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Childbirth

Share experiences and get support around labour, birth and recovery.

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Original poster

elective caesarean - how long did you stay in hospital?

52 replies

Cristina7 · 08/02/2005 20:49

I know experiences will vary with reasons for elective c/s etc. But I'd like to get a rough idea of how long you'd expect to stay in hospital after an elective c/s. I'm 35 weeks pg and I am thinking of all options as I have gestational diabetes and my first baby was big at 38 weeks (no gestational diabetes that time, just waters breaking, difficult birth). I also had a stillborn baby at 35 weeks so I'm getting very anxious these last few weeks. Many thanks. Cristina

OP posts:

Are your children’s vaccines up to date?

Set a reminder

nutcracker · 08/02/2005 20:50

Dd1 - 5 days
Dd2 - 5 days (back up every day though cos dd in scbu, so i still popped in for check ups)
Ds - 7 days but only because he was ill and hospital was too far away to travel backwards and forwards.

happymerryberries · 08/02/2005 20:51

5 days first time (emergency). 4 days (elective) second time. best wishes

nutcracker · 08/02/2005 20:51

Some wil let you out after 3 days now but personally i think that 4 should be the minimum.

Good luck

motherinferior · 08/02/2005 20:53

Aloha is planning to be out by the end of the week.

spod · 08/02/2005 20:53

i had dd at 10am on the friday and was home sunday 3pm... care in hospital was so awful i was better off at home... i pestered them to let me go.. i got no help with baby in there. had it been a nicer place with more help i would have stayed in for a couple more days but i actually felt more vulnerable being in there! hope this isnt the norm though.

jane313 · 08/02/2005 20:56

3 nights but they would have let me go after 3 if my son hadn't been in the special care unit overnight

Original poster

Cristina7 · 08/02/2005 20:59

Thanks for the replies. It would help to plan for DH to take time off work to look after DS in the afternoons etc.

How much lifting can you really do immediately after the c/s? I'm not thinking moving furniture but can you lift up your baby? Thanks again.

OP posts:

spod · 08/02/2005 21:01

i could lift my dd the next day, but i did find getting ot of bed painful... certainly couldnt do anything quickly!, bending, lifting, coughing, sneezing all really hurt. take your time to rest and recover.

beansprout · 08/02/2005 21:03

2 nights after my emergency section.
Should not do any lifting, but of course, have to pick up the baby. Just be careful how you do and where possible, get someone else to hand him/her to you. Lots of cushions if you are b\f too. Your body will tell you what you can and can't do. Good luck.

PS I swear that taking Arnica helped me heal really quickly.

spod · 08/02/2005 21:04

arnica worked for me too... but agree that its better to let people pass the baby to you, i know they're only little, but it hurts to stoop and lift!

fruitful · 08/02/2005 21:05

Cristina, here is an old thread on the subject. I was wondering the same thing myself as it looks like I'm heading for a second elective cs in the next few weeks. Looking through that thread, most people went home on the third or fourth day after the birth. Some on the second day.

With dd I had the cs on Tuesday morning and would happily have gone home on Friday but dd wasn't feeding so we stayed in for her benefit, went home the following Tuesday (by which point I was going mental).

With this one the cs will probably be a Thursday and I'd like to get out by Sunday (assuming we've persuaded MIL to go home on the Saturday ).

KBear · 08/02/2005 21:05

I spent 3 nights in after my elective. couldn't wait to get out of there! Also my mum lived very near and DH was home so plenty of help. You can ONLY lift your baby - strict rule and you must be sensible or you might hurt yourself. Sit back, get waited on and give yourself a break from being the first one out of the chair to make the tea!

TOP TIP - get one of those v-shape pillows to put in front of you while you are feeding (esp bfing) so it takes the weight of the baby and baby doesn't rest on your stomach area.

Good luck.

Original poster

Cristina7 · 08/02/2005 21:05

How do you take Arnica? I'm not at all into herbal remedies, so excuse the silly quetsion. Is it drops or how do you do it?

OP posts:

spod · 08/02/2005 21:06

go to health food store... mine were little pills, taken hourly (or 2 hourly cant remember)

misdee · 08/02/2005 21:09

christina, have the said definatly c-section then? would an induction be easier if it worked?

highlander · 08/02/2005 21:09

I had DS on Mon morning and was ready for home on Tues. However they persuaded me to stay for some BF advice, plus DH refused to take out the staples! I eventually went home on Thurs morning.

On Friday I went for 2 mile walk and a week later I accidently lifted my neighbour's toddler. Neither of which I recommend - it was just me; I had a very fit pregnancy.

Wierdly enough, twisting around in bed hurt for about 2 weeks then just disappeared.

eidsvold · 08/02/2005 21:18

five days - dd born Mon night and I was out Saturday... ( in Australia) could have gone home earlier but dd2 had jaundice and I was enjoying a mini break...

Arnica definitely helped me heal quicker - dd1 was also born by caesar ( in the UK this time) and I did not know about Arnica then... took a lot longer to heal. Having different pain relief second time round - epidural in for the birth and then the next day - also helped I think.

Original poster

Cristina7 · 08/02/2005 21:23

Thanks for all the messages. Just went to the old thread as well and read it (wow, some of you have been on MN for a couple of years). Misdee, no c/s has been mentioned yet but I'm just getting really nervous now and I waver between thinking that if I did it twice I can do it again, even with a big baby, and then thinking why risk a possible emergency c/s? Because of the increased risk of stillbirth in gestational diabetes and because we've had a stillborn son (no reasons found and I didn't have diabetes then), I'm just getting worried for these last few weeks. I guess part of it is thinking that with an elective c/s I'd also shorten the time remaining, so reduce anxiety on that front.

OP posts:

misdee · 08/02/2005 21:27

kow what u mean. i am inbetween letting things ahppen naturally opr induction, as i dont know if i can carryon things way they are atm, not for bubs but for my own life.

Original poster

Cristina7 · 08/02/2005 21:31

I know you're going through a tough time at the moment, Misdee. Shame we can't fully enjoy these last few weeks but once the babies are here maybe life can pick up again and there'll be less anxiety. I hope things go well with your DH's hospital transfer.

OP posts:

Uwila · 09/02/2005 20:10

I was in the hospital for three days after and emergency c at 3am, and was definitely ready to go home after two. No mobile phone and no internet = misery.

kid · 09/02/2005 20:15

I had elective c-section on Wednesday and went home Friday. I was a wimp and took things really easy! I found it difficult to sit up from a laying down position. I had to sleep with 4 pillows so I was practically sitting up all night! The pain was really bad for me for the first week. Then it was just a bit uncomfortable.

Original poster

Cristina7 · 09/02/2005 20:26

Apart from the pain, is it much worse, are you much more immobile than during late stages of pregnancy when you can't bend, lift, turn over etc?

OP posts:

Twiglett · 09/02/2005 20:30

have never had a normal labour (2 electives) so can't compare

but can honestly say with regards to c-sections that

the pain is manageable and managed with pain-killers (better than with an episiotomy or so I'm told)

I was on my feet within 24 hours and walking normally within 3 days

don't worry

NotQuiteCockney · 09/02/2005 20:31

You are much more immobile than in late pregnancy - you can't lift your older child!

I hadn't realised everyone stayed in so long. My first section was elective, and happened about noon on Wednesday, I got out Friday afternoon. We signed both me and DS1 out against medical advice (that was fun!). I don't sleep well in hospital, and I have my own midwife.

My second section was emergency (but very non-rushed and relaxed), happened about 6am on Friday, and I got out on Saturday afternoon - only one night in hospital! No signing out against medical advice, no fuss at all!

But that was only wise because a) the hospital is a pit, even with a sideroom, b) I have excellent support at home, and c) we were both very very well. The current clinical standards say you should be able to get out after 24 hours if you are not feverish. (My midwife took out the stitches, I'm sure you can get NHS midwives to do that, too.)

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