Things they don't tell u about c-sections - Dont read if ur already scared!

[Wagamamma]

I was taken by supprise after I had my emergency c-sec by all the things that happend to me that I'd never heard of or read about, so just wanted to share.....

1st and most supprising thing was that I had to have an injection in my belly a few hours after the c-sec and that I had to have one a day for 7 days, which meant doing them your self at home for someone who doesn't like needles this was a scary thought! Luckily I got someone to do it for me.

2nd The painkillers they give you cause constipation!!!!!! Constipation whilst your stomach is being held together by a few stiches is Not the one!!!! I'd never had constipation befor and actually thought I was dying

3 c-sec messes up your digestion and your not supposed to eat normally straight away! They give you all this info whilst your looking at your new born and it goes in one ear, out the other.....end result worse constipation!!!

4 your ankles and feet can swell up! I literally looked like the guy out of nutty professor when he balloons up, cankles were an understatement! Couldn't walk or bend or go upstairs for about 3 weeks!!!! Does make looking after a new baby quite difficult, especially if you keep dropping things and can't pick them up

5 I had a drain in my wound afterwards which they remove the next day...... VERY painfull, they only told me about the drain when they came to remove it "this will probably be quite painfull" oh thanks!!!!

6 day 5 midwife comes to visit, "I'm going to remove your bead stich now" wtf! Another painfull process I had no idea about!

Midwife books you an appointment, to come to the clinic! Erm I can't drive for 6 weeks and how am I supposed to walk with balloon feet

Finally start to feel better and venture out for a stroll with your new baby/pram! Your stomach muscles don't allow you to get the pram up kerbs you get half way down the road and actually a realise you feel very ill, and now have to try and survive the walk back!

SO! Anyone who thinks having a c-section is an easy option, ha think again!
But why don't they tell you any of this in the books

 

[Mallows]

LOL - That's is so true , nobody told me any of those things either not to mention how painful it is to sit up after the section to hold your little one.

 

[Ruth 1980]

Erm actually most of those things weren't true for me. No belly injections, no swelling, dissolvable stitches, and could get up kerbs just fine x

 

[Ruth 1980]

Oh also, different insurance companies have different policies. Mine said if your doctor
Is happy for you to drive we don't mind. So I was driving after 3weeks.
I will give you the wound drain though! Bloody awful! Worst thing I've ever been through. And that includes 3 surgeries! x

 

[queenlavera]

The only thing that happened to me is finding out how hard it is to pick up LO right after. This was only for the first day though and by the second I was able to get up and pick him up. I had dissovable stitches, no belly injections, no wound leaks and no swelling. I drove 2 weeks after emcs.

 

[bump2be]

I didn't have to inject myself with anything after my c-section and I didn't swell up at all.

I did have constipation, tho and it was awful! Like you said trying to 'strain' after you've been cut in half and stitched up is not fun!

The hardest part from me was my trousers rubbing against the c section wound! That was painful. The other hard part was not being able to pick my baby up out of the cot. We were forced to co-sleep because I found it hard to get out of the bed or bend down to lift my LO to breastfeed.

 

[mtnprotracy]

I didn't have any injections either. I just remember them wanting me to cough to keep my lungs clear, and it hurt like the dickens. It also hurt to laugh....and I laugh A LOT . The only thing I really wasn't prepared for though was the itching. I think the spinal had morphine for pain relief in it. About an hour after the procedure, I was itching SO bad I was in hysterical tears. It was like I was itching from the inside...things crawling around my blood. Oh, it was HORRIBLE. Thankfully, they gave me something by IV that stopped it pretty quickly. But I am certainly gonna ask about it this time!

 

[JASMAK]

I didn't have those things...never found it too painful actually. I have been told I have a very high pain tolerance though. I had no probs breastfeeding, carrying my baby...I drove. The one thing I can relate to, is the swelling...and that was only with my last one. But, I agree, it's not 'easy' but I wouldn't say any birth is.

 

[Raezy]

I didn't have any of that stuff either, except some constipation and I did swell. I actually have little stretch marks on my ankles from them swelling so much suddenly...haha!

 

[heathersa]

I had hardly any of those things either. The worst thing about the section is your thoughts before hand if you've never had one before. But the whole procedure i remember thinking, actually this really isnt that bad, I never felt a things. Please anyone reading this post don't be terrified. Yes a section is scary if you have never had one and yes it does hurt afterwards. All worth it though!!

 

[jess77]

yep totally agree with you!. I am nearly 4 weeks pp, and im still not driving, and having troubles with my wound, they never tell you no matter how much you get the air/clean it you can be unlucky and get an infection- guess what im that person!
I had an emergency section and the things I didnt expect in addition to your list is, the drink you have to have to neutralise the stomach acid, the epidural for a section doesn't actually make you loose all feeling just no pain felt(very weird i could wiggle my toes while i was cut open lol), being sick on the table due to medication, and how much it actually hurts getting out of bed for the first time!.
I had 14 hours of labour too so I was absolutely shattered, beings my boy was born at 4.08am. I couldn't even hold my baby for long for a couple of days, felt weird that my hubby n nursery nurse were looking after my baby and not me.

 

[LittleMinx]

I was taken by supprise after I had my emergency c-sec by all the things that happend to me that I'd never heard of or read about, so just wanted to share.....

1st and most supprising thing was that I had to have an injection in my belly a few hours after the c-sec and that I had to have one a day for 7 days, which meant doing them your self at home for someone who doesn't like needles this was a scary thought! Luckily I got someone to do it for me.

2nd The painkillers they give you cause constipation!!!!!! Constipation whilst your stomach is being held together by a few stiches is Not the one!!!! I'd never had constipation befor and actually thought I was dying

3 c-sec messes up your digestion and your not supposed to eat normally straight away! They give you all this info whilst your looking at your new born and it goes in one ear, out the other.....end result worse constipation!!!

4 your ankles and feet can swell up! I literally looked like the guy out of nutty professor when he balloons up, cankles were an understatement! Couldn't walk or bend or go upstairs for about 3 weeks!!!! Does make looking after a new baby quite difficult, especially if you keep dropping things and can't pick them up

5 I had a drain in my wound afterwards which they remove the next day...... VERY painfull, they only told me about the drain when they came to remove it "this will probably be quite painfull" oh thanks!!!!

6 day 5 midwife comes to visit, "I'm going to remove your bead stich now" wtf! Another painfull process I had no idea about!

Midwife books you an appointment, to come to the clinic! Erm I can't drive for 6 weeks and how am I supposed to walk with balloon feet

Finally start to feel better and venture out for a stroll with your new baby/pram! Your stomach muscles don't allow you to get the pram up kerbs you get half way down the road and actually a realise you feel very ill, and now have to try and survive the walk back!

SO! Anyone who thinks having a c-section is an easy option, ha think again!
But why don't they tell you any of this in the books

To be honest hun it sounds like you may of just had a few complications in theatre.

I have had 3 c-sections and the only one i had issues with was my 1st which was an emergency.

1, I have never with all 3 of mine had to have injections afterwards.
2, The only time i had constipation was after my emergency section
3, I was eating, drinking, peeing and poo'ing normally within 24 hours
4, Thats totally normal
5, The only time i had a drain was with my emergency section, this was due to losing alot of blood in theatre.
6, I didnt find the stitch removal painful as such, just stings a tiny bit.

To anyone who is due a c-section, please dont be scared The worst bit for me was having the canular in the back of my hand The rest was easy...
Yes recovery varies from woman to woman, but with the right pain relief its totally manageable.

I have had 3, yes one of them was rushed and rather scary.. But the other 2 were totally amazing! I was aware of what was happening as the theatre staff talked to me the whole time... And with my last 2 i was able to have lots of skin to skin time with my baby I was even breastfeeding in recovery! So to me there wasnt much difference to having a 'natural' birth! Mine just came out the sunroof

Good luck to all who are due to have their babies soon

 

[evasmum]

I had horrendous constipation with my 1st (emcs) but my elective I was all back to normal in a day.

No one told me I'd be able to watch the whole thing reflected in the theatre lights! Both terrifying and incredible! My LO was screaming half out, was amazing!

 

[HopefulMi]

My section was a crash one and I had the best recovery. Was walking loads in a day, driving in 3 weeks, stopped needing painkillers on day 3 or 4 and no infection. Didn't need injections or anything. I guess it depends on your nurses and people as well as to how well you recover and are prepared because I was expecting most things x

 

[GlasgowAngel]

I had the clexane injections after my section. They are to thin your blood to prevent clots as you are not very mobile. But I agree they were agony. My midwife did them for me, but I knoe a lot of people beed to do them themself when they get home.

I had problems getting my spinal in and was grabbing some poor atudent midwifes hand The canular was agonising for me and I felt like I couldn't moe my hand. when they put stuff into the canular I could feel it going in my veins and again struggled with this. They had to take it out and put another 1 in It still hury hoinv in but I could move my hand and didn't feel any pain when they used it.

I will point out though that my pain threshold at this point had disappeared completley due to pre-eclampsia and it was taking about 5 attempts to draw any blood from me.

So my experience is not the norm. Don't let it put you off. I really really didn't want a section before hand. But afterward I felt good about it. My recovery was pretty fast from the section.

 

[queenlavera]

Just remembered, I also had bad constipation, itchiness from the epi and I shook like mad for about 20 minutes after waking in recovery. But that was it.

 

[the why bird]

Most of this wasn't true for me either - I keep telling people that I can't believe how easy recovery was for me. Mine was an emergency c section and everyone at the hospital was wonderful in looking after me. I was on my feet the same night and done with painkillers by day 3.

I did have to do the injections at home, and was surprised by the burning sensation, but it didn't bother me too much. I was also surprised by the compression socks which I had to wear the whole time in hospital - and for the first four hours these strange socks which kept inflating and deflating - perhaps this is what saved me from the swelling?

I wish they had warned my husband about what to expect though - I was too busy being operated on to notice much, but from where my husband was sitting he could see the blood being suctioned and pumped out of me when they were operating. He had no idea how much blood was normal and was really frightened. Also my blood pressure kept dropping - someone was stood over me adjsting my drop the whole time to keep it steady, but for my husband who kept seeing the numbers fluctuating again it was pretty scary.

 

[LittleMinx]

Just remembered, I also had bad constipation, itchiness from the epi and I shook like mad for about 20 minutes after waking in recovery. But that was it.

I had quite bad itching too, but i was told it was the morphine... And yeah i had some shakes too, a mixture of drugs and adrenalin i think

xx

 

[Wagamamma]

Defiantly agree everyone is different and a lot of people have an easy experience with c-sec but just wanted to point out a few things that I'd never heard of or read anywhere so came as a shock!

Think I must of had one of the bad ones lol
Your all reminding me now of things I missed! The wind stuck in the belly afterwards and needing the peppermint water. Allergic reaction to all the drugs was itching and covered in rashes all over. Shaking like crazy whilst they were stitching me up and trying my damn hardest to keep awake, kept slipping away and remember getting angry with the nurse coz she wouldn't talk to me to keep me awake!
I was in theatre for 3 hours in total and even after all these things they stil sent me home after a day

I'd still do it all over again tho

I've not written this to scare anyone, just to let u know of some of the things that "can" happen that u may not be aware of

 

[Wagamamma]

Most of this wasn't true for me either - I keep telling people that I can't believe how easy recovery was for me. Mine was an emergency c section and everyone at the hospital was wonderful in looking after me. I was on my feet the same night and done with painkillers by day 3.

I did have to do the injections at home, and was surprised by the burning sensation, but it didn't bother me too much. I was also surprised by the compression socks which I had to wear the whole time in hospital - and for the first four hours these strange socks which kept inflating and deflating - perhaps this is what saved me from the swelling?

I wish they had warned my husband about what to expect though - I was too busy being operated on to notice much, but from where my husband was sitting he could see the blood being suctioned and pumped out of me when they were operating. He had no idea how much blood was normal and was really frightened. Also my blood pressure kept dropping - someone was stood over me adjsting my drop the whole time to keep it steady, but for my husband who kept seeing the numbers fluctuating again it was pretty scary.

Oh yes I had those inflating sock things too! Such a wired feeling! Didn't save my swelling tho, think its coz when they got me up! I stayed on my feet the whole time as it was easier than getting on & off the bed