I had an unexpected c-section with our eldest after many hours of stalled labor. It was a bit scary at first - I was also absolutely exhausted! - but very soon it was simply interesting. (I’d been vomiting prior, so once the anti-nausea meds truly kicked in and the warm blankets on my arms helped, I was able to relax more.)
I am sure every hospital is quite different (plus this was in the US), but my husband was sitting right by my head and our anesthesiologist kindly took pictures and videos on my husband’s phone once things got in motion.
I was able to feel our son being delivered - a unique tugging/pulling that truly connected me to his arrival - and my husband held his tiny little hand while they checked his vitals. Then they brought him over all wrapped up so I could see him (and kiss him!), and eventually he was tucked up near my face as we both were wheeled off to recover.
That night was horrible as the medication caused my face to itch (and I’ve now learned I don’t tolerate Benadryl!) but quite honestly, a full day’s labor + reaction to the meds stopping the reaction + the fact that strong pain medicine makes me feel very bizarre, all that would definitely knock me for a loop even without major surgery.
I was able to breastfeed him for some time before my milk supply faded out about six months later (probably due to a minor unrelated issue that caused me to pause for a bit).
We took newborn photos, held him, had family come, and wondered over the miracle of our little family. When we were eventually discharged from the hospital we stopped on the way home to fill the prescription for my pain medication, and I carried him into the store in my arms and sat on a bench while my husband waited in line. I’m sure it was the medication helping, but other than being terrified of bumping the incision I don’t recall any issues.
Obviously getting in and out of bed was a challenge, and my incision certainly hurt (I learned to NOT wait until meds wore off, but take the next dose when allowed regardless of how good I felt!). It was not long before I was on ibuprofen, as I despise the way stronger meds make me feel.
If I’m remembering correctly, we went to church when he was 10 days old or so. My husband took two weeks off of work because of the unexpected c-section, but they were fun cozy days of learning to be a parent. We did another newborn photos session and I simply moved carefully. The pillow hugging tip is gold and truly helps with EVERYTHING.
I have one mildly sensitive spot where a stitch went funny, causing a little dimple that occasionally feels odd going on ten years later.
A bit less than two years after that unexpected cesarean section, I delivered our second child vaginally with an epidural. Because our firstborn had descended so far, they expected our second to come more on the timetable of a second born than a first vaginal… but it was close to 20 hours of labor and a few moments of pushing.
I tore so badly that I had a blood transfusion that night. I don’t remember meeting our second, I remember being afraid to close my eyes or I’d never wake up, I was kept almost as long as recovering from the c-section, and I was basically unable to breastfeed due to struggling to support his weight. I didn’t change his diaper more than once in his first ten days of life, and I mostly laid on the couch and tried to not pass out when I needed to get up and use the bathroom. It was about 10 weeks before I felt normal.
So there you have it. An unplanned c-section with a smooth recovery; a successful VBAC that left me in shreds. I’m thinking I probably underestimate my discomfort Post-cesarean, but it’s truly dwarfed by the nightmare my recovery was after the “natural” route. It certainly wasn’t a lot more scary or painful or limiting than my vaginal recovery, and in many ways it was better because everyone KNEW about it and expected me to need them, take it slow, or be a bit of an invalid recovering.
Lord willing I’ll be 28 weeks tomorrow with our third… after a nearly 8yr break… so we will see how this delivery pans out!