Preparing in Advance for Elective Cesarian

[darlingbabs]

anyone got any advice. Is it worth massaging/moisturising tummy so scar heals quicker? Should i keep walking in the park everyday even though i have back pain to keep fit? have never had an op before and am really, really scared. Fainted today just talking about it with hubby - so wet!!! any advice woudl be really helpful. I have a week to prepare as I was hoping to have a VB but apparently it wont be possible....

Okay, so you will have to take these very easy after. I found that I was far too eeewww to touch or look at my scar.
Make a CD to listen to whilst the baby is being born
Take lots of flannels as the itching is awful when your skin comes back to life
Buy some large cheap cotton pants, high waist...those paper things are dreadful
Peppermint tea, as you can get referred wind pain in your shoulder
A good feeding pillow
Decent pj's/nightie
slip on slippers
Remember when you have your baby you'll not be able to move much and so have the baby cot put on your bed
erm....must be loads of other things

Not just for CS, I took eye shields so I could sleep during the day!

PS...I've had 2 emcs and 2 planned

thanks so much posieparker. im such a wimp!

I will keep adding stuff....

make sure everything you take avoids your scar and remember you will have quite a swollen belly due to bruising....much worse than VB.

I had a private room last time, £56 per night.

Make sure you have a card/money for the TV you will be in at least two nights.

I have a bed that can be lowered and so lowered it before I went in, much easier to get in and out.

I also ensured that I had a gliding rocking chair and stool....if you can get one....not good for sections but a real must!!

I was very frightened first planned section, no time for that with emcs and the second was with a general anaesthetic. You walk in and sit on the table in your gown, a very nice anaesthetist will talk you through the meds...I had a spinal block and a top up epidural as much of my scar had stuck to my organs(I knew nothing about it), then they go for meds and when you feel a heavy weight on your tummy the baby is on it's way....this is because they push it from the top!

You can take camcorders and cameras into theatre, I have the two planned filmed and photos of my DH holding my babies within minutes...

i am very excited for you! Good luck!!

thanks so much for all this. They wont give me a graphic detailed account of whats going to happen will they? I might faint! DId you get your catheter put in after the epidural? I really dont want to feel it, I actually think the things that are scaring me most are the cathether and the canula. i wish they could put the canula somewhere other than my hand where I can see it. did that hurt going in?

darlingbabs - please, you really don't need to worry. The surgeon and theatre staff will look after you. When they do the spinal you will have to lean forward sitting on your bed and you have to keep still and then they swing your legs back onto the bed for you - with your help - before you are numb. The canula is no more than a scratch and I can't even remember the cathetar - it's not a big deal. You will be so excited at seeing your beautiful baby that the op is not a big deal - at least that's my experience. My first child was born by emcs and that was a whole other trauma story!

All I can really advise is have big knickers that go up to your waist. M&S do cheapo packs for a fiver and these are much better than paper ones. Have a nightie, not PJs, and if you are planning on bfing make sure this opens easily at the front.

Good luck - pack a camera! It will be fine, and you will recover pretty quickly provided you have some help in those first weeks.

It's all a bit mind over matter, really. Canula a little uncomfortable, much worse when I had an emcs and had to have it changed. The thing with a planned section is that they take their time and have time to put you at ease, they even had time to moan at me because one of my songs was by James Blunt!!!

Catheter, after the epidural and so you don't feel it...thank the lord or I know I would have been very embarrassed!

Any emergency section takes priority and so expect to be delayed even if you, like me, are first on the list.

I am a big baby when it comes to OP's but the thought of my baby was far too exciting to worry about anything else once I got there.

Take a straw or a bottle with a teat top you can drink from as you will be thirsty and its hard to drink from a cup if you are laying on your back.

I can hand on heart say that my elective c section was a lovely experience and the night after this major surgery was actually the happiest of my life, just cuddling the lovely new baby sleeping on my chest!

I shook for ages after my section. I couldn't really hold my baby. I don't know if it's true but apparently there's something you can have put in your drip to stop this - ask the doctor.

Also, I was in quite a bit of pain and the diclofenic acid and paracetamol wasn't really doing it for me. But I had to keep waiting for the doctor for anything better (codeine for me). So beforehand ask the doctor to put something stronger on your drug chart - you don't have to have it, but it's there if you want it and you don't have to wait for a doctor if it's on your drug chart. I had to wait an hour for someone to come and let me have the codeine.

They didn't really talk about what was going on, mind you I was feeling a bit sick (they waved oxygen over my face and the nausea went away).

Catheter went in after the spinal, I didn't even see them doing it, never mind feel it!

Canula hurts less than a blood test for me.

Best thing about it is the speed. I was walking to the theatre at 9.45, at 10.10 he was born. I was back in my room at 11am.

Hi darlingbabs, i'm not surprised your getting anxious; i had all those worries too with my elective c section. However it is not as bad as your imagination and once you have your baby in your arms it is all so very worth it. My anesthetist left my spinal tap in and that was how the pain was managed after; one word of caution if this happens to you, do not try to be brave. They said to me to ring the buzzer for a "top up" when i started to feel pain and for some reason I did not ring straight away, i think that because i have not given birth naturally i felt i had to show i could be brave and tough. So I didn't ring and then by the time i did and the mw came i had no pain relief on board at all and take it from me that is not a good look. Also when they take out the catheter make sure that there is someone there to help you to the loo. I used Boi oil on my bump all through preg and now using it one my scar which is diminishing by the day. Oh also check with your surgeon about when you can drive, mine gave me the all clear after 3 weeks, makes such a difference to be mobile when you got a new baby.
Good luck and enjoy the "knowing" and certainty about when your little one will be born.

thanks everyone, i really mean it when i say this is making me feel much better.

Put your feet up and enjoy the rest while you can ! All I can say is big comfy pants! I bought loads of cheepy granny pants from Tesco that I could just throw away. Once you are at the hospital everything will happen so quickly you won't have time to worry, you will be so excited about seeing your baby. The staff at mine were fantastic and I never once felt worried or embarassed.

Have been told that mothercare do sterile maternity pads which you can put over your scar to pad it.

Take flip flops for the shower (you'll find out why) but they''ll double as slippers and you don't need to bend down to put them on.

Good luck!

I had two elcs. The best advice I can give is take every painkiller offered to you whether you feel you need it or not.

Also, prepare your home before you go into hospital. Try to avoid going up and down stairs as much as possible for the first few days so make sure you have everything downstairs that you might need. Don't put anything you might need on floor level, bending down to the floor is very difficult at first (as I found out when I took a shower after my first cs, having left my towel on the floor before I went in).

Peppermint tea helps trapped wind afterwards and you can give arnica a go to help reduce bruising. When you do get out of bed and start walking around, try to walk upright rather than with a typical caesarean stoop as it really does help to make you feel better.

The final thing I found that helped was after the stitches were out, old-fashioned support knickers which helped me to feel that my wound was being supported.

Oh, and you can ask them to put a local anaesthetic cream on your hands for the canula. I did this as I have a real fear of needles. With the cream I literally felt nothing.

Had two ECs, both absolutely fine if a bit nervewracking at the time because, well, it's so exciting. I also wanted VBs but in retrospect I'm actually quite relieved to have had the sections. Some stuff I found useful:

Get a bikini wax across the top IYSWIM so that the midwives won't have to shave you - everyone said I had a neat scar afterwards and I think this helped.

If you're able to have music in theatre, make a cd with music on for the birth. I did this after a friend warned me that in our local hospital the theatre she was in only had some 'Free with Sunday Mirror - Ledgends of Rock' cd. (She'd nearly had her DS to Bat Out Of Hell or similar).

Take glucose tablets in with you. If for some reason your surgery is delayed (i.e. lots of emergency sections) then you'll get hungry and my doctors let me eat a couple of these despite being nil by mouth.

And all the stuff everyone else has said.

Good Luck!!!

First, you will be able to walk again. The first day after is a big shock but b day 3 you WILL be walking out of the hospital.

Second the big knickers and go through our wardrobe to find all high waisted trousers and skirts, you will live in these for a month or so.

Third if you can afford it get a cleaner for the first few weeks. It is pretty hard to reach up for stuff or fold over/ bend down to pick up stuff. Healing is more important than housework.

I have had 2 ecs and now 4 years after my youngest a scar that is almost invisible, just a very faint silver line. But if you have an niggling worries about your scar go to your doctor as improvements can be made.

I've had an em cs and planned cs.

Let the theatre staff know if you are nervous. Mine talked me through my prep for my planned cs and the midwife held my hand [hand].

Try not to eat too much the day before as you might get constipated after the op. They usually give you a morphine suppository afterwards, which obviously you won't feel as the spinal block will be working!

I was sick a few hours after my cs's, I think its something to do with the mixture of spinal block / morphine / painkillers. Only lasted a little while, although it wasn't nice.

I never had a problem with the catheter, after several months of constant pee-ing at night it was a welcome relief to not have to go to the loo for 24 hours. You will probably barely notice it. I felt only a brief stinging sensation when it came out.

Don't wait for pain to get painkillers, keep on top of it. And get the midwives to write down when you should take them once you get home, ie: something like 8am, 10am, 2pm and so on, stick to the same regime as hospital.

Primark do high waisted stomach control pants for about £4 IIRC, pack of one black and one flesh coloured pair. They're not tight like spanx, just high enough to not rub your scar. I had a pack of the mesh carriwell hospital pants too.

Herbal teas and light food are good after the op while your stomach and body settle down.

Take it easy at home for as long as you can, especially the first couple of weeks. Gentle pottering and peace and quiet are good.

If its any consolation I was back at the gym 12 weeks after both my cs's and felt fine by that point.

All the best.

hiya. all good advice so i'll stay on this thread for a bit.

had ecs 2 1/2 y ago and am thinking that unless she decides to make an early apperance, bump will be a section in 8 weeks or so. shes a stubborn back to backer as well!

i was scared of the catheter but had it put in when epidural had kicked in and it did not hurt when taken out, weird sensation but no pain at all.

totally agree that you should take any painkillers offered, i felt very little discomfort from sec at all i was lucky and dosed on the codine

i was also pretty scared of having the staples out. i did moisterise but cannot remember being told to. it did seem to help though as i didnt feel a thing.

i am guessing but presume elective will be in the day so DH/P/mum will be with you, but the worst thing about my experience was waking up in dark room afterwards and not being able to get to my DS because legs still numb and DH had been kicked out and i didnt know where the alarm button, thingy was

good luck

... sometimes you end up with dissovable stitches, sometimes its staples and sometimes its a running plastic thread stitch with a bead at each end. AFAIK its the preference of the surgeon on the day.

And please don't think I was trying to be superwoman by going to the gym after 12 weeks,
I did virtually bugger all for the first 6 weeks post op, no driving and certainly no housework! Those first few weeks are a time for lazyitis .

I had dissolvable stitches, couldn't believe that they told me take the dressing off in the shower the next day, thought I would fall apart! Amazingly it had sealed itself in less than 24 hours. Stood up straight and I was off. My boobs were too sore and DD3 admitted to SCBU so the fact I'd had a ceserean was quickly paled into insignificance !

Not to hijack thread, but I'm having an elective in a couple of months' time, so had a nose at the replies, and this is all brilliantly helpful! Love your list, posieparker.

yes, thanks everyone, this is great info. im so happy about the idea of having an anaethetic cream for the canula - its funny the things you get fixated with!

I'm watching this thread too as I see my consultant on Friday to discuss/confirm ELCS so I'm keeping note! Keep the ideas coming!

Do you have any particular questions? I (and others I'm sure) would be happy to answer.

Shaz10 I have some if everyone doesn't mind me hijacking the thread?

So far my reading on these types of threads has makde me think tha I need to pack about 7-10 babygros/vests for puking (more common for yukky mucus after a c-section) and assumed being kept in 4 days (max) if no complications?

Nighties with easy access to boobs for bfing.

A bag of dry/easy digestable foods (I've got a thing for Elevensies raisin flavour which are oaty so good for getting milk going)

Peppermint tea for wind that is normal after a c-section.

A sippy cup/bottle of water with sports top.

Hubby to bring in microwave meals each night (my hospital food last time was proper minging).

Shower gel with a hook so don't have to bend down in the shower!

Massive passion killer knix.

Anything other than the normal stuff than that I need to take in?

With regards to eating - I love my food how soon after the OP were you allowed to eat? last time I was eating during labour after my epidural although I was advised not to, but was so hungry had been 36 hours!

Thanks