Recovery Time in Hospital - Elective Section under GA

[Bathsheba]

Hi Everyone

I'm debating as to whether to request an Amenity (single) room when I have my baby in 4-5 weeks - Wjhere I live this needs a form to be submitted in advance, and, if you don't have a clinical need for a single room, they charge approx £100 per night.

I had a section with DD1 but had no real "need" for a single room, other than they quite like women who had have sections to have one - so I was billed for that. I had a single room for most of my (10 day) stay with DD2 (emergancy section) but that was a clinical requirement for infection control as I had an open wound that was not closing and was leaking fluid....I wasn;t billed for DD2.

This time I'm having an elective section which normally have slightly quicker recovery times, but I'm having it under a General Anaesthetic, so I'm wondering if the recovery times will be slightly longer because of my general.

Its a bit of a stress really - we don't have endless pots of spare money and my DH will need to sell some shares if we get billed for the room, and I'd hate to be in the situation where I could do with an extra day or 2 in for recovery and to establish feeding, but we worried about the cost of it...esp as I may not actually be billed for any of it if they consider there is a clinical need for me to be in a single room after a GA.....

If you can get a single room, I would go for it. I can't think of anything worse than up to 5 nights in an open ward full of yakking mums and other screaming newborns, when I'm trying to get things off to a good start with my own. You'll never get any rest if you're in an open ward. Its worth asking them how likely you are to get a single room for free though first.

Hi Bathsheba I had emer section under ga with dd and was in hospital for 4 days after.

Just out of interest why are you having a general this time? I am booked in for a section in 4 weeks time and am seeing the anathestist tomorrow and they are wanting me to have a spinal, however i am not sure as i suffer from panic attacks and dont know if i would rather have a general

It took me about 4 /5 days as i recall to recover.
I woke up very quickly and had some morphine for pain relief. That was stopped after about 12 hours i think.

It was fine and i wasnt in for any longer than any one else who has a c section.

My cs was under general (very many years ago now) and it was um, either 4 or 5 nights, can't remember which. I don't think GA had anything to do with it - would have been same if epidural I think.

Didn't sleep a wink. Had to be given sleeping tablet one night as beside myself.

Hi

Thanks everyone - I think I'll do my best to get a single room - even if I need to payfor it. After DD2 (before they found the complications) I was in a 5 bed ward and yes, the noise was awful and I was very self concious...

I need a GA as my abdomen is "a mess" - I was told that during my last section - basically I have a huge amount of scar tissue and adhesions - actually I now have MORE than a huge amount because I had a huge amount the last time, and that last section will have caused more. I also have a lot of hernias and things down there. With a spinal you only get about 1 hour and 20 minutes - it took them over an hour to sew me up the last time so it will take a long time this time (esp if they want to do it right)...

Sounds nasty Bathsheba x Hope everything goes well this time. I had my own room after the general but my friends who have had spinals have always been on a shared ward, i thought you automatically got your own after a general. So if you could would you have a spinal? I am really worried about the spinal x

Sounds Horrid Bathsheba defo ask for a freebie one!

mummytopebs I had a spinal it was fine (didn't have a section mind) smaller needle than an Epi whilst I felt completely dead legs/lower half was relieved as my epi didn't work!

a friend of mine just had a section under GA on sunday morning and was home yesterday afternoon

Do you have medical insurance? they have recently changed the rules on pregnancy (by law) and basically if you have complications due to pregnancy that will result in any treatment out of the ordinary (c-section included) then your insurance company should pay for both the Op and the aftercare. This change has happened in the last year and my insurance company is paying for my section (due to suspected accreta) and also my additional scans.