If you had an elcs when did your young dc visit?

[Fisharefriendsnotfood]

I booked for a elcs on Tuesday morning. Dd is in reception (4.5) and ds is 2.9. They are super excited about baby coming and dd understands that on Tuesday I'm going to the hospital for the baby to come out.

Im trying to plan the week and was wondering will it be too early for them to visit Tuesday evening?

I was desperate to see my DD1 after my ELCS. DD2 was delivered at 12:09 and I did manage to see her that afternoon, I think at about 5PM.

It was very much driven by me though - I kept asking when I could leave HDU etc and they said I had to eat and drink something and be able to stand to get into the wheelchair.

I felt fine so did all that and I think she visited at about 6PM.

I recovered really well from my ELCS and felt great but I would not at all advocate pushing yourself to get out of HDU if you don't feel up to it.

Sorry, that makes no sense! I think I got out of HDU at about 5PM and she visited at about 6PM. I think I must have got to HDU at about 1PM so they let me out after about 4 hours.

I wouldn't plan for them to def visit on the tues, because if your section gets pushed back you could still feel pretty rough tues evening.

I went in for mine in the morning, and didn't have babies until 4pm, and so the older two didnt visit until the next day.

Oh, good luck with your ELCS btw!

I didn't get to the post natal ward until 5p after my elcs so planned for dd to visit the next afternoon after nursery.

Don't forget that you might get bumped down the list if there is an emergency.

My dd went straight to SCBU (unexpectedly) after my ELCS. I would have felt ready for ds to visit me the day after op.

In the end, he made the decision for us (was 3.4 at the time) and firmly said he didn't want to go to the hospital, he wanted to wait till Mummy got home. Was agony for me, 4 nights without him (had never been away from him overnight before!) but it was his choice.

Ds was born at about 10am. It was dd's second day at school so she finished at lunchtime. MIL brought her in to see me outwith visiting hours as soon as she'd picked her up from school. It was a fleeting visit but lovely.

She then came again for the afternoon visiting time. Dd was 4 (almost 5) so super excited.

I had mine mid-morning and my 19 mo came about 5 - he was quite upset seeing me in bed hooked up to lines.

Yy, i didn't want dd to see me hooked up to anything. I also had a catheter until 11pm that night. The 2nd day i was more mobile and able to have a 2.9 year old on my lap.

Its up to you though. Maybe play it by ear and get your dc in if you feel ok and have time before the end of visiting hours

Thanks everyone, I think we will see how it all goes on the day .. So excited/ nervous

When I had DS2 I knew I was first on the list so he should be born fairly early.

We dropped DS1 and DD with a friend around 8am, as we were due at the hospital at 8.30. The friend took DS1 and DD to school. DS2 was born around 10.30 (can't believe I can't remember). About 11.30, while I was still in recovery DH went to fetch the others. If I or DS2 had been unwell he wouldn't have, of course.

When they came back we were on the ward. Twas lovely

(When DH arrived at school reception someone went to get the DCs. While he was waiting another reception lady asked what we'd had and DH said "a boy" then burst into tears. Aaah blessim! )

duh not "recovery" I meant "delivery" as in the delivery suite.

With ds, we made the decision to have the dds (3 and 4 at the time) to visit the next day. I am very glad we did, because a) I was wrecked, shakey and vomiting a lot and b) ds was in nicu, and they wouldn't have been able to see him until the next day.

My daughter came up the next day after school (at the same time I was coming home)

It would have been ok the first day, but we didn't get out of theatre in time to pick her up from school, so my sister picked her up and took her to her home which was in the wrong direction.

Dd2 was born at 8:54am by semi elective cs (I was booked for a cs at 39 weeks, she had other ideas and arrived at 37+4!); as soon as I was out of theatre I sent dh to get dd1 (4.5) because she had been so excited to meet her new sister. They arrived back at the hospital at around 10:30/11 maybe? It was obviously an anti climax though, she couldn't wait to leave because my dm had promised her that they'd make cakes when they got back, and that was obviously much more exciting . Then she came back in that evening during visiting, I was on the postnatal ward by then, and I was discharged the next day at lunchtime.

Would the school frown on her being taken out for an hour or two during the day?

There's no harm in asking, although it would probably be less disruptive to take the whole day off. I had dd2 during the summer break so it wasn't an issue for us.

Thanks everyone