C-Section in a week - questions!!

[sickandsleepy]

Hi all!

I have my C-section booked a week today, and I'm just trying to tie up some loose ends in my head... hoping someone can shed some light for me!

I have read that it is important to keep up with pain relief even if you're feeling ok which I agree with, but I am wondering if that means I would need to set alarms during the night too to keep on schedule? Obvs I will be up at random with the baby, what did everyone else do?

I am a little worried as opiate based meds really make me feel rough, I can't have morphine/ codeine for example as it makes me sick, so I'm going to have to do my best on paracetamol and ibuprofen (eek) - I was planning to rotate every 2 hours (2x paracetamol - wait 2 hours - 2x ibuprofen - wait 2 hours - repeat)

Thanks in advance anyone!!!

That sounds like it might be too much ibuprofen over a 24 hour window.

I generally took something every 4 hours, but that did include dihydrocodeine. You might need something stronger than just paracetamol and ibuprofen alone over the first few days so worth talking to the anaesthetist about pain relief when you see them. I’ve had two c sections and staying on top of pain is a good way to ensure a smooth recovery so please do discuss options in case you need something stronger.

Honestly, I’d be amazed if you get a good night’s sleep over the first week so you’ll probably be awake when you need your next dose!

Good luck! It’s an exciting time ahead!

I'd recommend either writing down the times you take stuff (I used to message it to DH so we both had a record) as it's so easy to lose track. That way its easier to make sure you don't exceed the recommended doses in a 24 hour period.

I created a painkiller schedule - that’s too much ibuprofen and paracetamol what you’ve suggested

I think it’s paracetamol every 6 hours, ibuprofen every 7 hours. So you need to create a schedule for yourself to keep topped up

dont set an alarm, just take the next dose when you wake up

Thanks everyone for your help so far! The schedule I was thinking is every 4 hours for each but just rotating, I think based on the NHS website I can have that much but only if I wasn't taking anything in the night... which might be tricky!!

Has anyone had experience with any stronger medication that didn't completely wipe them out? @GreenFairies - I agree, I think my best bet is the anaesthetist to advise... just thinking for when i'm out of hospital and fending for myself.

I could try 1x cocodamol with 1x paracetamol so the codeine dosage is less and doesn't mess me up?

I took paracetamol x 6 hourly and ibuprofen x 8 hourly and I was fine. I set alarms on my phone for that and for the heparin injections.

@PigeonPigPie - as in you only took it every 6 hours and every 8 hours? I'm hoping I can get by like that! Some people seem absolutely fine so i'm hoping I am too!!

I completely forgot about those…and it was only 6 months ago!

Everyone will have them for different periods of time OP, depending on risk factors. For my first, it was just a week but for my second, I had to have them for 6 weeks.

Op when I was sent home I was just given ibuprofen and paracetamol to use. I just tried to space them across the day and that was really all I needed provided I took them regularly. I spaced it out so I took in the morning and across the day but I needed to do a slightly longer stretch at night so I could take another dose before I went to bed. It meant around 8pm I started to feel a bit weak and emotional and slightly delicate but I just went and had a nap then which set me up for a night feeding anyway. I'd say try and spread it out but then adjust depending on how you're finding things.

The less you do and the easier you take it the better you'll recover. I did too much after dh went back to work and pulled stitches and got an infection. So better to heal properly the first time round!

You'll get to meet your anesthetist before the op to discuss pain relief. Good luck! I loved mine!

Don't stress too much about it - the hospital won't let you leave until you're feeling up to it and both you and baby are doing well. They'll manage your pain relief and its schedule while you are in hospital and recommend what you should take when you leave.

I've had two C-sections (one planned, one emergency) and recovered really well and very quickly from both, only taking paracetamol and ibuprofen as needed (no schedule once home). My advice is to keep moving - gentle walks, even just around the hospital ward and home will ease off stiffness and be good for you mentally too.

Getting out of bed is tricky but you'll find a way that suits you - I would bring my knees up towards my belly, roll onto my side and then sit up. Don't force yourself to sit up in one move as that will be very uncomfortable.

Look after yourself and try not to worry - the hospital will do thousands of C-sections every year and be very experienced. Good luck and happy delivery!

You may be lucky. I’ve had two sections-1 emergency and 1 planned. I took the Clexane everyday and I took the pain relief in hospital but I was discharged with very little pain relief and I didn’t need it much, certainly not every four hours. In the hospital they gave me tramadol on my first Labour-never again. I was as high as a kite and it was quite scary.

I did find twisting motions difficult which was noticeable when getting baby in and out of the next to me cotbed. I bound my belly after birth which made me feel a lot more supported and helped with the swelling.

@ruralwanderer @Lavender14 - thank you! I think this sounds like what i'll end up doing, just spreading it out accordingly as and when I need it most - i'm sure i'll get to know that once i've had baby and the hospital can advise.

I just really don't want to end up having to take opiates as I can imagine being sick with a fresh wound really unpleasant, and I couldn't even cope with cocodamol for my SPD which is awful, i'd rather the pain!

@LovelyBranches - yes! that fuzzy woozy feeling is horrible, I can't stand it. I have a next to me crib which I feel is going to get in the way of me being able to get in and out of bed easily... might have to consult DP about how those logistics will work! 🤔what did you use to bind?

I guess it will all depend on how you're feeling but I don't remember having to take pain killers through the night, think i was very lucky though.

The two things I wish someone had told me was how much codeine can constipate you, apparently some hospitals give stuff to help but I would highly recommend doing whatever you can to make sure you prevent this as much as possible, and also that you can still have pretty heavy/drawn out postpartum bleeding with a c section.

Apologies if you are aware of these points but I was very in the dark about it before my first section, after 2 now it's what sticks in my mind to tell those going for a first section as I wish I knew. I was surprised to find a lot of people weren't aware you still bled after a section too - saw someone mention that on here only the other day.

All the best for next week and congratulations 😀

It depends how you deal with pain and luck of the draw a bit too. You're havong an elective section so recovery may be a little better than an emergency.

Personally i'd stock up on paracetamol and Ibobrufin. But see how you go. Setting alarms is utter madness in the night. Or tbh in the day too! With a newborn you're going to want what sleep you can get. So just imagine after a full night awake you drop off to sleep at last and your alarm wakes you to say take pain meds. But actually you're not in pain.

Follow how you feel. I had an unplanned c section and was happily out walking about on day 3/4. To me it just felt like a post marathon pain. I had paracetamol and ibobufin about 6 hourly. Somtimes needed on the night. Often didnt. Other people i know have needed more. Theres no right or wrong it will vary. Its not something you can plan or control. It varies so much and no person is better than the other for needing less or more.

I would also take paracetamol and ibobufin in your hospital bag. Although you shouldn't take your own. I had to wait 8 hours for pain meds after asking 3x. So took my own and told them what i'd taken. They werent impressed but equally i wasnt impressed at being ignored for 8 hours...

Hi OP. Although you can take paracetamol and ibuprofen every 4 hours, the maximum is 8 in a 24 hour period. So if you're going to be up during the night you'll need to space them out more. I think I did every 6 hours. So 2 paracetamol, 3 hours later 2 ibuprofen, 3 hours later paracetamol again and so on.

The first 2 days were a struggle but after that the pain was definitely manageable with just paracetamol and ibuprofen.

We also have a next to me crib and yes I did struggle getting in and out of bed. Everyone is different but this is what worked for us:

For the first 2 weeks until my husband went back to work we'd sleep in shifts. I'd go to bed at 8pm and get 6 hours uninterrupted sleep until 2am. He'd stay in the living room with the baby and then bring her in to me, then he'd go and sleep in the spare room until 8am so he also got 6 uninterrupted hours. This also meant he could lay everything I needed out on the other side of the bed - changing mat, nappies, wipes etc so I barely had to move.

I was in hardly any pain after a week but this meant I then overdid it and set myself back, so even when you feel better please take it easy.

Good luck!

I took them on a schedule (including setting alarms), and regardless of whether I felt I needed them. After about a week, I stopped the alarms, and then gradually stopped.

I didnt experience ANY pain with my first section, and only mild pain with my second, and I run that was more afterbirth pains. My incision didn't really hurt apart from a second or two getting up.

It's a lot easier to keep pain away with medicine than get rid of it.

Good luck at your section. Mine were brilliant 😀

Codeine is not recommended if you’re planning to breast feed. They’re more likely to send you home with dihydrocodeine which is safe to use when breastfeeding and some people get on better with in terms of side effects. The hospital should advise you re dosing/timing etc when it becomes clear how much pain relief you’re needing.

Babyboomtastic sums up nicely what I did too.

Alarms were my saviour. I'm terrible at remembering to take medication even without a newborn to look after. It's so much easier taking the meds ahead of pain rather than dealing with it after its gotten too bad to tolerate.

Iirc it's something like you can have paracetamol 4 times a day, and Ibuprofen 3 times. So the schedule was something like:

Midnight - Paracetamol
3am - Ibuprofen
6am - Paracetamol
10am - Ibuprofen
1pm - Paracetamol
5pm - Ibuprofen
8pm - Paracetamol

So a 3-4 hour gap between meds throughout the entire day. I'd go to bed at 8pm and at the very least try to rest from then until morning, only doing things for baby.

When it was time to taper down, I spaced them out more over daylight hours. So paracetamol at 8am, 3pm and 10pm, ibuprofen at 10am and 7pm.

Thank you everyone for your help! It’s great seeing how other people scheduled their pain relief, for some reason I just can’t do it in my head without seeing it written down!

@Cornishbelle - thanks for the heads up! I had some lactulose prescribed at the same time as cocodamol but never took it because I didn’t tolerate the pills - would you say start taking lactulose before the section?

@Antsinmypantsneedtodance - this is another thought I had… I’ve read so many people taking their own in so they can stay on top of their own medication, which makes sense to me… but I don’t want to get told off by a midwife!

If you can tolerate it without things going too far the other way I would definitely consider taking the lactulose beforehand as long as it's safe to, might be best to double check with the midwife but can't see any reason why not