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Childbirth

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

Original poster

How long were you in hospital after c section?

59 replies

firsttimemomma2021 · 24/08/2021 12:53

Due my 1st baby this winter. Looking to have an elective c section for personal reasons.

I am aware it is a much harder process and not easy, recovery will be hard. I am lucky to be supported by an amazing partner and close family.

I have heard they can ask you to go home if everything goes to plan 24 hours after the operation.

I know I’ll see how I feel when I’ve had it but I wondered could I ask to stay another night or two if I didn’t feel ready? So for example I was still in a lot of pain and not very mobile?

By the sounds of how recovery is, I feel a few days in hospital would be good. This would also keep away visitors for a bit (DH very keen to have people meet the baby ASAP, I’m however hoping hospital restrictions remain so I can use it as an excuse not to have the whole family visit me!!!!)

When you had a c section (elective or emergency) how long were you in hospital for? Did you ask to leave earlier/stay longer and do they go with your wishes?

OP posts:
Claphands · 24/08/2021 14:33

Sorry but you’re dreaming if you think you can just stay in because you don’t feel up to going home, they will kick you out after 24 hours unless the baby needs monitoring.

Sorry to be harsh but it’s true! Especially if you’re in a London hospital

MindyStClaire · 24/08/2021 14:34

Two nights is standard in my hospital, but I was offered the chance to leave after one last summer due to covid. I chose to stay in just to be sure feeding was well established. I was glad I had, it would've been a struggle to leave after one night but after two I was more than ready and happy to get home.

My recovery was fine, just don't expect to be running marathons and take your time with things.

Original poster
firsttimemomma2021 · 24/08/2021 15:05

@ Claphands hi it’s not just because ‘I don’t want to go home’ I’m talking about if I’m still in a lot of pain, not very mobile and don’t feel ready to be without medical professionals :)

I mentioned the visitor thing as a passing comment. If you read my post again you’ll see me say could I stay IF I was still in pain and not very mobile.

OP posts:
Original poster
firsttimemomma2021 · 24/08/2021 15:05

@Claphands hi it’s not just because ‘I don’t want to go home’ I’m talking about if I’m still in a lot of pain, not very mobile and don’t feel ready to be without medical professionals smile

I mentioned the visitor thing as a passing comment. If you read my post again you’ll see me say could I stay IF I was still in pain and not very mobile.

OP posts:
plantingandpotting · 24/08/2021 15:11

Less than 24 hours. Had the section at 6 and think we were home by early afternoon the next day.
Everyone is different but I don't think it's advisable to stay in a hospital bed for days if the procedure is free of complications.

Claphands · 24/08/2021 15:11

[quote firsttimemomma2021]@Claphands hi it’s not just because ‘I don’t want to go home’ I’m talking about if I’m still in a lot of pain, not very mobile and don’t feel ready to be without medical professionals smile

I mentioned the visitor thing as a passing comment. If you read my post again you’ll see me say could I stay IF I was still in pain and not very mobile.[/quote]
And they will still kick you out, as long as you have someone to look after you and don’t have an infection, they will send you home.

Original poster
firsttimemomma2021 · 24/08/2021 15:20

@Claphands well a few people have said different on here. I’ll just have to wait and see won’t I :)

OP posts:
passionfruitpizza · 24/08/2021 15:37

[quote firsttimemomma2021]@Claphands well a few people have said different on here. I’ll just have to wait and see won’t I :)[/quote]
I actually found both times I had to be really pushy to get discharged. The first time they took ages with paperwork, they'd had all day, at 8pm they started talking about oh well might as well wait until tomorrow Hmm
Second time it was a lot of me pushing for all the checks to be done as I wanted to be out ASAP. Managed 24 hours.

jackstini · 24/08/2021 16:15

First was emcs Thurs am, out Sat pm. Second elcs Wed pm
But not out until Tues pm due to ds jaundice

I did not find recovery bad but you need someone that can pass you baby whenever you need in the first few days

billiebeeme · 24/08/2021 16:20

1st baby was 5 nights we had an infection and some complications both on medication and had to wait for baby infection levels to come right down.

Second time it was 1 night but I was there from early in morning as waters had broke and didn't get out until after 8pm following night. I had a catheter in to go home they wanted me to stay but I refused. In hindsight I shld have stayed an extra night as took so long to get everything signed off and sorted but I really wanted home.

Givemebackmylilo · 24/08/2021 17:22

@Claphands

Sorry but you’re dreaming if you think you can just stay in because you don’t feel up to going home, they will kick you out after 24 hours unless the baby needs monitoring.

Sorry to be harsh but it’s true! Especially if you’re in a London hospital

Absolutely not true of every hospital. Don't make such stupid generalisations
sarah13xx · 24/08/2021 17:29

I went home at 3.30pm and baby was born 2.30pm the previous day so 25 hours. On the morning after he was born the staff went round and asked everyone whether they were hoping to get home that day or not. If I’d wanted to stay another night they would have been more than happy for me too. I was the only one in my ward (all sections) who wasn’t feeling too good the next morning and I started being sick, I think it was caused by low blood pressure. At that point they said it would be best for me not to go home at the same time as everyone else and wait til that evening or stay in again. I hadn’t slept due to the noise in the ward so I really begged them to let me go. Recovery was nowhere near as bad as I had imagined! I needed a lot of help for the first 3/4 days and didn’t get up during the night, I just lay in bed and my partner passed baby to me. It wasn’t agony or anything though, I just didn’t want to overdo it and sitting up from lying down was the hard part. If you have a supportive partner you’ll be absolutely fine but stay in an extra night if that makes you feel better

StillUpholding · 24/08/2021 17:55

I had an emcs just before midnight on the Wednesday. Thursday morning I was up, in the shower, and had a visit from a physio who have me some advice about recovery and how to stand up etc. Felt absolutely fine to have lots of visitors on the thursday afternoon, then was discharged about lunch time on the Friday.

Recovery for me was fine. As long as I moved slowly I was ok, and I’d describe it mostly as discomfort rather than pain. I could get up and pick up DD myself (slowly!) as soon as the spinal had worn off. Unlike PP I had no issues using the loo, and DD breastfed in recovery no problem. Fingers crossed you are as lucky as I was!

I was also very lucky as the hospital I gave birth in has private rooms for everyone and partners can stay the whole time. I was keen to get home, but I didn’t feel that I was getting pushed out and I’m sure I was asked if I was ready. That was pre-Covid though. I had a great experience despite a 36 hour failed induction/obstruction, and I’m considering a planned section this time round. Good luck!

KOKOagainandagain · 24/08/2021 18:01

I had elective 20 and 15 years ago and the norm was to stay in hospital for 5 days.

If I had been allowed out earlier I would have jumped at the chance.

I experienced no real pain but the lack of sleep/rest and adequate food was awful.

Hospitals are not a good place to be unless there is pressing medical need.

Chanel05 · 24/08/2021 20:38

I had an emcs and I was in for five days.

sohypnotic · 24/08/2021 20:47

Stayed in 2 nights following an elective c-section a few years ago, but that was because baby needing monitoring/tests.

However I would have left quicker - recovery was way easier at home, and I had far more help from partner through the night. Once visiting times were over I was very much left to it by midwives, despite not being very mobile, and having a baby who needed constant feeding and monitoring. Felt like a burden every time I had to buzz them for help, and basically didn't sleep for 72 hours. I can't imagine how hard it would have been if there had been restrictions on how many visitors/how long they could stay. If you have good support at home I would leave as soon as both medically fit.

Bumbers · 24/08/2021 20:47

I had a c section at 11pm and so even though I passed all the "tests" the next day they said if I left then it would be against medical advice as it was under 24 hours. So I had the night shift do all my paper work so I could leave the following morning (so 2 nights in total) The ward was awful- no chance to sleep at all. It was sooo much better being at home. They sent me odd with prescription drugs, but i didn't need more than paracetamol/ ibuprofen.

C Secrion itself was a wonderful experience. Good luck!

Runrigdan · 24/08/2021 20:56

I had my second by ELCS and was out 24 hours later. I think they would have let me stay longer but I wanted out of there!

Post natal wards are not exactly relaxing places to be. Crying babies, noisy partners and it's hotter than the surface of the sun. I just wanted to get home to my own bed ASAP.

Best thing to do is make yourself get up and move around as soon as they will let you. I never had any problems looking after my baby by myself (though being my second child I was probably a bit more confident to have a try). I was uncomfortable at times, but the midwives kept me well topped up with pain killers and I got some to take home so it really wasn't bad.

c24680 · 24/08/2021 21:00

I had an elective csection and was discharged after 24hrs, with an emergency I had to stay 48hrs.

If you are discharged after 24hrs, make sure you've got enough pain medication in, it was really painful for me after 48hrs and for about a week after, I stopped taking any pain relief and took it easy for 8 weeks.

Clevs · 24/08/2021 21:08

Two days after emergency C-Section.

SquigglePigs · 24/08/2021 21:33

DD was born at 10am on a Tuesday. By Weds morning the plan was for us to be discharged late afternoon but then my bladder didn't want to wake up after the epidural so it was Friday lunchtime by the time we actually got discharged.

In terms of the offer to leave on the Wednesday, it was very much "are you happy to" and they were ok with my "as long as feeding is still going well this afternoon". Another lady in my bay stayed 2 extra nights after they first suggested discharging her because she wasn't happy feeding etc. and wanted more support and they were happy to accommodate that. I know different hospitals are different but you won't necessarily be kicked out straight away. (PS DD is 2 so although this was pre-covid it wasn't a very long time ago).

Timeforachangetoday12 · 24/08/2021 21:39

With my first I was in for 4 days /3 nights! I desperate to get out but I have pre-medical condition which made the pregnancy/birth high risk so they wanted to keep an eye on me (I was stuck right by the nurses station =no sleep!)
Second time around 2 days /1 night - they where very very busy so I think it become more of a need for the bed!
Though I healed a lot better with my first, my second was a lot more painful and took longer to heal (wound infection etc) I do wonder if it was because once home forced rest went out the window!!

Vbree · 24/08/2021 21:44

7 days but due to preeclampsia. I was begging to go home but rightly they didn't want me to. If I have another I'll be out as soon as I'm able.

Mammyofasuperbaby · 24/08/2021 21:49

First was 5 nights but it was emcs at 33 weeks as I had severe pre eclampsia and was very very ill at the time.
They actually offered to let me stay longer so I could be close to my baby in the nicu but I needed to go home and away from crying babies on the wards.
Second was elcs and I was in for 8 days as baby was very ill again. He stayed for a month and I was discharged as a patient but stayed with my baby when he was transfered from maternity to the children's ward.
However most people went home in the next day or two after their sections

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 24/08/2021 21:52

3 nights with dc1, mainly because he was in Nicu (emcs). 1 night with dc2 (also an emcs). I could have stayed longer with both if I'd wanted to.

I had very easy recoveries though. As I was in nicu with dc1, I missed all the drugs rounds so only realised I hadn't had pain killers/wasn't in pain when I bumped into the anesthesist who'd been with me in theatre at around 30 hours post section. Was back doing the 3 mile round-trip with pram to preschool with dc2 at the end of week 2.

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