C section.

[kylierose15]

Due my second baby and having an elective c section due to a traumatic first labour.
I would of loved a water birth but the consultant said one may not be available and my anxiety is on overdrive

What's your do's and don't for recovery from a section?
Anything I need in my hospital bag?
Anything I need to know?
Thank you x

I had a traumatic first birth and elective section with my second. All I can tell you is it was an absolute breeze in comparison.

I had no issues pooing, pain was manageable. The only thing that really stands out to me is I had to move the co-sleeper cot from my bed so I could put my legs down first, I couldn’t climb round it.

A really long charging cable was helpful in hospital.

I had a 3b tear the first time and episiotomy. I was given stool softener with the tear and it was fine then too. I can’t relate to these pooing issues!

Regular painkillers, maybe set an alarm so you don't forget and oh my life yes to the 💩!!! My husband came into the bathroom cus he could hearing me grunting like an animal 😂🙈 got it out in the end lol!

I had my elective on Friday after a previous EMCS and honestly it's been an absolute breeze. I actually found my EMCS quite easy to recover from, but this one has def been easier. I'm having no issues moving around, not really in any pain. Definitely feeling far fitter than the last few weeks of pregnancy!

Stay active is my tip. If you are in one position for long periods of time, it can be difficult to get up and can be a bit painful. Coughing and laughing can be tricky (DH made me have a laughing fit in car on way home and I could have killed him). Holding a cushion in front of you helps with that.

Honestly the most painful thing for me has not been anything section related but just the after pains while feeding DD, which are like strong period cramps.

In hospital, I found slip-on shoes handy. Also loads of fluid. Between the blood loss and feeding, you will be dehydrated and it can be hard peeing after catheter is removed so drink, drink, drink!

Good luck!

Also with both sections, my first 💩 has been totally normal, so fingers crossed for you and your bowels!

My c section went really well. I felt pretty unwell during it but I told the nurses and they helped me straight away.
High waisted disposable underwear was a life saver. No seams on my wound and very comfortable. A nightie for the hospital and a dress to wear home made it more comfortable on my stomach with all the swelling. I had a solar powered phone charger rather than a long cable which meant my phone was right with me at night time to speak to dh rather than stretching it to plug in.
I was home the next day which was great, far more comfortable to recover at home with my dh helping than in hospital and pressing the buzzer for the midwife to help.
Everyone deals with pain differently. I managed with just the ordinary paracetamol. I managed small walks for the first five days which really helped with recovery.
Just take it easy and go at your own pace. Don’t be afraid to ask for help in hospital and at home!
I created a nappy changing caddy in my living room to save me going upstairs to change my dd but I actually found it so much easier going upstairs to the changing mat rather than bending over to change her on the floor.
My wound was infected a week later but a quick call to the gp and some antibiotics helped massively. I then caught covid 2 weeks pp with my dh being fairly unwell. This forced me to just manage on my own and It actually helped my recovery.
I’m now 9 weeks pp and I’m feeling great, able to exercise and move around freely. Would only tell I had a c section due to my scar. I’ve recovered far better and faster than friends and family that have had a natural birth.

You will always hear horror stories, it’s okay to be nervous but once you’re there on the table, you’ll just feel a mixture of nerves and excitement to meet your baby.
Best of luck to you 💛

Hahah I'm dreading a pool more than labour now 😂

Lovely, thank you so much. X

Yes they are obsessed with bowel movements and that first one is fairly traumatic.
I stayed in about three days but as soon as I was out it was fairly normal - lots of visitors and I went out to a restaurant the second day. I didn't drive for the six weeks and walked a lot. As everyone says get active as soon as possible.
Midwives can give conflicting advice however - one told me not to pick up my baby to call her, so I did (feeling a bit foolish) only for a different midwife to come and look at me like I was a lazy so and so. They do like to whip open that curtain so be prepared to be exposed at any moment (I had pulled the sheet down to air my wound and was tidally exposed).

I got given a huge bottle of lactulose and told to take it to avoid constipation, is that not done anymore? I found when initially breastfeeding while womb was still contracting back to a smaller size it was quite painful as it pulled on the scar. It resolved itself after a couple days but as a FTM was very confused and just thought maybe it always felt like that!

What's your do's and don't for recovery from a section?
Stay active, but don't overdo it. Little and often is key, building up until you're back to normal. Take a walk around your room, walk to the toilet and back, walk to your kitchen, walk into your garden. Just don't sit/lie down all day. Pain permitting ofc.

Speaking of pain, do keep on top of your pain killers. Don't wait to be in pain for the first few days, but take paracetamol (alternating) as often as the packet recommends.

Load up on vegetables in the week before your section. Might be incidental as I rarely suffer from constipation, even when pregnant. If you do, then definitely stock up on laxatives. I had zero problems whatsoever with first postpartum poop or trapped gas. Huge difference from the one I had after my first birth.... Other than having pushed the baby out with my first, the veggies are the key difference.

Anything I need in my hospital bag?
Big drinks bottle. Those little plastic cups hold sod all water, and breastfeeding (if you are) is thirsty work. Having a large bottle you can swing from one handed is amazing.

Otherwise large pants that won't rub on your wound. Same with anything other clothing that goes near your wound.

Your own painkillers. Staffing is obviously an issue atm, and while the midwives do the best they can, drug rounds can be very late. Obviously keep track of what you've taken.

Long charger and/or power bank. So you always have your phone charged and at hand to take photos of your cute baby!

Nice snacks! Because you deserve it!

Anything I need to know?
Get lots of photos! One of the few things I'm sad about my section, is that i didn't get many. You really won't see anything gross. I've been both sides of the drapes now, so can confirm. Get pictures of the three of you, get lots of baby, get lots of you! You won't be in a good position to take them yourself, so get DH or a staff member to. I know I'm always delighted to.

Laughing, coughing, sneezing, and sitting up can be painful. Have a cushion or pillow to hand to hold to your wound.

Best of luck!

Two planned sections here and they were a doddle. They were pleasant and I was mostly back to normal within a week. I was out shopping on day 3 both times. Within a could of weeks, I was going down slides in soft play

Try not to get constipated. The first time I didn't and i don't even remember my first poo. My second, I didn't go for 6 days, and it was pretty awful, so don't let it get that long.

Make sure you have lots of space on your phone for photos 🙂

Personally I found it a virtually pain free way to give birth, and absolutely loved it.

Best of luck x

This gives me hope.
Thank you so much x

I've had two emcs and was up and about within a few hours both times, home 12hrs after one of them. I found it a doddle and the only pain was from trapped wind and peppermint sorted that. Back doing the school run on day 4. No poo issues at all!

My best advice is get up and about asap and stock up on peppermint.

I had one due to anxiety over a vaginal birth but was then sooo anxious for the operation. If I was to go for another one I wouldn’t be this time, it was so incredibly FINE! Everyone I know has had a nice experience too. The main things I had/did that aren’t your typical hospital bags things were :
*colparmin tablets instead of peppermint oil, supposed to stop the painful trapped wind. I didn’t take many but had no trapped wind so 🤷🏼‍♀️
*put a pillow in the car as a wee treat when you come out, to lie the seat belt over, just makes you feel a bit less pathetic 😂
*sit your pads up high in your bathroom before you go to hospital. I had mine on the windowsill, you do not want to be bending down digging them out of cupboards
*you feel virtually no pain when you get home if you stay on top of your painkillers but don’t think your fine and should walk about the house loads. Just sit down. I didn’t and ended up bleeding way more than I had been due to it which put me back a few days I’d say. Try to just get people to pass you things if possible. The only three painful bits are - getting up and down from the toilet, I had a towel rail that I hoisted myself up with. Getting back off the sofa if you sit too far in and need to use your core in any way at all. Coming in at first place is getting out of bed.. I’d say that was difficult for 2 weeks but you really really don’t want to try to sit up at all. I accidentally did once somehow in my pathetic rolling attempt to get up and I literally just felt the stitches pulling at each other on either side. It wasn’t sore, just a bloody horrible feeling when I was trying not to think about what was going on in there 🤣 Use any means necessary to get up that does not involve sitting up. I slept in my pregnancy pillow propped up a bit after a few nights so it was easier than getting my top half up off the flat bed 🙈

Also tried not to involve myself with the wound at all, then I got home and the midwife said I had to take the plaster off myself as they don’t do it anymore (where I live). I sat in the bath for a good hour after the water had ran out, just peeling this thing back bit by bit, trying not to look at what I was doing 😂 When I eventually did it actually wasn’t bad, just the thought of it!

good luck, it’s so ridiculously okay! Just go extremely slow for 2 weeks and itl be fine (then slightly less slow but still slow for a few weeks after that) 😂

Hi. I've had two. One emergency and one elective. I was more scared for the elective but it's fine really.

I think it's good to know what might happen. But also know that it might not. I remember being very sore but it passes and as long as you're on top of the pain killers and take them when they are due and don't wait until you 'need' them, it's manageable.

Make sure you have a lot of very big (or very small) pants for weeks after because of the incision. They need to have the band go over or under the scar. I ended up having to send dh out the first time for massive pants. Which was fun for him!

Also the lovely long stockings are annoying but necessary for a couple of weeks I seem to recall. I also had to jab myself every day for a week (I think it was) post op. My memory is shocking! That was 10 years ago so I'm not sure if it's the case now. But that really surprised me.

Also surprised me that I couldn't feel my tummy for quite a while. Actually mentioned it to the dr who laughed at me (in a nice way, he was like a grandad) and said that's because they cut through through nerves. Makes sense but at the time I was worried.

I'm sure it will all go well.
Good luck!

Make sure to pack snacks and drinks, I had my c section (emergency) at 4.00 so by the time I left recovery it was 9.30 I had missed dinner and they forgot to bring me anything to eat. To be honest I was so out of it I don't really think. Was on my own due to Covid:
So make sure you have food just in case it's a late one

High waisted knickers.

Neck pillow - I slept sitting up for a couple of weeks and it was a god send.

Changing station set up downstairs to save walking upstairs (we used the sideboard so I didn't have bend over).

Blu tac on my bedside table for sticking the end of my phone charger to - saves having to bend down to get it.