knickers during c section

[milz2014]

Are they on or off? Funny how certain things freak you out isn't it?

I've ha

Whaaatttt? The doctor had his hand up my minky??? Why????

B

Stupid phone

I've had two sections. One scheduled one emcs. No drugs up the bum. Must not be a done thing at my hospital? I wasn't amazingly cleaned up either, quick wipe and a bad stuck on (or not in the case of ds1, that was a mess when they tried to move me from recovery)

My sections were both hard but ok. I demanded extra nights in hospital though - had four with ds1 and three with ds2.

i remember the pain from trapped wind - peppermint is ace for that. And dont try and do it without regular pain relief after. And a cushion for sneezing to brace yourself. And big big big knickers - you do not want anything resting on that scar.

I asked them to give me a really thorough hoovering out and because of the complications I had, ended up with one.

I got away with just 9 days of post natal loss. Bliss.

I ask. The mum is usually awake anyway so it's an easy thing to do. 'Consent' from a drugged woman who is in agony and terrified for the life of her child or herself is a thorny issue anyway. Very different for elective sections obviously, and for many urgent or emergency ones, but not all.
It used to be routine to assume that consent for the procedure meant consent for any routine part of it, including suppositories if they were an accepted 'routine' part of it. Things changed though when a woman was (understandably) very upset to discover she'd been given a suppository after a dental procedure. Bit different, having your dentist furtling in your knicks than an obstetrician whose cleaning/appropriately checking that area anyway. But, if the patient is awake - it's good practice to ask. A lot of anaesthetic charts have a specific box to tick for (verbal) consent to a suppository.
It's a wooly area though - as pp said, it's impractical and inappropriate to ask for specific consent for each individual stage of a procedure (esp as you quite often don't know what you're going to have to do til you're there...). However I think social niceties as much as anything make it a good idea to at least let an awake patient know that an added extra (pain relief) of potentially embarrassing kind (suppository) is in the offing and is it ok. I wouldn't though ask specific extra consent for local anaesthetic infiltration or intravenous anaesthesia as a rule. I would consider myself a bit sloppy and open to criticism if I didn't do those as a matter of course anyway!

Knickers definitely off! Just a hospital gown & some glamorous tight stockings!

For afterwards make sure you have super big pants, don't make the same mistake as me and go for the crappy paper knickers that you can buy in Boots or Mothercare- AWFUL!

Just get big cotton knickers- either maternity ones which have a generous amount of material to cover the bump or just a few sizes up would work too I think.

Hope this helps!

PS problem with paper knickers was that there was no real elasticity or 'give' in the material despite buying my size.

I remember painfully cutting a pair off me, the relief was instant!

Also I remember the HCA or whoever shouting at me that my husband needed to buy me some proper knickers...I completely forgot that I'd packed the lovely cotton maternity ones!

Yes paper knickers are handy as you throw them out after but they are so bloody uncomfortable there's no point wearing them!

And on the subject of analgesia via suppository- I remember the lovely anaesthetist informing me that this was what they were going to do and was that ok with me?

Oh yes please, glad I did as my spinal wore off so quickly and I was in rather a lot of pain a few hours post CS.

Knickers off :) but not just for the suppositories - depending on the anaesthetist, you may not get them. Many of my colleagues give tablets and a cup of tea in recovery, I give them in liquid form in the IV - there are lots of ways of getting drugs into people, not just rectally!

At the end of the op though, you will have had some blood loss vaginally - that will need to be gently cleaned out so you aren't suddenly sitting in a pool of it when you sit up. Some hospitals you also get a warm soapy wash before you are transferred to a clean bed, others you're just slid over to inco sheets and you get up and shower yourself the next day.

I went down to theatre with my knickers on and a pad because I was gushing fluid. The midwives took them off before they started but that was after the spinal.

Hic I wondered about that. I had a line in. Surely that would have been a more efficient method of getting painkillers into me than shoving them up my bum?

Are they stronger/effective quicker up there? It seems a bit old Skool if inessential. Frankly, it's also quite embarrassing.

I've NC but I was further up the thread...

I think putting them up the bum is a more "local" way of delivering the pain relief.

Also lines sometimes stop working. If there is an alternative way of delivering pain relief that will be good, if they can give it to you orally or another way they will, so they can get the line out as soon as they have stopped needing it for the surgery as it is an infection risk.

IV drugs are really reserved for situations where you can't take anything by mouth or need it very quickly. IV morphine wears off very quickly, so if they gave it to you IV it will have worn off by the time your spinal wears off! The suppository is more slow real ease!

I don 't remember having a suppository, just lots and lots of oromorph that gave me poo problems later on.

I don't remember being asked about the suppository for my EMCS (bit out of it!) but I definitely was for my ELCS.

After my EMCS I said I felt great and they said 'that'll be the morphine suppository'. I was a bit surprised as I had no idea I'd had one, but really did feel great so when they asked me at my ELCS I said definitely yes please!

I nearly forgot to take off my knickers for my ELCS, I suddenly realised when I was about to have the epidural. DH had to then find somewhere to put them.

I think by the time it comes to it, there are so many other things going on, including knowing your baby will be in your arms in about half an hour, that taking your knickers off becomes less of an issue. I seem to remember being painted orange, glamorous it isn't. I suspect all the surgery team care about is getting the baby out safely, not the state of your bikini line.

i had no idea i had a suppository, til the lady inthe bed next to me told me, afterwards, i was

best advice i had was to walk tall after the c section.

No suppositories for elcs here either. My surgeon was lovely and very professional and asked what method of pain relief I would prefer. I said and firm no to them and was given IV pain killers instead. Also, I requested my knickers back on ASAP and it was honoured in recovery. But off during procedure for catheter.

I'd say if its elective so calm and organised tell them exactly what you want.

Including getting to hold your baby ASAP. It's policy at my hospital to not get your baby in theatre and the midwife takes DH and baby to recovery while you go through the very undignified process of being rolled and cleaned! So bloody humiliating! And yes I did care very much and was very upset by it. I don't get people who say they didn't care by that point.

No suppositories for elcs here either. My surgeon was lovely and very professional and asked what method of pain relief I would prefer. I said and firm no to them and was given IV pain killers instead. Also, I requested my knickers back on ASAP and it was honoured in recovery. But off during procedure for catheter.

I'd say if its elective so calm and organised tell them exactly what you want.

Including getting to hold your baby ASAP. It's policy at my hospital to not get your baby in theatre and the midwife takes DH and baby to recovery while you go through the very undignified process of being rolled and cleaned! So bloody humiliating! And yes I did care very much and was very upset by it. I don't get people who say they didn't care by that point.

Teatime, I do know what you mean.

I had an induction so was in 24 hours with various poking down there then when moved to labour ward I had my waters broken and it was all very clinical so i'd gotten used to it by that point.

I think the gas and air helped me not care. Bits of it I was mortified by. As was OH.

I'm not pregnant or even ttc and I'm already nervous about my next which will be elective because I won't have had all that stuff to get me used to it.

I didn't know whether I was being stitched up, cleaned, arse in the air or whatever because there was a big screen up and I couldn't see or feel anything.

Easier not to be mortified by something if you don't know!

But you know they're doing something

I spent the whole time thinking 'I've been cut open, below that screen I'm wide open' followed by 'oh my god, oh my god'

It's easy to detach your mind though with all the happy conversation etc

When I had DC1 I was gazing at him lovingly and being kissed by my tearful husband and then realised that a theatre staff person who looked like he was in slipknot, had his finger up my arse!

Second ELCS and I had two lots! One was an AB the other was pain relief.

I was terrified first time I had an ELCS - my kneecaps were wobbling up and down as I went to theatre and I begged the anaesthetist to give me something for my nerves as I was going to run off! She said she couldn't do anything till the baby was out but I think gave me something straight after, or perhaps it was diamorphine. Either way I was suddenly chilled out!

Whaaaaat?? I wasn't aware someone stuck something up my bum either! And if they did, it sure as hell wasn't effective pain relief!

Monty it's funny you should say that about the anaesthetist saying she couldn't give you anything until the baby was our. I had exactly the opposite experience. My second cs I was taken into theatre, trying to stifle my sobs, but I was shaking with fear, heart racing etc. Anaesthetist was so so lovely, and sympathetic, and offered me something to calm me down which I gladly took. It must come down to hospital policy rather than it being unsafe to give it.

She also offered me general anaesthetic if I felt too nervous to have a spinal block, and although it was tempting I declined as I knew I'd regret missing the birth.

I love anaesthetists, I've (sadly) had a few operations and they're always so calm and sympathetic!