Lurking from Expecting with c/s ?

I have a c-section scheduled for Thursday and am kind of nervous. I delivered my son vaginally 3 1/2 years ago and this pregnancy has been so different. Now that I know I am having a c/s (the large girl is breech) I am really nervous about the procedure. Any words of encouragement? TIA Kristi

 

I have a c-section scheduled for Thursday and am kind of nervous. I delivered my son vaginally 3 1/2 years ago and this pregnancy has been so different. Now that I know I am having a c/s (the large girl is breech) I am really nervous about the procedure. Any words of encouragement? TIA Kristi

 

Both of my girls were presenting head down, so I thought and had planned on having them vaginally my entire pregnancy, but ended up having a c/s b/c of my BP. The girls were my first, and I was VERY nervous, especially since I went to the doc at 2:00 and was told I was having one at 4:00...but I guess I didn't have time to really think on it as you have, so that might have been a blessing. It wasn't nearly as bad as I had anticipated...the recovery was hard, but not as hard as I had expected based on what others had told me...I think it depends on several factors...your pain tolerance, the doc's abilities, etc. So the only advice I have is to walk around as much as possible b/c it will help you work out the soreness much faster and take and ask for all the help you can for the first couple of weeks. Try not to worry to much about the c/s and just concentrate on getting those babies here so you can hug and kiss on all the time

 

I cannot deliver vaginally so I had 3 c-sections in 2 1/2 years.

My advice is to stay on top of your meds, even if you plan to bf you can still take the pain meds. Dont skimp on them or start to think you feel fine so why bother because the pain will creep up on you and its SOOOO hard to get caught up on the pain. Get up and walk as soon as possible, you will need help to get up the first few times. This will help you heal faster and help to prevent blood clots. Expect alot of numbness around your incission, sometimes it doesnt go away, some it goes away pretty quickly. I personally have not been able to feel one part of my stomach in 3 years now, its wierd but not scarey wierd, eventually the feeling will come back.


Good luck!

 

I was so nervous about having a c-section. When I went into labor we were planning on a vaginal delivery but ended up doing an emergency c-section because of the babies heart rates. I was in labor for a couple of days I was so scared but it really isn't that bad. I don't know if anyone has talked to you about what the procedure entails, but I couldn't feel anything but a little pulling. I did shake a ton, they told me that a lot of women shake during that procedure because of the hormones and adrenaline and such. When I had mine done they strapped my arms down but it was a good thing because I was shaking so much. They pulled those babies out in minutes and it took longer for them to sew me back up then it did to deliver them. My DH was there for me during the delivery and then went down to be with the babies in the nursery once I told him that I was fine and he could go see the kiddos. They showed me the babies for a quick kiss and picture before taking them down to the nursery and I got to hold my DS after about two hours. I was in recovery. My DD I got to hold that next day because she was in the oxygen thing for her breathing for about 12 hours. Anyway, don't be too nervous, they know what they are doing. Walk around as soon as you can and get a shower. Please take your meds! You aren't weak for doing it! I was off the meds within 10 days. You will do great. Good Luck!

 

I was scheduled for my c/s and then my water broke and I went into labor!

I didn't think it was bad. Honestly, to avoid countless hours of labor - count me in!

The spinal was super painless and wore off in a couple of hours so I could feel my legs pretty quickly. I have awful motion sickness and it felt like the operating table was inverted so that my legs were higher than my head. I threw up several times during the procedure and felt icky. I wish that would have been different. I felt tugging, pressure, but no pain at all. The babies were one minute apart and then they sewed me up and sent me to recovery.

Standing up the next day - not fun. It burns like a mother, but get up and do it. It gets better quickly. You'll be amazed considering they sliced your belly open.

Pain meds - up to you. I did Darvocet for a couple of days and then just Tylenol. I didn't really hurt that bad after 2 days. The worst was trying not to laugh when people would say funny things. It felt like you had a good abdominal workout.

All in all, I had a laprascopy where they went in through my belly button. I tell people that my c/s was a BREEZE compared to that surgery.

Good luck!

 

My tips are to hold a pillow to your belly if you have to cough after the c-section. Gas was what was painful for me so if it bothers you ask for meds. Walk a little as soon as you can. It doesn't have to be a marathon, just a few steps at a time. You will most likely be really angry with the person who wants you to get up and walk but once you do you will most likely be thankful you did!

Best of luck with your delivery!

 

Get up and walk as soon as possible. You will probably tell the nurse what a b*tch she is for making you do it, but hopefully she won't give in. My nurse the first day gave in, and so I didn't get up until the 2nd day. That was bad, bad, bad -- the gas had gotten ahead of me and I swelled up like a balloon. It would have been better if I had walked. Also, take all the pain meds for the first few days -- then make a decision about whether you think you can wean from them. But don't start off trying to get away with as little medication as possible (the other mistake I made).

Good luck! There is definitely an up side to knowing when you're going to deliver, and avoiding hours of labor. The c/s itself wasn't bad at all -- I didn't feel a thing and it was over very quickly.

 

Geez...reading over these posts I remembered alot more about my c/s experience than I did at first I felt no pulling, no pressure, NOTHING...however, I also was very shaky. I was also so itchy (all over not on scar) after the c/s that I scratched my face to the point that I looked like I had been crying for hours. Gas is very painful...they gave me alot of milk of magnesia, I think, and that stuff tastes AWFUL. I was on a morphine drip for the first day and a half, and then tylenol with codeine and that is what they sent me home on. The spinal was not at all bad and that was what I had feared most. I had a HUGE problem with the catheter though...when they put one in the first time they had a really hard time getting it in right...the nurse seemed to think I had some curving that most people don't and that made it more difficult to put in. I had some WEIRD thing going on with my ability to pee...the only thing they ever could figure out was that the morphine slowed down my ability to process when I had to go, and I didn't know I had to go until my bladder was about to literally burst...by the time I knew I had to go, I really couldn't...I sat on the toilet for an hour peeing just a little at a time. They had to put another catheter in to drain the urine for me, after doing a bladder scan and telling me that my bladder had over twice the normal amount of urine in it. Well putting another catheter in was 3 times as bad the second time...I was so swollen from the first attempt that the nurse (a different one this time) asked me how long I pushed...AND I never even went into labor, so NONE. She had to get two other nurses to help her and it took her 3 catheter packs b/c she kept trying and couldn't get it in right and then they weren't sterile anymore. This is probably way TMI but it was the worst part of the entire pregnancy and delivery experience...after they took me off the morphine, I could pee fine????!!!

 

I had a vaginal delivery with epidural, then a vaginal delivery with no pain meds or "natural birth", and a c-section with the twins. I had the c/s because both twins were transverse my entire pregnancy from 5 months (at least that was my first u/s and when we found out there were two). I think the c/s was cruel and unusual punishment. Here you are expected to take care of two newborns after having major abdominal surgery. The pain and recovery time was a lot worse than a vaginal delivery. Every one is different. I never had "the itchies". I had gas, but don't remember it to be painful. All I remember is feeling like I had been run over by a truck for a few days. Take the pain meds. They will not hurt the babies if you are breastfeeding. Don't let the nurses scrimp on the dose, either. I was allowed 2 tabs of 25mg of Demerol every 3-4 hours. One of the nurses would only bring me one, and tell me that I need to be able to take the pain so I can take care of my babies. Take the most amount that the doc lets you have for the first few days. It was really umcomfortable to try to sleep. I like to lay on my side and it hurt so bad trying to roll over.

I don't understand the women who say that it beats labor pain. The best birth experience I had was the "natural birth", but everybody is different. I would've rather delivered the twins vaginally, if possible.

 

With my first DS I had 24 hours hard labor and emergency c-sect, then with both other pregs I had scheduled c-sects. Will take sched
c-sect any day. One time I laid down too quickly after spinal and couldn't swallow my saliva during the surgery (drooled into a little pan,) w/ the twins I vomitted a few times in recovery (they said not to sit the bed up so quickly but did I listen??? so take your time moving at all while in recovery.) The gas part sucks but there isn't anything you can do to totally avoid- just walk to help keep it in check. Keep a sm pillow close by for when you cough, sneeze, laugh etc. DO NOT bring a comedy to watch while in the hospital- you'll be in agony. Get up and move first chance you get, and keep doing it- before long you'll be walking like you have a corn cob and not a baseball bat lodged. As others have said- keep up on your meds, even when you are feeling OK (at least first several days)- you feel OK cause they are working- hello you will have just had your stomach sliced- you WILL need them (I had percocet and 800mg ibuprofen in hospital and for first 3days home, then went to darvocet and ibuprofen for another week) Last little bit of advice- check your modesty at the door, it is one of those things we don't talk about much but for those first several hours before you can get up and move to get to the bathroom by yourself the nurses will be dealing with your nasty pads and the mess that goes with them- for me, that was the absolute WORST part.

Good Luck on Thursday!!!

By the way- Dec 7 was my grandpa's b-day so your girls will be in terrific company!

 

The actually procedure for me was a piece of cake. You are completely numb, you will feel pressure, but no pain AT ALL...and I am a HUGE wimp!
The few days after the c-section were very painful for me. I could actually feel the pain meds wear off...so, as others have said, KEEP UP on your pain meds...make sure the nurses know your schedule. My husband has to help me go to the bathroom and change my clothes/undies because I was in a lot of pain.
Also, make sure to walk around the hallways...it will hurt, but DO IT. Finally, do not feel guilty about having the babies go to the nursery...that will be the last time of freedom and you will need the sleep and time to recover.

What they didn't tell me and I had to find out the hard way is to very lightly massage your scare starting about a week afterwards. There is a great book called "Bouncing Back after Baby", which shows how to do it. It also explains good ab exercises for diastatis (separation of the recti abs)

Good luck!!!!!! Congrats

jen

 

Ditto everything from pp. I was surprised how long it took my insides to feel like they were back to normal. I felt like I had been punched for almost 2 weeks. What helped was a pillow when laughing, coughing, etc and WALKING! Our boys were in the NICU for 10 days and I was going to BF every 3 hrs. The hospital night entrance was far from the parking lot and it was brutal getting there. But I think that forced walking did more to help me recover than anything else.

The cs itself had scared the daylights out of me until it was happening. I found that having the time to get my head around it was really helpful. When my water broke a week before my scheduled c/s, the on-call dr suggested trying a vag delivery. Because I had accepted the idea of a c, I went a little squirrely (into shock, actually). So, take this time to adjust to the great things about a c/s (no episiotomy, fewer hemmoriods, good drugs!) and relax.

Good luck!