C-sections

[AraW]

Newbie here so please humour me (you have all been very helpful so far!). I’ve been told that I may be better off having a C-section for medical reasons (digestive and pelvic floor issues for decades). How bad is the recovery? This will be our first baby so we’re both new to this and neither of us has family nearby or anyone else who can help. Do you need to stay in bed for weeks and if so does caring for the baby fall mainly to your husband or partner? I’m a bit concerned about being out of action.

I had an emergency C section with DD1 and elective with DD2. The experiences were so different! The recovery from elective was quicker and much easier. The worst parts for me were having the catheter and drain removed and coughing or sneezing. They advised me to hold a cushion over the wound to help and it really did. I was fine to look after DDs after 48 hours but no lifting, pushing, driving for a while. Best of luck! Things I wished they’d told me - I got a really bad, dull aching pain in my shoulder after both deliveries. It’s really common, normal and caused by trapped gas 🤷🏼‍♀️ That I would be off my head on morphine when DDs were handed to me and for several hours after. Also that opioid induced itching is a thing when it’s wearing off due to histamine release. That there would be a lot of staff in the theatre … it looks serious! There’s likely an obstetric surgeon, surgical assistant, one or two nurses, aesthetician registrar and a paediatrician…

I had an elective c section and asked for all the pain meds they could give me to go home. I was really surprised I only ended up taking some paracetamol.
The nights are rough. You cannot sleep on your stomach (obviously) or your side. It can feel like a burning sensation on the scar if you move in the wrong way. I had to sleep in an armchair propped up for the first night and then sat up in bed for next few, eventually able to lie down on back. That was rough not going to lie! However day time was mostly fine. Just no heavy lifting or stretching in any way! You get used to the limits in movement.
Also you cannot use abdominal muscles at all for a few weeks, I needed to be helped up from sitting down or lying down by my husband and he got up in the night and passed me the baby as it was hard sitting up and getting her myself.
I was fully healed and back to normal movements after 5 weeks or so. After the first week the pain was gone unless I moved in a weird way.
I would do it again for my next birth 100% so it really was manageable

I had an emcs so totally unprepared so this is what I remember.

In was still taking paracetamol at day 10 - don’t stop until the pain stops so stock up

you can move arround post surgery but once I was home I did get plenty of rest - you just had major surgery and your body is recovering.

clothes - high pants and leggings are your friend - you don’t want a waist band on your scar area

and you won’t be able to bend easily at the waist so I moved things I needed for the first week.

with all of this I was driving by week 5 and able to go out for long walks by then.

so I think best not to overdue it in the early weeks - let people come to you

I’ve had both a natural and c-section and the c-section was 100% better! I could get up move about and do everything after 12hours. I didn’t drive for six week but I could have easily after 3 days. I felt total normal and no pain (but I did stay on top of the pain killers) they say you shouldn’t pick anything heavier than a kettle up but reality is you can, I still had to pick up my three year old and lift him in and out if the bath.

please don’t worry you’ll be great!

I’ve had two! First few days are very hard. Coughing, sneezing and laughing - do it all now!! They have you up and about hours afterwards but please ensure you have the support at home. My poor DH had to help me in and out of the shower and change my underwear for a week afterwards. You can shuffle about until your hearts content but you have to be very careful. I slept downstairs after my first as stairs were my nemesis. After my second I was up and down stairs carefully after a few days. We are all different. Takes a good few weeks to be back on your feet and feeling confident and even then, you won’t be fully healed. Sending love, we are stronger than we think!

I was quite concerned, but the recovery was easier than expected. I think ELCS is much better than an emergency one in terms of recovery. They make you get up 12 hours later and from that point I managed to slowly walk around the house. I took the painkillers for the first 2 weeks per schedule and avoided lifting or bending down, but I managed to care for my baby.