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Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

Original poster

Eating after c section

36 replies

peppapoops · 09/07/2018 16:57

I'm having my first c section in a couple of weeks... second dc. And I wondered when you can eat afterwards?! I've got to get there first thing and wait and see what the emergencies are like before I go in, which I've been told can (understandably) take a while.

Were you able to eat soon after? I always feel really weak if I go a few hours without anything! Blush

OP posts:
TheBiologicalWoman · 09/07/2018 16:58

I can't quite recall, but later I was STARVING and DH snuck in a McDonald's feast that evening. I also brought lots of snacks.

IceCreamIceCream · 09/07/2018 17:02

They like you to wait a little then start you drinking fluids to see if you tolerate before moving on to food. The drop in blood pressure and drugs they use can sometimes make you quite nauseous !

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 09/07/2018 17:02

I had my 2nd emcs 4 weeks ago. They bought a lot of buttered toast and tea about an hour after we got out of theatre. Plus they said if I had any snacks I fancied in my bags, I was okay to eat whatever I had if I wanted.

Iwantaunicorn · 09/07/2018 17:08

I was eating within a couple of hours, (would’ve been sooner but DT2 had a bit of difficulty at birth) but drink was what I was absolutely desperate for, so get your birth partner to bring change to get you a lurvely ice cold drink (or several) of your choice.

Think I had a sandwich and flapjack (probably chocolate too) once I got on to the ward, but the first meal I remember was my husband bringing me pate and biscuits the next morning (afternoon c section) which was absolutely glorious after going without for 8 months!

Good luck!

GrumpySausage · 09/07/2018 17:11

I had a c section 2 weeks ago and they brought me toast with jam an hour after theatre. It was heaven.

I also start to feel a bit sick or faint when I've had little food. I told the midwives this before and also the anaesthetist and he kept checking on me throughout the c section and when I felt faint he adjusted my anti sickness drip and I immediately felt better.

No harm in letting the staff known if you are prone to it.

Marmite27 · 09/07/2018 17:14

I was given water in recovery, once they saw I was tolerating that, I was allowed tea and toast.

The anaesthetic made me itch like crazy, so I got an antihistamine too.

elliejjtiny · 09/07/2018 17:24

I was drinking water in theatre with my emcs. I had some toast and jam in recovery with my elcs and then I was offered lunch a couple of hours later. With my elcs he was born at 1:53am and I had some toast at breakfast time, can't remember when exactly. I hadn't been allowed food since tea time 2 days before and I had been starving for ages beforehand. After the c-section I was surprisingly not hungry and didn't really eat much for a few days.

GrumpySausage · 09/07/2018 17:25

Oh god yes the itching! I wanted to find a rough mat and scratch on it like a cat. But I couldn't move until the feeling came back and it was torture!

Bowlofbabelfish · 09/07/2018 20:42

As soon as I was back in the room. I was so thirsty!

Yy to the itching. That was weird! If you have a spinal you should be back moving pretty fast. I could move my legs by the time they were done stitching.

MouldyVoldy · 09/07/2018 20:46

I had an elective section in December and was really worried about the eating thing! But they give you a weird drink to have early in the morning and it stops you feeling hungry.

I drank mine at about 6am, and went in for the section about 9:30/10. Was eating toast by 11:30. Then they brought lunch round.

They should feed you quite soon after.

Cantsleeptooloud · 09/07/2018 20:49

About 2 loaves of toast half an hour or so later. I was SO hungry and mine was the first op of the morning!

Icklepickle101 · 09/07/2018 21:39

Toast within an hour. Take lots of snacks as I was starving and just missed lunch on the ward so would have had to wait nearly 6 hours until dinner.

ShowOfHands · 09/07/2018 21:46

I had ds at 3.30 ish and had dinner at 5pm. I'd had a 38hr labour with no food prior to that!

The itching is the diamorphine. I wanted to rip off my face. I refused it 2nd time round.

Wellthisunexpected · 09/07/2018 23:03

@ShowOfHands did you have anything instead of the diamorphine? It made me itch like crazy and gave me hives, antihistamines only just held it at bay. And that was only for retained placenta & sewing up my episiotomy. I'm having a section this time and wondered if there was an alternative.

Notlostjustexploring · 09/07/2018 23:17

I had an emcs and I think I might have arrived either back in the ward in perfect time for lunch, or the brought me a sandwich shortly afterwards. I don't remember feeling hungry immediately afterwards, but I was constantly vomiting my guts up in labour and it must have taken a couple of hours for that to settle. Although their anti vomiting stuff must be good as I stopped puking as soon as they plugged me in.
I'm pretty sure I was good to eat as soon as I was out of recovery! (and then just continued eating). Take food. Actually, one of my ward mates had a pizza ordered in (she did offer to share!)

Also take peppermint tea, straws, and some form of driving fruit.

wasthataburp · 10/07/2018 06:23

As soon as I was in recovery they brought tea and toast

Anythingforacatslife · 10/07/2018 06:32

Yes, tea and toast fairly soon afterwards but my blood pressure was through the floor so it made a spectacular return quite quickly! First time I don’t remember what or when I had, due to the drugs I can’t remember a lot of that day.

Marmite27 · 10/07/2018 06:51

I had diamorphine with my first which was a VB. no itching.

Second with a section the itching was unreal. It was mostly in my sinuses bizarrely, and that’s not really a place you can scratch!

Clevs · 10/07/2018 07:14

I was given a plateful of toast as soon as I was back on the ward. I'd been nil by mouth for 12 hours so wolfed it down!

ShowOfHands · 10/07/2018 07:17

My sinuses itched too! And inside my head. I couldn't get at it. Apparently it's v common with opiates.

Second time round, they gave me non opiate based pain relief which was fine.

Bowlofbabelfish · 10/07/2018 08:05

The itching is the diamorphine

Ah that would make sense. I can’t remember the whole thing clearly either - having discussed it with DH, my memory of it is fairly flawed and incomplete. Interesting.

beela · 10/07/2018 08:08

They gave me a cheese sandwich as soon as I got back on the ward. It was bloody lovely. Then I threw it all up about 20 minutes later because I was reacting to the drugs.

Chocolatecoffeeaddict · 10/07/2018 08:09

I've always eaten straight after with mine, apart from after an emergency I had to wait a few hours.

SamanthaH92 · 10/07/2018 08:10

When i had my first c section 2 years ago i didn't eat the day of the section and they were more concerened about fluid in take so i actually didn't eat till the following night and that was just toast x

SamanthaH92 · 10/07/2018 08:14

@bowlofbabbelfish i don't remember anything of mine either really. Apart from getting really scared and wondering what all the beeping was in sheer panick. I was out of it for the rest of the day. The itching was hurrendous and i even threw up after. Much to the nurses disgust. I am scheduled in for next week for my second and i am petrified

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