Elective c section advice??

[reynold]

Midwife appointment tommorow midwife said she will email the antenatal team to discuss elective c section. Does anyone know what happens after this? I’m in West Yorkshire UK if anyone can give me insight that’s from the same place as I know different places offer different stuff, also exprencies on after c sections, how did you cope changing /feeding going up stairs to go to the toilet etc? I want an elective c section as my health anxiety is crippling right now. But I’m so scared for how ill cope after I have 3 other children and after my partner goes to work 2 weeks after I’ll have to do school runs , the walk is 10 mins away not far at all but to get to my front door I have to pull the pram up 4 steps, I’m scared I won’t be allowed to do this.. there’s no other way to get into my garden ..I'm absolutely petrified I've cried the whole day not knowing how I'm going to get to the toilet look after my kids after partner goes back to work and do school runs, I've read a lot of stories that people haven't recovered or walked after 6 weeks etc and it's scaring me

If it is elective, I think recovery from c-section really isn't that bad. It's a couple of days you're not very mobile and and this idea that seems to go around that you'll be really impeded for two weeks or just isn't true. You're recommended not to drive for two weeks, IIRC, because a sudden stop could pull on the fresh scarring, not because you are physically not capable, but I think many people have internalised that as 'you can't do any normal activities for two weeks'.

You'll be able to walk (slowly wonkily) to the loo within a day and you can be up and down stairs within a few days.

I had two planned sections, so I had a 3 year old at home for my second one and I don't recall finding anything unmanageable after a couple of days TBH.

Good luck!🌻

@Echobelly aw thankyou for taking the time to comment, made me feel so much better. My partner is super supportive but I'm medicated for sever anxiety and I haven't been able to take my meds in the pregnancy so my emotions are crazy right now! , I was wondering how I do bottles on a night etc how do I get up , I've had my appendix out as a kid but I remember I was bent over walking for about 4 weeks lol, it's all just scary as when my partner goes back to work 2 weeks later I'm scared about the pram and school runs situation as I don't have no family as I don't get on with them to help

I had elective. Nothing to do with the procedure itself but for other reasons I had a major PPH and got sepsis. Despite that, felt great after 2 weeks and was driving again (having only just come out of hospital due to the other complications).

in my case the healing from the section was straightforward, I was mobile quickly and driving after 2 weeks. A ten minute walk would have been no issue.

we’re all different but I hope this gives you some reassurance!

@Anotheranxiousone aw thankyou for the comment, it's making me feel a lot better reading these I'm so anxious I'm only 32 weeks right now! Anxiety has been crippling this pregnancy and this is my third! But first elective !

My SIL had an elective C section due to low lying placenta. She was mobile and in the pub 2 days later, walking the dog daily after a week and driving after 2 weeks. My Sister had an emergency C section and despite being a fit horse rider struggled more with recovery but they lived in a flat and had a 2 year old and she still managed ok.

If you can't manage the steps to your house could you carry baby up and then go back for the buggy? At least that way it'll be much lighter.

Good luck for your c section. I'm having one too and understand the anxiety x

Anyone who thinks an elective C-section, for other than strict medical reasons, is the 'easy option'- is seriously deluded.

@fungipie surely that depends what you compare it to..if you have a straightforward C section with an easy, quick recovery then I imagine that's easier than a long, traumatic birth experience with a slow recovery period?

I had an elective c section, and the recovery was better than I thought it would be, although getting out of bed or in a standing position from sitting down was tough for a few weeks. Walking was fine. Make sure they give you codeine tablets to take home with you. I took mine regularly for about 5 days, then kept up Ibuprofen and Paracetamol for a further week or so. Keep on top of your pain meds but make sure you switch from codeine to the more day to day drugs in good time.

You may also want to have a laxative in your medicine cabinet, as it can be hard doing a 2 after surgery and you also don't want to strain those muscles too much.

And you might have painful trapped gas after surgery for about a day. Do a Google - I think it's Peppermint tea that helps with that, so take some along to the hospital.

And take adult nappies to use for the first few days of bleeding. They'll feel nice and soft on your c section wound. I used Tena.

Well yes. How does anyone know they are going to have an easy quick recovery from a C Section?

@fungipie mines due to being high risk of a pulmonary embolism and severe anxiety from trauma birth before

I’d buy a sling for the school run for the first few weeks; find one that you are comfortable with and then the issue of the pram and the steps is gone. I lived in a flat when I had my first c section and I used a sling rather than carry a pram up and down the steps.
you’ll be fine to walk the ten minutes most likely within a week but most certainly by 2 weeks. It’s heavy lifting and things like hoovering which will take longer but that’s not essential and your partner can do that. Get your DC to help with bringing stuff to you and have all the changing stuff you need downstairs so you aren’t up and down all day.

I’d recommend buying some big knickers as ones that sit on your scar aren’t comfortable at first and peppermint tea for the wind you’ll get after plus a suply of painkillers and keep yourself topped up with them

@Cbljgdpk , check! Got 8 pairs of big ones as I wear them now too only things I'm comfortable in lol

@Windywintermorning thankyou! I have purchased the mint tea as I struggle very badly with wind in general I get terrible bellyache and still never know what to take to help it as it last days!

I agree with this. Seems to be coming off a bit rude for me only asking advice , I had a serious traumatic vaginal birth with my second and I'm petrified to do it again hence the elective and the high risk pregnancy I'm in right now c

I had emergency cs then planned cs, same recovery both times, up and about within days and out and about that same week. I also had to bump pram down a few stairs, just took time and I was ok. Hope all goes well for you .

@Ifyouhavetoask99 thankyou for sharing , this does make me feel better I've got the " just get on with it" attitude as there's literally nothing else you can do really , I have a lot of support for the first 2 weeks so I'll just take it as my body needs

Hi OP, I had an elective a year ago, and I’m having another ELCS in a few weeks.

I found the whole process to be almost entirely painless - from the c section itself to the recovery. It was all perfect.

The first 2-3 days, you pretty much can’t get up without help. So, have someone there to help you, and have everything you need, to hand. I kept a little box with paracetamol, lip balm, tissues, snacks, and lots of bottles of water (so you haven’t got to refill). I’m going to cook 3-4 days of food ahead of time and I’ve arranged to have two adults with me at all times for the first week - my husband and Mum (one for me, one for my first born).

You’re really not incapacitated for very long at all.

My DH lowered me onto the loo for the first couple of days, but I was able to do this myself from day 2 onwards, I had a shower and washed my hair by myself on day 2, too.

We had to take baby to the clinic at 72 hours postpartum, and I walked up three flights of stairs, and had a completely normal experience walking around and carrying the baby.

By 6 days I was having a good walk around the shops and park.

By two weeks I was very much back to normal (for context; we had some v gentle sex on about day 8, and I was driving and walking the dog whilst baby-wearing).

The stairs are fine, surprisingly, even on day one. I found that bending down to the ground is impossible for the first few days. Heavy lifting will set your recovery back, so find another way to get baby on the school run - I would rather wear the baby than deal with the pram.

@JustJessi oh wow super mum! This made me feel a lot better, did you breast feed or bottles? I'm just wondering whether to get ready made bottles for the first few days rather than sterilize and make up bottles

I had an elective and on day 4 was walking around Tesco. The first week was definitely the worst, but keep on top if the pain relief and you should be ok. Do you have any family or friends that could do the school run for you? I was back doing the school run by week 3. Are you friendly with your neighbours? Could they help you get the pram back in the house?

I actually slept downstairs propped up with pillows and baby in crib for the first few days, was easier to get to the bottles that way, then once I could lie down in bed, I used some of those ready made bottles for night feeds(I was combi feeding) also handy to have a nappy caddy with everything in close to you(i had one for upstairs and another for downstairs), so when baby wakes you can just grab it and change nappy and grab a bottle.

Is there anyway your husband could take longer off work? Annual leave? I wouldn’t have wanted to be doing the school run with a newborn 2 weeks post section.

@Luxell934 unfortunately not. It's a new job and he has 6 month probation on it so he has accumulated no holidays till after the 6 months he hasn't been there long enough he's already asked this :/

@GG1986 I have one of them naoto caddy's on wheels ready next to the bed. I was going to get a box of the ready made
Milk but someone said if I give him them for a couple days he might not like the actual powder milk after a while and won't drink it?