Anything they dont tell you about a c section?

[kayla93]

I am having a scheduled c section on Thursday because my baby is breech, and I am just wondering if any of you ladies know anything that they don't tell you about getting a c section? I just want to be as prepared as I can be, and I know sometimes they don't always tell you everything, so you learn the hard way.

Thanks ladies!

 

[lisanicole]

From what I remember.. i was suprised by the following (i had an emergency c section so i was not prepared)

How much you shake after the surgery
How the room spun after surgery and I could not appreciate looking at my son
How much you bled (the first time you stand up its not pretty)
How much my legs swelled up (i seriously had elephant legs for 2 weeks)
The bad constipation I got about a week after surgery

 

[AlesiaNicole]

Yah the swelling feet and legs kind of shocked me. They pump you so full of fluids! Try to get up and get walking as soon as they let you. It speeds up the recovery process.

 

[_Lexi_]

The shaking as I was being stitched up was awful I had to hand baby to my mum. The shoulder pain in the hours afterwards - ask for peppermint water, eases the pain. The excessive bruising, I was black and blue and tender for weeks. That the bleeding can stop and start again with a vengeance after a few weeks. That I'd still have numb patches a year post surgery. Ask for stool softeners, that first one, 5 days later, was utter hell and so so painful. Keep on top of your pain meds. I was on morphine for 4 days. Didn't know oh would have to inject me for two weeks. Don't get up too soon. I was up after 2 hours to get to the nicu which delayed my recovery, increased bruising and almost made me haemorrhaging.

 

[SHAMto3]

The fact that you can feel pressure & them removing the baby, but no pain. Having your arms fastened down was weird. The sudden urge to vomit as baby was coming out. The shakes afterwards. Lots of nausea. Lots of vaginal bleeding. Lots of pain sitting up, rolling over, coughing, etc. you really have to take it as easy as possible for the first 2-3 weeks.

 

[Renner]

I think everyone's experience is completely different. I can agree with the swelling of the feet and ankles though. Also, I found that walking and getting back at it the sooner, was better as well. I hope your experience is as best as it can be. Your legs will remain numb for a few hours after. That scared me for some reason lol!

 

[Logan's Mum]

I had the shakes and that was after forceps (think I had been prepped for a c section just in case). No idea this could happen, freaky stuff! X

 

[dollyemi]

I didn't have a c section but in our ante natal class our midwife made a mock up of theatre, mainly to show the number of people involved. There was about 12 people in a standard c section if there are student midwives etc so don't panic that there are a lot of people, it doesn't mean that there is a complication. I found that really useful to know.

 

[tracyy]

I had one 8 years ago as my daughter was breech. The only other thing that I have experienced is no feeling in that area since! Something I never even though of but was weird to start with. X

 

[Wildfire81]

You might be very nauseous right after the baby comes
If you need to sneeze or cough hold a pillow to your belly so it does not hurt as bad
Walk as soon as you can while still in the hospital, you will be much better off sooner
Any time somebody offers you a break with baby in the hospital-take it! After you go home you may not get a break for a long time!
You most likely will not have any or a lot of BMilk in the hospital, that's okay, your body is most likely making colostrum and baby does not need much for the first few days

 

[MrsHippo]

I had a section three weeks ago and still recovering. You will be in quite a bit of pain for the first week so make sure you have plenty of help at home. I couldn't get in and out of my bed for about 3 days, well I could, it really hurt and took me about 10 minutes!! You gradually start being able to do more though and before you know it you'll be back to normal. I am living as normal now, my scar hurts if I have over done it....but overall much better.

I agree with the pp's. You shake loads and can't stop, I was told the spinal block caused that. The sensation of not feeling anything below your boobs is the weirdest thing, I remember looking around the cover thing they bring up and seeing my legs to the sides (this was after when they were popping a catheter in) was soooo strange as you don't realise they have moved!!

When I was in theatre I had about 6/7 people in there. Everyone was really nice though mine was an emergency as my bubs was breech but was undiagnosed until I was in labour, she was distressed also so everything was really upsetting for me. I think it would have been loads worse if the staff weren't as nice as they were though.

 

[Zfbaby]

Ladies in the uk, did you have your arms strapped down and what sort of ivs did you have. Did you have one in the back of the hand?

 

[MrsHippo]

Ladies in the uk, did you have your arms strapped down and what sort of ivs did you have. Did you have one in the back of the hand?

No I didn't have anything strapped (I don't think...), my arms were free anyway. I also didn't have to wear a gown or scrubs, I had my surgery wearing the top and bra I went in with. Just had to lift it up. Think it might be different if the surgery is planned though.

The line was put in the back of my hand which was worse than my contractions!!! (I was almost fully dialated at time of surgery). The doctor went in my left hand first and completely bodged it up so went in the other. I hate anything going in the back of my hands and begged for them to go in at my ACF (inside of elbow) but apparently they have to go in at your hand for easy access and movement

 

[_Lexi_]

My arms weren't strapped down either. Once Joshua was weighed and checked, I held him whilst they stitched me up. They couldn't get the IV in the back of my hand, so it had to go just under my thumb joint on my right hand. I had to wear one of their gowns which was lifted up to just under my boobs.

 

[Zfbaby]

I'm petrified about the ivs. I had one 10yrs ago in the back of my hand and screamed until it was taken out.
Does the spinal hurt?

 

[kayla93]

Thank you so much ladies It helps to know what to expect, at least for me it does. I am getting super nervous, especially since its so weird to be awake for it. lol.

 

[hungary97]

I've just written a post re mine. Also I loved the wat the spinal gave me tingly legs.

 

[2ndtimeluckyX]

I had a section 18 months ago due to breach presentation too.
I'm in the UK and was not strapped down at all. Spinal did not hurt at all, it's a very strange warm sensation as they put the fluid in, wierd!
Loads of people in the room but they were all lovely. Baby was handed straight to me after my hubby cut the cord.
I didn't experience any shakes or nausea. I didn't bleed all that much, I was told it was normal to bleed less after a csection as so much is removed in the theatre before stitching you back up.
The one thing that did really hurt though was breast feeding as it causes your uterus to contract and that is painful around the scar!
Make sure you have large high-waisted knickers

 

[Bubsta]

Don't let some of the info in the posts scare you. You may experience all of these symptoms, or only a couple. For me personally, I didn't shake or vomit. My arms weren't strapped. Tbh, I was pretty oblivious to a lot that was going on during the completion if my em c-sect as I was just in bliss looking at my beautiful baby on my chest.
My experience was a tugging sensation but certainly not painful. The following day, I got up to go to the loo and was frightened by the amount of blood, I thought something was seriously wrong. I buzzed the nurse but it was completely normal. I was a bit naive thinking that because I was cut open that I wouldn't bleed anywhere near as much which was wrong in my experience.
You won't be able to stand up straight for a few days, and where you are stitched could be tender/numb/itchy (depending on where you are in the healing process).
I did need help for a couple of weeks with lifting stuff. You will be a bit sore so make sure you have pain meds for when you need them.

Good luck for Thursday! It's not long now and you will have your beautiful baby in your arms and nothing else will matter. Xxx

 

[misspriss]

I did not feel any pressure, my arms were not tied down, I didn't get the shakes, the room didn't spin, it went great. My lower body DID feel like it was floating during the entire procedure, but I think that was the epidural!

They kept the epidural in for about 36 hours post procedure. I was kept up on magnesium sulfate for 24 hours post surgery. They kept the bleeding and pads changed for me (very weird having a nurse change your pad and clean up your hoo-haa...) and I had a catheter until the epidural was removed. By the time I was moving around, my bleeding was quite normal and period-like. The incision was all bandaged up, when I removed the dressing when I got my first shower (more than 36 hours but less than 48 post-surgery, I think) and there was only a spot of blood on it.

Take the stool softeners. That was the hardest part of my recovery was forgetting to take them once I got home. Stay on top of your pain meds, don't wait until you are in a lot of pain to take them, be proactive.

I was up and about pretty soon after, take it easy, but keep moving, if that makes sense. You need to move to keep the gasses and bowels moving around, and get your body back up to moving, but overdoing it will slow your recovery.

Good luck! Mine was an EMCS after 36 hours of failed induced labor....