AMA on my experiences of three different births - section, inductions / assisted and water birth

[Airconfan]

i have had three children and all had different types of birth, so AMA around my experiences:

• emergency cat 1 C Section

• mechanical induction
• hormone drip induction
• episiotomy / ventouse

• water birth / gas & air only

if you had your time again which would you go for?

How long did it take you to recover with each?

I would opt for a water birth, yes during transition I was very much asking for an epidural but actually recovery wise and birth was very straight forward.
Or a mixture of natural labour with an epidural would be a close second.

I wouldn’t say no to a mechanical induction (balloon) but would decline hormones if possible.

if I knew I had high chances of a c section I would opt for a planned over emergency for sure. But under consultant review opinion etc

Recovery:
Water birth gas / air - easy and was out walking doing normal tasks 24hrs later

Induction with hormone drip and episiotomy - a few weeks to feel normal but more mobile and less pain than a c section for sure.

C Section - pain / lack of movement was hard for the first 10 days. It gets better every day but then not driving and a lack of freedom gets to you. You are 100% more helpless and housebound.

thank you! I'm opting for a c section, what recommendations do you have for recovery?

Ask your midwife what painkillers they prescribe as standard. Some do codeine some don’t. Most will expect you to have stocked up on paracetamol, ibuprofen etc. it’s 8 tablets of paracetamol a day and 6 ibuprofen for 7 days minimum, which can take a few trips to the shops.

Ask if you get sent home with lactulose (helps soften stools). If not get it from the pharmacy ahead of time.

Prepare that you will need blood thinning injections at home for 10 days or 6 weeks.

If you don’t own many flannels I would get some more, I had a sink bath a few times as a shower was too much and I didn’t want to get the bandage wet. Then once the bandage is off it’s recommended to use one clean flannel to pat down the area after showering that’s single use so it’s straight into he wash each time.

A wedge or lots of pillows (I’m talking a crazy amount like 6-8 pillows) to help prop yourself up in bed.

thank you I am very naive! Were you bedridden? How long for? how long until you could go out for a walk?

They like you to keep moving to avoid blood clots.

I would say:
0-5 days - bed to toilet to small amount of time on the sofa.
5-10 days - more time on the sofa than in bed
10-15 days - very small walks (5mins)
2-4 weeks - very gentle 15 min walk
4-6 weeks - gentle 20-30min walk

I was a bit naïve too, when you get a tugging pain around the scar it doesn’t mean your skin is opening. They have thicker more tougher stitches for your uterus that can tug vs the dissolvable ones on your skin. It’s 7 layers and lots of stitches where I oddly only considered the top skin layer

Planned sections are often different from emergency ones for recovery. I was out and about from day 2, very little pain. Definitely not helpless.

My timeline (using the same days above). Best in mind I had a rough pregnancy so was very eager to get out. I was more mobile leaving hospital than before birth due to severe spd.

Obviously everyone's recovery varies, and yours is likely to be somewhere between the two extremes.

• 0-5 days -went from initial surgery, to home to out shopping, had friends round for dinner, could potter round, make breakfast for eldest with newborn in a sling. Kept on painkillers just in case. Did need a rope to pull myself up out of bed though and had extra pillows and it was easier to get up/down. Slight pain for a second when standing. Nothing else.
• 5-10 days - pub lunches, soft play with eldest, able to chase eldest round the garden. I still kept up with painkillers just in case. Only pain if I poked myself to see if it hurt.
• 10-15 days - back to normal, would go out for day trips. Had resumed sex (gently). No more just in case painkillers.
• 2-4 weeks - did things like go to the zoo for a full day trip. Tandem sling baby on front, toddler on back. Held a party to celebrate baby.
• 4-6 weeks - went on holiday abroad, could happily manage suitcases whilst having baby in the sling.

@Babyboomtastic so it's easier to recover if you have an emergency c section?

No emergencies are worse case and they cut quickly. Planned they can take their time which each layer so people who have had both have reported recovery from a planned c section is much easier

Interesting. I've had 5 very different births. I preferred birth 3 (planned induction but he came naturally while I was waiting) but my home water birth came a close 2nd. Worst was my elective c-section because the waiting was awful and I went from feeling fine to being operated on which felt wrong if that makes sense. With my cat 1 section there was no waiting and I was in pain before they did it so I felt relief afterwards.

Did you stay on the postnatal ward with all 3?
Did you find your time on the postnatal ward was easier/harder after different births?

That's what I meant, sorry.

My first which was induction with Ventouse was horrible post labour ward. But I was induced as baby stopped growing, didn’t feed well, smaller and just lazy. They wouldn’t let me home until we had got BF established and I hated feeling trapped. Mentally that was the worse.

Water birth I went home after 6 hours as I really wanted to avoid the post labour ward. But I had to go back the day after for the new born and hearing check when I felt awful (sick and lightheaded) looking back I should have just stayed one night as baby was born in the evening.

Emergency C section I only stayed one night the minimum. I felt my husband could take better care of me at home with 1-1 care so I stayed two full days and one night. I think the staff were more willing to help me after a c section for sure.

The biggest thing I hated with post labour wards was everyone else’s babies crying. I really struggled with the noises.

Interesting about the planned c section as this was offered for our emergency c section and I have been over thinking if I should have just done that…. hindsight and all.