Caesarean section experiences

pukkamum

I have had 3 sections first two were emergency and the last was planned.
My first was done under general as I had a completely inept anaesthesiologist who could not get the needle in the right place attempting it 3 times whilst I was having major contractions, but luckily my midwife was there and she put a stop to it.
The pain afterwards wasn't too bad, more uncomfortable than extrememe pain and I was up and about the next day.

The 2nd was after a failed v-bac and was wonderful (may have something to do with the pethidine I had just before going in for surgery lol) it all went perfectly (apart from baby needing resuscitating) and I was virtually pain free and moblie a few hours later.
The 3rd wasn't so great I was very anxious from the start and all the way through but in terms of pain and mobility I was fine.
I too was driving after a couple of weeks it depends on your insurance company, it's worth giving them a ring, I wasn't on any pain meds so was fine to.

Oh and 2 yrs after my last and I still have a numb tummy!
Oh and use a cushion pressed against your tummy when you cough for the first few days otherwise it will hurt!

I had both babies put on me asap after birth for skin to skin and they fed whilst I was in recovery.
Also don't try and be a hero after having baby, your instinct will be to pick them up out of the cot to change nappies etc but don't, ring for a nurse!

loopy94

I ended up with an emergency section due to my boy being in distress. It all went fine, it does feel like someone washing up inside you as they do it though. Once I was home there was a big lumpy bit behind the scar the midwife said if was a hematoma however what they didn't say was that it would burst open and leak through the scar. I woke up in the middle of the night thinking I'd lost pints of blood and the whole scar had popped. Upon looking it was a clear though slightly blood tinged liquid and there was a lot of it. I went to the doctors and they told me this was quite normal! It leaked for 2 weeks solid. It has all healed up fine now and isn't causing any problems at all. Just thought I'd warn you so if it happens you wouldn't panic quite as much as I did!

19lottie82

peachyprice wrote: »

Who informed them, their insurance companies?

My insurance company said that as long as I felt fine to drive I would still be covered. I was driving within 2 weeks of both my sections.

The nures in the hospital.

Thanks PP, thats interesting to know

gadjah543

Re. the driving you must be able to perform an emergency stop and I know after 2 weeks that i wouldn't personally have been able to do that.

valk_scot

My c-section experience is a bit out of date so I won't recount it, but it was an emergency c-section (shoulder presentation and he got stuck) and I remember cooking for a dinner party two weeks later. This second part was an absolute mistake and ended up with me being exhausted for the following week, so my advice re the wedding is don't go unless you feel reasonably okay. I wouldn't have thought a wedding would be a great idea for a two week onld baby and a tired post section mum anyway. Even if you're breastfeeding the baby won't have settled yet, I remember the epic two hour feeds with a newborn!

Re the driving, you MUST check with your insurance company that you're covered for driving, the norm is no driving within six weeks of major surgery (which a c-section is) unless you have permission from your doctor and also feel you can do an emergency stop without ripping your stitches/scar open. I was driving four weeks after the section so it's perfectly possible, just make sure about the insurance that's all.

I went on to have two VBACs after my section btw, I have to say the recovery from these were a lot easier, especially for the second where I had no drugs at all. C-sections are invasive surgery after all, there's a backlog of drugs to clear out your body and it has a fair amount of healing to do. Give yourself plenty of time and get as much help as possible, you won't be allowed to pick up anything heavier than the baby for the first month after and things like hoovering and picking up baskets of wet laundry or carrying the shopping in from the car are right out.

Big knickers are essential as are things like loose elastic waisted trousers. Your abdominal muscles will have been cut, remember, you're going to have a bit of a belly till things heal up and you don't want tight clothes rubbing on a tender scar. Get some sort of loose and flowing top for the wedding to wear over comfy trousers. Oh, and you'll bleed at least as long if not more after a c-section as you would for a vaginal birth so plenty of pads. You'll feel fine going to the loo though, you won't have all the nether region bruising and possible tears down there so that's a real bonus, lol!

fluffnutter

19lottie82 wrote: »

Was this a while ago? I have 2 friends who have had C's in the last year and both were informed that they couldn't drive for 8 weeks afterwards, as their insurance would be invalid?

Informed by whom?

I looked into the whole c-section/driving thing before my son was born and I concluded that it was a bit of an urban myth that insurance companies stipulate that you can't drive for X period after a c-section. What you find instead is a lot of vague stuff about being medically fit.

What tends to happen is that insurance companies will defer to medical opinion and medical professionals will simply say check your insurance policy. Both pass the buck for actually making a decision.

Anecdotally or otherwise I've never heard of a case whereby a woman has been involved in an accident and had her claim rejected because she's recently had a c-section. I suspect that if the insurance company tried this (provided it wasn't explicitly prohibited in the T&Cs), it could be easily argued that someone was fit to drive and companies aren't prepared to be taken to court

Obviously everyone needs to check their specific policy - mine didn't mention it and I couldn't find one that did but I don't want to be responsible for misadvising the one woman whose insurance policy does specifically forbid it!

mammyof7

I had possibly the worst cesarean ever. I,m not telling you this to scare you as what happened to me is apparently very rare .

I had my 7th baby by CS (my first). He was extremely ill and it was decided to deliver him by CS to maximise the chance of him being born alive.

Things didn't go great from the beginning. For whatever reason the spinal block just would not go in and had to be repeated a few times. When it did go in, I still had slight sensation which I told them but they said it was normal and to go ahead.

Everything was fine until a couple of minutes of birth and then I began to feel the most horrendous pain. I cant even put it into words what it felt like. Even topping the spinal up never made a dent of the pain. The Dr's kept asking me to go to sleep but as my son was so ill I refused. Around this time I also became aware that I was bleeding a lot. Although I was quite incoherant by now I was still aware that it was becoming a real emergency.

I remeber feeling every single thing that was happening. The pain was indescribale it actually made made physically sick. 17 minutes after he was born my son died and I was that ill I was hardly aware :(:(. I eventually give in and was put to sleep but not before I was told that "they may need to perform a hysterectomy to save my life".

When I woke up the hystectomy had been done (I was 29

To cut a very long story short, I took legal action and the hospital admitted responsibility straight away. I recieved a large payout, but it in no way makes up for what happened to me. I still think about it every single day.

What happened to me is VERY RARE and happened because of a whole lot of circumstances, but I do think I personally didnt appreciate that the op could go wrong.

Anyway it is not something that you need to worry about but I think its good that you are preparing yourself for any eventuality.

Good Luck!:)

Bumblefeet

I had a elective c-section with my 3rd as my previous babies had shoulder dystocia.

Everything happened so quickly, from sat in the waiting room to delivery, time just flew.
Nerves rapidly caught hold, It took them a while to do my spinal block as I was shaking so much with fear.

Anesthetic started wearing off before baby was delivered which caused me to further panic, a top up was administered.

Afterwards on recovery i felt quite down, I couldnt reach baby in the cot, couldnt shift myself to sit up. I felt quite useless for a while, If you need anything, call the nurse, dont try and do it yourself!!

The nurses will come a few hours later to give you a wash, ( all over ) and help you put on your oh so lovely maternity knickers and pads ( stupidly - and I dont know why - I didnt realise I would still bleed as much as I did with a V delivery - I probably thought they took all that out with the placenta :rotfl: )

I ws up and about, albiet very slowly within the day, i found it so hard to try and stand up straight, through fear of ripping myself in two.

Also I got a bladder infection from the catheter, and my cut got infected.. lovely, so I had a pretty miserable time of it, But I was home within 2/3 days. Just don't push yourself - at all - accept all the help your given, and ask for more. You need to look after yourself first. x

Reading back, I didnt have to wear the stocking for X weeks, or inject myself with blood thinning drugs.. is that a recent thing they've started doing ?

xbrenx

My heart really goes out to the ladies who had such horrible times with their C-Sections. Sending HUGE hugs.

I've had two sections, because I have a heart shaped womb and the babies landed head down in one of the chambers so no chance of moving them. I'm not going to add experiences, it was all a long time ago (20 and 16 years) so most is probably not relevant anymore.

But I will say to the OP, please don't worry about bonding with your baby, it will happen for you, this is no less of an experience than a vaginal birth and your baby will be just as special :-)

I will repeat the advice to accept loads of help, those poor tummy muscles are going to need looking after just as much as the baby!

patchwork_cat

Reading these experiences I am assuming that they are much more recent than mine. How things have changed. My DD is 15 I was in hospital for 5 days and begging to be discharged as I hated it. I was not given any pain relief when I left hospital,certainly no stockings.

My DD was breech too, she turned breech at 39+3! Although it was elective I only had an hour to prepare and had been hospitalised from the day before waiting for consultant - life stopped at weekends even on maternity!