Was scheduled to have my twins by c section at 36 weeks due to placenta praevia and reccurant bleeding (I'd been in hospital on bedrest from 30 weeks due to the bleeds which was mind-numbingly hideous). Anyway, had a massive bleed at just over 35 weeks and they gave me an emergency c section.
Unfortunately, the anaethetist botched the epidural and the spinal didn't take, which was rare and unlucky (it really wasn't my day that day!!!) and so they knocked me out with a GA which means I missed my babies - something that I'm so, so sad about. I don't think I'll ever get over it. Anyway, woke up in HDU in agonising pain (the epidural or spinal hadn't worked so I had no numbness to help) and I'd apparently had quite a 'violent' section with section forceps and blood loss. Was in hospital for a week and felt like crap, largely because they 'forgot' to give me the blood transfusion I needed. They got me up the day after the operation, which felt like insanity at the time as I thought I'd never walk again, but it got easier. The first three days were TOUGH but I just moved about slowly and 'stood tall', which really helps, although the natural inclination is to hunch over your shredded tummy.
The babies were tube fed for the first four days as they had a very weak suck reflex (born before 36 wks), although they avoided special care as I'd had steriods at 35 and 31 weeks when I went into early labour from bleeds (thankfully blocked with drugs). I perservered with feeding and would try to get them to latch at every feed but it was very hit and miss. They were just too weak. I expressed my milk and it was pushed into their feeding tubes and they were also topped up with formula. At home I plugged away doing the same - formula and my expressed milk and then, as they got stronger, breast feeds from me to top them up. It was hard as I was very anaemica and had quite a few post-section complications that made the recovery very difficult. My milk lasted until the girls were just over four and a half months old, at which point it dried up.
The main issues with breastfeeding for me was the lack of support and the prematurity of my twins. I had no problems with latch and supply once they were strong enough to feed from me, but before then it was very hard. Breastfeeding support in the hospital was near-zero as although I was on a private ward, they were very busy and overstretched. It took me two days of nagging to get someone to help me to express my colostrum into their feeding tubes. The thing that kept me going at home was an amazing breast pump (I hired a hospital grade one from www.ambermums.co.uk) as, in the early days, this was the only way I could get my milk into the babies. I gave them mini breast feeds at every feed to build up their sucking strength. Without the breast pump and sheer bloody mindedness on my part (I was so traumatised by the hospital stay and disastrous caesarean that I was in a real state and this felt like the only thing I COULD do for my babies) I think I'd have given up much sooner. HOwever, I'm really proud of what I acheived. Not what I initially thought I'd do (before I knew about weak suck reflexes, etc. I was going to exclusively breastfeed them for six months....!!) but in the circumstances I'm really proud of what I managed.
As for pain, I had a grim caesarean so I was knocked for six for the first few days and wasn't very mobile for three weeks - I really struggled with it, although obviously I got on with it and picked up the babies, etc. (not much choice when you've got twins I think). However, at week four I was totally back to normal - I suddenly woke up one morning and felt pretty much back to normal.
HOpe this helps and good luck with everything.
K