RCS moms-what's your story??

Abcollins57 · March 2014

I am having a repeat c-section, this one is scheduled for April 4th and I have no idea what to expect! I had an emergency c-section with DS #1 after laboring for 12 hours with no progress. Was your recovery easier? How long did you spend in recovery after the surgery? How long did you take prescription pain meds (which I am not a fan of!)? Just trying to get an idea of what's in store!

InLovewSB · March 2014

Yes. The recovery was much easier with my RCS since I hadn't contracted at all. (By comparison, I labored 20ish hours with G and felt like I was recovering from battle after my C). With my RCS, I was in recovery for just an hour then moved to my postpartum room, but I spent about 4 days in the hospital, which is standard policy. At home, I did not need to fill my prescription pain killers, and I felt quite well just taking Motrin every 4-6 hours (at first). I did experience soreness in my incision on days where I over-did it (too many trips up and down the stairs, doing laundry, cooking dinner). I was blessed to have no complications and was able to simply enjoy my new baby and toddler. I was also fortunate to have a caring MIL who came and stayed with us for a little while to help with our toddler so I could get extra rest and not 'hurt myself' trying to pick him up, so forth.

Abcollins57 · March 2014

You sound very blessed with that experience!

slwprincess · March 2014

Generally, RCS are easier recoveries b/c you haven't gone thru the trauma of labor before. But, I think it's really easy to over do it after a RCS b/c 1. You are chasing another child. 2. You feel better sooner than you did after your first. 3. You just feel like you need to do it all. I made this mistake with my second. So my advice is to double or triple the amount of childcare help you think you need and plan to allow yourself as much recovery time as you needed with your first. Give yourself plenty of wiggle room.

For both of my RCS- I was in the same curtained pre/post op area. I spent about 1 hr in there before surgery getting my IV and all that. Then another hr after surgery while they got my room ready. Lactation came to me in post op. Baby never left my side.

I took Percocet and Motrin for a week, then just Motrin. I'm still taking Motrin at 3 wks but not the huge hospital strength. Just regular strength around the clock to prevent inflammation.

Abcollins57 · March 2014

Baby never left your side?? That is a huge concern of mine. I spent three hours in recovery the first time, and about two days on strong pain meds. I was so out of it and had no idea what was going on. I didn't even know my son had jaundice and spent the night under a heat lamp in my room! Definitely hoping for a better experience this time!

slwprincess · March 2014

Abcollins57 said:
Baby never left your side?? That is a huge concern of mine. I spent three hours in recovery the first time, and about two days on strong pain meds. I was so out of it and had no idea what was going on. I didn't even know my son had jaundice and spent the night under a heat lamp in my room! Definitely hoping for a better experience this time!

Yes, our hospital is very family friendly and pro-bf. They weigh/measure in the OR then hand baby to dad until mom is finished. Once I was on the gurney, they handed her to me while I was wheeled to recovery. This varies with each hospital but don't be afraid to ask for what you want.

Abcollins57 · March 2014

Thanks for sharing your story with me!

mkeatts · March 2014

My experience was fantastic. My first was awful- vomiting, low blood pressure, felt completely disconnected, crappy recovery. I had no problems with my repeat. They agreed to do skin-to-skin on the OR table, breastfed right away, it was such a great experience.

Worcbride · March 2014

I think knowing what to expect with the RCS made it easier. I actually had a lil more recovery time with the second but maybe that's because I was more active right away (I had a 22 month old to care for as well). Everything else was the same--the length of time in recovery, length of time on the meds. My first CS was unplanned; the second one was planned but DS decided to show up early so in a way it was unplanned too lol

lmsmith1222 · April 2014

I love this thread. I had ecs with my first after laboring a few hours, and what abcollins said above sounds like mine. I was so out of it I hardly remember a lot of the first couple of days in the hospital. I am looking forward to the Rcs being hopefully a little easier recovery but good to know I can get a false sense of being ok and over do it so ill try to take it easier. Should have at least mom and husband around to help with baby and ds (who will be almost 2 when new lo is born). What's thoughts on belly bandits and the like? I never heard of one til wayyyy after my son was born. Do they help? And how?

capulet · April 2014

My water broke before my scheduled c/s, so it wasn't quite like having an RCS with no labor, but it was still much less stressful than my first c/s. I don't remember exactly how much time I spent in recovery, but it wasn't very long, maybe an hour or two, certainly a lot less time than with my first c/s when I was really shaky for a few hours. I was able to BF DS much sooner (BFing worked out with both my kids, but it was rough the first 24 hours with DD). I don't think my recovery was much easier, but 1. my first c/s recovery was pretty easier to begin with, and 2. I went home after just two days the second time, and in retrospect I think I pushed myself too hard once I got back home (I had really terrible back pain for a day, which I think was compensatory for not being able to use my abs) and should have taken advantage of being able to spend an extra day in the hospital. I had an allergic reaction to Percocet with my first c/s, so I only took Tylenol and Midol once I was off the IV the second time around, which also may have made recovery in the week after surgery more difficult than it would have been otherwise, but the pain was still manageable.

flerlgirl · April 2014

For those of you that had a RCS after having an emergency CS the first time around, were you nervous? I feel dumb even asking, but my first child was born at 26 weeks and we found out he would arrive about 90 minutes before he was born. I have a lot of panic and bad memories associated with the whole process and I am really nervous about how I'll feel this time. The other day we were visiting at the hospital where LO will be born and I saw the door to the OR and it totally freaked me out. Anyone in a similar situation? How did you do? Did anything calm you down? Do you like all these questions? ??

TIA

bingbongsmama · April 2014

Both are planned for me. I knew in advance I'd need it and it was done before I went into labor. It wasn't too bad of a recovery, though its still abdominal surgery so painful the first couple of days and then it got easier.

Not sure how the repeat will compare...

RCS moms-what's your story??

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