Positive Elective Section Stories, Please!

[dy14]

I am pregnant with my 3rd child, have my 20week scan on friday. My DS born 2010 was a hard birth. My second DS born 2013 was slightly easier than first but had a bad internal and external tear therefore I have chose to have an ELS. I am extremely anxious about this as nevwr had one before and worried incase somthing bad happens! :( I cant stop thinking about it!

Please any help/advice/positive stories would be great!

Thanks everyone. Its great to hear people's experiences. Everything sounds great. and glad to hear everyones had a positibe experience and would recommend it! Is there more risks with having a ELS? Also is there anything you would recommend I do pre section to maybe makes things easier or more 'organised'? I've heard eat alot of fruit? and a big carby meal night before?

I would be worried because im so anxious is that I go into labour before the planned section - in that case is what would happen?

Also is there any questions or anything you would or wished you had asked pre section?

Sorry for all the questions, My appts end of month with obstetrician to discuss and nobody in my family nor I have had a elective section before.

Thanks again

Have a changing station upstairs and downstairs that requires no bending down. Train other child to walk as much as possible and to hug from the side!

I had one and it was absolutely fine. No pain on the day and a lovely controlled experience. There was a little bit of pain a couple of days later but it was honestly not bad. Yes, I needed some help at the hospital but I was perfectly able to nurse the baby and enjoy her. Looking back, the C section forced me to just stop and take that time, which was lovely. Provided I was careful and didn't push myself, the wound was not a problem. Like others, I didn't feel inconvenienced.

My experience was positive. It was an emergency cs. I loved the catheter as it was the first night in ages I didn't need to get up to wee! I loved the time in hospital just focusing on tiny ds and with nothing else to do! And I say that as someone who had been determined to leave hospital the same day/ night I gave birth. Obviously the recovery time is longer, though having said that some friends who had vaginal births seemed to have long recoveries too. Really, a cs is a very straightforward procedure. If I had another child I would have an elective section.

Yeah I am going to purchase a baby bath with stand I think. My partner will get leave also so he will be there to help thankfully!

My friend had a section due to breech baby position and she said its hard getting in and out car and driving over bumps or whatever? How did you cope coming home. Thanks

I had a vb with dc 1 & 2. Both were straightforward. I had an elcs with dc3 (long story as to why) and that was also fine. In terms of recovery the section was harder than a simple vb but I guess much easier than a complicated vb. I hated being incapacitated and was up and about very quickly and comfortable driving at 3 weeks.

I had an emergency section last time. Planning elective section this time for a calmer experience. Getting home was fine last time. Bit sore for about a week for I was going for daily walks after 10 days and driving at 3 weeks. Difficulty was lifting baby car seat.

Did any of you have issues breastfeeding after an ELCS?
I have requested one and currently between consultant appts where he tried scaremongering giving me all the positives of a VBAC and the horrors of an ELCS not realising I've done a lot of research.

Yep they tried to scare me too-they also tried to insinuate bonding would be more difficult. I responded by asking them for the evidence for this and writing a letter of complaint after my elcs. And taking in the nice guidelines about maternal choice and elcs.

Had no issues bf after either Cs-it is the removal of the placenta that triggers milk production, whether it happens after a vb or a Cs.

Can someone tell me exactly what a VBAC is ?

I cant imagine it to be impossible to BF after ELCS but possibly sorer?

VBAC: vaginal birth after c-section.

Ah I see. Thanks still pretty new to mumsnet and the lingo (embarrass face) Haha!

Haggisfish Oh no! Which area / Hosp were you? Ours was pretty bad about it too.
However, we've been told by a NHS + Private Sector (works for both) midwife that many hospitals in our area are being told to clamp down on ELCS. Their books don't look good, apparently.
When they're trying to push for home deliveries, with many cost cutting casualties going unreported, it makes me ill. That's the other end of the spectrum.
I investigated the cost difference between VB and C Sec, and it's 1/2 price (according to some sources). I offered to pay for mine just so baby is safely here, but the hell that we were dragged through by our Hosp is incomprehensible and unnecessary because we'd have needed an emergency C Sec anyway, so the problems would've been a lot bigger than they were.

I was in Worcestershire. It was only one consultant-everyone else was hugely supportive.

I had an ELCS 6 weeks ago. No medical reason, I just decided I preferred the ELCS to the risks associated with a VB. I had a private obstetrician who performed the surgery but it was in a public hospital (am in NZ, not the UK, but I understdn our materniy systems are quite similar).

I was really happy with the operation and the recovery, I was glad I'd made the decision to have the ELCS. I had it at 39 weeks on the dot. (I had an awfful pregnancy, daily nausea, SPD and terrible scitica in the last week, so bad I could barely walk so was very glad to have a fixed end date, especially as pregnancies in my family tend to go 2 weeks over!)

DS was 3.37kg. I don't really remember the operation being uncomfortable - I was v nauseous halfway through and threw up during the op & after in the recovery room (but then again I'd thrown up every day for the previous 9 months so not sure this was related to the operation!!) Stayed in hospital 2 nights & then discharged myself, I was getting bored stuck in the hospital bed! Once mistake I made was to try to wean myself off the tramadol too early, on my 2nd night home, I still had terrible sciatica/back pain which made bending over the moses basket/picking up DS agony, that was silly of me. (Again though, I think the back pain was more pregnancy than CS related). I kept taking the tramadol for a week afterwards then 2 x ibuprofen a day for about 3 weeks.

My milk came in within 3 days and breastfeeding has been going well, no problems there. Started driving at 3 weeks, exercising (walking with buggy & swimming between 750m - 1km) at 4 weeks. Been avoiding housework as long as possible though!!

Scar has healed up really nicely and will only continue to fade, lochia all gone now (was intermittant by 4 weeks). The first few days of DS' life are a bit of a blur but I don't know if that was the drugs or the hormones!!

All things considered it suited me really well, I knew what I was in for and could plan for it - the relief at the SPD just disppearing once the baby was out was incredible! And the nausea and the heartburn gone! Bliss. I wasn't hung up on a birth experience so the clinical nature of it didn't bother me. Recvery has been excellent, I hink I've recovered faster than some friends who had natural deliveries.

Gennz -

Thank you so much for your post glad that you had a positive experience with a section.

I am extremely anxious and nervous cant stop thinking about the actually soinal/epidural before section part the most!

The spinal isn't too bad - the canula in my hand hurt more! You sit on the edge of the bed and hug a pillow and lean forwards with a midwife to talk to/hold your hand. They spray numbing cold spray and inject local anaesthetic first. Then it feels like pushing when the spinal goes in and you keep v still. Tingling electric shock feeling down your leg is normal. Everyone in the room is v.nice and chatty to put you at ease. Once needle is sorted you can move and lie down. Your bottom half feels pleasantly a bit warmer as it takes effect. They check with a pin or freezing spray to make sure it is working. Then before you even know it, they have started! It is very quick to get baby out and you can have skin to skin while they sew you up.

I had an ELCS....

It was an amazing experience ....really calm and surprisingly civilised....

To be honest the worst but for me was the Spinal....I have a huge fear of them though....the rest was a breeze....

Good luck

I had an ELCS...really calm, relaxed, pain free experience. The spinal felt no more uncomfortable than a normal injection. Didn't feel a thing during delivery.

I was up, walking, having a shower by the next day. A week later I was strolling in the park. Honestly, the pain was minimal. I've had running injuries that hurt more.

One tip, if you feel very nauseous post-op tell the nurses as they can give you anti-sickness medication and it really helps. You need to make sure you're able to eat/drink.

Emcs first time and elective 15 weeks ago. A beautiful birth and experience. You will be in control and there's nothing to worry about. Read the 'cs tips' thread by gingerbread too for more info. Good luck, I've never regretted a thing xxx

I had ELCS with both my dc, due to transverse lie and the risk of cord prolapse. For me, the main things: be aware that you won't be able to bend down for some time afterwards, e.g. if you drop something on the floor. Therefore make sure you can do as much as possible without bending e.g. changing tables, stand for baby bath (or bath baby in the sink).

I couldn't walk far after either birth for about 2-3 weeks and had to build up slowly, even going up and down the street was a long way for a while.

Take all the painkillers you are offered. The midwife said to me, "if you can't feel pain, it means the painkillers are working, don't wait until you feel the pain before taking the painkillers". It is more difficult to control the pain once you feel it, that managing it before you feel it.

I did loose a lot of blood with both my ELCS (about a litre each time) and was quite severely anaemic. You may need a transfusion afterwards in that case. I don't know if that is common though, or just me.

Lastly, bare in mind that the risks associated with ELCS will affect future pregnancies. If you are thinking of further children, it is worth considering.

Thanks all so much great reading those all.

I am anemic also but looking for get somthing other than iron tablets from doctors as they are horrible.

I had my 20w scan today and have placenta previa? So may need a section either way xx

Can you still have ELECS with PP?