To ask for your planned caesarean & post-caesarean experiences?

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Posting here for traffic!

I'm considering a planned caesarean for my first child, despite feeling quite a bit of pressure to give birth naturally from friends and, well, most people actually . . . (except for my DH who is fantastic and would support me whichever route I choose).

But I have not made a cast-iron decision yet, because although I've read the official information on the advantages and disadvantages of a CS I don't know anybody in RL who did it this way - and I would really love to hear first-hand from those who have.

Please could you tell me your stories about your planned caesarean and how you found life after, if you don't mind sharing? I'm hoping you can counterbalance some of the horror stories I've been told!

Was it a positive experience (if planned - I understand that emergency sections will obviously be very different)?
Was it traumatic to not be able to hold your baby straight away?
Was it overwhelmingly difficult to look after the baby afterwards?
Do you think it caused any long-term difficulties for you (physically) in your day-to-day life - even years after the birth?

I still have the 'apron' but after 3 sections its only going to go away with plastic surgery!

I disagree about the no driving rule - I simply didn't feel safe with my first til 6 weeks, drove after 5 weeks with the second and 4 weeks with the third but only because I absolutely had to

I had a c section and it was fine. I would much rather do it again than push a baby out of my fanjo. I recovered within a few days and the pains I had afterwards were not as painful as period pains. Good luck OP

Not quite planned but also not a total emergency, if that makes sense.

The surgery itself was fine, very calm, I was allowed skin on skin, DH was able to cut the cord etc.

Recovery afterwards was pretty good actually. I was up and about (shuffling mostly) later that dad (DD was born in the morning) and was at home 2 days later. I was limited in what I could do, no lifting anything heavier than baby, no cleaning, tidying etc (no complaints here!) and obviously no driving. After 2 weeks I was mostly back to normal, still taking it easy but I was feeling ok. Driving again after 4 weeks.

I've had an emergency and a planned. The planned was a much better experience, up & walking within 12 hrs, discharged on day 3.
Don't get me wrong you are very weakened after the surgery but a much better outcome for me than the emergency cs.
Despite having preventive antibiotics through a drip I did get a mild wound infection which cleared up with some more antibiotic cream.
I lost approx 2 pints of blood during each which I was told was normal, however had to have iron tablets after the birth as I was borderline anemic before hand.

I had a planned with Twins, honestly a great experience. The theatre was calm, staff were amazing. My DP was terrified but regardless of the route chosen he would have been terrified! I was on the table for 2 hours after the delivery due to a loss of blood that they couldn't stem but I didn't feel panic. DP got to hold the twins immediately and cut the cord, both were brought over to me after initial obs as they were tiny.
I was up and walking 12 hours later as I was told that it would aid recovery. I was able to life twins and move around freely after 1st day although i was a bit slow.
Had the injections for 10 days and pain was managed with paracetamol and ibuprofen. I would have been happy to not take the pain killers but midwife urged me to continue with them alternating every 2 hours for first week. I was out walking (slowly) within the first week and felt comfortable driving within 4 weeks.
What no one told me and i was unprepared for (as was DP) was the amount of swelling I had afterwards. My 'loose' pj bottoms looked like tight disco trousers on, but it died down within a few days.
All in all I wouldn't hesitate to have another c-section. It was honestly a positive experience for DP, twins & I.

is there a reason you are considering a planned c-section? my twins came 10 weeks early vaginally so i didnt really have any chance to plan anything. unless there are any medical reasons to have a c-section i would go with what was best at the time. I find its best not having too detailed a plan incase things dont go the way you want.

Was it a positive experience (if planned - I understand that emergency sections will obviously be very different)?
Yes mine was. I was able to plan for my older child to be looked after. A relaxing morning on the ward then strolled down to theatre with DH. Lots of laughter while they tried to find "scrubs" to fit my 6ft6 DH. Classical music and quiet chat about what they were doing. All very calm and pleasant.

Was it traumatic to not be able to hold your baby straight away?
I held my baby immediately and 15 minutes later was in the recovery room with him on my chest skin to skin.

Was it overwhelmingly difficult to look after the baby afterwards?
I discharged myself 24hrs later. I had no pain particularly and no other problems. Obviously DH took a week off work and did all the lifting and carrying but I had no other problems at all. Just have to take it slowly for a while.

Do you think it caused any long-term difficulties for you (physically) in your day-to-day life - even years after the birth
None whatsoever. I was back on the school run in about 3 weeks (slowly). Had no further problems at all.

Hi OP.

I had both my girls via planned c sections. It was amazing both times, best two days of my life.

My first daughter I couldn't hold when they were sewing me up, my husband held her and I could reach my arm up to her and she grabbed my finger. Amazing moment for me. My second daughter the anaesthetist asked if I'd like to hold her, I said yes, and she put her on my chest as soon as she'd been cleaned and weighed. Again, an amazing experience!

I know you weren't asking about this specifically, but just FYI I breastfed no problem, for one year for my eldest and almost three years for my youngest.

Recovery great both times. It was not remotely difficult to look after them, your feeling comes back remarkably quickly after the section, and the only thing I found annoying was having the catheter in for the first night or two.

I was in hospital three nights for my first section and two nights for the second one.

As you am probably tell, I am genuinely very happy that the girls were born via c section!

I have had 3 c sections. My second was the only planned one and the actual birth was a good experience (apart from throwing up in theatre but not being able to move). It does make me sad that I wasn't able to hold my baby right away, in recovery I was again very sick and my husband had to hold him.

Recovery experiences vary massively. My first was easy, I didn't need painkiller after even before I left hospital, my second I needed the pain killers for a week or so. My third was horrific, I was in theatre for over 3 hours as when they opened me up they found i have severe internal scarring affecting my other organs. Afterwards i felt like I was going to burst open, I had two infections, lots of pain and it took me months to feel ok. Due to the scarring I have been advised not to have any more children. I don't know how common it is but i think it is worth bearing in mind if you will be wanting more than one child.

I know this is very unusual but I recovered very quickly after botg of my C sections. My first was an emergency and my second was planned (but not my choice). Within 48 hours I felt completely normal and had no pain. I don't drive so that wasn't an issue. The only thing was that I was quite poorly during the first C section so required lots of monitoring afterwards which made latching on my baby more difficult. I wasn't allowed to feed her for the first 5 hours!!! And thereafter feeding was difficult. Second time I had my baby latched on straight away.

I had an EMCS and I had a great experience. Even though it was an emergency, everyone was so calm and explained everything. They popped DS by my face so I could see him and then he was wisked off to nciu. I didn't have much pain, very good pain killers, and healed well. Will definitely be going for a planned section next time.

2 planned aections here due to breech babies.

1st was 12 years ago. Was sore but walking about 24 hours after. In hospital 6 days as that was standard then. Procedure was calm and relaxed. Dd was shown to me then whisked away to be cleaned up then brought back to me in recovery and we did skin to skin and started bfing. She was very alert.

Second elcs 3 years ago. Home 24 hours later, walking 11 hours later. Ds was delivered straight to my chest, they did delayed cord claming as standard for about 15 minutes. Held him while they stitched me up then dp had him as I went a bit odd after the painkiller up my bum bit. Just a bit shakey. Stayed on delivery suite for a couple of hours then transferred to ward. Both lovely calm experiences.

Planned section due to DS's small size and reluctance to come out under his own steam (consultant didn't want to put such a small baby through the stress of an induced birth).

It went very well - theatre staff and HCPs were lovely, my best friend was there to hold my hand, cuddle DS and hold him close enough for me to touch while I was being stitched, no complications, I was pottering round the ward once the catheter was out.

Establishing BF was hard (I think natural birth gives you a hormone surge to kick start things) - I had 5 days of attempting to feed DS then pumping like crazy.

I healed incredibly well and you can't see the scar now.

Talking to friends, I'm at the "best possible outcome" end of the spectrum, but thought I'd post to give you some idea of what to expect if things go well.

Was it a positive experience (if planned - I understand that emergency sections will obviously be very different)?
It was planned, and it wasn't a positive experience, due to various factors.
Was it traumatic to not be able to hold your baby straight away?
Yes, I was unable to hold ds as I was shaking very violently and felt as though I needed to vomit. Ds was then taken to NICU, and I didn't see him until the next day (apart from a photo) and was able to hold him 2 days later.
Was it overwhelmingly difficult to look after the baby afterwards?
Yes, we had a 3 and 4 year old as well, I felt unwell, and ds was very difficult to feed.
Do you think it caused any long-term difficulties for you (physically) in your day-to-day life - even years after the birth?
Yes, I was very traumatised after the birth and had anti depressants to help with anxiety and flashbacks. I am off antidepressants now, but still struggle sometimes with feelings about the birth. Physically, nearly 7 years on I still get pain and discomfort in my scar, and I do feel as though my digestive system has never been the same since!

I know my experience was probably more negative than many, but one of the things I struggled with after having ds, was that I had utterly convinced myself that an elective should be the easier option (over a difficult vaginal birth) - the fact that I felt like so shit, made me feel as though I had failed in some way. Like any birth, I think you can have positive and negative experiences (unfortunately it is impossible to predict which you will have!!)

I've had two planned CS and both were great - the first wasn't medically necessary but was my personal preference due to logistics of giving birth with a traveling DH and wanting to know exactly when, where and how it would happen...plus also was shit scared of a vaginal birth and genuinely thought I wouldn't be able to do it!!

The experience with my first section was absolutely amazing: I was calm and lucid throughout and was able to hold and BF the baby immediately. I was dosed up with great painkillers and was walking around within about twelve hours of the birth.

The worst part about my first CS was horrific constipation when the baby was five days old, which was due to all the painkillers, and that was 100% the most painful part of the entire process. I'd say I was 90% pain free and mobile one week post section, and 100% pain free by three weeks.

Second section was also planned, and although I was up for a VBAC, it turned out not to be a safe bet when I got to 37 weeks and the baby was undoubtedly going to get stuck due to position and possibility of scar rupture. I was fine with going for a second planned CS, mainly because I'd had such a lovely experience first time round.

It wasn't quite as serene as I remembered the first being, but that was mainly due to being in a different hospital and having different staff, the physical part of being opened up and sewn back together was pretty much the same.

The baby needed a brief stint in NICU when he arrived so I didn't get the immediate skin to skin I'd had with my first DC, but nevertheless it was absolutely fine and again I was up and about as soon as the spinal/epidural wore off.

Experience from the first CS taught me to guzzle lactulose like water as soon as I started on the post-section pain relief and my constipation was a lot less pronounced!!

I think the second CS recovery was slightly more painful, (was given much weaker pain relief,) but one good thing about having the scar opened and re-sewn, was that the surgeon injected my scar with a steroid about ten days after my op, and what was previously an obvious keloid scar after my first CS, became much smaller and neater after my second!

When pregnant with my first child I was terrified of giving birth, which only increased when I knew I would be induced. I had 1 pessary & started getting contractions 10 hrs later. I won't lie the contraction pain was ridiculous however the baby was back to back & my labour was very quick (1.5 hrs active labour) so by the time I got the gas & air baby was coming. I found the pushing & crowning less painful than the contractions & once the head is out the pain just stops which is amazing. I had a small tear which just needed a few stitches. In terms of recovery I had no bruising, didn't have any discomfort sitting down & no pelvic floor issues. I did do pregnancy yoga & hypnobirthing which may have helped. My only fear was going to the toilet & "bursting" my stitches.
I had my second child 3 months ago by semi-elective CS due to pregnancy complications. We tried the pessary 3 times but my cervix was not budging. I've had 4 operations including appendicitis so felt prepared. The team were lovely & made me feel safe but I can't say I enjoyed the experience. The spinal injection was ok, I hated feeling paralysed & strapped to the bed. I hated the catheter & wanted it out asap. Granted you can have both these things in a natural labour. A ventouse was used as the baby was fairly high up & he was just held to me for a few seconds as he needed some oxygen. In recovery we had skin to skin & he bf straight away. Holy hell the pain afterwards for the first few days was immense, there was no way I could bend down, pick things off the floor as I could after my natural labour. I spent 2 weeks in bed/sofa resting & didn't lift anything apart from the baby for 5 wks. Even if you feel ok I believe its important to rest & let your body heal. The stomach muscles are key for supporting your core/lower back.
Pros
You know when baby will arrive/helpful with planning.
Any concerns re babys health probably the safest & quickest way of getting them out.
No fear of using the loo!
Cons
If this is your first you may need subsequent CS so depends on how many children you want.
Tips
Drink peppermint tea/water after for wind.
Take your paracetamol etc religiously.
I also took arnica.

Sorry long post, in summary I think a CS is preferable to a episiotomy/3rd degree tear/forceps birth & planned better than emergency but I would chose natural with no intervention every time.

I had a emergency section 6 years ago, and would definitely have a planned one if the occasion arose!

I was 9 days late, and my contractions started bu waters didn't break naturally. When they were broken, there was meconium in my waters so the midwife decided I would have to have a section. It was a very positive experience (well as much as it can be when you've had a fair bit of gas and air on top of painkillers - i was high as a kite!!) and over in about 45 mins. DH held DS between us while I was stiched up, so I was able to chat to DS and stroke him. DS was slow to feed, so the mw encouraged him with a little bottle (after checking this was ok) and I was fine with that. Bonding is fine.

I was in hospital for 6 days in total, because DS was in SCBU (just precautionary really) but within less than 24 hrs I was encouraged to be up and walking around. It hurt when I laughed, coughed or sneezed (common to abdo surgery because of the muscles) for a few days, but painkillers were great. Looking after DS was only as hard as post any birth I think. Certainly I know many people who found it more difficult after a vaginal birth. It was summer so I was happy to go for walks after a few weeks. I didn't drive for the 6 weeks but probably could have.
Day to day long term I have been fine - very occasion numbness or itching on scar sight but that was rare and not really after the first year. No discomfort and I can cope with the scar (i've never been one for a bikini!)

Good luck OP

Hello, I haven’t read through the whole thread so apologies if someone else has already made these points.

My first c section (with first baby) was semi planned, in that I had pre-eclampsia and induction had failed. I was given the c-section first thing with a spinal block. I wasn’t allowed to hold my daughter until I was in recovery but DH was. I was in hospital for 3 days and it was awful, I cried when DH had to leave at 7pm (hospital rules) and longed for visiting at 11am every day. By the third day I told the doctor I had to be discharged as I couldn’t take it any longer. It was freezing (DD was a December baby), DD was freezing and would cry all night and I couldn’t comfort her – it was so bad in the end the midwives on duty used to take her and warm her up overnight with a heat lamp.

After I got home my recovery was slow. I had an infection in the scar and also had staples instead of stitches. Having the staples out was agony as they had to be left in so long.

My second c section was so different. Same hospital but they had got rid of the old maternity unit and the new unit was fabulous. I had a planned c section with DD2 and everything was very relaxed. The midwife in the operating theatre allowed DH to cut the cord and she put my DD on my chest and held her on me so that I had initial skin-to-skin contact. I had my op at 9am and was back on the ward by 11am. DH was allowed to stay with me overnight and we were discharged the next morning. I had a great recovery at home and no further problems, also no staples this time. I felt so well that I was back driving after a week.

Personally I would chose a natural birth over a c section as the recovery is just so much quicker.

Good luck whatever you decide.

I had planned CS with both of mine. First was because they had to get him out quick and early and didn't think he'd survive a natural birth. Second planned from the very beginning because of previous history.

DS1 was in NICU for 4 days - so that was difficult not being with him 24/7 but nothing to do with the c-section, would have been the same how ever I'd given birth.

Both were brilliant experiences. I was walking next day, with the second I walked my eldest to school (about a mile each way) a week after surgery.

It was pretty chilled out - I even have a head shot photo that the anesthetist took of me, DH and baby while still on the operating table being sewn up!

It was very calm, very controlled and for me it was a wonderful experience.

I suppose depends on the hospital and the staff - mine were excellent and I didn't have any post op complications.
Also the scar both times was very neat and faded really quite quickly - it's quite hard to spot now and DS2 is a year old.

I had an emcs after a long labour. Got up and dressed myself 4 hours later. Was walking to NICU less than 24 hours afterwards. Ds is two and I don't (as far as I know) have any health issues as a result. We left hospital on day 4. By day 7 I was out and about shopping. By day 10, we were walking around botanical gardens.

I also don't have a ridge/pouch for which I give the credit to pilates/lots of walking.

However a couple of my friends had sections around the same time and they had very different and much worse experiences so individual mileage will vary.

My advice would be get up as soon as you feel able, as my first step hurt the most and it got progressively easier. Stop when you need to to and take as much help as you can from family/friends (but that's true regardless of how baby gets here I think). Also if you are in pain, keep on top of the medication.

IT was an awful experience for me.
Baby needed to be resuscitated - that often happen so it has c babies. Often need special care.

I had spinal headache so had to lie flat for 24 hrs.
Gave me post traumatic stress disorder.
Couldn't push pram and lift it out if house for months.
Didn't bond with baby, she could have been anyone's.completly disconnected.

Had three normally, very easily. Seriously easily. No stiches, tears, one with no pain relief. I have had worse periods. No issues with recovery.

But second child had problems in pregnancy due to the first c section. It has given her problems that are life long and affect her chances in life. (Altered her brain capacity)

Had am emergency section with DS which was a massive shock to the system but I recovered quickly and well. After much thinking I chose to have DD by elective section 5 months ago. Lovely, relaxed experience. Up and about after 12 hours, one night in hospital then home. I struggled physically for the first 3 - 5 days, eg going up and down stairs, it hurt like hell to cough or sneeze, getting out of bed was hard, but then it got much better v fast. By the time DH went back to work when Dd was 2 weeks old I was back doing the 3 mile school run on foot. At about 7 or 8 weeks I was back in dance classes. I appreciate I was lucky.

Scar has not faded as fast this time but can"t say it bothers me.

I had a planned section for breech baby. The experience itself was surreal but painless. I brought my own music to play while they did it. Although I asked for skin to skin, they wrapped him up and didnt let me hold him until I was sewn up and in recovery. Breastfeeding failed because baby was soooo sleepy for 3 days after the section from all the drugs that he just wouldn't stay awake long enough to feed. I will add that his doesn't happen with every baby!
The recovery itself was horrendous; I had a searing knife like pain for 5 weeks afterwards when I stood or walked. Again, doesn't happen with most people.

Vbac was a breeze and I wouldn't ever want another c section. Sorry if that was so negative, just my experience.

If you do and you end up with injections to do, get someone else to do them for you. DH pinched one leg and stuck the needle in the other, which worked a treat. I had 8 days worth and left hospital the day after my EMCS, which happened at 20 past 8 the following evening. Healed fine but make sure you sit/lie down as I got told off for walking and standing too much and warned about bleeding from the wound. Have a pillow you can hold over the area if you need to cough/laugh/sneeze as it really helps.