if you had a good experience in hospital after an elective...

[Mandyville]

...what did you do? I mean, did you prepare in any way? Or take something particularly useful with you? Or were you just lucky?

I'm trying to get into a positive frame of mind and finding it tricky because I had a horrid time in hospital after my EMCS three years ago. The midwives talked me into leaving my newborn alone on the ward while I showered, which felt all wrong. One laughed at me for asking an embarrassing question. I was ignored when I was in pain and needed help breastfeeding. And I spent most of the time hungry! Nothing particularly unusual, but it still makes me cry to think about how vulnerable I felt.

Most of this I can avoid, I think... but avoiding the bad stuff from last time seems a bit negative. Any ideas for positive things to do? I've packed an eyemask, some nice smellies and a takeaway menu (they deliver to the door, apparently ). I'm going to take my own pillow this time. Anything else to help me feel a bit more comfortable/powerful?

I had a great experience with my ELCS. The only negative thing was the noise on the ward during the night. I couldn't sleep but I had my iPod so it was OK. I also bought some books and just enjoyed lying around reading when I wasn't staring in wonder at my newborn.
I've never had an EMCS but apparently they are much more unpleasant than ELCS. Hopefully you will have a good experience this time.

Please don't panic. The worst 3 days of my life were the 3 days on the post-natal ward after my EMCS (shit care & pain). The ELCS was a million times better!

My ELCS recovery was a doddle. I (basically) bossed the midwives around, refused to do nappies for the first day or two. Asked for lots of help. Didn't stop asking for a private room until I got one. I wasn't nasty but I didn't want to repeat my first experience. I figured if they thought I was a stroppy madam it didn't matter, I wasn't going to be having any more DC's and never needed to see them again.

I wouldn't even let them take my cathetar out until my then DP arrived the following day, I knew the midwives wouldn't be helping me hobble along to the loo whereas he would help me.

IIRC I took herbal teas and soups, magazines, emery boards to do my nails, nice shower gel and the weekend papers.

My EMCS was really, really awful but my ELCS was lovely.

For a start, having not been through labour first and with the surgeons having had time to get in more gently, I wasn't anywhere near as sore and was up and about within 24 hours whereas I'd been afraid to move for at least 2 days after my EMCS. I even talked to the consultant about having stitches rather than staples too and they were much more comfortable.

I also knew what I was doing about feeding and needed less help that way so was just left to get on with it which was great.

I took food in, knowing I'd be hungry, I took shower gel with a hook on so I wouldn't have to bend over in the shower, I took my own pack of bed mats for when I couldn't get mine changed by the nurses rather than sit in my own filth until DH came to help like the first time and I took huge pants and some sterile maternity pads that I'd got from Mothercare to stick in the front to cushion my would as I held DD. I also took my own Arnica cream and loads to do - books, games, magazines etc - for when I wasn't cuddling DD.

It was a totally different experience. I felt so much more in control and so much less vulnerable. We're not having any more babies but if we were, I'd certainly have an ELCS again.

Ooh i had a fab time. First night dh and dd stayed till 9 then i had anice cuddle with baby and slept little bit,it was very noisy and i was too excited to sleep much but the staff popped in to do obs and chatted and helped me with the baby,i mumsnetted on my phone and texed people all night.
The 2nd night there were only 2 of us,i was up and about so did the tea run,we shut the door and told the nurse that we didnt require water at 5am like the previous night/morning
We chatted and synced the babies feeds and then got the giggles cos when the babies cried we had to keep wirring up and down on the electric beds,then managed to sleep for a few hours before the babies needed feeding and i did another tea run.It was like a sleepover and one of my happiest memories,she was my 5th dc and my 2nd elective section,i also had a great stay with my first elective section too and still see the women 10 yrs later.
Good luck.

Arnica tabs a few weeks before.
Peppermint tea for wind,
Slippers that "slip on"
Flip flops for shower,
Huge pants and yes a pad on my scar was comfy.
Make sure you get your pain relief on time.
Nice pjs in a size smaller so you arent wearing streched pg ones.
Facial wipes and a bit of make up.
Lip balm.

I had an elective section first time and the after care was appalling I did not imagine that something as lovely has having your first child could be followed by such a humiliating and frightening experience.

Second time round I had an EMCS at a different hospital and the aftercare was amazing. The nurses treated me with respect and compassion it was in complete contrast to my first experience. My second birth was at a hospital similar to your username, is that where you are giving birth?

:/

Had mine privately precisely to have a good post birth experience which I did. Worth every penny.

I've had 4 sections with variable after-care, not helped by the fact I despise hospitals. The best of the 4 was my second where I had a private en suite room - I was in for a week (non c-section related issues) & would have gone insane if I was on a ward. I could sleep, breastfeed in privacy, rest during the day, didn't have to worry about filthy bathrooms, other peoples. unpleasant habits & visitors etc. It was fab.

With all of them I've arranged to have someone with me pretty much all day (dh, my mum, friend) - I was only in for two nights so it wasn't as insane as it sounds. That meant that I could have a shower etc without leaving the baby unattended (I would never be happy to do that). It also meant that I was happy to sleep during the day (again without worrying about the baby) so was more able to do night time changes/feeds etc on my own.

Also made sure I had snack type food with me & who ever was coming in that day bought me nutritious meals.

Ummm ... what else? I get them to take the cannula out asap to improve mobility (basically when you've proven you can drink without puking post spinal). Also ask for a crib which clips onto the bed rather than the wheelie cot - makes it much easier to move the baby. Make sure you always have the call buzzer & bed controls close to hand. In my maternity hospital they are fine about mobile 'phones on the ward - that helped, being able to get in contact with the outside world without any hassle (with my first you had to leave the ward (& baby) to use a pay phone :( ) reduced my anxiety. I took a notepad in so I could write down what I'd been told & who'd said it - ime you get told stuff that they then deny.

Thanks everyone - some very kind thoughts here. Some of this is going to be down to personal preference, I guess... I hope I'll be able to get mobile and get catheter and cannula out quite quickly - not everyone's preference, I know, but I think it'll be mine!

Some really good thoughts about visitors too. I know more people here now than I did the first time, so I should make the most of visiting hours!

Haziedoll, no - it's a West Wing reference!