C-section tips?

My twins are both breech at the moment and I am preparing myself that I'll have to have a c-section. This is NOT what I wanted but what are you gonna do? They could turn but they've been in the same position for 4 weeks now.

Do you have any pre, during or post surgery tips for me? What about pain meds for after? I am allergic to any codeine based med like Vicodin, percocet etc. Should I ask for IV pain meds? Or would the IV be a pain in the butt? For other surgeries I've had morphine tablets.

I'm writing my birth plan to discuss with my OB. TIA!

 

They could still turn at this point But if not, I had an emergency c-section and I had an epidural block and a morphine drip afterwards. You will have an IV in for your c-section, so IV meds will be the easiest and work the quickest and you may not feel like eating right away so you probably will want to avoid meds by mouth. But one thing I wish I had done was keep the morphine drip for a bit longer. The nurses were really adamant about getting me off it 24 hours later thinking to get me up and going. I ended up staying in the hospital for 5 days while they got my pre-e under control so another half a day or so would not have mattered. Stay on top of the pain!!

 

I have mixed emotions about the Duramorph that they add afterwards.... It did a great job with the pain, however the itching, sweating and vomiting were too much for me!
Ask for an abdominal binder post op!!!
Diaper icepacks for the incision!
Get up and moving as soon as you can!

 

My c/s was a piece of cake believe it or not. But that was for many reasons:
-get up ASAP(I learned that here!). My boys were born by 1pm and at 10pm that night-I got up for the first time-with help obviously. But the sooner you move-the better the recovery.

-take your meds!!!! Do not skimp, skip, or anything-especially in the beginning. I'm not sure what you can take due to allergies, etc...But there was one day where my meds were not given to me(I might have been in the NICU), so by the time I got back-I was in PAIN. Keep taking whatever they give you. I only took the 2 percocets every 3 hours probably the first day or two. Then I would only take one. The pain wasn't too bad. Unless I coughed...That's another story!

-do not overwork yourself! I did. I was fine-really. But I did open my incision just a tad-and it was a royal PITA to clean it 3 times a day when you are sleep deprived, caring for two babies, pumping/feeding, etc...

-get all the help you can get-in the sense of let everyone else do it. I didn't. I should have taken advantage of it! I plan on it when we get pregnant again!

-I had an IV I think for almost my whole stay! It's there in case anything happens I believe. I think it was out by day 3/4. Honestly-I think the IV is the worst part of the entire c/s. I hate it. And mine fell out-and they had to do it on the other hand. I HATE IV's!

-I felt the more I didn't think about the c/s, surgery, recovery, etc-the better off I was. I thought I would have a panic attack leading up to it. But honestly-me not thinking about it(having an understanding of what's going to happen is good..) I think helped me in the long run. You have no expectations.

Good luck!! It truly is an amazing experience. And whatever pain you may have-is instantly gone when you see those babies! And it's all worth it!

 

Take whatever pain meds afterwards on a schedule at first. Get up and moving as soon as you can and rely on help as much as possible! Good luck!

 

I agree get up and move afterwards, walking helps. Also wanted to mention that my babies were both head down at 33 weeks and have since become breech and transverse so there is still hope! Good Luck.

 

I agree with all the pp's... keeping on top of your pain meds is key- don't skip a dose or put it off if you're feeling good- it's because of the pain meds that you're feeling this way, so before the pain creeps back in, take a pain pill...
also, avoid any food that might make you bloated or gassy- for me I discovered apple juice was a no-no and also, though this might be TMI (and I'm sorry if it is) but have your first bm as soon as you're able and make sure they give you stool softeners in the hospital. I called my ob 5 days post c section to say I was feeling very uncomfortable and they told me to go to the bathroom, which I did, and I felt so much better. The pressure of it on my incision was brutal. Anyway, now that I've grossed you out, I want to add that there's still plenty of time for your babies to move- mine did right up until delivery day!
Good luck!

 

my moms had 8 c-sections and she said to take your own gas-x and stool softener just in case they dont give it to you lol. and she also said getting up asap is good too, and carrying a pillow or blanket folded several times over your incision makes you feel "safer"

 

Definately get up as soon as possible. I've had three c-sections, and this was the reason for my great recoveries each time. Also, be prepared that the duramorph might make you itch like crazy. All three times I felt like I wanted to scratch my skin off. My husband would have to scratch my back, legs, etc. Stay on top of pain management. I was off all meds by the time I left the hospital... but again, I attribute that to getting up right away.

Good luck!

 

My OB gave me a prescription for a stronger version of aleve to manage my pain. I took it right on schedule because if I missed one I would hurt like crazy. I was totally against strong pain medication because anything makes me sleepy. The script she gave me was excellent and keep the pain manageable--don't skip the meds!! Like another post said, get up and moving. It's going to hurt, but if I stayed in one position too long it hurt way more than if I kept myself moving around. Let people do things for you--don't try to overdo it or you'll hurt your incision and pay for it in the end with the pain.

 

I'm planning to have a C-section sometime after I hit 35 weeks. I had one with my first child at 36 weeks. I'm diabetic, so they will take my babies early as long as the lungs are OK. I guess I don't know any other way & personally wouldn't want to go through labor if I don't have to. I don't remember pain afterwards, but I know the nurses were really good about giving me my meds every 4 hours or so. I think I took Hydrocodone for pain. I'm pretty sure it has codeine in it, but your doctor should be able to give you other options. My incision healed really well, too. I'm all for it!!

Cassey