🚨 Advance warning 🚨 This forum will be closing on 1st May – please see our pinned thread for more information.
Options
C- Section advice needed
I found out yesterday that baby was in breech so have arranged a c section for 28th January. This is my first baby, so am clueless about c sections.
Is anyone able to answer any of my questions/concerns I have about c sections (sorry there are quite a few).
1 What was your experience of the operation as a whole - were you awake, did you feel anything, smell anything, how long did the operation take, how long were you in hospital for, did you have painkillers after the op, did it hurt after the op? Did you have any contractions during or after the operation? Did you have a regular period after the birth?
2 How long did it take you to recover?
3 What things could you do or could you not do during the hospital?
5 Were you able to care for your baby properly after the operation and at home or did you have to have any support with the majority of the caring?
6 Were you able to lift your baby up?
7 Did you breastfeed you child who was delivered by c section and if so, did the c section hinder the chance of doing so?
8 Did the c section delay you bonding with your child immediately in anyway?
9Was you c section affect you having a normal vaginal delivery with subsequent children if appropriate.
Hope you can help, even if it is with only one question.
Thanks
Susan36+3
Is anyone able to answer any of my questions/concerns I have about c sections (sorry there are quite a few).
1 What was your experience of the operation as a whole - were you awake, did you feel anything, smell anything, how long did the operation take, how long were you in hospital for, did you have painkillers after the op, did it hurt after the op? Did you have any contractions during or after the operation? Did you have a regular period after the birth?
2 How long did it take you to recover?
3 What things could you do or could you not do during the hospital?
5 Were you able to care for your baby properly after the operation and at home or did you have to have any support with the majority of the caring?
6 Were you able to lift your baby up?
7 Did you breastfeed you child who was delivered by c section and if so, did the c section hinder the chance of doing so?
8 Did the c section delay you bonding with your child immediately in anyway?
9Was you c section affect you having a normal vaginal delivery with subsequent children if appropriate.
Hope you can help, even if it is with only one question.
Thanks
Susan36+3
0
Replies
I cant answer all the questions as my 2 sections were both emergency so i was already in established labour, the first was under GA and that did affect my ability to bond but the second was under local. I tried for a vbac (vaginal birth after c-section) and vbac are generally supported by doctors however there is a greater chance of second pregnancy ending in section but that is because there are often problems such as failure to progress which obv for you will not be a problem, there is also a small chance of scar rupture when you have a vbac but i felt that this risk outweighed all the other risks associated with having a section. if your nxt babe is head down there really is no reason why you shouldnt have a successful vbac.
I wont talk about my first section as it was with twins and had other complications related to the fact they were twins but my second was absoulty fine despite being in labour for 36 hours. I had the section at 5.10pm on fri and left hospital on monday at 6pm, I could have stayed longer but didnt feel that i needed to. as it is your first tho i recommend going home in the morning so you have time to get used to baby being at home.
I was lucky and had my mum stay for 2 weeks but that was really to help with my twins (who were only 17 months) i cldnt pick them up but had no problem at all caring for baby.
The tip that i recommend is if you have to cough or sneeze or laugh to put a cushion on your tummy first and sort of hold it in place as it helps with the pain.
Re the pain it really isnt too bad, the painkillers that they give you are fab, but in my experience they dont give you enough to go home with so its worth making an appoit with doc who are always happy to give more, it tends to be voltarol and it really makes the difference. some people stop taking them after 5 days but im a wuss and took them for 2 weeks, by the time i stopped i really did feel healed.
On a tmi note its also worth asking for some lactulose (vmild laxative) as the thought of going to the loo can be a bit scary and it def helps everything along a bit easier.
You will have contractions after but its the uterus tightning, its like period pain but drugs you are already having help with any discomfort.
Breastfeeding- i sucessfully breast fed my twins and this lo. I would recommend a c shaped (rather than v shaped) nursing pillow, you can get them from mothercare as they dont sit on the scar as much.
If im lucky enough to concieve again i will have to have an elective and it cant be that bad as i wouldnt be doing it again otherwise.
If you dont want a section have they offered to try and turn baby? or you can try being on your hands and knees as that is meant to help baby turn, some babies do turn last minute so you might be ok.
sorry its turned out really long xxDBxx
I had an elective one for my daughter and am about to have my second elective one in 10 days time.
My experience was fantastic! The nurses dropped the screen for me so I watched my daughter being delivered. I couldn't hold her straight away because she needed to go into an incubator for about 30 mins which would have happened even if I had gone natural. After she was placed on my chest when I was in the recovery room and started feeding almost immediately. Obviously you could do much in hospital until the spinal block wears off but that should only take a few hours anyway. All it means is that you have to stay in bed. I could still feed my daughter and just asked the midwifes to wait to bath her etc until I was up and about. Thankfully my husband was fantastic and he did anything that I couldn't manage which was really nice for him.
I didn't find the recovery bad at all. I took the medication that I was prescribed and that made things very comfortable meaning I could care for my daughter without any hassles.
The only things I had to be really careful about was driving too soon afterwards and lifting the pram and car seat in and out of the car.
Hope that helps, good luck.
I had an em section 3 weeks ago with my first baby so still fresh in my mind. I had heart set on a drug-free water birth but baby wouldn't engage and I ended up 15 overdue so had to go in and get her out basically. Docs tried to induce me Mon- Wed and had section on the Thurs so by then was glad just to have the baby but was frightened and asked all the questions you asked.
I had a spinal which was great- felt nothing, and was given plenty of pain relief after. I was in hospital for 3 days after and although not in huge amount of pain I did find it very hard to get in and out of bed (but I'm only 5 foot so had to kinda climb in and out and just wasn't v flexible). Also, I couldn't lift my baby with ease and I still find it a bit difficult as well as walking any distances or up stairs at times- feel a tugging where the scar is but it is getting easier. I was advised it would take up to 6 weeks to get back to old self again and I thought wouldn't really take that long esp as I was v active whole way during pregnancy but it prob wil be that long I reckon. Definately can't stress the importance of rest, it really makes such a difference!
It can be quite sore feeding lo if sitting straight up so try prop yourself up so that you can lean back a little, though not too much or will struggle to get up and have to invent an elaborate sliding off the bed/ sofa routine lol
One thing that wasn't mentioned to me until after was wind! After about 2 days I got huge amounts of wind in my gut which had me unable to move- was scared was probs with wound but midwives just gave me few pills to ease it and eased up after a day or two but can be scary when don't know what's wrong!
I have to admit that I was gutted at not being able to experience the actual giving birth aspect of pregnancy, as weird as it sounds, I had been looking forward to it and not being able to lift my daughter myself for first few days was hard but in no way did either affect the bonding process- as soon as she was born I didn't care how she got here, I was just happy she was safe and well. And the after pains are more an annoyance than anything- I'm not one these people who take well to having to rest lol I'd like to try a natural birth next time but only if deemed safe.
Don't worry too much about it all, the safety of you and the baby are what are important and as you can see, everyone has different experiences. It isn't pleasant, but natural births aren't without their problems either and it is a major operation but it is one that is carried out millions of times a day and it is very rare for anything to go wrong.
Best of luck and enjoy these last few weeks with feet up
R x
1, The actually section was fine, felt like someon doing the dishes in your tummy. You do feel tugging and pulling but no pain. After the op i was soo uncomftable, i couldnt even lie down in bed for a good week afterwards.
2. thankfully my DH was on leave for 6 weeks so i recovered quite quickly, driving by 4 weeks. But i spent most of the time sitting on my arse not doing a single thing apart from feeding.
3. i dont understand this one
5. Took me a few weeks to be able to carry my baby properly, but also used a decent sling so the baby was close to me when wanding around downstairs. DH always carried him up and down the stairs.
6. i was not able to lift him in and out of the crib. it was too painful on my stomach muscles.
7. My milk didnt come in til day 5 after section. This is due to the lack of hormone release you get in a vaginal delivery. But i would suggest you feed feed feed feed. Also seek advice now from a BFing counselor, ie NCT or LLL. In my area we have HV who are trained in BFing who are excellent!
8. Section didnt delay any bonding what so ever. As soon as he was born my DH whipped his top off and did the skin to skin contact that i should have done, but was unable to til i got into recovery.
9. I am preg with #2 and having a home birth!
HTH!
In response to your questions:
1) I was awake, under spinal aneasthetic. The aneasthetic prodecedure itself was slightly uncomfortable as you have to sit very still while they put needle in your back, but certainly not very painful. They do lots of testing to check that you have no feeling in your lower half before beginning the operation. I remember feeling really queasy at one point, which I think is quite common, so they gave me some drug to counter act this and it kicked in straight away and I felt fine. Fairy_Fluff describes the op perfectly when she says it's like someone doing the dishes in your tummy. You are aware of something going on, but there was no pain or discomfort. You can't see the actual op though as there is a screen across you. Whole thing took maybe 40 mins (I'm guessing as I have no idea). Baby is delivered in about 10 mins, the rest of the time was spent stitching me up. I didn't feel a thing though! There was no smell either. I stayed in hospital for 5 days and took paracetamol, diclofenac (sp?), and some other medication. Nothing any stronger though. They offer you a suppository painkiller after the op while you're still on the op table. I took it. Again, didn't feel a thing. And didn't care either as I had my baby in my arms! I had my section at lunch time and don't think I took any more painkillers (I was only offered paracetamol!) til during the night. Even then, I don't think I really needed them. I wasn't in that much pain. I had no contractions (had my section at 39 weeks), and my periods returned when my son was around 12 weeks (I breast fed til he was about 7 weeks).
2) I wasn't allowed out of bed til the next day which I was pretty annoyed about as I wanted to get out of bed that night. I was walking around, albeit in some discomfort and walking a bit stooped and slowly, the next day. They teach you how to get in and out bed properly which is good. I found it hurt to laugh, cough and sneeze. It was like a stinging pain. I was walking around and carrying my baby as soon as they let me out of bed! I was driving again 2 weeks after he was born and felt pretty much pain free after about 10 days. Walking got much easier after about 10 days too. I wouldn't advise trying to carry your baby in a car seat for a couple of weeks though.
3) First night was awful as I was stuck in bed so I had to buzz the midwife to ask them to pass me my baby for feeding during the night, and ask them to change my baby. Once I was out of bed I could do all of this for myself.... not very quickly though! After a couple of days it was much easier.
5) I came home from hospital after 5 days and was able to care for my baby no problem. Same when I was in hospital too. My husband did most of the housework when I got home though, which was recommended by the docs. You should get a leaflet telling you what types of things you should and should not be doing, like hoovering, cleaning, doing the laundry, exercise, lifting things etc.
6) Yes, I was able to lift him up once I was allowed out of bed. But for the first night when I was stuck in bed then I couldn't and had to ask for him to be passed to me. My son was only 6lb 6oz though so it mught be more difficult with a heavier baby. I changed him on the floor once we got home and I had no problem getting up and down with him.
7) yes, I breastfed and I had no problem doing this (I didn't go into labour). I fed my son as soon as I could after he was born, within 1hr. My milk came through after 2 or 3 days. I had no problems with feeding and he seemed to take to it really well. I did seek advice and checked I was doing things right and found the midwives to be really helpful and supportive.
8) Definitely not. I found it really easy to bond. You are passed your baby alost as soon as he is born. It is an amazing feeling. And as you've not been through a long and tiring labour you have lots of energy!
9) Hopefully not!
Feel like I've written an essay but I hope by experience helps you! Good luck xxx
1. I had an emergency section, so was relieved they were getting him out! It was a bit chilly in the theatre with the adrenaline etc, but not sure if this was also all the gas and air i'd had. I did feel very sick during the op as I kept thinking about it, and threw up, but again this could have been the gas and air.
2. For the first couple of days I found it painful to step off the bed (the part where you push up) and walked a little hobbled the first time I walked, but after that it was great. The only sore part was the sticky stuff from the plaster sticking to my clothes, and once i'd got that off with some bio oil, it was great.
3. The feeling in my legs took slightly longer to come back as i'd had 3 failed epidurals before the spinal, so a lot of drugs! So I had to get the midwives to lift Riley out of the cot for me. After this, I was able to shower etc. Really I just cudded Riley a lot and ate when they brought me food. I didn't sleep the whole 3 nights though as Riley was wide awake.
5 & 6. I was in for four days after I had him (which took 3 days in itself) and as I said above, the first few hours were difficult, but after that it was fine. It was a little sore to pic him up sometimes, but my husband was great and would pass him to me if needed.
7. I did breast feed, and have been doing so for 6 months today! He went straight on once we were back in the room.
8. No way, I fell in love with him the second I heard his little cry, it was really very overwhelming. He just stared at me the whole time he was awake, so I think he felt the same. He's just so perfect and I don't think the section affected our bonding at all.
9. At first because of the trauma with the original labour, I was adamant I wanted a section, but am now coming around to the idea of trying a vbac. Very scary, but hopefully it'll be fine, and we are trying to conceive at the moment.
Good luck, am sure you'll be fine. I've heard planned sections are so much more relaxed as you don't have the exhausting labour part before, and you can get your head around it a bit. In our situation I hadn't eaten or drank for 2 days or nights by the time he was born, or slept, so was exhausted which would have had an effect on healing etc.
xxx
Now to answering some of your questions.
My section was carried out after a spinal. Remember feeling really peacefull in theater as my drip (from induction) had been removed and I was begining to enjoy the lack of pain and passing out, was relieved to be in theater. Due to this I was not having contractions as spinal was put in.
I remember the spinal kicked in very quickly and as I was being moved into position on the table I grabbed one of the proffessionals as I thought I was going to fall (didnt think the table was wide enough for me to fit on LOL. OH was panicing at this point as the alarms started to go off on the monitors I was linked to and no one could find out why.
They screen in front of your face so that you can not see whats happening down there. Personally I would have liked to have watched, but thats just me LOL. I had some wierd sensations while on the table but there was no pain. It was uncomfortable when 2 of the people pressent were trying to push baby down to where the insision had been made. The only other sensation was towards the end and thinking about it, it was when they were putting the drain in. It felt like someone lightly pulling a metal cheese grater accross my belly (it wasnt painfull but more of a tickle really). I didnt get to hold my son until I was in recovery, but I wasnt concerned as his dad was with him and gave him his first feed. I dont remember his first cry but I put that down to still being out of it from the failed induction.
On the ward the nurses and support workers are always willing to help especially over the first night when you will still be hooked up to catheter and possibly drains as well. So much better if they change the first sticky nappies that are producedLOL. My section was on the lunchtime and by the evening I was assisted to wash and sit up out of bed. My tip for the time on the ward is if you are a little on the short side lower your bed as far as it goes as you have to be comfortable getting in and out, as twisting is definately not comfortable. Catheter and drains will be removed after 24 hrs. Catheter removal is painless and a bit ticklish. Drains I found to be painfull, so is the removal of the tape over your wound.
As soon as I woke up on the day after my section I was up on my feet (carrying round catheter bag and drain). I found that I was more comfortable when walking round. I could pick up LO from standing, bend to change his nappies on the bed when it was raised etc. On the ward I shared a room with another girl and she found it difficult to get out of bed, but she had been left to push for 2.5 hrs after the dr knew LO was too big to be born naturally, and she was bleeding quite heavily. I on the other hand bled very little (alot lighter that af). The first morning we had our meals bought to us, but then we had to fend for our selves after that for getting our meals and collecting babys bottles from the ward kitchen, also collecting clean cot bedding when needed from the nursery. For a day and a half LO had to have his blood sugars tested as I had had gestational diabetes, and I had to have my high blood pressure checked which was a pain.
Pain relief was in the form of co-codamol and an anti inflamatory. I was never in pain from my section but knew the sighns when I needed to ask for pain relief - I would find myself walking round bent over more at the middle or walking like a duck as I called it. As already said you only get a weeks supply of medication when you come out of hospital. Then there are the injections of antibiotics you get for 5 days after your section. As the general stay in hospital is 3 days, you get visited by MW for at least the first 2 days after you go home.
In hospital to save getting out of bed at night when LO cried I would arrange his bedding so that if I was in bed and I pulled the cot right next to the bed I could just lift his weight by pulling up the corner of his blankets to move him onto the bed.
I stayed at my moms when I came from hospital so that I had support if I needed it. Have had no probs with the scar or pain from it. Most people who have sections find that they dont recover all sensation from around the incision.
Sorry for the essay, but hope Iv answered some of your questioned.
I will say that I would choose to have another section in the future, I wouldnt even have to think about it, but on the hole I had a very positive experience and I know others dont have this.
Beck n Zacky
, u will be ok ask them can u take music in the room, that will help u relax that what i did . stay in bed as long as you can and get the mid wifes to help u , dont over do it..cheers rochelle
Hi
This is my experience.
I only had 8 thours notice that i would be having the section due to pre-eclampsia and breech presentaion, i was scared and excited at the same time. I had a spinal block which went in fine, then your legs go warm and heavy. I could still move my toes a bit which worried me, but the anestatist (no idea how to spell it) said it was ok. They spray you with cold water in different places and ask you if you can feel it.
I remember the music they were playing because my dad likes the drifters (bit old for me but i knew the song as my dad plays it)
It was hard no having anything to eat or drink for 8 hours and they give you something to drink for your stomach acid.
I remember the anestatist asking me if i was ok or if i felt sick alot, she was really nice. I hadn't even realised when they had started or when my daughter was actually born, remember the sound of them sucking up the amniotic fluid but not much else. Its a wierd sensation, just like how other women describe it, like someone doing the washing up in you tummy. They didnt lower the screen or show me my little girl untill they had checked her and wrapped her up which i wish they had done because it bothers me now that i never saw how she looked when she was born. She had aptgars or 9 then 10 so they could have but i hadn't written anything for a section in my birth plan so its sort of my fault, just expected them to show me really. So if you want to see make sure you ask. My husband held her whilst i was stitched but i couldnt see her because of all the towels round her. Then he went off to dress her and when i was stitched up, i was given a painkiller in the form of a supository which i wasn't really awear of but i think it helped alot. i was transferred onto a bed and wheeled into recovery where i was for an hour whilst they monitored me before being transfered to the ward. Whilst in recovery the midwife tried to help me feed her but it was difficult and my daughter who weighed 5lb2 was very sleepy, i think it was because she was two weeks early and she didnt want to be disturbed till her due date
I was given regular pain killers along with my blood pressure tabs and i had a few injections which i think were for preventing clots forming, didnt have to wear support sock or anything.
2
It took me a few days to recover from the immediate operation, i was really sore for the first three days but it got better each day. I felt like i couldn't stand up straight and walked hunched over for the first few days. I was discharged on saturday after having her on the tuesday, we went to asda on the sunday and i thought i was fine but i ended up in alot of pain stuck in the middle of asda unable to walk. I hobbled back to the car after a while, i was silly really and should have been taking it easy at home. I still got occasional pains in my scar for upto a year but it wasnt that bad. Emotionally it has taken me longer for various reasons, but i think if you know in advance you can prepare yourself mentally better.
3
I couldn't lift my baby myself at first, but i had to during the first night because i wasn't told about the buzzer system and had never been in hospital before. I had to struggle down the bed and lift her up, it was extremely painful, but i would have asked the midwives if they had told me i needed to buzz them if i needed anything. I wasn't allowed to carry her anywhere, i had to wheel her in her cot but, i didnt need to take her anywhere anyway, its just something i remember them saying. I was allowed to try and feed her lied down on my side which i remember my friend saying she got told off for at the same hospitlal which is wierd.
5
I felt i couldn't care for my baby properly because i was in pain and found it hard to move, they had me up the following day but i still struggled. I also was attatched to a drip and a catheter which really hampered me for the first 24 hours. My husband was there most of the time which helped because the midwives weren't much help unfortunatly. I found it so frustrating.
6
I had to lift her the first night, although i would not advise it as it felt like the stitches where going to rip open which they could quite possibly have done. Make sure you buzz the midwives if you need them to pass you your baby, need help feeding or need their nappy changing, even if they dont tell you to, thats what they are being paid for!
7
I tired to breastfeed her but due to her size she was too small and tired, or at least thats what i was told by midwives since. I strongly believe in skin to skin and breastfeeding straight away, which is not always possible and maybe if i had the chance things might have gone better. I feel the op did hinder me a bit because its so much harder to handle your baby and to get comfortable because of pain and drips and catheters etc
8
I feel i didn't bond with my daughter as a result of the elective section, and i know lots of women do, and it was hard for me to admit it, but i didnt.
Your body dosn't have the same ammount of oxytocin as a woman who have been in labour but again, everyone is different.
Also breastfeeding can help with bonding which i struggled with and had to give her a bottle in the end so i feel i missed out there, i know women can bond bottle feeding just as good, but unfortunatly it didnt for me. It felt like a double failure, and i know its silly cause if i knew someone else who this had happened to i wouldn't think they were a faiure, it because it was me which sounds daft i know.
9
I have been told to try for a natural birth, but it depends on alot of things going right like going into labour naturally near my due date, not developing pre eclampsia again, baby not being breech, progressing in labour well and baby not becoming distressed etc so i have to keep it in my mind that another section is something i might have to have even if i try for a natural birth.
Sorry if it sounds a tad negative. The op really was fine, it was just the help i recieved afterwards, but hopefully if you read this you wont make the same mistakes i did by not speaking up.
Sorry its so long.
good luck, not long to go now!
Let us know how you get on.
Lyndsey x