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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

C section advice

4 replies

Dartfordmummy · 22/03/2011 17:53

In a couple of weeks time I am due to have an elective caesarian as baby is breech.

As I have never experienced a caesarian delivery before I would be very grateful for any practical advice on survival either during and/or afterwards.

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
missp2010 · 22/03/2011 18:27

Have to be quick as the kids are getting ready for bed.

Take a nightie to wear afterwards, you'll have a catheter so trousers aren't very practical.
Ask in advance for them to give baby straight to you for skin to skin.
Buy big, big knickers that come up high at the front, you wont want anything that sits on your wound (same goes for clothes to wear home).
You can still bleed a lot after a cs, take some decent pads with you.
Make sure you have somewhere at home to change baby that is the right height, so you don't have to bend over.
It will be really scary when they peel the dressing off afterwards, but it's not that bad - don't worry! Have a shower first and it should come off easier.
The awful looking overhang goes away eventually!
You may get really bad wind afterwards!
Make sure they put baby in one of the cribs that attaches to your bed (some idiot left DD several feet away from me, and then looked surprised that I couldn't get out of bed to get her!)

If I think of anything else I'll add it later.
Good luck

BalloonSlayer · 22/03/2011 18:38

I've had two elective caesareans and one emergency, and I have never had a problem.

They are very nice to you and you don't see anything scary or gruesome, although your birth partner may. You should be able to hold the baby almost straight away.

Nowadays I think they give you a spinal anaesthetic which is a one-off (not an epidural which is what I used to think it was) and can last for hours or wear off very quickly. You will have a catheter, which sounds awful but is in fact fabulous that after the last few months of having to get out of bed every hour for a wee you can just sit in bed all cosy.

I'd advise that you take every bit of pain relief going. They don't bring the drugs trolley round very often and if you don't think you need anything just yet you may find that you do need pain relief quite urgently in an hour's time but there is no one to get it for you. So take it when offered, and keep "on top of the pain."

Many hospitals have little cots that clip on the side of your bed, which are very handy when you have had a c-section and can't get out of bed. But you may have to ask for one. They also often have a sort of ladder thing on the bed that helps you to sit up. If you don't get given one, ask if they are available.

This might sound stupid but when I had my first DC I didn't ring the bell when I needed anything because I had been in hospital before and thought it was only for emergencies. It probably is in other parts of the hospital but in the maternity ward, after a c-section, you are allowed to ring it. (It still made me feel like Lady Muck though.)

I'd suggest taking some trousers that fit when you were 4 or 5 months pregnant to wear. The more the scar is supported the less it hurts, in my experience. I found very loose trousers uncomfortable. I always find it lifts my spirits to get dressed, if I hang around in pyjamas all day I feel as if I am ill.

More a general recommendation than a specific c-section one - don't bother with paper knickers, buy cheap Bridget Jones ones from Primark or Asda and throw them away.

Take food in with you. They don't feed you enough and you will be very hungry.

Get up and moving as quickly as you can.

Um . . . will come back if I think of anything else!

Good luck and congratulations!

damsels · 22/03/2011 18:48

positivebirthchoices.blogspot.com/2011/03/caesarean-natural-way.html my friend sent me this link, in case it has to happen to me again.

Regs74 · 22/03/2011 20:38

Your whole core strength goes and you will feel like a new born yourself when doing basic functions, don't panic, it will come back. Get into the nhs physio system and get help regaining core stability, it can take from six months upwards but prof help is worth it. Don't check out of hospital within 24 hours like I did because I was fed up with over excited 16 year olds, book a private room if you can and stay as long as you need to. Good luck, I figured that I was going to tear somewhere so it may as well have been my tummy, first four weeks were hard but two years on the only left over is a tiny scar

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