C-Section booked in, need friendly advice

[pilchy]

So on Monday I went for a growth scan, having gestation diabetes, they had already told me that they won't let me go past 39 weeks.
Had scan, bubba measuring big still but had jumped up quite a bit. Was still expecting them to say i would be induced a bit early.
HOWEVER, within 2 hours I was in hospital, on steroids and insulin and was being told I would be induced ASAP!
Then due to short staff they they changed their mind as to when a million times! I was in there for 4 days!
But only being 37 weeks they checked and said my body isn't ready for induction and she's very big for my small frame (4ft 11").
They have now booked me in for a C-Section on Thursday.
Just looking for a little advice and support as I have no idea what to expect! All happened very quickly!

No need to stress, they do so many a day it's routine. I'd get a few extra bits brought in as your stay might be a bit longer, just the usual big knickers. You'll be looked after throughout and in and out before you know it! Make sure you take time to enjoy skin to skin and take some photos. Look after yourself afterwards, take your time to do things but do get up and about, that first shower will feel amazing.

I had GD, they said baby was measuring big, they thought about 10lb (she was 7lb 6oz!). And she was breech. I had an elective section.
It was actually a lovely experience, so calm and peaceful. She didn't even cry when born, that actually scared me, but she was just calmly looking around.
Definitely would want another section if I ever had another baby.

Even if you can have a shower, please wait until after 24 hours. Otherwise your bandage will get wet and you can't remove it till after 24 hours anyway.
Made myself a little unwell this way...

But honestly, a planned CS is alright compared to an emergency one. Don't shave before the surgery and you will have to have a catheter and not be allowed to pick anything up afterwards (nothing heavier than baby) but take it easy and slow, take the painkillers offered and enjoy your baby.

Try not to worry. I had an emergency section first time, planned second. It was all very calm and a nice, albeit surreal, experience.

After - take it slow! Take your pain medication. Drink plenty water. Don’t lift more than your baby. You might get indigestion from having your organs moved a bit from the op - it will pass (peppermint can help).
You may need to stay in hospital a couple days - no bad thing with first baby.
We were still able to establish breastfeeding without issue both times. Baby might be a bit more sleepy but for feeding ticking toes helps.
They sick up lots of mucus because it hasn’t been squeezed out in labour. Don’t freak out - it’s normal!
Further down line (say 12 weeks) post-natal Pilates is excellent for helping regain strength and repairing muscles.
Good luck and enjoy your baby!

Dont let the horror stories of recovery scare you
Its actually such a beautiful, calm and controlled experience. The first week of recovery is painful but after that you will be fine. And all you will have is just a tiny scar.
I had one with my first and will definitely be having an elective with my second.
Do you have help for the first 2 weeks? You can actually plan so much ahead right now.

Not sure if mine is typical, but on time, I was wheeled into the theatre where I sat on the bed and had an injection into my back, then layed on the bed with a drape up between me and bump, literally minutes later, I was told i had a boy and he was wrapped up and handed to me, they then stitched me up (I guess, I was too engrossed in the little boy in my arms). Then back onto a trolley and into recovery, where the midwife helped me feed and they monitored me for a while, I got the shakes, so took a while but then up to the ward. In the morning I had my catheter removed and was encouraged to shower. Then moved to a normal maternity ward and home the next morning.

Oh and recovery was fine, after 2 weeks I could do what I wanted, but told DH housework was banned for 6 -8 weeks

What to expect with a C-section?
I only had an emergency not elective but it went like this:
Put in hospital gown, had cannula put in and taken to theatre. (DH sent away to get into scrubs and not allowed in until later.)
Then the anaesthetist had a brief chat - presumably with a planned section you would have done that bit already.
I had to sit on the bed and bend forward so they could do the spinal injection. Then laid down and they sprayed water on me to check spinal was working. Then they put a screen up across my chest, DH could come in. I only felt weird tugging while they delivered the baby.

After a midwife checked the baby over they gave the baby to DH - I refused to attempt to balance him on my chest with one hand in the tiny space left by the screen.

More wierd tugging around as they sewed me up and put a catheter in. Then they sent DH away again, removed screen and cleaned me up.

Then we went to recovery, midwife stayed with us and I I fed the baby in recovery and finally got to hold him properly.

Canula and catheter stayed in about 12 hours. I was in hospital 2 nights.

Tips - take your own pillow, it helps to hold a pillow to your stomach if you need to cough and on the way home in the car, also helps you be more comfy.
Get your partner to stay as long as he possibly can at the hospital - the days of any sort of help from staff for anything that isn't an urgent medical issue are long gone! It will be difficult at first to lift the baby out for their cot and to do anything that involves moving really - you don't know how much you use abdominal muscles for until you cant use them!
Take all medication you are offered when you are offered it - its often very difficult to get a midwife who can dispense medication if you miss the official drugs round - and its virtually impossible to get painkillers at night.

Take loads of food and drink.
DS was a big baby - 9lb 11oz, although I'm not small. He went straight into bigger 0-3 clothes however as I found out with my second growth scans - particularly late ones - can be REALLY wrong - so take a variety of clothes sizes.
Pack comfy clothes especially soft trousers.

Thank you everyone!
It's just the unexpected that makes you think about every little detail!
Feeling a lot better already!
@AyBeeCee10 yes thankfully partner will have 3 weeks off after so will have lots of support!

I had an emergency section with my first and a planned with my second. It was amazingly smooth and even the recovery afterwards was so much better. My only advice would be to buy the biggest knickers you can find.

Hmmm I had a c section 2 weeks ago and couldn’t hold my baby- I was laid down flat so wouldn’t have been able to. My dH did though.

I’ve had 2 emergencies, but the second was done with about 20 mins notice and an a
Epidural on board and was absolutely fine, and probably not quite as relaxed as a planned! Just be aware that as a planned emergencies will take priority so you may be waiting on the Thursday and even get some false alarms when you think you’re next then you get bumped!

So tips- walk as soon as you can but don’t over do it- loo might be too far! More you walk then better you’ll get. Prepare all your belongings in easy reach- phone battery pack, chargers, water, etc because If someone moves them you might not be able to reach them.
You’ll feel amazing after a shower. Take all your pain Relief and insist on more if you are in pain

I had a similar experience. Had a c section and it was absolutely fine. Recovered within a few days. Honestly, I was a bit sore
Sitting up for a few days. But better that than a sore vagina tbh.

Buy big comfy knickers!

I had a planned C-section last year and I had GD.
Honestly, in comparison to the induction I had with DD1 it was so civilised and peaceful.

I had to stay in the night before so they could monitor my blood sugar and I think at 5am the midwife came in and told me check my blood sugar and to get in the shower and get my gown on etc.
Then she hooked me up to a drip and some machine that I think was checking my blood sugar, and that stayed attached while I was in surgery. Think I was one of the first, probably the first in as they won’t leave you waiting all day if you have GD.
Had a bit of a drop in blood pressure when they turned the spinal on, and I told DH I didn’t feel right, went all sick and dizzy for a minute and then I was back to normal. Massive contrast to my epidural when I had DD1, my blood pressure dropped and I kept passing out and was left like that for hours.
Anyway, before I knew it they were out.
It’s the weirdest feeling, you can feel some tugging but it’s not painful. Like someone’s doing the dishes in your insides.
Soon had two babies and stitched back up again then I got sandwiches whilst in recovery.
The pain really isn’t that bad. I was in the shower the same night because I’d got post natal sweats and felt disgusting. I had a couple of paracetamol the second day once I got home then that was it. I didn’t want to take anything whilst BF. Only thing I couldn’t manage was injecting myself with whatever it was they gave me.
When I had GD I injected insulin 4 times a day. These needles were shit, and so was everyone around me apart from my sister who happily jabbed pointy metal in me.

Anyway, long story short, it’s so easy. Don’t worry. x

Eat plenty night before too - in case you have a long wait on day. We were planned section but due to emergency on day surgery was delayed for hours. I’d been fasting since 10pm night before and only had a little dinner that night. Felt very wobbly when they prepped me for surgery, think low blood sugar was issue.

I’ve had emergency and elective.

Initially very painful but my advice would be to get up and get moving ASAP. It definitely helped me both times.

With my second I had dd on the Monday and I was at Zara on the Friday picking up the order I’d made the ninth before my c section. I honestly didn’t find it bad at all.

But like I said, being up and moving (all be it very gently) is key to recovery.

I had an induction first time around due to being 2 wks overdue. It was horrendous.

On my last pregnancy, I had to be induced early due to baby being poorly and had to have her at 35 weeks. I didn’t want to be induced after my first experience, luckily at my final scan she was breech so they booked me in for a section.

It was fab, so calm and relaxed and I recovered a lot quicker from the section than my induced labour where I ended up on antibiotics due to my stiches failing and my cut getting infected.
The section was far more straightforward. The hardest part was sitting up in bed, other than that I was fine, driving within a fortnight and felt completely fine.

I’m never having anymore but if by any chance I did, it would be a section for me anyday xx

3 sections here... first was emergency, second two, planned.The planned ones are easier to cope with imo.
Bring plenty of comfy big pants because you may bleed heavily afterwards (maybe that was just me though)

Oh and request dissolveable stitches as opposed to staples otherwise you'll be getting them removed at home by community midwife . I was stapled twice. Stitches with last one.

I found the overall experience to be peaceful and not stressy

Exciting times OP!!!

I'm sure it will be fine. My first was emergency as baby was too big and started to get distressed after long labour. Second planned as quite soon after first and I had epidural. Was great as got to hold baby while conscious.

Congratulations. 💐

I loved my C section (baby in lateral position and wouldn't move)
It was really peaceful. Lovely music, happy staff, no pain, no physical exhaustion. And no pain afterwards at all. Friends who had natural births were in agony from tears and infections and I felt nothing beyond an occasional faint stinging pain.

I loved my c-section, it was the easiest and most positive birth experience of the lot.

Invest in humongous knickers, you will not want a thing touching your scar. Take all the painkillers offered and request something stronger if needs be. Expect to be in pain for the first week but it gets much easier after that. Lean on your OH a lot, you will need all the help you can get. Honestly though, you will be absolutely fine!

I had an emergency section 5 weeks ago. Even though it was an emergency it was fab. Recovery is hard espesh the first week but no major issues! I did 23 hours of labour and got to 10cm dilated but would pick a section over that anyday. Goodluck x

Try not to panic. An elective is much calmer than an emergency one. I've had both and my elective was a really pleasant experience. I was on enhanced recovery and was home within 24 hours. I knew when I was going in, packed and walked to the theatre with my husband. It was calm, there was music and they prepared me beforehand. The scar healed well and I was back to my old self fairly quickly. Very different to my emergency one. Try to batch cook some meals now, put things on shelfs that you can reach as you won't be able to bend. Check the crib is at the right height for you as I struggled to get baby out of the Moses basket so used cot straight away. Get some big granny knickers that go over your scar site and some loose joggers or leggings of dresses in this weather! If you have or are able to- get a maternity pillow as it can support you better when breast feeding as it is hard with a section scar. Be prepared for limited mobility for the first few days and don't rush around. Just cuddle bubba and enjoy being close. Forget about housework etc. My second birth (elective) was honestly amazing and I felt so safe and looked after. Good luck! Won't be long till bubba is here x

I have had 2 csections both emergency and both completely fine. I didn’t have any help (was single both times) and was fine both times tbh it really wasn’t a struggle.

I was a nervous wreck before my c section but it really wasn’t anything to worry about. I actually feel like I wasted my time worrying about it when I could’ve been enjoying my last few weeks of pregnancy. It’s a very peaceful experience, and as long as you do what they tell you with regards to recovery then you’ll be absolutely fine. Good luck