C section question

[JKD1982]

Hi

I’m due to have a c section early June and wanted to ask for advice please. I have a phobia of vomiting so will ask for anti nausea medication. I am anxious to feel sick or need to vomit while lying flat on my back. Can you raise your head at all or ask to be propped up even a little bit. I’m scared to gag or choke.

Sorry I know a horrible question and I sound like a total wimp. It’s just playing on my mind. At the moment with heartburn and in the first trimester nausea, sitting up right always helps... so I’m scared I won’t be able to

Thank you

While having the op your actually at an angle where head is lower, but you wont realise. I didnt for first 2, it was only on my 3rd section I realised! Defo ask for anti sickness but I have never experienced it during, only after in recovery. And I mentioned it to the people doing my medications before surgery and again after just incase they forgot. I also hate being sick but also its dangerous for you to be sick with the stitches so they wont let you be sick. Just pre warn them about it and they should make sure for you xxx

Also, you can move you head, however are restricted, so you could potentially lift you head slightly but would struggle. Your kind of stuck led down. Once op is done they will wheel you into recovery, prop you up etc. Your only stuck led for the op xx

Thank you. In recovery are you just in a normal hospital bed? Can you raise it a little bit (I don’t expect to be able to sit up) but just to not be flat on my back. What makes you feel sick in recovery? The anaesthetic wearing off? Can they give you medication then too?

Thank you

This was my biggest fear when I had my section! When I was having the op they explained that nausea can be due to the fall in blood pressure and assured me they'd give me something if I felt ill. I told them I was starting to feel sick - I wasn't but thought I was - and they said they gave me something. I think it was a placebo but it worked! I didn't feel sick afterwards either.

I was nauseous during and after my first section and mentioned it to the anaesthetist on my second so he was aware and ready to up the anti nausea drugs during the section.

I would suggest not eating after the section for as long as possible. I vomited both times after my tea and toast. Really should have learnt my lesson, even though I thought I’d waited long enough second time round.

And ask for more anti nausea meds after the section if you need them. It was the morphine that caused mine but other people don’t get it.

Thank you for the great advice. I’ll definitely say no morphine and wait to eat for as long as possible... it sounds so silly but I’m more scared of being sick than the pain? Mad minds huh x

Try not to worry, tell them before about being sick and they can give you something to stop it. I was sick during my c-section but because you don’t eat beforehand, it was actually just wretching as nothing came up. They then gave me something to stop this and I was fine, and fine in recovery. I didn’t mention it beforehand as it hadn't entered my head! Second time around I was sat up in recovery holding baby and trying to get her to feed if I remember rightly.

I was sat/propped up to bf DD in recovery.
You can lift/turn your head during, I did to see her when she was out and brought to us, but felt sick/dizzy so didn't have her on/next to me, though it was offered. Think I must have had meds then, I don't remember feeling sick after that.

@Anoisagusaris how long did you wait to eat after the section if you don’t mind me asking? X

Yes, if I remember corrently they move you off the operation bed to a hospital bed. Lots of weird awkward lifting lol. Then you can adjust etc, hold baby properly and feed so on. You can hold and feed in theatre but I felt a bit weird last time so just asked partner to bring him close and touched and talked to him.
I think it's the medication cocktail they give you. You have the epidural/spinal block, plus they are giving other meds through a drip. I cant remember what but I'd guess pain relief, anti sickness etc. I remember the.paim meds made me sick and I told them with 2nd and they very quickly popped sickness stuff in and it almost disappeared instantly. Not sure how but they seem to have it all on standby. But if you say before they will likely just give it.
Your meds will be regularly topped up, but once on ward you will take orally (paracetamol, and something stronger and poss ibuprofen) they will also give you that to continue at home. And they can defo give anti sickness on ward too so ask if your feeling sick!
Xxx

I was sick both times and expecting to be this time too. For me it was because my blood pressure went through the floor (I have low BP anyway), but it's happened so fast I didn't have time to worry about it. You can tilt your head and it's not the most glamorous but you can be sick!

Jkd1982, let me reassure you. When I had my C section I was awake. They put up a green screen of material under your boobs across the bed, so you can't see anything. You cannot feel anything either. The surgeon asked me if I could feel anything and I said no, afterwards my dh told me the surgeon was sticking a pin into me. My surgeon said he was just going to wash his hands. After about 3 or 4 minutes I said to do h how much longer before he comes back. Dh said he's doing it. About 2 mins later son was born. They get any gunk out of babies mouth, then give you baby whilst they take out afterbirth and also sick out excess blood. Then they see you up later by layer. That took about 8 mins. Then they took baby off to be weighed. Wheeled me into recovery with DH, brought baby back, propped me up with more pillows so I could put baby to breast, then left us for short while. You will be too excited to be sick. I have 3 DC. I had the third by section after two vaginal delivery. Section was easiest of the three. You are only in surgery about 15-20 mins and a few minutes is waiting at the beginning. Don't be afraid, look forward to meeting your baby. I was out of bed walking the following day.

I was being sick during labour and was sick during my caesarean my husband had to just keep a sick bowl at the side of my head during the surgery and help me move my head round to get the sick into the bowl. (Sorry if tmi)

I was terrified of being sick, all I could think about was being sick on my back and immobilised and choking on it and it being everywhere. My anaesthetist for my first was so, so lovely. He hugged me while I was having the spinal and asked why I was so upset so I told him and he was really reassuring, told me if I felt sick at all to just say and he had loads of drugs going straight into my cannula and they'd take affect immediately. Then once I was laid down he showed me how the bed is like a car seat for want of a better explanation with the headrest smaller, you can turn and lift your head and there's a gap so you wouldn't be flooded with it. He said it would be very unusual to vomit during the operation. Which put me at ease immediately because I could see how he was right. I had a funny turn after the anaesthetic but I was violently shaking, it wasn't bad or scary, just like shivering. With my second I knew what to expect so didn't even worry about it! They want you to eat and drink before you leave recovery so if it does make you sick after you're being constantly monitored, on a bay of 4 with curtains open and 1 midwife and 1 HCA at all times on the bays in my hospital.

Talk to your anaesthetist about your worrys they will be able to reassure you and they will suppprt you throughout the operation. In recovery i was in an electric bed which can be raised up to a seated position with a button - I assume most hospital beds do this so you shouldn't be stuck lying down in recovery.

Yep i was projectile vomiting during my c section and many hours afterwards. The nurses just tried to hold the kidney bowls at an angle. I was fine in recovery bf but nauseous again in the lift on the way to the ward. My DH said it was like the excorsist

Oh and I only did an hour in recovery they wanted me quick out of there. Think I was moved too soon

Like several other posters I was sick during my c section. It isnt pleasant but you will get through it. I found the aneaesthetist really helped me cope.

I wasn’t sick in either of mine. I don’t think it’s that common.