What is recovery from a PLANNED csection really like?

[dg93]

I have my csection Friday morning, I'm really interested to know what your honest thoughts were with the recovery?

I know it's very different between an emergency and planned csection, mine is obviously planned 😊

I'm really nervous of the feeling of my body going numb! X

I’ll answer while you’re waiting for others.

Planned c section was the best decision I made. Recovery ok, just take it easy especially getting up from low sofas. I was up and about in about 9 hours discharged the next morning and back to a careful version of normal soon after.

It was really fine. Think ahead with where you position cots and baskets to avoid bending or lifting at funny angles and if you have people who can come and help for a few days have them over.

I had emcs but easy recoveries. Catheter out within 2 or 3hrs and up and about v quickly, caring for the babies easily. Discharged the following morning and no issues.

Get up ASAP and stand straight without hunching. It really aids recovery to be mobile as soon as possible. Take meds if you need them, plenty of water and listen to the physio.

For me, as close to easy as major surgery can be. Had my c section at 12:30pm Friday, I was up and about as normal (or close to!) by 8am Saturday and felt happy picking my boy up through the night without help, DH left at 8pm I think. Was walking the dog the Sunday and able to have my son in a sling from the end of the first week. Moving around the house, getting in/out of bed and on/off sofas etc was all completely normal. I’m now 12 weeks on and have had no issues. I have some minor numbness in one small patch to the right of my scar but that’s it. It looks proper really given it is, after all, a scar!
Just go a bit steady with how you move would be my advice! Just think about being careful with how you twist mainly.

I actually really liked the going numb part, I have enormous bumps when pregnant (currently 35 weeks and look like I've swallowed a beach ball) and am so bloody uncomfortable by the end that not feeling my lower half was a relief!

Make sure you take the painkillers on schedule, don't wait for them to wear off, and when getting up from the sofa/bed try to turn so you get up bum first rather than using your stomach muscles. I used the pram carry cot for naps and put the changing mat on the dining table so I didn't have to bend.

Same as @Whysolong7 . Best decision I made. I had a vaginal birth with my DS, needed an episiotomy and even though it wasn't a particularly long labour, I was wiped out. I felt my body took a year to recover. I still remember feeling like my hips never clicked back the same.

My 2nd was a planned c section as DD was breech. I had a great night sleep the night before, went in relaxed, no rushing to find last minute childcare for DS in middle of the night and took all the painkillers they gave me. Felt like a different woman compared to my DS labour. I was up and walking within the day, and back driving in 2 weeks. Although it wasn't comfortable. I felt the pain was manageable with the painkillers I'd been given and I felt like my body recovered much quicker this time.

I was discharged the day after my planned c section and kept up with my pain relief and was ok.
I struggled getting out of bed for about 2 weeks and off the low kitchen sofa for about 3 weeks.
I also overdid it going for a long walk when DD was about 2 weeks old and started bleeding really heavily again and that gave me terrible pains, but they were eases with paracetamol.
Just make sure you take it easy and remember you have just had major surgery.
Good luck, I hope it all goes well.

I had mine at 2pm and was up and wondering around, catheter free, at 10pm. Had paracetamol for pain relief. Discharged 48 hours after delivery. I had to be gentle sitting up from lying down for a couple of days. I was fine carrying baby, breastfeeding, walking up and dow the stairs, sitting down and getting up from sofas etc. The only difficulties I had for the first month was with hoovering and with pushing the pushchair up kerbs (i.e. using lower abdomen muscles).

A walk in the park compared with my previous delivery - forceps and fourth degree tear that left me with some occasional stress incontinence despite healing very well.

All the best for your section

I felt amazing in the hospital. Better than I’d felt in months (pregnancy was a bit shit for me). No issues picking up or holding the baby. Catheter out and able to shower after 5 hours.

Things were harder once I got home. I guess because I wasn’t on strong painkillers any more. It was quite painful if I’m honest but it’s bearable and after about a week I was OK and had stopped taking paracetamol and ibuprofen.

Good. Some numbness, some pain, some bleeding but far better than what I imagined. I would focus on not straining yourself though and making sure you air the wound every day and tap dry after showering. I had an infection and a slightly reopened wound and that was dragging a bit, but honestly it wasn't awful. Be prepared you will feel physically weaker after giving birth and keep doing your Kegel exercises afterwards - wish someone told me you should after a CS. Also I'd ask for advice from a woman's physiotherapist or a PT who works with women post partum regarding your return to exercise afterwards - I did both and really wish I had asked sooner to be informed 😄 Good luck, deep breaths - all will be well. Ask if you can bring your own speaker and music and make up a playlist, it really adds to the wonderful (IMO) experience xx

Definitely don't stay in bed for too long, very gentle walks will help with your recovery. Make sure you don't forget your clexane injections (or whatever equivalent they give you on discharge from hospital) xx

Absolutely fine. The planning made it all so much easier. Able to have childcare in place, bags ready etc. Also meant I was way more relaxed. First birth ended in episiotomy and forceps and recovery was horrible and struggled bonding with my son. With my csection my baby was placed on my chest as soon as he was out and I held him while they stitched me up. Was walking about 9-10 hrs after. Was at the supermarket (probably unwisely) 5 days later. Most painful issue was bloating and trapped air from surgery tbh. Really important to stay on top of pain medication to keep pain under control. Just be careful to move slower to start and get out of bed or off sofa slowly. Also make sure not bending awkwardly to change baby. Also get high waisted knickers as they don't rub the scar! All in all best decision I ever made and would definitely have another for my next child.

Oh and the numbness during the section is actually pretty cool - it felt like flying a bit, or floating in the air to me. Trust me, you'll have bigger things to focus on than this though, and the feeling returns gradually within 12hrs+ or thereabouts, you'll feel pins and needles and then it will all be fine. Just don't stand up vigorously with no pants on and cathether in like I tried in hospital, pad has fallen on the floor, midwives were like omg 🙈😂 it wasn't a pretty sight on the floor haha! I really thought oh it was a breeze, but it's still a big surgery and you still have the placenta wound to heal, as well as the scar, don't forget. Just take it easy 😊 xx

Had mine last Monday and feeling pretty good today. Havent had any pain killers the last few days. Still a bit sore but very manageable

The recovery for my elective section was fine. I had no pain meds after 48 hours. Was a bit sore for ten days and couldn't lie flat but other than that it was fine. I'm 3 months on now and it's totally healed and the feeling has even come back and the scar is really neat

Both mine were emergency sections but I've had the easiest recoveries of everyone I know.

Agree with the mobilise ASAP, stand up straight and drink lots of water. Experiment with breastfeeding positions if you plan on breastfeeding. I found they really pushed the rugby hold to section mums and that just didn't work for me and my two.
Once you're healed up, dc1's French neonatal consultant recommended massage to get feeling back in the numb areas. Obviously can't guarantee it worked but by 4 months postpartum I had full feeling back around my scar.

Also if watching is an option, it's amazing. Dd came out of me all grumpy with a mohawk and seeing her yelling outside but still moving inside of me was gruesomely beautiful.

My health visitor told me not to hoover for six weeks (my kids are 6 and 3, you can't see my section scars and dh still does all the hoovering!)

For me, compared to an agonizing induced labour with no pain relief and a third degree tear resulting in surgery, it was absolute bliss! Get up and about as soon as you can, keep on top of pain killers and you should be fine. Getting in and out of bed for the first few weeks was the worst thing for me.

Agree, rugby hold wasn't the best bf position for me either.

Regarding scar massage, I did it a bit but after 3 months I think, you have to be a bit careful with how you do it - I'd read up some good sources first if you want to do it.

Bring some peppermint tea in case you get post-op gas pain (which feels like intense moving back pain).
Other than that, fantastic experience with minimal discomfort and a lovely baby at the end of it.

I found my ELCS recovery tough enough but far from terrible. I wish I could have had more help from dh, but he was looking after dc1. If you can, I'd get your birth partner to stay in hospital with you. I also put myself under a lot of pressure to breast feed and I massively regret that. If we ever had another dc, I'd still have the ELCS, but I'd find a way for dh to stay with me and I would only try breastfeeding and would top up with formula as soon as I had a problem. People might judge that attitude but I don't care.

Recovery from planned was easier than from emergency for me. I did find it quite painful for the first 5 days but once home I could manage it with regular paracetamol and ibuprofen. It’s important to keep mobile but not to push yourself too much.

Mine was fine. In and out in 24 hours. Much better recovery than my first baby which was emergency section. Second time round was planned and so much easier

It was amazing. I so wish I’d had it for all 3.

We have no support so I could schedule it for when my older two were at school. I got my hair done and wore make up, I was that calm and collected.

My pain was managed so extremely well, recovery far quicker than my “natural birth” which left me with lifelong health issues.

I felt pretty darn recovered by week 3. It was a beautiful experience. I loved every part of it!

The being numb doesn’t last long, I was in theatre at 9:15, back on the ward with a baby in my arms at 11. It’s more like a heavy feeling, and numb, like when you sleep on your arm. I didn’t find it scary at all.

Good luck!

Having a planned section was the best thing I could've done for my second birth. First birth was super traumatic and it triggered horrendous PND.

It was all very calm and relaxing. But scary in theatre but that'll always be the case I'd imagine. So nice to not have to have laboured!!

They'll have you up on your feet as soon as possible. That first day was the worst in terms of pain but they keep you suitably medicated. Leaving hospital with just paracetamol horrified me. But really it's all I needed.

Recovery was totally fine and a world away from what others had made it out to be. My consultant had said so long as you're healthy your recovery should be fine. And she was right. Just make sure that you are mindful with your movements for those first few weeks.

Good luck and try to enjoy the experience!

Thank you all so much, I really appreciate it! This time tomorrow morning I'll be starting the long drive to the hospital, I have to be there at 8am, and I'm the first section of the day (because of my gestational diabetes).

I keep hearing so many horror stories, and in particular my nan keeps telling me what all her friends grand children had gone through and how much pain they were in, which is really unhelpful but I realised they were all emergency sections and not preplanned. So I really do appreciate your comments as this has calmed me down a lot!

Originally it was just an elective csection due to baby being huge (8 pounds 0 at 35 weeks) but she has also turned breach in the last couple of days, after being in the head down position from 25 weeks... so I feel like she's going to be a right monkey when she's here 🙈

Shes arriving at 37 weeks and 3 days 💖

Ahhh I had GD too, and an early section as well - don't be surprised if she comes out smaller, their estimations can be a bit off. My DS was normal weight, although born in week 38 so perhaps this helped too. But he was also a tall little boy which we didn't expect! They tell you horror stories but they rarely distinguish between the planned section and EMCS and it's not the same thing. Tomorrow is a big day, how exciting! Put your feet up now xx