elective caesarean - how long did you stay in hospital?

[Cristina7]

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

sorry .. with DS he was born MOnday at 1 out Friday

DD born Tuesday at 5.. out Friday

Cristina, as Twiglett says, the pain is very manageable. If it's not, then something else is wrong. With my second child, I was in real pain in the second week, and I put it down to me being older, on my own, more stressed, etc. It turned out that it was a womb infection, so if you do have any really bad pain, don't assume it's because of the caesarean - get it checked out because the six weeks after are really OK for most people. (Oh, don't assume you'll get an infection btw, most people don't and I was just unlucky - don't want to worry you, just to make you aware that excrutiating pain isn't normal - hopefully you won't experience any!)

Good luck with it!

Update: Aloha is planning to be out tomorrow! (had baby yesterday).
Last seen knotting sheets together....

Elective c on Wednesday, sent home Sunday Morning.

I was lifting him from day 2, (and I'm tiny, he was 8lb 3oz) surprisingly free of pain after what everyone told me.

1st baby, emergency c-section after failed induction at 36 weeks. In hospital for 5 days and desperate to get out.
2nd - elective section in John & Lizzies. Stayed in 4 nights would have loved to have longer (but only cos place was SO wonderful) I could have easily come out after 2 nights. The first day/night I had wonderful support and drugs (they came within seconds, had a motorised bed, midwives took ds when he cried) which I think really helped me to recover so quickly. The next morning I was helped to a shower and from that moment I honestly felt wonderful - having said that I had suffered terribly throughout pregnancy, so everything was relative.
On the 3rd day I got told off by a midwife for running down the corridor! When dd (2y) came to visit (3rd day as well) I was fine with lifting her onto my lap on a chair, and once I got home I was able to deal with her quite normally.

But I do think I was very lucky with my 2nd section - kinda made up for the first.

pain is very managable... I was up the next day - had caesar late afternoon Monday was up tuesday afternoon - catheter out and epidural catherter out from then on just had panadeine...

with first caesar had stronger pain relief but had a spinal block rather than a patient self medicater... could give myself a shot when I felt i needed it ( 2nd caesar)

healed so much quicker than first time... was picking up toddler who is a non walker and carrying her after the first week or so...

again - arnica I am sure made the difference 2nd time round. Mine was tablet form - and I got it from a health food shop.... assume it would be the same for the UK.

Caesarian on Sunday evening, out on Tuesday morning - I discharged myself but doctors were happy - as long as you can walk and poo. Also too hot and noisy in hospital and not conducive to bonding/healing at all.

did aloha actually stay in long enough to be stitched up?!

they probably did a running stitch

had ds on thursday morning and was out monday afternoon. had dd saturday afternoon and was out tuesday morning.

Stay as long as you can as soon as your home everyone expects you to be back to normal. Top tip stay in PJ's all day, as soon as your dressed they think your fit enough to start cooking, visiting etc.

Have had 2 c-secs now - first one I had DD on Monday AM and was fit for discharge on Wed (had to stay until Thurs though as DD wasn't!). 2nd one, had DS on Thurs AM and went home on Saturday. So two days for both really. I was dying to get home - got no sleep at all in hospital with looking after babies all night alone, and at least at home I had DH to help me.

I was lucky I had a single room, so got peace to sleep. I found visiting stressfull and couldn't wait till they all went home. DH stayed all day though. Maybe it was the thought of going back to MIL's .

oh and no matter how good you feel in hospital..(midwife actually complimented me for getting up so soon, walking around and not complaining "if only everyone who had a cs was like you")..but let me tell you, once i was home it was a different story...i felt like crap. so even if you feel well, take it slow! its very easy to hurt yourself by doing too much.

4 days
4 days
3 days

And make sure they send you home with decent pain relief. They sent me home with parcetamol last time - the community midwif who came the next morning and found me seized up in the corner went ballistic. (And also marched into the ward to get my script and took it the pharmacy and bullied them into dispensing quickly- she was great!

You're all so BRAVE. I had 2 c/sections, both for medical reasons which I knew about in advance (both had unfeasibly, eye-wateringly large heads -right up in the top 90's centile-wise) Had them both privately (YAAAAY - health insurance!) so had my own room. Satellite telly. Really good food. Unlimited visiting time plus DH's office was about a 5 minute walk away. Extremely nice nurses who took time to show you how to breastfeed properly, taught you how to bath your baby and changed nappies for you. The option of a nursery to put your baby in overnight if needed - (we won't go into that, but lets just say I had a slightly different view about the neceessity for having the baby in my bed post c/section 24/7 the second time around). I had to be literally FORCED out of the door after 5 days - still think quite wistfully of how nice it would be to go back for a rest.

I've been reading through all your very helpful replies here. Thank you all so much. So, if I have a c/s (will find out on Tuesday) I should be prepared for 5 days in hospital, but could be less and I should make sure I get good pain relief in hospital and for home (including Arnica).

My DS is 5 so I haven't been lifting him up much these past few months, but I am very keen to hold the new baby as much as I can. All being well, I should expect to be doing this within a few days. Should I try and use a sling/pouch carrier, the ones that go over one shoulder and sideways rather than just in front and right on the c/s wound?

I haven't got any relatives in London and only 3 friends who live close enough to visit (and two of them not particularly interested in babies at this stage), so I'm not worried about too many visits. I'll see if the hospital I go to has separate/private rooms, could be worth it for a couple of nights. I stayed 7 nights in hospital with my first and I was in a ward with 4 -5 others. I wasn't bothered at all about the noise, in fact the MW had to come and wake me up to tell me that my baby was crying. And he was sleeping in bed with me! I was just so tired, I didn't hear my baby, let alone anyone else's.

I had an elective three weeks ago and stayed in 3 days, although they said I could stay for 5, but I wanted my own bed!

I personally haven't found it painful at all (I'm beginning to wonder if I have a high pain threshold). As soon as Catheter was out I was in and out of bed and lifting baby immediately. I am overweight so the only time I actually remember I had a C section is when I'm doing proper walking, due to belly wobbling more than anything and bottom quarter of belly is still numb to touch.

I also took Arnica from two days before the op and continuously for two weeks.

Good luck - Joe

Had emergency section Sat night out Tues morning. Had no trouble lifting baby but 2 toddlers (one not walking) was a different story! Drove car after 4 weeks but took until 7 weeks to be comfortable lifting 3 kids in and out.

Had DD on Friday lunchtime was told to pack my bags on Sunday morning. Consultant said I would be in 3-5 days, grumpy midwives said there was nothing wrong with me and I had to go home.

Didn't feel ready and had 18m old DS waiting to bounce on me.

DH was fab but I was amazed no one asked where I was going home to or who would be there (we live out in the country and have to drive). Mind you they weren't very organised, 'forgetting' to make a drugs round on the Saturday and wondering why another mum and I were in pain!

Cristina, I skipped really quickly through this so sorry if I'm repeating what others have said. Take some Big Pants (ones that come up to your belly button, not bikinis because they will sit on your scar/wound)! I've had three sections and could lift the baby after all of them. I drove my car again after about four weeks but check with your insurance company that it's ok to do this - mine wanted my GP to ok it before they would say it was ok. Best of luck.

Oh OH Oh Yes Yes Yes get big pants before you go in if there is any hint of a section. DH was sent out to get some and well tanga hipster just don't work. MIL got some better ones but still not ideal as I was still the size of a bus. When I got out I got some real granny pants in a place that sells mature ladies clothes right next to the incontinence pants and thermal vests. Ones that go up to arm pits are best .

I just borrowed DH's pants, snug boxery sorts.

But yes, bikini-line anything is out for a while.

It always a great idea to get some of those disposable pants from Mothercare. You can wear them high, and they don't interfere with your cut AT ALL. You don't even know you have them on.
TRY THEM TRY THEM TRY THEM!!!!!

can your partner stay with you overnight in the hospital after a caesarian?