To ask all of you questions about elective c section?

[thesukimonster]

Hello everyone! Not getting into the details of why I am having an elective, not something I'm comfortable sharing as it is concerning mental health! But this is my first baby and would like to ask a few questions as my date is a mere 6 days away and I'm terrified!

1. When is the cathader inserted? Before or after spinal and by who?

1. In theatre, will I be in a gown and completely panty/bra-less?

1. Em I know I will still bleed even with a section so does the bleeding start straight away? How will I be able to wear maternity pads to control the bleeding if I'm completely numb from spinal and with a cathader?

1. A lot of people have been telling me to get up and walk straight after section, as this apparently speeds recovery, then take it easy at home...is there any truth to this?

1. How did everyone (especially people with little to no pain tolerance! ) handle section recovery?

Sorry if I'm a complete noob!

1. I never felt my catheter going in so assume it was after the spinal.

1. I didn't have knickers on but can't remember if I had my bra on. I can't see why you couldn't.

1. I assume it was quite soon after but maternity pad was placed in by midwife/doc (or someone)! I think I had a midwife change it a few hours later then I was able to do it myself.

1. Do they mean immediately after?? I was up once the cart better was removed 12 hours later and I was encouraged to walk. You will possible want to walk to get a shower etc.

1. I've had two. It's not that bad, keep on top of painkillers and take it easy. You of kinda just get on with it because you have a baby but take the help that is offered!!

1. My catheter was inserted after the section, still in theatre by one of the staff

not sure who I was more interested in my new born

1. Yes you have no knickers or bra on just a gown pulled up

1. Bleeding starts straight away one of the maternity ward staff will apply a pad for you

1. I walked less than 12 hours after both of mine even walking to the chair next to your bed will help

1. I have the lowest pain threshold ever and I managed fine, even with a young toddler to look after too with my 2nd

Good luck don't panic it's quick and easy

Hello,

1. Not sure, must be after the spinal. I didn't realise it was there until a few hours after DS was born and I was back on the ward.

2. Yes, braless and pantyless. Braless, so they can place DC on your bare breast after birth, I guess.

3. Can't really remember- it really was not a problem for me. I think maybe they put paper knickers on me. The numbness of the spinal wore off pretty quickly and I was able to sort it all out myself, even with the catheter.

4. I was up and about hours after the CS. I went to the toilet unaided very soon after the numbness wore off (once I was in the toilet I realised I'd left DS on his own on the ward!! I panicked but couldn't rush as I was bent over and scared I would fall or cause the stitches to rip) I had a shower the next day. It was all fine, no real pain, just walked stooped over for a while.

5. Recovery - absolutely fine. The only thing I would warn you about is to be careful with your diet. The painkillers they give you caused me to have the worst constipation I've ever experienced in my life, and I didn't help things by gorging on chocolate. Worst pain ever. Other than that - really minimal pain.

thesukimonster - please do not worry. My CS was the best, most relaxed, most enjoyable experience of my life. I envy you! Enjoy and go with the flow xx

1. Catheter after spinal. I think they always do this.

1. You will be bra and pant-less under your gown. However I was allowed to wear a dressing gown for the walk to theatre so didn't feel exposed.

1. After both my c sections and emergency post natal surgery they have put on disposable pants with maternity pads in while I was still in theatre.

1. Nurses on the ward will advise you about getting up and walking. Going to the loo and back will seem like a marathon, but it improves every day.

1. Take painkillers! If the medicine round isn't happening promptly on your ward then ring the buzzer and chase it (I had to do this with my second CS). Don't suddenly stop taking them if you feel ok, try going an hour extra, then two. I am a complete wimp and it did bloody hurt, but it is very manageable with painkillers. Lower your expectations of what you will achieve in the post natal period to zero.

YABU to ask here. There are several topics that would be more appropriate for your question. This isn't one of them.

1 catheter inserted after spinal by one of 5 or so down that end

2 no underwear, hospital gown on but untied at the back so you can pull it down for skin to skin

3 the nurse wedged a towel in place after the op, bleeding started immediately

4 take the pain killers regularly, ask if you need more, take all the help you can get and find the switch on the bed to move you into admitting position, I miss that bed!

1-. Mine went in after spinal. Didn't really know much about it.

1. I had no bra or knickers under gown
2. They put me on pads on the bed and at first the midwife changed them when needed.
3. I had a bleed after my section so didn't get up for 24 hours. Rest was important in the early days, walking around the block wiped me out.
4. I am crap with pain but did ok. You do it because you have to.

1. Can't remember the catheter being inserted so assume it was after the spinal.
2. I was 'naked' in a hospital gown.
3. I bled just as much with the elcs as I did with my 3 vbacs. I don't know when it started or how it was dealt with as I was numb for almost 24hours. I think I was on those disposable sheet things.
4. The catheter was removed early the next morning (dc1 born 10am) and I was told to walk to the toilet for a wee however I was on some good painkillers and had my Mum to help me.
5. I have a high pain threshold but didn't find recovery from my elcs much different from the subsequent vbacs in the first week or so. Agree that you should accept/ask for pain relief. I had morphine the first night but didn't like it so was given a suppository of something pretty wonderful for the next few days.

Like Argh, my elcs was a very positive, relaxed and pleasant experience.

IME (albeit dated now as DD3 is 12):

1. Had catheter only with DD2, requested with DD3 that they wait till after the epidural, they said what catheter? Check with your hospital, and ask if you want it done after the spinal.

1. Yes to both. Gown gets rucked up to chest level when they start, screen put up in front of you at chest level before that. I may have had blankets over my legs though at some point in the proceedings

1. Yes pretty much straight away, although they do remove a lot before they stitch you up. Don't look back at the theatre bed when they move you - helpful tip there . Spinal/epidural wears off reasonably quickly (I was up and walking about four hours or so after DD3), and IME it's not till you get upright that the flow really gets going, by which point you can generally shuffle to the loo. But the midwives change pads all the time, it's part of their job.

Unless things have improved in the past ten years - don't buy the disposable knickers they sell as they are sweaty and nasty - get a cheap job lot of massive granny knickers from the market, go a couple of sizes up, and you can just chuck them afterwards. Waist high knickers don't rub on the dressing, and cotton is much more pleasant to wear.

1. Yes - get up and walk as soon as you can. Try and walk upright rather than hunching over and holding your belly in case the insides fall out (they won't). Drink loads of water to try and get your bowels moving as well, everything is a lot more comfortable once you've had a poo . I managed to poo the next day [proud] which impressed the midwives no end.

But once you get home, don't try and do too much too soon. The heaviest thing you should be lifting is your baby, so make DH/visitors do all your fetching and carrying.

1. I had different pain relief all three times - you'll get a whopping dose of something before you leave the theatre/recovery (be careful about two/three hours later if it's morphine as it can make some people nauseous - I chucked up over FIL who had come to visit), and then it's most likely to be paracetamol and ibuprofen after that. I took max doses of both, but WROTE DOWN EACH TIME I TOOK ANYTHING so as not to take too much, if you take pain relief regularly rather than waiting till it hurts, it's much more effective.

Midwives will advise you though, and if it's anything more than a dull ache, ask for something more effective.

Something to be aware of, you will be able to feel the actual birth, it just won't hurt. It's a really peculiar sensation, almost like they are rummaging around inside your belly. And the anaesthetic person (I can't say or spell the proper name ) will know before you if they need to add more, or tilt you up at the feet a bit to move it up your body. Mine said "tell me if you start to feel a bit sick", two minutes later I said "actually I do feel a bit sick", he said "thought you would" and made them stop everything till the levels were readjusted.

Good luck with your new arrival (and apologies for the length of this)

Thanks so much girls! It's such a big relief to hear so many positive experiences with sections! I can't tell you the many horror stories I've been told and how judgy some of my friends have been!

If it's not too TMI for you ladies ...did anyone who did have to have their pads change feel embarrassed? I'm so insecure and paranoid the thought of someone changing me in that messy state drives me nuts! Even the thinking the theatre staff will be looking at my whoohaa to put the cathader in unnerves me! I know I know what's someone like me doing having a baby!

Sorry, grockle, other forums seemed slow compared to AIBU and I've seen a few other threads on here where people have genuinely posted just to get advice, chat or even rant so I didn't see why one more forum would be such a problem with my date so close I just wanted some quick replies and a bit of reassurance but I do apologise

I didn't feel embarrassed. I honestly thought I would be horrified by all the indignities of having babies but as soon as it all gets underway you realise the professionals see and deal with bodily fluids day in day out, plus they do the job because they love it and care about their patients.

Honestly you will not care or notice any of that. You will be too busy staring at your newborn and getting the hang of feeding.

1. I think after spinal The catheta was something that worried me more than the op, but In the end, I never felt it go in and it was not uncomfortable at all, having it in, I had it in longer then usual too.

It didnt hurt coming out either.

2. I think so yes! I also had a good wax before hand. I wore a dressing gown over my surgery gown.

3. The staff sort out your pads. Everyone will be different but bleeding after section was very little compared to normal delivery. HOWEVER, please note the first period after a section can be ultra heavy, mine was.

4. NO!! have a little rest, before trying to get up. and DO NOT TWIST AT ALL COSTS. MOVE CAREFULLY. Put it this way, I had a planned ELC and I moved and twisted before the others on my ward who had emergency sections and bad labours, THEY ended up in a better state than me, because I twisted and pulled something ( MW told me to get moving).

So move legs, twiddle toes, etc, but be careful and gentle and no twists when you do get up and MAKE SURE STAFF ARE WITH YOU, its common to faint when you first get up.

By day 3 I was shuffling, got in car and got home, by day 7 I was doing light walks, by day 14 I went to london, by DAY 21 pretty much back to normal. lots of airing the wound - lying flat on bed....no lifiting.,

5. If I had not pulled something with this twist it would have been nearly pain free. The whole thing is really pain free, you may get a slight burning pain occasionally or pulling feeling.

But compared to a long labour - of mind boggling pain, section and recovery was a walk in the park - pain wise.

Its a wonderful WONDERFUL way to have a baby, you really can enjoy it, once you get over the surgey nerves, enjoy it!!!! much more enjoyable and calm than labour.

get yourself a good co sleeer cot to aid recovery you dont want to be tiwsting and lifiting baby at night and a v pillow was uselful un so many ways.

good luck, enjoy!!

Bless you. I am quite a shy person, have had 4 sections, and can honestly say the pad changing was done without fuss.

I did loads of research before having my second and I can tell you, the horror stories from labour were far worse, and having had a normal deliervy I can tell you you dont want a problem mid labour.

on here on past threads many postive stories of elc and so many say they enjoyed it you wont get many saying they enjoyed labour.

and do not care about the judges, its a mean to an end only.

Op I had an emcs with dd1
I hear what you are saying about changing pads etc but it's amazing how much less you feel embarrassed when it's all going on.
The midwives do this stuff all day every day and it will be fine
Yes to the feeling of rummaging around inside you. Most peculiar but not unpleasant in any way.

Congratulations on your new baby!
Please let us know how you get on so that we can celebrate with you.

Hope everything goes well OP. I had similar to what previous posters have said. You simply cannot fret about the bleeding etc - all that matters is you getting your strength back and looking after your baby. My poor DH had to help me shower for first time at the hospital after mine. He had to throw my dirty sanitary towel away for me as there wasn't a bin in the shower room and fetch me a clean one and he didn't batt an eyelid. You just forget about it and move on. The joys of becoming a Mum!

I've had 2 natural births, an emergency section and 2 elective sections and would choose an elective section any day

Honestly, you have nothing to worry about. Both times were planned, calm, exciting....... I didn't think there was a huge amount of pain afterwards and with baby 5, I was doing the school run 4 days later!!

As for feeling embarrassed about nurses changing you etc, they are so professional you really don't even think about it and you are so absorbed with your new baby it doesn't register. I promise you will wonder what you were so worried about x

Enjoy the whole experience - best wishes to you and your soon to be newborn

I have had two emcs and am a pretty shy person. I changed all my own pads, was up and about within a couple of hours both times and home after 12hrs with dd. I had no pain post surgery at all and took no painkillers. Back running at 9 weeks postpartum.

Just listen to your body and you won't go far wrong. My cs were nowt to worry about at all.

Just a couple of things which unnerved me slightly. I am the sort of person who'd rather know these things as I become embarrassed easily. One, they will probably give you a suppository in theatre. I found this easily the most embarrassing bit. Two, they will ask you to measure your urine output post surgery by weeing in a jug (you don't have to show anybody). It's just to check everything's working properly. Three, the trapped wind can be hideous. Ask for peppermint water if you have shoulder or abdominal pain and really you need to just let the wind go. Oh and do you know if your hospital has adopted the new guidelines on blood thinners? A lot of places will ask you to self-inject for a week post surgery.

I had my catheter inserted after my spinal.

I was definitely pant-less and I wasn't allowed to wear my bra either.

I had a maternity pad out into place in theatre and then it was changed later by the nursing staff. I was still numb so wasn't really aware of them doing it. I found that blood lids wasn't severe until I was up out of bed (gravity) and then I lost a large amount that had just been sitting there gathering whilst I was bed bound. It really alarmed me how much blood there was but I was reassured that it was completely normal. After that big bleed everything slowed down and I was able to change my own pads. I think I only needed pads for bout 4 days after my section.

I had my spinal at 1pm in the afternoon and the numbness didn't fully wear off until 11pm at night do it was pretty pointless getting me out of bed. They got me up the next morning after they had removed my catheter.

I was in quite a bit of discomfort but i expected it after such major surgery. I was taking regular pain killers for about 3 weeks but then started tailing them off. I still got sore though if I was on my feet a lot and just general aches in my abdominal area. These general aches didn't fully disappear until about 4 months after my CS.

I had my catheter inserted after my spinal.

I was definitely pant-less and I wasn't allowed to wear my bra either.

I had a maternity pad out into place in theatre and then it was changed later by the nursing staff. I was still numb so wasn't really aware of them doing it. I found that blood lids wasn't severe until I was up out of bed (gravity) and then I lost a large amount that had just been sitting there gathering whilst I was bed bound. It really alarmed me how much blood there was but I was reassured that it was completely normal. After that big bleed everything slowed down and I was able to change my own pads. I think I only needed pads for bout 4 days after my section.

I had my spinal at 1pm in the afternoon and the numbness didn't fully wear off until 11pm at night do it was pretty pointless getting me out of bed. They got me up the next morning after they had removed my catheter.

I was in quite a bit of discomfort but i expected it after such major surgery. I was taking regular pain killers for about 3 weeks but then started tailing them off. I still got sore though if I was on my feet a lot and just general aches in my abdominal area. These general aches didn't fully disappear until about 4 months after my CS.

And I didn't have any blood thinners puts surgery - that isn't standard practice anymore apparently. My midwife told me they only give blood thinners to women who have an emergency section as opposed to an elective one. I have absolutely no idea why though?!

And I didn't have any blood thinners puts surgery - that isn't standard practice anymore apparently. My midwife told me they only give blood thinners to women who have an emergency section as opposed to an elective one. I have absolutely no idea why though?!

I meant to say that I had a suppository on the ward for pain relief the morning after my c-section but then they gave me oral medication.

I didn't suffer from trapped wind at all.

Sorry for all the double posts - I don't know why it's happening!!

My experiences tie in with those above. I've had an emergency section which was truly awful but my planned section was fabulous. So calm and I was really well after it. There was a bit after if where I was still unable to walk, stuck in bed and felt crap (reminded me of emcs). But maybe 11 hours later I was up, walking, pain managed.

On the pain control front they also give you a morpine suppository - sounds manky but as you are numb for spinal you aren't aware of it. Don't say no to this even if you don't fancy it as really made a difference between sections 1 and 2 .