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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

Caesarean section on Friday - advice needed

16 replies

EvianBaby · 08/03/2011 21:29

I had an emergency section when DS was born (just over 2 years ago) and had planned to have a VBaC with this DC. I saw the consultant on Monday and due to various reasons (baby transverse etc) I have been booked in for another section on Friday.

Whilst I realise that this is for the best, the baby's health is the most important factor, I feel a little bit unprepared!

I know what to expect to some degree, having had a section the first time, however this was under emergency conditions so I really didn't have time to take anything in/make plans etc.

I would really like advice from anyone who has had a planned section on what to expect, what to take with me, what, if anything, I should do in advance etc. I am going from excitement at finally meeting our baby to slight panic at the moment (hence the rambling post!)

Thanks in advance!

OP posts:

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clarkey46 · 08/03/2011 22:04

Congralations ! I had a planned C section with no 1 was absolutely fine. I have has a couple of big abdo ops and the one tip I would give is get moving ASAP. the more you move the less painfull it wil be. This may be contrary to the general feeling ( I am also nurse) but it does work.

I was walking a mile within 1 week.

Also the not driving cab be a pain. I am not really sure where this comes from. I asked my GP if I could start driving within 2 weeks. They said fine. Make sure you get them to document tho as it affects your insurance.

Original poster

EvianBaby · 09/03/2011 20:45

Thank you! Wow, i'm impressed how quickly you were driving again, that's great! That's been one of my concerns (i.e getting DS to and from nursery etc). I recovered well last time and i've heard that it can be easier under non emergency conditions too so I am feeling quite positive.

Do you recommend anything to take into hospital that I might not have thought of?

OP posts:

japhrimel · 09/03/2011 20:51

Ditto to getting moving asap. I had a semi-elective CS and DD had to go to SCBU which meant I had a really strong incentive to get moving asap and I was recovering faster than other women on the ward who'd had CS.

My op was actually a lovely experience. We had a great team who were really supportive of making it as personal as possible.

Flip-flops, sports bottles for drinks, hand cream, a dressing gown and super comfy high-waisted clothes (I'd taken in under-the-bump maternity trousers and had to get DH to bring in different trousers post-CS) would be my less usual must-takes.

LunaticFringe · 09/03/2011 20:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

ninedragons · 09/03/2011 20:52

I've just had a planned section and the one thing I would say is that you will probably be on really heavy-duty painkillers for a couple of days afterwards. I found that they make you sleep so deeply that that first week of getting feeding established is quite difficult - usually I have no problem waking in the night but it feels more like coming round from an anaesthetic than just waking up. Make sure somebody is checking on you or you could easily nod off again with the baby still on the boob. The midwives should be good at doing this.

Definitely get up and move around as soon as you can, as the previous poster recommended.

Mine was a lovely, calm birth and I really enjoyed it. Good luck for Friday!

boosmummie · 09/03/2011 20:54

Congratulations... and a/a I've had an emergency CS 14.5 yrs ago followed by planned 2 yrs ago. Get up and about as soon as you can. I also drove after two weeks. You do need to be careful with lifting DS, but he's 2 so shouldn't be too much hassle...

Have they said how long they will keep you in? I didn't take any extra bits, bar HUGE knickers as I found them to be far more comfortable.

I think they have always said no driving for 6 weeks because of risk of damage were you to be in an accident, but I hardly think you'll be racing down the motorway, and merely pottering between home and nursery!!

Don't go to the supermarket as it's easy to get carried away with what you think you can do - what you can lift and should lift are two different things! Take advantage of offers of help for the first couple of weeks too, as regardless of C/S or not it's a bigger leap going from 1 to 2, than 0-1 (says silly mother of 4!!!)

Good luck for Friday and enjoy

japhrimel · 09/03/2011 20:58

FWIW I said no to anything stronger than codeine as I knew it would mean I would struggle to get up to SCBU and although it was really really tough that first day, it was one day and then the codeine/paracetamol/ibuprofen was enough analgesia if I was careful about how I moved.

crumpet · 09/03/2011 20:58

Had an elective cs second time round, after an emergency cs first time. Was aiming for vbac (ha then pre-eclampsia took the decision away. we didn't change much from the emcs, but did say this time round that we wanted dh to see the sex and to tell me, rather than the staff - they were very good at makign sure everyone was aware of this (and also trid to lift ds up to show me, btu the screen was too high)

crumpet · 09/03/2011 20:59

Be prepared for some delay, as they will ship in emergency cs's before you.

ThierryHenryismyBoyfriend · 09/03/2011 21:03

Just have magazines and books for the day as you can be waiting around.

I would agree about getting moving as quickly as you can and another top tip is to take disposable knickers with you as well.

Good luck, despite what people may say it is a lovely experience.

microserf · 09/03/2011 21:22

Really big cheap but soft knickers that sit well above the c section scar and lovely soft stretchy pajama trousers you can pull up to your waist (debenhams came through here). I wasn't a massive fan of disposables as they stuck more to my scar and i find them uncomfortable.

I had to wait until 5pm nil by mouth as all the emergencies went first. I didn't mind, expected it, but it all then happened in a bit of a rush.

i WISH i had asked what medication they were giving me, as i lost about 20 IQ points and just about scratched my skin off - did not realise i was still on morphine the second day! asked to be taken off it and felt better.

CLEAN TOWELS... got my first wound infection using hospital towels.

loopy9 · 09/03/2011 21:27

I had an emergency c-section with DS and then tried and failed a VBAC with DD so ended up with another emergency c-section. The second c-section was much easier to deal with, I was up and about much quicker, mostly because I wasn't so shattered by the 36 hours of labour that went before the DS's birth!

I was up and driving by 4 weeks (I called my insurance company who said it was fine for me to drive)

Good luck for Friday!

Original poster

EvianBaby · 09/03/2011 21:28

Wow! Thanks everyone! Shall take all advice on board

OP posts:

clarkey46 · 09/03/2011 22:31

Hope you are feeling better about this now. I had Ventouse with 2nd and I know which I prefer !!

I would take some tracky or sofy maternity trous with you. I think you feel much better when you can get dressed even if it is in scruffs. I also agree with the other posters about taking brufen and paracetamol if it controls your pain and get off the morphine ASAP as you will be much more likely to feel like getting up and about.

Also if staying in hospital is not your thing you may be able to negotiate an early discharge if you are up and about and feeding OK. I could never sleep in hospital so wanted to get out ASAP.

Good luck.

japhrimel · 10/03/2011 08:35

Oh yeah, definitely take a huge towel of your own - hospital ones tend to be tiny and scratchy anyway.

If you're on nil-by-mouth and have to wait because of EMCS, ask for a fluid drip. I insisted on one after a few hours and was glad I did as I was on nil-by-mouth for over a day in the end as I kept getting bumped by "proper" EMCS (I was in labour already but it wasn't a big rush to get DD out).

yawningbear · 10/03/2011 20:16

hi evian, good advice here from everyone. I had planned section three weeks ago following ecsc 2 years ago and I am so pleased that I did as it was just lovely and completely different to the emcs which had been quite traumatic. Def would suggest taking magazines/books in case you are kept waiting, we were told we would be going to theatre at 10am but DS ended up being born at teatime. Also make sure you have lots of water up until the point of having to be nil by mouth. They put me on a drip mid afternoon by which time I was parched! I took a CD with me so we had music of our choice playing during the whole procedure which was fab. Also arnica tablets are great for helping with healing, you can start taking it prior to the op and thereafter. Big, comfy pants are also essential for after op and I took nice snacks etc with me as the hospital grub wasn't up too much. I also went prepared for it to be really noisy on the ward with all the crying babies as this had been my experience first time round. This time it was the other mum's who kept me awake with v loud snoring! I had ear plugs and ipod at hand and was very glad I had taken them in. I wouldn't worry too much abou sleeping too deeply, you need to try and get as much sleep in hospital as you can and the midwives should come and wake you up if you need to feed bub. Though obviously good to get up and mobile as soon as possible, which is much easier after planned section than emergency IME. I started driving this week, just short trips to get DD to nursery and things are pretty much back to normal. I think I probably did overdo things the first week though, hard not to with a toddler to care for as well so if you have extra help available take it! Goodluck for Friday and try and relax and enjoy, it really is so different to an emergency section.

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