Positive c-section experiences please!!!!!

[Claire300]

I am pregnant with my 2nd child. With my 1st, I had a very quick and 'blind' (birthing pool) delivery during which I had a 3rd degree tear. I had to go into theatre an hour after my son was born for my stitches and was told at the time I should consider a c-section next time. I'd literally just given birth & was just so keen to get back to my son that I didn't really give it much thought, although it's always been in the back of my mind. It hasn't really bothered me, and as I'm not a big fan of pain anyway felt quite relieved I wouldn't have to go through it again!
I took easily 9 months to heal. My internal stitches were so painful I couldn't stand up for very long, straining to go to the loo was awful (just seemed to put pressure 'down there') and my marriage suffered. Painful stitches inside your foo foo doesn't make sex very pleasant! Luckily I have a patient husband.

Now I'm pregnant again though, I keep getting really upset that I won't be delivering naturally, and getting the first hold of my 2nd son, and basically the feeling afterwards that I've done it myself. I have asked 3 different midwives to give me their honest opinion on what they would recommend I do, all say it's ultimately my decision, and 2 have said they would recommend a c-section. The 3rd actually turned to my mother (who had come to the appointment with me to hear the heartbeat! xx) and told her that if it was her daughter there's no way she'd let her deliver naturally! I take this as pretty much the universe saying this is the best thing to do, but I keep getting upset every time I think of it.

So many people have told me horror stories about c-sections and the recovery is longer (however after 9 months of pain in my foo foo I think I can cope!), I just need to hear some positive experiences, to stop me feeling so bad about it! Thanks for reading, if I'm honest I feel better just getting it all written down!

 

[megangrohl]

I had an emcs and honestly the surgery was nothing. The incision is small and you can barely tell its there. The recovery time is different for everyone. For me it was about a week before I felt really good, not 100% but remember that labor isn't easy which u already know! and recovering does take time. they help the recovery by making u get up and moving around the day after the surgery. The hardest thing for me to get over is my jello belly I had/have but I think I would have that even with a vaginal birth because lily was so huge. 3 weeks later and its just looking smaller but i still have 14 lbs to my pre preg weight. Good luck

 

[Winks]

I had one. Didn't go into labour due to high risk pre-e.

We got told we would have a c-section that afternoon. Went home, got my bag - grabbed a taxi to the hospital.

Checked into our room, got gowned up, went and had the baby.

My recovery was great - only advice is take the drugs offered (always!)... nurses and dr's kept telling me this. So I did, and no pain at all. Think I feel in love with the morphine drip

Also having help at home for the first 6 weeks really helped.

My scar is virtually not visable after 2 years... to be honest only concern is the increased risks with future pregnancies... but that's just cause I'm currently pregnant and google stuff toooooo much.

Anyway good luck with your pregnancy

 

[confused87com]

i had a c section for the safety of my baby, i really wanted a natural birth. I can tell you that the experience was fine, i believe i recovered better than a lot of mothers that 'pushed' . i was up and about visiting my child within a few hours.
It just shows how well it went that i am seriously considering this child to be a c sec delivery too. i got over the initial upset of not doing it myself, but at the end of the day u will enjoy your first moments far more if u are not needing a complete rebuild down below! i will be upset if i cant hold my baby first as it was five days before i held Mikey, but i will look forward to having a big term baby i can take home with me......sorry for rambling! c secs really arent that bad or i most certainly wouldnt be opting for one this time round!

 

[anniehannie]

Hi ya I had an emcs with my son. After 36 hours in active labour, getting fully dilated, baby getting stuck and going into distress I wasn't worried what happened next as long as my baby was safe!

I was advised after the emcs to have a planned c section next time which I did. I thought long and hard and it was the best plan for me.

The spinal is fine is, I did have a trainee try to do mine. 3 times he attempted it and kept hitting a nerve! Then a senior stepped in and got it in place 1st time, no pain. I just kept hem informed and made sure they knew if it didn't feel right. The worst bit is keeping still and curving your back, not easy with a bump! But I just concentrated on my breathing and thought happy thoughts.

The actual op is absolutely fine. Ask them to lower the screen when the baby comes out. It was amazing - I loved watching my daughter being born

Also request that baby and OH go into recovery with you. I had skin to skin in recovery and mia latched on straight away

You can't get out of bed all day on the day of the op which I was pleased of. I got to cuddle skin on skin all day with Mia which was lovely. This helps regulate their breathing after the c section and regulate their temperature.

The hardest bit is the first time you have to get out of bed. I was advised to look up at something on the ceiling and stand up as straight as possible, don't slouch. Also going to the toilet was hard as I couldn't sit on the toilet! I couldn't get down that far! So they gave me a bucket thing to wee in which was better.

I have had a really bad cough and it has been painful when I cough. But I'm on day 6 now and can move about the house, shower, do light duties and not feeling too bad.

I would say the two most important things are to have a good support network around you. My OH and son who is 8 have been amazing. OH has done all cooking and cleaning and I ave looked after Mia. After my emcs I was doing te cooking and some cleaning and ended up with a womb infection as I had overdone it. So take it easy.

The other important thing is take all the drugs they give you - take them as a preventative of pain not when your in pain.

Don't feel guilty, you are still giving birth to your baby, just in a different way.

 

[disney doll]

I had emcs with my son following failed induction and fetal distress and to be honest it was not as bad as i thought. I healed very quick after the surgery( took arnica tablets ) and yes it is painful the first few days and when you first start to walk but they give you good pain relief. The most fustrating thing was not being able to do much the first week but after that it slowly improved. I would opt for a c section again if i have to x

 

[Futuremommy1]

Mine was great. I labored for 11 hours on my own before my dr became worried my daughter wasnt handling the contractions well. At 5cm her heart rate would drop over 50% for way too long. So it was decided that I'd have an unplanned c/s. received my epi was under the knife within 10 minutes of epi being tested.

Baby was out with no problems. I was up and walking by the end of the day. And pretty much recovered before leaving the hospital 3 days later. Incision is almost invisible. The only thing I had to deal with when home was some slight swelling in my feet due to the extra fluids (went away in a few days) and when I would get out of bed I used my abs too much so I had to learn to not use them.

But my c/s was perfectly fine and I'd do it again if I needed to.

 

[Michelle78]

I had a c-section 3 weeks ago Friday, and I feel great. I have to keep reminding myself that I had abdominal surgery 3 weeks ago and that I should take it easy. I echo what the other ladies have said about keeping up with your pain meds. The first day after the c-section was rough because I thought I could manage with only prescription strength Motrin and Tylenol. Not a good choice on my part, I should have just taken the oxycodone from the get go. Once I got on track with the meds I felt much better. I was off all pain meds within 10 days. The pain meds can make you constipated, so make sure you are taking a stool softener so that your first BM after the surgery isn't painful.

 

[FoxMommy]

Yup. I had a great one too. My daughter was born at 32 weeks and since she was so small she didn't handle the contractions and so after 10 hours sitting at 7cm dilated the terrifying at the time decision was made to do an emergency c-sec. Sure I didnt get to hold her first, but I have more than made up for that in the thousands of hours I have held her since! It definitely didn't affect our bond, and thankfully my milk came in despite the c-section and prematurity. I too was up and about within 12 hours, albeit slowly and carefully!

I did get a slight infection but got antibiotics that were fine for breastfeeding and it went away ASAP.

 

[Evian260]

My c-section was unscheduled and after 12 hours of labor with my son - my recovery was SUPER FAST! I was up and walking around the day after he was born, mind you the only thing that really hurts is getting up out of the hospital bed for the first time... that sucks. But I was only on the oxycodone in the hospital and then when I got home was on Motrin 800's... I was doing stairs and walking (in small quantities) right after I got home and felt completely good by 3-4 weeks. I am having another one with this baby for sure... I've been there done the labor thing! LOL

 

[Babydance]

I had a 3rd borderline 4th degree with my first which was the reason for a section with my 2nd.. i could not decide what to do i was so torn and at 35 weeks booked in for a section BEST BIRTHING EXPERIENCE EVER lol It was so calm, happy, relaxed. I was home 2 days later with minimal pain, healed great no infections, neat scar, happy healthy baby. After the trauma of my first. my marraige too was affected as i couldnt have sex for 11 months after birth! If i ever had another i wouldnt hesitate on a section. All the best hope you make a desision youre 100% happy with!! xxx

 

[OriginalDoll]

I had an unplanned c-section and am 100% happy with it.
I went in and was pushing and crowning but when I would stop pushing, LO would suck right back up lol this went on for a good 3.5hrs. They gave me the option of a csection or the vacuum. They said if the vacuum failed, I'd have to get a csection anyway. So we went ahead with the csection. I have no complaints! The whole thing took about an hour, was in the recovery room for an hour, and stayed in the hospital for 3 days. I chose to stay an extra day to get breast feeding down. Recovery wasn't too bad. Yes, you will be sore but that is to be expected. I was up and walking around the next morning. Definitely walk as much as you can, it helps! It hurts but it helps so much.

 

[Gunnhilde]

I had my c-section about 3.5 years ago. It went relatively easily and well and I had almost no pain afterwords and didn't even take anything stronger than ibuprofen. I did almost faint twice during the procedure, but they kept me awake with smelling salts.

I had no recovery time and was back to university 3 days later. Now, 3.5 years later you can barely see my c-section scar....I mean you really have to look, even with the area hair free.

They put the baby right on me as I was being wheeled out of the OR and immediately attempted breastfeeding in the recovery area.

 

[Borboleta]

I had an emcs too which saved my baby's life because if he was born vaginally he probably would not have made it since we found out after the birth that I had vasa Previa ( which makes babies bleed to death if born vaginally).
I had a great recovery. After one week I felt 60% better and then after 2 weeks I was going up and down the stairs. I went back working out after 5 weeks and fell great.
Hope a csection will be a better experience to you.

 

[babyblog]

I've had 2 now. First was emergency and second was planed due to my experience of labour the firs time. I couldn't recommend a section enough. I didn't a thing due to the spinal and I had hardly any pain afterwards. I was pain free by 1 week pp, driving at 2 weeks and swimming and back at the gym this week (5 weeks pp). I have never felt better, which is strange considering I have a toddler to look after also. I had no problems bonding with my son and it didn't interfere with breast feeding. I would choose a section every time!

 

[Annie77]

I had one emergency c-section and one elective.

The elective was much easier given that it was not in the middle of the night & 3rd emergency so doctors not the most chatty etc!

I shared a room with other ladies who had vaginal births and were evidently in much worse discomfort than me due to tears, episiotomies and stitches etc. The second section was really easy to bounce back from - I was at museum trip 7 days later and hosted a garden party 10 days later (not that i would advise that - I have a screw missing!)

 

[Laraa]

Im due to have my 2nd one 2moro (1st was emergency) 2morows one is elective and im soo nervous its unreal. Dont think i will get much sleep tonight.

 

[Claire300]

I'm so glad I started this thread, I feel so much better now having read all the positive stories! And Laraa, I hope everything goes really well for you and your little bundle tomorrow!

 

[Laraa]

thank u xxx

 

[hulahoop09]

I had a planned c-section last October because of tokophobia. It was brilliant! I was so so scared but it went really well. We went to theatre and I was prepped then lo was born. I didnt even know they had cut me! Taken into recovery was there for about an hour (waiting on porters!) maybe longer. Lo was born at 9.39am and by about 4pm I was up out of bed and into my chair. I was dreading it but it was great! Next day catheter came out and I walked from one end of the maternity ward to the other as I got moved beds. Up and about to the toilet etc and it was fine! I did get a bit of pulling on one side when I tried to sit on toilet but it went off after a while and wasnt painful just uncomfy. The day after surgery they left me for 11 hours with no pain relief as they sent my sheet to the pharmacy for discharge drugs!! I managed fine though. I did get some light headedness on day 2 after surgery but was a SLIGHT anaemia. When I came home I didnt take regular pain relief and managed okay and was doing all I needed to for lo even though hubby did make me rest and I had to keep telling myself I had had major surgery! About 5 days after lo was born I was out shopping and eating in pizza hut!!

Its honestly amazing!!

xx