C-section tomorrow last minute questions

[Babydust13]

Hi ladies

I just have a few questions if you don't mind.

1. Do I need to shave?
2. How long after until you can bath/shower?
3. How do you look after a baby properly in the hospital when you can't get up?
4. Is there anything you wish you had known before having a section?
5. Should I pack any extras that would be helpful?

Thank you so much. I'm super excited but also getting really nervous now.

few more things:

1. I was very strict about not lifting anything heavier than recommened unless absolutely necessary.

I was not gonna be a hero and end up with problems. I was terrified of any issues (possibly because I had 4 kids under 6) and so flat out refused to carry shopping, laundry etc for first 3 months.

1. I asked for and accepted any help needed /offered.

The first 8 weeks were horrendous - baby had jaundice, then I had mastitis (40°C fever so I thought I was dying), oldest 3 had chickenpox, DS3 was teething, then oldest 3 and I had a nasty D&V bug plus had to rush my mum to emergency with eye injury. so yeah, I couldn't tell me arse from my elbow🤣.

1. if you feel you are ready to drive before 6 weeks talk to GP to sign you off. I drove within 4 weeks.

wishing you a safe delivery and healthy baby & you. xxx

If not breastfeeding there is medication you can take to stop your milk coming in. Not sure if they’ll give it to you on the NHS but it’s worth an ask. I suppressed with both of mine and the first was agony, worse than any pain from the section, which definitely falls in to the category of something I wasn’t expecting. The second my consultant prescribed something (can’t remember what, I blame the oramorph) and it never came in which was such a relief.

make sure you keep your bladder empty during recovery with frequent trips to the loo. My pain was so much worse when I had a full bladder!!

1. I had a wax two weeks before my emergency. You can have a shave yes because they will shave you anyway.

2. I think it's recommended a few weeks to bath. Shower should be around 12 hours later for an elective.

3. you press the buzzer again and again until people help you.

4. That it'll be a few weeks before you can pull yourself up independently.

5. Pack a dressing down cord to tie to the end of the bed. This will help you pull yourself up in case you get a midwife like I did who said she had a bad back so wouldn't help me and walked off instead of getting someone else when I was going to wet myself and wanted to go to the toilet!

@Chanel05 at #3

yup, buzzer's your best friend. guard it!

@Babydust13 hello!!!!
Haven’t seen you around since the very old 2dpo thread!!!
I’m so excited for you getting to meet your baby tomorrow!!!!

The other posters have covered everything c section wise. It will be fine. The not bonding with your baby, was in my experience 3 times, total rubbish so don’t listen to that.

As others have said, no need to shave unless you want to. They will shave off what they need to anyway.

Keep on top of your pain meds, don’t leg it get to the point of you feeling in pain before taking your next lot.

Get up and about ASAP, even if it’s just a short walk around your bed or to the window and back.

It can help massively to hold a pillow in front of your stomach when you need to cough or sneeze. I wasn’t prepared for how much that would hurt.

I also wasn’t prepared for how weird it would feel post catheter. It took a while of sitting on the toilet to get any urge or feeling to go, to come back!

Also I had no idea how shivery and cold the medication in theatre would make me! I remember lying there shivering like a mad thing, teeth chattering, the lot! All perfectly normal though!

One of my sections was done at 11am and I was up and about walking around 4-5 hours later. The sooner you’re up and about, the sooner they’ll remove your catheter, the sooner you’ll be able to pass urine on your own, the sooner you’ll be discharged.

I’ll be having my fourth c section in September!

Congratulations, sending you so much luck for tomorrow!!!

Xx

@Moominmiss aw congratulations so nice to hear from you again 🥰

I'm feeling so rough today just about to call triage I feel so zoned out and I keep getting numbness and tingling in my left arm and face dunno if it's normal

I'll be glad when Mr makes his appearance I'm not a fan of pregnancy but I'm sure it's all worth it

Oh no, I’m sorry you’re not feeling right, definitely give them a call.

What are the reasons for your section? Could how you’re feeling now be linked to/symptoms of the reason you’re having one?

Oh, you’re going to feel on a whole other level tomorrow!

I can’t recall if I’d seen you mention whether you were having a boy or girl previously, so congratulations! I’m having a boy too!!

You’ll have to come back and update once you’re feeling up to it!

Xx

[quote Babydust13]@Moominmiss aw congratulations so nice to hear from you again 🥰

I'm feeling so rough today just about to call triage I feel so zoned out and I keep getting numbness and tingling in my left arm and face dunno if it's normal

I'll be glad when Mr makes his appearance I'm not a fan of pregnancy but I'm sure it's all worth it [/quote]
that's not normal.

could be signs of hypertension and pre-eclampsia so yes, definitely so call them asap

[quote Babydust13]@ZingDramaQueenOfSheeba oh yes I had the lecture about breastfeeding as well but I've already decided to bottle feed so according to the old cow I'm doing everything wrong from the get go. Luckily I'm pretty thick skinned but it still amazes me how opinionated people get when the choices are obviously available for a reason.

Thanks for all the helpful advice

@Definately I'll add it to my list thanks [/quote]
Bet they didn't mention how hard it can be to get bf going after a section!

@Definately or at all!!

especially if baby has tongue tie nobody knows about! and they blame you for doing every aspect of bf wrong, when you are not!🤬🤬🤬

Three c sections.
One emergency. Two planned.

Emergency they shaved the business end.
Two planned I did it and they had a look and said they didn't need to do anymore.

A couple of tips.....
Put your bed height and baby cot at the height for ease.
Have some essentials such as maternity pads, nappies etc within arms reach.
You'll walk like a hunchback at first but thats normal.
Soak the plaster they put on first before trying to take it off.
Don't try and do much too soon.
Pack some snacks and put them within easy reach.
My c sections all took about 45 mins. Baby was out pretty quickly.

You might be very nauseous afterwards. Don't do what I did and eat a Yorkie bar one hour after surgery - it won't stay in for long! take crackers and non fatty food. They can give you anti nausea meds if you are vomming for a while. Don't be a hero.

You’ve had good advice already. I would add that after my section my feet and legs swelled, might be coincidental. Afterwards I was sweating profusely (attractive!) so I’d just recommend taking a large water bottle instead of the tiny jug you get in hospital. Also flip flops for having a shower!

Oohh and try to forgot any sort of sleep on a post natal ward.
I went home after 2 nights for a rest!

Oh! I thought of another thing I wasn’t aware was a thing!!!

Post surgery, once back up on the ward I started getting pain in my shoulder. To the point I called on the buzzer because of it.

Apparently it’s super common and is a result of trapped wind following surgery!!!

Also like someone else mentioned, I found my feet were quite swollen for a day or 2 as well.

I didn't shave and had an unexpected c-section and they shaved for me

I showered once I was on my feet about 18 hours later

I had my section at midnight so my partner couldn't stay. I was down on the ward at 3am with numb legs falling asleep with baby on me post feed. I called for help and midwife helped so much. Dressed my baby for me, put him in the crib. Until I was on my feet they helped lift in and out of the crib

For the next night - I felt able to reach into the crib and made sure everything was close.

A water bottle with a straw is very useful so you don't have to keep pouring from the jug. My hospital was mean with tea (one small cup three times a day) so my partner brought me a travel mug full each visit. And left me with mini cartons of Juice.

Lastly - something that took me by surprise - I was spent most of the operation shaking and couldn't stop. Apparently really normal but it meant I couldn't hold my baby till recovery. Once in recovery I then had my skin to skin and the little man was ready for a feed!

Thanks everyone this is really really helpful it's much appreciated

@Moominmiss I'll def share a pic when he's arrived. How have you been finding picking a name? We found boys much harder but think we have one now

@Babydust13 we have a name. We’d agreed if it was a girl I’d choose, and if it was a boy then my partner would choose.

I actually do love the name he chose though. We did decide middle names together as we’ve taken a family name from each side to use as middle names.

Did you guys have much of a short list to pick from? X

@Moominmiss we had agreed on a girl name but my OH was much more fussy about a boys name. We have decided on Alan as a middle name as it was my grandads name and is my dads middle name.

For his first name I'm 90% sure we're going with Dexter but we want to make sure it suits him when we meet him so haven't got his name printed on anything although people tell me babies grow in to names rather than suiting them 🤷🏻‍♀️

We don't have a back so 🤞🏼🤞🏼

Would it be ok if I asked an additional question to OP’s?

How far down is the incision?

@Babydust13 omg, the boys name my oh chose is Dexter too!!!! How bizarre!!! I know SO many people having boys, and know loads that have boys, and yet I don’t know of a single Dexter!!!

My oh has always loved the name, he used to have a fish called it too 🙄😂

We have it put on a blanket, and on a wooden teether thing but no clothes. Although I have a Man U baby grow to give my oh for Father’s Day and was going to get the name out on that.

I loved the girls name I’d had picked, which was Seren, so I did feel slight sadness that I’ll never get to use that, but I do love Dexter so it’s not so bad. Middle names will be Edward after oh’s dad who passed away when my oh was a teenager, and Alexander which is my dads dad’s name (I don’t like my dads name 😂).

I’d liked Arthur for a boy, plus it’s oh’s middle name, but he doesn’t like it so I’d have never got my first choice name lol.

Oh and yes, babies definitely grow into their names, rather than being born suiting them! So don’t worry about that!

@DeusEx my incision is very low down. When I wear pants or a bikini the scar isn’t visible so it’s sort of on or just below the knicker line.

That’s why it’s definitely worth taking some big granny style knickers with you to hospital as it won’t be comfortable to wear pants that sit on the scar line.

@Moominmiss omg what are the chances I don't know any other little Dexter's either.

I also liked the name Eric but my OHs mum has a dog called Eric so it got ruled out pretty quick we also thought about Stanley but thought with Alan it might be too old fashioned.

We loved Violet for a girl

@DeusEx I'm sure someone here can help?