Any advice on c sections appreciated

[Misswatermelon]

Hi all, new here and first post
I have an elcs on the 23rd due to previous haemorrhage and other medical issues.
Previous vaginal births so all new experience for me

Can anyone offer any advice or experiences of what to expect? Like do they pass baby for akin to skin, how bad pain is, how you get to baby when your unable to move etc

Absolutely any advice and support would be massively appreciated. My oh will be dealing with our little ones at home and doing house work side of things also
Thank you :)

Yes to getting skin to skin straightaway. And the midwives will help you pick up baby for the first night. If you keep on top of pain relief (alternating paracetamol and ibuprofen) the pain should be manageable. Don’t be tempted to stop too early as you feel ok - just take it on a schedule. I was able to climb stairs (slowly) by day 2 and independently care for newborn, although I didn’t push myself to do many nappies in the first week (there have got to be some benefits 😂). I feel evangelical about ELCS

Thank you for your quick reply. I'm already stressing so much about it. Our youngest is 2 in a few months and won't understand why I can pick him up or do much so major guilt also

We have lots of nappy changes already, poor OH will need a nose peg🤣

I had an emergency section and had an 18 month old at home. My number 1 tip would be to just keep yourself dosed up on painkillers at first, I set alarms and took them like clockwork for the first 7-10 days, after that just as and when I felt I needed to. Easier said then done I know but do try and take it as easy as you can, accept help from family & friends in those first few weeks, I tried not to overdo it and my scar healed really nicely with no infections. I also used a clean muslin washcloth to gently pat the scar dry after every shower.

In the actual section, they passed the baby to me straightaway, I was shaking quite a lot (I think with adrenaline!) so I actually passed her to my partner but all was fine, I gave her a breastfeed once we got to recovery. They get the baby out really quickly, the rest is them stitching you up but they were all really friendly and reassuring and had the radio on so considering the circumstances of mine, I still felt quite calm. The midwives will help, just make sure you press that buzzer as many times as you need to or if you feel like you need any more pain relief, don’t struggle alone. Good luck, I hope it all goes well!

And to pre warn you the baby is placed up high as you’re numb! More like a scarf/neck wrap than in your arms. I had a 2 year old when my second came home too. Just lots of cuddles on the sofa, rather than carries! They adapt quickly. Maybe try and do more of that now so s/he knows it’s tricky to carry (with big bump) so they’re prepared for after (poorly tummy). I’ve only ever had electives but it was much easier than I feared. Worst part is getting up from lying down so the hospital mechanical bed is a godsend

Eat a lot of good quality protein for breakfast lunch and dinner, protein helps you to heal quicker

The worst part is transitioning from sitting to standing or lying to sitting etc... I found being in one place to be pain free but moving from one state to another was sore BUT you should absolutely move around because getting stiff makes it worse! The morning attempt to get up is always the worst.

Try and have everything at waist level, you don't want to be bending too much early doors.

Otherwise it's really not that bad.

Oh you'll still bleed lots. I don't know why that took me by surprise the 1st time round! I kinda expected a bit of a hoover up inside I guess...

I didn’t get skin to skin. They took baby away to do the checks and I think they got me to recovery first, maybe my husband got to hold him.
The midwives will hand you the baby but you will gain enough mobility to reach baby within a few hours.
Pain hits you a bit delayed - it was more of a bad ache.
I went home after three days and had visitors first day and was well enough to go out to a restaurant the next day.

Thank you to everyone who's replied, I fell asleep
It definitely helps taking advice from those who've been through it :)
I'm just a bit of a wimp with certain types of pain

re skin to skin, it does depend a bit on the baby being ok and you feeling well enough to have a 3-4kg weight on your chest. It is usually possible, but some women decide not to have skin to skin or aren't feeling well enough to until they're in the bed afterwards and occasionally babies need a bit of attention from the MWs or obstetricians. Pain is very very variable - some women don't seem to have much at all, but others do need some of the punchier painkillers post op. The stronger stuff can all make you constipated so be mindful of that & take laxatives, drink plenty etc if you need the heavier stuff. The anaesthetist will go through all of that once they've seen you. (DOI obs anaesthetist).

I am 4 weeks post ELCS with our third child (my second ELCS). The first was a vaginal birth. I am absolutely a wimp with pain and don’t believe in putting up with it for no good reason. Recovery is quicker and smoother if you can move around comfortably. My advice would be:

Take the painkillers. I took oramorph both times in hospital on the first day. With the first ELCS I also took a dose the next day, with the second I didn’t need it. Ask for it if you have to. The nurse didn’t offer it this time. But the anaesthetist came to check on me in recovery and told me that if the wound becomes anything more than uncomfortable (I.e. burning or painful), I need to be vocal about pain relief. So I was.

I was sent home with a week’s supply of dihydrocodeine and I took all of it, plus ibuprofen and paracetamol, at regular intervals. I set alarms on my phone. I took just ibuprofen and paracetamol for a while longer after I finished the dihydrocodeine.

I’m prone to constipation and had the most awful bout of it with the vaginal birth, so I learned from that. I asked for, and was prescribed, a laxative on top of lactulose (senna tablets) after both C sections. I took that, lactulose, ate lots of prunes and dried fruit, drank smoothies and lots of water. I had no problems with constipation either time.

Let the wound air as much as possible. I used a clean maternity pad to dry it off thoroughly after every shower, and then lay down and let it air for a few minutes.

Very best of luck and hope it goes smoothly, and as comfortably as possible. Touch wood, I’ve had very smooth recoveries both times. Nothing like the car crash vaginal birth, which took months and months and was two seps forwards one step backwards throughout.

Oh, and I took a pillow with me into hospital and used it as cushioning between the scar and the seat belt in the car back home.
Edited to add that I also used the pillow at home to protect the scar from over-enthusiastic toddlers!

Dd had an emergency c-section with her second child and it surprised me how weak and shaky she was for a good week, maybe ten days after - she needed me to help steady her, wash her in the shower etc.
After that she bounced back but needed quite a bit of help with the two little ones for the first month or so, sometimes falling fast asleep on the sofa while I bathed toddler and put her to bed. As well as laundry, cooking, washing up etc (the useless father was not around much).
It might be a factor that it was an emergency c section after about five days of induction during which she never got into established labour so was exhausted from all the poking and prodding and monitoring.
She had awful constipation for a week or two afterwards too.

I've had 2 CS, one emergency and one elective. To be honest the EMCS was actually more straightforward, had skin to skin straight away and recovered very quickly. The elective was more complicated - the surgery took way longer because i had adhesions and baby was tangled in the cord (round his arm, leg and neck) and no skin to skin as he needed a bit of help to breathe. I lost a lot of blood and took a while to recover. But that is because I was unwell during pregnancy and then the operation was unexpectedly complex, and not because of the CS itself if you see what I mean. DS was fine very quickly and I felt well supported throughout. I would recommend getting as much help as home as you can - if your mum/MIL/other can stay or can be available for a week or so when your DH goes back to work that would be good. Overall both my CS were positive experiences and I recovered well with no issues.

Piggy backing this thread as I’m undecided on method of birth, swaying towards c section at the moment.
Baby is measuring slightly big so far.
I’m high risk for gestational diabetes but don’t have it (yet)
I don’t have any other children and my husband will be off work for a month to help at home, I also have family that can be around to help pretty much any time.
Does c section sound like a good choice?