C section- do they put the compression stockings on before the op?

[Elmo311]

Hi all,

Due to have a c section in April. My first c section was after my failure to progress for 3 days, and the swelling in my legs after was SO bad! They eventually gave me compression stockings a couple of days after.... for those of you who've had repeat elective c sections did they put the stockings on prior to surgery so the swelling didn't get too bad?
If not, do you think i can request this?
(I know, probably least of my worries but the swollen legs really got me last time!!)

Thanks for your time!
El

I've had 3 sections, two were emergency and one was elective and in all of them the socks were put on prior to going down to theatre.

Definitely ask if they don't. You can check at your pre op appointment what the standard procedure is so you know whether it's something you need to request from the midwife on the day.

With my elective sections they’ve given me the stockings at the preop appointment with instructions to put them on in the morning before coming to the hospital.

I had stockings just for an epidural

Apparently they give you some kind of injection instead of the socks now

I had socks in Oct and had them on before the op.

I was told to wear them for 6 weeks afterwards but only got given one pair. I ended up buying a second so I could wash them (still only lasted a week )

Very helpful! Thank you ladies!
I wonder what the injection is @Firstty !

I had stockings when i was prepped for emergency c section but they got DS out by sheer force resulting in an episiotomy and 3rd degree tear ..I couldn't sit down without a special cushion for weeks after .. so the stockings I kept as they said to wear them at home..I didn't and I lost them at some point only for DH to discover them 5 years later in his socks drawer!! I must have washed them and put them in there thinking they were his sports socks..how we laughed

Standard practice now is to put the stockings on before the section (unless it's a crash section).

The injection is likely to be clexane/tinzaparin which is an anticoagulant prescribed after section or instrumental birth or sometimes after a nasty tear.

If you're having an elective section then it should be done prior to the op. Your last section, did you have a lot of fluid? IV fluids or syntocinon can really puff you up so if it was an emergency section that might have exacerbated the problem.

Just reread (on my phone so it is awkward!) that you had a section for "failure" to progress. I'd say that a lot of the swelling will have been down to that.

I have mine next Tues and went for pre-op yesterday. They've given me an info pack and it suggests that will put these on before the surgery x

I had an emergency section in October last year and didn’t have stockings before (though it was quite a rush!) or afterwards. They weren’t even mentioned and I didn’t realise they should’ve been until I was diagnosed with bad DVT six weeks later 😅

I’ve had an emergency and an elective (the latter last week) and both times they went on before going to theatre.

Thanks again everyone for your replies!
I'll make sure i get those stockings 😂

I had emcs last time and they put the stockings on when I was in theatre.

2 x emergency sections (last one in June), stockings went on at least 6 hours later along with the first injection of blood thinners.

They didn't bother with me. I ended up with the worst oedema ever. My toes fused together and my ankles were as big as my thighs. I couldn't walk; it was so bad. I burst into tears after 3 days of pure agony and a doctor finally came to see me and remarked it was the worst oedema she'd ever seen and immediately ordered stockings. I was measured and the idiot HCA tried to squeeze me into ones which were way too small resulting in doughnut rings and eventually starting to cut off my circulation. I was told to take them off and for new ones to be given to me. I waited 3 hours during the night before buzzing only to be told the hospital doesn't stock any large enough. I'm 8 stone! The swelling only went down when I got out of that godforsaken hospital. Set of inept idiots at north Durham hospital. Probably a rare case, but it was torture and very frightening.

Orsy2017.. you poor thing. what a nightmare! I don't get the apparent incompetence of some medical staff. What should be obvious they either don't bother or forget

Nice guidelines are here: www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng89/chapter/Recommendations#interventions-for-people-having-abdominal-thoracic-or-head-and-neck-surgery - I selected the abdominal surgery section as it seemed most appropriate, looks like either stockings or intermittent compression should be used as a minimum with added chemical prophylaxis (either clexane or aspirin) for patients with a high risk of vte.