For some reason everyone feels the need to tell me their horror stories about their c-sections and not being able to see their baby for days afterwards. Is it really that bad?? How long after will it be before I see my LO's??
I'm scheduled for a c-section next Thursday and I feel like I'm starting to panic. Please give me some stories where things went smoothly!
Re: Need some positive c-section stories!
Mine went great! No complications, and I was BFing both within an hour of being sewn up.
I was in a little bit of pain when I got home, and took meds for about a week after being discharged. I'm a little sore right now because I overdid it this weekend (it's hard to remember that I am still recovering). My incision looks great, no infections.
Overall, no complaints!
Mine wasn't that bad at all! I didn't get to hold my LO's until a the next morning, (actually not true, they took me to see them an hour after they closed me up but I was so tired I kept falling asleep while looking at them) BUT it was also after 36 hours of labour, 2 hours of pushing and it was 12:12 AM when they were born. I was exhaused! If I would've went with a scheduled section I would've gotten to see/hold them right away. Recovery was also great! I felt more pain from the tearing due to forceps then I did from the section. Don't panic and good luck!
Also, ask for the suppository (sp?) for recovery, it worked awesome!
Thank you for posting this since I was just thinking about the same thing.
I'm also VERY adament that DH and I be the first to see/hold them no matter how long it takes. I've heard so many stories of women getting stitched up and recovering, and by the time they finally get to see their babies, their entire family has been passing them around for hours.
Thanks ladies! This really does help! This is my first pregnancy so I'm clueless about everything. My dr said something like it might be 8 hours before I get to really hold the babies but maybe if I can will my toes to wiggle I can see them sooner ; ) lol I just want them to be healthy and able to be with me as soon as possible.
Haven- I totally know what you mean. My mother and sister are the only ones I want to hold the babies before me. And I'm still a little jealous that they get to hold them before me lol
I had c/s for both my pregnancies...my singleton was in recovery with me immediately...DH actually went to my room with him before I was released from the recovery room because I dont do well with anesthesia so recovering takes a little longer for me (always has) I took the percocet 2x in the hospital and then told them to keep it because it made me feel worse than I did without it!
The twins were born 6w early so they did go to the NICU right after delivery...I got to kiss them first but then they went away. I was in recovery for a couple of hours (again the anesthesia kicked my arse) and I was wheeled into the NICU to see the boys. I didnt get to hold them til the next day because they were in isolettes and on IV's but I did get to change their diapers, take their temps and sponge bathe them the day they were delivered (they were born at 6:40am)
I never took any Percocet this time around...just tylenol and motrin on a regular schedule
I LOVED LOVED LOVED my c/s!!!!
I had a vaginal birth with DS1 and had a VERY BAD time after that - 4th degree tear, in horrible pain for 8+ weeks (still have issues that require surgery 3yrs later)... the birth it's self wasn't that horrible but the recovery was BAD.
I had a c/s with the twins and LOVED it! I was in my room approx 45 min after surgery - and the babies were brought right in to me and i was able to nurse then - so about 1 hour before I got to hold them (I did get to see them briefly in the OR and then DH brought me pictures from the nursery when i was in recovery).
I was up and walking around that night. Sure, it hurt to get up - but once I was up it was OK. The more I got up the easier it was. I was off pain meds after 2 weeks - and during that time I was doing really well - able to do most things - walked up and down stairs easily, etc.
People love to talk about horror stories - but there are FAR more good stories- they are just boring so nobody posts/talks about them.
The most eventful part of my c/s was the wait! I was scheduled for 2:30, but didn't go back until 5:10 because of an emergency case. Other than that, it was a breeze. They took me back at 5:10, did my spinal, brough in DH, and started the surgery. Eli was born at 5:40, Ben at 5:41. I saw the babies just a minute or two later when they had both wrapped up and gave them to DH. The wheeled me out at 6:10 with a baby in each arm. They roomed in with me and we went home together 3 days later.
I did get slightly nauseous when they first did my spinal, but it was because my blood sugar was so low. The ran in a ton of fluids and a dextrose drip and I was good to go in about 30 seconds. My anesthesiologist even put a little cotton ball with peppermint oil right in front of my face because he said that would help with the nausea.
I literally felt nothing the entire surgery. No pressure, no tugging, nothing. I know not all c/s go as smoothly, but they also aren't all bad. If you go in as scheduled, it makes it much easier to keep things under control so less crazy things happen! I even remember listening to the nurses count the medical equipment before and after I was done. No extra parts left in me!
I LOVED my c-section. (ironically - the neighbor and I were just discussing how much we loved having c-sections about an hour ago lol)
My LOs were born at 10:08/09 and I was able to see them immediately. They were born at 37 weeks and needed no NICU time. DH held them immediately (see pic below) they got cleaned up while the stitched me up and then they wheeled them behind me to recovery. The only thing that was kind of weird was the medicine made me drowsy right after they were born - I had to fight to stay awake, but that part only lasted maybe 5 minutes while they were getting cleaned up. I was BFing within the first hour of their life.
Recovery was fine - I stayed ahead of the pain with my medication for the 1st few days and made sure I got up and moving so that I didn't get so sore from the trapped air. I listened to the Dr. and didn't over do it - I was a little sore but nothing I couldn't handle. The soreness didn't impact my ability to be a mom to newborn twins at all (except for carrying them in their carseats for a week or so).
You will be fine GL.
Don't mind that I look like crap They were still stitching me up at this point.
I was adament to DH and the nurses that regardless of what happened, NO ONE but my DH could hold those babies before me. Not my parents, not my ILs, no one. I went through a lot to get pg with them and carried them for 38w+. I wanted my reward!
If you have a spinal I don't know why you couldn't hold them right away. Like I said, I took mine out of the delivery room with me on my bed and was breast feeding as soon as we got settled in recovery.
Maybe I should elaborate a little bit about the section itself.
They held the babies up over the curtain for me to see. Once they were bundled up, the nurses brought them over to DH. He held one while a nurse held the other so I could see them both and say hi.
Once they did what they needed to do, the nurses took the twins and DH back to my room. At the hospital I delivered at, you labor, deliver, and recover all the same room (aside from the c-section thing). I didn't have to wait to wiggle my toes to see or hold them. I wasn't considered recovered until I could, but that didn't stop me from being able to BF or anything. We all stayed in my room while I recovered.
After 2 rounds of IVF & 2 rounds of FET, we were blessed with identical twin girls!
My C-section went great. I saw the babies after they were cleaned off. Then they were taken out while I was being stiched up. They were brought back to me in the recovery room where I was able to put them to the breast within an hour after they were born. The babies were again taken back upstairs to finish tests and whatever they did until I was able to wiggle my toes. It didn't seem like it took that long before I was with them again.
I did not allow anyone except DH and I to hold the babies until I got a chance to hold them in my room and take pictures. All of our family respected our wishes.
I was released from the hospital three days later and did not need to take any pain meds. It has now been about two and a half weeks and I feel great.
GL on your c-section, I hope it goes as smoothly as mine did
I had a c-section with the girls. I saw them when they were born, after they were checked out (I was still being stapled), then DH went with them to bathe them, and I saw them within an hour or two to hold. I didn't realize until just now that I think it was that long until I held them. It didn't seem like it at all.
ETA: With both of my c-sections, I have been able to get up and around pretty well within 24 hours. I got up the same day but wasn't unhooked from my iv and catheter for 24 hours. Definitely no horror story here.
I had a section with Emerson and love, love, loved it! I was induced and after all the pain I was happy to hear emergency section. I was able to see Emerson and watch them examine her. I had to go to recovery for about an hour where my H was with her that entire time.
After I got out of recovery, she was all mine! : )
I look forward for these babies to be delivered by section.
I had a good experience. I was not in labor for very long before the c section so I didnt have to suffer a lot. I was greatful for that. My water broke at 1pm, I was at the hospital by 2pm, had the babies by 5:19 pm.
They did not show me the babies as soon as they took them out, they cleaned them up first which bothered me but nothing I could do about it. I got to kiss them and see them after they were cleaned then they wisked them away to NICU since they were premature and my DH followed them there. I had to stay behind to be stiched up and recover which was over an hour. I then went to go see them.
After that no one told me when I could go see them when ever I wanted. I didnt know you could go to the NICU any hour of the day or night so I ended up not seeing them again until midday or something
Recovery was painful the first few days but manageable with the pain meds
I am glad I had a c section. Very glad. No tears or downthere pains to deal with.
Mine was great! The spinal was not bad at all (I was so nervous, but it was really fast), and the surgery was much easier and faster than I expected. I could see them cleaning up the babies right after they were born, and as soon as they weighed, cleaned, and examined them (in the operating room) they brought them over for me to see. Then they went to the recovery room with DH and the nurses and pedis. I was in the recovery room by 9 PM and immediately held and fed both of them. We hung out there for about two hours, then I was moved to my room and they went to the nursery for the night (my choice).
Recovery was also much easier than I expected. It was tough for the first few days, but at 4 weeks pp I am lugging around my 30 lb toddler and feel completely back to normal physically.
Congrats and good luck!!
With both my first son and the twins, they were in the room with me the whole time. I got to see them briefly before they took them over to get them cleaned up (like 6 feet away from me) Once I was stitched up, they transferred me to my bed, put a baby in each of my arms and took me back to my room. I was never away from the babies.
Both of my C/S's went off without a hitch. The spinal was not bad at all. The anticipation was way worse than it actually was. THere was no pain with the C/S, but there was a good amount of pressure and pulling. And that part lasted maybe 5-7 mins. I think the whole thing lasted 45 mins and that included getting my tubes tied. Easy peasy! THe worst part of the whole thing was that I got a bit naseous half way through. I just told the anesthesiologist and he gave me something that helped right away.
My recovery the first time around was a breeze. I was so worried that I'd be in pain and wouldn't be able to get out of bed. About 5 hours after my C/S I was able to get up and go to the bathroom with help, and by the second day, I was already walking around on my own. I went home on the third day and only ended up taking 1 pain pill when I got home, and I had 3 flights of stairs to go up!! It really wasn't bad at all.
WIth the twins, it was a bit rougher, BUT I had some serious BP issues and was on a hefty dose of Mag sulfate for 2 days. That stuff makes you feel like youve been hit by a truck. The pain, however was again very minimal.
Try not to panic. Again, the anticipation is always worse. You will be fine. Most C/S go smoothly, I think people just talk more about the ones that don't. Honstly, if you are having a planned C/S and you have had no issues up to this point, I think you will do great!!
PLUS, you will be so excited to see and bond with your new babies that you won't even notice anything else after they are born
I seriously feared my c section and it was sooo not bad. I feared the epi and that was cake and it just went better and better from there. The two things that I had that were issues were totally circumstance. First, I was uncomfortable from all the pushing around and the anesth. wasn't in the room so the nurse anesth. gave me something that made me groggy so I kind of missed DD being brought over to DH. He got to hold them for about 20 minutes in the OR while they were stitching me and then they had to go to the regular nursery (hospital policiy) for 4 hours. I went to recovery and I had issue with urine output, but it was because in the days leading up to the section I was having diarehha and really was dehydrated from not drinking enough. that kept me in recovery longer than normal. as soon as the 4 hour mark hit, I called for the babies, they brought them to the recovery room and DH and I fed them.
We moved to a regular room later and they stayed with us until night. I decided to send them back at night and take the serious pain killers to sleep while I was in the hospital. i seriously think that is why i recovered so quick. that and the walking. the nurses had me up that night (again required by my hospital) and my mom who is a nurse had me up walking the next day a few times. The day after is not a treat, you feel sore but you seriously feel worlds better the third day. don't be a hero, take the meds that you can - i didn't take the hard stuff during the day because it made me groggy, but i took the advil they offered along with the pills for gas and stool softeners.
Don't panic. I am a big baby, never even broken a bone or had a stitch and this was really not bad at all. I have felt like myself for about 2 months now, exercising like I used to (when I have time) and feeling great.