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My hospital has a mandatory 1 hr bonding/nursing time after delivery wuth no guests. Afterwards, my family came but I had them leave (actually my nurse did) after a bit. But, they live close and could come back whenever. The next day I was dying for visitors cause I was going stir crazy to go home.

I didn't feel gross or sick after my c-section. It was scheduled for the morning, but ended up getting pushed back to after 5pm, so there is always a chance that the timeline will be totally outside of your control. My parents were at the hospital all day, and my mil came (flew in) the next morning. My aunt and uncle, my brother and several friends came by the day after. I'm a private person too, but understand how excited everyone was to see the baby, and I felt fine physically.

Not long -

Maybe 2 hours?

If you aren't big on visitors why not let them come but set a time limit - like 1 hour, and then have the nurse tell them they have to leave

immediately after. Check with your hospitals procedure. After my first non elective c-section, I was wheeled into an observation room with a nurse for about 30min-60min? then moved into my room where my family was waiting- the baby was being monitored in another room. The second time it was elective- the hospital had VASTLY improved policies. I got the baby skin to skin during the c-section and got to keep him- I was wheeled into recovery room right after and my family was there waiting. The medical staff left us all alone for a long while, then after about an hour or two it was time for them to look over baby and me.

I felt totally fine after both- I mean I wasn't up doing a jig, but nothing too personal was going on that the family I loved and felt comfortable wouldn't be welcome. It was nice.

I was completely out of commission for a while after my c section. Mine wasn't planned and it didn't happen till almost 8pm so it was easy to not see people after. My mom was in from out of town and we are very close so I did have her come to recovery. My husband was pretty upset from the whole experience so it was good for him to have someone to talk to. Also, our son went steaight to the nicu so I wanted my mom to be my proxy Not for decisions but I wanted someone from my family to go see him for me.
I believe my inlaws came early the next morning to see the baby in the nicu, but I didn't want to see anyone except my mom and husband until days later. I finally got to be with my son 3 days after he was born and by then I was ready for short visits.

My opinion based on my experience - you never know how it's going to go or how you will feel until after. I would just explain to your husband that a c section IS major surgery (and yes I was vomiting, loopy and in pain) and on top of that it's highly emotional (I was also sobbing a lot, but maybe it was because I didn't get to hold him). And all of the points you made about nurses in and out, catheter, etc are valid! You don't have to be comfortable with visitors while your pee bag is being emptied! Plus not sure if you'll be attempting to breastfeed - it's stressful! It's just not a good idea to have people waiting to beat down the door at that time.
I would ask for them to wait until the morning (this is TOTALLY acceptable, c-section or not, and I think your husband will understand once he sees all you go through. People tend to think that a c section is no big deal since they happen all the time, but it really is!)
OR is there a lounge for visitors where he could visit with them and the baby without you? I don't mean the main waiting area. At the hospitals here since rooms are so small and are often shared with another new mom, they also have little rooms with a couch and some chairs so that families can visit in a more comfortable and private setting. If you're comfortable with that, of course.
OR, I don't know how this works since we were in the nicu, but could they first go by the nursery that night just to SEE the baby while you recover and then the next morning visit with you and baby and actually hold him/her?

Not sure if any of this is feasible, but trying to think of ways to keep you and husband both happy. Though if you can't, it's WAY more important to keep you happy at that time! I don't understand people who want to bombard a new mom and baby immediately. Especially moms and MILs - don't they remember what it was like??? But, I'm private like you Maybe we're the weirdos

I'm also noticing that most who had scheduled said they felt fine and emergency/unplanned were the ones that felt like crap (prob because of laboring and pushing beforehand). So maybe you'll be ok?
But it's not just about how you feel physically, it is also a privacy issue. I had planned to not let people in till the next day even if I did deliver vaginally and uneventfully. That's just the way I am. So just do what is best for you.
I will say my husband was like yours, beforehand he felt it was wrong to make people wait. I think they are proud and excited papas and can't envision what we will go through and think it's no big deal. After my husband saw what labor was like and the pushing and then the c section he was shell shocked and said it was WAY more intense than he expected and wouldn't have dreamed having his parents waltz in after that. So, there's that But again, unplanned, so...

Our immediate families were waiting at the hospital (they were supposed to be waiting at home! But I had been induced and they hadn't heard from me for a couple hours so they just came to the hospital). I went to recovery for one hour (was separated from DH and babies), then got an hour with the babies, then our families came in. I wish we'd had more time to ourselves. I was very very drugged up (shouldn't be an issue with your planned C!) and didn't know what was going on. I'm actually still a little sad about the way everything went that day still at 1 year PP. That hour was the only time DH, the babies, and I were all together by ourselves. Ever since then they've been "community property" if you know what I mean. Once the families came in, the babies were being held by grandparents almost constantly except to nurse. I wish I'd been more lucid and be able to remember that Brief time together.

I had a scheduled c-section too and I'm a private person like you are. I would let them come at 7, but for just a short visit. Like 20 or 30 minutes. See the baby, give some grandparent smooches, take a few pictures, then get out. I thought it was so special and sweet to see our parents meet our daughter the day she was born, and I would have regretted not letting them come.

But I did NOT want them hanging out in my hospital room just chit-chatting a couple hours after I came out of major surgery. Honestly, once I took a shower and put on my own clothes the next day, I felt much more up to having visitors for longer than 20 minutes. But even then, we didn't let people stay very long. Nursing is a great excuse. They need to eat ALL the time, and you can just say "Oh, baby needs to eat, we need our privacy!" and shoo them all out.

I had an emergency c section at 1am and saw my parents at three am. They were at the hospital while I labored and once the section was decided they stayed.
For my schedule section they stayed with dd until I was in recovery. We ended up bumping into each other in the hall on the way to my room.
I didn't have any problem having visitors early on. They were all helpful.

I didn't know I was going to have a c section, but I asked for no visitors except my parents regardless at the hospital (if inlaws had been local I would have let them come, but them coming would have meant overnight stays and I didn't want to deal with that). I ended up with a c section and did not have any visitors except my parents and one aunt who came without asking.

In terms of how I felt though, I honestly felt pretty fine within about 2 hours? And I had an induction, 18 hours of labor going through overnight, and an emergency c section. I had some adrenaline going and never even slept until the following night when I got like an hour or two.

It's your husbands baby, too but ultimately you are the patient and get to decide. I think it's a little ridiculous your husband needs to set a time. They are local, you can call when you are ready. Tell the nurses your wishes and they will be the bad guy and turn unwanted visitors away for you!

@catomd00: I totally agree!

@Coffee-lover: I was hoping you could use the visiting hours as your excuse. I would just let him know that you don't want to set a time. I'd remind him that you're having major abdominal surgery, and you're not really sure how you'll feel afterwards. This is your one time that you get to be a family of 3 for the first few hours of your LO's life, and he's not the one who is giving birth. Yes...it is his baby too, but he needs to compromise a little. I think having his parents come the next morning is more than a reasonable ask by you.

@Coffee-lover: I saw this in my FB feed and immediately thought of you!

http://www.popsugar.com/moms/Visitors-Hospital-After-Birth-37453456