to do apart from sleep in the foyer
I imagine the rummaging around doesn't feel that much different from having a live person float and kick around in there.
Is it recommended to get up and about as soon as possible? Or rest for as long as possible? I don't want to google these things, sometimes Dr Google can be as bad as the woman earlier!
The cs itself was fine. Didnt feel anything, its like someone doing the washing up in your stomach.
The recovery for me was very hard, but my cs had gobe horribly wrong, so had it been ok, maybe it wouldnt have been such a painful recovery.
The only advice i can give ia, take all the painkillers you need, dont rush to start doing stuff its not a competition and you wont get a medal, take help where you can.
Enjoy yoyr new arrival good luck
They were scaremongering! Although IMO there are no medals for getting moving too soon. I did bugger all for 2 weeks following my ELCS apart from feed & change DD, I think we had a little wander to a nearby cafe but I certainly didn't push the pushchair.
In my reasonable experience of major abominal surgery (Emergency CS, ELCS and a hysterectomy) I've learnt that the more you rest and look after yourself the faster and less painful recovery will be. I was on pain relief for weeks after my EMCS as I didn't rest enough. Was off it after 10 days following my ELCS and 4 days after my hysterectomy (I was in bed / pottering about the house / on MN all the time for 3 weeks though).
Make sure you take the pain relief at the correct time intervals, get the hospital to write down the schedule. BF was fine after my ELCS.
Do not make visitors cups of tea, even better (IMHO) don't have any visitors for a while, concentrate on resting and recovering.
I was in for 3 days after both my cs's. I didn't push a buggy for 2 weeks each time.
I did have bed-baths each time, probably 8 hours after each op. I think it was to change my pads and get any last specks of blood off and put me in my pj's.
Just buzz the midwifes when you need help, even for nappies in the first day or so. If they suggest you can do it, tell them that they can do it. I was a real diva after my ELCS but I was happier and recovered faster because of it . I wasn't likely to see those midwives again anyway.
meglet I was told to change my DS's nappy the morning after my EMCS, they were such a bunch of unsympathetic bitches!
The other issue I had was no pain relief when they took out my drain. DO NOT LET THEM TRY THIS!!!!!!!!
Once I was home, I recoved fairly well, and probably did more than I should have done far too soon. I'd realise that I was really tired and realise I'd been up on my feet / putting out washing wtc, silly really. But, I suppose it'll be good practise for my upcoming ELCS with a two year old to look after .
Listening to my friends who'd had natural deliveries with tears, epesiotomomies etc, I defenitely felt that the csection was the more comfortable option....
felix They got me to do loads after my EMCS, so I swore never to do it again. Oh, they, hated me second time round. Like I care 
.
I did have back up that time as I'd complained after my EMCS and the head midwife and birth reflections midwife told me to make sure the MW's helped if I wasn't feeling up to it. I was self caring within 48 hours though, a private room helped a lot.
Agree that you might need a lungful of G&A when they take the drain out, although mine only hurt after my hysterectomy, I thought my eyeballs were about to pop out. It was ok after my cs's for some reason.
Don’t want to miss threads like this?
Weekly
Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!
Log in to update your newsletter preferences.
You've subscribed!
To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.