C Section Recovery

I was fine going home the next day after my elcs (have had 2) and paracetamol was all I needed. If anything I was fussed over with midwife and HV home visits a bit too much, they kept coming over for about a month after the birth when I just wanted to get on with things on our own.

What made the difference for me was having DH around to help for 2 months after - so I was fully recovered by the time he returned to work. It would feel crazy to me to be left coping alone with a baby (and with dc2, a toddler as well) after just 2 weeks.

I had an emergency c section in the midst of covid restrictions. Just left to look after DS by myself on a ward when I wasn't mobilised, pushed for discharge the next day as I needed DH's help! My favourite bit was when I asked for help with feeding they checked what area I lived it and said they couldn't help because there was only funding for the other area the hospital covered, when I said "fine then can I have some formula" then said "yes but we won't be able to give you the certificate for 24 hours breastfeeding." I was 40.

DH got better care and nicer treatment after having a vasectomy.

I live abroad and had a c section. It's the opposite here and they insist you stay a few days. I was begging them to let me go home after the first night. Crying, begging. Trying to sleep in a hospital is impossible. Every time me or baby dozed off, someone woke us up. The cleaning lady, the nurse doing the rounds, people bringing food, someone coming to check baby again etc etc. It was awful. I just wanted to be home. By day 3 I felt like a prisoner and told my obgyn I am walking out of the hospital. Which is when I found out my baby's wristband has a tag on it and the police would come if I tried to leave. Luckily she discharged me finally. I was going insane.

So maybe personalised care is the answer. Actually fucking listen to women and what they need.

I was a single parent from the day my son was born (I left abuse during pregnancy). I had a C-section and because I had no one else to help and my baby would not latch on, I had to get up only a few hours after my major surgery to go and make a bottle for my baby. I was in agony, screaming out in pain at every move I made. I would never ever wish that pain on even my worst enemy.

I did get morphine for home. That was almost 20yrs ago. I was seriously pissed off with my "care", they probably wanted me out the door.

Post CS care is appalling.

It sounds like you have a lovely bunch of people around you. Hope you’re soon feeling less tender.

If you stop and think about it at all it's a bit insane, isn't it. I had DS at 10pm at night on a Saturday and the only reason they didn't discharge me the following evening was because it was a Sunday night and they didn't have the staff available to sort the discharge paperwork. I was home by midday on the Monday (although they did send me home with codeine). To be fair I had a very easy recovery but lots of people I know didn't.

Can you imagine any other "j0b" where the response to a medical procedure is to increase your work load?

Sorry to stray from the OP but can I ask how your 3rd section was @Whiteflowerscreed please?

I’ve got two DC both were emergency sections and I’m toying with the idea of having one more baby. Would definitely go for a planned section this time. Is it easier or worse than your first two section recoveries? Weirdly I found my second much easier to recover from than the first which I didn’t expect I thought it would be the other way around!

It's madness. When I had my first way back in 1986 it was 14 days standard for a c-section. By the time I had my second in 89 it was down to a week. When I had my last I was out in three days with an infection (2001) and that felt superquick. I really feel for new mums being slung out with a packet of antibiotics in less than 48hrs.

I had EMCS and was lucky enough to find the recovery a doddle. The private room with an ensuite - standard across maternity in our local NHS hospital - made a huge difference and I took all the drugs on offer (which was basically oramorph on the first day, then paracetamol/codeine).

However, my recent experience of a bowel resection really brought home how differently post-partum women are treated. I had a vertical abdominal incision of a similar length to my C-section, except I was offered morphine in a syringe driver, ketamine and tramadol in addition to paracetamol and codeine. I was also kept in for 6 days, eventually discharging myself because I wanted to see DS rather than because the surgeon was satisfied that all was okay.

I was packed off after one night & asked to buy my own paracetamol. I was somewhat shocked.

I was surprised at that

i agree OP, and i had ‘easy’ c sections and recovered well and had a bit of help at home…a bit 😀

I completely agree. I had an emergency c section in jan which resulted in 2 litre blood loss, 2 transfusions and I contracted sepsis. I was allowed home 48 hours later. It was horrific.

I had a PPH after my c section and was discharged 24 hours later feeling extremely unwell. 6 days later I was showing quite serious signs of iron deficiency anaemia and really had to beg the maternity triage service to arrange for me to go in to have an iron transfusion.

I'm lucky that my family are very helpful in these sorts of circumstances. I imagine not everyone has that wider network of support .

I assume that they want you out of hospital, to lessen the risk of infection.. you are more likely to get an infection in hospital. Maybe the lack of home support / district nurse visits is part of the problem.
CS are also seen (for some odd reason) as an easy option, they really are not.

I had an emergency c section. I am no stranger to major surgery, I was born with a disability and have had 12 hour surgeries, including a partial spinal fusion. I have a high pain tolerance and i was always pushed by my parents to recover quickly etc. When I had my ECS I woke up after the GA and was honestly shocked at how I felt, that abdominal muscle ache was something else. I really struggled looking after my baby, and myself especially for the first few days. I went home before I was ready but thankfully quickly improved once I was home. Although I think that was more that I had to.

My now ex mother in law was awful, it was coming up to Christmas and she was demanding to know if we would be coming, the ex said no, so she asked him to go to which he said well I need to be here to help curly with the baby. She replied “if she can’t cope you should leave, take the baby and call social services”. So unbelievably ignorant of how major a c section is. Anyway much was my fear of this happening that I drove after 3 weeks and made sure I didn’t need anyone’s help. Needless to say I only have the one child.

So many people said ‘lucky you’ when they heard I’d had a section like somehow it was the easy way to have a baby.

the recoveries from my sections were long and painful. I was in hospital for 5 days with the first and 10 with the second due to post op complications

I was on strong painkillers for several weeks and not recovered until 3-4 months had passed.

I agree with this. I had really easy recoveries from
my sections and didn’t want any longer stay or need extra painkillers, but there absolutely needs to be proper provision for those things for those who need then instead of blanket policies around turnaround and ‘standard’ discharge medication. So flexibility about length of stay so those who need more support can stay longer without being rushed out of the door, and conversely those who want to go home asap can go when it’s safe for them to do so.

And again with painkillers, proper pain medication should be offered to everyone, not just expecting tired, postpartum women in pain to be able to advocate for themselves enough to ask for it and make a nuisance of themselves to get it. I would have said no thank you if offered, but the being offered is the important thing, as that then opens the dialogue.

Private rooms prioritised for those likely/who want to stay longer than 24-48 hours would be great too.

Completely agree.

My section recovery was hellish on top of the seismic event of a first baby.

I thought too it was crazy we're bunged a few paracetamol and told to get on with it, let alone care for your baby, especially given all the pre baby care we get.

I've heard of some mum's having a good recoveries but I bet it's 50/50 as it's major surgery after all and childbirth along with no time to rest

In the end it was good because it gave me the nerve to do a VBAC 2nd time which was much better - but each to their own.

Who the hell is voting YABU?!?!?!?!

Mad isn’t it.. I’ve had far better care when a baby hasn’t been involved.
But then the hospital was so awful that I was glad to leave after 2 days. The wards are just too overpacked

My FIL recently had surgery for something. Naturally he was given loads of strong painkillers and waited on hand and foot by MIL for a few weeks.

He was complaining about something, but did look a bit sheepish when I pointed out that essentially women are hoofed out after a day, woken hourly by a newborn, have to breastfeed, and often have to care for other children too. All on some paracetamol!

In some cases there’s a lack in the medical service provision, but it does seem that in a lot of cases the issue actually lies with people being totally unrealistic about what they should be doing once home.

There’s a perception that if you go home that’s to normal life, and that have to stay in hospital to avoid that. It shouldn’t need a hospital place to give someone a large amount of rest and minimal other activities. That’s a family thing. Most hospitals have discharge leaflets or maternity websites with pretty clear recovery info.

To me the issue lies with others expectations. It shouldn’t need a be medical care, not social care. Once home, social care needs to be managed appropriately- ideally by family or friends.

I had a c section and was discharged 24 hours afterwards and would have left earlier if I could. I think post-natal care should be more personalised and responsive to what each person wants rather than a blanket suggestion of minimum hospital stays. I also think that private rooms should be a standard that hospitals should try to work towards. We were admitted to the children's hospital when the baby was two days old in a private room and the difference between that and the hell that was the shared ward was remarkable. I actually felt like I could rest and recover from the birth there, where I had peace and privacy.