Section advice

[UnicornGlitz]

Hi everyone

Asking for more advice....

I am 38 weeks. Baby was head down until about a month ago but now her bum is down and her head is under my ribs. A consultant at my local labour ward tried to turn her yesterday but it didn't work.

Maybe naively I hadn't even considered a Section. It's my first baby and I had a lovely idea of going to the birth centre and having a water birth.

So I'm now scheduled for one and I'm a bit worried (I'm an overthinker) what should I expect in hospital after the section? How did people manage when they were home?

X

Sections are fine nothing to fret over if you have to have one they a fairly straightforward and recovery should be quick just take it easy have all the pain relief you can get if you need to cough or sneeze hold a cushion to your wound have plenty of fruit and smoothies so your bowels are soft and don't lift anything heavier than baby.

I've had both vaginal births and section. Section was great. It's wonderful to know when the baby is coming and the whole experience was so calm.

Like PP definitely something to hold against your tummy, also big pants so they don't irritate your wound. I never really had bad pain but was religiously taking my painkillers every 4 hours.

Get up and moving as soon as allowed. It feels horrible to start but I was moving comfortably relatively quickly.

Thank you. I think it's the fear of the unknown. I'm very nervous

Sections can be way, way easier than a vaginal birth (especially, dare I say it, if you were planning to labour somewhere that doesn't offer an epidural). The recovery is longer and more painful (though manageable) than a straightforward vaginal birth, but shorter and less painful than some complicated ones. You will have a date for when the baby will arrive, and its arrival will be calm and controlled.

I found the pain afterwards was fine. You are numb from the spinal for a few hours afterwards, which helps. The second day was the worst, I needed a bit of help then, but recovery after that was quick. I only had one dose of oramorph (by choice) and then was fine on just paracetamol and ibuprofen. I could pick up, feed and change DD from the off, could get out and about with the pram after 10 days and would have been fine to drive after about 3 weeks. I loved my ELCS and wouldn't contemplate a vaginal birth if I were to have another.

Try not to think about the what ifs, if you can, go with the flow and focus on the excitement of meeting your new baby.