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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

C Section, 1h20 car journey home possible?

53 replies

bloodynewusernameagain · 28/08/2022 12:44

Wonder if anyone can tell me if they've done the same?

I'm due to have an elec CS in about 4 weeks time. Our main home is undergoing a massive renovation and is currently a bombsite, full of dust, builders and won't be anywhere near ready when the baby arrives (we're currently living in one attic room and it is miserable). It's about 45 mins from my hospital.

I own an apartment in another city. Clean, warm, small, much more suitable to CS recovery and dealing with a newborn (my first). this is about 1h15-1h25 (in heavy traffic, motorway mostly) from my hospital and is where I plan to spend at least the first 6 weeks, travelling there directly from the hospital.

I really like the hospital I have chosen, the trust is very supportive of my CS choice (non negotiable for me but not related to any serious physical health/pregnancy issue that might affect hospital stay duration). The hospital in the city my apartment is in is a complete unknown to me and not particularly supportive of Elec Cs in general as I understand.

The midwife knows about my plan and is planning to arrange healthcare visitors at the apartment.

But I've just been really shocked to read a couple of threads on here talking about the impossibility of a long drive after a CS because of a) post op pain/recovery and b) the baby travelling more than 30 mins in a car seat plus the feeding, changing, bathroom breaks en route etc).

Can anyone ease my mind a bit that this isn't the world's worst decision?

Is there anything I can do to make it easier?

No family or friends nearby the hospital or that I could break the journey up with. If I do a one night stop at my building renovation house that actually doubles the length of the journey to location b (the apartment)

Thank you!

OP posts:

Workyticket · 28/08/2022 12:49

I was discharged on day 2 but ds was still in NICU.

I didn't enjoy the 20 minute journey home but the speedbumps were the main reason

Dh went back to work after a couple of days so I was getting taxis to and from the hospital for a while. Taxi drivers were not as gentle as dh over the speed bumps 😒

Hugasauras · 28/08/2022 12:49

We are 50 mins from the hospital and I've had no issues coming home with either of my sections.

FlipFlops4Me · 28/08/2022 12:49

If it helps at all I was driven home - 1h30min - after an abdominal op where I had 54 clips in. My DH tipped the seat right back for me and brought a pillow to put over my abdomen so that I could have that between thee op site (which ran from side to side across my upper tummy and was some 16" long) and the seat belt.

I was fine.

Others will advise about baby but certainly a drive after an abdominal operation is OK with planning.

bengalcat · 28/08/2022 12:51

Go to where you’ll feel most comfortable - you’ll both be fine

Hugasauras · 28/08/2022 12:52

Oh and we didn't stop either. I just sat in the back to keep an eye on the baby, both of whom just slept the whole way. But if you can just stop for a coffee for 20 mins or something then it'll be no issue. You most likely won't have to feed or change with such a short journey anyway.

SailingBuddy · 28/08/2022 12:54

we got stuck in awful traffic on the way home
from hospital with DS1, took us 2.5 hours to get home. C section & he was a NICU baby too. It was completely fine, just try to feed before you leave so you know baby won’t be hungry in the car.

Loulou1712 · 28/08/2022 12:57

Your only supposed to have a baby in car seat for 30mins at a time, so you'll need to factor in stops. This is because the car seat position isn't ideal for baby and can reduce their oxygenation.
I haven't had a c section but wouldn't have wanted to travel that far after birth x

Sunnyshoeshine · 28/08/2022 13:02

I didn't have a section but on baby, you do need to take a break every 30mins to take baby out of the car seat. It's not good for their airway and spine to be in their car seats for that long when so tiny. I sat in the back with DD to keep an eye on her breathing so capacity to tilt seats etc were slim (our journey was 30mins due to traffic). Make sure you factor that into your planning - if it involves the motorway, is there a services halfway where you can both get out and have a drink / change / feed / lay baby flat in the pram bassinet for a bit?

The other thing to seriously consider is what happens if baby needs NICU or SCBU. My DD had a two week NICU stay. I had 5 days on postnatal but if i hadn't got a UTI, i would have been discharged after 2 days and been travelling back and forwards every day to the hospital. We were lucky in that with the exception of 2 nights, we were able to stay in one of the parent beds in the neonatal unit, but they aren't always available. I suspect everyone thinks it won't happen to them, but you just never know. Again, something to think about as 3hrs of travelling each day if you were needing to express breastmilk (if you are planning on breastfeeding) would be really difficult.

Eek3under3 · 28/08/2022 13:11

I had an elcs 3 weeks ago. Left hospital the next day. Journey home was 50 mins or so. Even on roads without speedbumps I found it very uncomfortable and was digging my feet into the floor to lessen the bumpiness…

As others have said, baby shouldn’t be in a car seat for more than 30 mins. I was just about comfortable with anything under an hour but 1.5 would be pushing it and I’d take it easy and stop for a coffee half way. Good luck!

Dyra · 28/08/2022 13:26

Factor in a stop or two along the way, and you'll be fine. It won't be the most pleasant experience for you, but you'll only do it once.

figmaofmyimagination · 28/08/2022 13:31

I’d do it sitting in the back to watch baby and plan for a stop halfway. Like someone else said, it won’t be the best journey of your life but it’ll be fine and sounds worth it to then be in the apartment. Take pillows!

ShadowPuppets · 28/08/2022 13:35

Could you get a lie flat car seat? I don’t know much about them but I think it would mean you only have to stop once.

I had a 50 min drive home from the hospital with DC1 (London and our local hospital was dire so this was the next nearest). She was a vaginal birth but I’d had an episiotomy and it was not fun, but I survived! DC2 we’d moved and I had a CS for him but the 20 min drive home was much easier as it was free flowing traffic, less stop start. So IMO you would be fine, like I say not the most fun thing you’ll ever do but that sums up most of post birth recovery!

The hardest bit for me was getting in and out of the car after the ELCS so that’s why I wonder if a lie flat car seat would help as you’d only be breaking the journey once. And both my babies slept the entire journey home so fingers crossed you’d be ok on that front - just feed right before leaving the hospital and then again when you get there.

Mycatsgoldtooth · 28/08/2022 13:40

Taxi got lost on my way home so it took an hour and ten minutes. I was sobbing by the end. It was a very bad section, my other two would probably have been just bearable so maybe.

SmallElephants · 28/08/2022 13:41

Maybe if baby does end up in nicu - so unlikely but just worth having a contingency plan - you could stay at your being renovated home? As it’ll be just u not baby being exposed to the dust etc and you’ll be at hospital all the time anyway.

I can’t really comment on the drive sorry.

Allgoodthings1 · 28/08/2022 20:27

Ideal scenario would be staying in hospital a tiny bit longer than the usual 24 hours. By day 5 we went out to a friends house and I felt fine to get in the car. On the way home I was just knackered but it wouldn’t have been impossible to sit in the car for an hour or anything. I took a pillow to put the seat belt over and it felt a bit more comfortable going over bumps etc. The main issue would be the car seat thing although I have seen a few brands now do the lie flat car seat that even lies flat while in the car. Cybex are bringing one out soon

MajorCarolDanvers · 28/08/2022 20:31

Take pain killers just before you leave hospital.

Make sure they are good ones like codeine.

Dinosauratemydaffodils · 28/08/2022 20:33

We did 1hr 20 ish to my inlaws to pick up dc1 and then another 30 minutes to my mum's and then the full journey home (around 1 hr 40) when dc2 was a day old following my second emergency section. It was fine.

We stopped a few times but I wasn't uncomfortable.

MrsTimRiggins · 28/08/2022 20:37

I personally didn’t have an issue with the drive home after my c section and that was a bit longer, plus a good chunk of it was shitty bumpy country roads! I didn’t do anything differently eg pillow or whatever, and I was only taking paracetamol because the midwives insisted I did.
I was lucky for sure, but you might be too. Best of luck!

JumpTheGun · 28/08/2022 20:42

We didn’t drive home until day 4/5 and I remember the 20min journey being very uncomfortable - I don’t think I would have been able to do it any earlier as I was in a lot of pain when sitting up. I think it’s different for everyone.

ShuffleCase · 28/08/2022 20:48

leave a pillow in your boot so that it’s there for the trip home. I hugged it to my stomach on the drive home as having some gentle pressure helped relieve the pain. Get DH to go super slow over speedbumps. I also had a folded up jumper between me and the seatbelt to make it tolerable.

it won’t be an enjoyable journey but you’ll manage.

two stops for DH to get out and pick up baby (if it’s cold he can sit in car and hold baby upright for 5-10 mins).

you’ll survive!

Hugasauras · 28/08/2022 20:48

I was back driving myself at 10 days PP with my elective so you may have a very easy time of it, OP! But either way, it's a one-off journey that isn't actually very long (some people stay that far and more from the hospital in the first place so have no choice!) so I wouldn't worry about it. Just get it done and get to your flat.

30ishiwish · 28/08/2022 20:48

Plan a couple of stops on the way home. Wear baggy clothes and have a pillow to hold against your tummy on the way home (especially whenever you see a bump in the road) and you will be absolutely fine.

Hold your tummy when you sneeze, laugh or cough too!

Whyismycatanasshat · 28/08/2022 20:54

We’re almost 2 hours from the hospital I had my C-section at; I had lots of medical stuff that could have caused issues so was sent miles away from home; none of it happened and we were discharged 26 hours after dd was born.
2 stops on the way home - first one DP took dd out of the car seat and went off to buy us both coffees but then couldn’t figure out how to carry them and her back to me in the car - but all was well and we made it home no problem!

INeedNewShoes · 28/08/2022 20:55

I got a lie flat car seat for DD as we needed to do a very long journey when she was 6 months old. It took away any worry about the safety limit of her being in a car seat.

You do need to take the car seat limit seriously if you don't have a lie flat seat. It's really important, especially for a new newborn. Sitting in the back watching them isn't enough really.

I wouldn't have struggled with a motorway journey post c section as long as there was no sudden braking. Our journey home was 35 minutes and went through two villages with speed bumps. Next time, I'd do a detour and make the journey longer to avoid the bumps.

BertieBotts · 28/08/2022 20:55

It will be fine. You can stop if you feel uncomfortable or worry about the baby, but it will be an hour or two out of your life and then it's done.

The car seat study that suggested the 30 minute limit used a very old fashioned style of car seat with no newborn inserts and the biggest effect was on the premature babies, the full term babies coped much better.

It is worth getting to know your car seat before you use it for the first time and if you haven't chosen one yet, perhaps look into one that has especially good newborn inserts or the ability to recline in the car, but even if you haven't considered this don't worry too much about it. The suggested limit was 2 hours before that one piece of research.

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