What is it like having a catheter?

[PixieCake]

Can someone tell me about urinary catheters with a c-section.

Why do you need one? Does everyone have to have one or can I just hobble to the loo instead?
When do they put them in? During the op or afterwards?
Who puts it in and does it hurt?
Does it go straight into your urethra? How big is it?
How often does the urine bag need emptying and can visitors see it?
How long does it stay in for?
Does it hurt when it comes out? Do they just pull it out?

These may be obvious questions but I have no idea about this, and I'm finding it almost more worrying than the CS itself!

Thank you

Ask them to do it after the anaesthetic otherwise it burns. Then you won't notice it - i think I had mine until i could walk, probably 12 hours? Stings for a second when they pull it out. Not much to worry about in the scale of things. Ask for soluble stitches if you can.

Stitches? Do you mean for the catheter? Do they stitch it in?
Or are you talking about the stitches for closing you up after CS?

when you say after the anaesthetic, do you mean in the operating theatre?

Thanks

I have had 2 CS and other abdominal surgery and the catheter is the least of your worries. They put it in once you have no sensation down there so you will not feel a thing. You will not be able to hobble to the toilet to start off with.
It needs emptied when it is almost full, this will depend if you are on a saline drip or drinking yourself and how much fluid you are taking in.
Yes visitors would probably be able to see the bag but if you have just had a baby they are much more likely to be looking at the baby adoringly.
IMO getting a drain removed is more painful than the catheter but not everyone gets a drain for a CS.
The removal of the catheter is just a quick tug and it's out. Please don't worry about it.

Hmmm I think you might be overthinking this. Try not to stress. I had an emergency not elective section but still spent the night in the high dependency unit thanks to a lovely haemmorrage - the most common side effect of a section - and can assure you that the catheter was the least of my worries. I couldn't have cared less about it going in, I didn't even notice I had one for a good day! I didn't much like the glamour of it trailing behind me in a trolley when I was up and about the next day or so but I certainly didn't feel anything when it was taken out. I found it no more distressing than the cannular on your hand.
An elective is about as sanitised as they can make a delivery - well about from the blindingly obvious abdominal injury - but short of knocking you out with a general anaesthetic for a couple of days they can't eliminate all icky aspects of major surgery.
If the most unpleasant thing about the birth is the catheter you've had a very good delivery indeed. Please don't stress.

Thanks Smac.

Er... what's a drain and what's it for and where does it go?

My God I know nothing about any of this!!!

Had 3, one for each birth (EMCS, VB, CS) a bit unconfortable going in but then you can;t feel it. The first one I had leaked which was a bit embarrassing but by the 3rd it just seemed routine. Unless they are monitoring you for pre-eclampsia I don't think they keep it in for long.

Thanks Poppet.

I'm the kind of person who worries until I have all the information - if I know what to expect I tend to be fine so I just want to be prepared.

When you were 'up and about' the next day why did you still need the catheter to be in?

I hated it but think mine was put in badly they kept bashing other intimate bits down there if you know what I mean (no one tells you about that). Bizarrely it was one of the main reasons I wanted a vaginal birth for the second baby but am funny like that sure you will be fine

A catheter is fine - honestly. I've had 2 and they were totally fine. Didn't feel a thing (epidural) and actually became quite a fan of them - no need to get up and go for a wee as the catheter does it all for you! Ok, it's not ideal having a bag of your wee hanging beside your bed when people come to visit but it isn't in for long and you really won't notice it. It's not as if your visitors came to see your wee - it's you and the baby they'll be visiting. It will be fine.

I've never had to walk around with a catheter, it has been removed just before I've been encouraged to be up and about.
Are you having an elective section pixiecake? if so you will go in the day before surgery for pre-meds to the day assessment unit and you can ask as many questions as you like! They go through everything that will happen and prepare you, please don't worry.
I didn't have a drain for either of my CS but I did for other abdo surgery, the lady opposite me did however have a drain with her CS. The drain is to remove blood and excess fluid from the site of surgery. Sorry I'm not an expert so I don't know why somepeople have it and others don't.
I think they don't like you to have the catheter for too long as getting up for the loo is a good way of getting you mobile again. They are very keen to get you up quite quickly after surgery. Both my CS have been late afternoon and by the next morning I have had my catheter removed, up and showered and moved further away from the nurses station. 2 years ago I was in hospital for 3 nights but this year the policy had changed to a 2 night stay.

Hi Pixie

I had an ECS with my DD (she was upside down) and like you I was worried about the catheter although I knew it was completely irrational!!

I had mine put in after the spinal & didn't feel anything.

DD was born at 4pm (lots of emergency cases that day so a long wait! ) and was up & about the next morning at my request. (I was admitted the night before a lovely lady who'd had a section that day had warned me to get up as soon as I felt strong enough as she'd waited ages & had real difficulty)

They removed the catheter before I got up, and I don't remember it being particularly painful.

One tip - once you've had it removed don't wait until you really need to pee to try & get up. It'll take a while to get upright & able to shuffle to the loo!

Good luck!

I had mine put in before the epidural for my Csection - and it hurt!! Wish I'd thought to complain afterwards.

Taking out stung a little but not as bad.

I don't know why mine was left in as long as it was... they were too busy to remove it maybe? I certainly know they were in no rush for me to be walking about - due to the haemmorrage - so I got a funky pair of inflating moonboots to wear inbed instead to reduce the risk of a clot. Maybe that was why it was left in longer? I certainly remember trailing it with me to the shower. Nice!
Anyway really good luck Pixiecakes - you won't care a jot about any of this once you've got the bubba in your arms!

Thanks everyone for sharing the experiences and the brilliant advice. I'm going to ask them to put in in after the edpidural, and to take it out and get me mobile as soon as poss.

Still don't want visitors seeing my wee though - might cover it up with a sheet or something!!

By the way, I had a natural vaginal birth and still ended up with a catheter as I had a tear very close to my urethra. It's not just the women who have a CS who have the "pleasure" of a catheter

I hated it. It didn't hurt when put in, but I was so out of it by then that they could have inserted a drain-pipe and I wouldn't have cared! When I started feeling a bit normal again, the catheter started getting very uncomfortable - like Kerala1 I felt it was bashing other intimate internal parts . I was so relieved when they took it out, I could have kissed the nurse

I know why you are worried tho - I freak every time i remember i will need a drip. BTW I always get this in my wrist as it is easier for me to hold things. No stitches with a catheter, and yes, i meant after the spinal for the op. think that's pretty standard now. my 2nd cs was so awful that my birth plans are now bullet points of what not to do!

sorry, yours will not be awful. was just bad luck.

Lying in bed after having a rather rushed emergency c-section I asked dh what the tube and bag running down the side of the bed were. He thought it was hilarious. I hadn't noticed them putting it in and couldn't tell it was in there afterwards. They left it in for about 24hrs and I couldn't feel a thing when they removed it.

The catheter bag will be on a sort of stand or hanging on the side of the bed - either way you ought to be able to dangle a blanket strategically in front of it.

To answer some of your other questions - the catheter will most likely be put in by a nurse. Catheters come in different sizes - from really wee ones for babies to very large gauge ones that are used after men have had their prostates operated on. You won't need a large catheter, so you'll probably end up with one that is smaller in diameter than an ordinary pencil.

It's inserted into the urethra and passes into the bladder, and then sterile saline or water is used to inflate a balloon close to the tip of it, which rests where the urethra enters the bladder, so it doesn't fall out - you won't feel this balloon at all, and it is deflated again before the catheter is taken out.

A drain is used if a surgeon thinks that there may be oozing within a wound, and wants it drained out rather than forming a collection of blood, or haematoma that would delay healing and provide a possible site for infection.

I used to be an operating theatre nurse, which is how I know about drains and catheters, but I didn't work in the obstetric theatre (where c-sections are done), but as far as I remember from my spell on the postnatal ward during my nurse training, it is not the norm for someone to need wound drainage after a c-section - so don't worry about that.

I hope that helps you, PixieCake - and you are right to want to be well informed beforehand, as knowing what's happening to you helps reduce your stress levels, and that helps with your recovery.

Good luck and I'll be thinking of you and your gorgeous little baby!

My mum had one after a hysterectomy four years ago, and it was painful for her. I went to visit her the day after her op, she was up walking about fine (even made it outside for a fag!!!) Yet the bitches who were supposed to be looking after her refused to take it out! Even though she told them it was painful, she didn't need it, and she was feeling ok. They didn't even empty it when it was overflowing!!! I had to try and do it for her, and it spilled all over the floor! The bitch never even cleaned it up!
The reason I hate them so much, is because I had an ectopic pregnancy 7y ago, was on the same ward, and I was treated like shit as well!
Though fortunatly, I never had a catheter, because I said to the doctor "if you put a straw up my pee-hole, i'll sue the hospital" and I managed ok without one (though it was only key-hole, not a full blown CS).
I wouldn't worry about it though, just ask for them to put it in once your numb, and it should be ok.

I had 2 catheters, for and after, a vaginal birth. I didn't find they hurt at all, the first was put in after the epidural and the second the following day once that had worn off (it was my punishment for not taking note of how much, and when I had done a wee ). TBH I found it more of a nuisance getting around with than the pain of having it in, iyswim. DD was under a lamp for jaundice and the logistics of moving the catheter every time I had to tend to her was more of a pain.

Like someone else further up the thread, I am also freaked out by drips, but when it comes to it you really do overcome your fears and worries.

I loved my catheter had one with my emergency c-section, was put in after the spinal so didn't feel it, and being able to drink as much water as I wanted without needing a wee every 2 minutes was bliss.

Hehe.

I've had 2, one for EMCS and one for ELCS. No idea when they put it in in the emergency one but in the elective they asked if i wanted it putting in before or after the spinal. I had it after and didn't feel a thing. Didn't feel it when they pulled either out either.

You won't be hobbling anywhere straight away as you won't be able to feel your legs cos of the spinal. You won't even get the urge to have a wee it is just drained out.

The c section will be fine try not to worry

Why do you need one? because you are immobile for a few hours and can't hop up for a wee.

Does everyone have to have one or can I just hobble to the loo instead? you will need one. you ain't going anywhere until that spinal block has worn off because your legs won't work. I spent almost as much time staring at my toes trying to wiggle them as I did staring at my baby .

When do they put them in? During the op or afterwards? after they have put the spinal block in IIRC, before the op starts.

Who puts it in and does it hurt? not sure, and you can't feel it as you are numb from the belly button down.

Does it go straight into your urethra? How big is it? not sure.

How often does the urine bag need emptying and can visitors see it? can't remember. visitors possibly can see it but the sheets often drape over the edge of the bed and hide it.

How long does it stay in for? 24 hours IME. I made them keep mine in until my P arrived the next morning as the midwives weren't going to help me to go to the loo and I wanted P to help me. I quite liked having a catheter and not having to pee all the time. I had one for 48 hours after a hysterectomy and that got a bit sore, but both of mine after my cs's were fine.

Does it hurt when it comes out? Do they just pull it out? It can sting a bit, but only for a moment. They will use a syringe to drain any surplus wee out and I found that a llittle weird as I assume it was deflating my bladder, but I might be wrong.

I think the drain is to allow the excess blood and gunk to drain away from the internal wound, it will be sticking out of your abdomen. It's a little clear tube and they have a bag on the end. I had one after my em cs, it stang when they took it out. Didn't have one after my planned cs. But did have one for 48 hours after my hysterectomy and that hurt when that came out, but it was a far bigger op.

TBH I never even noticed mine.
I always thought it'd be sore and embarrassing. But it was neither of those - better than hobbling to the loo.