Elective Caesarians only - has anyone had any problems afterwards?

[chaufleur]

I am currently considering having a CS. I have heard lots of good and bad experiences of CS, it seems to be that the majority of good experiences were from elective CS, whereas the majority of bad were from emergency CS.

Therefore I am trying to get a balanced picture of elective caesareans only, because (obviously) I am not planning on having an emergency caesarean! . When I have read CS threads, there are plenty who say "I had a CS, don't do it" then it turns out to have been an emergency CS which obviously a person wouldn't choose to do IYSWIM. I view elective CS and emergency CS as two quite different operations/experiences.

Did anyone have an elective caesarean, that led to physical problems and if so, what were they? I don't mean things such as: having to avoid driving; the baby not being ready; breastfeeding issues; a longer stay in hospital etc etc.

I am referring to things like incontinence, nicked bladders, stitches infected ie personal, physical issues. I am genuinely curious to seperate out what bad physical experiences come out of an elective caesarean.

By all means post with your good elective caesarean stories too!! (in case I do have one! )

TIA!

lol@stillnacht!

During my first section, my Dh saw my intestines . he is the most squeamish person in the world, but said it was actually quite' interesting'. Bloody weirdo!

That's exactly the point MrsMattie. I think lots of people do think "what's the difference" because there is the same aim and procedure to both an EM and EL CS.

But there is a world of difference between the emergency operation and the planned operation, for the reasons you very eloquently described.

Hence in previous CS threads, as I said, many posters would write in about bad CS experiences without differentiating between the EL or EM. There is a big difference, (generally speaking because there are always exceptions) between the two in terms of the wellbeing and least trauma to the mother.

Yes I saw my innards too.

Gross.

DH wandered over to look at DD when she was being cleaned up, when he came back he lent close to me and whispered "I just saw inside your stomach!"

mmmmmmmmmm this is all so lovely

lollll@Elf!

C-sections are bloody weird, though, aren't they? They're...surreal.

I was surprised at how much it hurt. The woman opposite me had an emergency CS and was up and walking the next day and I couldn't see how she could, mine bloomin hurt.

I felt I was also treated pretty badly because it was an elective. I said it hurt, the nurse sneerily said 'Well of course it does', then realised I hadn't been given any drugs for 8 hours (I was meant to have them every 4)! There was a general brusqueness about all of the staff I thought not helped by 'maternal choice' being ticked on my form. FWIW, I was strongly advised to have a CS by the consultant after examining my delightful 3/4 degree tear from my first baby.

I was asked to leave after a day and a half because 'there was nothing wrong with (me)'! I'd seen my appendix during the birth; if it had been taken out I would have been in hospital longer and in this case I had a new baby too! I don't know how I managed to get to the car.

When baby number 3 was on her way, a different consultant said after reading my medical history 'So you'll be wanting a CS
then?' and I surprised us both by bursting into tears and saying 'no!'.

That's rough@changer

The hospital I had my first section in was pretty crappy in terms of how they treated me, too. I didn't feel cared for at all. Forgot to say that earlier on, actually. I had much, much better care this time around and it made a HUGE difference.
The midwives were generally lovely and we were pretty much allowed to self medicate. They brought paracetomol and codeine every 4 hours, and if we wanted morphine we just had to ring the bell! I liked that fact - made me feel more in control.

They did turf me out within 48 hours, though ( was 4 days for my first section, so I was shocked that I was discharged so early this time). A midwife I know told me they do this because of the increased risk of infection in hospitals / increased awareness of things like MRSA these days. Covering their own backs, I guess.

X posts MrsM!

Am really pleased your ELCS was such a good experience. That's exactly the sort of experience I imagine a good, straightforward ELCS to be like and I bet there are tons of good stories like this.

It is my opinion that when it gets to the stage of needing an EMCS, the main focus of the operation is live healthy baby and mum BUT with the added factor of lack of TIME. There isn't the time to do it all neatly and nicely (although I'm sure they try).

To put it bluntly I imagine that when the EMCS is happening it's, please pardon the expression, something of a "smash and grab", because there is only a very small window to get that baby out safely.

I'm not medical but I would guess that by the time an EMCS comes round a woman is likely to have laboured for hours, the baby is stuck in the birth canal, forceps/ventouse have failed. Things are at risk of rupturing due to pressure, surely. The baby is at risk of starving of oxygen maybe. That's why it's an emergency. This is a world away from a calm, controlled operation when the surgeons can take pretty much all the time they need to get it right.

Yes, dont make the mistake I did, which was to get up the following day for a shower (they try to get you moving asap), I tentatively tottered to the shower, with each step thinking "oooh, this isn't too bad", went in the shower, still thinking "oooh, them women must be wimps" totally forgot I'd had surgery and lifted my arms high to put shampoo in my hair.
Was no prepared for the whole stretching lark.
Felt like I'd split myself in half.
Hobbled back to the bedroom, vowing never to think anything so dopey ever again

I had elective 5 months ago and no problems at all.

My emergency section was a lot tougher, the time lapse between them deciding to go to theatre and dd being born was under 10 minutes, they were very rough with me, I felt like I was being alomost shoved off the table (dd was in the birth canal so had to be pushed back up) I had to ask why my fanjo was sore the next day . I got a wound infection, was in a lot of pain for 2 weeks afterwards and my wound opened.

Elective c-section with dts was very different. Healed better, and faster and wasn't in nearly as much pain afterwards.

Having said that, neither recovery was a walk in the park.

Changer22, yes that's an attitude I expect I would encounter given that when I have spoken to people in RL about having an ELCS there is a general recoil from it like I'm shirking my duty by not suffering in labour, or worse, that I'm "too posh to push".

I read an article which said that MW are (generally) more geared towards VB as of course, helping women through a VB forms a great part of what they do (and a fantastic job they do too), however, I do think there are some MW who "look down" on ELCS. MW don't have to treat those who have rectal incontinence etc after a VB birth gone wrong, so they don't necessarily see all the bad outcomes of VB.

I recovered well from my crash cs. Guess that might have been why I went elective the next time. Both were good experiences, elective even better in terms of calm and well-planned. I do have to write off the first 48 hours though, not all women have to. So have to have support over that time.

By day 5 when the stitches are out, I am about 90% functional. Driving by 2 weeks, etc

That's good blueshoes. Lots of people think you can't go near driving for at least 6 weeks but I understand it's when you feel capable yourself (when you can perform an emergency stop).

That's excatly the thing, bibijesus, if the baby is already trying to be born then it will sort of be "stuck" from both directions and would need more "pulling out" for an EMCS, than "lifting out" for an ELCS.

I know that the (so-called) "best" birth is a straightforward vaginal with no intervention. The only trouble is, how many women can say for definite in advance if they'll get that? Surely none, unless they is psychic

Who can possibly predict the outcome of a VB from where it starts, to where it ends up and the ongoing symptoms and discomfort that people don't talk about (by this I mean rectal incontinence, prolapses, wind passing though vagina, torn labia and a whole host of other lovelies).

2 electives - both were amazing experiences - no pain at all.. was bf'ing 10lb DS on my lap within 8 hours and had no issues moving or driving.. am sure it was due to the preparation I had mentally and feeling really relaxed.. never had a single problem since except very broody need to do it again and again!

chaufleur I was driving after 2 weeks - docs sign off both times

You can 'see' my CS on my photos if you are brave

I am brave Sazzles - here goes! (chaufleur disappears off to investigate)

Elective cs was wonderful. No pain at all, got feeling in my legs back after 2 hours and probably could have walked but left it till next morning. Only needed paracetamol as painkillers. Breastfed with no problems. No problems bonding with baby.

Emergency cs was much harder, didn't get any feeling back in my legs until 24 hours after op. Needed morphine to control the appalling pain. Took me months to recover.

In answer to what I think you're asking, I have no long term effects from either cs.

(chaufleur returns unscathed) Flippin heck Sazzles, are you a model bride/mummy/CS patient or what!!?!

That must be the most perfect pic of a LO being born by CS and my goodness you look great afterwards! I want to go where you went Hair perfect, and you and bub look so well!

LOL chaufleur - there are a fair few pics in between which have been consigned to the bin

Thanks TuttiFrutti, that's good to know. I am convinced that for some, VB is not all it's cracked up to be and nor is an ELCS the worst thing in the world!

There's just so much bad press for CS and yet are any bad after-effects really worse than those of a VB (especially those that led on to forceps, ventouse and beyond to EMCS).

The argument I hear most often is that women's bodies are designed to give birth "naturally" and ELCS is "not natural". I can't help thinking to myself, Well if that's the case why are so many births assisted by forceps, ventouse and emergency CS's, non of which are "natural" they are "medical". Neither is IVF then by their standards, if by "not natural" they are meaning "medical intervention".

I suppose what they mean is that labour is natural. Plenty of births ended to the grave detriment of both mother and child in the days before CS and forceps and that was "natural", too . Fortunately we can bypass "natural" today where we feel it necessary or appropriate with procedures such as CS or IVF. And a jolly good thing too in my book

Only cos there were too many good ones to choose between if those are anything to go by, I bet, Sazzles!!

I'm certainly not 'too posh to push' (stoooopid phrase!) and had actually hoped for a VBAC for my 2nd birth until complications arose in my pregnancy, but i do think there is truth in what you've said about VB not always being this 'natural' experience that's vastly preferably to an elective section@chaufleur

I was recovering from my most recent section on a ward with 3 other women who had all suffered quite serious injuries as a result of traumatic vaginal births, and I was by far the most sprightly of us all. I felt quite relieved, to be honest

In saying that, I don't agree that c-sections should be so normalised that people become frightened of vaginal birth. It is the way nature intended, isn't it?