🚨 Advance warning 🚨 This forum will be closing on 1st May – please see our pinned thread for more information.
Options
c-section need to know!!
hi everyone
I'm 29 weeks pregnant with my second, and just been booked in for a c-section after haemorrhaging with my daughter, i'm getting a bit obsessed with it as I don't have any friends who've had one!! What does it feel like? What's the procedure and the day you get admitted like? Do they cut the muscle of the abdomen wall? Does my hospital bag stuff need to be different? What'll help me recover? What will my post-csection body look like? Is the caesarean "overhang" true? How long before I can start exercising again?? Sorry, lots of questions and in need of words from the experienced lol!!
I'm 29 weeks pregnant with my second, and just been booked in for a c-section after haemorrhaging with my daughter, i'm getting a bit obsessed with it as I don't have any friends who've had one!! What does it feel like? What's the procedure and the day you get admitted like? Do they cut the muscle of the abdomen wall? Does my hospital bag stuff need to be different? What'll help me recover? What will my post-csection body look like? Is the caesarean "overhang" true? How long before I can start exercising again?? Sorry, lots of questions and in need of words from the experienced lol!!
0
Replies
for the acctual op i had a spinal block so i couldnt acctually feel anything but a bit of a tugging sensation, they cut into you just above your hair line, through all the layers to get to your baby, it took about 5 mins from scalpel touching the skin until our little boy was born
i found arnica tablets a great help at reducing swelling and bruising, you are advised not to stressfull exercise for 12 weeks, but you have a short program to folow from the physio, i started my exercise class after 15 weeks as i felt ready then, i did however overdo the walking and house keeping in the first week which resulted in my wound opening on day 10 so i would defo advise taking it easyin the first few weeks, the heaviest thing you should be lifting is your baby, so take as much help as you can,
i did get the over hang mostly due to the fact i couldnt exercise although by about 15 weeks that was gone and i just have a bit of a jelly belly i am working on! the worst part of the section for me was not being able to drive for 6 weeks, i got terribel cabin fever!!
good luck
[Modified by: Haydensmummy x on June 15, 2010 01:05 PM]
I had an 'elective' c section as bubs was breech. I was panicky at first but looking back there was no need to be.
The procedure at my hospital was that once you were given your date, on the actual day you go to the post natal ward and are given your bed where you 'live' for the duration of hospital stay - usually 4 days for c-section. They do all the checks/questionnaire/consent form/bloods/q+a beforehand and then call you when they are ready (be prepared to be put back in case emergencies come in). Dont forget you can still do a birth plan even though its an operation. You then go in your gown to theatre, say goodbye for now to your partner while you are 'prepared' - drip in/spinal in and checked its worked, curtain up etc. Partner then rejoins you (dressed in sexy scrubs!)
They then will 'unzip' you, do a bit of sucking (waters) and tugging then you'll feel a 'plop' on your legs while they cut the cord and then wayhay - baby's shown over the curtain and then wrapped up and given to you or partner for cuddles. Sounds easy!? It doesn hurt but for me was uncomfortable and as soon as i told them, they topped up my drip with pain relief.
Afterwards, i was in recovery for an hour while hubby had baby getting him weighed etc. Then we were reunited,had skin2skin and first feed then off back to my bed on the post natal.
I was numb till the following morning. The midwives will help you get baby in and out of cot as well as bed bath you and change your pads (sounds horrible but its done in 2 seconds)
My catheter was removed the following afternoon and i had a shower but walked hunched at a snails pace, then improved day on day.
Your hospital bag should be more or less the same, maybe with a few extra bits for the extra days in hospital. Big belly knickers too so they dont touch your wound. I'd recommend taking peppermint tea in with you as you can get really painful trapped wind after the op.
I had disolvable stiches and my scar is about 6 inches wide and pink, just looks like its smiling! I dont have overhang near my scar, just a wobble belly still! I havent started to excercise but i think its no lifting/driving/hoovering for 6 weeks then no exercise till 12 weeks, even then i'd check with doctor or HV.
Hope this helps!
I have not yet had a c-section but I asked these questions of my obs and got the following answers. It's a myth that they cut your abdominal muscles during an elective c-section. Try and get the first appointment of the day and by the afternoon have the catheter taken out as this will speed up recovery as you will be able to get out of bed by that evening. My obs said the only thing you can actually feel pain wise is the cut to the skin after the op.
I had an elective c section due to medical condition I've had since birth. It's my first baby and I honestly had such a good experience that I can't imagine what a normal delivery would be like!
It was sooo relaxed, and my recovery was great.
I went to the hospital early morning on the 19th April when I was 38+5 pregnant. I had known that date for a few weeks so knew when I had to be ready for baby to arrive. I went through a few things with the nurses/midwives when I arrived and then got changed into a hospital gown. I spoke to the midwife who was going to be coming into theatre with me and asked her anything I wanted to know. I actually asked if My partner could take a pic at the moment of birth and although she said it was an unusual request, she said it would be fine as long as my consultant said it was ok when were in theatre.
My partner went and got into theatre scrubs whilst I had my spinal. I got a bit light headed at this point and had to lie down to get my blood pressure back to normal, but I was only in there an extra 10mins. The aneathasist just made sure he kept an eye on my BP from then on.
My partner came into the room and They talked us through what was going to happen, what it would feel like and the sounds I would hear etc etc. They also told my partner that he could get a photo and when he heard the 'sucking' to get ready!..... They checked i was fully numb by pinching, poking and then spraying me with freezing water...
I felt nothing but a slight tugging throughout the procedure. I was expecting some discomfort but it was not uncomfortable at all, just a strange feeling. The aneathasist talked to me the whole way through too which was nice and reassuring. As soon as I heard the sucking noise I knew i was going to be a mummy in a matter of seconds, and sure enough, my daughter started screaming a few seconds later. My partner got an amazing (if slightly gruesome) picture. It's something to look back on anyway!
When I got out into recovery my daughter was still screaming (she hadn't stopped since she was born!) so, because i felt quite nauseous from the anaesthetic and my arms had gone slightly numb, I decided that my partner could give her a bottle to save her from being so distressed, and i would have skin to skin and try to initiate BF once I felt better. I was slightly disappointed about this but figured as long as she was happy then I would be too.
A lot of people have their catheters in for at least 24hours, so the midwives help you the first night by getting baby in and out of their cot. I felt ok by about 8:00pm the same night (she was born at 09:53am) so I asked if they could take my catheter out so I was able to take care of my daughter myself. They checked i was able to stand and when they saw I could I had it removed. Sure, I was in some pain from the incision but it was by no means unbearable and from what I heard from women in my room, natural labour can cause just as much pain after if you tear and have to have stitches.
Try to do as much as you can after delivery without overdoing things. The nurses were amazed at how well i was after, but I just knew that if I didnt just get on with things, my recovery would be longer, and I'm not the sort of person who can sit and do nothing. I was conscious of not overdoing it though and my partner was great.
10weeks on, my scar is healed completely. It looks neat, and although it is still slightly numb in the surrounding area, is much smaller than I thought it would be. I do have abit of 'overhang', but with exercise and not too much rubbish food I am sure most of it will eventually go. Spanx will always do until then!
I'm sorry my reply is so long, I got abit carried away reliving the day!
The point of my reply is basically to say I would do it all again tomorrow. A planned c section was, for me, better than the uncertainty that can come with a natural delivery.
I hope this helps.
K. x
;\)