Positive C-Section experiences?

[SexlessBoulderBelly]

Due to some issues with my placenta they have decided to get baby out by C-Section next week, I was 33 weeks yesterday so baby will be here just before I’m 34 weeks.

The doctor didn’t seem concerned for baby when she’s here he said 33 weeks gestation is a really good age. But I am absolutely pooping myself. I am so scared.

I never set a birthing plan and I never intended to as I didn’t want to get fixated on something that may not happen. But I did want to try and avoid being numb/epidural and avoid a c-section if I could. Obviously now they are all unavoidable and are going to happen.

I’m more scared about the pain afterwards and the risk of infection. I get so worked up due to generalised and healthy anxiety that I’ll convince myself I will get sepsis and die etc.

Can anyone share their premature and positive c section experiences? I’m driving myself scary with worry.

I get the date for the section on Monday after the fetal medicine scan to check the steroid injections (which were bloody horrible!) have worked.

I also have an anterior placenta which worries me and I don’t want them to cut it and I bleed :(

Hi
I had almost the same scenario, had 2 days notice for section while they gave steroids. I'd previously had a normal delivery.

It was absolutely fine, really was. Baby went straight to SCBU and they brought her to my bed in an incubator for a visit later on.

Baby needed oxygen and tube feeding for a while. I was very well supported and on day 3 went to a parent's room on SCBU. Managed to breast feed, which was expressing for first week or so and then mix of breast milk via tube and actual breast. I think baby did get some formula in a tube initially before colostrum arrived..

I made a quick recovery. I was lucky as had a small scar as they knew baby was small.

I wouldn't rate it as worse experience than my normal delivery, just different.

Good luck xx

Just to add the pain wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, not at all.

Get as much sleep as you can now - although I found the steroids kept me awake....

I had a c section at 35 weeks due to placenta previa. It was really straight forward and quick. I was up and about a couple of hours afterwards and just had minimal pain relief. Went home 4 days later. I did end up with a slight infection at one end on my c section scar but it cleared up very quickly with antibiotics.

I can’t advise on the premature part but I had an elective c section for a number of reasons and found it a very positive experience. The worst part was them putting the cannula in my hand - the spinal was uncomfortable but not as bad as the cannula as I have very small veins.

The first couple of days were hard getting in and out of bed etc but it really did ease off quickly and I was driving within 4 weeks and back to exercising after 12.

No issues with infection either.

I found the whole thing (bar cannula!) very calm.

Remember it’s only about an hour of your life and will be over quickly.

Best of luck and I hope it all goes well x

I’ve had three CS, two with anterior placentas and one of those was early (35 weeks, not super early admittedly).

They know from the scan where the placenta is, and will avoid it. Cut is super low but they can do it elsewhere if needed, though they avoid that as it’s not great for your muscle recovery.

With my early one there was a whole neonatal team ready in theatre to receive the baby: i think including the team looking after me there were about 18 people there. But the only ones I noticed were the anaesthetist, the surgeon delivering and the midwife. DH was there too. Baby was taken out, weighed, wrapped and shown to me. He was breathing but in respiratory distress (fairly common after CS, especially if early) so had to be put on a CPAP (breathing machine) immediately. That was removed after 12 hours. DH went with the baby to nicu, but they wouldn’t let him in till baby had been stabilised. DS had a feeding tube, CPAP, pulse oximeter (to check he was getting enough oxygen) and a cannula. The cannula was to give fluids and glucose. Early babies are prone to a dangerous condition called NEC where the guts don’t cope with milk and get gangrenous. So DS was initially not fed at all, just got glucose drip. Once he’d pooed meconium he got sugar water through his NG tube, and then when things seemed ok he got my colostrum and later expressed milk. Babies usually get a suck reflex at 36 weeks, so it may be difficult to feed normally before then.

As soon as you are both well enough, get to nicu as there is lots you can do for your baby even in there. The nurses will show you.

I found the recovery from my early CS very straightforward: try to move about and stand straight as hunching makes the pain and constipation worse! If you spend lots of time away from the ward, you will miss drug rounds and meals. Chances are you’ll only get paracetamol and ibuprofen so you can get your own supply. Get someone to bring you food. Our nicu has a parents room with tea and coffee and a microwave.

If you can, get a tour of NICU. Find out what happens if you get discharged from hospital before the baby. If you can rent a breast pump (I was leant mine free for a returnable deposit while baby was still in). Find out which ward you will be on (I was on the ante-natal ward rather than post natal as it was less distressing not having other babies around)

I have had two c-sections and that’s all I know. I recovered very well, very quickly. I was very upset to discover that I needed c-sections at the time, but so after discovered how many friends needed reconstructive surgeries from so-called natural births, and my bits and pieces are just fine and dandy. I am now extremely grateful. My kids (now 15, 13 & 13) are healthy and so am I. If c-sections weren’t an option, none of us would be here now. The first day isn’t pleasant, but modern drugs are great. Just get up and walk around as soon as possible, do what they tell you to do and you will be fine.

I had DD3 by emergency c-section at 35 weeks and it was fine. It was a far better experience than the very traumatic "natural" delivery I went through with DD1 after which I couldn't sit down comfortably for months due to birth injuries (episiotomy plus further tearing).

Epidurals are great and the anaesthetists who administer them are experienced and skilled. Mine talked me through everything, including how things were going with the caesarean itself. That was reassuring because I then grasped that actually, I really couldn't feel anything, which is what I had been worried about because for some reason they seem to take a lot longer to become effective down my left hand side. He worked hard on it though and there was no problem.

They are ready to give general anaesthetic during the procedure should things not go to plan with the epidural or spinal and you need it.

My DD spent a few days in SCBU as she had difficulty maintaining her body temperature and blood glucose (very common in pre-term babies as they can have much less body fat, but it was easily enough brought under control). She is 17 (years) now and has had good physical health.

I'll wish you well. I'm sure you will be fine.

I had two very straightforward caesareans. Up and about within a couple of hours and discharged the next day. No painkillers necessary and after dc2 I was doing the school run on day 4, back running after 9 weeks. It was a breeze.

I've had four c sections. One was emergency, one was planned but ended up happening earlier as went into labour and was treated as emergency, and the other 2 were straightforward planned. Recovery was fine but slightly more painful with each birth. I did have to have a catheter in for a while with my third as they cut my bladder slightly so had to give it a rest.