How long to stay in hospital after an elective C/S?

[mags98]

I am currently 34 weeks and having an elective C/S at 38 weeks on 7 May.

I had been working on 2 or maybe on a bad day 3 nights in, but I really don't want to stay in longer than needed.

In the last week I have have conversations with two different women who both had elective C/S at the same hospital as I am booked at and both went home the following day, so after perhaps 36 hrs later, and had no problems at all.

The hospital runs a system where even as an inpatient they just give you your medication in the boxes and you take it yourself as needed - both of these women said that was the only thing being done in the hospital by that stage, so going home made no difference really. They were both using very little analgesia by then anyway. They found it much better to be at home with their own bed and bath, better food etc.

What were others experiences? How long did you stay in?

Am keen to go home the next day if this is realistic! Of course I don't know how I will feel or if there will be any problems but it sounds great to me.

can I just add, I had an emergency 1st and was in hospital for 7 days (In France) I couldnt get out of bed until the 2nd day and it took me a while to recover from it all.
I think i recovered better from my elective because i knew what it entailed.

ds2 was born by emcs in early hours of Tuesday morning, and we went home Friday afternoon. But I wasn't well at all after birth, not a result of CS or labour but because of anaemia - I had to have a blood transfusion then tests - it probably would have been much sooner otherwise, as once those problems were sorted it was actually quite quick.

I wanted out as soon as possible but the made me stay 3 nights. DS was born early evening on Wednesday and I went home Sat lunchtime. The only problem was my SPD which was totally unrelated to the CS - I couldn't walk any distance at all with that. I wanted to go home on Friday though - I would have gone in 48 hours if I could have

highlander good point about the DVT risk. I did walk after 24 hours each time, but with my second I got the midwives to do dd's nappy in the first day so I didn't have to keep hauling myself out of bed when it was most painful. After that I kept wandering up and down the corridors to try and stretch myself out.

I'm having a hystectomy soon and I'm intruiged to find out how much differently I'm going to be treated.

After my 3rd section I was home after 48 hours.

Just make sure they send you home with painkillers. I was sent home with paracetamol. The community midwife flipped on finding me doubled over the next morning and marched up the hospital pharmacy and jumped the queue demanding diclofenic or whatever it's called.

So one night is not completely unrealistic then. This is optimistic!

Not going to go in there demanding it, of course, but if things work out...

If they need the bed space you might have problems staying in any longer

First was an emergency so 7 days! 2nd elective so 2 nights, I am due in July and once the hosp have finished their 24hr obs I plan to go home and recover providing everything is ok.

I've had 2 sections. Both times was up and walking within a few hours (when I could feel my legs again!), and home within 48 hours. Second section was physically much harder than first I had to have a wound drain in for 24 hours etc. First time I probably could've gone home after 24 ours if baby had fed ok!

I had really positive c/s at mid-day, was standing the same day, and left at about 10am the next morning. I recall the midwives being concerned about being able to wee on my own as a 'measure' of whether you were fit for release (could be wrong though, twas 4 years ago!) I think everyone's experience is different, and also depends on your own fitness level and level of determination. Good luck!