Tops tips before going in for a c-section

[loudsoph98]

Hi guys,

Got my c-section in a weeks time. I'm very excited to meet my,boy. Was just wondering any advice or top tips before and after having a c-section.

Sophie x

How exciting! I had a planned c section this year and it was actually lovely. Please try not to worry too much.

My top tips are:

-When your DP leaves, make sure he puts your bags on a chair so you don’t have to bend to get things (or ask a midwife if he doesn’t go with you to the ward).

-Take no notice of the equipment in theatre. It might look alarming but you won’t see anything during the surgery.

-Don’t assume that the pain will be awful. I usually have a low pain threshold but only needed paracetamol and ibuprofen (I absolutely would have taken stronger if needed though!).

-Try get up as soon as you feel able. I felt so much better after a quick shower and I think it can help you heal.

-Drink isotonic sports drinks and water. Try to drink a lot straight after surgery. You’ll feel better and get your catheter out sooner.

-For a week or two, try to lie down after your shower and get some air to your stitches. A period pad can also help keep it dry.

-Wear big knickers and comfy clothes.

Good luck OP, you’ll be meeting your baby in no time .

It's great that others had magical experiences but it's not like that for everyone so be prepared for good and hard outcomes. It's major abdominal surgery snd it can be a long and tough recovery

Disposable pads and not just for in hospital. 2 pads at a time first few days. Stock up on canesten etc just in case you need it (iron plays havoc with your system). You won't want to be waiting for someone to fetch meds from the chemist. Try to get someone to bring you hot food for at least a week. Don't worry you will be on your feet on the 1st or 2nd day but why shouldn't you be looked after if you can. Wee in the shower first couple of times if you can. Uses wipes to counteract the force of first poop or two. Keep people away until you are ready. Don't travel until you have too. Sleep as much as you can. Keep you fluids up and enjoy the whole thing. Exciting times OP

Ask if you can play music in theater, made it so much more relaxing.
Try to learn as forward as you can when they are putting in your spinal, makes it easier and less irritating.

Use a pillow to push on your scar when you need to pee/poo/cough/laugh makes it less painful.

Use a stool to raise your feet when you poo and get some laxalouse (I think that's what it is called) and drink lots of water!

I've found having a c section a breeze, I was on my feet after 4/5 hours. Within a week I felt nearly normal but do continue to take it easy for the 6 weeks as you do not want to bust my stitches.

Good luck!

Plenty to drink and plenty of fibre! Got to keep things moving down there, otherwise it's grim!

Take your painkillers by the clock, don't wait for them to wear off.

If you would like to breastfeed, you can hand express some colostrum beforehand, which helps you to learn how to hand express, and your stash helps cover any slight delay in milk coming in that can go with a section.

Skin to skin in theatre is amazing, and gives you something lovely to focus on while they're sticking you up.

Good luck!

Since there are lots of experienced people here - Any idea what to do if you have spent the majority of the pregnancy constipated and now have painful haemorrhoids and are due your section in less than a week?
The idea of post surgery constipation worsening the haemorrhoids is filling me with dread.

Set an alarm for pain relief and ring your buzzers and ask for them in hosp the staff are so busy but it's really important you don't let them totally wear off in first few days

Definitely ask for a honeycomb dressing they stay on for 5 days I asked with my second as bad standard Dressing first time which comes off after 8 hours when I was in the shower and I got infection after infection
After showers dry the wound with a hair dryer in a cool ish setting

The trapped wind and after pains were awful

@Velvetscrunchy get lactulose ASAP and take it twice a day and LOTS of water

Swab scar with boiled then cooled water that has few drops of calendula tincture in it once you get home.

Avoid constipation

Certainly felt more than a period - make sure you get heavy duty maternity pads. If they leak, and you can’t move very much due to just having had a major abdominal operation, the midwives will be too short-staffed or sneery to help you change them.

When you are in a position to toilet or shower, (after catheter removed), bring flip-flops as showers may be ville and dirty, toilets also minging with unemptied bins and “stuff” on the floor.

Hopefully your bed won’t be in the bay next to where stinking nappies are placed and left to fester.

You’ll probably need to get the midwife who visits you at home afterwards to remove your stitches. If you can get one to turn up to this they’ll probably gripe that someone else should have done it earlier grumble grumble. Also if someone forgets to give the baby the requisite injection after it is born., that will be made out to be your fault as well.

Certainly felt more than a period - make sure you get heavy duty maternity pads. If they leak, and you can’t move very much due to just having had a major abdominal operation, the midwives will be too short-staffed or sneery to help you change them
This has reminded me - I kept some baby wipes & nappy bags to hand so I could make myself as clean as possible. After the op, they sit you on a big pad with a huge sanitary towel loose between your legs, it's rank. I felt a lot better being able to wipe away some of the blood.

Good idea re wet wipes to clean yourself, and pack some floor wipes as well, in case it’s minging!

Definitely big high waisted knickers. I'm still in mine 4 months later (out of choice!). Primark do some good silky ones in packs of 3 in different colours and they actually look and feel quite nice.

You might not get the horrible trapped wind. I didn't, but I prepared for it with peppermint tea and peppermint capsules.

One of the best tips I got, relevant for VB or CS was to buy the Always discreet incontinence pads, and put a maternity pad in it. I only needed to do that for the time I was in hospital (one night) then when I got home it was just normal high waisted knickers and pads. My bleeding was totally manageable, but it can vary.

I wore nothing but over the bump maternity leggings and then high waisted jeggings for months after. I am actually still yet to wear anything that sits on the scar - but that's more because none of those clothes fit anymore 😂

We have a high bed, so I bought one of those exercise step things to put next to it so I didn't have to reach so far down to get out of bed. I didn't need to sleep propped up. Again, I bought a water bottle to use while laying down, but I didn't need it. Good to be prepared though!

I recovered very well and was doing an hour walk on day 8, so it's not always a really long recovery time. Just listen to your body though, and don't push yourself at all. I avoided bending down if I could for a while, and got my husband to do all the washing/dishwasher unloading etc for a couple of weeks, maybe a bit longer, but I did go on good walks because I felt I could, but I know I was lucky and this isn't the same for everyone.

I was also advised not to wash the area with perfumed soaps, and instead wash my body and let the wash just fall over it, and I also dried the area with a clean face cloth after every shower for a good couple of months (probably excessive!).

I don't know why but I found it really daunting walking into theatre. There are more people than you think there would be, and the bed looked so small in the huge room. Everyone was lovely though and it was all totally fine.

Also yes to lucozade sport!!!! It honestly was the best thing ever! My trust allowed me to drink it before as well but I think most places still make you not drink anything. Get yourself some good snack to see you through the night as well, also an eye mask is good for hospital, although personally I didn't sleep 😂

Also definitely have a pillow with you to put between your scar and the seatbelt for the drive home.

How exciting!

Oh also if possible see if you can get more than one pair of compression socks for after. I only had one pair to wear for 10 days! I did wash them between but it was a bit annoying.

Oh just to add about the incontinence knickers - if you do go for this don't be afraid to have a midwife help put it on. I guess this is the same for any type of underwear actually.

Sorry I haven't RTFR so sorry if im repeating - but just to let you know, when you come out of theatre you'll be lying on a bed pad while in recovery with no underwear, and you just bleed on that for a bit until you get on the ward and sorted. You're covered up though.

I didn't bleed a lot after my section at all. The midwife said they sort of sweep it out but there was still blood for a while, had a sort of heavy period afterwards and then bled a little for about 3 weeks after. Mine was an emergency section so I just had pads, I'll be taking disposables for my planned section this time as they're just comfier on the wound! As people have said keep on top of your painkillers! If you do you should be ok, I kept missing doses because I thought i was fine and then id be in agony🙄 take it really easy afterwards, if you overdo it it'll just take longer to heal x