To ask about your c section experience?

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Sorry, posting for traffic.. I'm starting to panic because I've got to make a decision soon and either book elective c section or go completely naturally.

Dc1 birth resulted in bad 3rd degree tear, haemorrhage and surgery was required afterwards. I do find myself having less control over bowel movements, I have to rush to the loo ASAP. So I'm worried about long term damage. Friends keep suggesting section but have never had one themselves.

What was your experience? I'm terrified of the recovery and having to stay in hospital away from dc1.

I was discharged less than 48 hours after my c-section. Took paracetamol for 2 weeks and blood thinner injections for 6 weeks, plus had to wear itchy surgical stockings for 6 weeks. After a week I could walk around the block with the pram. It took 2 weeks to be able to sit up on my own - if I lay down DH had to pull/push me up into a sitting position. I wasn't allowed to drive for 4 weeks.

Things that nobody tells you: It takes a year to fully recover. You're advised not to do sit-ups for a year because they've cut your abdominal muscles. Soreness can last for months. Stomach numbness can be permanent because they've cut the nerves and nobody can say if or when they'll regrow. It's 4 months since my section, my tummy is still a bit sore and I have an area above my bikini line about the size of my palm that's still completely numb. I still have to use my arms to push myself up from lying down. Pilates is excellent for rehabilitating your abdominals as long as you avoid the sit-up movements.

Back driving after 3 weeks. Pre eclampsia, labour and emergency c section. Don't worry.

Planned c section (1st baby)

Turned up at hospital at 7am. Had a few checks then napped til 11.30am.

Taken for the c section. Had the spinal put in. A wee bit uncomfortable and then I vomited. Then it was plain sailing. Lay there while the surgeons got on with it. Completely painless. Couldn’t get out of bed until about 10pm when I left a flood of blood behind. It hurt a little when I got out of bed for the next few days. But no worse than period pain. I would do it again

Boom boom. I went home after 1 night. It was too early really. I was in pain but I couldn’t cope with the noise on the ward and the lack of sleep. Remember there are twice as many patients on the ward and babies cry a lot.
There is also the attitude that mothers are expected to just get on with it. It’s sucks. Post natal care in this country is shocking. It’s the only ward in the hospital where you are expected to get up and get yours own breakfast. And where you are expected to care for another human being straight after a major op.
However that still wouldn’t put me off a c-section. Like I said I was in far more pain after my third degree tear and found it far harder to do stuff.

@BuntyII I'm always amazed and a bit jealous when I hear about stories like yours because my c-sections were the most painful experiences of my life, much worse than my vaginal births. I was in theatre with my c-sections for longer than 2 of my labours too, although the actual getting the baby out part was quick. With my elective i was starved for 23 hours, allowed to eat for an hour and then starved again because there were emergencies more important than me. So that wasn't very quick either. So it's not an experience i would recommend. Mind you i wouldn't recommend skiing holidays either but some people like them.

I haemorrhaged with my first and knew I would be offered a section with my second.

It turns out my second was breech and I had no choice. I’ll see what I can remember (it was fairly recent at 6 months ago). The actual section was amazing, so calm, relaxed and everyone was lovely and friendly. You listen to music or the radio and just talk to your husband while they are doing it! You can’t feel a thing only slight tugging.
My baby was placed straight on my chest to cuddle wrapped in a towel which I was so delighted with. The only issues I had were the fact I was very sick during and after the section, the drugs they use can cause sickness and unfortunately I had it for about 5 hours.
They take you into recovery and encourage food and drink and then onto the ward.

I was up and walking the same night and pretty much demanded my catheter out the same night (they have a time limit but I had the section at 1.14pm and it was out at midnight). They tell you you can’t go home unless you do 3 good wee’s so I was downing water.. I was also doing walks around the ward. I was discharged the day after my section around 6pm. The midwives were amazing with me and so helpful with pain relief and questions.

The recovery was the worst part. The pain really hits day 3/4 and it was awful. I couldn’t sit up on my own in bed and had to sort of roll sideways (which is painful as well because it pulls the wound) then try to get up. Walking in general was very painful and my toddler (he was2) couldn’t understand why I couldn’t pick him up. I was miserable for around 3/4 weeks until it got immensely better overnight and I was prettt much back to normal. But it felt like forever cooped up. I also had my scar open twice but no treatment was needed.

I have to say if I didn’t have a toddler the recovery would have been fine and I could have just stayed in bed constantly but because I had him I felt guilty all the time I couldn’t be a hands on parent for so long.

If I had the choice again I’d do natural but my husband says I just don’t remember how horrific the first birth was so 🤷‍♀️

And it didn’t effect breastfeeding at all. She latched fine and milk came in on day 3.. it can take longer with sections but normally doesn’t.

Having had both, I found my csection much easier in terms of being practically pain free. Slight scratch as the spinal anaesthetic went in and the Canula but a breeze compared to giving birth vaginally on gas and air where I felt pain like I never believed possible

BUT the downside of a csection is that recovery takes much longer.

I had an elcs. I would have another. Recovery was quick. I was home 2 days later. Drove after 2 weeks but only a mile, drove a bit further at 3 weeks. I'd been told by MW if I could fasten a seatbelt and do emergency stop the I was ok. Insurance said it's on medical advice

Mine was an emergency. But I actually remember it as a really good day. The team who got ds out were so lovely and so reassuring that even though I was quite ill at the time, it seemed a happy way of doing things. The recovery was certainly no worse than the one after a tear + episiotomy after my first labout and it's an awful lot easier to keep the wound clean + you get treated with a lot more consideration because you've had proper SURGERY.

Emergency c section with DS 11 years ago - 5 days in labour and didn't progress past 4cm! All fine, it only took 4 mins until I was being stitched up.
But, it turned out my uterus hadn't contracted properly and I was haemorrhaging. This was discovered the followingday when I stood up for shower and apparently flooded the ward (sorry TMI ) then pumped full of clotting drugs so ended up with DVT the day after that. Was still discharged 3 days later but on anti coagulants and was happily driving 9 days after that with no problems.
DC2 was elective due to broken hip and again all fine...this time I haemorrhaged on the table and they caught it as we had an inkling that it might happen again. In hospital for 5 days total, mainly because of other major medical issues such as malnourishment and aforementioned hip. Home safe and driving again after 2 weeks.
Don't be scared of the procedure, just do whatever you need to do.
In regard to you leaving dc1, I have just had 5 days in hospital for hip replacement away from both dc's, youngest only 8 months. Was too far away for visits and it was fine. I had been 'training' the baby to be ok with mummy being out of sight and we used the word 'back' as a cue. So, every time I go to the loo for example I would say "Mummy go toilet, Mummy come back". We FaceTimed and she seemed to comprehend the idea of Mummy coming back. Absolutely no distress from her all week and when I returned she sat on my lap and cuddled up as normal. DC1 just yelled out "hello mum" and carried on with computer game, nice to know he had missed me when I was in hospital having major surgery!!! 😂😂

I think this thread goes to show we are all individuals op and there is no one answer. Speak to your consultant, they will advise.

I had an emergency c section due to pre eclampsia turning to eclampsia, I also heamhoragged on the operating table, and due to ensuing complications spent a month in hospital after wards, and had to have check ups for a year after that. However that wasn't due to my c section, just like most of the posts on here.

Mine may have been bad, but the bald truth is if I had been left to deliver naturally my daughter and I would have died.

Would I have a c section again? Yes, in a flash. My issues were not down to that, it saved my life and, let's be honest,stitches on your tummy is easier than stiches down below.

I had two. First was an emergency and it was awful, absolutely terrifying because DD had major problems maintaining heart rate, oxygen levels falling - and I was rushed to theatre and she was born very quickly. I was very poorly and kept in for 6 days. I struggled immensely with having no control over her birth, that I struggled to breastfeed due to the awful pain I had in my stomach, no matter how I tried everything hurt so much.

Second was an elective - mainly so I had some sort of control over the birth I guess. It was completely different to first time round. No days of labour before and no stress, just taken in, epidural/spinal and then she was delivered. All was calm and quiet, not a roomful of people like first time round (I think there was 14 people in theatre first time round not including me). And by teatime I was up and in the shower. I was home within 48 hours, healed very quickly and had very little pain compared to first time.

If I had the choice of an elective or risking a traumatic birth, I'd go for the elective. Every time.

My c- section and recovery was very straightforward. Easy peasy unlike 1st natural birth after which still i cannot go on a trampoline or for a run (shit bladder control).

I had planned c-sections due to a hip defect... in fact 2nd was officially an emergency c-section as I went into labour the evening before I was due to go in for the planned one!

Have to say, I loved them. The recovery was really easy, I think I only spent one night in hospital each time.

and despite my worries second time round where everyone was going 'Oh, you won't be able to pick up your older child for weeks' it wasn't like that at all. Caveat, a lot depends how well it was done - I think the internal scars can get painful if not done well, but I never had any problems.

My only advice, as it was a mistake we made first time, is keep DH or someone with you in recovery room. With DD, husband went out to phone everyone and I was in the room totally zonked on painkillers with a brand new baby! I asked him to stay with me the second time (maybe a bit easier, as it was 2am and he couldn't call many people!)

How can anyone love having an operation? I’m baffled, for a start I was far too aware that I was butt naked in front of a load of strangers 😂

2 natural and 2 c sections over here.Would opt for natural every time. Recovery swift with natural birth. It took 5 attempts to get spinal in with csection, they hit my spinal cord and i got an electric shock and jumped off the bed, back has never been the same since. Found out with the 2nd that i have a twist in my back hence the problem. Couldn't stand up straight for 4 days and had a large bruise on my back. Truly horrendous. Hated the daily injections into the tummy, hated the nasty big wound and trying to keep it clean and not stinking, hated being numb around my tummy and the horrible little pouch scar i have. ( i am not over weight and this little thing is like a mouth in the lower right hand side of my abdomen. Not very attractive! I am not a good advert for a c section.....you should always remember it's major surgery and not an 'easy' option when it comes to having babies...

I had an elective section for a few reasons one of which was issues with my bowels my c section was so straightforward and the recovery was better than I thought pain was bareable worst thing was not driving for 6 weeks I'm due to have another in September am a bit more nervous this time around but it's the right thing for me.

As for BuntyII, it was an absolutely brilliant day, a d was a breeze in terms of recovery. Tbh, out of the people in my antenatal group, I recovered faster than the others with vaginal births.

Getting up the first few days hurts, but no contractions, no worries about tears, episotomies, no recovery from that, it was blissful. For me, it was as near as it gets to a pain free birth.

boomboom12 Sat 26-May-18 23:08:37
"How can anyone love having an operation? I’m baffled, for a start I was far too aware that I was butt naked in front of a load of strangers"

Well, you don't exactly get to preserve your modesty during a natural birth either. And in my case, during my natural birth, I was equally surrounded by strangers, was in pain for a long time, lost a good deal of blood, ended up with painful scars over my nether regions which were difficult to keep clean, and which hurt every time I went to the loo, affected my sexual experience, and still give me the occasional twinge 25 years later.

Doesn't sound too different from the OPs experience, actually.

When I said I had a lovely day, what made it lovely in comparison to my first birth was not having to do that all over again and end up with more scarring. I would not have gone for an elective caesarean, because I was very pro-natural birth, but I have to admit I nearly gave a loud cheer when the midwife came up and explained apologetically that ds needed it.

You've got loads of replies but I'll chip in with my own. Dc1 was born by elcs due to being breech. It was great. Calm, prepared, quick and easy. Yes it just afterwards but I recovered quickly. I was to an the option with my 2nd but chose vbac as my son was only 18 months old . It would have been impossible for me to care for him post c section for at least a couple of weeks.

corythatwas I wasn’t comparing natural birth to CS, I was simply wondering how anyone can love having an operation!

boomboom, didn't you read the OP? This is a woman who has gone through a horrendous ordeal causing possibly longterm damage. She wants to know if a C-section is a viable alternative.
She is currently pregnant, so it's going to have to be a choice between natural birth and C-section; there isn't exactly going to be a third alternative.
This is the context of the whole discussion.
Having been through the same as her, I can truthfully say I loved my caesarean: getting the same result (a baby) with the full knowledge of all I was spared. And of course not having to have anybody deal with the bits of my body that were already damaged.

Took me months to recover from my c-section (planned by the docs due to big baby, not emergency) and my pelvic floor is rubbish so don't assume that a C-Section will prevent pelvic floor issues!!