A cs is nothing to worry about. Really, it's not scary. More than anything it's just weird. You'll have brilliant staff around you who do this many times a day. Their priorities are you and your baby and keeping you safe and healthy. A cs is not the poor cousin of a vaginal birth. You have choices within what's happening and it can be as positive and life-affirming as a vaginal delivery. You can choose your music, you can have the screens lowered at the point of delivery, you can have skin to skin straightaway. My DH even watched my second cs from beginning to end. It was a quiet, calm and very positive experience.
Everything will be explained to you first, you'll meet the surgeon and the anaesthetist well beforehand and they'll let you ask any questions but a quick run through...
Like I said, it's more weird than anything else. You'll be trussed up in support stockings, cannula in place and then you'll have the spinal put in. You sit on the side of the bed, hunched over a pillow, sort of pushing out your lower back. They'll give you some local anaesthetic which is like little bee stings and then they'll do the spinal. You can feel some pushing and pressure and the actual spinal taking effect feels like somebody pouring water down your legs. You'll then have time to lie back on the bed before the numbness sets in and you won't be able to move from about your chest down. You can still move your arms though, but they'll tuck them in under a sheet to keep you still and warm. Your anaesthetist from this point stays above your head, will talk throughout and will generally, ime, be lovely.
You'll be wheeled through to theatre where they'll check you're totally numb and do a little bit of prep. They will talk to you and tell you what happens next and then they'll start. They'll put in a catheter too but you won't feel that. There is no pain whatsoever but you can feel what is happening during the actual removal of the baby. Somebody once told me it feels like you're a handbag and somebody is rummaging in you for some keys. This is SO true. You do feel pressure and pushing, right inside you and up into your chest. From incision to the baby being out takes a couple of minutes. Really, it's very quick indeed and soon that baby is appearing over the top of the screen. You'll be so preoccupied with the new baby, you can have cuddles and skin to skin, you won't really be aware of the rest of it. It takes about half an hour to finish stitching all the layers but it whizzes by. You might feel odd, intermittent pressure on your legs. They put these self inflating boots on them and they encourage blood flow and circulation. It just feels like somebody squeezing your lower legs a bit. Apart from that, you'll feel v little during the stitch up.
Then you'll be wheeled into recovery and you will be looked after by a member of recovery staff but your anaesthetist will stay for a while too, just to check you're okay. You'll have the baby tucked in with you at this point and you can bfeed if you want. They'll give you some water too. You'll have a drip up rehydrating you (you'll have been nil by mouth for a while) but that first drink is lovely. You'll find too that you can move around by now. You can wriggle your feet and bend your knees and normal sensation returns really, really quickly. No pain though. They usually give you some morphine into your cannula and a suppository once you're stitched so you're painfree once feeling returns. Of course, if you have any discomfort, ask and they'll sort you out. I found I was quite chilly in recovery and also the spinal/morphine can make you a bit shaky. Plus all the adrenalin is rushing through you. Don't be scared if you feel shaky at all. It will pass and the anaesthetist can give you something to stabilise your blood pressure then too. You may be fine but it's worth knowing that you can feel a bit wobbly.
Once they're satisfied you're okay, they'll wheel you back to the ward. All this time your baby won't have left your side and it whizzes by so, so quickly.
They will encourage you to get up fairly quickly. Few hours post op if you can. I had ds at 3.30 and was up and sitting in a chair for dinner. It is best to get up and move around a bit as soon as you feel able.
What else?
You might have to self inject blood thinners for 7 days as a precaution. They're rolling this out in all hospitals but it isn't everywhere yet. It's fine, they'll show you how.
If you need pain meds (I never did), take them on time and don't let yourself get uncomfortable first. They'll probably give them to you and you can administer them yourself instead of having to call for them.
If you get pain in your shoulder, like you've slept oddly, it's trapped air from the op. It's common and your bowel will be a tad sluggish at first so you won't pass wind normally on day one. Peppermint capsules in water will remove the discomfort SO quickly. Just ask the staff.
They will monitor urine output before you can be discharged. You'll have to do your first 3 wees post catheter removal in a jug and record the amounts (you don't have to show anybody).
Catheter was in for about 6hrs post op for me both times. Soon as you can get up and use the loo, they take it out. Totally painless.
The earliest they tend to discharge is day 2, with day 1 being the day of the op but most places keep you in 2 nights as routine.
When you stand up at first, it'll feel like you're going to tear. It's just an odd sensation, not painful. Do stand up straight though and try not to hunch and shuffle. The feeling will pass.
Wear big cotton knickers which don't sit on your knicker line and sometimes a sanitary towel in your knickers against the wound can help you feel more comfortable.
Type of stitches depend on the surgeons preference. I had one long stitch with a bead at each end, removed at home on day 5 by the midwife. Again, this just feels weird.
Careful coughing and sneezing. They physio will show you how to brace yourself so you don't strain your incision. Physio will come and see you the day after the op to talk about recovery.
You will be advised to not do any exercise until 6 weeks and then only v gentle stuff. Proper cardio stuff will have to wait until 12 weeks. When you sit up too, use your arms, not your stomach muscles. Roll onto your side and push up on your arms and swing your legs off the bed. It just avoids you straining the muscles too soon.
Lots of fruit afterwards. Bowels will be a bit sluggish at first, so encourage everything to be soft and mobile as much as possible. Don't be afraid to poo though!
Nothing in the bath at first. No bubble bath. Bit of tea tree or salt fine though. Let your wound air dry or v gently pat.
I think I'll shut up now. If I think of anything else, I'll post again.
It's really not frightening at all.
