Catheter removal after c section

[Writerz34]

How long after your planned c section was catheter removed? Hate the idea of not being able to shower asap!!

About ten hours.

The morning after, then went for a shower

Emcs at 12 midday.. Catheter out 8am... Dressing over stitches off at the same time!

Mine was in for 24 hours. I was up for my first shower with the catheter still in though!

Not sure if the same everywhere but my baby was born early morning and technically it could come out after 12 hours, but they had a policy to not take them out at night. This is because there was no specialist available overnight to help if you had urinary retention after removal. So they only take them out in the morning🙄

Elective was at 9am, catheter was removed I think early next morning because they wanted it in for 12 hours and wouldn't take it out in the middle of the night. The midwife got me up off the bed for a little walk around about 6 hours after the c section (so around 3pm) but my blood pressure was very low and I felt really faint, plus still had the catheter in. I probably wasn't stable enough on my feet to go have a shower until the next morning anyway.

The morning after, you wouldn’t be able to shower asap anyway because you’ll be numb in patches and yknow, will have a weakened core. Have one before it and you’ll be fine. Due to illness I couldn’t shower for 6 days before my C-section and not until two days after it, you’ll be fine waiting 12-24 hours.

A couple of hours after birth. As soon as the spinal wore off I got up, did a lap of the room to make sure then insisted they took it out. They didn’t want to but I very firmly insisted. It was loads comfier without it I could get around easier to do all of the baby care myself. Didn’t bother with a shower until the following morning though- I’d showered that morning as usual before going in, then operating rooms are freezing and you haven’t laboured so wasn’t remotely sweaty and didn’t feel like I needed it.

Jeez, the catheter and spinal was the absolute dogs bollocks for me after my CSs. After months of being uncomfortable laying down, I could just lounge around with my brand new baby, being passed drinks by DH and not even needing to worry about moving to go to the loo!😆

you can shower with a catheter in (so long as you can stand and mobilise safely). How quickly (and successfully) the catheter can come out depends on a few things. The numbness definitely needs to have worn off enough to be safely mobile (but even when the numbness has gone the long acting pain killer in the spinal can sometimes still slow down bladder function). There are occasionally surgical/medical reasons for keeping a catheter in a bit longer. They'll be able to advise you post-op when they think it's a good idea. It's not unusual to take them out overnight (v early hours of the morning) if a woman's awake because that way by daylight hours you'll know if it's been a successful 'trial without' and they can put it back in/make a plan as necessary.

A little under 24 hrs. Section was at 10am, catheter out the next morning, not exactly sure when.

Unfortunately had to have one back in later that day for another 24 hrs!

3 days first time, 2 weeks second time. But both very complicated. God how I missed weeing normally. Hope all goes smoothly!

7 hours (as soon as I got from recovery to the ward) with my 2nd. Apparently it was part of their enhanced recovery program. I had so many hours to do a wee though otherwise it would have had to go back in.

Catheter was brilliant, first time I hadn’t had a constant urge to pee for months!

You can shower with one in.

My first c sec they had a few concerns so left it in for 24 hours.

My second, had baby late evening, catheter out first thing next morning which was also when they helped me get up and dressed. Probably would have been earlier if it hadn’t been the middle of the night.

You’re not going to want to have a shower - it’s major abdominal surgery, you’ll struggle to stand up!

Mine came out the same day (sections at lunchtime and 3am respectively) and I showered that day both times. Wasn't a problem, and as I was itchy from the stuff they wipe on your skin was pleasant to wash.

That said, possibly they should have left it in longer the second time as it turned out that the GA had a side effect that meant I couldn't pee and had to be re-carheterised in the evening. Not my favourite experience. But since your section is planned you'll have a spinal so should be fine:

ELCS was 9:30am and my catheter came out around 5:30am the following day. By the evening after my section my bum was still quite numb (my toes and legs were not numb at that point so it was wearing off, just really slowly!) and I would have struggled to move about or have much sensation. I was really happy to just lie in the bed and not have to worry about trying to move to get up for a wee tbh - it was hard enough just trying to lift my baby and I couldn't even manage to get baby in and out of the cot thing beside me. It wasn't expected by midwives that I should do this either, and I was told to buzz them to come and lift baby to me etc.

Catheter whipped out the next morning and I had to be helped out of the bed by midwife. I took a very slow plod around the ward and went for a wee, popped some pants on and a maternity pad. I didn't really care about showering - the midwifery team had given me bed baths with warm water and cloths twice in 24hrs so I didn't feel dirty. I showered later that day instead when I felt more human (after some oramorph!)

Had baby at 3:45pm and catheter out at about 7am the next morning

Not a clue, certainly before I was even thinking of taking a shower though

Over 24 hours later.

Section at 2am, but there wasn't any space on post natal until late the following afternoon. By the time there was someone available to remove it it was nighttime, so there was no point. It was removed the following morning at 8am. I was fine with it. I certainly wasn't up to having a shower until after the catheter was removed anyway. It was really nice not having to get up to pee.

Same! I'd had really bad SPd from my first trimester, so my hourly trips to pee throughout pregnancy were agonising.

It felt liberating not even having to about peeing.

Elective, baby delivered 9:30am. Catheter out around 3pm. They wanted earlier but I didn’t want it out as didn’t want to be up and down constantly after all the fluids.

I’d showered that morning before going to hospital though so didn’t even consider showing until I was home the next day.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

@InTheRainOnATrain was there push back to it coming out early? @OchAyeTheN00 which hospital was that - seems like the norm is next morning.

I actually had a c section last time and it was taken out the next morning as seems to be common but I'd wished it had come out earlier and wasn't sure if there was a standard practice/I could ask for it earlier. Though interesting point about the benefits of not having to get up for the toilet!!

Mine was out within 3-4 hours - as soon as I got feeling back - my babies were in NICU and it was lockdown - if I wanted to see them then I had to be out of bed

3-4hrs, as soon as I could walk. I was out of the hospital in under 24hrs!