New Idiots guide to Elective C/section

fabulous advice on here, as usual
I couldn't wait to get my catheter out after my second c/s and even offered to rip off my plaster on my wound (in the shower, mind) because those bothered me first time. walking early is good, but VERY SLOWLY, preferably after painkiller top-up. eat as much fruit/veg as possible, helps the bowels get back to normal (mine - 2nd or 3rd day, can't exactly remember but not painful at all). get a room to yourself if you can, I found hospital noise unberable and bagsed a room when I was down in labour ward! very best of luck

Well, Kings may not be the Portland but they do have phones - all run by a private company making huge profits mind you!

You're right Ghosty - I know plenty of people who've lied about it just to get out, and a lot who were never asked at all. And let's face it, they didn't ask me for proof!! Yeuch!

This thread is a very good one ... I love reading about other people's experiences ... but I do have to say that all hospitals have different ways of doing things ... For example:
a) Aloha ... LOL at 'bedside phone in ward' ... what phone? ESH had no phone in the ward ... we had to walk to the nearest payphone ... just outside the ward ...
b) Janinlondon if ESH had not let me out before I had a bowel movement I would have been there for a mighty long time. DS was born on a Tuesday - I came out on the Friday - first BM on the Sunday .... ouch ouch ouch

God you're probably so bored with this by now you are thinking Oh no! Another posting! But just as a slightly different story - I was booked for an elective, but went into labour naturally a week before. I was so stupid I didn't even know I was in labour. Just thought it was the baby engaging (she never did engage - just decided to come anyway!). But my husband (bless him) insisted that we should go to the hospital "just in case". I remember lying on a bed with a midwife meddling about when she looked around the room and said "Where's your bag?". I said, oh I know what first babies are like, you'll just be sending me home like all the other lunatic primas. She looked at me with great amusement and said (add your own Caribbean accent here) "Oh nooooo. You in labour honey!" THAT'S when it started to really hurt To cut to the chase, they still did my CS, though holding still for the anaesthetic was a bit hard (I was 10 cm dilated when I arrived- how could I have been so thick???) Best tips for C section - get up as soon as you possibly can. It makes it so much easier if you get up while still on pain relief. You can actually straighten up! Also, start eating dried apricots or whatever "gets you going" ASAP as the hospital may insist you have a bowel movement before they let you go home. And don't take slippers that you need to bend down to put on. On the plus side, my C section was a joyous and wonderful experience. And a final warning - my baby cried while she was still inside me, just after they opened me up. Apparently it can happen, but it gives you one hell of a shock! Good luck with it.

Think someone has mentioned it already but this really affected me..I was shivering througout the whole process due to the affect of the block. No-one told me why it was happening (I felt freezing!) ..I think they finally told me near the end "Oh..that is normal!!". Next time I will know to expect it! (doesn't happen to everyone)

If you are lying around for a while post-op you may get a lot of blood pooling in your uterus. When you get up, it can flood, soaking whatever protection you have on.

You have to wear hideous white elastic stockings after the op for a couple of days to prevent blood clots while you are less mobile - they are not a fashion item. I kept taking mine off because they were so hideous (and I am so vain) and got told off. I don't recommend this

Agree with making friends with the anaesthetist - I insisted mine tell me jokes as I was a bit nervous. My dh was with me every second of the time from going into theatre to going back to my room. I would be very insistent on that - bugger hospital policy! I really felt I needed him with me. Also, if you want your baby right away, make this very clear to the whole team before the op begins. Also, once I had my baby, they couldn't prise him away from me! The amount of pain you will be will vary a lot from person to person. It does feel a bit as if you've been kicked in the stomach, usually, at least for a day or two. And yes, you will bleed for a while, but I think it is lighter than with a normal birth as you get 'cleaned up' internally when they do the cs. I found Always Ultra Nightime press on towels were easily absorbent enough.
I changed into my clothes the day after the op - I think...funny how the memory fades - just a very loose skirt and t-shirt. Walking was a bit of a shock but got much easier quickly. I found co-proxamol made me dizzy and disoriented when I had previous surgery so didn't have it for the cs. Most people are absolutely fine on it. You won't need lots of changes of outfits - I promise! I had one skirt, one pair of drawstring waist trousers and a couple of t-shirts - and I'd already been in for weeks and weeks. Don't take in a huge suitcase as your dh will be visiting every day so he can take dirty stuff home and bring you new, clean stuff as you need it. the less you have to bring home the better as you won't want to be carrying anything heavy and you will have the additional baby and the car seat to transport home as well, remember Before you have your op get (or get your dh to get) a phone card that lets you use the bedside phone in your ward. You will NOT want to get up and walk down the corridor every time you want a chat with your mum/friends etc.
Good luck. I'm getting excited for you now!

I'll second about being definite on what you want to happen with your baby. I knew it was a while before I saw anyone post-CS but it was only when I got my notes that I found that it was 1.5 hours between when my baby was born and I was returned to the ward, where I met up with her again. I hadn't held her in all that time and she hadn't even been near me - had been with my DH who was waiting in the delivery room (he hadn't wanted to come into the theatre) - rather than all of us being together in recovery.

You do need to ask if you want to hold the baby straight away. remeber it's still your birth - you can ask for the things you want (music etc). After my spinal block I started shaking violently and uncontrollably. Apparently a fairly common side effect of the blood pressure fluctuations, but if they don't warn you it can be very scary. I also threw up (well retched) - which is extremely difficult to do when you have no muscle contol below your boobs.
Take your babies first outfit + nappy (babygro is best) into theatre - they got my dd dressed in there whilst waiting, but because we didn't have any clothes ready dh had to dash back to the ward.
Discuss the stitches with the consultant. I had a continuous stitch that went under the skin and just stuck out at either end - this is much better than multiple stitches. And it is quite normal to not have a drain. You do not want to have a drain.

Can't add anything on the advice front, just made me remember how fantastic it was to see this little purple baby, arms and legs outstretched like a starfish, yelling her head off being held up for me to see. Then our 3 heads together on the pillow as we said hello. Fantastic. All the best.

Pupuce is the resusitaire the thing that looks like a grill? I made my m/w laugh when I asked if they had put DS under the grill!!

Wiltshire ... I didn't discharge myself ... but the wards were so full (they had closed Crawley maternity unit for some reason and had sent billions of labouring women to ESH) that the midwives were desperate to get rid of some of us so they came and asked me if I felt up to going home. Physically I could have done with another night but mentally I was desperate to get away from the madhouse of 9 other women and 9 screaming babies and back to my own house and bed.

Re: disposable pants ... I used them for a week or so ... they didn't rub on my scar at all ...

Oh ... a good friend of ours who is one of the funniest men on the planet came to visit on day 2 and made me laugh so much I had to send him away. I was convinced I was going to split my stitches

The only thing I would add (just so that you are ware of the eventuality) is that in some cases you will hold your baby very quickly after the birth but I have been in theater 7 times (as a doula) and on a few occasions (3 times I think) it was a wee while before mum was handed her baby.... so be prepared for that too. They often have to give the babies a wiff of oxygen or clear their nose and mouth.... and they do this in the theater in what they call a rescusitaire. Your DH can watch of course.

When you go home you'll be told you can't drive for 6 weeks - that may not worry you but for me it was a real problem - anyway it's not strictly true - if you feel up to it and you get the nod from your GP you can drive before then, as most car insurance companies are pretty laid back about caesarian sections now

Wiltshire, I've had two electives on the NHS and my experiences were pretty similar to Aloha's and Tamum's. You will go to theatre in a hospital gown and if I were you, although they are loathesome polyester, I'd stick with a gown for the first 24 hours after your op because you are less mobile than usual and a nightie might get irretrievably stained.
Agree with whoever said to cultivate the anaesthetist - these people stay by your head throughout the op and if you have a rapport it is great. The spinal does not hurt but as Aloha said, is a very WEIRD experience.
Definitely recommend peppermint oil for trapped wind and if they are prepared to accept patient requests for painkillers I found voltarol (by pessary) great for the first 24 hours and then co-proxamol for the next couple of days did the trick for me. I am sure my recovery second time round was better because I took 200 potency Arnica for five days prior to surgery and a week after.
Would also recommend you get a midwife to show you the right technique for getting yourself into a sitting position and getting in and out of bed post-operatively. Obviously you have help for the first 24 hours but you have to do it for yourself after that.
Hospital policies about being on a ward/in a side room after a c-section vary. Mine insisted on ward care post-op for 24 hours so you were all together and it was easier for them to do their obs. If you can possibly get a side room thereafter, DO. It is quieter/more private and you may find your dp can stay when ward visitors have been banished.
Good luck, remember it is a very safe procedure!

God, almost forgot - you must still do your pelvic floor exercises. Guess who thought she didn't have to because she'd had a section, and then wee'd herself jumping on a bouncy castle 6 months later?

Take arnica on the lead-up to the section to help with the bruising.
Most theatres will let you bring your own music in so pack a few CDs of your fave stuff.
Be sure to let the anaesthetist know straight away if you feel at all sick during the op as they can help try to avoid you being sick by increasing your oxygen.
Don't bother with disposable pants - the elastic waist is the same level as your scar - ouch!
Take your big black pregnancy pants (lots of them) and stick a san towel on the inside of your pants to cushion your wound!
IME you can change into your own stuff when you first get up, after you've had your shower, possibly the next day, depending on what time of day you have your section. Try to do your hair and put a bit of lippy on - you'll feel better!
Don't struggle to get up too soon - it will HURT! Take advantage of the fact you are being waited on hand, foot and finger - cos you certainly won't be soon after!
Accept - readily - all pain relief offered after the spinal block wears off.
Hope this helps. Good luck!

I had an emergency caesar ... so can't comment on the 'elective bit ... but I think Aloha's account was excellent.
Just a couple of bits ... I think it depends on the hospital where you have your baby whether some things happen or not ...
For example ... East Surrey Hospital in Redhill, where I had my baby, was very very strict about visiting hours ... even for daddies. It was the worst bit about being in hospital ... he could only come from 10am to noon, 3pm - 5pm and then 7.30 - 9pm. The 10am to noon slot was for partners only ...
No one suggested I breastfed my baby whilst being stitched up ... in fact he was so wrapped up in blankets that I could hardly even see the top of his head ... if I have a c/s next time it will be very different!
I was not allowed to hold my baby straight after delivery ... again next time it will be different!
I was allowed to have my drips taken out quite quickly ... I hated them and hated the patient controlled morphine and what it was doing to my head! I think they were out by 9am (DS was born at 4am)
I was allowed to get up really early aswell ... was up and about as soon as the drips were out ...
Oh ... and I was a bit surprised at the fact that I still bled a lot from my 'bits' after the c/s ... for some reason that had not occurred to me ... derrrrrr!!! When I first got up I had quite a scary looking flood but the m/w said it was normal and she was ever so kind in cleaning me up ... (not the most dignified thing in my life!!)
Some hospitals give individual rooms for c/s's (even on NHS) but some don't ... I was in a ward with 8 other beds ... only one occupied for the first 2 nights and then on the third day all the 'electives' came in and we were packed in like sardines ... (they squeezed in another 2 beds) ... so after a night of no sleep as there was too much going on I decided to leave!!!

I can only agree with everything Aloha said. Only difference was I preferred pyjamas as it saved you flashing everything when you struggle to get up ( and no-one can see that your legs are hairy!)

Oh yes, I had forgotten about the wind, complete nightmare, if you get offered some peppermint stuff to drink, take it.

Also I had a pessary inserted in theatre for pain relief and then another one given to me by the nurse.