Talk to me about what happens with a cesarean

[Allibear]

I'm booked in to have my cesarean on the 27th and super excited to meet my little one! It's a bit of an adjustment though, the whole way through my pregnancy I thought I was having a natural birth but baby seems to have other plans, shes full breech.

I just wondered what it would be like, especially in hospital afterwards? Where do they put my baby, will she be beside me on the ward while I'm recovering? When will people be able to come and see me? What's it like, are there other women in the same recovery room or do I get my own area? Thanks!

They will usually let you hold the baby whilst they stitch you up etc, then you go into a recovery room for a while, where they monitor you and baby, you can feed etc, they keep a close eye on you (just you and your baby in this room) and eventually take you up to the postnatal ward where you will probably be kept in a bay with a few other mums - with all 3 of my sections they kept C-section mothers near the nurses station for the first 12-24 hours at least. Baby will be with you the whole time assuming he/she has no complications and is healthy.

That's a relief! Thank you I'm really struggling to find any information about what it's like afterwards, I guess as long as my baby is with me and healthy I'll be okay.

Our hospital allows a partner to stay overnight in postnatal. My mum stayed in with me the first night and my husband the second night. Might be worth asking. Also my hospital does tours of the labour and delivery wards including postnatal. Your midwife can tell you if that would be possible for you.

Baby generally stays with you, just keep in mind that the anaesthetic can make you feel a little woozy so you may not feel up to holding baby until you're sat up in recovery. In that case, you're birth partner will hold baby.

Once you're in recovery, they'll check on your vitals several times over an hour and as long as your stable you'll go to the ward. Keep in mind, they'll keep poking in your nether regions to check on your loss to make sure it isn't too heavy. At that point, you won't have underwear on. For me, once I was on the ward, an HCA came and helped me get washed and into clean underwear and PJ's. Pack a nightie, the catheter stays in for a few hours (3 days in my case but I had complications, it is rare)

Once you're on the ward, if you feel that your pad is full, ring and ask the nurse/HCA to check and change it. Having them to do that is easier than having them strip and wash you and the bed because you leaked not talking from experience at all

Sorry I have no experience of c-sections, however I have many friends who have had them (no surprise there!). Have you been told about gentle or natural caesarian? If not I would definitely look into this. There are some useful clips on you tube. Good luck with whatever you decide and congratulations on your pregnancy

As pp has said you will spend some time in the theatre recovery room and they let you hold your baby inbetween checks. You will then be transferred to a normal post natal ward. I was unable to feel my legs for a good 10 hours after my sections. Walking and getting out of bed can be painful so just be prepared for this and don't be afraid to ask for extra pain killers aside from those given on medication rounds. Take snacks/drinks as you might find it difficult to mobilise to get them yourself the first 12 day after. Both my dc were in the cot next to me when I was taken to the post natal ward after sections. Pack some massive knickers that are waist height and leggings to wear afterwards so nothing is tight around the scar area. Also get some of those massive maternity pads and apply lengthways in your knickers across the scar area, it made things more comfortable for me. I was in hospital 2 days with dd1 and 3 days with dd2. Good luck!

Keep on top of the pain killers!!

My OH stayed with me and I was in two nights which I found useful. Worst part was how slow you will feel and how you won't be able to stand upright. However I recovered well from mine - but you absolutely have to take it easy and take full advantage of any help. The other part I hated was the injections I had to have the following seven days. OH did it for me and it hurt! More so than my wound lol.

Be prepared with lots of pads as well. I bled a lot afterwards but only badly for about three or four days.

I was terrified of having one, it was in my pointless birth plan that it was worst case scenario! But actually I wouldn't be put off another should we have another baby.

Exciting times!

I was out after 1 night, if all well they may offer you this 'fast track' option. Take all the oromorph you're offered and make sure you take laxatives as my first poo after a section was more painful than the contractions of my natural labour! You'll be fine.

Oh yes the poo! Get some help there as I was a week going and it was difficult!

In our hospital dads couldn't stay the night. As you couldn't get out of bed, the hca would bring the baby to you from its cot next to you in the night. If this is the same with you, make sure you have phone and drink and food within your reach, as they were not so keen to wait on you! They expected me to get up on the second day. I had really bad trapped wind. Ask for peppermint tea. It helped. My 2nd csection was planned and actually felt quite good after as no labour to tire me out! Good luck! Embrace it and enjoy your special time.

I had an emcs and an elcs

First time- emcs I cannot remember much but I didn't feel anything. Skin to skin was with dh as I was very cold and I am not sure what happened to be honest. I did see baby but didnt hold him until an hour later.

Second csection was planned - very calm. I did skin to skin and bf straightaway in recovery room.

Pack colpermin for wind pain and nightdress as you have catheter in initially.

Dressing gown for backless gown on way up to theatre

If they give you painkillers in the form of suppositories, don't be squeamish, use them! You need the pain relief, and the up-the-bum ones are fast and effective. I was ready to kill the 2 women on my ward who kept waking me and DD up squealing for the midwife all night because they refused to use the suppositories and paracetamol wasn't cutting it.

The story of my CS, summarised:

Induction
Nothing
Wait
Wait
Nothing
Wait
Ow
Baby engaged
Baby not engaged
Baby engaged
Baby not engaged
Baby engaged
Baby not engaged
Ow OWW! Worst internal examination ever!
Unstable lie confirmed. Baby dances about during scan
Off to theatre
Doctors: chat chat chat chat 'Oh, it's a girl!' chat chat chat
Joy
In recovery
Nausea
Vomiting up cup of tea
Sleep
Ward
Joy
Ow
Shut up everybody shut up shut up
Joy
Ow
Hooray, I'm going home!

With my ELCS (second CS, first was EMCS), it was all pretty calm. Walked into theatre, the many many medics introduced themselves, surgery performed. I had DD2 on my chest for a bit while I was stitched up, DH also cuddled her a lot during that time (skin to skin - if your partner is going to be with you, skin to skin will be much easier if he wears a button-front shirt). We spent ages on the recovery ward as it was a busy day and postnatal was rammed, so beds were scarce. Recovery ward had a lot of women, but most had their curtains closed, so it's private-ish.

I could have visitors at the next visiting hours after being admitted to postnatal, that is hospital-dependent of course. I had the baby in my arms when being wheeled out of theatre and I don't think she left them except for when DH held her.

Advice: big knickers for afterwards, lansinoh nipple cream if you're planning on breastfeeding. And TAKE FOOD to hospital. My hospital does revolting school dinner style food, so I had stacks of cereal bars, apples, and DH brought me meals. A water bottle is also useful as you won't have to stretch to put it down without spilling.

And if your baby is anything like DD2 and just cries and cries and cries for no apparent reason, ring the buzzer for a midwife to help you. They can cuddle and rock the baby, give you advice on feeding, and be a friendly face in the middle of the night. I was too exhausted (and already suffering with antenatal depression, which has developed into postnatal depression) to ring the buzzer, but am so grateful to the lovely midwife who came to see what all the crying was about, and helped me.

For the first night I was able to use the buzzer to get someone to come and hand the baby to me, they also changed nappies. After that they encouraged me to get up and about. I had a sort of rope ladder attached to the foot of the bed that I could use to pull myself up and I managed to have a shower on my own - easy in the hospital wet room, more difficult at home when I had to step in and out of the bath.
Actually I was quite mobile after about 3 days though.
Make sure you have changing mats, nappies etc upstairs and downstairs for when you come out of hospital, you don't want to be traipsing up and down the stairs with a baby every time they need changing!
I found it easy to put the baby in and out of the hospital cot which was on a high stand. I struggled with the Moses basket at home as it was lower so DH had to hand her to me for feeds and put her back for a while.
Good luck and enjoy your baby!

I had an emcs, so slightly more ramshackle.
After they stitched me up (didn't feel a thing) I went to recovery. My legs felt huge as the anaesthetic wore off. Some time the first evening I was able to walk (6 ish hours later) and they got me to have a shower. I left a trail of blood to the wet room
Ds was in a cot next to me. I got out after 2 nights.

I've had both an EMCS and ELCS and my hospital seems a bit different from the others on the thread. Baby given to me whilst in theatre or partner (was given the choice, 1st time I felt sick and like I was passing out due to low BP so didn't hold him until I left theatre) then beside me in a cot. I was expected to get up and out of bed very quickly- with my 1st EMCS I was in the shower 4 hours after surgery with the 2nd I was up after 5 hours. At night partners were asked to leave and I was expected to get up and sort out the baby, they encourage very early mobilisation here. I recovered very well and was able to look after baby both times the same day as surgery

Just for the sake of variety:

Our hospital made a point of making patients stand up and take a few steps 8 hours after the CS.
My milk came on 24 hrs post birth.
I was walking to the toilets the morning after (CS mid afternoon).
I was discharged 48 hrs post birth.
Yes it was painful and you are not fully mobile... but I was in a lot less pain, and a lot more mobile than with my first, vaginal, butchers' job delivery. I was perfectly capable of picking DC up, feeding, changing him etc.

Good luck OP

Thank you so much for the advice and stories. It's been very comforting to read all your advice, I didn't know any hospitals let your partner stay over, i imagine that'd be very useful but my hospital doesn't do that oh well! I'm excited now!

For me, ELCS was a breeze compared to EMCS. I rearranged things around the house so I wouldn't have to reach or bend down. Also tried to avoid going upstairs until bedtime. I pushed myself too hard to try to mobilise and walk too far and then fainted! So try to move about but dont overdo it.
I had quite a lot of prunes and prune juice in the days leading up to the section so had no problems pooing. The big knickers are a must. And dresses rather than things with a waistband. I was quite lucky and didn't need pain relief after the first couple of days. My scar is tiny, it's hard to imagine that two babies came out of there. The postnatal ward was the most difficult part, where you're struggling to do anything really and I basically felt like I needed someone there with me all the time to pass me the baby and help me sit up. Getting sleep is challenging when it seems as though at least one baby is crying at any one time. Good luck!

Placemarking as this is a really good thread

I haven't had a section but I do know you need to self-inject Clexane for a number of days after your discharge. Clexane injections can be unbelievably painful so do a search on here or elsewhere for tips and hints on injecting technique to make them hurt less. I inject it daily for other reasons and my post-section friends universally show huge gratitude and relief when I show them a less painful technique. You will have enough going on with recovery, you don't need to be dreading injection time each day and then writhing in pain afterwards.

I had a c section and I have no idea what clexane is and didn't have to inject anything. Just normal painkillers by mouth.

I had post section injections, some administered by DH. Don't remember what they were or that they were particularly painful.

My top tip is that if you have a big but of cable/thread coming out of your stitches, it might be intentionally long. Don't trim it like I did.

Post birth I found over the bump maternity yoga pants pretty comfortable. You might have to wear support stockings so take clogs rather than flip flops for the hospital.