Talk to me about C section recovery

[firsttimepregnanthelp]

Hi ladies,

I am considering having an elective C section for a variety of reasons but I am a little concerned about the recovery. Will I be able to turn to pick baby up out of its cot? How long til I can walk again? I am someone who likes to get out of the house so being unable to go outside for a walk will be challenging for me. How do you care for your scar? Is it worth getting a compression garment? How do you prepare for a C section?

Sorry for so many questions, my midwife has been very vague about all of this

I had a CS for my only DC. I was north of 40 so by no means a youngster.

Like you I asked others what their experiences were but in the end found they bore little resemblance to what actually happened to me.

I was in and out of hospital within 24 hours and pretty much back to normal very quickly. I avoided very heavy lifting for a while but other than that everything was normal. I was out and about walking with the pram on day 2/3 and even went to the supermarket at the end of the week.

The whole thing was unbelievably straightforward and uneventful. I must just have been lucky because when I read about people being in hospital for days on end and then being bedridden at home in pain I struggle to understand how that happens. My wisdom tooth extraction was a more challenging process and recovery than giving birth.

I hope you experience the same as it makes those precious first few days with your baby so much better.

I had one and was sore for a couple weeks but after day three you can do most stuff . Beware you need to inject yourself for ten days

People do have different experiences like PP say. Don't let anyone go on to you about scars or how your body will look, as so many people seem to, and there are people who will judge-don't let them upset you. Take advice about exercise, as you will probably be advised not to get back to things for much longer than after normal delivery. One thing I would be wary of is infection-obviously many, many people are fine, but the ones who do have issues say how important it is to get help straight away, don't just ignore it (as so many of us do when we're new mums, and think we should just get on with stuff).
You will probably have to stay in hospital longer, though one friend did get to go home straight away.

codeine isn't routinely prescribed for sections any more unless a woman knows that she's not going to try breastfeeding. Dihydrocodeine is safe to use in breastfeeding though and so that's more commonly used post-op.

From speaking to many other mums I think people's experiences vary massively. So it's hard to say exactly. To answer your specific questions - I wouldn't have been able to turn and lift baby from the crib swiftly, needed to properly sit up and carefully lift in a way that felt comfortable. Of note, I had a next to me crib set up attached to my bed, but something I didn't consider was that I couldn't shimmy down my bed, around the crib, to get out. So needed to detach the crib from my bed and leave it zipped up, with a gap for me to stand out of the bed normally. Might sound like such a minor thing but I do remember it bugged me a lot at the time😂

You can get out of bed to walk that same day, but was very slow and steady for me at first. By 2 weeks postnatal I felt comfortable going for a walk. Prior to this I was sore, found it hard to stand up straight, had bruised ribs from the pushing on my abdomen to get baby out, and felt very dizzy/woozy if I tried to go too far.

Caring for scar for me was showering every day running plain water over the area and carefully patting dry with a fresh face cloth every time. Sometimes twice a day if you felt sweaty. Loose airy clothes and very high waist undies. Leaving the scar exposed to air when you have a chance, like laying down on your bed for a while. I used silicon scar sheets after checking with the Midwife I was clear to go ahead with them. Plenty of pain killers in my case for 2 weeks. For me it was Paracetamol and NSAIDs as often as prescribed. Difene for 5 days and then switched to ibuprofen. I needed blood thinning injections for 10 days and they are self administered. Never tried compression garment so can't say.

In terms of preparing I would try to optimise your iron levels. Taking as good a diet and also iron supplements if suitable in your case. Resting well in the time leading up to section and staying well hydrated helps. After surgery, get moving as soon as possible, hydrate and get some light diet on board - all helps! I tried to eat really well in the weeks that followed as I'm sure that helps too.

OK. I said if. I'm obviously not a prescriber.

I got given codeine after my first birth, and dihydrocodeine after my second, so they must have changed the protocol recently.

I breastfed both children for over 2 years each (and counting, with dc2) and was never discouraged from doing so with the meds I was on. It's splitting hairs a bit because dihydrocodeine contains codeine and we called it codeine for short in my house anyway.

OK just looked it up and dihydrocodeine doesn't actually contain codeine, it is derived from it and actually stronger! Who knew.

Anyway, whichever they give you op, take it.

In a nutshell: recovery wasn’t half as bad as everyone said it would be.

I had an elective in the morning. Next day, could get out of bed, sit on the toilet (using my husband to hold on to), could shower and shuffle about. Day after that could sit in a chair and get in and out. Don’t think I tried lifting my baby, just had handed to me instead. Used my pregnancy pillow to protect the wound whilst I breastfed.

When I was discharged, I didn’t even need the pain meds they give you. Could easily get about the house carrying the Moses by like day 4/5. At 4 weeks I was exercising no problem. By 6 weeks, weight training.

My scar healed no problem.

I may be the exception, IDK, but I wouldn’t hesitate to have another elective. I second PPs who said the constipation was the worst thing! First bowel movement slipped out whilst in hospital, thought I was out of the woods. Second poop at home…JFC. Used a rolled up towel pushed against my incision.

For the first 10-14 days I was slow to get in and out of bed (weirdly worse getting into bed than out).

Oh, don’t do the compression band thingy - likely do more harm than good. I didn’t use it and by my 6 week check, my abs were right back together as normal.

I would get the Frida Mon silicone strips (use from about a week after) and definitely get the Frida Mon big ass underwear (disposable. Unbelievably comfortable)

I found my elective awful but having said that my expectations were too high. I read lots of posts where people said they were back to normal in a few days etc. I genuinely didn’t expect any pain because I didn’t have any after my vaginal birth which was unrealistic 😆. Also I had no idea some have stronger pain relief than paracetamol and stay longer than 1 night.

I didn’t have any issue going to the toilet and no trapped wind.

Oh, and be prepared for that baby to come out quick! I thought it’d be like 30 mins of them down the business end and me staring at the curtain thingy…nope! Before you know it, the midwife will say “baby’s coming in a second!”

In hindsight, I was over prepared. I read everything there was, started more than one thread about it, and bought loads after all the advice I got…peppermint tea, oversized knickers, belts, prunes, medication against constipation and a big hospital bag with stuff…you name it, I had it. The reality was, I was walking out of hospital with my baby and in the clothes I came in on the next day. The only things I used from my hospital bag were things for the baby. I was going to the cafe next door by day 3, then short walks, back to exercising classes after my 6-week-check. I didn’t need anything of my prep purchases apart from pain killers. If I have another one, I’d just go with the flow and get things as I need them.

You’ve had a lot of info and advice already, my perspective is to echo that the actual birth was straightforward, I felt like I’d been hit by a bus afterwards and I got the shoulder tip pain which was horrendous but cleared quickly once I knew what it was. The first 2 weeks were really tough when you’re in it but that passes quickly and it doesn’t take long before it’s all in the past. I was out walking at 3-4 weeks post I think and waited until 12 weeks to start any sort of other exercise to be on the safe side. 3.5 years on you can barely see my scar and I have no birth injury complications. I am fitter than I was pre pregnancy. Absolutely no regrets here about the c section. If you decide to go for it, just be sensible about pushing yourself too much while you’re recovering so you don’t have any complications.

I waited until 3 months before any strenuous exercise as you need to allow the internals to heal even if you feel strong enough.

I had to have a csection and I wish someone told me that your baby is more likely to end up in the NICU than with a vaginal delivery. My DD was in for 12 days due to fluid in her lungs, which is normally pushed out when they go through the birth canal.

Get these high waisted knickers so your knicker seams don't rub your scar.

I was up within 4 hours as I was desperate to see DD. Walking the next day. Walked 5km 10 days later (I was exhausted afterwards!!).

15 months on and it is like nothing had ever happened.

I think it’s because dihydrocodeine is generally considered safer than codeine while breastfeeding!

Although whether you get prescribed anything seems like such a postcode lottery!
First section was an emergency and I was out in less than 24 hours, could barely walk out of the ward and was given nothing, told to take ibuprofen at home.
Second was a sort of elective, again attempted to discharge without any pain relief which I refused due to how much pain I was in the first time and how unhelpful my GP was. (Told me I could have an appointment to discuss prescribing pain relief due to the surgery in 2 weeks time!)
Even when asked they made a whole fuss about how it would delay discharge by so many hours and just to go to my GP but I wasn’t being fobbed off and told them I’d happy sit in the private room I was in for as long as it took them to get me the pain relief, funnily enough they then managed to get it and discharge me within the hour!