Third baby, first c-section

[InTheFamilyTree]

My dreams of a second homebirth may be scuppered as my little monkey has flipped upside down and is breech.

Am trying to come to terms with a positive ECS but am a bit scared and distrustful of hospital environment after my first labour which ended with forceps delivery.

Worried that I will have difficulty breastfeeding, won't be able to pick up the baby after surgery, and most of all, how to look after my 4 year old and 20 month old.

So, wise women of mumsnet, please tell me what I should do/know/bring for an ESC?

Oh also, anyone know about covid restrictions? Will I have to wear a mask during surgery or on the postnatal ward?

Well, I haven't had a homeburth or indeed a vaginal birth, so I really have no comparison.

I has an EMCS after a traumatic induction first time around. Second time via ELCS was dreamy in comparison.

An ELCS is a major operation, but the team did their very best to make it pleasant. You do have to wear masks during the operation and it is obviously a clinical setting, but the team were brilliant about doing skin to skin time and were really kind.

Depending on blood loss, you will go straight to postnatal or stay for monitoring afterwards. You have to take it a bit easy on postnatal ward and be gentle in taking food and drink as you may be nauseous. They got me mobile ASAP - same afternoon - and as long as you keep on top of the pain relief, you do start to feel human.

Lifting wise, yes you need to be extremely careful for a couple of weeks really - I didn't lift my pre schooler and still don't at 6 weeks. This bit is tough, but do take advantage of paternity leave. I was mobile enough to get up and down to my DD's level and comfort her that way rather than lifting her all the time. Harder with a 14 month old though. Himself, it is fine - definitely less good than the dreamy home birth, but likely to be better than your second.

Sorry honestly rather than himself!!

Also I am breastfeeding fine. One thing to think about is to express colostrum into syringes before you go in. Gives you freedom to let baby suck and comfort that they are getting something , plus my milk came in quickly, which I think had something to do it it.

My DH was allowed in but once he had left he couldn't come back in other than to pick me up. Some trusts allow partners for four hours only. I made use of the call button and the HCAs and midwives were brilliant

My third was my first c section and it was the best experience of the lot.

DC1 was foreceps and tangled in his cord but I had an epidural.

DC2 got stuck and only gas and air. All the hypnobirthing in the world can't prepare you for that!

So for DC3 we chose an ECS and it was calm and actually a lot more lovely than I expected. For the first time I was able to enjoy the emotion of the moment of birth because I wasn't terrifed about me or the baby making it through the experience. It is quite medical obviously but the staff were nothing but kind and lovely. To be honest there were probably fewer people there than at my earlier births. I'd had a full crash team etc both times because it was so touch and go.

It doesn't take more than a few minutes for the baby to be born. Most of the surgery is afterwards but by then you have your baby so are able to focus on them.

Bfing was fine and I could pick up the baby without too many issues. Take the morphine when they offer it! I had a private room and was in for 2 nights. In my head I'd decided I would insist on discharge after 1 but it was actually fine and the staff were so kind and helpful that it was nice to have the space to just focus on me and the baby for a day or two.

My children were older so able to properly help if required but I found I was able for more than I'd expected. It wasn't a case of life as normal and it did take a few weeks. My mobility improved lots once my dressing came off.

I'm afraid it was all pre covid so I can't help with that I'm afraid.

I was terrified before it though and honestly, I'd do it again. (Though I won't as 3 is more than enough for us 😂)

I have my mum and partner on standby for support afterwards, but quite happy to stay in a couple of nights for the rest! I wonder if wards are less busy because of covid?

Reassuring to hear you guys managed to BF afterwards, think I need to look at expressing colostrum as never managed this before. Sounds like morphine didn't delay milk coming in which is good.

Did you get trapped wind at all? I read you can feel it in shoulder, random body parts which sounds bizarre!

Everything @whenwillsantagetvaccinated said.

You'll have to wear a mask during the op but not on postnatal. You won't need to go anywhere other than the shower anyway and to the toilet once catheter is removed.

My experience was that my DH had to leave shortly after birth.

Again, blood loss is usually higher during a c-section so that'll depend on when you get moved to a ward. I had a major haemorrhage and wasn't moved for well over a day from high dependency.

You 100% shouldn't be lifting anything apart from baby for 6 weeks. Not your other children, not even wet washing or you can do some serious damage.

Use the buzzer for help and support. I'm sure that you'll have experience of being fairly mobile after your previous births but it just isn't the same after a section. I really envied the ladies that could move freely when I was hunched over waddling to the toilet at a snails pace. Midwives are there to support you so don't feel like you've got to do it all yourself. Some things are simply impossibly immediately after a section and they know that.

And @InTheFamilyTree to your most recent post, all they did was ask me if I'd had a bowel movement or trapped wind! 🙄 I asked for lactulose to take home and that did the trick.

There were 33 women on my post-natal ward when I had my daughter and 3 midwives, so very, very busy!

I had a c-section 6 weeks ago, it was a breeze compared to my vaginal delivery.
During delivery and in the ward we didn't have to wear masks unless the midwives came in for observations etc. The ward I was in had 3 of us in the one room. I went home 24 hrs after the section.
The only thing I really struggled with was getting in and out of the bed so my Dp had to deal with baby for the first week or so during the night. But was able to change, feed etc. And as for looking after my eldest he was such a help with baby and still is he's 4.

You might find this helpful for lifting your baby after your section good luck!

I found it a breeze tbh. Blood loss was around 300ml for each birth which is less than for most uncomplicated vaginal births, and I was mostly back to normal within about a week.

I did lift my toddler from standing by 2 weeks and was able to pain free tandem wear both of them in a sling by 3w. That's totally against all guidelines, but I'd felt fine for a couple of weeks, and when I mentioned it to the Dr at my 6w check, she admitted she'd been much the same with her eldest afterwards. Follow your body I guess, and if something hurts don't do it!

Breastfeeding was fine.

I wouldn't personally want to give birth any other way.

I’ve just had my first section too - on Monday. This is my third baby and after a 4 day failed induction with many traumatic and invasive examinations my cervix just wouldn’t shorten or dilate enough for an RAM (which they still tried to do even though it was the most painful experience of my life!).

I found the c section an unusual experience! After 2 fairly straight forward vaginal births I really didn’t know what to expect. It’s very medical, I didn’t have to wear a mask but partner did. They get you to sit on the edge of the bed with your back and bum out, the anaesthetist has a feel of your spine to find the right place for the spinal block. He numbs where he’s going to inject and then injects you with the block. Then they quickly lie you down before your legs go to sleep. They monitor your blood pressure really closely and give you medicines through a canula to keep it all steady. They really check carefully that you are numb, you can still feel pressure but no pain at all. Then they get started. It took about 15 minutes for my son to be born and they lifted him up like simba 😂 to show him to us. The longest part is definitely putting you all back together afterwards. It’s such a bizarre sensation being able to feel people rummaging around in you 😂. All in it took about 1.5 hours in total. Then they transfer you to a bed and wheel you round to labour ward. We had lots of skin to skin as soon as he was born and back on labour ward. He also fed as soon as we got to the labour room. All in it was a very good experience having a section - my recovery has been good so far, I went home about 18 hours after the surgery and I can pick my son up with ease. Getting up and out of chairs, bed etc is probably the hardest thing at the moment. I’m keeping on top of paracetamol and ibuprofen every 4 hours to keep the pain manageable. I’ve also had no problems going to the toilet, no constipation, no gas pains etc. I’d just say go in with an open mind, be honest with the team whilst you’re having your section - tell them how you feel because they will work so hard to make you feel at ease and comfortable. I hope it goes well for you!