Advice/experience from ELCS Mums - Can you answer my questions?

[WaitingForNormality]

I'm booked to have a ELCS in several weeks but haven't had a chance to speak through it properly with consultant, and my pre-op appointment isn't until 2 days before. I realise I have a few (probably really silly!) questions and wondered if you could answer them?

• What do they actually do at the pre-op appointment?
• I heard constipation can be killer. Did you take stool softeners from straight afterwards, and if so, did this work?
• Did anyone not suffer with constipation?
• Did you get trapped wind pains? What helped solve this?
• Are nighties better to pack for hospital than PJs (obvs will need a nightie for immediately after when catheter is in, but what about once its taken out? Did PJs rub the incision?)
• Did you use a tummy binder or special C-Section compression pants?
• Did you get shakes/vomit/feel faint during the procedure?
• Did the hospital give you strong painkillers as standard (e.g. more than just the paracetamol and ibruprofen) afterwards?
• How long until you could wear jeans comfortable again?

• What do they actually do at the pre-op appointment?

Chat to you about the procedure and they gave me tablets the take the evening before which made me vom.

I heard constipation can be killer. Did you take stool softeners from straight afterwards, and if so, did this work?

Actually I didn't suffer with that at all and didn't take anything

Did anyone not suffer with constipation?

• Did you get trapped wind pains? What helped solve this?

No

• Are nighties better to pack for hospital than PJs (obvs will need a nightie for immediately after when catheter is in, but what about once its taken out? Did PJs rub the incision?)

My pregnancy pyjamas were huge so were fine.

• Did you use a tummy binder or special C-Section compression pants?

No

• Did you get shakes/vomit/feel faint during the procedure?

No - I felt queasy for a few minutes after epidural.

• Did the hospital give you strong painkillers as standard (e.g. more than just the paracetamol and ibruprofen) afterwards?

Yes, and some to take home.

• How long until you could wear jeans comfortable again?

Bigger jeans after a few weeks I think.

An elective C section is like a walk in the park compared to an emergency one. I loved my ELCS. I'm sure it will go well for you too.

I had one emcs and was booked for an elective with no.2 but he arrived 4 hours before I was due in theatre...
Peppermint oil and peppermint tea is good for the constipation.
Nightie or big tshirt will be best for a few days.
Big knickers, I went 2 sizes above my usual size. To protect the wound you can stick a sanitary pad on the front of the knickers where it meets your wound for a soft cushion.
Soft joggers will be best for a couple of weeks, rather than jeans, but everyone is different.
Take a water bottle and straws as you might not be too mobile immediately after and a bottle or straws may be easier than a glass or cup to drink from
Pre op meeting just tells you loads of tips and what to expect, where tp go etc. Also some meds to take before and when to stop eating from.
I did get shakes during and felt sick but the anaesthetist stays with you head end and gives you meds to control that if needed.
Hope this helps

It’s a long time since I had mine. My youngest (twins) are 14 now. I also have a 16 year old. I would definitely recommend the stool softeners. Drink lots of water and eat heaps of green veggies before you go in. Nighties aren’t fab for breastfeeding unless they have buttons down the front (shirt-style). Loose, high-waisted PJ pants are fine too. Your scar will be lower than you think. It is below where really low-cut bikini knickers are - just above the pubic bone. I didn’t have any special compression pants or anything fancy. I had a general anaesthetic so didn’t puke/shake, etc. You will be given morphine/tramadol initially, depending on your surgeon, and your pain response/needs/allergies. Everyone’s different. Tbh, I only needed paracetamol from the next day. I understand that this is rare.
The scar is covered with a waterproof, adhesive dressing. It is best that you leave that uncompressed for as long as your surgeon suggests as this will help your scar settle best. (Mine is virtually invisible now - they went into the same spot three times, I had a hysterectomy there too.) After your dressings are removed your doctor will assess your scar and advise re Jeans. Again, everyone’s different. I do advise a diet rich in foods high in vitamin c & e. Eggs, fruit, veggies. They will help you heal nicely.

I’ve had 2.

They gave me stool softeners without me asking, no issues.
Had some slight shoulder pain from the trapped air but it went quickly.
I insisted on the catheter out ASAP and after that wore PJs which were perfectly comfy but I did size up.
No didn’t use compression garments. The scar should breathe to promote healing so big cotton pants are ideal and roll them down to air the round when you don’t have company.
I nearly fainted with the first after the spinal but before they started and it was dealt with quickly.
Yes to the strong drugs but I was a private patient so they might be more generous than the NHS!
About 4 weeks for stretchy jeans, 2 months for the less forgiving styles.

Going to read all of this advice, I have one soonish too 😬 I heard peppermint tea or capsules were good and chewing gum to help with the constipation/gas afterwards.

If you haven’t watched Jennifer Joy’s videos on YouTube you should watch hers. She had one about 3 years ago and has one about packing her bag, one of the actual section then weekly updates on recovery

• What do they actually do at the pre-op appointment?

I really don't remember!

• I heard constipation can be killer. Did you take stool softeners from straight afterwards, and if so, did this work?

I didn't really have any problems. It took about three days for things to start moving again and it was quite uncomfortable, but I didn't need to take anything.

• Did anyone not suffer with constipation?

Not really - it just takes a while for your digestive system to settle down again after being moved around during the op.

• Did you get trapped wind pains? What helped solve this?

Nope

• Are nighties better to pack for hospital than PJs (obvs will need a nightie for immediately after when catheter is in, but what about once its taken out? Did PJs rub the incision?)

Yes definitely take a couple of nighties, you won't want to get in and out of pyjama trousers. That kind of movement would be very painful at first! I wore PJs once I was home a few days and it didn't rub, the incision is just above your pubes so your PJs will sit higher than that.

• Did you use a tummy binder or special C-Section compression pants?

Nope

• Did you get shakes/vomit/feel faint during the procedure?

Yes I felt very sick and faint. I told the anesthetist and they gave me some lovely drugs which made me feel much better :D

• Did the hospital give you strong painkillers as standard (e.g. more than just the paracetamol and ibruprofen) afterwards?

Yes they gave me oramorph. It's good stuff but I only needed it for 3-4 days. The best advice I can give is to stay on top of your painkillers - I wrote my schedule on the boxes so even if I fell asleep and missed a dose, I knew when I should have had it and whether I could take it or had to wait for the next. After the first few days, the only time I needed oramorph was when I thought I didn't need the regular painkillers anymore. Oh how wrong I was.

• How long until you could wear jeans comfortable again?

Maybe a month? But they were stretchy jeans. It took around four months for my non-stretchy jeans to fit, not because of weight gain as I lost it all quite quickly, but just from having an enlarged post-baby womb and post-op swelling.

Best of luck OP!

Oh yes, definitely air your wound/scar as much as you can. You're sitting around a lot with a baby so it gets damp and sore. Make sure after a shower your partner takes the baby for 10 minutes so you can lie down and let it air dry.

And DO NOT lift anything heavier than your baby for a few weeks after. You'll think it'll be ok, but it really, really hurts when you do too much. I remember getting really annoyed with my partner because he wouldn't take a smelly binbag outside, so I did it myself... big mistake.

I did get the horrible shoulder pain first time round so was downing peppermint tea in recovery second time round and no problems. Also helped me poo within 12 hours!
I did feel very sick just after baby was born but the lovely anaesthetist sorted it out quickly.
It was so so so wonderful!

• What do they actually do at the pre-op appointment?

Talked about anaesthetic and got me to sign something saying about the risks, measured me for compression socks

• I heard constipation can be killer. Did you take stool softeners from straight afterwards, and if so, did this work?

I took fibrogel and it worked, I had no problems with poos

• Did anyone not suffer with constipation?
• Did you get trapped wind pains? What helped solve this?

Nope. Peppermint oil works for this though, I've had it with other surgeries.

• Are nighties better to pack for hospital than PJs (obvs will need a nightie for immediately after when catheter is in, but what about once its taken out? Did PJs rub the incision?)

Can't remember! Think I only took nighties. The incision is low - like you have to shave your pubic hair low, so can't see PJs rubbing.

• Did you use a tummy binder or special C-Section compression pants?

Nope. Just normal pants.

• Did you get shakes/vomit/feel faint during the procedure?

Yes my blood pressure dropped at the start and I felt very odd, couldn't breathe and was retching (nothing came up as I'd been fasting) the anaesthetist gave me medicine and oxygen and I was ok v quickly.

• Did the hospital give you strong painkillers as standard (e.g. more than just the paracetamol and ibruprofen) afterwards?

Yeah they gave me voltarol and codeine, a weeks worth. You'll have to take clexane for ten days too.

• How long until you could wear jeans comfortable again?

I still don't like them 4 years later tbh the shape of my stomach changed...I like soft and supportive round the tummy now.