C section in less than 6 days!! Nervous!

[L0ts]

So this is is my second pregnancy and will actually be my second c section, except this time it’s an elected one and not emergency. I was so traumatised over my first labour/birth that I just couldn’t put myself through that again.

My problem is, I was so exhausted from being in labour for two days I can’t really remember much about my previous c section. I’m totally needle phobic and this is my main concern, I have struggled with every blood test/needle during this pregnancy, like really badly.

I just wondered if anybody has any positive experiences of an elected c section? And what to expect on the day? I have to be there for 7am so I’m hoping I’m not waiting around for a long while as this will really make me worse.

I was in your position, but hoping for a successful vaginal birth, and my lovely consultant at the time told me that if I did end up with another c section it would almost certainly be less traumatic as I had already been through one c section , so it wasn’t going to be as frightening . They were monitoring me closely as I’d had a problem shortly after the surgery the first time.
He was right, I ended up having another c section but not an emergency, and it was much easier. You know roughly what to expect , you have been through the post operative stage before and so it is all much less stressful. It was really calm and a completely different experience.
My friend who had an elective, after a first section so traumatic that it took her eight years to face having another baby, said the same. Second time it was calm and a much better experience.

I had two planned ones due to a hip issue and they were both really positive. The second was actually emergency as I went into labour about 12 hours before my planned section!

But even the 'emergency' was very relaxed, I chose the music my kids would come into the world with, which was lovely.

You will be a bit zonked afterwards, so don't have DH go out and phone everyone with the news as we did first time, you'll probably want partner with you.

Good luck and congratulations!

I was in exactly same position as you and honestly it’s a totally different experience. My first was an emergency very traumatic they couldn’t find heartbeat when I’d gone into hospital in the morning after waters breaking overnight etc etc (but DS ended up being born absolutely fine); second time we had to be there at 6am and by 11am I had my second DS as was second in the queue - I was nervous but was much more able to get myself into correct position to get the spinal as I wasn’t shaking, able to enjoy the experience and get photos afterwards etc etc.

I'm in the exact same position as you, c section set for Monday, also terrified as I was so tired the first time around that I was just glad for it to all be over! Sending you lots of positive vibes, you can do this 💐

I had a VB first time and elcs second time. Also needle phobic.

Section was great. Only bad thing was nearly being bumped to the next day but I was so upset they agreed to fit me in despite it being very busy. I'd just worked myself into such a worry about it being told come back and try again tomorrow really was too much!!
Apparently it's quite rare for them to run out of time.

Whole thing was fine - theatre staff looked after me for the spinal as DH wasn't allowed in for that x

Ah OP I'm still only 13 weeks but my last pregnancy was an emergency under general as there wasn't time for an epidural and I keep having the worst flashbacks, literally the last words I heard were "no foetal heartbeat that's the maternal heartbeat" and I was out. I'm terrified at possibly having another section and hoping for a VB, however I've spoken to half a dozen friends and colleagues who have had electives after emergency sections and every single one has said it's a much more pleasant experience. They've felt in control and the birth has been calm.

Friends have also mentioned a better recovery, having a chance to put planned support in place at home, I suppose when you've gone through 2 days of labour, lack of sleep through induction/ labour and then abdominal surgery you're going to feel pretty wiped.

Good luck ❤️

Hi ladies, baby boy was born this morning at 10am! I cried throughout the whole procedure because I’m a massive wuss 😂 it was very relaxed and everybody was lovely, it’s just due to my needle phobia I was bricking it the entire time. I was very fortunate enough to go first which meant it could get done out of the way.

Thank you again for the lovely comments ❤️

Congratulations, glad to hear it went well. Hope you have a speedy recovery

Mine were both positive. My first was planned due to complications with my placenta, my second was an emergency after I didn’t progress when my waters broke.

I recovered a hell of a lot faster after my second section, I felt next to no soreness after about a week and a half and wasn’t taking any pain meds by week two - I say this because the biggest difference between my first and my second section was movement. With my first I was way to scared to live from the sofa, I spelt there, ate there.. it was during covid and lockdown so DP was home to tend to my every need while I let my anxiety get the better of me and didn’t move a muscle.

With my second DP got covid the day he was born and wasn’t allowed back into hospital (and left all of our stuff out on the floor and everywhere in our room that I had to clean up myself, knobhead) but this time I made sure to get up and potter around.. I didn’t go for long walks outside or anything. I just made sure to get up, make a cup of tea and wander the house for a bit every so often through the day. When people say getting moving helps you heal I didn’t see the logic.. but it’s absolutely true.

both of my sections were good experiences but maybe that was because both of them were calm. The emergency was due to infection risk after 24+ hours after waters breaking, so I wasn’t high risk or priority and we ended up in theatre at 36 hours post waters breaking.

get yourself a good playlist, I’m an Elton John fan and my son was born to circle of life 😂

don’t worry about the needles, no needle is nice and I don’t believe in babying people - but they do use local before placing both the drip and the spinal - I don’t like needles and they were any worse than having blood taken, plus you don’t even see the needle with a spinal because you’re hunched over just letting them do it.

Congratulations!

With regard to your phobia, have you tried EMLA cream? You can't feel a thing with it.