Calling anyone who had a C Section!

[Mrbump83]

How many nights were you in hospital?
How did you really feel afterwards?

I have a low lying placenta and due in 3 weeks.
They have said they hope it will move enough in the next 2 weeks and I'll be rescanned to check.

But I might have to have a c section and wondered about your experiences as I have a one year old I'll be desperate to get home to x

 

[littlemonkey]

I had a c-section with my first. It was an emergency one which I'm reliably informed is a bit tougher than a planned one. I was pretty tired and found things tough after mine. But I was an idiot and pushed myself too hard to do too much too soon. This time I'm planning on spending more time in my pj's doing naff all.

We were in hospital for five days but that was due to my LO needing antibiotics rather than my section.

 

[Durhamchance]

I had an emergency c section, after 1 night in hospital I demanded they let me go home. They said they would discharge me only if I got out of bed, used the loo and had a shower. So I did!

In hindsight I should have stayed another night, I was in a lot of pain and struggled at home. I caught an infection in my scar and failed to establish breast feeding despite help from the community midwives.

If I have another section this time I will expect to stay 2/3 nights. Especially because I have a two year old at home and I need to be stronger when I get home.

 

[Mackmummy]

Now whatever I tell you, don't forget we all heal differently and no matter what, I loved every minute and would do it all again in a heart beat! I was in hospital from the Monday until the Saturday, I gave birth at 1.49 on the Wednesday morning (I was induced) I had to have emergency c. The first time I stood up was almost two days after, I felt like my whole bottom half was about to fall off! But you are able to manage. You will defo need help with your one year old, you won't be able to pick your little one up for at least two months. I did nothing but still split my stitches three times. It's more uncomfortable than painful, I managed on a couple of paracetamol. They say it takes 6-8 weeks to recover, I think from the main pain/discomfort it's a bit longer and I didn't really feel myself until gone four months but it can't have been that bad because other than the first six weeks my hubby was away at work, my mum helped as well which was great but I would say to you get a good support network, you have to be really careful with yourself and that's hard to do when looking after a baby. Overall though, loved the whole thing!

 

[Mackmummy]

Oh I would add, don't rush from hospital, they do lots if checks on you and baby. My friend left the day after birth and to go back in due to issues with her and baby, it's not worth rushing. Your lo won't remember you being gone a few days Hun. X

 

[juliekim0908]

I had emergency c section, no different obvs =)

Got out of theatre on sat night around half 8. To be honest, it's very painful afterwards. You can't even sit up or roll on your side. The following day, I was bed bound, could just about pull myself up on the bed to sit up.

Nurses change babies bum and get them dressed for you first off. They pass you baby on bed to feed etc..
or sleep =)

They then told me that they would try get me out of bed to sit in the chair late that afternoon. I believe (may have been the next morning)

I lasted a couple of hours, still cant walk, then had to get back into bed due to low blood pressure (due to spinal block rather then epidural)

Sunday night, I believe that's when I started to hobble about a bit. still very painful when moving and was able to shower.

Monday I was able to walk about more and get in and out of bed slowly.

Tuesday home. Although they did say we could stay another night if we felt we needed it. They can let you go home after 24 hours if your up to it.

I couldn't do much for the first say 2 to 3 weeks, had to take tiny steps and couldn't really bend over.
Mackmummy is very right in saying you will not be able to pick your 1 year old up. You will need help im afraid, its a 'uncomfortable' recovery, and you should not push yourself as it pushes back the recovery time even longer.

Everyones experiences may be different. I pushed myself too much, even walking down the shop and back made me bleed very heavily and made my scar/belly hurt. You need a lot of rest. x

 

[littlemonkey]

Mackmummy is right get a good support network in place beforehand. My OH is off work for a month and then I have my mum and dad with me for a while to help out too this time around.

One thing that I found difficult is that i would feel ok until I tried to do something and then would decline pretty quickly. I'd go for walks and be crippled the next day.

 

[Applecrumble]

I had a planned c section, and it was such a positive experience. I was in hospital for two nights, they actually discharged me after one, but it was about 7pm and i asked to stay another night (as they were not busy they said i could) so i could go home in the morning and we had visitors planned. pain, i took the drugs as given...but never felt any pain...Was able to walk and do normal chores by the wednesday (had baby on the monday) i drove the following wednesday, but could of driven sooner. I started running again about 4-5 weeks after! ( ps i am just an average person not super healthy)

If i had a baby again would definately get another c-section.. Really poistive experience and baby is a good calm baby as a result i believe!

My only recommendation is to buy really BIG pants, i bought what i thought was big pants and they sat on my scar, we had to go out and get the really. BIG pants form m &s...they are massive, super comfortable...(still wearing them 11 weeks on, because they are super comfy)

 

[juliekim0908]

I had a planned c section, and it was such a positive experience. I was in hospital for two nights, they actually discharged me after one, but it was about 7pm and i asked to stay another night (as they were not busy they said i could) so i could go home in the morning and we had visitors planned. pain, i took the drugs as given...but never felt any pain...Was able to walk and do normal chores by the wednesday (had baby on the monday) i drove the following wednesday, but could of driven sooner. I started running again about 4-5 weeks after! ( ps i am just an average person not super healthy)

If i had a baby again would definately get another c-section.. Really poistive experience and baby is a good calm baby as a result i believe!

My only recommendation is to buy really BIG pants, i bought what i thought was big pants and they sat on my scar, we had to go out and get the really. BIG pants form m &s...they are massive, super comfortable...(still wearing them 11 weeks on, because they are super comfy)

Im glad someones wrote a positive story, I was sure there must be some people who recover quicker than others.

BIG KNICKERS. how could I forget. Im usually a size 14/16.. I bought size 20. Only around 6 months old could I start wearing normal ones again as scar was still sore if something sat there too long x

 

[LD1978]

I had a planned section, it's major surgery so yes you'll be sore but for me it was manageable. I stayed 2 nights but was desperate to go home. I would of been discharged the next day if emily had fed ok. I only ever took diclofenac and paracetamol and pain was never awful for me. Slow moving initially but I was up and walking but the first few days are the worst.

Like mackmummy said you will need help with your toddler as you won't be able to lift for a while. It's important to remember as you'll start feeling better and it's easy to over do it! I'm a lazy cow so was a perfect excuse for me to sod cooking and housework and enjoy baby (obviously not so easy with a second)

For me the hardest things were getting out of bed (I used pillows to prop me up) coughing and laughing and just the damn frustration of not being able to do everything!!

For me it really wasn't bad at all but Id still be nervous if had to do it again

 

[rachaell]

I had an emergency c section and tbh I found it absolutely fine. I had baby 6am, was up to the toilet within a few hours and showered the same day. Went home the following day. It was sote to bend and lay flat for the first few days. I was up and about in no time and felt v normal within a couple of weeks. Drove at 3 weeks on advice of doctor and insurance. Felt I could have done this at 2 weeks but hubby wanted me to wait.
I healed v fast and realise I was lucky but just wanted to offer a different side to things xxx I had lots of friends who had hard natural births who took way longer to heal.

 

[Mrbump83]

Thank you so much for your replies

I had a vaginal birth with my first and I was home 6 hours later and felt good ( bar my stitches lol)
So I'm really worried about a c section and a ( suddenly) clingy one year old that even at 37 weeks pregnant I end up carrying most of the day.

I'm really hoping now that my placenta gets a move on and gets out the way lol

I understand everyone's experiences are different but bar one story I've not heard anything particularly good to be honest.

You guys are so brave! I'm a real chicken for pain too!
X x

 

[Lyllian]

Me. I was kept in a while but that was due to complications not the section itself. I left before I was.meant to anyway,I was left to life Mt baby in and out the cot and I was really struggling and just wanted home where oh and mum were there to help x

 

[Mrbump83]

Wow thank you for the positive stories ( posted while I wrote the above message) I take a long time to post lol

Okay so really it's so different for everyone, it's nice to hear it from so many different points.

It does appear the planned ones seem to go better!

What a mix of good and bad!
I'm so nervous, we don't have a great support network with my parents 5 hours away, my parents 3 hours away and brothers etc the other side of the world.
I'll be inviting the parents up then x x

 

[Mackmummy]

Yeah defo get your parents there just incase, you may have a quick recovery but best to be on the safe side and as others have said, you might feel ok but do yourself an injury if you try to do too much. Don't worry about a c section though, it's fab, I was laughing and joking with the surgeon while she was fishing oscar out! No pain was fab.

 

[Dotty_woman]

I had a planned c-section a week before my due date. It wasn't as bad as I expected (although one of the nurses fainted in theatre). My section procedure started at about 9:30 and Violet was born at about 10:25. It was a good few hours before i started to regain the feeling in my legs. I managed to walk to the toilet the same evening I think to empty my catheter. Walking was very uncomfortable and very slow but not impossible. The biggest problem for me was that Vi wasn't feeding very well and I was very hormonal and weepy. I was sick of having blood tests (although appreciate it was a necessary evil) and couldn't wait to get home. I managed to get out of hospital the following evening at about 90pm. It was my first c-section although it was my 3rd baby. Don't underestimate how much help you will need and don't pass up any offers. Just standing up and sitting down is a major effort so make sure it's easy to tend to your little one without having to move around too much. Good luck! xxx

 

[Pumpkin9]

I had an emergency csection at 9.30pm after getting to hospital at 4pm being 3/4ck dialated.

I was in hospital from Thursday night to Saturday afternoon. I had a spinal anaesthetic during the procedure and was then topped up with oral morphine and paracetamol after the op. I was stiff but not overly sore and they also have me surgical compression stocking things and blood thining injections. Hospital was great as they were really good at helping me with baby as I couldn't really do much do the first week after the op. They did get me up for a shower the morning after though which was an ordeal walking there and doing it myself? Never been so tired.

Once I was home I had to continue injecting myself with blood thining injections intil I reached 10 days and I had to keep wearing the stockings while I wasn't very mobile.

I did have quite a quick recovery and was able to do small things in the first week and by 2 weeks could bend and lift small things easily, walking was a problem.
By 4 weeks I was back to a good physical fitness but it took me sometime to be able to walk long distances.
Granny pants and a raised cushion on the sofa saved my life

 

[Mrbump83]

You know I've been quite shocked at how long recovery is.
I know it's major surgery but I just imagined ( having never had any surgery) that a few painkillers and I'd be up and out.

It's been quite shocking to read how long and difficult the recovery can be, even in the positive stories, especially as you've just had a child that you need to look after x x

 

[Jojo84]

I had a section on the Monday, chose to stay until the Thursday due to feeding issues. I was ip and about the next day, and pain free most of the time by week 2.... Although stairs did hurt. I walked around Tesco the day we came home.

 

[Goat]

I had an emergency with my first and was in for 7 days but that's because she was very poorly in nicu. I however had catheter out and waking after 12 hours, up and down to nicu from the outset etc. By the time we were discharged I felt much better and was off pain meds etc.

Second was a 'planned emergency' which means they saw something wasn't right but not critical so they booked my in for c section next day. That experience was much more relaxed, luckily baby was healthy this time. Again I was walking around 12 hours after and discharged literally 24hours after birth. Again I was only on pain meds for a week. It was just a lot harder with a toddler to look after but thank god for my mum. Also big pants are a must like others have said. I wore smaller pants for just one day at 4 weeks pp and they rubbed on the scar causing a bit to come open and get infected.

Good luck hun.xxx