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

[LittleMinx]

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

Blimey hun! 3 hours,...

Oh and those sexy tights are proper nice huh?!! I have never felt so unattractive in my life

The one thing i will say, when having a baby.. Section or natural, please remember to leave your dignity at the door and to collect it on your way back out.

I remember being so shocked when they told me they had popped a suppository up my bum I wasnt bothered that i was laying there with everything on show, it was the fact that someone had put their finger up my bottom that bothered me

 

[Supermaiden]

I had an EMCS due to undetected breech.

I had to have the daily injections, though they were into my legs. The nurses did them when I was at hospital then when I came home I did them myself. Wasnt too bad putting the needle in but the stinging was ouchie lol.

I didnt get constipated as the hospital gave us orange juice every day to help us.

I couldnt walk properly for a while. Walked kind of bent over and holding my tummy.. it seemed to be the "mummy walk" in the hospital as everyone was doing it. Once I got the staples out though it was a lot better and not so restricting.

My legs and feet did swell, I had those white tight things on for a while afterwards. If I took them off my legs and feet would just balloon. Not good either if you cant get your shoes on! Had to wander out and about in my slippers lol!

Took a while for my stomach muscles to let me do a lot of stuff, still not 100% and feel really wary of doign sit ups 7 months down the line. They dont tell you how long the recovery is, I definitely wouldnt have elected to have a c-sec at all. Recovery is way too long and restricting.

 

[Heidi]

My recovery was really good after my EMCS, I also had a bead stitch which i was a big wimp about but when the mw took it out it just felt like a burn sensation for about 1 second and then it was all done.
I didnt have any injections thank god!
I was given some thing to make it easier to poo after
As for driving i was to wary of wearing the seat belt on my scar so just go DH to drive me any where, he only worked up the road so he popped out if i needed him to so quite lucky there.
But yes i do agree they don't exactly give you all these fine details in writing before hand.

 

[Mizze]

Mine was elective (well elected the day before!) and I didnt have most of what the poor OP suffered. I did have constipation - but I had that 6 months of pregnancy and for at least 6 months after (ow) so I dont think it was the drugs!!

It was a shock how much it hurt in the days after it -but also how quickly after that the pain became discomfort only. But I took the advice of a nurse friend and had arnica, vit e & Zinc daily which seemed to make things considerably better (she has had 2 c-sections and swears by this combination)

Completely agree that this is NOT the easy option!

Mizze x

 

[mummyApril]

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

most of this is true, except constipation normally happens with or without the pain killers, and the swollen ankles etc is water retention and you can get that from natural delivery, but yes all in all very annoying! The injection thing is a new one instead of wearing those attractive blue socks during surgery

 

[Starry Night]

Thanks for bringing back all the memories I've since blocked! LOL I had forgotten about the stomach injections. Some nurses were great at them. One lady claimed to be the best at them and she really was! I didn't feel a thing.

I remember feeling like the nursing staff was really mean for making me get up out of bed that first time. LOL I couldn't stand straight and then when I went to the washroom my undies got stuck on the toilet seat and now here was this stiff, can't stand up straight lady who feels like her stomach is ripping open and she can't get off the toilet! I couldn't figure out what was going on at first. ha ha I almost pushed the panic button. So embarrassing....

 

[jikimiki]

My friend has a c-sction and she didn't have any of teh above - mentioned complications.

 

[purple_kiwi]

I never really had any of these, I got dissolvable stitches, no needles needed after even got my iv out the next morning, laxatives were on the list of med they gave just incase to keep you comfortable. My only swelling was in my hands, they got really swollen and tingly and bit it was weird because i could like feel trapped gas/air in my back by my shoulders and when they asked me to cough that was pretty painful.

 

[katy1310]

They didn't tell me I'd have to suffer the indignity of a bed bath the next day! Did everyone else get one, or was it just because I'd been so ill and wasn't allowed up yet?! I've always wondered whether it was a normal part of a c-section or not

Also I didn't know how horrible showers were going to be for the first few days - I kept nearly fainting in the shower - or how painful it would be trying to get out of bed and walk. The showers are the thing that really stick in my mind though.

I had the injections in my thigh rather than my tummy and they were stingy but nothing like as bad as the steroid injections I had to have before Sophie was born - I'd probably have thought they were horrible if I hadn't had to have the steroid ones though!

Ooh and I just recently found out from a nurse friend that when you have a section, they stick something up "down there" to clean up/suck things out afterwards. I had absolutely no idea that had happened, and she only said because I was feeling quite pleased with myself that I'd had a baby and nobody had been near "down there" - or so I though (apart from the catheter) Funny how you don't know what's going on behind that screen...

 

[lillmoo]

oh my! i think i got off lightly with my c sec now! eak that doesn't sound nice!

 

[Starry Night]

I remember complaining to a nurse that my throat hurt and she said, "well, you had a tube down your throat". I had no idea! I never been under before. But it did explain why my throat felt so raspy.

 

[queenlavera]

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

I had those as well and with the itching it did feel horrible, like bugs crawling on my legs!!

 

[queenlavera]

They didn't tell me I'd have to suffer the indignity of a bed bath the next day! Did everyone else get one, or was it just because I'd been so ill and wasn't allowed up yet?! I've always wondered whether it was a normal part of a c-section or not

Also I didn't know how horrible showers were going to be for the first few days - I kept nearly fainting in the shower - or how painful it would be trying to get out of bed and walk. The showers are the thing that really stick in my mind though.

I had the injections in my thigh rather than my tummy and they were stingy but nothing like as bad as the steroid injections I had to have before Sophie was born - I'd probably have thought they were horrible if I hadn't had to have the steroid ones though!

Ooh and I just recently found out from a nurse friend that when you have a section, they stick something up "down there" to clean up/suck things out afterwards. I had absolutely no idea that had happened, and she only said because I was feeling quite pleased with myself that I'd had a baby and nobody had been near "down there" - or so I though (apart from the catheter) Funny how you don't know what's going on behind that screen...

How did I forget this, I got washed by my nurse the next morning! It was so uncomfortable, I swear I tried to step out of my body with my mind! I couldn't walk and such due to the magnesium drip, so that is why I was bathed.

 

[KellyC75]

I too suffered with some of the things the OP mentioned

But one thing that my last csection has taught me, is to ask them NOT to use a giant sticky plaster over my wound

Blimey that hurt trying to get it off in the shower the next day It literally felt like it was 'undoing' my wound!

 

[Lil_Pixie]

I didn't have many of those issues. I was supposed about how little it hurt. I go out of bed he morning after and it didn't really hurt at all, I was only among painkillers for maybe a week. I was out doing my Christmas shopping 6days after.

I did swell up like a bloom though. And I has the suppository and the bed bath. Usually I would have been traumatised but I was so wak from the blood loss and being awake for three days I barely even noticed. I was pretty dazed lol

 

[FirstBubba]

Some of it was true for me - I had to have the injections but I chose to have them in my arm, i got swelling from the knee down (very attractive lol), I didnt have a drain or stitch that had to be pulled out, my stitches were dissolvable(sp?). I wasn't constipated either, opposite problem for me lol, my midwife also came to me when I was home. However, one thing I wasnt told was that where the scar now is the area is completely numb, horrible feeling!

 

[yumyum1979]

Very true but I think every hospital is different as I only had that jab once ? But no one told me my belly would be numb forever !!!

 

[yumyum1979]

I didn't have a drain either and they didn't tell me I couldn't eat normally ? Or maybe they did but I did t hear ? Lol

 

[Lil_Pixie]

I was allowed to eat normally. They made me jam on toast and a cup of tea as soon as I go to the ward.

 

[FirstBubba]

they gave me breakfast about an hour after i had been stitched up, they were making me drink lots to but for other reasons. While i was having my section i couldnt move/feel anything from the belly button down, they ran an icecube over me to see if i could feel it and asked me if i could wiggle my toes (i couldnt).