Caesarean section experiences

moneypenny21

my midwife came to do my blood thinning injectiobs so you may not need to do them yourself, some horrendous c-section stories here im sorry for you all think ive been very lucky

djtonyb

I had a c-section due to non progression and waters breaking 48 hrs previously.

Section went well but i was discharged from hosp with an infection in the scar, which burst open on day 5 after birth. Took 16 weeks of daily packing by nurses and many many different antibs to rectify.

Please get out of hosp as quick as you can

Gloomendoom

fluffnutter wrote: »

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!

You will not be covered if you are driving against medical advice. If you were not advised not to drive, as the other poster was, then you should be covered (subject to the T&Cs of your individual policy.) However, it would be sensible to get confirmation of that fact from your insurance company.

fluffnutter

Gloomendoom wrote: »

You will not be covered if you are driving against medical advice. If you were not advised not to drive, as the other poster was, then you should be covered (subject to the T&Cs of your individual policy.) However, it would be sensible to get confirmation of that fact from your insurance company.

I'm not sure that a couple of nurses, who no doubt accept the commonly held view that insurance companies don't let you drive after a c-section, constitute 'medical advice'.

They weren't saying 'You have been examined and in our view you, as an individual, are not fit to drive yet'. Rather they were saying 'You (one) can't drive if you've had a c-section'. Two very different things.

plumpmouse

I had an elective section in 2010.

I found the recovery far far easier than I did for my previous forceps birth (but appreciate that this is because they made a mess during that birth).

I had the section on Monday at 1pm and was discharged just before lunch on the Weds.

I got out of bed late on the monday night just so the midwife changed the sheets. I was offered either for her to help me out and sit on the chair or she would get another midwife and they would change them with me on the bed. I got up (terrified) but I am so glad I did get up as soon as possible. Then at about 5am the following morning she got me up and I had a shower. This was probably the worse bit as you are left alone and have to remove the dressing but again it was no bother. I did have pain but it was managable however when I tried to be "strong" and not take my regulare painkillers on the Tues I realised this was a mistake and took the pain relief as often as I could for the next few day. After about a week I think I took very few as I still had some left from my discharge meds.

I drove at 4 weeks. I was ready sooner but asked my Doctor and she asked me to wait until 4 weeks and then she would be happy. Insurance company said that as soon as she said I was ok they were happy for me to drive.

With regards older child, mine was 6 and he was fab. He was thrilled to have a new baby and helped loads. The only issue I had was getting him to school as at that point we lived 15 mins drive from school. However I lived near my family then and husband work was fantastic and for a couple of weeks we just managed.

Good luck and try not to worry too much. I can remember crying as I went to theatre as I was worried but I found the whole thing far more relaxed and pleasant than my previous birth. My baby was weighed and then wrapped up and then given straight to me. I did however have to pass her to her Dad after a short while as my blood pressure dropped and I went woozy but again they sorted me out so quickly.

edeneve

Hi,
I had 5 natural births before my EMCS...I was induced ut then they stopped it due to their error of not getting my blood in (has antibodies in so has to be brought in spoecially). Next day they re-induced and broke my waters...went straight to 5cms and thought birth imminent....15 hrs later and after telling them something was up as had non stop pain and a pain worse than contractions in my side they tried an epidural....3 in total which none worked...My body shut down and I felt I was dying....then rushed off for EMCS....I had spinal block..was ok....from waist down went numb and didnt feel a thing about daughter being born. All was ok and pain free....brought back to ward, catheter was a bit of a pain but I was mobile very soon....next day I was discharged and told it was policy that they couldnt give out painkillers...what the F!

I had to go to gp for some co-codomol and ended up in agony for a week...there was a hole in my section scar which wasnt healing and no-one was listening...I researched and put manuka honey on it and it healed in 1 day!

I had 5 other kids and was up and about and driving within the week. After the first week i was fine although getting up from bed and couch was hard.

Worst part was the swelling from day 1 to day 5/6 all over, I couldnt put a pair of shoes on as feet and legs were totally unrecognisable to me.

I'm due for a ELCS in 2 months, bit nervous but new hospital has told me it is there standard practice to send people home with pain relief and has never heard of the other hospitals practice of sending home with no pain relief...and also in 3 days....I'm hoping being an ELCS it will be much easier.
Good luck too

fluffymuffy

I've had two full term (actually one was a week late) natural breech births. I was lucky to have army midwives for both who know how to deliver breech babies naturally. In both cases I was up and about within six hours.

I don't know anything about C-Sections except that I was offered them but I decided I'd only have one in an emergency. I was more confident with natural breech birth as I was promised a midwife-only delivery with very experienced and confident midwives (which is what I got). Perhaps that's something to consider?

sarky

Hello
I had a section last Monday (the 4th @ 39 weeks). It was my second. The other was 4 years ago @ 37 weeks. Both due to a breech baby and other maternal medical factors.
The spinal took some placing as I am quite overweight but to be honest that was the most horrid bit.
The baby was out within 17 min of me going into theatre and had skin to skin with hubby instantly. Then hubby and baby disappeared to be checked whilst they finished up with me. That took longer - probably about 35 min.
I could feel nothing apart from the rummaging but they kept talking to me all the while explaining what was happening eg now you'll feel a big tug as your son comes out ....
After the section I went into recovery and had skin-to-skin and the first feed. That lasted a good hour and baby stayed under blankets with me till I was back in the room.
Then I stayed with my catheter in till the next morning, then showered and was home the next day (about 52 hours after they started the op!)

The first time round some things were a shock/surprise
- the fact I had a maternity pad on and a mat to sit on but no knickers for 24 hours!
- the fact they had already started the op before hubby came in
- how sick I felt during the op

To be honest now - a week later - I feel mostly fine. My tummy aches but I take paracetamol as much as I can. I hate wearing the stockings and injecting the clexane but needs must!

It's not always an horrific experience (3 close friends have had sections - all emergency and they seem to be the ones that have had more issues or complications)

sarky

Oh and the first time round I attended a family wedding at 13 days. It was ok but I slept there and back and dosed up on painkillers!
And I have an active four year old who I cant pick up without my tummy hurting but sit down cuddles are ok!

marisco_2

My second baby was also breach and I opted for an elective section. On the morning that it was booked for I arrived on the ward at 8am. I was scanned before any procedures started, to make sure baby hadn't turned. Having the scan wasn't something I hadn't mentally prepared myself for. The thought of potentially not meeting my baby within a few hours, after gearing myself up for it all, threw me a bit. I was advised that if baby had turned then the c-section would be called off and the pregnancy could continue as normal.

One thing to consider is what is your husband like with seeing needles? Seriously a friend of mine had a c-section and her husband saw the needle, fainted, hit the floor and knocked himself out. The theatre staff couldn't bring him round and he was taken to A&E where he spent the next four hours. He missed the birth completely. Arriving on the ward later that day to meet his new daughter he told his wife after about an hour 'I'm off home love, I'm knackered, it has been one hell of a day'. She was not best pleased unsurprisingly. What a fool

My son was still breach so the section went ahead. I had no problem with the anesthetic at all. When my son was born I got to see him and then he was taken to the recovery area with his dad whilst the theatre team sorted me out. I was brought out to see him when everything was completed. I had a really lovely cuddle with him and was able to bf him. We were then both taken up to the ward and he was placed in a cot by my bedside. The next few hours after that are a bit of a blur to be honest.

My friend said that I called her and said 'Guess who is in the cot next to me', then we had a bit of a chat. I remember a couple of hours later feeling in immense pain and regret now accepting morphine. It made me feel absolutely awful and I began to halucinate. Apparently I phoned my friend again whilst drugged up to the eyeballs and she said I sounded hillarious and was telling her all about some elephants dancing on the ceiling. I will never ever live that down Avoid morphine at all costs.

I do know that by the evening I was feeling much better and was able to get out of bed, walk around and look after my lovely new baby.

He was born on a Wednesday morning and on the Friday evening we were sent home. Before I left the hospital I felt amazing but I think I had been on a very high dose of pain relief. The amount of pain relief I had to go home with was lower and I found the next week or so quite hard going. I was very lucky to have lots of friends and family rallying round to help me. It was a good 8 weeks before I started driving again or doing anything that required any heavy lifting.

I wish you loads of luck for the safe arrival of your baby and hope it all goes well for you.