C section & no visitors on postnatal ward - worried!!

[Waiting4baby2020]

Hi, I’m due to have a c section in December. While I know this is a way off and things could change, I’m really worried by the current restrictions at my hospital. My husband would be able to be there for the operation but then only for 1 hour maximum in recovery. He wouldn’t be allowed on the postnatal at all and the next time I would see him would be when I was discharged!

I had an emergency section with my daughter and relied so much on his help during the first few days when I found it painful to move (just getting baby out of cot etc). I was in hospital for 4 days last time and the thought of being away from my husband and daughter for this long, feeling vulnerable after surgery and completely reliant on the staff on the ward is scaring me so much!

There was some guidance published last week about reintroducing partners to scans/ labour etc but it seems like more of an advisory document rather than something that is going to set new requirements. Has anyone seen their local hospital change their policy since this was published?

Also any others in the same position in terms of panicking about these restrictions already?! Any recent positive stories would be really welcome and suggestions on surviving the first couple of day’s post section without the husbands help?

Please sign this OP. Government have released guidance but the hospital trusts can still do what they like so nothing may have changed.
www.change.org/p/partners-allowed-for-entirety-of-labour-birth-in-all-hospitals?recruited_by_id=9a2df680-f525-11ea-bbbf-9184eb3956df&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=copylink&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_initial

This happened to me and I’m not going to pretend it was ideal, and I believe partners should be allowed to the ward, BUT it is easier with the second baby as you know what you’re doing, and you should have a bell to call the midwife to pick up or pass you anything. My advice would be don’t try to sit up, put the bed up to get upright, and try to hold baby rather than put down so you don’t have the trouble of twisting to pick up.

The plus side is that the postnatal ward was much quieter and less unpleasant than it is when all and sundry were allowed in!

I was also only in for 24 hours as they are very keen to discharge so hopefully you won’t be there long.

Good luck

Thanks @peachypetite I have already signed this, it seems to have gotten more coverage in the media over the last week or so and hopefully more people will get behind it. My local hospital has so far only said that they are reviewing the guidance document and haven’t announced anything yet, I’m really hoping for some changes.

Hi - I had exactly this situation 12 weeks ago. Honestly, I was so worried but it was was fine. With my DD I had to be in hospital 5 days but this time I was discharged the next day. Obviously there’s no guarantee of that but in June they were keen to discharge us as soon as possible. It was shit saying goodbye to DH so soon after DS’s birth, but I was glad he was going back to our toddler DD. Just don’t be afraid to ask for as much help as you need! Not just in hospital but afterwards. For me hospital with one easy baby and people bringing me food/painkillers was a heck of a lot easier than being at home with a very excited/emotional toddler and slightly Covid-compromised after care. Just keep taking your drugs on schedule and don’t do what I did and carry your other kid around 🙄 Hopefully in a few months you’ll be “allowed” more support from friends/family. Good luck!

Thanks @FractionalGains, that’s really reassuring and thanks for the tip re: the bed. Did you have to push for a quicker discharge or was this just the approach at your hospital? It’s likely I’ll have my op three days before Christmas so want to get out as soon as I can!

I’m glad you had a positive experience (and congratulations!) I just have visions from my last time in hospital where I rang my buzzer as my daughter was crying and I couldn’t pick her up and no one came for what felt like forever!!

I didn’t push for discharge! They wanted me gone..! This was Birmingham Women’s.

I think the midwives are very aware that some women can’t pick up their own baby and were pretty responsive! However I did generally hold onto my baby during the day for exactly that reason. The good thing with an elective is you aren’t as knackered as if you’d gone through labour!

@LassoOfTruth Congratulations! And thanks for your feedback, good to hear that you were discharged so quickly too. I’ve been so worried about the hospital part I haven’t actually thought about the reality of being home with a toddler post op!

I was out next day for 3 out of 4 of my sections and that was pre-COVID! I think they'll be as keen to get you out as you'll be to leave so, barring complications, hopefully it won't be a long stay.

I had a section in early July. My first was an EMCS, this time ELCS. DH was allowed visit for an hour a day, bookable that morning, but obviously each hospital will differ.

Honestly, it was fine. The staff were fantastic, down to getting snacks and drinks out of bag, as well as getting the baby up and down and changing her nappy.

I was offered to leave after one night but choose to stay a second (two nights is the usual in my hospital in non covid times) as night two was tricky with feeding my first.

I'm planning an ELCS, all being well (I'm only 13 weeks) but with my first my DH had to leave fairly swiftly anyway and there were no visitors allowed after that so I was on my own.

For this one I'm planning on being as prepared as possible. And although it's six months off I'm preparing for the restrictions to be similar. (He can't stay overnight anyway so I may as well plan for not having him there at all.)

Bag of sandwiches, snacks and juice, I didn't get fed last time because I wasnt on the ward when the menu went round and I hadnt eaten for two days in labour. I was starving, addled off the drugs (long labour, EMCS, exhaustion) and really could have done with something to eat, there wasn't anything available.

I'm going to ask at the hospital about a sidecar cot rather than the traditional incubator style. I know some hospitals have this as an option. If not, I will make sure the sides are down on the hospital bed and the incubator isn't moved away.

I'll have painkillers myself. And something to ease the wind, I had trapped wind everywhere (up to my shoulder) and it was incredibly distracting.

Wet wipes, nappies, change of clothes for baby within reaching distance (everything within reaching distance actually )and a plastic bag near/tied to the bed for nappies, rubbish etc.

Six foot charger lead and quick charge plug. Earphones. Something to watch on my tablet. I'll download a series or two of something.

V pillow, not a C shape one, much easier to feed baby on and they don't hug like the C ones tend to. They're flatter so easier to monouvre a baby on.

I was discharged after 24 hours last time I insisted) and this was in 2016, I'm hoping for the same next time.

Thank you all for your responses, I really appreciate it and it’s made me think about it in a more sensible and less panicking way! My hospital has just posted that they will now let partners to the 20 week scan only, no other appointments and still not visits on the postnatal ward. There is a now a bit of uproar on their Facebook page around the logic behind this, which I can’t understand either to be honest! But hopefully will see further changes soon (everything crossed!)

My hospital has recently updated its policy so that partners from the same household can attend all antenatal scans and appointments. They were already allowed to stay for a few hours (can't remember exactly) after the birth and can now visit the postnatal ward between around 2pm and 9pm. Much as I hated the postnatal midwife I had there last time, the care is excellent and they have never done some of the bonkers things that seem standard on other postnatal wards (e.g. everyone got morphine to self-administer, no fobbing you off with just paracetamol)

My hospital is the same and I'm having a section on the 16th. I've requested a discharge