Csection next week! advice?

[eastcoastmum2014]

Hi all! I'm all booked in for a Csection next week when I will be exactly 39 weeks! Its my first Csection, and I'm having down to a very traumatic birth with DC1. I'm just wondering what advice people would have to prepare for it, healing times? Ways to help healing.... I want to make the recovery to be aa quick as possible as I have a little 2 year old that will need my attention as well as a newborn! My OH is off for two weeks and during that time my parents will be visiting as well so I will have support, but I'm just wondering what other people have been through and what advice they would give? TIA

[FizzBombBathTime]

I was keen to be up and walking as soon as I could, felt trapped being in bed with catheter

When catheter is removed drin plenty of water, I found it helped me go easier

Don't try and lie on your side too soon (I made that mistake!)

I didn't take painkillers unless absolutely necessary so that I didn't overdo things

I have a 1 year old and a 3 week old, 3 w/o born by c section. I felt pretty much back to normal after about 10 days, but was able to do most stuff after about 4 days

[FizzBombBathTime]

Oh and good luck op you will be fine!

[Phillipa12]

Use that 2 weeks to sit on your arse and do absolutely nothing apart from feed/change/cuddle your baby. Doing too much too soon even if you are feeling able will set you back massively. I did too much after dc2 was born and ended up with infection after infection. A section although common is major abdominal surgery. Have had 4 sections and certainly learnt my lesson after dc2!

[oliversmummy26]

Hi eastcoast there's not much you can do to prepare I don't think? I had an emergency c-section with DS and will definitely be pushing for a planned with this baby when the time comes.

My recovery with section was pretty good, I was determined to get home as quickly as possible as I had already been in hospital for 4 days when DS was finally born! Nurses were amazed that I was having a shower within 24 hours...

I think the general consensus is that planned sections have a better and quicker recovery than others, as you haven't had hours of labour beforehand and you arrive relaxed and ready to go into theatre. I would say you should be able to go home a couple of days after the op?

Take care of yourself when you get home though and let everyone do as much as they can for you. I ended up getting an infection in my scar as I was doing too much too soon - cleaning/hoovering/stomping up and down hills with a pushchair. So just sit still as much as possible and enjoy being pampered!

Good luck!

[WankersHacksandThieves]

I had an EMCS with DS1 after a 36 hour labour and an ELCS with DS2 13 months later. The 2nd one was really straightforward. No tiredness and I was out of the hospital within 48 hours. I didn't have any issues with infections (either section) but I did lose a lot of blood with DS1 so was slower to recover in general. I was out walking with the buggy the day after I got home with DS2 but the housework took a hit :o Best of luck.

[Inadither]

Get next to me crib, it took me ages to get out of bed to a crying baby. If they'd just been beside me it would have been much easier for feeds. Buy some big granny pants that come up and over the cut....I didn't and standard pants cut in just at the wrong place and I think made the cut slower on healing. Have a changing station upstairs and down. If your toddler is climbing over you, put a cushion over your cut on your lap to protect yourself. Stand up slowly the first time, if you straighten up to quickly it'll kill. Keep some pain relief aside for the middle of the night. If taking codiene, keep on top of constipation. Spend as long being waited on as possible, for me that meant 5 days in hospital. Probably more general c-section advice rather than healing. Mine was an emcs but I hear planned is calmer. Good luck xx

[SeashellHoarder]

Some great advice already! Basically rest as much as you can.

I've had 1 hideous natural birth, 1 emcs and 1 elcs (5 weeks ago)

I had assumed the blood loss would be less with the elcs, it's still quite a lot. So I'd stock up on pads, large black knickers etc.

A great tip I heard in here is to wear a nightie and PJ bottoms after in hospital, lift up the nightie when sitting, so that when you get up to go to the bathroom it covers any leaks.

Moving around is painful, I took all the drugs and it's still painful. When I stopped taking all the drugs and tried to manage my blood pressure went very high (normal reaction to pain apparently) I got shakey and had to have extra midwife visits. So I disagree with fizz above!

Walk around barefoot, is much less painful to pick something up of the floor with your bare feet than bend over. I do a sort of toe grab.

Only buy easy food , we've eaten Kiev, chips and peas at least 10 times in the last 5 weeks.

Can you afford a cleaner?. I've just decided that I can and she started today! This is much easier than cleaning a bath yourself even 2 weeks after a section. I wish I'd done this 5 weeks ago.

Unless you live in a bungalow wash your pram wheels this week..(bear with me in this one) you won't be able to go up and down stairs to put baby in bed, you won't be able to bend down to put her in a bouncy chair, so you need somewhere safe to put her away from 2 yo. Pram is ideal and you can wheel her from room to room as you need to.

Also don't go out walking for a few weeks, so you won't need a pram.

If you have a garden leave baby in pram by the door and go out with 2 yo.

Last one (I promise!) If you are going to ff buy /borrow a perfect prep machine. I can't believe how great mine is.

[vfoster]

After my first section I get better after a few days. I wasn't in a lot of pain just uncomfortable. I went shopping to Tesco on the way home from the hospital and was fine! As everyone has said, get lots of rest and drink plenty of fluids.
My only advice: if there are speed bumps on the roads on the way home from the hospital, avoid them! That was the most painful part! I was in tears as my poor husband tried to go over them ridiculously slowly!

[FizzBombBathTime]

seashell I was just sharing my personal experience.

[SeashellHoarder]

Quite right, too fizz I just wanted to give the other side.

[FizzBombBathTime]

you said you disagreed though, there was nothing to disagree with, you just had a different experience

[WankersHacksandThieves]

All I got was paracetamol ..and they'd forget that half the time when I was in hospital.

Obviously everyone's experiences are different but I think light activity is a good thing. I can't see how sitting on your arse aids recovery but maybe that's just me.

[Imstickingwiththisone]

Everyone's experience is different. My general advice is to take peppermint tea / request peppermint capsules after the op as I had terrible trapped wind which put pressure on my wound. If you are given iron afterwards make sure you deal with the inevitable constipation immediately. I took laxido sachets in with me. Massive disposable knickers were good as they come up well above the incision and are baggy so no pressure.

I was ok looking after myself at home and appreciated my DP looking after my other DC so days out for your 2 year old maybe. I found it hard to relax with other DC especially as I'd been in hospital so they were desperate to see me and meet new baby which was too much in large doses. Once you're less tender you can be fully involved again.

[eastcoastmum2014]

Wow this is all fantastic advice thankyou!! I'm so nervous as I have never had an operation in my life! But I know its best for me and bubs!! I'm a pretty tough person and pretty physically fit so I really hope I should recover quickly! I'm going to literally write down all of the advice here and go shopping for a nightie and giant pants I am very lucky to have a lot of support for the first couple of weeks so I'm feeling positive about that! Haha SeashellHoarder I have a perfect prep already from my daughter who was exclusively ff from 3 days old- they are amazing! Its done the rounds with my nephew since and its now preped and clean with a new filter just incase I ff this little one! Hoping to breast feed though!

[Blastandtroph]

Avoid codiene in hospital, ask for oramorph instead and ask pre section for this to be prescribed to avoid any prescribing delays post section when you are on the Ward. It's superior pain relief with none of the constipating effects of codiene. It'll probably take a while to do your first poo anyhow and codiene definitely won't help.

Plenty of water once your catheter is out as pp says.

Peppermint tea will help with bloating/indigestion - common after sections.

Get in paracetamol for when you get home.

Good luck - an elective section is usually a really relaxed affair.

[oliversmummy26]

I was offered liquid morphine in hospital (definitely take it!) and was given a lovely bag full of all sorts of goodies to take home with me, strong paracetamol which I was allowed to take with I think codeine, as well as the injections I had to inject myself with every day for seven days which I think was for anti blood coagulation?
They were really good with me, definitely take drugs if you need them, do not try to be brave this is major surgery!

[WankersHacksandThieves]

oh just remembered, we got asked if there was any particular music we wanted but hadn't thought about it. You may not get asked but have an idea just in case! Also, be prepared to not be first on the list - no food :( - so have stuff with you to keep you occupied.

[FizzBombBathTime]

Wankers I was the last up, had to wait 8 hours 😂 Worth it though

[Lunalovepud]

Take the drugs. All of them.

I had an ELCS due to preeclampsia with DC1 and recovery was fine, I was up and shuffling about within 24 hours and felt completely fine within about 10 days. I loved the catheter - after weeks off weeing every five seconds it was nice to have a few hours off of the loo! I'm planning another ELCS with DC2, although hopefully without the PE this time!

As a previous poster said, don't try to lay on your side for the first few days as that's a bit sore. Also have someone on hand to help you in and out of bed for the first couple of days as you can't swing your legs the same. You might find it's more comfortable to have more pillows in the bed and sit up a bit when you go to sleep.

In my hospital there is a reclining chair per bed and after the initial 24 hours, I found it more comfortable to sleep in there than the bed. Midwife was a bit confused when she came in to do my observations and found DH asleep on the bed!

Prep meals and freeze before if you can, or just rely on on convenience food - you won't feel like standing long for the first few days.

Good luck with everything.

[WankersHacksandThieves]

I liked the recommendation not to lift anything heavy as they handed me 10lb baby and then looked down at newly walking 13 month giant DS1 :o

[dylsmimi]

Had my first planned section a few months ago and it wasn't as bad as I thought you will be fine
My tips are (based on my own experience) -
Peppermint capsules for trapped wind - I had a sore shoulder!!
Lots of apricots to help constipated- I grabbed a handful every so often - whitworth juicy ones are nicest
Rest but do a little bit of walking every day and build up to things otherwise you will go from sitting on your bum for 2 weeks to caring for a 2 yr old - you need to build up to it gradually
There are no silly questions to ask the staff
When you stand up - particularly in hospital the instinct is to bend over your stomach but try to keep straight so you heal well
Oh and you may be bruised - I hadn't realised that and it really surprised me - I said to the midwife 'I just feel bruised' and she was like yes of course!

[dylsmimi]

Oh and to get out of your hospital bed remember to lower it with the button instead of trying to get up and down from it being set high

[Letsgetreadytorumbleagain]

Haha - I had to have the bed high to get out of it, almost like it tipped me out rather than trying to stand up from sitting. I had to lower it again to get into though. Funny how everyone's experience is different

[WankersHacksandThieves]

My bed didn't adjust because it was broken. :(

in my 2nd section, I had no curtain or light bulb - that made night feeding interesting.

Another tip is to take plenty of clothes for the baby as those born by c-section tend to puke up sticky stuff that looks like mashed banana - something to do with their lungs not being squeezed through the birth canal? Anyway it's like glue so you may find you need extra vests for the baby.

[mimiholls]

They should give you lactulose to help you go to the loo after (the anaesthetic causes constipation). If they don't ask for some. You will feel so much better once you've been to the loo, the trapped wind is painful! John Lewis sell specific c section knickers which I found really good as they also support your tummy a bit. They are pricey though.
Once you start moving about slowly you will start feeling better quickly. If you are previously fit as you say, you should recover really quickly.