C section catheter

[Novella12]

It's looking very likely that I'll be having a c section as my little girl is stubbornly breech. I'm trying to prepare myself as much as possible for it (want it to be as calm as possible and hate the unknown) so I've been reading as much as I can about the procedure.

One thing I can't picture is the catheter. Where does it go in and how does it come out??

For elective sections, they insert the catheter in theatre after you've had the spinal injection. You wouldn't even realise if they didn't tell you. They take it out once you're on the ward, after the spinal wears off and you're starting to mobilise. I didn't feel it coming out either.

It goes in the urethra (I think!) - the bit you pee out of. And it drains into a bag attached to the side of your bed or a frame once you can move around.

It feels odd but not painful when it's inserted and removed. Most of the time you might be aware of the tube depending on your position, but you won't be very aware of where it's attached to you.

Thank you ladies! That is very helpful. Does it feel weird when you first go for a wee after it's taken out?

It didn't feel weird urinating in my experience. It's the first poo after a c-section that is horrific.

Not really I wouldn't worry about a catheter at all. Good luck

Thank you! @mummymathsteacher any advice for the first poo?

I had one with my two sections and a few days ago after partial hysterectomy, they put it in under general/spinal and take out usually the day after surgery, or later that day. I never feel it coming out, it's a soft flat tube. The first wee is fine, might take a bit longer to come even if you need one as rverything is a bit numb.
Can't move round the bed much when it's in though 😆
It's nothing to worry about 😊

I went and had an emergency c section so didn't know it was placed in and woke up later and was stressed because i needed a wee then didn't so assumed I'd wet myself! Don't remember it hurting when it came out

I’ve had 3 sections, didn’t feel the catheter coming out at all but the first wee felt a bit odd. Took a while to realise I had to go and then had a huge wee each time. Had to pee in a jug as they wanted to measure it, not sure if that’s standard practice or not!

They usually give laxatives for pooing, it can take a while to get everything going again! I've only just been to the loo 4 days after.

In my hospital you have to have it in for 24hrs after section. They put it in after your spinal so you don’t feel it going in. Peeing after is fine but you have to pee into a jug for the first wee so the nurses can check your output.

Hold something against the incision! It feels like you will burst open, but you will be completely fine. A friend told me to place a maternity pad against the incision to feel more comfortable, and that worked wonders!

I remember abroad for my first section the nurse tried to put it in while I was awake before general! Not happening 😂 What is the point in trying, a wriggling body vs an asleep/numb one 🤷🏻‍♀️

I was a little worried about this too, but it ended up being enjoyable. Sounds weird, but it wasn't painful, and after being so uncomfortable needing to pee every two minutes during the pregnancy, it was the best feeling to just sit in bed drinking as much as you want, feeling totally comfortable and not needing to get up.

Haha @FrozenGhost I love that - definitely sounds like a dream at this stage!

Thanks @Drbrowns that's interesting- were you able to get up and walk around with it in?

@Novella12 don't leave hospital without a prescription of lactulose. Take the recommended dose and you shouldn't have an issue.

Another question for all of you helpful ladies - any tips for looking after baby afterwards? I'm thinking in the night when my partner isn't there and perhaps midwives are busy. Is it difficult to lift baby with the wound? Do you just change their nappy on/next to you?

Thank you @Chanel05 I will make a note of that!

No you have to stay in bed. If you need help to lift the baby to feed, you ring the bell and a midwife or care assistant comes to help.

@Novella12 you will be unable to sit up without support at first and a midwife will have to do changes for you. Basically, you have to buzz until a midwife arrives.

I had my dd in September (2020) and it's the busiest month to have babies. There were 33 women on postnatal and 3 midwives on call. I waited 30 minutes at one point to be handed my baby.

I had a catheter after birth with my first and during labour with my second, they were sort of sat in a way that I couldn’t wee and the midwives were concerned I hadn’t done a wee is quite a while. It feels strange but not painful when they put it in and out and weird that wee is coming out without you doing it. I would imagine with a C-section and the drugs they give would mean you don’t feel anything.

Take stool softeners. Do not eat too much after the surgery even if you're hungry. Chew gum. Drink peppermint tea. It's not just the poo either. You can get lots of trapped wind after the c section that takes days to go. It's because the surgery and anaesthetic makes your digestive system shut down. I found the gas issue more uncomfortable than the c section wound! All of the above listed things help with this too. Elective c sections are not too bad in my experience (I've had two). Just be kind to yourself and don't expect to be able to do too much in the first few days after the surgery. Good luck!

The catheter is fine, but with my first 2 (out of 3) sections the tube came out (not the catheter bit) so I basically wet the bed. And every time I had to empty it myself once I was able to stand up... So just keep an eye on the positioning of the tubes and the bag capacity. (And take an extra change of clothes! Probably easiest with dress/skirt).

I couldn't feel mine at all really, even when it was removed. I didn't know when I was urinating.