C-section

Hey ☺️ I was planning a birthing centre birth and ended up having a section.
It was meant to be a planned one and ended up being an emergency in the end but the whole experience was fine (although seemed scary at the time!) the doctors and nurses were lovely, talked me through everything they were doing and I had baby in my arms within 30 mins!

If your are having an elective you can speak about having music on in the room etc and you’ll arrive at the hospital beforehand to relax and settle in
The recovery is difficult and I was in discomfort for quite a while - also was never told you have to inject yourself with blood thinners for a week! But I was lucky to have my partner and family and friends to support, I’d say deffo accept all the help you can get
Feel free to message me with any questions xx

Im 24 weeks here and when my sister had her elective section, the team was super welcoming to all of her wants/needs during and after surgery. In our province they dont do the blood thinner injections, rather they have you take naproxen? I cant speak for other provinces, states or countries, just what ive seen here. Her experience is part of what made me opt to have a section!

Before the c section prepare your and baby’s hospital bag.
Can you request to see an anaesthetist to discuss if you’ll have a spinal or epidural/pain relief options?
Post c section, prepare for not bending down. I used a grabby stick to pick things that fell on the floor, changed baby on a higher surface. Make a basket with a hot water bottle, peppermint tea and painkillers ready for when you get home.
Peppermint tea is great to take to the hospital too to help with trapped wind.
I had minimal bleeding post partum so didn’t use my maternity pads much.
If you are planning to BF, it can take longer for your milk to come in if you have had a section.
And when you’re home you’re advised not to drive for 6 weeks. Very light household chores for a while to help recovery x

A planned one is 1000% better than an emergency one. We ended up having one due to complications during labor — buuutttt it was kinda elective. Basically, the doctor told me if we keep going, and I totally could, but in his experience (at a hospital with a below average cesarean rate, so it’s not a hospital that pushes unnecessary cesareans), cases like mine nearly always result in emergency cesareans. So I had a choice: Keep trying for the birth I wanted despite the complications and maaaaybee get the birth I wanted OR potentially have an emergency situation in which it would be a more risky situation OR elect to have one as suggested and not risk it. My baby and I were healthy and doing ok, but we’d already almost died, so I elected for the cesarean.

I 100000% wish you the birth you want, but I’m here to tell you that while I was DEVASTATED and feeling like my body was a failure, I love my little man SO MUCH and I am 100000% ok with it now and plan for a VBAC.

After my labour wouldn’t progress naturally and multiple complications I had an emergency c section and I would 100% opt for one on the future. The staff were brilliant, calm and reassuring. The anaesthetist sat by my head and chatted away to me. He also made sure my epidural was topped up so I had the full spinal. My legs just felt like I was on a water bed but couldn’t feel a thing on my tummy. I felt them pushing but no pain. I then bled after baby was born but I only knew that because I’m a nurse and knew what medications the surgeon was asking for which is to stop bleeding 😅 when I bled I felt a bit dizzy again was really reassure by anaesthetist and he gave me some IV fluids which made me feel better again. When baby was born they checked her over and I got to hold her while they were working on me. They stitched me up put me back on the hospital bed and was in recovery shortly where I fed baby. Then I was taken back to the ward

I got to eat finally and then later that morning I got helped out of bed and they removed my catheter. Catheter was fine not painful just drink loads to get you peeing and avoid getting a urine infection. Getting out of bed initially was sore and I didn’t feel like I could straighten up for a little while but it got easier the more I moved around. My partner came in and helped me to shower and I think I maybe did a bit too much cuz my round bled a bit but they put a pressure dressing on and was fine. The injections you have to have to prevent blood clots hurt they were the worst thing about it all. By day 3 I was walking the dog with my partner by 10/14 days I was off painkillers. Take laxatives because you don’t want to get constipated 😅😅😅