C Section Information -Real Life xperiences

[Chynah]

After getting more and more annoyed by the amount of misinformation and scare tales surrounding C-sections I really feel the need to start this thread in order that others who either have to have, or chose to have, C Sections for whatever reason can read the real life experience from those who have been there and done it and make their own decisions.

Please no trying to talk of VBAC or for first timers 'giving it a go' - this is not a place for annecdotes of someones sister or cousins experience this is for first hand experiences only (good & bad) so people can read and make their own minds up.

Be helpful if you could include (obviously up to you):

Elective or emergency (I do believe it makes a difference. (NHS or Private)GA or Spinal

Why - if not personal.

time in hospital.

Could you lift/change baby etc

Recovery time -ie lifting toddlers - driving.

Infections - if any

How long back to normal (housework,exercising etc)

Whilst I appreciate a C Section is major surgery I also consider it a valid choice. This thread is not here to justify that chic but ONLY to provide real life information from those wo have been there to those who are going there.

Hope this is helful to some.

Hazey sounds like you've been through a lot - good luck with your recovery - it's early days for you and DS. Don't know how you cope with two other kids too!

Elective or emergency:

Emergency - Pre-eclampsia + failed induction + mine and baby's heartrate halving with every contraction.

NHS or Private:

Private

GA or Spinal:

Spinal - I'd heard so many horror stories about these - because of the urgency they were still trying to decide as they wheeled me in which option to take. The anaesthetist was in his 60s and this gave me a huge amount of confidence - I knew he knew his way around a needle! Didn't feel the needle go in although being asked to sit up and lean right forward for it to be done was not overly pleasant.

Vomited as they were stitching me back up - second anaesthetist mopped me up.

time in hospital:

2 nights before
4 nights after - I was kept in longer than normal due to the pre-eclampsia

Could you lift/change baby etc:

Baby was taken to SCBU immediately without skin-skin as he was very poorly - although I was taken to him as soon as I was out of recovery. He spent 48 hours there before being brought to me. I had amazing care though and the nurses wheeled my bed up ANY time of day or night I asked to visit him. I was able to lift him immediately although too scared to walk and carry at the same time for a few days. It was 3 days before I changed him so I missed the first nasty poos... shame!

Recovery time -ie lifting toddlers - driving:

Drove after 10 days.

Infections:

Haemotoma behind scar - scared myself shitless when it burst and phoned the hospital - but... it was only plasma which I realised as soon as I'd calmed down. Scar is not the most beautiful in the world but they'll fix it once I'm "done with babies".

How long back to normal:

On my feet at 12 hours - just to move from bed to chair. Walked down the corridor unaided at 48 hours to have a shower. Within the first 12 hours the nurses had me doing "bum lifts" in bed.

Couldn't get out of bed without assistance for at least a week due to having been stitched very tight internally on one side which caused a huge amount of pain until the stitches disolved.

Housework:

Had the washing on virtually as I walked through the house door. Couldn't do the hoovering, couldn't reach high shelves.

Exercise:

Back on my horse at 6 weeks.

Breastfeeding was a spectacular failure due to all the reasons listed above and probably some I've forgotten too.

I don't regret the c-section for one moment, found it all a very pleasant experience on balance and want an elective next time. Never did have any desire for a vaginal birth.

The worst bit for me was not really realising that they'd taken him out, I just saw people running out the door to where the paediatricians were waiting with something wrapped in a blanket. Silence. Then a pathetic "mewling" and I totally relaxed.

Emergency CS. Spinal anaesthetic as had epidural in and anaesthetic "took" on first go, otherwise would have been GA.

Why? Because DD's heart rate and blood oxygen levels were dropping and there was meconium in the waters. Turns out she was back to back with her head tilted right back and stuck in my pelvis with cord round her neck. Doc struggled to get her head unstuck, couldn't have been born vaginally.

Two nights in hospital. Struggled with lifting at first - not straightforward up and down, but anything that involved twisting. Breast milk took 5 days to come in but don't know if that was CS related or not. Driving after two weeks. Recovery straightforward except v weak but probably more due to 16 hours of labour followed by no sleep for more than an hour for five nights as DD didn't sleep until milk came in. One infection when hair started to regrow inside scar but treated with topical antibiotics.

Sorry, lifting WAS straightforward, EXCEPT for twisting.

I have had 3 c sections 1 emergency 2 elective.

1. emergency at 42 weeks after failed induction, failure to dilate and foetal distress.epidural.

recovery was ok it was bit painful but not too bad, had to have antibiotics day 4 as scar got infected. no other probs.

1. elective at 39 weeks due to placenta accreta. epidural. very stressful, lost a lot of blood due to the placenta problem and was in absolute agony for nearly a week afterwards, also when clips removed scar re opened and had to have antibiotics.complications from epidural involved a long lasting and severe headache that was relieved by lying down but kept returning when i stood or sat up.couldnt lift anything for nearly 2 weeks and had to have an awful lot of help with the baby.very unpleasant experience.

1. elective at 38 weeks. epidural. no pain after other than very mild cramps, felt really well, healed well, could walk about, lift baby the day after with no problems at all.very positive experience.

Elective or emergency (I do believe it makes a difference.

Emergency

NHS or Private)

NHS

GA or Spinal

spinal

Why - if not personal.

baby's heartbeat went down early on in labour, he was slightly prem

time in hospital

4 days, but I had been quite ill and actually asked not to be discharged earlier

Could you lift/change baby etc

Yes, but he was tiny

Recovery time -ie lifting toddlers - driving.

I don't drive, but was pretty well back to normal after a few weeks, went on holiday

Infections - if any

How long back to normal (housework,exercising etc)

hard to tell, I was never great at housework, but probably about a month

Elective or emergency (I do believe it makes a difference.

Elective

NHS or Private)

NHS

GA or Spinal

spinal, couldnt feel needle, much less pain than midwife putting in canula.

Why - if not personal.
Twins, did not want induction, wanted them out as body was breaking down

time in hospital

5 Days and then i discharged myself as i had had enough and knew i would get more rest/help at home.

Was in pain after, did not like the way the morphine made me feel was paranoid and weepy. So took the drip off, the following morning meaning i was left just on the codine, which the midwives then 'forget' to bring you. (felt like there is a midwives conspiracy on those who have elective sections, like your doing them out of a job or something - which i guess you are!)

Baby cots badly designed so had to get out of bed to lift babies. Lifting not a problem, getting out of bed, horrible. Then went amemic, double vision, also had high blood pressure. Refused blood transfusion. All in all i feel this did not help with establishing BF and bonding.

Could you lift/change baby etc
Yes. When got home was v weak. Couldnt flush the toilet. Night sweats, pain etc.

Recovery time -ie lifting toddlers - driving.

No toddlers luckily! I observed the 6 week rule and by 6 weeks felt absolutely fine. Bouncy even!

Infections - if any
None

How long back to normal (housework,exercising etc)
6 weeks

I think CS is often seen as the easy option. In my case i did not think it was at all. However, have nothing to compare it with. And was v exhausted from the pregnancy.

Elective or emergency (I do believe it makes a difference. (NHS or Private)GA or Spinal

Emergency, NHS.

Why - if not personal.

DD was back to back and stargazing, and was not moving. I had been in labour at that point for 5 days.

There was meconium in the waters and I was not dilated enough for them to take a scalp blood sample to determine if she was in distress, so the decision was made to get her out. She was fine.

time in hospital.

24 hours. Hospital policy is to get you out ASAP for reasons of space and prevention of hospital borne infections.

Could you lift/change baby etc

Not for about a week.

Recovery time -ie lifting toddlers - driving

Driving after a month. No lifting for 2 weeks, didn't leave the house for 3 weeks.

Infections - if any

The scar failed to heal properly, was infected and was agony for about a month.

I did breastfeed and still am. The scar is still horrendous to look at and I still have a horrible overhang a year later despite being very slender. I could barely walk or push the pram for around a month, could not lift dd from her cot for about 6 weeks.

I do not know if I would have another one. I was very envious of my friends who had normal births and were back home the same day.

As for being a choice? I dunno. Perhaps a lot of women have one and bounce back and go for 3 mile runs after a couple of weeks.

I cannot imagine how I would have managed with a toddler as well.

Elective or emergency (I do believe it makes a difference. (NHS or Private)GA or Spinal

Baby #1 - emergency. spinal. NHS
Baby #2 - crash. spinal. NHS

Why - if not personal.

Baby #1 - pre-eclampsia. 36 weeks - my BP shot up.
Baby #2 - trying for VBAC, fully dilated, foetal distress due to scar rupturing. 40 weeks.

time in hospital.

Baby #1 - 5 days - due to raised BP.

Baby #2 - 4 days - due to raised BP post delivery.

Could you lift/change baby etc

Yes - after 24/36 hours

Recovery time -ie lifting toddlers - driving

4 weeks for driving. With dc2 I had to be extra careful as I had suffered a uterine rupture.

Infections - if any

None.

Elective or emergency (I do believe it makes a difference. (NHS or Private)GA or Spinal

Emergency, NHS, GA

Why - if not personal.

DD was in distress - they don't know why - 'just one of those things'. I was 9cm dilated on admission to hospital and feeling pretty fine, but the midwife listened to DD's heart rate and it was erratic. Within minutes the doctor arrived and pronounced that I was fully dilated but that they needed to get DD OUT so they wheeled me straight from triage to theatre and I had GA as no time to site a spinal/epidural.

time in hospital.

I stayed in for 5 nights in total but that was for feeding support as DD was very sleepy and wouldn't feed. Had I given her a bottle I would have been out after one night (she was born at 2.30am so would have been one further night in addition to the rest of that night IYSWIM).

Could you lift/change baby etc

Yes, this was fine.

Recovery time -ie lifting toddlers - driving.

I waited 4 weeks to drive but felt generally ok to do basic things like slow walking (couldn't walk a long distance though as would make my wound ache) within a week or two. I stopped taking painkillers when I left hospital. They sent me home with a carrier bag full of medication and I took the antibiotics and iron etc but not the painkillers as I didn't feel I needed them.

Infections - if any

None

How long back to normal (housework,exercising etc)

Back to normal everyday stuff quite fast - a few weeks. But exercise proper is feeling harder. DD was born 25th May and I went back to my usual aerobics class after the recommended 3 month break in August but found it hard going. So I think I am not back to 'normal' but partly that is because I didn't do much exercise when I was pregnant and so I am just not as fit as I used to be!

I have had three.

1st - emergency. Big baby (9lb9oz) big head. I don't think his head ever went down far enough. It wasn't engaged when my waters broke. I knew it would never come down, but felt contemtuously fobbed off whenever I asked about my fears.

2nd - elective. TBH I wanted a c-section but felt I ought to consider a VBAC. However when I tried to talk about my fears about VBACs and felt contemptuously fobbed off again

3rd - elective with full approval of all medical staff as I'd had two previous ones.

Anaesthetic - all spinal. 1st time I had an epidural in anyway and they just topped it up. Second time the spinal didn't work to start with and they had to fiddle with it and it wore off very quickly. Third time spinal worked a treat.

I was in hospital for three days the first time, two the second and third I think.

Each time I received a surprised/impressed reaction from staff at how quickly I was up and around.

I had no trouble picking up the baby or getting around. Would recommend asking for one of those ladder things for the bed, and taking every painkiller offered when in hosiptal.

I'd say it hurt more the first time but probably only because it was the first time.

I carried a toddler down the stairs right from the start. HV frowned on this but I thought a controlled carry was better than having to dart to catch a falling toddler. I had no trouble.

I BF successfully. It did take a while for the milk to come in for DC1, and they told me that was due to the c-section. Poor DS1, he was so hungry

I didn't drive for six weeks every time, mainly because I couldn't get a sensible answer from my insurance company. I think it did me good. As the HV said, it's not that you are driving as such, it's that you start lifting the car seat, and going to the supermarket and lugging heavy stuff about that causes the problems.

Scars healed OK. Last one was the best, maybe because it was a woman surgeon

Things I think you haven't mentioned

DD spent a day or so in SCBU due to breathing difficulties, caused by being an elective c-section. Apparently during a vaginal birth any mucus gets squeezed out of their lungs during the birth. Babies born by section are more susceptible to this condition. She was fine but as you can imagine I felt very guilty.

I am quite slim. I do think, unfortunately, that things can be harder if you are overweight, from getting the spinal in to recovery.

Good luck everyone!

I'm 38 weeks today with my first and wanted to thank you for starting this fantastic thread and to all for taking time to answer. THANK YOU! Soo very helpful!

I've had two c-sections.

First section was an emergency section for failure to progress (went very overdue and had epic -and ultimately failed- induction). It was in an NHS hospital (big London teaching hospital), under spinal, and I was kept in for four days afterwards.

Second section was 3 years later and was an elective of sorts. I had originally planned a VBAC but developed quite serious obstetric cholestasis and had to have a section at 37 weeks (had a day's notice it was going to happen, so was planned sort of). This was at a different big London hospital after bad experience in first hospital. Was also under spinal only, and they turfed me out 48 hrs later on the nose.

I was fine with lifting and changing my babies both times. Recovery with my first section was slow because I tried to 'get back to normal' too quickly, I think. I was lugging my buggy up and down two flights of stairs and carrying heavy shopping within a fortnight, which set me back in the long run.
I was sore and swollen for about 6 months, and didn't feel normal for more than a year. After my second section I enlisted help and rested properly with absolutely no lifting and carrying for six weeks, and I felt completely recovered within a couple of months.

I will say the difference in my scar was noticeable. I had a male surgeon who stapled me up after first section. He did a very rough job of it, and I was quite shocked by how I looked afterwards. Second section i had a female surgeon who stitched me (she was totally opposed to staples and said no female surgeon would ever use them! ), and my scar is much neater.

I did also find breastfeeding very hard after my first section because I was exhausted and both I and my baby were in shock, I think! Second baby not so bad - was feeding immediately in recovery and it felt lovely - but it cocked up pretty quickly afterwards for other reasons which i won't bore you with now!

I had always planned and hoped for a natural birth experience, vaginal, low intervention etc, but i can homestly say, i couldnt give a fig about the 'experience' nowadays. i just want my health and a healthy baby at the end of it, cliched or not . And because c-section is what I know now , I would be terrified of a vaginal birth.

baby 1 vaginal delivery with epidural, ventouse and episiotomy. (OP sunny side up)
baby 2 footling breech! Elective booked for 38+4 but labour started (FAST) 38+2.

For the record, I would have never put baby 2 at risk but the vaginal was a better birth by way of recovery.

So my section was emergency, Spinal in NHS. Anathest took over 35 mins to put line in and there was no gas and air in theatre - F'ing awful! Don't know why, he must have been having a bad day.

Interestingly, Doc asked me 2 mins before taking me to theatre if I wished to deliver vaginally to which I asked am I allowed and he said no, but I am obliged to ask!

Waters had gone with meconuium so I wasn't allowed baby straight away, nor was I allowed gown on back to front to have skin to skin (a tip from mumsnet nonetheless)

Standard 72 hrs in hosp, initial recovery great as mentioned already above. Painkillers sufficient.

Getting to baby tricky for first 12 hrs, but nurses great. I was on a section only ward so no-one could help like others mentioned.

Side effects from section was sweating and intense itching - horrid.
Scar very neat, stitched by female doc - seems they do a better job!
I waxed down a good 2-3 inches before but they still took a razor to me. Ingrowing hairs are annoying - it hurts as they come thru scar.
I have an overhang and I'm a sporty size 10-12 so not too happy about that.
It is completely numb 3 inches above all the way along, apparently unlikely to get feeling back.
Constipation is dreadful! I didn't empty before labour started so reckon there was already 3 days worth in there and nothing moves much after. It was agony! It pressed on the internal stitches, I swear this was almost as bad as labour. I had to have an emema and that didn't shift it!

Driving 3 weeks, just get GP to check you and as long as pain free they should say yes.

Infections - yes, put me back in hosp for a week 2 days after I got home, they couldn't find source. Horrendous, cannot believe I managed to breastfeed thru it and none of the docs knew which pain killers would affect feeding. I think they just expected me to stop bothering. There was NO assistance at this time. I was just very ill, with fever in bed for 5 days with hubby picking baby up and putting him to breast.

How long back to normal - well, moving about, picking up baby, cooking being on feet at home, about 2-3 weeks (I lost a week wth infection). Didn't pick toddler up, a female doc told me not to under any circumstances! We cuddled on sofa but she was 3 so able to look after herself more.
But strength to hoover, carry, exercise, leap about as normal, 12 weeks.
By 15 weeks, playing netball again.

Breastfeeding piece of cake initially, but I managed v well with my first too, so I was confident and my milk came in quicker with 2nd after section than vaginal delivery. Just struggled with re-admission and drugs, but got thru it and now 16 wks post and excl breast feeding.

Annoyances - got a buggy board for toddler, but couldn't push buggy with weight of her on it! Waste of £60.
I'm def still in shock for having a section even tho it was elective and I knew for ages! It is major surgery and my body is certainly 'not the same'. I didn't have this feeling first time round.

"...my body is certainly 'not the same'. I didn't have this feeling first time round."

beccas that is exactly how I am feeling now, and I just can't imagine feeling the same. This feeling and ds being ill are the things that I had no idea about pre section.

Went overdue with DD. Booked for induction (NHS) at 41+4. Arrived to find contractions had started. Very slow progress so escalated to drip. After 36 hours told emcs was necessary. To this day I've nver had confirmation of exactly why this was the case although drop in fetal heart rate, failure to progress and poor positioning have all been mentioned by different peopl at different stages. Already had epidural in place so this was just topped up.

DD was delivered and I then had a reaction to the epidural and there was a query over whether I would need a blood transfusion so the consequence was that I didn't even see DD for 45 mins.

Spent next 2 nights in hopsital and asked the midwife if I could go home that next morning, which was arranged for that evening.

DD was delivered at 11am and I was bed bound until 6am the following monring. Couldn't get DD out of her cot on my own in the hospital that night or change her so had to rely on the midwives to do pretty much everything.

DH told me that DD was making sucking motions immediately after she was delivered but then slept practically non-stop for the rest of the admission. As a result, I couldn't establish breastfeeding and she was put on a neonatal feeding chart and cup fed. I couldn't express any milk and as soon as we got home I reverted to bottle feeding.

Found the physical recovery from the surgery extremely hard. Couldn't leave the house alone for 5 weeks as I couldn't manage the pram on my own. Did my first short drive at 5 1/2 weeks post-op and suffered for it for 2 days. I began to feel like I was making real progress when DD was 16 weeks old as not every slight movement caused me pain. Still have tenderness at the ends of the scar 4+ years later.

Oh should also have mentioned that I had exruciating wind 7 days after delivery so bad that it impeded my breathing and I had to go to A&E to be checked out.

Elective or emergency (I do believe it makes a difference.)
Elective at 38 weeks.

(NHS or Private)
NHS

GA or Spinal
Spinal

Why - if not personal.
Grade 3 Placenta Previa, spotted at 20 week scan. Follow up scans showed it didn't move, so I was booked in at 36 weeks or so.

time in hospital.
11 days- 7 before, 4 after. Felt like death - could barely move till the 4th day, then suddenly felt like a new woman.

Could you lift/change baby etc
Wasn't great in hospital. Eventually managed by placing a blanket under him and lifting him like a hoist. If I did it again I think I'd cosleep. Was fine by day 4 for lifting.

Recovery time -ie lifting toddlers - driving.
First baby so no prob re toddlers. Didn't drive for 6 weeks but don't know if could have before. Was getting in and out of shower/bath by a strange sit and leg-swing motion as couldn't lift leg very high!

Infections - if any
Nothing - healed beautifully, despite clips and male surgeon! (they're not all bad). A year later I can hardly see it.

How long back to normal (housework,exercising etc)
6 weeks or so. Didn't exercise for a long time after, however.

Son was quite sicky due to the mucus from the C section, but he was fine at birth and screamed away! I had problems breastfeeding but I don't think they were related to the section, my milk came in on day 3 (and how! Think :o

Also, I was in a lot of pain and the normal drugs weren't helping. They got a doctor in to prescribe codeine which worked really well for me. Only problem was they were reluctant to ask him, and it took him a while to get to me. If I did it again I'd ask for it to be put on the drug chart in advance, then I wouldn't have had to go through the rigmarole every time I wanted some.

Elective or emergency

Emergency

NHS or Private

NHS

GA or Spinal

Spinal and then a GA when the spinal wore off part way through

Why - if not personal.

Malpositioned baby

Time in hospital

5 days, and begging to be allowed to leave by the end.

Could you lift/change baby etc

I couldn't even sit up by myself, let alone lift a baby, for at least 24 hrs. But that wasn't a problem as baby was in SCBU, I was in HDU, and noone would take me up to see her.

Recovery time -ie lifting toddlers - driving.

Was still hobbling and bent over at 3 weeks. Driving after 5 weeks.

Infections - if any

None

How long back to normal (housework,exercising etc)

Struggled with housework even a month later, but had to just get on with it as we were moving house. I sat on my horse 5 weeks later but he was a good horse and I was nothing more than a feeble passenger to him. I would say it took me at least 5 months to regain the muscle strength and balance I had before the CS - of course any pregnancy and birth stretches the muscles, but I think the nature of my first birth and the effect of cutting through my core muscles had a much worse impact on my return to riding.

Other things

The surgeon cut through structures she shouldn't have, resulting in a much longer operation than normal, and me losing 900mls of blood. My blood pressure plummeted, getting dangerously close to organ failure point. Baby was born limp and not breathing (APGAR score of 1.) I held her briefly after she was born and then did not see her again till I broke out of the HDU 18 hrs later!

Notwithstanding all of the above, I would be dead, as would my child, without the section. So I am grateful for any intervention that saved us. However, I find it infuriating that I needed this intervention as a result of weaknesses elsewhere in the NHS, primarily lack of continuity of care. For my second child I employed a private midwife and had an altogether different experience - my vaginal birth has been a much easier birth to recover from and a much more satisfying experience. Interestingly - baby 2 showed signs of a similar head position that lead to baby 1 getting stuck - yet was born naturally in less than a tenth of the time I was in labour first time. Could continuity of care have helped save the NHS the cost of a CS, and me and my baby the risk of surgery and it's recovery?

Finally, I have been left with an overwhelming urge to thump anyone who uses the phrase 'too posh to push' with reference to a medically necessary CS, whether elective or emergency.

Great thread, and very useful. I just assumed that I'd give birth naturally, and hoped it wouldn't hurt too much, so having two CSs was a bit of a surprise to me, but frankly, from the little I experienced of labour with DS2, I don't think I could have gone all the way without going insane from the pain. So I think I was v.lucky the way things turned out.

Elective or emergency (I do believe it makes a difference).
DS1: planned emergency
DS2: emergency

(NHS or Private)
Private, both times, at the Portland.

GA or Spinal
Spinal, both times.

Why - if not personal.
DS1: I had pre-eclampsia from 30wks, and at 34+2 my obstetrician saw that DS1 hadn't grown in the week since our last scan, so he scheduled a CS with two days' notice so that I could have steroid injections to strengthen DS1's lungs.
DS2: After 12 hours in labour, DS2's head still wasn't engaged, and I was only 1cm dilated, and they couldn't give me anything to speed up the contractions because of the previous CS.

time in hospital.
DS1: 8 days, because DS1 was in the SCBU (although I think that being private, the Portland was thinking about its profits being over-cautious), and I was being monitored to make sure that my BP went back to normal and I didn't develop eclampsia.
DS2: 4 days, but I would have happily left after 3

Could you lift/change baby etc
DS1 & 2: yes, carefully, after 24/36 hours

Recovery time -ie lifting toddlers - driving
Both times recovery time was quick. Up and about and walking, using the loo and showering (v.gingerly) within 24 hours, and painkiller-free by the time I left hospital. I think it also helped that I was glued back together rather than stitched or stapled, which is apparently unusual. So I have a very neat scar, which healed very quickly, and attracted the admiration of every midwife who saw it.

Infections - if any
None.

Hazeyjane I read your post and the mention of feeling as if you'd been 'sawn in half' and then your later post saying how you feel as if you'll never feel the same again and I want to reassure you that you will. I've had big ops in my life (jaw op, stomach op in 20's) and have run marathons and climbed mountains and I can honestly say my caesarean was the hardest thing I have ever gone through and recovered from. I'm fit and healthy (very) and yet it knocked me sideways for months. But you will get there. I'm stronger now than I ever was.

Realistically for me I'd say from 5 weeks post op I felt I was operating at 90% (before 4 weeks I felt at 20%). After a year I felt 100%.

It's a big op and some people react very differently depending on what happens both before, during and after the operation. It doesn't make people stronger or less of a wimp for bouncing up out of bed three hours later. It just makes them lucky. Interestingly, a friend has had three sections and she said that her second was her worse by far. She's no idea why as they were all elective and prepared for and there were no surprises in theatre, etc.

Great to see a thread about the realities of caesareans - the very good and the very bad of them.

Emergency CS
General Anaesthetic
NHS

This was due to a failed induction; in fairly early labour the baby went into distress, so the mf puched the panic button and I was whizzed to theatre. Terrifying.

I stayed in for about three days, asked to go home as soon as I felt up to it and had lost catheter/morphine drip etc.

Not much trouble lifting baby (she was a tiddler, after all), but struggled to lift 2yo into his high chair for a couple of weeks (but just got on with it). Was told I couldn't drive for 6 weeks, but after 4 I begged my GP to give me permission, as I had recovered so quickly.

No infections, pain went very quickly, scar invisible.

Back to normal within a month, easily. In fact, probably a quicker recovery than 1st birth, where I lost a lot of blood.

Third one - successful VBAC!

Elective or emergency (I do believe it makes a difference. (NHS or Private)GA or Spinal
2 x Elective and GA

Why - if not personal. Vaso-vagal syndrome (low BP)

time in hospital. 1 week (this was in France

Could you lift/change baby etc Day 2

Recovery time -ie lifting toddlers - driving. 1 week/10 days

Infections - if any None

How long back to normal (housework,exercising etc) 3 weeks maybe

Emergency section.
general anasthetic, undiagnosed breach...let me get to 10cm dilated before discovering it.

Had very little choice, they told me to stop pushing (WTF) and then remembr waking up and vomiting.

nursed ds as soon as i could, changed him etc day 2.
in hospital for 5 days post section.

No infections
scar a mess, presumably cos it was a ruch job, kind looks like a half smile, neat though.
was back to almost normal within about 10 days.