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Childbirth

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

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Original poster

What problems have you had after an elective c-section?

15 replies

Fanfare · 20/02/2009 20:48

Met with a VBAC consultant today to discuss my second birth. I want an elective c-section after having to have c-section with DS, but she was so pro-VBAC and the literature was so anti-caesarean that I'm starting to wonder if I'm letting my really good caesarean experience the first time round rose-tint my view of the risks associated with c-sections. So, at the risk of sounding morbid, would you mind sharing with me any problems you've had following an elective c-section? I've read all the statistics, but I've never personally known anyone to have a bad experience, other than with emergency c-sections. I guess I worry that maybe I'm being naive in my thoughts on elective c-sections and just want to get a balanced view.

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legoprincess · 20/02/2009 20:53

I haven't had any problems after two elective c-sections. My sister was fine the first time but had problems with her wound after the second - it took weeks to heal properly and she required three courses of antibiotics. It was more of an inconvenience (not sure if that is how she would describe it!) than a major problem but was quite uncomfortable at times.

Meglet · 20/02/2009 20:57

my first was an em cs, just took about a month to feel pain free, but no complications.

had a planned cs last sept. after the first tough 36 hours were out of the way I barely needed painkillers. Just paracetamol after day 4 and even then i didn't need the full dose and stopped them at day 10. So, in a nutshell, barely any pain and no problems. But I won't have anymore children as I know there are more risks with a cs, I'm happy to stick with 2 dc's.

fingermousey · 20/02/2009 21:00

I've had a bad experience with my second elective section (first section was a necessary one). I have a permanent pain in my right side since the c-section. My bladder has never fully recovered and I don't think it will. I have also been told not to have any more operations involving the bladder which rules out having any more babies.

I think c-sections can be great, but, I think you should read up about abdominal adhesions and scar tissue before making a decision. Also, if you want more children c-sections can cause lots of problems like placenta accreta/percreta. These are rare but more likely the more c-sections you have.

Not going for a vbac was the worst decision of my life

12341234 · 20/02/2009 21:00

I've had 1 emergency section - no problems except a lot of blood loss during the op and had very low heamaglobin (sp) - a level of 7 - for the week after. Took the iron tablets and was offered a transfusion after a week - didn't seem much point by then as felt much better. Was just rather wobbly and everything seemed a bit dark! Took painkillers for 14 days then nothing I think and have just had a few twinges since but nothing serious. I think I'll go for an elective next time but will be watching oyur post carefully to see !!

NellyTheElephant · 20/02/2009 21:04

None at all, first was emergency (cs was best part of a horrendous birth experience), second was elective and was a fantastic experience, recovery was so much better without 2 days of labour first. 3rd section due in a few weeks. I KNOW that a section is a major operation and I KNOW that people do have ghastly complications sometimes, but I have loads of friends who have had sections and I don't know anyone who has actually experienced anything worse than maybe a minor scar infection. Here's hoping I'm not now jinxing my own 3rd section......

sadminster · 21/02/2009 10:57

None from my elective, I didn't have a very nice looking scar from the emergency section though (no problems other than that) - really looking foward to section number three in May.

MrsMattie · 21/02/2009 11:05

I have had two problem free sections (one emergency, one fabulous elective). I know dozens of women who have had electives. I only know one woman who has had notable problems afterwards - the mum of one of DS's nursery friends. She did too much too soon and her wound opened up on one side (stitches burst - yuck). They didn't want to re-stitch her, so she had to have complete bedrest (and I mean complete - no getting up at all) for 4 weeks to let it close up on it's own.

Her baby is 6 mths old now and she is as right as rain, bounding about etc, so even that wasn't as hideous as it sounds.

Original poster

Fanfare · 23/02/2009 11:02

Thanks for all your feedback so far, this is my first MN post asking for help so I really appreciate your thoughts. Fingermousey, I have been reading about adhesions off the back of what you said. It's something I was never aware of and I think these less "immediate" problems seem to get overlooked, so thanks for the info.

OP posts:

ilovesprouts · 23/02/2009 11:15

the only problem i had was i cleaned up the house after 2days of having cs and my scar opend a bit

tiggerlovestobounce · 23/02/2009 11:24

I've had 2 sections. The actual operation was fine. I had an infection after the first one, which left me in terrible pain, but having never had a section before I didnt realise that the amount of pain I was in was abnormal. As soon as I got antibiotics things got better.
Ideally I would have preferred to have never had a section. The appearance of belly has got worse each time, with a big empty overhang, and numb skin.
I have also had some problems with adhesions since the second section.
So for me the problems havent been the operations themselves, but the aftermath.

Highlander · 23/02/2009 12:29

never had probs; 2 elec CSs

TuttiFrutti · 23/02/2009 13:18

No problems after 2 c-sections. Recovery after first one was very slow, but I think that was because it was an emergency after a long labour and I was exhausted.

Recovery after elective was quick and easy.

BetsyBoop · 23/02/2009 20:00

first c/s was em (39+4 - fetal distress & high BP) -
spinal sited at first attempt, op went well, recovered fairly quickly, scar healed well, no problems.
Felt pretty much back to normal after 2 months

second c/s was el - (VBAC plans went south when DS went into an oblique lie at 40+8 - had el at 40+10)
Had major problems siting the spinal, almost ended up with a GA after about 15 attempts (and I'm not exagerating...) Had a 6" diameter bruise on my back which took about a month to go & it hurt!
I had a massive (2.4L) PPH - very scary - was a whisker away for being rushed back into theatre. Was on iron tablets for months after...
Had a bigger scar(probably because DS was 2lb heavier than DD!), which was really sore took an age to heal. (not helped by c/s "overhang" )
Also started getting (waring TMI to follow) really smelly discharge about a week after delivery & on the day the m/w got the swab results back I passed a "lump" which m/w said was probably a bit of placenta that got missed - so ended up on a/b's.
All in all it took about 6months before I felt felt anything close to normal.

So for me the em c/s was physically far better than the el c/s - there's always one!

homicidalmatriach · 23/02/2009 20:12

First one was in retrospect remarkably straightforward, second one, uterine infection, incisional hernia, booked surgeon didn't turn up so got dodgy locum who did appalling things to scar .

blueshoes · 23/02/2009 20:39

No problems.

For my first cs, which was a crash section, the scar healed badly in that it was red and raised (no infection). So for my second elective, I asked the surgeon to excise the scar and stitch it up carefully to minimise scarring - and she did! Bless her

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