C-section stories please - brutal truth if necessary!

[SantaGotStuckUpTheGreensleeve]

I'm more or less sure that I am going to ask for an elective caesarean if we have another baby. I would like to be awake and dh to be there. Can anyone share their experiences with me? How much pain is involved? How long does it take, and what is the recovery like? I don;t know very much about it, but I know I can't go through another "natural" delivery.

On this trapped wind point - I'd been warned about it on mumsnet and thought it wasn't going to happen to me. It did, but it wasn't painful, just embarrassingly noisy in that internal weird noises way! Took about 2 days before I got this, then 2-3 days to clear it.

I personally had an emergency section, so under an epidural rather than a spinal - screamed the theatre down as I only had pain relief on one side and could feel everything on the other side. Very unlikely to happen with a planned section. Afterwards I was fine, hoovering 3 days later. Left hospital on Day 2.

My Sister had a planned section (breech) and while the op went fine it took her about 3 weeks to be able to get out of bed. Very bad recovery and totally did not expect the amount of pain she would be in afterwards.

Its impossible to say how you will cope with recovery. You just don't know until afterwards.

I had an elective CS for breech DS. I sailed through it. Was up and about the same evening, was pressing for discharge on day 2 and by the time I was discharged on day 3, I was completely fit and mobile. Mind you, the painkillers were seriously good. However, as has been said previously, you have no idea how you're going to find it until you're there. I'm generally a fast recoverer, and I was fit & healthy before I had the op, and also did exactly what I was told - i.e. drink loads of water, don't eat for x hours and get mobile ASAP. But luck still has loads to do with it.

That said, I am aiming for a home VBAC this time. The epidural definitely dulled my emotions and made DS very sleepy. He was a reluctant feeder for over 24 hours and had to be syringe fed, and lost just under 10% of weight as a result. And I hated being in hospital (hence pressing for the discharge). Hated not being given DS to hold as soon as he was born. Hated the clinical impersonal feeling of being in surgery rather than of having a baby. Also hated not being able to drive for 5+ weeks. That would be an absolute nightmare now I have DS to ferry around to his various activities.

Can I ask when you're supposed to be able to start walking any distance again? It's not that it hurts too much, but I keep being told not to twist or lift, and I can feel the dragginess when I walk, so I don't walk very far or at all quickly, just a couple of hundred yards at any one time. Is it safe to increase this? It's coming up to 3 weeks since my c-section.

Its safe to walk as far as you feel you can without you personally feel that you've overdone it.

I walked 2 miles ito town then back, pushign a buggy 5 days afetr section (can you tell I'm proud of my quick recovery ). But I never had any pain/discomfort afterwards. Its safe to walk - you're not going to cause your scar to reopen by walking.

I've had an emergency and an elective section.
The elective was obviously a lot calmer, made a big difference having it at 10am rather than 1am.
The spinal is easier than the epidural I think. They get you to curl up as much as possible which is quite hard when having contractions like I was for my first. The spinal also works faster and doesn't last as long.
The pain afterwards is horrible, 7 years ago I had a morphine drip to control the pain. 4 years ago, I just had tablets at the same hospital.
I think it also makes a difference with what type of stitches you have. I'd prefer the disolving ones any day.

I guess there's issues and stories with any delivery, "natural" or c-section.
The BEST bit though (apart from meeeting DS obviously) was when they lift you off the table onto the bed, and although you know there are hands supporting you, you can only feel the ones under your shoulders and you feel like one of those magic tricks where the woman is supported at one end only and the rest of her body floats in the air. Fab, but only lasted a second or two.
Worst bit for me was the nausea and itching, apparently I had a reaction to the drugs. Itched all across my face during the op itself, then slowly across my whole body as the spinal wore off.
Personally, stuggled to my feet within 12 hours. Nearly normal walking in 24 hours. Pain from scar gone within a few days. Felt able to drive within three weeks.
Good luck with it, whichever way you go for.

the shaving for the section is horrible, it actually made me pass out as I kept imagining thats how it will feel when they do cut me. They then had to whisk me off for blood tests to find out why I passed out. I could have told them the answer without the need of a blood test, it was because I am a big wimp!

I opted for c section for second after horrible first birth. C section was fantastic, amazing, best ever experience of my life. No pain at all. Only feel a bit weird when spinal goes in.

Recovery much much faster than first horrible birth. Look at dd now, and cannot believe how easily she came into world. Spinal went in about 10.05am. Dd born 10.19 am, still feel stunned by how brilliant it was. Also staff are really really nice as well. Good luck

Was very quick emergency "operation" for me

I hate my scar - pissed off I had to have a CS after a great home birth with dd.