How much help should I expect overnight in hospital after a C-Section?

[NoseyHelen]

I'm due my second c-section soon. My memory of the night in hospital with DS is awful. It was 35 degrees, I had a drip in one side and a catheter in the other so I could not reach out to my child. It took forever for the midwives (2 for 23 mothers) to answer the call button and I don't remember my baby's nappy being changed. I do remember one mw wedging lo in a blanket next to me so that I wouldn't press the call button again.

So, what help have other people had - perhaps I'm expecting too much?

How often was your baby changed over night?
How long did it take midwives to come when you called?
Did they insist on putting the strip lighting on everytime they popped in?
Was baby in bed with you or in it's own crib? Is it safe to have baby in bed with you after surgery?
Did they help you have a shower or bath (28 hrs after op, I gave up waiting and did it myself against orders)?

Any other tips would be gratefully received.

[expatinscotland]

no, csection, but i had forceps delivery with epidural for csection in case the forceps didn't work.

was put into a single room as spiked a fever and had a drip.

at 10PM - i'd had dd1 at 4.05PM, i pushed the button again and again as i needed to go for a wee but my legs were still on pins and needles.

i wound up getting up on my own and using the bed and the wall to get to the toilet on my own.

no help bathing, getting to DD1, nada.

SO helped my PND! not.

[melpomene]

While in hospital with dd1 after my cs, I got up in the night to feed her and took her to a side room where they had rocking chairs for feeding in. When I finished feeding her, I tried to get up out of the chair but my stomach muscles were so weak after the op that I couldn't get up. It was about 3am and I called out for help but nobody was around. I think we were stuck there for about 20 minutes before a nurse rescued us... (funny in retrospect, but not at the time)

[meglet]

exactly expat. TBH I don't know how I escaped getting PND after my experience in hospital. Without support its bloody easy to fall apart.

I did a 'birth reflections' chat with a midwife a when DS was one and she was fab and totally agreed that support for most mums, especially cs mums is pants.

[AbstractMouse]

Puss I find it odd too but they really are not allowed to lift you. I came from a general ward (where I was used to lifting and turning people) to a post-natal ward and I was told I was not allowed to help.

You have to sit yourself up with arms behind and great effort. The only place I have seen people being helped to sit up was theatre, which is why I asked to sit up as soon as I had been transferred to a normal bed whilst in theatre, they hoiked me up there no problem.

I would also advise people to move and get out of bed asap, the longer you leave it the harder it is.

The first time you get out of bed IS going to be painful and slow but after that it is much easier if you mobilse at least a little bit.

[spongecake]

agree depends on hospital and mw you get, i had all the short straws i ended up having ds in my bed as no one ever came and i had catheters and drips. mw said it would be easier for them! no one changed him, dh had to do it.
also wish had waited for dh to help me shower as had to go alone as they put me in shower and went to a meeting. collapsed with blood loss and had to wait for them to come back even though clinging to alarm. very terrifying as thought would die.

nice cleaner bought me food as i couldn;t walk and mw said not their job.

advice good below re get someone to come and be there with you as much as possible. but maybe you will be lucky and they will be the angels you read about

[expatinscotland]

i don't think there'd be any other place in a hospital where patients were treated so poorly or put themselves at such risk after major abdominal surgery - and with a newborn as well! - than a post-natal ward.

i'm shocked there haven't been more deaths or injuries, tbh.

[NoseyHelen]

Thanks everyone who has responded so far. It does seem to be pot luck - although I suspect the London hospitals are the worst - certainly seem to be the least staffed.

I didn't know about the clip-on crib. I think I'll enquire about that but if one isn't to hand I can't see them going to find one.

It seems I'm not asking to much and I did use the call button quite often but if you think about it, in a ward where there are 23 mums to 2 mws, they'll only have 5 minutes per mum per hour and then of course they'll have lunch and tea breaks when only 1 mw is on duty. I did have a single room last time but I think this just allowed them to ignore me.

Interestingly, I was talking to mw about next time. She said that they didn't think I'd get a single room because they prefer you to be a group bay - she seemed to be implying that they need the other mums to keep an eye on women who've had the c-section.

I'll be gutted if I can't leave after 1 night.

[ShowOfHands]

I had an em cs at 10 pm. DD was wedged into the bed next to me and I was wheeled onto the ward. They put the call button out of reach. Somebody did come and check my bp once in the early hours. At 10am the next morning they said I should go and have a shower and clean myself up as I was 'making a mess'. They discharged me a couple of hours later. I received feck all help with feeding, nappies, washing, cleaning up the blood that I dripped on the floor (oh they did give me a cloth to clean it myself though). It was farking hideous and probably the reason why I can't face ever having another.

[wonkaland]

My experience was fairly positive. After planned section DD had to spend first night in SCBU (I have type 1 diabetes her blood sugar was being monitored). Unfortunately I don't know how many times her nappy was changed. They did bring me a laminated picture of her for me to look at which was v nice but just made me cry & they also wheeled her in to see me last thing at night which was good! V difficult being in room when you are the only one without your baby. I was in higher dependancy ward nearer to the midwives & all the care was v good just buzzed when I needed pain relief. I woke in the night thinking I'd been run over by a bus, so it probably helped that I didn't have to look after DD the first night but didn't feel like it at the time. As she wasn't with me it did make me more determined to get up, showered & mobile in the morning to go & see her. Step sisters advice (nurse) drink lots of fluid after & get them to take the cathater out asap. Sorry this is long never posted before.

[ilovebeinglazy]

God this really brings back the bad memories.

i couldn't even reach my call button so had to wait until I heard the midwife go to the bed next to mine. late with pain -killers, no help with changing. Agree that there should be much more support for all new mums but espcially those who've had a c-section or v bad tears. My dh spent all day helping me but this might be difficult this time as have 2.5 yo ds.

Really hoping for a VBAC this time and getting the hell out of there asap.

[TwoIfBySea]

Um...I had quite an all right time of it considering, NoseyHelen. I was in a room with two other c-section victims! All of us emergency ones so we were pretty whacked out.

First night my dts were in SCBU but second night the staff took all our babies to the nursery to give us a night off! We were so appreciative as for various different reasons we were still poorly.

Not all the experiences were so great right enough, depending on which staff were on but that first night (okay second night but you get what I mean), having my dts cared for in the nursery gave me the chance to recharge the batteries and made such a difference. Seeing the mums who came in after, with their babies, I realise how important that sleep was.

[tigger15]

Owing to being high risk my first night (ie immediately after the op which was in the middle of the night) was on the labour ward. I think they asked me to shower and take the dressing off myself on day 2 which I did alone. They didn't offer to come in with me but I'd already been to the loo and back as I'd read that you were meant to start moving asap.

They never changed a nappy for me. I had to do that.

They generally came within 5-10mins and didn't put lights on if in the middle of the night.

I was in a room with 5 other csec mums. The first night with them one baby screamed all night so I got no sleep. The next night it was my baby. So being stupidly considerate I tried to take ds out and calm him down when feeding didn't work. I tried feeding him in the rocking chair and asked the mws on the desk for help. All they would say was "it's wind dear" so I winded him all night with little success. Every time I put him in the cot he cried.

The crib was next to the bed but you couldn't reach it sitting up.

That was in a london hospital and is not an experience I want to repeat.

[VictorianSqualor]

I've recently had my third, for my first I was really poorly so can't remember much, my second I was on HDU for the first 24 hours, but in the ward I did it mostly myself, the nurses positioned my bed so I could reach into the cot and pick DS up (what I found the hardest tbh).

This time round I had my CS at 2:43pm, the midwife came straight in and latched DS on, came in every so often to take obs and give me drugs. My Pil&BiL came back with DP & DD/DS1 at around 6pm (DP left for a bout half an hour to get the DC's) and whilst they were there the mw's came in a couple of times, and took out my cannula'.

They then took out my catheter at 9pm, just after my visitors left and asked me to let them know when I needed the toilet, I walked down at about 9:30, they were going to get a wheelchair but I knew from experience it's best to get moving asap (but do it gently).

They put DS2 in bed with me as I was BFing and left the two of us for the night, but left my door slightly open as they said they needed to check on us every so often.

Next night I only saw anyone about every 3/4 hours when they were doing the rounds to ask if I needed drugs, but they always came pretty quickly if I pressed the buzzer, the same on the third night, I went home the next day after discharging myself.

[VictorianSqualor]

NoseyHelen
I'd be very surprised if you could leave after one night. If it's a planned CS then you could be finished by 10am (like with my second) or still hanging around waiting whilst emergencies are going on, like I was with my 3rd.

They don't count the day you have the op as day 1, it's the next day, and they don't like you to leave before day 3 (so 4 days after birth really). On day '1' (the day after I had DS2) I asked to go home because DS1 started to cry when he had to go home and they told em that there has to be a paed and a consultant aroudn to discharge you, as I asked at about 8pm I couldn't go so they agreed I could go home the next day 'day 2' (the thursday, I had DS on the tuesday) but when I asked them in the morning they told me I'd have to wait til 10am, for the paed, he came and the I had to wait for the consultant who didn't even come to see me just read my obs and said I couldn't go as had a temp of 0.5c higher than what they wanted. I was in a boiling hot room with a massive window and sun shining on me, plus the heating was on!

Anyway, I said I wasn't happy and wanted to go home, told them I wanted to self-discharge because I felt like I'd be safer and less stressed at home in my own bed (with my sidecar cot, so not lifting out of the cot, just pulling over) with my DC's in their own house rather than having to find childcare or worry about them being pains in the neck at hospital. I eventually got to leave at about 5pm on the thursday.

[nooonit]

DD2 was born by emergency section in January - but remarkably for something that happened so recently my memories are quite hazy! (possibly due to the fact my waters broke on the Sun night but DD2 wasn't born until just before midnight on the Wed!)

Due to section being so late (when told I needed a section I asked would it be in the morning. DD2 was born 20 mins later )I was in recovery till about 3am, washed by nurses/orderlies? Lovely ladies whoever they were! DD2 latched on to feed then taken up to ward.

I remember feeling guilty about having to buzz for staff to pick her up when she cried, but they were so lovely and helpful, swaddled her etc.

Had catheter taken out in the am (so probably less than 12 hours after section) and helped to the shower but then I stupidly said I could manage - really struggled. It was like an axe murder in a film!

I was lucky as I was moved to a single room for the other 2 nights I was in. This made such a difference, especially for DD1 visiting.

I was also lucky as I didn't feel that bad - DD1 was born by forceps with lots of stitches and IME that was far more painful than my c section.

I think when it's your second you are much more confident of what you can do and at expecting help with what you can't do. You are entitled to the care you need and if you need to be strppy to get that for you and your baby then so be it - after a few days you'll probably not see them again!

Good Luck, NoseyHelen! I'm sure you'll be fine.

[tiggerlovestobounce]

I've had 2 sections.

The baby wasnt changed at all overnight. Dh did it before he left and I did it in the morning.
Midwives did come when called, and didnt take too long.
Was in bay, so they didnt exactly "pop in" but main lights were off in night.
Bbay was in crib next to bed. Fed lying down at times, but wouldnt have wanted to sleep in bed with baby, as wouldnt have felt safe enough.
I had a shower the next moning. Had to tell them that was what I wanted though as I think they would have left me sat in bed otherwise.

I was in hospital less than 24 hours with each section. It may not be normal practice, but the midwifes didnt seem too surprised, and I knew I would be looked after better at home.

I think that the reason that CS mums are usually in bay 1 is not because they think the other mums should be keeping an eye on you, but just that normal nursing practise is to group the patients with highest need together in Bay 1 (the one closest to the nurses station. If you are in a side room with a closed door there is a risk of being slightly forgotten about.

[snickersnack]

It was hideous. dd was born around 7pm and I was pretty exhausted so it's a bit of a blur, but:

• I certainly didn't change her overnight and I'd be very surprised if any of the midwives did

• I couldn't reach the call button so there was no question of anyone turning on lights to come and see me when I used it!

• my blood pressure cuff slipped off and I couldn't reach it to put it back on so I was unmonitored for 3 hours. Then got told off by the midwife. I had tried to call someone but they couldn't hear me as the bed was too far away

• dd was in a separate cot beside my bed. With an almight effort I could just about reach her but I'm pretty sure it wasn't a good move post major abdominal surgery. I put her next to me and stayed awake all night then got a lecture about the dangers of co-sleeping.

The next morning, a man in a dressing gown wandered into the ward and sat on the chair next to the bed of the woman opposite me - after 15 minutes we got the midwife's attention who then took 10 minutes to call security to have him removed. And when it came time to shift me from the HDU to the postnatal ward, the midwife turned up with a wheelchair - I sat in feeling very grateful but she told me it was so she could transfer my stuff (apparently she had a bad back) leaving me to push dd's cot and pull my drip.

All in all, there wasn't much question I wanted a VBAC second time round...

[callandermum]

Oh how the horrible memories flood back. After 4 1/2 days of labour and emergency section, I was left to get on with EVERYTHING myself.

Was on 'section' ward where all 8 of us did pretty much everything ourselves except one clever little lady who acted daft and burst in to tears to get help from Midwives. This also meant that there were at least 3 babies crying at ALL times, ALL night (including my own! I was woken up by midwive on my first night as new parent to be told that 'hen, your baby is crying' and I was left to try and maneuver to the end of bed to get DD out of cot. No nappy changing or feeds either as I was breast-feeding).

Was also told not to have sprog in bed with me and was helped to bathroom to shower myself after 20 hrs but told not to wash my hair as it would take too long. These people have no idea how lucky they were I was too knackered to be enraged- also just so glad DD was here safely to 'sweat the small stuff'.

Think care is pot-luck depending on where you are and how pushy you are prepared to be! Whilst my sympathies lie with understaffed wards, having a baby is traumatic enough without being made to feel like a nuisance! Also, know that your section may be for medical reasons in which case feel free to ignore my next statement, but after lots of thought I tried myself with my second and had natural delivery. This meant that I was home 12 hrs later- one of the deciding factors rather than being ignored in a hospital for 5 days as with DD! Good luck anyway! Sorry for ranting- whole experience left me resentful and miserable first time round- only realised just how low after great experience second time round.

[expatinscotland]

i am utterly appalled by some of these experiences.

[LadyThompson]

Me too, but thanks for sharing them. I am having a cs in November and I will make sure that DP doesn't leave my side. They can at least put up partners and after hearing some of the details of some quite hideously below par care some people have received, it sounds like I will need him there.

[expatinscotland]

they usuallly make your partner or husband go home if you give birth late at night or the wee hours of the morning.

[MrsMattie]

I had no help at all after my c-section (first baby). It was diablocial, looking back. The midwives rarely answered the buzzer thingie and when they did, they seemed really pissed off that I had bothered them. Still makes my blood boil to think about it now.

[IllegallyBrunette]

I have had 3 sections.

With dd1 I distincly remeber feeling that I was putting the midwives out by buzzing to ask them to pass me my baby and after a while I just really really struggled and got her myself, but it is a miracle I didn't drop her or something now i think about it.
A midwife also told me off for buzzing for pain relief when she was only in the next cubicle. I didn't know she was there though.

It was different with my 2nd section as dd2 was in SCBU, so I pretty much got left to my own devices.

My 3rd section was in a different hospital, and I was allowed to self medicate which made the world of difference as it meant that I wasn't having to constantly ring the buzzer and I never had to wait for pain relief as I was in charge of it.
The only bad thing about my 3rd section was that Ds was on a billibed being treated for jaundice, and had to be fed every 3hours, but the midwives would forget to wake me up in the night to feed him.

[LadyThompson]

Gosh, you read some of this stuff and wonder how (and why) some of these midwives went into a so-called 'caring' profession. Or should we put it ALL down to shortage of staff?