Experienced c-section ladies, can you help?

[kickingking]

I'm thinking ahead to my planned section (two weeks - argh!) This will be my second elcs.

With my first, baby was born about 10am, and I then spent a lovely day breastfeeding, cuddling, eventually having visitors and floating on a cloud of morphine bliss.

On the post natal ward, at about 10pm, I was asked if I wanted to get out of bed and have a shower. I said no thanks - I've no idea why now, I think I was just tired.
I was actually helped out of bed the next lunchtime when DH was there, and he helped me have a shower and get dressed.

I've since been told that the sooner you get out of bed, the quicker your recovery tends to be. Is this true? And if you get up and have your shower without a relative to help you, does a midwife help you? There is no way I would have been able to manage completely alone in the bathroom - if I had showered etc. when I was first offered, would someone have come with me?

The other slightly random thing I never worked out in four days on the post natal ward, was what you are supposed to do with your baby when you shower every morning and go to
the loo. I was told off for leaving my baby alone while I went to the loo, so I ended up waiting til I had visitors in the evening to shower. Everyone else on the PN ward seemed to have a partner turning up at 9am every morning, I didn't have that last time and won't this time either. So what do you do about showering and going to the loo??

Any

highlander I am interested in your morphine comment. I hated it, made me feel sick and got this awful crawling ant sensation as it wore off.

What does the other drug do, and why do you recommend it over morphine?

I think they usually do use diclofenac, I was given morphine because I am allergic to aspirin/ibuprofen and it is in the same class of drugs.

So you don't need a drip for that then? I had a drip thing in my hand for two days which was v uncomfortable. Would rather not!!

Morphine made me want to claw off my own face.

Here they alternate paracetamol and diclofenac post cs. And you get a suppository as routine during the op. I didn't need any painkillers at all but it's a good idea to take them regularly if you do and write down what you had and when. Absolutely no reason to be in pain.

Ask about whether you'll get blood thinners too? Hospital policy here has changed. All cs patients get surgical stockings and 10 days of self-administered injections (in your belly).

Vickity, I had a drip up post cs and it was just administering fluids. Newborn ds ripped it out about 3hrs post op and they didn't replace it. Made a mess of my arm though.

Morphine for me was oral morphine.

Had to self inject thinners for 10 days in thigh.

With ds, emcs, mw made mew get out of bed after 24 hours, had a shower (no help) and I was up and running in 4 weeks (not actually running, that took 12 weeks).

With dd last year, emcs, I was out of bed about 12 hours later but not fuller recoverd for 9 weeks. Her hearty stooped and the cs was a real "slash and pull" job under ga, far from gentle, which I imagine is the reason for the v slow recovery (that and having a 3 yo to look after too)

I hated the clexhane injections. DH had to do them for me once we came home,

I've had four sections in two different hospitals.

One you took your baby everywhere and the other you had to put the baby in the nursery when you ate.

Remember flannels to combat itching, cold flannels are a god send and don't forget lip balm/vaseline to stop your lips drying out!

Thanks all.

I'm intrigued by the comments about morphine. I was given a suppository in theatre, not sure what - I want to think Voltarol? I was given an injection of morphine after saying I was having contracting type pains, the midwife said they were down to lots of breastfeeding.

I have to say I loved the morphine. I was sooo relaxed and happy Am I unusual?!

kickingking Maybe I reacted to the morphine then? It made me so sick and the crawling feeling was horrible. I thought that's how it feels to most people so perhaps I'm wrong! It's interesting for my memory to be returned there and remember things that may help this time around.

The suppository I had was definitely voltarol. I asked them not to mention they were doing it but knew from the pre-op chat that it would happen.

Morphine made me itch like I have never itched before. The crawling sensation on my skin was awful. Never again. They gave that in my iv whilst in theatre too. As the sensation returned in increments, my whole body was taken over by the intense itchy crawly feeling. That and the shoulder tip pain from trapped wind were the worst points.

Peppermint tea btw if you get the shoulder tip pain/trapped wind. They give it to you on the ward if you ask for it. Magic stuff.