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.

@Babydust13 I love Stanley, I like old fashioned names like that. Probably why I liked Arthur too. I liked Sebastian too but oh hated it.

Oh also liked Xander which I said no to pretty much instantly. The only thing that annoys me about Dexter is that it’s a widely known fact amongst friends that my oh is a huge Dexter (the tv show) fan (as am I) so I’m sure they’ll assume baby is named after a serial killer 😂

Violet is so pretty!! I have 3 daughters who all have names beginning with S, hence why had it been a girl I’d have gone with another S name, Seren. But I wasn’t as fussed about carrying on the S theme with a boy.

1. Do I need to shave?

No

1. How long after until you can bath/shower?

1st section - 1 week but I was extremely ill and weak. 2nd section - baby was born at 11.15 am and I was showering at 8 am the next morning

1. How do you look after a baby properly in the hospital when you can't get up?

You can get up. I was up and about with in 3 hours of my last section as I am too short to be able to reach anything from bed and my baby was vomiting so I had to get out of bed. The midwives expect you to get up and look after your baby after a short while

1. Do I need to shave?

No. It's healthier not too

1. How long after until you can bath/shower?

I got given bed baths a few hours after mine and showers the next day.

1. How do you look after a baby properly in the hospital when you can't get up?

Midwife hands baby to you.

1. Is there anything you wish you had known before having a section?

Don't be shy about demanding pain relief. Recovery can take a long time.

1. Should I pack any extras that would be helpful?

Big pants.
Jogging trousers or leggings
Arnica tablets
Good breastfed pillow if bf

Aww good luck 😊 will be thinking about you! Hope it all goes well and is a breeze 🥰 Keep us updated! Just going to read all these comments, I have one in 8 weeks and my main question is do I need to shave 😂

I shaved, but read you shouldn’t. Oops!
I showered the same day and had my catheter removed - grim!
Mid wife will look after baby/ hand baby to you/help you/let you rest. However they’ll probably encourage you to get up and move. Not good for you to lie still for ages.
Take the pain relief - all of it 🤣 as when it wears off it’s like you’ve done an entire day and night of non stop tummy crunches!
Invest in high waisted pants and joggers as you won’t want anything tight on your lower tummy area. Plus the padding/bandage they put on your c section can be bulky initially.
Snacks/some cash.
Pads.
Thick, warm dressing gown - was freezing on the hospital ward.

@sarah13xx aw congratulations hope the 8 weeks flies by for you 🙂

It's silly the things we worry about isn't it shaving was the question at the top of my list I'm sure none of the midwives/doctors really care they've probably seen much worse

@Moominmiss I think Stanley would be our back up if we did change our mind

@Suzi888 what is it actually like to have a catheter removed?

Thanks for all the other tips

If you end up waiting ages for it to happen you will need a book to read or iPad with some movies downloaded (in case the WiFi is crap).
Also take snacks, nothing too heavy so you don’t feel sick.
Take trousers than can be worn loose under the cut or well over it.
Best of luck

DONT eat until you've felt some movement (wind or farts).
I did and it masked a problem with my bowel from a minor complication of surgery and ended up having to have x rays, enemas and a whole host of issues which could have apparently been avoided if I'd have waited to eat.

@Babydust13 definitely! I can’t think of anything worse than lying there naked from the waste down while they put the catheter in if I haven’t shaved at all though 😂 I think from what I’ve heard the midwife does it so the room full of people won’t be looking until you’re covered over again. It’s just the bikini line they need to be hair free I think!

I’m jealous you’re going tomorrow 😊 it will be the best day ever!

Today's the day 🥳🥳🥳🥳

Thanks again for all your excellent advice 🥰

F

Take a long scarf or anything to tie to the bottom of the bed to use as a hoist when sitting up a lovely healthcare assistantdid this for me and ill be forever grateful. Good luck today x

best of luck today, it's getting exciting now!🙂

Thank you I'm so nervous 😬 I also have a banging headache but I assume I'll have enough painkillers in me later to shift it 😂

Best of luck! Hope they don’t keep you waiting too much longer.

I think most questions have been answered but just wanted to add that I couldn't move to get baby out of bassinet for first 12 hours. I buzzed a lot - they really don't mind and I didn't feel a nuisance (even though I probably was)!

Take the morphine shot if they offer...this really helped me and I was able to get up and shower by the afternoon and was then able to tend to baby myself from then on.

You're so close to meeting your baby! So exciting x

How are you? @Babydust13

Hi @YesIDoLoveCrisps I'm well thank you. Started suffering from the baby blues today which was very unexpected but my partner is being amazing.

My little boy is amazing he came out at 5.23 on weds weighing 5lb 2 which was much smaller than anyone was expecting my previous scan had said he was already 6 and a half but he's very easy going just eats and sleeps

I'm struggling a bit with the pain from my wound but I'm trying to keep on top of pain relief. Tomorrow will mark 72 hours since my c-section so I'll be able to have a shower and take the wound covering off and have an inspection

Hopefully their will be less tears from me tomorrow. Thanks for asking I hope you are well

It can be hard at the start OP but you will come through it. Congratulations on your lovely baby

I'm glad baby is safe and well @Babydust13 and you are too.
Baby blues are very normal, it's just your hormones crashing but you should be OK in a couple of days.
My dc were 2lb 14oz and 5lbs 3oz when they were born at 33 and 36 weeks respectively

Congratulations @Babydust13!

Congratulations!! That sounds like classic day 4 baby blues, esp after a section. I'm sure you'll feel better soon and hopefully will get a bit of a high soon from the excitement of having a newborn. Also there's the joy of not being heavily pregnant anymore - bloody marvellous! Hope you're getting lots of practical and emotional support as you recover.