How to recover well after elective cs

[shabbychic1]

Hi all! It's likely I'll have an elective cs, I'd always assumed I'd 'go natural' so have read up tons on that so this is a real shift. My real worried are:
Establishing breast feeding - did anyone get skin to skin afterwards?
Ensuring good recovery while having baby to look after. I'm very overweight to start with.
How did you prepare for this? I'd love to hear your experiences. Thanks!

I had an emergency section first time and assumed as the advice stated you could resume normal activities after 6 weeks, that I would be back "to normal" in 6 weeks. It was more like 6 months, and that made me feel quite down. Not excruciating pain for 6 months but easily fatigued, and couldn't walk as far or as fast as I used to be able to.

Elective C second time round and much better as I did not push myself at all for the first six weeks. Also easier because I hadn't been through labour first!

Another vote that cs recovery issues are not overstated! I had an unplanned cs and after week 1 I could walk very short distances, could hold and lift baby from crib and stand up from seated holding baby (although this was sometimes painful) - still had trouble getting in and out of bed, turning over, wouldn't be able to bend to pick anything from floor etc. Was on daily painkillers until week 2-3, daily injections to prevent blood clots for 6 weeks. Everyone is different but I don't think I had a particularly difficult recovery - my advice would be to expect it to take the 6 weeks to get back to full strength and plan for being largely injured / bed bound for the first couple of weeks.

On a practical level, try to get as much support lined up as possible for the first month. I wished I had arranged a cleaner! I went from wanting the first couple weeks to be very private just Dh and me to wanting my mum / mil there. It was helpful to have extra pairs of hands around. You will be feeding every couple hours for weeks so prioritise getting sleep, you need it to recover.

Have somewhere you can change / bath / dress baby without bending down.

Have somewhere comfortable to sit to breastfeed. I found it difficult to sit up in bed initially.
Avoid stairs if you can - I slept in our living room rather than the bedroom upstairs for the first couple weeks.
Stock up on easy meals and use online shopping for groceries.
If you can, stay in hospital until your milk comes in. I was desperate to leave asap but my milk didn't come in until the day after we got home - that was a loooong night!

The first couple weeks were very intense but DS is 8 weeks now and I feel much much stronger, it got easier with every week.

My milk didn't come in for nearly 6 days so just be prepared that it might take a while but don't give up hope! If you're more relaxed about it than me then I'm sure it'll be sooner but I was allowed to freak out for days in hospital with little reassurance.

The baby only needs colostrum for the first few days. It's very filling for them and they're tummies are tiny. I think those who give birth naturally have their milk come through day 3 too so it's no different!

I didn't hold DD for 2.5 hours maybe (can't remember was so out of it) she latched on straight away. Never needed formula or anything and breastfeed for 9 months. Oats can help milk production I found out later on. I was addicted to porridge which may explain it!

They say c section can prevent feeding but most of the people I know who breastfeed had c sections oddly enough!

I had a relaxed and lovely planned c section after lots of complications from first birth meant I had no option. The c section was so calm, and I was immediately into recovery afterwards with baby on my chest. She had skin to skin with me for about half an hour, then she suckled and fed from then on. It was wonderful.

It was painful. I was on oramorph every three hours for two days, and I needed it as I had bad after pains. I had to be very careful moving at all, and the midwives let me keep the catheter in until the next morning so I didn't have to walk straight away. The first walk to the bathroom took a while, and I was in a lot of pain for a week, then after 10 days it got dramatically better.

I healed up amazingly, but could tell that the tissue inside took a while, so I was very careful.

On the feeding side, I knew from first time round that it takes a while for milk to come in, so baby happily suckled on the colostrum until day 3/4 when my boobs decided they were feeding the street and my milk came in!

I attempted hoovering too early, and was sore. Definitely take it easy. It is major surgery..

My experience, in comparison with relatively traumatic first 'natural' birth was wonderful. Good luck.

There's a massive difference between an elective section and an emergency. In the former, they're able to be much slower and more measured. So you'll be fine. Also, ignore the breastapo, there's nothing wrong with formula, it doesn't cause allergies. I breastfed for six months, topping up with formula when required. Better formula (which is totally safe) than a hungry baby.

home, the OP said one of her worries is about establishing BF. It sounds like she's decided for herself that BF is important so I don't really see the relevance of your 'breastapo' comment. Not to mention that there is plenty of evidence that breastfeeding has health benefits for mum and baby so it's hardly unreasonable for people to encourage a new mum to BF if she can.

OP - I had an emergency CS and was able to have skin to skin and feed my baby very shortly after he was born. I'd recommend making sure the doctors and midwives looking after you know that you plan to BF and that you'd like skin to skin contact asap after your baby is born.

Good luck with everything. If it helps at all, I can honestly say I've had a good recovery from my CS. I agree with everyone who's said you need someone to look after you as much as possible and to take it easy especially in the early days.

Thanks everyone. Yes I really want to breast feed, I've done my research and spoken to friends and have decided it's for me. Apart from the mother/ baby benefits (let's hope it helps to shed some of my baby weight!) if it works it's so much easier/cheaper than formula feeding, but I know it's everyone's choice and many of my good friends have bottle fed because it worked best for them. Also looking at formula ingredients even the organic ones contain palm oil, an ingredient I'm trying to remove from our household due to the terrible environmental effects the palm oil industry has on the counties it's grown in. Just a personal choice. So I really hope I can breast feed, I'll do everything I can. Mum and sister found it really easy and natural so let's hope it's in the genes!

Good luck with bf I think its great if you can do it I hope to.

Re the breastapo comment I think that for people who couldn't bf or didn't want to find they need to defend their choice because breast is best sounds like if you ff you've not done the best for your baby and that stings. I didn't bf ds he was tongue tied, I was ill and my grandad was dying so lots of random family members about I couldn't handle trying to feed, when I hear I bf to do what is best for my baby it feels like a kick in the teeth even though in the circumstances ff was best it still hurts. I really hope to bf but know from experience it doesn't always go to plan so will try not to worry if I can't do it this time either.

Aw don't panic. My elective cs recovery was grand really. So much better than I imagined. I didn't get skin to skin immediately but once in recovery I did and she BF too. Was in bed for 16hrs but much of that was as it was overnight. Got up and stood the following morning. Weird dragging feeling in my stomach but had been told to try to stand straight as naturally I felt I wanted to hunch over. Had a shower and felt OK. Bit tender obviously though. Decided to get the post section shite out of the way too but was incredibly tentative in the delivery! Was up doing the washing four days post partum (not that I am advising it but that's how OK I felt). Sneezing and coughing felt hazardous. I did get a mild infection of the wound but easily cleared up with ABs. Take it easy. Enjoy having people offer to help. I am also overweight and now suffer from c section hang at the bottom of my stomach but it's a small price to pay. Try not to sweat it. Best of luck.x

Thanks Wellie! Kiki good luck- I think what works for you and baby without too much stress is best. I also think that it's really important to know we're doing best for our babies in our own special circumstances X

kiki, I'm sorry you were made to feel like that. It can be difficult to see how people can promote BF without causing upset to those who can't or choose not to BF. I don't think anyone should feel they have to defend themselves over their choice of how to feed their baby. Everyone makes the decision that feels right to them at the time.

shabby, just remembered a couple of things that helped me with BF in the early days after CS.

Firstly, if you are sitting in bed or in a chair to feed then make sure you have plenty of pillows to support your baby so you don't have to support their whole body weight as you feed.

And secondly, I found lying on my side to feed was comfortable - especially at night - but only if I put a pillow between my legs (same as you often do in late pregnancy) and another pillow under my tummy.

Thanks Knits I'll do those! Thinking of getting a feeding pillow - 'my breast friend' or similar- if they'll fit around me!

Not read full thread but will do later and add anything else but quick mention that I'm another one who had skin-to-skin in theatre, feeding established really quickly in recovery room. Only thing to watch is that the baby doesn't get cold in theatre, my anaesthetist and midwife kept an eye on that.

Ds was placed straight on my chest after a quick wipe and stayed there for several hours. He wriggled across and latched on after about 30 minutes. He was born lunchtime Friday and my milk had come in by the time I got up Monday morning.

I recovered really well. I was reasonably fit if a bit overweight to start with, very active. I stayed as active as I couldwithout being in pain. Gentle walks with ds when he was about a week.old. Keep the would clean and dry - dry is easier said than done if you have a bit of a tummy and it's summer er.

Be careful in everything you do even when you feel better.

Be organised esp when you are home alone. I made a changing station in the front room and a snack station, get dh to stock both up when he came home.

Thanks, these are great posts that are making me feel better about my descision .

Grateful for these posts too.

What actually happens during an elective c-section? How long does it take?

I did skin to skin and breastfed soon after cs. However I had milk supply problems not connected to cs so can't help on that front.

As for recovery, Dh was off for 2 weeks so he did everything. I recovered well although I did take it easy and luckily dd napped a lot and I did too. I had a 2 yo dd and we kept her in nursery during the 6 week recovery.

It takes less than an hour..no pain but it was a very uncomfortable sensation (hands rummaging inside you) and I was sick. I was also woozy after a while afterwards and kept falling asleep. It felt very safe and controlled and a positive birth experience.

TAKE THE PILLS. ALL OF THEM.

I found this really great as it gave me confidence that if DS kicked my in my scar area it wouldn't hurt www.amazon.co.uk/KB111-Caesarean-Belt/dp/B000VPH2PK