Emergency c-section - can I have your advice and tips for recovery?

[sherby]

On day 2/3 now

Just home from the hospital and after two normal labours I don't know how anyone can say this is the easy option

So just some questions I wanted to ask and all the midwives were v busy.

Is it better to bath everyday or shower or just strip wash?

Nobody said anything about stitches, I can't see any but I have heard people talking about having their stitches removed? Nobody has told me that I need to have stitches removed.

Is it better to be walking around and active or resting more.

What about going for a poo? Any tips or does it just happen as and when

Thanks

when i had mine i just showered as normal.

most stitches these days are disolvable, i didn't have to have mine removed.

rest as much as possible.

and get some glycerine suppositories in just in case, the meds i was given gave me horrendous constipation that no amount of prune juice could shift. otherwise just don't strain yourself

I found baths unpleasant in the days after my em c-section. They did encourage me to have a bath in the hospital though, so if you want to I think it's up to you.

My stitches were the kind that just dissolve. I've never heard of anybody having to have theirs removed.

As to activity, as long as you don't do bending, stretching and lifting - I think I was advised 6 weeks of being careful - you can be as active as you like. I did lifting baby for bf after the first week or so (I had lots of internal bruising due to conditions of c-section) but I didn't bath her for weeks and weeks.

Please take it easy, though. It's so easy to overdo it. Although, with three DCs now, maybe your 'taking it easy' time is very limited.

The painkillers I took made me very constipated. I used fybogel daily - they don't stock it in my local Boots but they do in Lloyds and others. You can also get it on prescription.

I can't believe they haven't given you more advice

Congratulations on your new baby. I agree with you, em c-sec isn't an easy option!I think an elective is a different kettle of fish, though.

I had my staples removed after 5 days and was fairly active from the beginning. Nobody told me not to, so I went for short walks pretty much straight away. My midwife was surprised but thought it was good, as long as I felt comfortable.

I found a maternity pad very helpful to protect the scar from the knicker rim rubbing.

Shower and bathe all you like

I showered everyday. I would then pat the scar dry and wouldn't get dressed until the site was totally dry.

My stitches disolved so nothing had to be removed.

I found light exercise was good as activity gets the blood circulating which in turn promotes healing. However, I'm talking about a short slow walk around the block. Do whatever is comfortable. If it hurts to walk, stop and try it again the next day, and so on. Also if you notice your lochia gets heavier it means you are doing too much.

Don't lift anything like the hoover or full washing basket for a few weeks. Remember you can't see how you're healing on the inside, so give it a chance to heal.

You may find you have to remind people that you've not just had a baby but abdominal surgery as well. As I was lucky and recovered quite well people seemed to forget that I still shouldn't have been doing certain things

Go careful as you need to allow your body to mend and recover. I found my em cs much much harder than my planned cs. After a sobbing fit in hospital I spoke to the head midwife and she told me it's wrong that women are made to do so much after an em cs and they they should rest and recover, but hospitals want the beds free again so get all the mums moving early . Then she told me to buzz for anything I wanted . I had a hysterectomy in july on a tuesday, wasn't allowed to move from the bed for 48 hours, was home by the friday and didn't even need paracetamol as I rested properly. Same after my planned cs, was off paracetamol after a week. Was on painkillers for ages after my em cs as I over did it and thought I had to be super mum .

I also ended up badly constipated as I took painkillers for so long, I prefer Movicol stool softener to lactulose as I have IBS.

I showered every other day, too shattered to do it more often.

If you haven't got obvious staples or a string with beads poking out of your scar then you probably have dissovable stitches.

If they haven't told you otherwise then assume the stitches just disappear. When the midwife HV comes round she will check your scar and you can ask her then.

I got mobile pretty quickly after emergency c-section - walked a couple of miles by the end of the week (slowly) which the midwife was a bit about, but by all accounts walking is good for recovery and I certainly didn't think it did me any harm. Plus it was nice to get out!

By my 6 week check I was absolutely fine and had even started running again. Not saying that is the way you are supposed to do it - but listen to your body and do what feels right.

I asked everyone for advice in hospital but really the only thing they told me was that if it hurts too much don't do it and that there was pretty much no chance of splitting your stitches (inside or out) which is something I thought could happen.

I had my stitches removed 5 days after op - no biggie. The midwife does it - you might have two little beads at either end of the scar if you have stitches that need removing.

I washed/bathed everyday and used bio oil for the scar. I lived in some knickers from NCT - I think you can get the same from Boots absolutely hideous but very comfy and great for scar healing. Also took arnica which helps with the healing.

TBH for the first week or so I was knackered - even the hoovering took it out of me - just rest as much as possible.

Congrats on your new baby

I have had an em c/s and an el c/s and, yes, for some reason, the em c/s was harder and took longer to recover from (not sure why as it was the same op )

Anyway, I did have to have my stitches removed both times - the MW does it on her visit on about the 5th day. You should be able to see from your scar as to whether that will be case (mine was stitched using blue wire-type stuff) but, if not, the MW will tell you.

I showered every day - but then again, I have always done that. I did as a previous poster said and patted them dry and then let them air-dry before getting dressed.

The important thing is to do as much as you feel you are able to do

I agree with all of the above but would like to add remember to take some arnica tablets - they really DO help aid a speedy and full recovery

remember it IS major surgery and don't be trying to do too much too soon

Also, do not pick anything heavy up for the next 9 months as mine healed good and it wasnt till when my dd1 was 9 mths old that i was able to pick up summat heavy (ie a few heavy shopping bags in one go with food shopping in it) without it hurting my tummy.

I did not dare drive till the 6 weeks check up, and on the same day on the 6 weeks check up, i carried my baby in the car seat around a big shop thinking i feel fine...well i was crippled the next day!!

many congrat btw!

I had an EMCS with DS and struggled to recover. Didn't take the recommended bath every day with a drop or two of tea tree oil and did get an infection in the scar so i would definitely do that if it happened again. I think I may have used bio oil too early on the scar before the skin was healed over so also I wouldn't put anything on it before then. Basically don't do anything your body tells you not to but try not to stoop over the wound and gentle gentle walks are fine - second all the above warnings about no hoovering/lifting etc. Feel for you with other DCs - I am due any day now and hoping for a VBAC - is it hard not to be able to give them big cuddles? No-one mentioned stitches to me either when I had mine and I think it's right to say if they're not mentioned it's because they're dissolvable ones. Good luck!

I had those big mesh hospital pants too porridge. They were the best thing to wear after a cs. I didn't drive until 6 weeks either.

I was back at the gym 12 weeks after all my ops though (after the all clear from my gp), albeit taking it very easy (think, 'old lady' workout) and really just enjoying some child-free time. So there is light at the end of the tunnel and you will feel ok again, but you are probably more sensible than me and have no intention of going to the gym!

IIRC I was still walking stopped over for about 3 weeks after my em cs and it hurt to laugh for a long time. I used to do a weird panting laugh instead.

I have had 2 C sections - the first I had removable stitched that I had to go back for as they didnt pull out like they were supposed to.

Second time round I had disolvable ones.

I found bathing made the wounds very uncomfortable as they got hot and itch in the water, so I had showers for the first few weeks. I would pat it dry afterwards and make sure it was completely dry before putting on massive 'granny knickers' that sat over the scar, rather than smaller knickers that seem to irritate.

Ahhh, the lovely comfy granny knickers. I actually grew to like those - sooooo comfy

The poo thing just happened as I recall. I made sure to drink lots of water and tried not to worry about it (although I really was worried about how much it would hurt) and actually it was fine. Didn't need to take anything to make it easier either. Was a few days before I did the deed though

Noting all this down and have a big shopping list for DH tomorrow

I only took a pair of cards and a banana to the hospital so you could say we were under prepared

get as much help as you can and rest, rest, rest and rest

oh did i say rest?!

had the one long stich which was agony until it was pulled out.

tried doing too much initially as felt quite energentic but that was the euphoria of having a gorgeous baby, but it was a big mistake, hurt like hell inside and then slowed me down for the rest of the 6 weeks average recovery period.

dont lift anything heavier than the baby and dont be tempted to push the pram.

never was one to take it easy so went at everyting as normal but when you think how many layers they have cut through its a lot to heal and too much movement can hurt.

the poo thing was more scary in anticipation than in actuality drink lots and dont tense up!

and you cant beat big soft cotton knickers until the scar settles down.

With insurance - ring them and ask tem for their T&Cs regarding driving after section, they don't all stick to 6 weeks.

I found V-Pillows rather hindering with breastfeeding and they got in the way of positioning

My MW made me use a sanitary towel over wound, as mine was always damp as it seemed to be under my pouch (as I call it) from my humongous bump and she was worried it would get infected if not kept dry

I did shower everyday, they made me have one in hospital within 24 hours with a nurse standing in the room to help me. Had no shame though after 2 labour's though

I took lactulose, they sent me home with some to get my gut going.

Took pain killers like no tomorrow and tried not to do anything but relax, but as my kids were 17 months apart, that was easier said than done.

My stitches were dissolvable too.

Congrats on the new babe x

I agree with everyone else on resting well.

Don't be surprised if it takes you a while to recover.

Take as much help as you are offered.

My midwife told me to blow dry the scar after showering to make sure it is completely dry.

She also said that the reason women take longer to recover from emergency CS than an elective CS is the fact that the surgeon is slightly less careful about pulling your innards about.

Oh, and if you can, have a word with your midwife in a week or two to go over the birth so that you understand why it came to a em CS.

car insurance - i rang mine at the time and they say i could not drive until 'signed off' if the doc / midwife said 6 weeks that was the period I was not insured for.

WOW

thanks for all the advice, lots of stuff to remember. DH can't find tea tree oil anywhere. He has been to 3 pharmacies and tesco now, any ideas?

And he came home brandishing 3 packs of huge granny knickers

I don't have any beads or stitches I can see, so hopefully they are dissolvable ones

I'd try Holland and Barrett

remember the arnica too