Postnatal Care after C Section

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HI everyone

Just wanted to jump on here to get some information and just see if anyone else has been in the same situation... before I start this is based on care in the UK.

I just had my third and final baby 4 days ago (19th). I had been admitted to hospital on the Tuesday evening (15th) after seeing my community midwife who was concerned about my Blood Pressure. I was sent to Triage at the hospital and they admitted me there and then saying they want to get it under control. This is something I was pretty confident they were going to do because I had High BP in my first pregnancy and ended up on tablets. I wasn't expecting at 2 weeks early to be told they want to try to Induction process. I have been induced with my other 2 pregnancies and both ended in vaginal births with one emergency surgery because of a 3rd degree tear and the other being absolutely fine. I was expecting the gel to work, but because it was 2 weeks earlier than due date I wasn't overly optimistic. I spent 2 night and 1 full day in hospital just being monitored on Antenatal Ward before they induced me. 2 days of induction and nothing was working. My dilation never changed the whole time I was there, and my cervix reminded high and posterior. At this point I was desperate to go home, because I had been there for 3 days and 4 nights and it was unsettling my children me not being at home (they are autistic); they refused to let me home just on medication and wanted me to continue with induction. I knew I couldn't cope anymore being prodded poked observation after observation, and I wasn't sleeping being in hospital either so my body wasn't "rested". In the end I asked if a C Section was possible instead. considering they admitted me they didn't see it as an urgent matter and to be honest just seemed like I was taking up a bed for no real reason. They eventually agreed to the C Section but only because I was refusing to continue the induction. They finally saw me for my C Section but it was the end of the day, late evening after they had done everyone else who was booked in or seen as a priority. I was Nil By Mouth from 2:30am that morning so I was getting dehydrated and hungry come tea time. I had the surgery, everything went as well as it could have. I am now home and with my family.

But because of being in hospital for that long, very suddenly, not saying goodbye to the kids before I left and just basically being left to see what was going on with little communication during my stay has caused some trauma. I left with lots of medication; BP tablets, Pain killers, Iron tablets and the worst of the worst blood thinning injections. I was told I'd get 10 days worth to do, hated the thought but thought I can suck it up for 10 days will soon fly by. Until I got home and saw there was 6 weeks worth. Immediately in a panic called the ward and asked why there was so many injections? she said because I was classed as high risk, the score should be 3 but mine was reading as a 6 because of Blood Pressure issues, BMI, and because it was my 3rd child. I have seen my midwife today and as soon as she asked me about the injections my Blood Pressure went through the roof which obviously in my situation isn't ideal and I could do without. Needles do not bother me at all, but the thought of having to do that to myself every day for 6 weeks is a lot for me to process after initially sucking it up thinking it would be for 10 days max. I understand why they need to be done, I totally get that but why does it have to be injections?

Anyway what I wanted to know was, did anyone else struggle with these? did you find alternatives like tablets that could be taken instead? did you have any long lasting scarring from the experience because overall with everything combined I am now feeling scared about blood clots, constantly waking up checking my legs haven't swollen in the night, and my anxiety is generally just through the roof ontop of now having to do these god awful jabs.

Thanks in Advance - C x

I’m really sorry you’re going through such a tough time OP.

For what it’s worth I had to do 8 weeks of the injections after having my daughter last year and it does just become part of your daily routine. The first handful bruised but genuinely after the first week I rarely got any mark from them and no long lasting marks whatsoever x

@Mrsttcno1 Thank you. The paranoia now is real! 8 weeks?! Wow you’re a trooper! I managed to do it tonight put a ice pack on the area first then just injected the needle and pushed the medicine in and then reapplied ice immediately after and it seemed to help with pain. The other thing bothering me is compression socks! Im mobile and doing my day to day without pushing it, so midwife said i dont need to wear them in the day. But must wear them in the night. I woke up this morning and the one had slightly rolled down over my ankle and had causes massive swelling and pain! Panicked and quickly took them off ans elevated my foot. Swelling did go down over the day but the scare was real! Im actually paranoid to go to bed tonight just incase.

Oh no sorry OP. The jabs are not nice I agree. I found it helpful to cross them off each day. I made a chart.

However with 6 weeks that’s a lot of boxes and might be counterproductive.

I also called people during it. Like my best friend. Just started chatting. Tried to distract myself whilst putting it in. Then slowly pushed the plunger and during the stingy bit just went ahhh 😂 My friend was really great. I would apologise for the interruption then get up and want to continue our convo so walked about as a distraction having a chat.

So it is awful. But it’s 3 minutes a day. I am not trying to minimise. I hated it. But you have to do it. You’re going to get skilled at it too. Some times it didn’t sting so I was obviously doing it differently.

Goodluck

@Nchangeo thats a good idea with phoning someone to distract you! I never thought about doing that I may try that. I tell you what helped me last night... I put an ice block on my tummy for 5 mins prior and then did the jab as quickly as I could and then immediately reapplied the ice pack after to stop the sting, and that changed the game for me. As much as I hate it it's more bearable that way.

It honestly does pass quickly, is there anybody you can ask to do them for you? My husband and mum did some of mine just so it wasn’t always me doing it and I did find I barely even noticed the sting when I wasn’t the one injecting and was just chatting away. Ice is a fab idea too!! I had the same issue with compression socks rolling down and found they lost their “compression” really quickly so I bought a box of them on Amazon and basically just cycled through them so when they started to get a bit loose and rolling down I’d bin them and grab a new pair xx

Well done. Good you have a technique that works. Set an alarm on your phone so you forget about it and when the time comes then bam, get it over with.

You got this 💪

@Mrsttcno1 I hope it does! because 6 weeks I was like fgs lol. but I suppose once I get into the rhythm with them I wont even notice it and will just become second nature. I do it 9pm every night which is ideal because its just before im going to be in bed over night. the ice was actually my friends idea and basically its worked the best so far! numbs the area so dont even feel it go in and then immediately reapply the ice after its out and it just takes the sting completely away. the socks are getting on my nerves I think I've shrunk them to be honest, as they are tighter now than when they were given to me. I may have to buy some because they are insistent on me wearing them for bed but not during the day.

@Nchangeo the ice pack has been a saviour tbh!

Oh bless you. They are awful and I only had 10 days of them. Are they in the stomach or thigh, some Trusts do it differently. In the end I got my husband to squeeze an area of thigh and then stick it in and keep holding the area for an extra 2 seconds before slowly releasing his pinch. Really helped and then lots of swearing for emotional release of course 😂. Ice will do you wonders xx

I only had 10 days worth but they were awful. I got my DH to do them, I held up a cushion and had ice on the area first. Then I would turn my phone up to max volume and scroll TikTok’s until it was over! The anticipation was worse than the event. I also didn’t wear the compression socks for the full time but I was walking about a lot as I felt fine after a few days.

My DP did mine, I didn't have the nerve. He found a video guide that advised taking a deep breath and doing the injection as you exhale. That really helped, less uncomfortable.

Squeeze your belly fat and prick it there it won’t hurt.

I remember having to do this for 6 weeks. No side effects but my first period after my 2 c sections was a lot heavier than usual. Not sure if that was because of the c sections or from the injections though.

I was goven the injections for 8 weeks after my first birth because I had pre-eclampsia.
It was a huge pain in the arse considering I was told Id only need them for a couple of weeks.
I used to do them just before bed in the bathroom.
Id alternate legs every day to mininise the bruising.
It seemed to go on forever if im honest but they werent awful to do.
But I must say the bruising afterwards on my thighs was epic. They say not to rub the area afterwards as it can make the bruising worse.
The hardest thing i found was getting the sharps bin collected at the end of it all. The local council will take it but you have to leave it out on your doorstep overnight and they just never seemed to come to collect which became a battle between the council and I!

Thanks for everyones replies -
I spoke to 2 community midwives and a doctor and they said there are no alternatives to the injections. So looks like its a suck it up and do it situation. I hate doing them, needles dont bother me it’s just the thought everyday “i’ve got to do that later”. Then i’m extremely paranoid about getting one now like its instilled a fear in me that I never had before. After a traumatic birth, its just added to that mental load. I feel like its also spoiling my time with my newborn.

They say the same time every day, but you could
pull it forward a couple of hours a day to move the time and get them
out of the way in the morning.

Also, may be easier getting someone else to do them for you. My husband did most of mine.