Csection Pending ... Hand hold.

[Lunamoon23]

Hello!

So I've got my C section a week tomorrow - and the nerves have massively started to overtake. Finding myself waking in the night overwhelmed with anxiety, thinking about it 90% of the time throughout the day and feeling quiet alone in my feelings as of course, nobody else will truly understand because it's not them. Husband is great - but again, it's not him.
I've never had surgery, never even had a filling or tooth pulled, I have quite severe health anxiety and I'm terrified of hospitals and needles/blood. I've been supported by the Pre natal MH Team and they've been great, I've been granted my husband staying in hospital with me overnight, (in a side room) which is a relief as I would of self discharged without that. But I'm just looking for positive affirmations and experiences and a hand hold really... any tips for keeping my anxiety under wraps. I've done a playlist etc.. x

Good luck. I e had 4 sections and I gave severe health anxiety. The staff are always so kind, they are used to nervous people. I’ve been awake twice and asleep twice. Both have their advantages.
It is all so much quicker than you expect though! When you go to theatre, before you know it the baby is out. The stitching up takes up most of the time but you’ll be so absorbed in your baby the time will fly x

Good luck OP, so close to having your baby here! I was worried about the spinal but honestly I barely felt it, and it all whizzed past. Recovery is tough for a day or two but gets easier very quickly. The actual section is very quick, takes a bit of time to stitch up but not long at all. Planned sections are really so chill....so much better for anxiety than complicated natural births or emergency sections. You'll be grand! Anything in particular concerning you?

Good luck! I had three. One emergency, two planned and as someone else said, planned is quite chill.
It’s a weird feeling as it’s painless but you can feel a bit of tugging but that’s nothing to worry about and just something you notice but don’t fully experience.
Go easy on yourself after, accept help if you’ve got it.

Ooo good luck! I had an EMCS and the worst part was that I was so tired after a long labour. The section itself was absolutely fine and over pretty quickly!

Take it easy but once you’re home try and do some gentle gentle movements. I recovered really quickly (LO born Xmas day and we both attended a New Year’s Eve party) and I think it was because I tried to do gentle movements.

I would definitely have a c section again. Stock up on:
peppermint tea (the trapped wind really hurts your shoulder)
big pants that go above the scar

Also don’t panic about the c-section ‘shelf / pouch’. I was worried it would be there forever, but it’s completely gone now (11 months later) and scar is barely visible.

It might help if you focus on the end result - meeting your gorgeous baby. C sections are fab and planned ones very safe. I’d never had surgery before mine either - now I’m quite an old hand. It will be painless ( much nicer than labour). The anaesthetist(s) will be lovely to you and make sure you can’t feel anything before doc comes near you. I quite enjoyed a holiday chat with mine.
I think I got a painkilling suppository at end of the process and had no pain even after, apart from trapped air in shoulder - get some colpermin peppermint capsules and take religiously post surgery when permitted. Trapped air was still less painful than labour though !
I felt stiff - sure - and like it might hurt if i moved too quickly etc but it didn’t. And i worried it would be painful a week or so later having the stitches removed, but it wasn’t- they were on a kind of beaded wire and anyway I had no sensation in that tum line for quite a while due to nerves being cut. Much better to have stitches in tum than between legs!!
Enjoy your lovely baby - and by the way caesarean born babies are usually very bonny as not squashed during labour.

I had an emergency C-section. Was apprehensive about it but I felt safe and calm the entire time. It seemed to take no time at all and the team were brilliant. I actually enjoyed it, it wasn't painful or uncomfortable. If I have any more children I would choose to have another C-section. Wishing you all the best ❤️

I wonder if there are any parallels with your work or other experiences that might help it feel less strange and keep you calm? Eg I’ve a lawyer friend who said the lovely obstetrician and team reminded her of a team of lawyers working to complete a transaction and she thought of herself as the key document (😁) being worked on by all these experts. She quite enjoyed it in comparison to her natural births as she said she got to relax and not do anything while others did the work for once 😁. No pushing or agony - just a lovely baby out of her sunroof.

Thank you for these responses, it really is reassuring.
I think it's just the feeling of being completely overwhelmed by what's about to happen, of course the end result is meeting my beautiful boy, but, the laying there, being awake and conscious of what's happening to achieve that.

I also find it really daunting to know that while I won't feel pain, I will feel touch and tugging etc and I panic I won't be able to differentiate between the two things and will just fly into a full on panic attack. I'm also scared of throwing up during the procedure, while unable to move properly or sit up.

Oddly, I have quite a high pain tolerance. And while I hope I recover well, once I'm out of theatre and hospital, I feel like I'll be able to deal with being in pain or discomfort in the comfort of my own surroundings. It's just being at the mercy of a tonn of people I'll have only met on the morning of and being completely vulnerable and out of control scares me.
I really need to put my big girl pants on, even writing this out I feel pathetic. lol.

@Mushroo when you say gentle movements, what would you recommend?
Your recovery sounds great, and I'll be having mine exactly two weeks before Xmas day and would love to feel okay by Xmas day.
Thankfully I'll have my DH home with me and baby for a month post surgery to do the harder tasks/housework etc, and my mum is very hands on and will help with whatever we need.
I'm proactive in wanting to make my recovery as smooth and quick as possible without overdoing it and am conscious of the healing that's happening on the inside aswell as the outside.
I've also agreed to the pessary! Xxxx

@Lunamoon23 i just made sure I got up and shuffled around at least once an hour - the transition from sitting to standing was hardest, but other than that pain free. About 3 days after I did very gentle and slow walks around the block (less than 5 mins of walking).

my other top tip is take all the painkillers even if you’re not in pain. Don’t let the pain start, just keep on top of it and take them as a prevention.

@Mushroo that's really helpful, thank you. I'll do my best to do that. Was the from day 2 (because I guess day 1 is in hospital) or did you give yourself a couple days before starting to move around often.

And I've got a draw full of paracetamol and ibuprofen ready to do, plan on taking it on a schedule religiously as I've been told this quite often. Thinking of doing paracetamol then 2 hours later ibuprofen then two hours later paracetamol so I'm constantly topped up. Did they give you anything stronger to go home with?

Also, odd question, but does it hurt in the shower? The incision??

My incisions didnt hurt in the shower. I tended to have baths in the first few days to keep the scar clean.

@Scutterbug oh really? My consultant advised against baths?? Said there was be a risk of damaging the stitches due to trying to get in and out of the bath! X

All the best, OP - it will all be ok. I felt completely the same as you and I would have done anything to not have to have a C-section (placenta previa decided otherwise though!). What struck me when I went down to theatre, was that for all the staff in there, they did this all day every day. We had a short delay because I was a high bleed risk, so they wouldn't start the process until the extra blood was physically in the room (as it happened, I didn't need any of it) so while we waited, some of the team just grabbed a cup of tea and had a chat - I can still see the image of them doing that in my head now and they were so relaxed that it made me very calm, if that makes sense?
Anyway, sorry for the waffle - it felt scary for me in the lead up, then it was fine. I hope it feels fine for you too soon. Also, I highly recommend the Frida Mom pants 👍

Highly recommend csectionuk on Instagram. Loads of free info and she also makes some paid for resources and courses like an audio run through of all the sounds you will hear, may help to know what to expect

i was sent home late on Boxing Day and I’d had a shower in the hospital so I started moving pretty much as soon as they took out the catheter and got me up (they gave me morphine for the first shower!). So I just kept up moving as and when needed (eg standing to hug visitors, go to the loo).

I was worried about the scar area but it’s very well ‘packaged up’ at first. I basically didn’t touch, look at it or interact with it at all whilst the dressing was on.

Once the dressing came off, I very slowly got used to touching it and building up. It’s a bit weird but fine.

Also don’t worry if the whole area is numb for absolutely ages, it does come back.

Peppermint capsules are amazing for the wind pain you may get after a c-section but they don't warn you about it.

Also get a long phone charger cable so you can charge your phone while in bed at the hospital!

Best of luck. X

Good luck op! I've had 2 ELCS and like you I'd never so much as had a filling before. I can honestly say they were great - all planned, staff were amazing, and recovery wasn't too bad either. I did have a cry both times before going down because it's happening and it's so real, but honestly, I'd do it again in a heartbeat if I had to. It's great your dh is staying over with you, and that you have support from the MH team. I hope all goes well

You will be given anti sickness meds OP, and they can top you up during the section. I panicked about being sick too, but they upped the meds for me and I instantly felt better (maybe placebo effect, who knows).

@Mushroo my consultant said I'll be offered oramorph after, while in hospital, which I'm also a little worried about, I had prescribed tramadol once before and it made me throw up. Made me feel drunk 😂

How long after did they remove your dressing? I am scared about seeing it visually for the first time. While the dressing is on it's almost easy to ignore what's happened, and then when you see it, it's like a oh shit moment.

But I'll definitely be sure to keep moving little and often. Oh gosh, I forgot about the catheter aswell, not looking forward to that ether! Z

Thank you ❤️🥹 xxx

I've actually followed them since knowing I'm having one but haven't brought the courses due to limited funds but just the information I've read on there page has been extremely useful. Xxx

The amazing thing about a c section is the speed! How quickly you get to see the baby. It’s all over so quickly. I was so scared but when I saw my daughter I was overwhelmed. Then I was in recovery.
Good luck OP x

I did throw up afterwards (not entirely sure when as it’s a bit hazy but I think it was like, 8 hours after) but I think it was also linked to having an epidural beforehand. They gave me the anti-sickness after that and it was fine.

The dressing was about a week later I think - done by the midwife at your house, and the stiches just dissolve. I didn’t look at it for ages but it honestly wasn’t that bad once I plucked up the courage. Take a look at the instagram accounts others have recommended, scar massage (after about 6-8 weeks) is good, mainly just so you get used to touching that area again.

Honestly you will be fine, and I’d have another c section over a vaginal birth for sure.

Today you only have to get through today. Go and do something to distract yourself. Keep busy.

That's it. Focus on today.

That goes right until the big day.

The big day starts early. But I found you got so caught up with the actual process, that there was surprisingly little time.

I was put early on the list because my C-section related to anxiety issues.

It'll happen, the baby will arrive and you'll go fuck. I have to look after it? How the fuck do I do that? And you'll be in a whole new world of just trying to get through one day at a time. But with someone cute.

It's not easy. But it's almost not impossible either.