Cough - before/during/after csection

[Blue2020]

I’m a bit anxious now, I have had a cold for three weeks, and a cough almost as long. It has improved a lot, it’s mostly if I walk or at night when the cough gets quite bad, then in the day it’s a bit of coughing. I was hoping it would have gone by now, however my csection is scheduled for Monday so it’s quite close.

I realise this is the pregnancy thread but I wondered if anyone had previously had a cough and csection and how you managed? This will be my second csection but with the first I was very healthy before/during/after and I remember if I laughed or even coughed a small amount it hurt quite a bit. Hence why I’m a bit concerned.

Oh Op, I really feel for you. I caught an absolute bastard of a cough two weeks before my C-section and still had it about 6 weeks after it 🤦‍♀️
I won’t lie, it wasnt great for the first two days. The lovely nurses gave me a rolled up, folded up towel to hold against my tummy when I coughed which helped a lot (bur was, you know, quite difficult to manoeuvre when also holding a newborn).
You will get through it though! Good luck!

Oh i feel you too! I developed a cough a couple of days before my c section, I'm not going to lie it was painful for the first few days. I used a feeding pillow to hold against the wound when coughing. I even asked the midwife at my 5 day check if coughing could split my internal stitches as it was painful and I was worried I was doing damage- she said it was very unlikely it would do any damage.

I found it really hard to clear the mucus which was making the coughing worse, but deep breathing and using a pillow and leaning over table/sink with pressure really helped.

Good luck!

I had a 3rd c section last year and the day I went in for the elective I was so ill that the anaethetist sent me home. Rescheduled for 4 days later when I was less ill but still barely able to stand if I’m honest. The risk to baby was too great for him to stay in so it was done, and I was actually better after 🤷‍♀️ the midwives said my immune system could fight the infection once I was no longer pregnant. I was so worried about coughing but I just saved them up - so a couple of big coughs when I woke up (with a pillow against the scar) and slept sat up, which made it easier to hold baby anyway. I definitely used more painkillers after that one, not sure if everything hurt more because it was the third one or because I was just ill and less resilient but I coped fine. You’ll be fine, best of luck!

Thankyou everyone. I just thought it would be gone by now, both DS and DHs has gone already.

So hopefully I will be ok on the day and not cough when I lie down for the csection. I will try the pillow over the scar as well and hope it goes ok.