Elective C Section

[Lunamoon23]

Evening Ladies,

Wondering if there are any must haves for post C-section recovery.

For cleaning, recovery, pain relief, anything to help get back to normal self as soon as possible whilst also importantly taking the time to recover.

I keep seeing these tummy bands? Are they worth while.
What about scar treatment?
Stuff to keep it dry once out of hospital or do they supply you with these things?

Also, post birth bleeding - is it still a major thing even with a c-section birth?

Any helpful tips welcomed! First baby - not due until December but I'm a organiser and like to be well informed and organised! Especially while I'm still earning a full wage, makes sense to stock up /prepare now!

I believe I'm due around December 21st. Hoping and praying I'll feel well enough to venture to my grandparents for Christmas Day (tradition since I was a child, never missed one) and of course I'd be taking it easy the whole time I'm there, on the sofa with baby more than likely being passed around like the present that keeps on giving haha!

Thank you in advance!

I'm only saying it as my body is such a mess after a c-section. It's far more dangerous than labouring.

@Lunamoon23 I think you’re being sensible taking formula with you. My baby wouldn’t latch properly and I was so desperate for breast feeding to work that I kept going through the pain for a while. I got a wake up call when baby had dropped too much weight at her next weigh in though so made the decision to go to formula as I just couldn’t breastfeed. My midwife had health visitor have been nothing but supportive.

There was a girl across from me on the ward who couldn’t breastfeed in hospital and she was persuaded by the staff to give a bottle as her baby needed to get something in them. I think as long as the baby is getting fed the hospital staff are happy.

Agreed, I have been reading into it a lot to understand the consequences of my decision.
What I've learned is that while C section has twice the risk of a vaginal birth (2.5%) 50% of vaginal births end in emergency c sections which have a higher risk than both (12%). Obviously this study was done on a group of mothers but generally, this is what happens..

Yes, I'll definitely be talking to my doctor soon.. either way, I think they would wait until 38-39 weeks for a c section.
When she told me what they would do for vaginal births at 39 weeks (membrane sweeps, inductions) I actually squirmed. 😭

Ooh, congratulations! I hope your scan goes well and baby looks great! I remember being 12 weeks, it seems like a lifetime ago! My experience was similar to yours, I didn't have any kind of vomiting but my nausea peaked between week 11 and 14. I thought I was in the clear, but it was bad, not awful, just annoying. I had anti-nausea pills and it helped. I barely ate anything except orange lollies and uncooked noodles (which isn't the best, but I couldn't eat at all). It went away after week 14.
So far pregnancy has been okay. My bump appeared only at the end of month 6. The worst pain I've had so far has been rib aches on one side. Had to get an IV to get rid of the pain (it was unbearable just that one day). But yeah, other than that, luckily, I'm alright.. thank you!!

4th pregnancy but first c section. Things didn't go well for me with vaginal births so it was the safest option for me, I found it to be a much more calm experience I felt really safe as you have a team looking after you rather than one over worked midwife leaving you to it! If I could go back in time I'd have had a c section for all my births.

Yeah I'm definitely going to follow my midwives advice! They see this everyday so I trust their knowledge. I also know they like to encourage breastfeeding so would only advise it in a worst case scenario. Thank you for your advise xxxxx

@ceruleansky have you managed to speak with your dr/midwife yet, as I know your due date must be fast approaching! How did you get along?

Sorry for the delayed response, had our scan! All looks really healthy! Was amazing seeing it for the first time, proper wriggly little bean! I even had to lift my bum off the bed and shake around a little to get it to move into a position the sonographer could see properly as it was literally doing cartwheels in there hahaha! Just waiting for the screening tests to come back! And I was actually slightly further along than expected! At 13weeks+ 4 rather than 12 weeks + 6. So brought my due date further forward slightly too!

Also did lots of research like you, and read often that 50% of vaginal births end in a emergency c section, and nearly all experiences I've heard of emergency c sections sound much more traumatic than elective ones! I'm guessing because it's such a rushed process rather than a planned one.

@Atomickittyxx we just had our first scan and I'm actually further along than expected at 13 weeks +4 so now brought my due date forward to Dec 16th. I really hope I'm home soon after, how did you find Christmas? Did you feel well and able to enjoy the day? I LOVE Christmas so quiet egar to be able to celebrate it as normal with family, (usually at my grandparents)

Can I ask what your c section felt like? What the sensation is like? And how long the whole process took? X x

That was something I wanted to ask you ladies, I've read quite a lot about trapped gas after a c section. Can anyone elaborate? And offer any tips? Xxx

The trapped wind was okay for me, it was only the second night that it felt like bad shoulder pain. The hospital offered me tablets to help me go to the toilet but I didn’t feel like I needed them.

I describe the c section as getting a tooth out. You can feel the sensation of pulling and tugging but it isn’t painful. My first c section I was in for over an hour but my second c section I was in, out and back in the recovery ward all within 45 mins. The midwives were actually shocked about how quick it all was.

I was able to do everything I normally do I was quite anxious that I wouldn't be able to give the kids a nice Christmas but it was fine. One thing I would say is if you can get someone to host and do all the running around let them do it!! It will be tiring for you even if you feel up to doing things you can easily overdo it, this was the mistake I made because I wasn't in pain I did to much and felt knackered!!
My c section felt the same as pp said, you can feel all the pulling and tugging but no pain I was surprised how fast it went I was holding my baby before I knew it.

Oh and I had no trapped wind issues luckily xx

@Atomickittyxx oh that's amazing! Yes luckily my grandparents always host, we literally just have to turn up and we're waited on all day, nan loves doing it! So I'll virtually be sat on my ass all day eating whilst all the family enjoy snuggling the newborn! Haha!
And that's amazing! Other than that, Christmas will be quiet a slow period anyway, and hubby is always off for two weeks over Christmas and new year so hoping to use one week paternity before the Christmas break and the other at the tail end so he'll be home with us for a month.
Is the pulling and tugging a really odd sensation? I'm hoping I cope with it all okay, I've such a phobia of hospitals and surgeries and medical interventions (why I've opted for the C-section as at least it gives me peace of mind as to what I'm walking into rather than the unknown). Just hoping I don't go into shock on the theatre table!

@Lunamoon23
I'm glad your scan went well and you were able to see your little one!! At 13 weeks almost everything is clear in the scan, isn't it! I was surprised to see a baby shaped image, I don't know what I expected!

Yes, that's what increases the risk rate, sadly.

I've informed my doctor about my concerns and my choice. I also asked her if the patients who go through vaginal deliveries have pain management options, she said they generally don't opt for it, but if I need an epidural it can be arranged. I was really surprised to hear that because I assumed almost everyone these days gets an epidural. So it has never been done before at this hospital which further confirmed my choice.
She did say that we would wait until week 39 to have the section. I told her that if labour occurs before week 39 I still want a section.
She agreed, and she also told me about a case where the woman reached the hospital the day before her section was due (the doctor suggested section due to her having a large baby), complaining of aches and she was already fully dilated and had to go through vaginal delivery and had a 4th degree tear. They couldn't push the baby back in and perform a section either.
That's my worst nightmare right there.

Don't splurge on a big meal the day before your section. All that food will be in your bowls and stomach for the operation. Anaesthetic and pain killers will bung you up. Really not nice when you have a healing abdominal wound.

Eat healthy, higher fibre foods for that last day, it'll keep things moving.

Hey

Fellow Tokophobia sufferer over here 😃
I now have two amazing children that were born after c sections, the only way I could cope with having them.

I spent my entire life terrified about childbirth. I have a severe needle phobia and general medical phobia. I even panic at the opticians! I had so many nightmares about my sections when pregnant. It was all encompassing at times.

My two sections were somehow the best days of my life. I thought I'd have to endure them, but for the most part I enjoyed them. They did give me some anti anxiety meds through my cannula and they promised they'd knock me straight out if I had a panic attack.

Cannula - yeah, this was the worst bit for me. I had a lot of numbing cream on, but they couldn't get it in, so had to go for my wrist instead for my first. But you know what, I managed! The second time it was much better though I did still feel a sting.

The spinal was a bit stingy but better than the cannula, and I just hugged my husband and they did it. I think it took a few attempts both times. I've never seen the needle, because I knew I'd freak out if I did.

They put my catheter in when numb. I had no idea about it, but it was there afterwards so they must have done it. I didn't even know when they started the surgery, but I was holding baby quickly both times.

I felt fine during the surgery. No shivering, no nausea, no queasyness. I had lovely cuddles straight away, and then after half an hour in recovery they took me back to the ward.

I had no pain when lying/sitting, and only a bit when first getting up/down. I did get the gas pain but peppermint water eventually sorted me out.

I could have gone home next day, but I stayed in two nights both times because it just felt right to do so. My recovery was very short, and pretty much painless. I felt a bit bruised, but I was surprised how good I felt quickly. I was going out and about shopping/cafes etc within 3 days. I felt pretty much back to normal with a week. With my second I was going down slides in soft play, before 2 weeks.

My bleeding was heavy for maybe 48 hours, and after about 3 days I moved to normal sanitary towels, then pantyliners by a week. It stopped fully by my midwife discharge appointment on day 12, both times.

My first I mostly formula fed. My second I decided to do 50-50 mix feeding, and took formula into hospital. I alternated the feeds, but baby hated the formula and I even up breastfeeding her for over 2 years.

I've got zero regrets here :-)
Some women find sections painful and have a slow recovery. Others (like me thankfully) found them great. For me, it was the predictable, virtually painless birth I'd been hoping for.

Oh, make sure you've got lots of phone storage for the photos you'll take during birth, and ask someone to get snapping! We took nearly 100 during my second childs birth 😂

Reading this has offered me so much reassurance. Everything you have described about yourself is me in a nutshell, I'm the last of all friends to have a baby, mostly put off because the thought of childbirth has terrified me so much I couldn't bring myself to go through with it.
I hate having bloods. I had to have some done at my scan on Friday and my husband said I went white. Although the lady doing them was really quite rough, didn't ask if I was ok taking blood and she was also very judgy when I mentioned wanting an elective c-section. Which I'll be mentioning to my midwife next time I see her..

Thank you for sharing that with me. Also really helpful to know about the anxiety meds - did you find they helped? And at what point do they give them to you? I feel like I'll need them on arrival haha. I'm praying I'm early so I don't have to sit and wait all day - that'll do me no favours.

I really don't want to be knocked out because I want to be able to hold baby as soon as is born, but I can understand why it'd be needed if I went into a panic attack.

You know when you get placed back on the ward, after C-section and recovery, is that when visitors are allowed? My mums gutted she isn't able to be there with me and is itching to know when she can be there at the soonest moment haha.

Good advice, thank you. Xxx

@ceruleansky oh I'm so glad your doctor was so understanding with it all and you didn't have any push back (you hear that a lot unfortunately even though ultimately it js our decision)
I think it's my understanding they won't book you in earlier than 39 weeks but if you start to feel like labour is starting you have to ring immediately and they'll get you in as an emergency but I don't think it's performed as such like a emergency section like "emergency" ones are. I think it's just deemed more of a priority over maybe booked ones etc. but I totally get your anxiety over it.. maybe when you speak to your consult ask those questions and they maybe able to give you a better precise answer. But I think your labour would have to be quite far along for it to come to that. Xxxx

That sounds like the perfect Christmas with a newborn!! It was an odd sensation and I'll admit it did feel a bit rough, the worst part for me was the needle but I will take that over contractions any day and the best thing is you can't see it! My DH held my hand all the way through and they check how your feeling and in my experience are really reassuring. You will be absolutely fine just focus on holding your beautiful baby and it will fly by xx

I had an elective c section at 39 weeks due to DD being breech. There’s lots of useful threads on here, but I think personal experiences do vary quite a lot. For example, I read multiple threads on here saying that I would need a nightdress because I would have a catheter in. I bought a nightdress specifically, then didn’t need it as I was wearing a hospital gown overnight until I was allowed to get up- and once I got up I had my catheter out, showered and put my pyjamas on! Having the catheter out was genuinely the worst bit for me. It made me feel really light headed so I had to lie on the bed for a bit before my shower.

I could also have two people in recovery with me, but once I went up to the ward normal visiting hours applied so my second person had to go home. So if your hospital only allows one person in recovery then your mum might not be able to come until the next day, depending on what time you have your section. DD was born late afternoon but we didn’t get into the ward until nearly 11pm.

In answer to two of your questions, they did ask me the next day (or maybe the day after?) about bowel movements and passing gas. I don’t know whether they would have kept me in until I’d gone, as we had to stay in for nearly a week anyway due to various reasons so it didn’t matter.

I also bled far less than I was expecting, which I’m fairly certain the midwives said was normal after a c section. It lasted for about 6 weeks on and off, but it was only heavyish for a few days.

I’m sure I’ll think of something else!