Positive C-Section stories please

Charissadeats

Please can those ladies who've had a positive C-Section experience share with me (and any other ladies interested) please.

Some mental preparation advice will also be appreciated. 

Note: I am not trying to be convinced to give birth naturally - the decision was made by my doctor and my DH and I.  

Thanks!

kbrands7

I don't have a full story to share, but I will say that the scar does really fade to a barely noticeable line and it is still very possible to bond with your baby and breastfeed, and also possible to start  working out post-partum by 8 weeks. Also, an abdominal binder really helps. I didn't use one until later and I wish I would have started using it from day one because it really made a positive difference in how the area above my scar healed once I started wearing it and it significantly helped the amount of support my abs had. I'm definitely using one from the beginning this time whether I have a RCS or a VBAC.

A few not-so glamorous prep-things: Take the colace. Don't look at your scar at first (it'll likely look awful; I promise it gets so much better!) Brace yourself for sneezes, coughs, laughs, car-rides, steps, lifting, sitting up, etc. Be prepared to not be able to drive at first-- you'll likely lack the ab strength to turn well or to push the brake pedal hard enough. It can take a few weeks  for some people before they feel comfortable driving again. Drink lots of water (slowly) post-surgery and get moving (slowly) as soon as you can. Sometimes the anesthesia from the surgery can make people shaky/itchy/nauseated as it wears off. This is normal, but they can also do things to help with those symptoms. Expect pushing sensations during the surgery. You won't feel pain, and might not be able to feel yourself breathe, but you'll still be aware of movement in your abdomen. If the hospital doesn't allow for skin to skin in the OR, have your H do skin-to-skin with the baby, then you can once you're in the recovery room. Good luck and relax!

ETA: I saw that taking pictures was brought up and I forgot about this-- Many hospitals will allow pictures in the OR, but some doctors will tell your H when it's okay to take pictures. At first, the baby may be blue b/c the airway needs to be cleared and that can cause some Dad panic if they don't know that's a possibility. (DS wasn't too blue, but our doctor wanted to see his head out before letting DH take pictures of the birth...which basically meant he was out since DS was breech).

onislandtime

I had a scheduled c/s with my son. I definitely was nervous because of all the unknowns. 

It was not as bad as I expected, but there were some things I did not expect.

My c/s was scheduled for 1pm, I checked in several hours before that and they automatically put you in a wheel chair to wheel you to the prep room. I thought this was odd because I wasn't even in labor.

I had two nurses assigned to me that helped me gown up and they started my IV's. They were super nice and chatted with me and helped put me at ease.

When it was time to go, I went into the surgery room and they had me sit at the edge of the bed, my feet on a stool and I had to bend over for them to do the epidural. I will say, it did hurt. But it was only momentary. Then I was laid down and my arms strapped to the table. The anesthesiologist sat with me and I was told to tell him if I felt numb past a certain point or nauseous. Which I did, and he fixed it right away.

When the dr and nurses were settled and ready to go, they brought my SO in. It felt like the next part took a long time, but it was only a few minutes. I couldn't feel anything except I could tell the operating table was shaking a lot. After they pulled him out, they laid him on my chest while I was stitched up. Then SO went with the baby and the nurse for the first bath and weigh in. 

I was then wheeled into the recovery room and SO brought the baby back in and I was able to hold him and try to nurse (he wasn't interested). I got to hold him for almost an hour and then they sent SO and baby up to the room to prep me to move to the room as well. This part I was not prepared for. Because I couldn't feel my legs yet, they had to put a pad and underwear on you after the c/s which I couldn't really tell in the OR, but before moving to my room they checked and changed it. it was kind of awkward, even though you know they've seen it all. 

Once I was moved up to the room we were able to see the lactatoon consultant and rest. I was super hungry by this point. It was about 3:30 pm and I hadn't eaten since the day before since 10pm. They will not let you eat until you either pass gas or have a bowel movement. Needless to say, I went hungry for a while because I was afraid to try to do either of those things.

I had a catheter until I was able to walk again. I had heard that getting up and moving as soon as you feel able to helps in your recovery. I was up and walking about 8 hours after. It hurt, but I pushed through it and was fine. I will say even if you don't think you need it, the first two days stay on schedule with your pain meds and drink a lot of water and ask for some colace because that will help with having a bowel movement that isn't painfully scary!

Later that night I was able to shower, eat etc.

at night they come in and check you all the time it felt like, so I really didn't get much sleep. The hopsital encourages the baby to be in your room, so SO stayed with me and got up with the baby and changed him, brought him to me when he needed to be fed etc. 

We stayed 3 days. At home make sure you drink a ton of water. And if you are swollen from all the meds and iv fluids, try and rest with your feet up when you get a chance.

my recovery was super easy. I was off pain meds at 10 days PP, so could drive at the 10 day point. 

I did not find the recovery from my c/s to be bad at all. The only issue I had is some slight numbness on one side of my incision site. I had emergency intestinal surgery a few years prior and I found that recovery was worse than from my c/s. 

The best tips to keep in mind are eat something filling for your last meal because you won't be able to eat for a while, stay on top of your meds the first few days, ask for colace, drink lots of water, walk as soon as you can and elevate your legs when you can at home. Also, it may be good to ask about a binder. A lot of hospitals offer them (mine doesn't). If they dont, ask your dr ahead of time if there is one they could recommend to wear post op. 

SMC2613

After 12 hours of induced labor, my son went into duress and ended up being delivered via emergency c-section. 

I had had already had an epidural and the actual surgery lasted minutes. My husband was able to hold him first. And me asking several times if he was healthy and had 10 fingers and 10 toes was drowned out by H repeating "it's my boy" in a sing-songy voice. Luckily, that also drowned out the sound of the staples. I was up and moving that evening. And walked around the floor every morning and afternoon while in the hospital. I was able to cut down the pain meds pretty quickly as well, and only continued 3 doses once home. I did stick with IBprofen through the next 10 days or so. 

That first big sneeze was terrifying.  But other than that, I had no issues. I made sure I moved around often, drank lots of water and had no problems returning to work 4 weeks postpartum. (Not ideal, but a necessity at the time.) The most trouble I've had was a few months ago where it felt like a pain or intense "itch" on the inside of my scar, but at that point I was 4-5 months pregnant with twins, so I'm not sure if that is usual. 

This time around will be a scheduled c-section, which makes me a bit more anxious than the last time, as I've had more time to think about it. 

emilyj77

The thing I like about the scheduled c-section was being able to walk up to the nurses station and say "We're here to have a baby!". I'm sure I was anxious, but can't remember about what specifically. Possibly the whole becoming a Mom thing? Anyways, I did everything they told me to do and it was fine. I didn't have the chance to do skin to skin until we were in the recovery room, so probably 30-45 minutes later? I remember having doubts when the nurse told me to get up and walk around, but it wasn't that hard. Just take it easy and take your time. I felt nothing during the operation and had a great recovery. We were in the hospital over the Thanksgiving holiday, which meant there were a lot of nurses coming and going and the lactation nurse wasn't available due to the holiday. I think she came in once right away, but then that was it. So I got a lot of different advice from each nurse which was not the most helpful. But we eventually figured out what worked for us.
At the end of the day, you get your baby and you're a Mom. End of story.

cortney626

I had a great c section experience. I was induced and didn't progress. So after hours of losing my fluid, I had a c section. I had thrown up before surgery so they gave me something to knock me out. Coming to wasn't fun but that's to be expected. The surgery went well. I had her at 8pm and I was up walking around at 6am the next morning. My scar was small and has faded over 8 years. I was released from the hospital 44 hours after having her. I was driving the day I got home. I had an easy recovery. I'm hoping for a similar experience this time around although I'm 8 years older, so we'll see. 

finnybooboo

We ended up having an emergency c-sec after several hours of pushing with no progress, and I was done! My epi had worn off, so they had to call the anesthesiologist in from home (it was around 8:30PM) to do another. Once he did that, I was wheeled into the OR, happy as a clam that I wasn't feeling that god-awful pain anymore! I do remember shaking a bit and feeling cold, and I don't think I could feel one of my arms too well, but when I asked the doc he said that's normal. The hospital didn't do skin to skin in the OR (I'll be asking about it this time, just to see), so I didn't get to hold my DD until about 30 or so mins later. Also, in the whole excitement and change of plans, we completely forgot to bring a camera with us into the OR. Luckily one of the nurses was nice enough to take a few pics with her cell phone and send them to me!

Recovery for me was fine. Maybe I have a higher pain tolerance, but I rarely took the pain meds they were offering and just ended up taking some higher strength Advil for a week or two. My main issue was the constipation. Like, for real. I've never experienced anything like that in my entire life. I had issues back there and took stool softeners for almost a year. I don't know if that was from the c-sec, from pushing for so long and hard (while trying to deliver her), or a combo of both. Imma take that stool softener as soon as I'm able this time just to be safe!!

I'm a little more nervous this time about it. One, I feel like I might be really anxious going in, knowing that I will be having surgery. Two, is that recovery might be a little harder when you also have a 2 year old at home. It will be super exciting though that we can basically choose the day and know when our baby's birthday will be (unless he has other plans to come sooner).

Chappy_jr

I had a c-section after an induced labor that lasted 36 hours with barely any progress.  The most positive thing about it was how quick it was.  I honestly don't remember much about the perinatal experience because I had been awake for 40 hours, labored without pain meds for 28, and hadn't eaten anything for 36 hours. My recovery was fine - like a lot of other posters have said, I only needed the pain medication for a few days and was up and walking that day.  My scar is very small and my abdominals were capable of working and strengthening earlier than I suspected.

I knew a c-section wouldn't hinder bonding or breastfeeding so I didn't worry about those and they were not affected, despite the fact that I was shaking so much that I could barely hold my son after he was born.  The worst, again as others have pointed out, was the bowel movements.  I suffered from chronic constipation even before I got pregnant - fiber and stool softeners were not helpful - and when combined with the opiate pain meds, I got impacted bowels.  Rocks, basically.  I actually consider my first night home to be my experience of giving birth anally and I swear, if I have a successful VBAC this time, there is no way it can be worse than manually removing those things, with limited abdominal strength, a fresh c-section scar, post-natal bleeding, and engorged leaking breasts in the middle of the night while taking breaks to nurse the baby and my husband was peacefully sleeping.

Sorry.  

That's probably NOT what you want to hear with a positive c-section story but I would just say that if you and your doctor have determined (or will determine if something doesn't go as planned) that you need a c-section, the best thing to do is to let go of any internet-natural-birthing-induced-anxiety and trust your OB to perform a safe operation and the hospital staff to do their jobs.  You will be a bit slower to move than women who give birth vaginally, but it will not impact your ability to mother and nurture your baby.  (and be proactive about your bowels)

LovingLife!

My first was a c-section (you can read the birth story here) and it was a great experience and recovery! It was my first surgery ever, and I just remember my irrational fear that walking up the stairs, my guts would fall out. Ha! My doctor assured me that he had sewn together every layer of tissue and no such thing would happen I nursed my baby and had skin-to-skin time while in recovery and she nursed for 10 months! My scar healed up nicely and there's no issue at all today. I remember putting pressure on the incision while coughing or sneezing helped. You will do great! Good luck

JennyS86

Hi c-section ladies,
I had a c-section when my labor couldn't be stopped and the twins were breech.  It was a very smooth process.  My pain and blood pressure were well-controlled, and my recovery was uneventful.  I second the advice to drink plenty of fluids before and after surgery (when allowed), but don't rush into it at first - start with some ice chips, then clear liquids, and then food.  and move, move, move after surgery!
DH had to wear a white "bunny suit" in the OR.  Tell him to only wear a tshirt underneath because we don't need him to be overheated and pass out.  and remember the camera.
My pain was well-controlled with toradol (IV) and then ibuprofen after 24 hrs.  The worst pain I felt was 36hrs after surgery, when the duramorph in the epidural had worn off and I was a little late for my ibuprofen.
The fentanyl in the epidural caused itching for 24hrs for me.  I didn't take benadryl because I didn't want to compromise my milk supply and it doesn't really work for this itching anyway.
I also had some pain around my clavicle and shoulder blade 24-48hrs after surgery. This is air pain that rises from your abdomen and dissipates gradually.

Wishing you all a smooth c-section (or vbac), and a great recovery.  I was so impressed with my first c-section!

avidkeo

I had an emergency C-section due to bradycardia - which means that her heart rate began to have decelerations, and her baseline heart rate dropped to 100. It happened fast but not a mad rush. We decided to have the c-section at 2:30pm, in theatre at 3pm, she was out at 3:29pm. 

I never even felt the spinal go in, I was amazed because I thought that would hurt like crap. And it was a very weird unusual sensation. I could feel pressure but no pain. hard to describe. When she was out, after they had done all their tests etc, they wrapped her up and she was on my chest, around chin height. DH was there holding her. The most annoying thing is I couldn't really see her because of the angle but was still amazing. Half an hour later I was in recovery, sitting up and breast feeding. I had no issues at all feeding, or bonding or anything. And the first meal afterward was fantastic, just a basic sandwich but so good lol. Also once DD was with me in recovery, I never had to let her go, she was in my arms as we got wheeled back to our room. 

The real hard thing was being stuck in a bed on my back for over 12 hours. I couldn't get her out of the bassinet on my own, and DH wasn't allowed to stay, I had to call a MW everytime she wanted feeding/changing etc. As someone who is really independent I found that really really hard. And the second night when she wouldn't sleep, was also incredibly hard, I wanted to walk her around the corridors but wasn't able to. 

Only long term downside is I have this awful scar that is a thick ridge. Am seriously contemplating asking for a RCSECT to see if they can fix it lol. However I dont have the numbness that some people have. 

Advice, take it slowly those first couple of weeks, you really do feel like your insides are going to fall out! Take your pain relief, even if you aren't feeling any pain, because as soon as you get up to go to the bathroom, you will see why its prescribed regularly!

ETA: remember when you get to hospital, you leave your dignity at the door, and pick it up again on the way out! I forgot about the MW having to change my pad for me! They literally lifted the sheets, took the old one out, and shoved a new one in place. I laughed so hard the first time, but there wasn't any other way!

doozer1345

My water broke at 415am. We made it to the hospital where they checked me in, started an IV, put DH in scrubs, and put me in a bed. I was wheeled off to the OR (DD was breech) where they sat me up on the side of the bed. I had a nurse stand in front of me and hold my hand. They explained I would be getting a spinal block and the anesthetist was behind me. He explained he was looking for a good spot. The he told me I would feel a prick and some pressure but it won't last long. They told me to take a deep breath. As I inhaled I felt the prick (maybe a sweat bee sting...my pain tolerance is 0) but it was over as quick as it started. They laid me down and DH was sitting beside my head. They put my arms out on either side (I asked to not be strapped down). There was a screen that covered me from just above my belly button. My doctor said he had been pinching me for a good minute and is taking it as a sign I can't feel anything. He said he was going to go ahead and start. DH and I talked the whole time. After 15 min my doctor said I was going to feel some pressure bc DD was wedged way up in my rib cage. The nurse climbed on top of me to push her down. It felt like the wind was knocked out of me but they hooked me up to some oxygen and it was fine. Shortly after my trampoline experience the doctor got her out! He took out a fallopian tube and an ovary (unplanned) as DH took DD to our room. I had the shakes once I got to the room (30-45 min later) but was able to start BFing pretty immediately. I don't know if this is a concern for you but BFing came easily for me and the c section did not hinder that process. All in all it wasn't a bad experience by any means. To give you an idea...DD was born at 6:21am. It didn't take long at all.

ETA: Just wanted to add... My recovery was pretty quick. GET UP AND WALK ASAP. I was up and walking (maybe 5-8 ft) 6 hours after surgery. My recovery was faster than my friends who had a vaginal birth around the same time as me. I guess it is different for everybody.

Charissadeats

Thank you all so much.

I am not so much afraid of the pain. I understand that it will be painful, but I am okay with that. 

If I am honest, the things that get me the most nervous is the fact that I won't be able to move for a while and then to be bed-ridden for 12 hours. I am going to speak to my dr about whether he is one of those who wants you to move or one who doesn't! 

I never knew about the 'changing' - I warned DH yesterday. Grim haha. 

And I also did not know about having bowel problems - EEK! For a regular Nancy that freaks me out more than I care to admit! 

Thanks for your insights, honesty and positivity! 

doozer1345

I was so tired TBH that it didn't bother me to be in the bed. Plus all I wanted to do was snuggle DD. I obviously wasn't bed ridden for as long as 12 hours. I never had bowel problems either although I did take Colace as a precaution. In fact, after DD my IBS was cured. Weird. Just giving you an insight on my experience. I was scared of most of what you are but ended up not experiencing a lot of it. Hopefully you'll be just as fortunate.

Charissadeats

That makes me feel so much better! Thanks @doozer1345

camillaandcarson

I had one.  I have had a past surgery while pregnant in the late 1st trimester that made the C-section seriously seem "easy" if there ever was such a thing.  The section was honestly just not that painful (and I am not good about pain).  I didn't even need the meds they gave me to take at home.  I was released from the hospital in just a little under 48 hours doing really well, I had showered there and was ready to go.  Do take meds to help move things through your digestive system.  Don't carry anything heavier than your baby for 6-8 weeks (that includes baby in the car seat carrier thing).

The time in the actual OR to having your baby is a short time. I had shakes in the OR after the birth of the baby but they went away within a reasonable time after bringing it to the anesthesiologists attention, it wasn't really a big deal and was over and done with fast enough but I would have liked to know about that beforehand.

I drank lots of water after, I knew that would help re-hydrate my body not only for recovery but also for making milk.  My milk didn't come in for quite a few days but this didn't bother the baby and all was just fine.  There was no problems with the baby and no problems at all with bonding. 

I came home and swept the floor because of cat litter (I don't recommend that but it didn't hurt anything nor did I feel any different, I was not thinking of staying off my feet after being exhausted from all the endless visitors at the hospital so when I came home, saw the cat litter I just went into my normal mode and did what needed to be done, then went into bed and nursed the baby after baby was delivered to me by DH out of the car seat).  So yeah, I wasn't feeling that bad. 

I don't have a scar and didn't do anything special, no special things to wear after, no special creams or lotions.  All I did was breastfeed (no bottles, no paci's) and I guess that might have helped things go back to normal quicker?  You can't tell anything happened there by plain sight.  
However I am numb in that small area but have had 2 different procedures there so you might not be.  I didn't even notice this until the next pregnancy when the doctor said "sorry, this gel will be cold" when doing an ultrasound.  I couldn't feel a thing.  How I missed that for the years previous I don't know.  I guess it wasn't noticeable because that is such a small area.  

Vivian0809

I've had two c-sections, and totally positive experiences. My OB does "gentle c-sections" (Google or YouTube, then discuss with your Dr) Baby never left our side and I held them right away, with my husbands help.
Stay on top of your pain meds, take your stool softeners, walk as much as you can, and don't over do it. I felt totally back to normal by day 10, but I still took it easy for the recommended 6 weeks.. This will help not to cause scar tissue. 

katykatykaty

I had an emergency c/s with my first and a scheduled c/s with my second. Both were very good experiences. I honestly don't remember having an issue with not being able to immediately get up and walk around...  They brought the babies to me to nurse and hold, I guess, because I don't remember it being bad. I was able to nurse both right away. I can't take pain meds other than high doses of Advil, but I don't remember the pain being terrible either. The worst part for me was not being able to lift my first for a while after having my second. 

laurenmdrn16

katykatykaty said:

I had an emergency c/s with my first and a scheduled c/s with my second. Both were very good experiences. I honestly don't remember having an issue with not being able to immediately get up and walk around...  They brought the babies to me to nurse and hold, I guess, because I don't remember it being bad. I was able to nurse both right away. I can't take pain meds other than high doses of Advil, but I don't remember the pain being terrible either. The worst part for me was not being able to lift my first for a while after having my second. 

For financial reasons, we need to take my 2 yr old son out of daycare when I go on (unpaid) maternity leave. I was super nervous about caring for him and a newborn post CS (emergency CS with him and scheduled with this one). MH originally planned to take his vacation the week that the baby was going to be born, but I am going to be in the hospital and my mom isn't working that week so I told him to take the next week off. From your experience @katykatykaty am I crazy or is it possible to care for a 2 yr old and a newborn post CS without daycare/childcare during the day? 

JennyS86

laurenmdrn16 said:

katykatykaty said:

I had an emergency c/s with my first and a scheduled c/s with my second. Both were very good experiences. I honestly don't remember having an issue with not being able to immediately get up and walk around...  They brought the babies to me to nurse and hold, I guess, because I don't remember it being bad. I was able to nurse both right away. I can't take pain meds other than high doses of Advil, but I don't remember the pain being terrible either. The worst part for me was not being able to lift my first for a while after having my second. 

For financial reasons, we need to take my 2 yr old son out of daycare when I go on (unpaid) maternity leave. I was super nervous about caring for him and a newborn post CS (emergency CS with him and scheduled with this one). MH originally planned to take his vacation the week that the baby was going to be born, but I am going to be in the hospital and my mom isn't working that week so I told him to take the next week off. From your experience @katykatykaty am I crazy or is it possible to care for a 2 yr old and a newborn post CS without daycare/childcare during the day? 

I am worried about that too!  The twins turn 2 in March.  Our tentative plan is for DH to stay home the first week and my mom to stay with us the second week after this c-section.  Twins are still in cribs.  After 2 weeks, my MIL is local, but won't be here 24/7. 
the twins were in the nicu, so I don't remember where I was recovery-wise at the 2 week point.  It is such a blur.
My philosophy is to take it easy for those 2 weeks, and hope that that pays off in terms of reducing healing time and complications. 

katykatykaty

@laurenmdrn16  @JennyS86 The only part I couldn't do was lift her in and out of her crib and in and out of the car. My doctor was pretty liberal about how long I had to avoid lifting her (his wife had 3 c/s's and he had to go back to work after a week each time, so I'm sure that influenced his advice). He basically just said avoid it as much as possible for as long as possible, but do what you have to do.  I had help - my husband and then a part-time nanny - who did that part for about 2 weeks, but then I did it. I didn't have any issues with my incision. I also drove right away too, which I know is against the rules.  

And for me it had nothing to do with pain - I was able to get on the floor to play within a day or two of being home from the hospital, and the lack of pain made following the no lifting rule really challenging. 

JennyS86

katykatykaty said:

And for me it had nothing to do with pain - I was able to get on the floor to play within a day or two of being home from the hospital, and the lack of pain made following the no lifting rule really challenging. 

I agree - the lack of pain made it hard for me to not push it too far last time (although I didn't have older children).  I feel like if I try to tell myself - it's only 2 weeks - I should be able to get through it!  Glad to hear your incision was no worse for wear!