Forum home Pregnancy Labour & birth

Question for anyone who's had a caesearean.

Probably a stupid question but am gonna ask anyway...

Am having an elective and just wanted to know if you still get afterpains like you do after normal labour and birth?

Just so I know cos when I had first baby no-one told me about these so they came as a complete shock and I panicked!

Cheers 'n' non-alcoholic beers xxx
image


«13

Replies

  • Its not a stupid question but yeah, sorry to say you do. Its just the womb shrinking again so even though you don't give birth naturally the womb has still stretched!
    samx
  • Booooooo!!! Thats not fair! I thought that maybe i'd get away with it coz of having no contractions....I just didn't think it through! tut!

    Thanks for your reply Sam
    xxxxxx
  • Thats ok honey, good luck x
  • Hi, hun, yes you do get after pains, there's no escape! If you have any other c section questions let me know.x
  • Cheers suze, nice pic in mag BTW!

    Ok another question...how on earth do you manage with a newborn when you're getting over the op as well as the spd??
  • Errr....after pains?!? no one has mentioned these, whats it all about? Like we havent had enough pains already, plus the birth, I thought it would all be over then!
    Ruthx
  • You just have to, mine was na emergency c-section so i wasn't even expecting to stay in lomnger than 24 hrs but if your c-section all goes to plan then try and get up as soon as you can, i made them take my catheter and drip out first thing the next morning and went and had a shower!
    You just need a good support system and try not to do too much to soon, my family all kept telling me off for that!
  • Thanks. I'm just really scared about it all especially breast-feeding etc. I can only walk with crutches too so getting around with a newborn just seems so way off! i'm sure i'll be fine as long as i dont think about it too much! xxxx
  • Make sure you get lots of support with the breastfeeding, do some research first if you can. It is a little difficult getting over the op with a newborn, but you find ways of doing things, and you'll be surprised how quickly you will be moving around. You'll find the spd clears up really quickly after the birth too. One tip is don't sleep flat, cause it's really difficult to get up, much if you sleep piled up on pillows things should be much easier. I was walking around about 12 hours after the op, as soon as I could feel my legs properly. Make sure you pack lots of snacks too in case you miss the food before you get to the ward!!

    What you can't see on the pick in the mag is my hand behind Jake's head holding it still and his Dad jumping around trying to get him to smile lol!x
  • Ahh brilliant, suze thanks.
    I can't lie on my back anyway as my left hip just siezes up!
    I was having my eyebrows waxed yesterday and once she'd done (5 mins later) I couldn't get up! it was really embarrassing i must have looked like a ladybird on its back struggling to get up!!! LOL

    I'll have 2 weeks of constant help from husband and mother so as long as the spd disappears asap then i should be able to cope. its very worrying though - but at least i've got time to prepare!

    Jake looks good enough to eat!! i cant get over how much he's changed - then again babies tend to do that dont they LOL

    xxxxxxx


  • He is gorgeous, but I am a little bit biased! He has changed loads, looks like a different baby than the avatar, now he is a little porky pig! One more tip, buy some big pants that sit on your tummy cause normal ones will sit on your scar line and irritate it. The help will be perfect, and I'm sure your spd will be gone by then, mine went after about 10 days, but was better and better by the day before that. Remember you can take stronger pain killers etc once your lo is born, even if you are breast feeding, take them whenever they are offered!!!!xx
  • Thanks again, I have bought the disposable pants for hospital as I found them useful last tme. Are thhey ok or do you think paper pants will chaffe?

    Another question, which may sound silly but do you bleed as bad when you've had a section?? I bled heavily for 6 weeks when i had Ashlea.

    Am so glad I can take my painkillers after the birth!! i have just been told to come off them as the baby may get addicted (!) Already??
  • Hi Claire if you dont mind me asking Why are you having a c-section by choice????????
  • Oh believe me Tess, it's not by choice!! I have severe SPD and instead of getting better, it's getting worse!!
    The section is still not confirmed as things could still improve (fingers crossed)
    I'm just preparing myself now and trying to come to terms with missing out on labour and birth by finding out everything I can.
    Apparently, the more you know about it, the quicker you recover from it as fear is a massive factor in well-being (or some babble like that!)

    xxxx
  • Oh soz, what are the symptoms of spd, im a bit scared cos my hips & all down my right side arent working very well, also my lower back & i dont know what is wrong cos the docs keep fobbing me off.

    Im due to see him again on monday (i have done every 2 weeks since november), my m/w told me to ask him to refer me to physio.

    Why does spd prevent you from giving birth naturally, im a bit uneducated about this*
  • hi. spd restricts the width you can comfortably open your legs to beable to push baby out. as it is so painful because of the pain in your pelvis and hips. it is bad enough having the labour pains yet alone the pain of spd as well. so some ladies have to have a c-section for this reason.xx
  • I also had an elective c-section for my second child. I don't remember any afterpains, but there was a lot of gas pains. It is my opinion that an elective, scheduled c-section is the ONLY way to go. I was home in the same amount of time as with natural childbirth and I really feel my recovery was faster. Some people have said I was crazy but if I ever had it to do again, i would go with the C-section.
  • Mom of 2, thanks for that, you have made me feel so much better now!!
    When you're in this situation people can make you feel a bit of a failure for not going through with natural childbirth (especially midwives!) and to be honest i have been feeling like this.

    When its an emergency section people are always sympathetic but when its elective people just assume your 'too posh to push' which is definately not the case.

    Thanks again to everyone's advice - the more I get the more positive I feel that this is the right way to go for me!

    xxxxx
  • Hi Claire, hope ur ok. Feel like i aint spoke to you for ages image i hope that baby ellie is okay too x x x
  • Hiya, yeah I'm ok thanks. In effing agony today though!! But Ellie is fine and we're still smiling!!!
    Hope you and baby Theo are doin ok xxxx
Sign In or Register to comment.

Featured Discussions