Elective c section

[mumstheworddd]

Hi guys I'm currently pregnant with my 3rd and wanted to here everyone's experiences with an elective c section and the healing process. I had 2 very traumatic experiences with my first 2 and don't know if I can do it again.

Any advice would be great thankyou

I had an elective and it was the best experience. Full nights kip the night before ( if you can sleep). In and out in under and hour . Eating cake in recovery with lovely new baby. I was up and about quite quickly and I was very lucky to have no pain after 72 hrs. No further complications. Go for it. My bestie had a traumatic birth the first time round and has just had a elective. She said it was a totally amazing experience compared to her natural birth and also recovered quickly.

I had electives after the vaginal birth from hell. If I had another four babies, I'd have them by ELCS any day.

I just had a section 13 weeks ago - it ended up being classed as an emergency but was very calm. After a horrendous first birth and lots of consultations with consultants they were happy for me to choose - elective or vb. I decided I would allow myself to go 10 days overdue - if baby hadn't arrived I would go straight to section. At that point I wanted to see if a 'normal' birth would heal the feelings I had about my first ..... shoot me now! :) as it was my waters broke on 40+4, i contracted all night and was told after 28 hours I was 'just about' 1 cm. At this point I refused all other induction and we went to section. Wish we had just done that in first place and delivered baby a week earlier.
I truly believe that just because we have all the bits to make a baby, some bodies just really struggle to birth. I would 100% have another section again, first 72 hours or so are painful if you dont keep on top of medication but in every other way I healed so much faster than first delivery.

Thanks ladies makes me feel so much better , I just worry that I wouldn't be able to look after my other 2 but my partner would be off for the first 2 weeks . Also I'm so bad with needlesI had an epidural with my 1st and struggled to stay still I just hope I can brave it this time haha

Also when having an elective c section , at how many weeks pregnant do they book you in ?

After having both a natural birth and a section I would recommend a section I was up and about carring my toddler and doing house work etc. With no pain after four days I didn’t take any ibuprofen or painkillers after day four. It was so easy, definitely the easy option for me. I’ve heard people moaning about the pain but in my case there was non and was so easy. Just tell your midwife you want a section. I got my section date a month before and had the pre op the day before.

I had an elective section booked due to birth phobia but ended up needing an emergency section earlier.

My spinal didn't go well due to an issue with my back. After that, I was quite out of it during the surgery itself, I remember them using a cold spray to test that the spinal worked, then they told me they'd started, then a few minutes later they had both my twins out. The anaesthetists were so kind and supportive - at one point I suddenly felt very sick, I told them and they gave me something for it right away and it improved quickly. I think my bp dropped as I was quite spaced out after that. Unfortunately my twins were not well so I didn't get to see them but that's uncommon.

They took me into recovery. The spinal wears off gradually so the pain comes on gradually, make sure you have painkillers at this stage to keep on top of it. They gave me as much as I needed and increased it when that wasn't working.

The worst part was having to use my arms to roll myself so they could clean me up, after that I went to the nicu then up to the ward about 3am

The next morning I walked to the loo. DH pushed me round in a wheelchair for the rest of that day. Next day I could walk fine and went home. Honestly I had minimal pain from that point onwards. My babies were still in the hospital though. Definitely make sure you have help for the first few days / week but after that I honestly forgot I'd even had surgery and a planned section should have an even smoother recovery.

mine was lovely!

I had a crash section with my 1st and a lovely planned section with no 2

the recovery was so much better

Do they do it as close to 40 weeks /due date as possible ? I just Worry I will go before that as my first was 5 days early and my second was 8 days early .

From what I can tell in the books they aim to do it a week before

mumsthewordd my ELCS were all done two weeks before EDD. Thank God, as they were 10lb plus (I am 5 foot and 7 stone), and I hated being pregnant with these massive babies. I swore every time that I would be grateful, and it lasted about five minutes.

My ELCS were, relatively, a dream. They had to make a huge incision due to the unexpectedly (why?????) large babies, but it was all fine. I had far bigger problems with the epidural with Number 1, as I had by then been in labour for about 48 hours and DC1 was stuck. I was semi conscious. They kept telling me to keep still. If my DM hadn't been there to give consent, Heaven help us.

My section was booked five days before because last pregnancy I went into labour four days before??? If you go into labour beforehand your scheduled date they will do a section still, you would just need to go to hospital ASAP.

Mine was booked for 38+4 because I was having twins, so I'd guess in the 39th week for a singleton.

I had a section 12 days ago after failed induction, was up and about after 4 hours, pain relief ibuprofen and paracetamol for first 2 days then stopped it, was doing a shop In Morrisons and made dinner on day 3 and have been out and about every day since, I chose the induction as was worried about the recovery from a section but honestly it's been fine much much better than I expected

I had an elective and had a very positive experiences.

If you want to understand the whole process (when, what etc) and like facts (I'm a scientist - I need facts!) then this document might be useful - it covers when you have a c section, why they tip the table, recovery etc

NICE guidelines www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg132

I had an elective c section for my 4th as she was breech. After the traumas of my previous births I would choose an elective any day. I had diclophenic for the first few days then nothing. I was up and about 5 hours after the birth, with the catheter out- I hate them.
I had mine at 39 weeks but if I'd gone into labour I'd have had to rush to hospital for a section.

Hi OP. I am in the same position as you.
My worry at the moment is about breastfeeding after an elective. I have heard if you haven't gone into labour naturally (like with a VBAC or an EMCS) your body might not be ready and might not produce milk soon enough.

Hopefully some wise ladies can advise?

Every birth and every baby is different. I found breast feeding with my c section DS2 a walk in the park compared to DS1. But that could have been the difference between first born and second. A section for a singleton is around 39.5 weeks so similar to a vaginal delivery, so I don't think timing has much effect but hormonally maybe there's a difference (the document I linked to above may cover this).

Lilone, breastfeeding is stimulated by removal of the placenta so happens naturally whether birth is vb or cs. My second baby was born by elcs and latched enthusiastically straight away, which was a big improvement on my first baby who was doped up on pethidine after my vb and wouldn’t feed for 24 hours.