It was pretty brutal, I’ll be honest. I think after the last two very difficult births, I went in with too high expectations- although overall I’m still glad we did it, and I’m recovering very well.
I hadn’t realised quite how much discomfort and pain there is before the operation- nil by mouth, plus I needed another blood test, then the insertion of the cannula, spinal, etc. Several types of pain before the spinal kicks in including a really horrible pins and needles sensation going down your legs, which I don’t remember from my emergency section. I had a little cry on the operating table once they were ready as it was a very intense experience, plus the indignity of the catheterisation. About ten people in the room as well. It just felt like A Lot.
The actual section went well, everyone seemed very calm, we did delayed cord clamping. Baby was very quiet, he was basically born mid-nap and didn’t seem to realise he was out! Recovery afterwards was fine, legs slowly came back to life, baby and I rested. I vomited three times in the afternoon, needed a second type of anti sickness medication but felt much better after that and was able to eat well by the evening. The next day they took everything out bit by bit - catheter, cannula. I had a shower, and we came home.
Definitely less traumatic and stressful than my other experiences, but ultimately no matter which way you get a baby out, it’s a hassle…!
Good luck @Carrot678 and @mrssunshinexxx - honestly a vaginal birth brings plenty of its own issues and risks, and I’m already taking very few pain meds, looking forward to Pilates in a few weeks, no continence issues. Very little bleeding as they cleared out everything they could during the op, which is fantastic. Had my first poo, haha, which was fine as I’ve been eating some fruit and staying hydrated. And once baby is safely here, nothing else matters!