Caesarian survival tips

Also, it was two weeks from my cs to my first bowel movement. I think this was the worst aspect of my postnatal care - of course I felt bl%dy awful when I was completely bunged up. Each day after discharge, the midwife would come and aks about bowel movements and I'd reply 'Not yet' and she'd tick the box....

It was only about 4-5 years later I realised there had been a communication mismatch. She must have thought I meant 'Not yet, TODAY'! It wasn't sorted out until I had a bout of mastitis and was visited at home by the doctor - there being too much snow on the ground for a midwife to come and see me - and he asked about bowel movements and prescribed Fybogel (and antibiotics for the mastitis which prob helped too). Finally I got going although it wasn't pleasant in the least.

Oh, yes, forgot to say. If it really hurts for more than a few days, it's almost certainly an infection. don't grin and bear it and think 'oh, I had a c/s, it's bound to hurt', get antibiotics ASAP. I felt totally normal after two weeks and didn't rest a bit, but then I didn't have an infection. Good luck

Have only skimmed this thread so forgive any repetition. I got some "netting" pants - I think they were from the NCT - which look peculiar and very unflattering, but I thought they were brilliant and wore them for several weeks. I could rinse them through and they were dry in next to no time. Like Bobsmum I put a sanitary towel over my scar which did make me feel much more comfortable. I didn't take arnica, and had a fairly slow recovery compared to others on here - didn't help that I got an infection in the wound and didn't realise until it burst (thank god for that sanitary towel). I just assumed that everyone had that much pain and walked about with a stoop for weeks afterwards.

Never had a vaginal birth, but I'm sure the constipation after my cs was worse than any childbirth pain. Fybogel did the trick in the end for me - defininitely take some in with you.

Can't remember how long my numbness lasted, but its definitely gone now (2 years on from the birth).

Personally I wouldn't commit myself to a housemove in the timeframe you're talking about - you never know how you're going to cope with the recovery until it happens. Unless of course your dh is ready to organise and implement it all while the grandparents have the other 2 kids and you and the new babe spend a few days at a friend's place?

I never bled like that afterwards. Had a couple of identical episodes before, mind you, courtesy of Placenta Praevia. Afterwards like a not-to-heavy period. Wonder why there is such a difference?

I didn't need any help post cs, but then I didn't have other children at home. I honestly don't htink I felt any different to my friends after natural births. My dh went straight back to work as he'd taken so much time off visiting me in hospital beforehand (in for over a month, ) but he did get home earlier, but that was more for my mental health than my physical health. Small scar, feels perfectly normal. No probs with lifting. Probably did too much and drove very quickly too with no probs, but felt fine and LOVED maternity leave. Ah, never have that again, just me and newborn ds. Sigh.

Monkey, same thing happened to me with the pouring of blood. Soaked right through the pad and knickers. Fortunately, I had dark blue joggers on and was saved too much embarrassment as I fled to the loo to sort myself out.

definitely know what you're saying Sue W......

I'va head 2 sections. First one was fine, 2nd was scary but only because I had loads of scar tissue after first one and no one would tell me what was going on (when you're lying in an op and someone starts saying "quick call a consultant- where is he? he needs to get here quick" and won't tell you why it is scary!). First one was a bit weird because I could hear them saying "ovaries- yep here they are, Fallopian tubes- check" and I spent the whole time worrying about the suppositry- didn;t even realise they'd put it in in the end.

I've always had spinals- one side effect is shaking, although that was much better with the elective- so don't be surprised if that happens.

Oh and one final thing- I never realised operating tables were so narrow I was convinced I was going to fall off- especially when they tranfer you to the trolley!

My dh saved up his holiday so he had 5 days paternity leave then 2 further weeks after that. My mil and our cleaner also chipped in after that until I was more confident doing everyday things. I got tescos to deliver and when I told them I couldn't do any lifting, they brought the shopping through to kitchen. I left all but the frozen stuff on the floor until dh came home! You can't afford to be neat and tidy at this stage...!

Someone said that they bled just the same & someone else said they'd bled less with a section, but I was the opposite. I was told that because lying down so long - baby delivered at 7.30 pm, dh there till 10, then (some) sleep, so didn't get up till about 10 next morning, so must have been about 15 hours after op - the blood pools, and I was really shocked & very embarrassed when I stood up as it just POURED out, in full view of a ward full. I was very shocked by it.

I had natural birth after and definitely didn't have that experience.

Question - what full time help do you get - general 'maid'/maternity nurse/cleaner/ or are you lucky enough to have helpful families - and where do you get it from? (Latter is probably dum Q. - I'm not in uk, but seriously considering elective c-section this time, and could definitely use the help, just never heard of anyone actually having some!

Just to agree with everyone else really. HUGE pants a must - I had an emergency section last December and whilst I had taken big pants thinking they would hold the maternity pad in place I hadn't realised that they were hipster ones - DOH & ow! Get to know the wards, I got transferred between hospitals because things went so pear shaped and hadn't got a clue where anything was even though I work at the hospital I ended up at!
As for recovery rates they gave me tea & toast 3 hours post op and I was out of bed 24 hours later having a shower but as has already been said recovery rates vary - the girl in the bed next to me took 3 days to sit in the chair next to the bed! (but she was being a drama queen about everything). Lie about poo's if you can - I didn't and ended up staying in 2 days longer than I could have. Try and get a running stitch if you can - these are the ones that have a little bead on each end, one of which gets snipped off when they are going to be removed, then they just get pulled out from the other end in one long string type thing. Everyone warned me that this would be uncomfortable and "feel funny" but I didn't feel a thing.
Most of all ask for help. I felt stupid at first asking them to pass me dd whenever it was needed but after 2 sleepless nights (because I was right next to the nurses station and the buzzers kept going off) I chilled out a bit and realised that's what they're there for.
Overestimate the time it will take for your scar to feel better - I kept thinking 6 weeks and I'll never know. 5 months later it still gets itchy from time to time and when I have a period the one side gets quite tight.
Full time help is a must for when you get home. This was my first baby but I will be having a section again next time because labour & delivery was so awful and extra help is the first thing I'll be arranging!

Hope this helps some. (sorry for wittering on!)

J9, I still have that numbness 6.5 years later! Not a problem but just a sort of 'doesn't belong to me; feeling, like you have when you're coming down with something and your skin feels like it's not part of your normal being.

Now you're all either completely confused or understand exactly what I am saying.....

I'm going back 7 years now, but when I had DS2 by emergency section I didn't appear to have any stitches on the outside, they used some sort of glue to stick me together and then put a pressure dressing on - a huge, thick, rigid dressing that covered the whole of my abdomen. If I had any stitches they must have been disolving ones in a very neat running stitch because there was no sign of them when the dressing came off. Maybe someone can enlighten me?

As for the numbness, I had that too, it feels odd doesn't it? I wonder if massage or some sort of stimulation would get the nerves working quicker?

Mine still feels like that, 20 months on. It's just damaged the nerve endings I spose - that's why it feels so yuk. I wasn't expecting mine to go back to normal at all.

Does anyone have any tips on recovering from the numbness that you feel around the scar for about six months afterwards? The skin felt really thick and it was quite creepy to touch it. About to have second CS (elective this time) and want to knock this sensation on the head asap.

As regards your moving house - IME you have to forget any thoughts at all of being in control. I had probs with my pregnancy and had to give up work at 5 months and was in hosp for 5 weeks before dd was born. We moved house when I was 5.5 m. I wasn't allowed to do a thing - lift, bend etc at 5 months and then bedrest from 7.5 months. I got my (big M&S) knickers in a twist about it and felt very frustrated to begin with but learned to live with it eventually. So by the time I'd had my c-section I was well used to acting like lady muck and everyone waiting on me hand foot and finger! You MUST let others take the strain, bite your tongue and take a back seat. You'll never forgive yourself if you end up doing some long-term damage whilst you're still recovering.

Soutine, I moved 6 weeks after I had my dd by cs. We had no alternative as our Landlord gave us 2 months' notice the day after dd was born! Fortunately I had no problems after the op and it seemed like a doddle recovering from it compared to the traumatic 'natural birth' that I had with my ds. So you may be lucky like me.

Incidentally, I was able to drive 3 weeks after the caesarian as my insurance company was quite happy and I felt completely back to normal by then.

I had a planned CS with DS - he was breech. Desite being fully informed about what was going on, I reduced myself to tears in pre-op when I couldn't feel my bump anymore. Very weird feeling!
A bubble or 'V' cushion was great for feeding as it kept squirmy baby off the wound. I also fed DS like a rugby ball to avoid this.
Take the painkillers - I didn't realise how good they were and how much I needed them until I missed a couple - it doesn't have to be morphine. I needed them for about a fortnight.
I did shuffle for about a fortnight and getting out of bed/chair was a slow, careful movement.
And M+S big knickers were v. comfy. I couldn't see scar for weeks due to enomous overhang. Ask for dissolvable stitches, they just disappeared.

That's a good tip, Bobsmum! On the subject of big knicks - I really couldn't even bear the thought of my paper ones after my c-section - the elastic was just the same level as the wound - ouch! (BTW why are disposable pants so small? I had size 14-16 to be on the safe side and they were still too small) So I would recommend taking big black pants in with you that you don't mind spoiling if needs be. M&S do 3 for a tenner that aren't maternity but are real belly warmers and MUCH more comfy than paper pants. Take loads of these in with you and you can change them or even throw them away if they get too messy. Luckily my dh is a nurse and not squeamish at all so he just took mine home in a tescos bag and threw them in the wash! Sorry to be so graphic...

Take Fybogel for the nasty wind. it's the most repulsive thing on the planet next to Slimfast but it'll free you up in no time!
Have only skimmed this, but if not already mentioned I found a maternity towel over my scar on the inside of my knicks quite comfy for the first few days - helps with laughing/sneezing!

This is all fantastic advice and I am fascinated by all the different angles ...
I had a Hattie Jakes lookalike midwife who came bustling into the ward about 4/5 hours after my c/section and said "Well, have we got up yet?" I said, "No, I didn't think I could." And she said, "Nonsense ... no time like the present ... up we get!!" And she hauled me out of bed!! I had already insisted on them removing the morphine drip as I hated that spaced out feeling! A very good friend of mine was amazed to see me up and about when she came to visit me ... she didn't get up for 48 hours after her c/section ... (she went private ... I went NHS!!)
Big knickers YES YES YES ... and get the paper ones for the first few days ....
Mine was a running stitch that is so tiny now ... about 5 inches long.
Oh ... the uncontrollable shaking ... I had that ... freaky feeling ...
And has anyone mentioned the actual sensation you have when they are actually taking the baby out? Somebody once described it as feeling like someone was doing the washing up in your tummy ... and that is exactly how it did feel for me....
And yes ... I agree with everyone who says eat as much fibre as possible ... I didn't poo for a whole week and when I did it was not a pretty sight!!! ...

big knickers - yes
pain relief - definitely, try to anticipate and not wait for pain to actually start.
get catheter out asap and start moving when you feel you can, it does help with recovery
have a shower when you feel you are up to it, it'll make the whole world seem a nicer place and also help you to take off the dressing a bit more easily - a midwife took mine off last time & it hurt more than when I didn it myself. if you have the single stitch with beads it doesn't hurt when that's taken out, so don't worry!
get a private room if you can, sleep is enormously important in speeding up recovery and all the other babies kept me awake after my 1st c-section. this time I had a room to myself after the first night & it was worth every penny.
hold your scar with your hand & brace yourself when you cough/sneeze/laugh..you won't 'pop' if you don't but it's much more comfy.
just look after the baby and get someone else to do EVERYTHING else at home.

I think Morocco has hit the nail on the head here, soutine. Recovery rates vary astonishingly. I was disappointed and taken aback with how slowly I recovered physically from my elective c-section. Never having had any surgery before, I had no idea whether I was a "quick healer" etc. I turned out not to be and felt I had to cancel some trips to weddings and things in the first three months. Despite being fairly fit and very healthy during my pregnancy and before, there is no way I could have moved house eight weeks after my op. I know you have help laid on and you sound like a resourceful and organised person, but there is a remote chance your body might let you down a little, so maybe don't make yourself a hostage to fortune...

Hi soutine
Well it's not quite the same thing but I flew with ds 8 weeks after the op so I had to carry him and 2 bags of handluggage round Heathrow for the change, lift my bags etc and I was fine. Sounds a great excuse to let everyone else do that hard work though!
I think the trouble here is that everyone really does seem to have very different recovery rates and levels of pain. I couldn't do much at all for teh first month but after about 6 weeks was back to normal really, carrying heavy stuff, driving etc.

Sounds completely barmy to me, Soutine!

However, if you are not in any way a control freak and will be happy to let somebody else do everything, no matter how much they don't do it how you would have done it, then getting it out of the way ASAP could be the best way.

I mean you could possibly cope with, eg, putting stuff away in the kitchen, but even that would involve a lot of bending and stretching, so if you could just supervise others doing it (I'm assuming it won't be just you and DH, you'll have relatives and friends helping too?) you would feel a lot better physically afterwards.

Do let us know how it goes!