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3rd Trimester
the truth about c-sections?
ok so maybe this has been asked a million times, maybe not. but, i am facing a few complications that may lead to an eventual planned c-section. although this isnt certain yet, if it does happen - i would really like to know the honest truth about them and what to expect.
did you feel the incision and pain associated with the baby being pulled out?
how long did it take for you to feel well enough to hold LO?
were you able to breastfeed immediately afterwards, or how long after until you could?
and honestly.... how bad does recovery suck?
TIA ladies 
This discussion has been closed.
Re: the truth about c-sections?
Haven't gotten one, but a friend of mine did almost 2 weeks ago. She told me that she felt fine 24 hours later, and that she was totally back to normal like a week after the c-section.
She told me not to worry if I end up having to get one for some reason...
Good luck, I hope everything turns out perfectly for you!!
did you feel the incision and pain associated with the baby being pulled out?
I didn't feel the incision and there wasn't really pain but a lot of pressure when the baby was pulled out. I really felt that!
how long did it take for you to feel well enough to hold LO?
I held my son as soon as they brought him to me, I felt well enough right away.
were you able to breastfeed immediately afterwards, or how long after until you could?
No, it took some time for them to bring him to me and for me to get in a room after recovery. It was a good 30 mins or more I would say.
and honestly.... how bad does recovery suck?
The day after was the worst, standing up and walking was hard. Honestly the worst pain I've felt in my life but I have a very high pain tolerance and after that it wasn't too bad. After I was off the pain meds they gave me the first day I took nothing more than motrin. I recovered very quickly and was up and around almost back to normal by 4-5 weeks after. The scar still bothers me now and then.
Although my recovery was great I wouldn't recommend a c-section if you didn't have to have one. I'm hoping not to have one this time.
best of luck!!
BFP 12/19/08- DS born 8/25/09 9lbs2oz via Zavanelli Maneuver
BFP 8/26/11- Missed miscarriage discovered 10/19/11 at 11w2d, measured at 9 weeks gestation w/ no HB. D&C 10/21/11
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I did not feel any of the incision, but did feel them take the baby out. Not pain, just pulling and pressure. However, I DID feel them sewing me up again because my pain medication wore off.
I felt ok enough to hold him in recovery, but I didn't get to keep him long because he was taken to the NICU.
I breastfed when I did have him in recovery, but after that him being across the hospital and me having trouble getting around didn't help that process.
honestly, something I never want to go through again in my life. The recovery was painful and LONG. I had pain still a year later. By that point it wasn't every day, but if I moved wrong it was back. I would recommend not doing anything for a little while. You feel ok enough to do things normally, and I think that's really what did me in. By the two week mark I was in more pain than I've ever been in my life. Take that for what it's worth though, I've heard people like other people who have replied that were back to normal in a few days. But it is major surgery.
I had an emergency C-section with Max, and the epidural didn't work for the surgery. I'm sorry to scare anyone, but I felt the incision and the cuts and was freaking out, so I had to be put under immediately and missed everything. I finally "came to" right as they were done stitching me up, and my FI was with Max.
I was able to hold him the whole way back from the OR.
I didn't breastfeed, so I don't know about that.
The recovery really wasn't too bad. Just be careful not to overdo it. I stretched myself out too much and tore a few stitches.
I had one 8 days ago...
Honestly, I did feel pain, but I was told they would put me under if I felt pain, so I kept my mouth shut. ?It wasn't bad and it was FAR less painful that the pain from being in labor for 24 hours before that. ?It was really mostly a pulling pressure.
I was in recovery for an hour and half shaking and VERY out of it. ?I think I would have been more alert if it had been a straight c-section and I hadn't been pumped full of meds for 24 hours and dealing with no sleep. ?My doula told my DH to demand that LO be brought to me in recovery. ?I couldn't even get up the strength to hold him, so my doula actually held him on my chest and got him to BF. ?I only saw him for 10 minutes and then I didn't get to see him for 3 or 4 hours. ?DH was with him the entire time, but he had blood sugar issues and was given formula. ?It hasn't affected BFing at all. ?LO is a champion latcher, so I was lucky there.
Recovery sucked the first few days, but I feel pretty good now. ?I am still trying to take it easy. ?Make sure you take short walks and take the pain meds BEFORE you feel pain to keep up with it. ?My friends who had csections seemed to be in less pain than my friends who tore with vaginal births. ?
I had an emergency c-section due to a prolapsed cord. I was put under immediately and they got baby out in 4 minutes. So I didn't feel a thing during surgery.
I could not hold my baby for 5 days because she was in NICU.
Obviously could not breastfeed either, but even if she wasn't in the NICU, I doubt I could have the first day. I was in a LOT of pain.
I thought recovery SUCKED. Maybe it's because my older daughter was vaginal and I was fine just a couple hours after she was born. I didn't get out of bed until the next day, and I was in excrutiating pain. I was in tears. But, after that second day, I was much better.
Others have much better stories than mine. They seem to recovery better than I did. It may also be because I had general anesthesia, I really don't know. Maybe I just have bad luck, but I wanted to be honest.
Good luck! Hope you don't have to have one!
www.metrobabyblog.com
1) No, I felt absolutely nothing during the c/s
2) I felt fully capable of holding him right after
3) I was not, but DS had breathing issues and needed to be taken to the NICU
4) Recovery sucked for me. Stay on top of your meds - you may feel fine when it's time for a dose and try to hold out for longer. If you're like me you'll regret this, because all of a sudden you will be in extreme pain and it's a lot more difficult to get control of it once you're feeling it than if you just are never in pain in the first place. It was a few months before I was totally pain free again.
I have definitely heard other people saying they had way better recovery experiences though.
did you feel the incision and pain associated with the baby being pulled out?
Felt no pain just a little tugging because he was up high and breech. Most of the time with a scheduled c-section you get a spinal block instead of an epidural. Its strong and wears off quickly enough that you are not numb too long.
how long did it take for you to feel well enough to hold LO? I held him while in recovery.
were you able to breastfeed immediately afterwards, or how long after until you could? I did not breastfeed but I think they would have let me once I got back to my room.
and honestly.... how bad does recovery suck? Recovery was 100% better than I thought it would be. You just need to keep up on the pain meds and take stool softner. The first time getting up can hurt but it gets better everytime. By time I got home I was doing a lot of normal stuff just at a slower pace.
In my honest opinion:
-You feel some uncomfortable, but painless tugging and pulling and pressure as the baby is being pulled out. Afterwards, they show you baby, and if all is well, you get to do some photos with your SO and then they all leave to go do stuff with baby in the nursery. While they are doing that, you are getting stitched up, which takes a while because there are several layers for them to stitch.
-After the surgery, I was taken back to my recovery room (the labor room I was in prior to surgery) and baby was brought to me shortly after for bonding time. I was exhausted and had the shakes from the epidural, but I didnt let any of that get in the way of holding and breastfeeding my LO!
-I am not going to sugar coat this...recovery SUCKS! Not only do you have an incision in your stomach, but the nurses come in every few hours and "massage" your uterus to help get clots out and start the recovery. And let me tell you...massage is not the word I would use. Its more like torture! Fortunately, the first night, I had a catheter and morphine drip so I didn't have to get out of bed. The next day, though, I had to start getting up to use the restroom, which was often due to the IV and all the ice chips I ate. I also had to start walking, so I took a couple trips to and from the nurses' station. They took out my staples and I was sent home 48 hours after my surgery, which surprised me. Fortunately, I got to room in with LO the next night.
-On the positive side, I have healed up much quicker than I expected. I was given Lortab pain meds for home, and stopped needing them after about 5-6 days.
I hope this helps you. I had my DH and mother there to help out, which was crucial...I couldnt wipe my own arse for about 4 days....those ladies who do this on their own are superwomen!
did you feel the incision and pain associated with the baby being pulled out?
I felt them cutting and moving things around, but no pain. It was just really weird. When my DD was pulled out, I felt some stretching and then my lungs felt like they could finally fill up again which was another weird feeling.
how long did it take for you to feel well enough to hold LO?
I had her at 9:11pm and I didn't get to hold her until about 4 or 5 hours later. I had an induction and every pain medicine you could think of before the epidural, so I was pretty out of it. Plus, I had been awake for almost 48 hours at that point, and I needed sleep. We bonded just fine even though it was hours later.
were you able to breastfeed immediately afterwards, or how long after until you could?
About 4 or 5 hours later
and honestly.... how bad does recovery suck?
It hurt to laugh and cough, but other than that, I thought it wasn't too bad. I didn't take my pain medicine for that long afterwards. By 2 weeks post partum, I felt completely normal.
did you feel the incision and pain associated with the baby being pulled out?
No pain, only some pressure.
how long did it take for you to feel well enough to hold LO?
I held him right away.
were you able to breastfeed immediately afterwards, or how long after until you could?
I breastfed within 30 minutes of leaving the OR.
and honestly.... how bad does recovery suck?
Pretty bad. I needed the pain meds they prescribed for about a week.
Since there seem to be a lot of negative responses.....I will help you with a positive one
I cannot wait for my next c-section.....in fact, its already been scheduled! I would never want to go through "regular" labor and pushing every again. I pushed with DS for 2.5 hours and felt every.single.push.....and yes, I had an epidural, but you still feel every push. After all that, I had a c-section.....it was a BREEZE compared to what I had been through.
I felt a little tugging when they were pulling him out, but I had been pushing him for 2.5 hours so my OB said that he was lower than most babies would normally be.
I was completely "with it" the entire time. I heard everything and knew all that was going on. I was able to kiss and touch him immediately after they cleaned him up and brought him to me. They put him IN THE BED with me when they wheeled me out of the O.R. to my recovery room.
I did not breastfeed, so I can't answer this question.
My recovery was GREAT! At my 2 week pp appointment, I was cleared to do everything and anything I wanted except abdominal work. I was allowed to use the stairs from day one (sparingly.....). I only took my pain meds for about 5 days pp.
No, its not easy......but neither is a vaginal delivery. Personally, I would rather have a scar on my stomach rather than a 4th degree tear like many of my friends have had (one even has to have some anal reconstruction work done....). I can't tell you the amount of people I know who still have issues "down there" years after vaginal deliveries.......yes, I know some people have a great vaginal experience, but I had a great c-section
I will tell you that you need to get up and walk as soon as you can. My DS was born at 11:30am and my epi/IV's came out around 3am that night. I was walking the next morning. It feels "weird" and can be uncomfortable, but you need to get up and walk whenever you can.
GL!