Section next week - advice re various, please!

[spub]

Hi,
I know these questions have been asked a million times but please indulge a heavily pregnant and increasingly brain dead mumsnetter....

Any advice re dh's role re the section? Does he change into those scrub things and what does he wear underneath?(Having mental images of it all going farcically "Carry on").

I have bought tea tree oil and lavender to help with the wound healing. Know they can't be applied neat so can anyone tell me what the bloody hell to do with them?

I have flip flops for the inevitable shower and dettox wipes already packed thanks to an earlier, highly informative thread.

I have arnica 30 to take after the section and fennel tea to help with the digestion and encourage milk production.

Any other tips or reassurances about sections would be most welcome. DD1 was a vaginal delivery but there were some complications so this is my first section. At the moment, I'm having a bit of trouble focusing on the having the baby aspect rather than the having an operation. Silly, I know!

BIG PANTS
SARONG- nice to wear in hosp after C-section, won;t press on scar, easy to put on and off round catheteter bag etc. Trousers are impossible with a bag atached to your privates.If your losing a lot of blood use it as a lap shawl while sitting on inco pads, then reaarrange as skirt when you need to stand up for what ever reason.
You can ask for catheter to be taken out once your moving about and a resonable ammount of wee is collecting in the bag. you will then probadly be given a jug to measure your wee untill you are weeing plenty. I found the bag was quite a goood thing as I didn't have to get up and walk to the loo before I was ready to do so.
How long you have a dressing on the scar will depend on how its healing. I had no dressing on from day 2.

Would add that I tried to get up 12 hours after my section, went green and nearly fainted. They told me I could get up in the evening, but I wish I hadn't tried... as then I was really scared of trying again the next morning - but by then it was fine (if rather slow...!!). Don't push getting back on your feet too quickly after the op - take a rest.

Can I ask a quick question? How soon after your c-sections did you have visitors/ feel up to having visitors? My section is this week and certain family members want to come and see lo immediately but I am not sure I will feel up to it. What did you all do about visitors?

Had DD at 10:16am...when I got back on the ward at luchtime, the midwives told me my mum had been on the phone every 10 mins since 10 am and could I PLEASE call her! I did and her and Dad came over in the afternoon. Was still numb from the spinal and euphoric from the birth so it was fine. Felt really proud and wanted to show DD off! DH was around and did everything for us. They only stayed a short time. MIL and FIL came the next day and friends and my grandparents. All ok. Out three days after the birth so had a stream of visitors from then on. Similar with DS but had to wait all day for a theatre slot so he wasn't born til after 7pm. Visitors all trooped in from the following afternoon onwards. Just do it your way. Whatever that may be!

I had visitors quite soon after I was back on the ward but was so nervous. DSs 1,2 and 3 all jumping around bed -I still had my IV and catheter in. Had v. itchy nose. Remind nurse to put IV on - mine didn't I was really dehydrated and headachey.

Have a bikini wax a few days before if you can bare it - get it quite low then you won't have to be dry shaved oh so itchy.

My surgeon had classic FM on - it was playing Carmina Burana - the music from The Omen movie - made it all rather dramatic but once they'd convinced me that my legs were actually numb it was fine.

My blood pressure dipped a bit when I first lay down and I felt a faint and sick - I told the aneathetist and he fiddled with the drug thing and I felt amazing - when I told him so he said " Ah yes - that'll be the heroin."!!??

Haven't read the whole of this thread so forgive me if someone has already mentioned putting a cup of milk with a good few drops of lavendar oil mixed in into your bath. It really helps heal your scar, whether it's from a c-section or down below.
Also, take something to read... I was out of hospital within 36 hours after my section but some people are in longer so you may find something to read helpful... you never know your baby could sleep lots
The radio was on when I had my section but I know some hospitals let you take your own music if you want to... just an idea! Although you may not have room in your bag!
Good luck! x

Arnica's great and I agree with the big pants!! Flip flops are also a must for the shower. Also, in many OTs, you can play your own CDs, so make one up with any special songs you want.

The cs is absolutely brilliant - even though mine was an emergency, it was a really positive experience. It's really emotional and so lovely to meet your baby - they laid my daughter next to me while they stitched my up afterwards and our faces were just inches from each other - I'll never forget it.

On the visiting front, insist on what you want before the birth, that way if you are ignored, you can ask people to leave/not stay!! That's what I'm doing, next time - tell people what is and isn't acceptable beforehand, that way you'll avoid the visitors in recovery (yes - just hours after my op). Next time, there's just going to be dh and dd for at least the first 48 hours and if anyone else tries to visit I'm going to shout at them to go away!!!! Harsh but fair!!!!

Recovery went OK for me, but then I took it easy for the first few days and had lots of help at home re the cleaning / cooking. I'd also made up lots of fab food and put it in the freezer whilst off on maternity, so that helped for a while. Basically, do as you're told, as it's only you who'll suffer if you hurt yourself. You are expected to be wonder woman, picking up the baby, walking about, within days of the operation - it's tiring, but I just ignored everything/everyone else and concentrated on getting to know my baby and getting better myself. Didn't lift a finger for anyone else for weeks!!!

Dh's role- he will change in to the scrubs and he'll give you support while it's all going on. We had a screen up, so both saw the baby for the first time together when they brought her round. He got the first hold, as I was being stitched up, and he couldn't stop crying - it was such a wonderful experience for both of us.

Enjoy it - I'd go through it all again tomorrow!!! Being a mum is so ace!! Can't wait to have another!!!!

Agree you won't want lots of visitors while you are still in recovery, not fair on other patients as well as they may have had more traumatic emergency sections or other ops. I only had Dh and my MIL in recovery. MIL is best freind though so I was desperate to see her.

I had a private room thank goodness but there was a few occasions where I just wanted them to all go away, felt very presured at times to almost perform, well Jackanory.

Prepare Dh or Mum beforehand so you just have to nudge them and they can show them out rather than you having to get stressed or worry about being rude. Perhaps a pre arranged signal, like scratching your nose .

I found that the first day the visitors were fine - just had FIL though, for about half an hour, and DH all day. The next day, my parents, and DH's brother - by the time they left, I was in tears and had had enough. It will all depend how knackered you are etc. so I think the best idea is the pre-arranged signal to get people to leave if you want them to. And lay the ground now that you might just tell them to piss off, so that if you don't want to see anyone, you can get your partner to say so and they won't be too shocked.

Don't stress to much if your wound bleeds a bit about a week to ten days afterwards. Mine did and I panicked majorly (thinking I was coming apart at the seams!) Apparently often the odd clot works its way through the wound and this is absolutely fine. I just put a clean sanitary towel across the wound (kept in place with the BIG COTTON PANTS and it stopped bleeding really quickly.

i just had family visitors first, section 3am, visitors 5pm, obviously DH all day after he had gone home and slept and raided m and s for gd fd.had best friend nxt day but other than her kept to just family in hospital which was gd plan i feel.was out 3 days later and then had loads of visitors which actually kept spirits up and took mind off pain.also felt better and better each time i relayed gruesome details to more and more friends!

Haven't read the thread to apologies if I repeat anything ( am sure I will)

few drops of tea tree in warm water - sponge over wound, dry with paper towels. I just kept a roll of paper towels in the bathroom.

they will give him scrubs and lovely rubber shoes!! to change into and then he will change out of them back into his own clothes.

agree with the v shaped pillow

big pants ( think I saw that somewhere)

I have had 2 c-sections and whilst the first was an emergency - still very calm relaxing chatting away - the focus will be in the baby soon enough. Took about 4 minutes ( each time)from the time they started opening me up until dd1 and 2 were out.

Be prepared to wait. With elective - I was booked for 10.30am ish and finally went into theatre about 3.30pm. You will get bumped for emergencies.

Hi Spub - Just wanted to echo what Tallmummy said about bikini line. My midwife told me that they would dry shave off the top inch of hair before the op....ouch!!! Have taken matters into my own hands as definitely don't fancy that!

Hey Twirl,
How you doing? The time is definitely approaching!
I had my bikini area waxed yesterday(smug emoticon). Was deffo NOT having it dry shaved...
I did trim it a bit first (bloody hell, olympic like shenanigans involved there AND I ended up cutting a hole in my knickers (could have been worse - LOL)).
Also tracked down some peppermint cordial at last.
Hope the thread will continue to throw up nuggets of genius info and thanks again to everyone who's posted so far.
Power to the big pants.

Warning with regards to bikini line it can get a bit messed up hair wise, once it starts growong back in you can get a few (or loads of ingrowing hairs, as it doesn't quite match up the same IYKWIM.

Hours of fun once scar has healed for DH with a pin and a pair of tweezers, don't worry it will probably be numb.

Skribble!
Do you guys not have a telly or some board games or summat?
DH and a pin? In my bikini line?
Numb or not there's something deeply worrying to me about that!!!

Haven't read the whole thread so sorry if I'm repeating what someone has said. My essential after the big knickers were one of those flight masks and a pair of ear plugs. Both helped me get some much needed sleep when I needed it.

Apparantly picking out the ingrowing hairs was very satisfiying . I would watch the telly while he worked away.

Huge thanks to all who posted. Your advice was invaluable for my section which I have now had! It was all very helpful and I was hugely grateful for the peppermint cordial; the best advice was undoubtedly the big pants!!!
I have posted on the birth announcements thread.
Thanks again.