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@paigeface: like @Dandelion: said, it was the anticipation that was the worst of it. I had a great recovery and barely needed pain meds afterwards. Good luck to you!
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My first post! Hello everyone! I'm having my second c-section 2 weeks from today. My first experience was traumatic to say the least, but I thought it would still be nice to share because I wish I could have read a story like mine before my daughter's birth just so I could have been more mentally prepared.
1. How long ago was it? 15 months ago
2. Was your section planned or unplanned? It became an inevitability about a week before it happened, but technically it was still an emergency due to fetal distress and pre-eclampsia. I was 28 weeks 2 days.
3. What kind of anesthetic is used? Epidural? Yes epidural. Not sure on what a spinal feels like but with the epidural I could feel pressure but not pain. Mine made my face itch as it wore off as some other posters mentioned.
4. What did it feel like when they were doing the procedure? I had no clue they had started cutting until DD was a second from being born. The doctor was talking on his Bluetooth, so I assumed he wasn't also doing surgery. Apparently not... I did not feel any tugging or pulling during the procedure but baby was only 1 lb. 10 oz. at birth, so there probably wasn't much force needed to get her out.
5. Did you watch? Did your SO? I wish I could have seen but I wasn't asked. The anesthesiologist told DH if he wanted to see her come out to look at a certain time, and he did. He took some neat/gory photos of the birth.
6. What direction is the section scar? (Where is it?) Horizontal and extremely low.
7. Who held baby after it came out? No one. She was immediately rushed away to be assessed and then up to the NICU. They brought her by in a cart for about 5 seconds, but I didn't really get a look at her. My husband accompanied her to the NICU, but it was several hours before I got to see her by having my entire bed wheeled into her room. Not fun.
8. Who cut the cord? Doctor.
9. How long after the baby came out did it take for you to be stitched back up again? 15 minutes maybe?
10. When did you get to hold your baby? 3 days after her birth. DD was on brain bleed precautions, so she couldn't be held for the first three days of life. It was terrible. Holding her for the first time certainly was not the happy moment I had anticipated. At the time, I did not feel bonded with her at all.
11. How long did it take for your milk to come in? 2 days I think.
12. What kind of pain medication was given to you afterwards…was it ok for breastfeeding? Did it feel like enough? I had sweet wonderful morphine for about the first 12 hours and then Motrin and Tylenol after that. All fine for breastfeeding. Morphine was great. I didn't feel the Motrin and Tylenol was enough, but I was up and walking around by necessity so I was probably overdoing it those first few days in order to get up to the NICU to be with my baby.
13. How long did it take for you to feel like you could easily get around on your own? Easily? Maybe 2 weeks? But I was walking on my own the day I had the c-section. Truthfully, I was in pain when walking for at least the first 6 weeks.
14. What kind of stitches did they use? When did the stitches come out? I got to find out I was getting staples when I heard the staple gun going in the operating room. I did not like them. They were removed after 7 days (not painful) and replaced with steri-strips.
15. How many nights did you have to stay in the hospital after your c-section? 3 nights. Standard at my hospital with a c-section.
16. Did your baby room with you your entire stay? Stayed in NICU a total of 78 days.
17. Do you have any ongoing problems from your c-section? Sort of. I received a classical incision on my uterus because it was the safest method for getting the baby out. What that means is that I have a much higher risk of uterine rupture than women with a transverse incision, so I have to have an early c-section for all subsequent pregnancies to make sure I'm never actually in labor. My surgery is scheduled for 36 weeks 4 days.
18. How does your section scar feel now? It actually does bother me rather frequently- especially the more pregnant I get. Sometimes it stings and burns. I think it might be kind of keloided. I'm hoping not to have staples this time. I think that was not a good choice for my skin type.
19. Anything you’d like to add? I know my story sounds scary, but the good news is our little girl is absolutely perfect in every way despite her traumatic start in life! There were so many things that could have gone wrong that didn't. I'm so thankful to be still pregnant with this baby and hoping for a much different c-section experience this time around. On a different note, I had my daughter at a teaching hospital and because my surgery was so "interesting" there were close to 20 people in the operating room. Also, I was completely naked from the belly down while people were milling about the room. That definitely made me uncomfortable. Something to consider when choosing your hospital. -
@Nightingale: thanks for sharing!
A spinal makes you numb from your boobs to your toes. It starts kicking in right away. My legs were leaning to the side as I was going numb, and even when my legs were flat and I could see them straight, it felt like they were still leaning!
The spinal also made my face itch as it was wearing off.
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Bumping!
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@Dandelion: Hi, this brings back so many bittersweet emotions. I will be having another C section in a few weeks for DD# 2! Never thought I would be a mommy of 2 (due to IF struggles) so excited!
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@Dandelion: Thanks for bumping this for me! I'll definitely sit down and read through tonight!
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Super helpful thread!
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@lovehoneybee: @Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I see this thread is older but if you want any other input let me know , I've had two, one RCS one emergency
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1. How long ago was it? 4 months
2. Was your section planned or unplanned? Planned. She was breech.
3. What kind of anesthetic is used? Spinal. It made my blood pressure drop, which made me sick. The nausea combined with being unable to move made me a bit panicky...I was begging them to bring my husband in, and finally said I was going to be sick. I felt much better after I threw up (they were waiting with a bucket).
4. What did it feel like when they were doing the procedure? A little bit of tugging.
5. Did you watch? Did your SO? No. I was pretty overwhelmed. DH spent about 90% of the time holding my hand and trying to keep me calm and 10% of the time peeking. He said he could see my intestines...he said he wanted to see because it would (hopefully) be the only time he could see something like that in person, and he was interested.
6. What direction is the section scar? (Where is it?) Horizontal and extremely low.
7. Who held baby after it came out? The OB pulled her out, a nurse took her to the warmer, and then DH held her and brought her to me.
8. Who cut the cord? The OB, and DH trimmed it.
9. How long after the baby came out did it take for you to be stitched back up again? It was really fast...maybe 10-15 minutes. She came out at 9:34 and I was in the recovery room by 9:55.
10. When did you get to hold your baby? They put her on my chest for a few minutes while they finished stitching me up, and then she was given to me in recovery so I could start trying to nurse while they got my BP back up.
11. How long did it take for your milk to come in? Like 36 hours? It was about the same as my son, who was vaginal.
12. What kind of pain medication was given to you afterwards…was it ok for breastfeeding? Did it feel like enough? Percocet and Ibuprofen. I had no problem breastfeeding, and I felt like it was enough. I had to stop it sooner than I wanted as it really blocked up my GI tract badly, and made it nearly impossible for me to pass gas or poop without extreme pain.
13. How long did it take for you to feel like you could easily get around on your own? I was walking around the next day. DD was born a week before Christmas and I have a preschooler, so I didn't really have the time to lay low. I hosted Christmas Eve dinner for my ILs (fondue, so it was easy). I was moving slowly, but I was moving. I didn't feel comfortable driving for about 3 weeks, though.
14. What kind of stitches did they use? Staples which were removed before I was discharged and then steri-strips.
15. How many nights did you have to stay in the hospital after your c-section? I stayed 3 nights, though my insurance would have covered a 4th. I wish I had stayed the extra night, but it was right before Christmas and I wanted to be home more.
16. Did your baby room with you your entire stay? Except for about 2 hours the first night, yes.
17. Do you have any ongoing problems from your c-section? Nope.
18. How does your section scar feel now? It's a little numb when I touch it, but otherwise I don't notice it at all.
19. Anything you’d like to add? The anticipation of it was the worst, but overall I had a very positive experience, minus the pain when trying to poop. And the gas pains in the hospital were pretty terrible. Also, I had to drink a shot of this stuff before the surgery to protect my esophagus in case I puked, and it tasted terrible. She told me it tasted like salty grapes, so I was at least prepared, but it was like super sour salty grapes, lol.
If you're reading this now, stay on top of your pain meds. I got behind a few times, and it was terrible when the pain crept in. Like...major hormone crash coupled with sudden pain had me sobbing and my husband panicking. They gave me a bottle of ibuprofen but I had to call the nurse to request the Percocet when it was time. I felt like a junkie having to call, but I really needed it for a while. And getting up and trying to walk as soon as possible is super important, just don't push yourself too hard and overdo it.
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I love this thred! My baby has been sitting breech since 23 weeks (now 33 weeks) so I might be preparing for a c.
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I'll add my experience for the record:
1. How long ago was it? One was 5 weeks ago, one in January 2014
2. Was your section planned or unplanned? Both planned, both were breech
3. What kind of anesthetic is used? Epidural? Spinals. It was super disconcerting how quickly it kicked in - they basically told me that as soon as it was in I had to swing my legs up in the table before I couldn't feel them anymore.
4. What did it feel like when they were doing the procedure? It was weird because I could feel pressure in my body, but not any pain. I felt pushing and tugging.
5. Did you watch? Did your SO? I peeked - I could see the reflection in the operating light.
6. What direction is the section scar? (Where is it?) Horizontally, below my bikini line.
7. Who held baby after it came out? They were both put on my chest while they stitched me up, and then once they were almost done my husband took them while they finished and moved me to recovery.
8. Who cut the cord? The doctor.
9. How long after the baby came out did it take for you to be stitched back up again? 20-30 minutes.
10. When did you get to hold your baby? He was put on me immediately, but I don't know if that's really "holding" because I couldn't use my arms. Once I got into recovery I could actually hold them.
11. How long did it take for your milk to come in? I don't remember with my first son, day 2 with my second.
12. What kind of pain medication was given to you afterwards…was it ok for breastfeeding? Did it feel like enough? Tylenol, with an option for morphine for the first 24 hours and something else I can't remember (started with a t) after that. I asked for morphine once and the T medicine once in the hospital, but didn't fill my prescriptions once I got home. It was fine for breastfeeding, and it felt like enough as long as I made sure to get it right on time for the first few days. By day 4 I was basically off it both times.
13. How long did it take for you to feel like you could easily get around on your own? They had me up and walking within 12 hours both times (although the second time I fainted, and went back to bed for another 12 hours before trying again. I think that was caused by the internal bleeding and hemoglobin drop, though, and not directly a result of the surgery)
14. What kind of stitches did they use? When did the stitches come out? Dissolving stitches.
15. How many nights did you have to stay in the hospital after your c-section? 1 the first time, 2 the second, because of the blood transfusion.
16. Did your baby room with you your entire stay? Yes.
17. Do you have any ongoing problems from your c-section? No.
18. How does your section scar feel now? Numb. The skin above the scar is tender, almost like a sunburn, which also happened last time.
19. Anything you’d like to add? Like I mentioned above, my hemoglobin dropped to 60 (should be over 110), which caused me to get an ultrasound, a CT scan, be diagnosed with internal bleeding, and need a blood transfusion. Apparently it's a weird and unusual outcome, though, especially since the section itself was super routine and easy. -
Special note – I had a pretty rare case so please don’t assume this was normal, I even hesitate to write answers to this so please take this with a grain of salt.
1. How long ago was it? 15 months ago
2. Was your section planned or unplanned? Both. First it was planned because he was breeched, then they were able to flip him by doing the ECV where they physically rotate the baby. Then his heart rate spiked when I had contracts and they really wanted to emergency C-section him and we thought that was the safest option.
3. What kind of anesthetic is used? Spinal.
4. What did it feel like when they were doing the procedure? Nothing at all really. I know people say they felt tugging but I didn’t feel anything at all.
5. Did you watch? Did your SO? No. We heard the cry and then they showed us the baby and that was it.
6. What direction is the section scar? (Where is it?) Horizontal. Pretty low, my underwear completely covers it.
7. Who held baby after it came out? The OB pulled him out, a nurse carried him over to us to let us look at him completely naked! Then she cleaned him up a bit and let him lie on me while they were stitching me up and then she took him back and swaddle him and gave him to DH who held him the rest of the time.
8. Who cut the cord? The OB.
9. How long after the baby came out did it take for you to be stitched back up again? Mine took a while because I had some tearing in my uterus. It took about 30 minutes I believe but I wasn’t keeping track it just felt like a long time. They even sent DH back to my room because it was taking a while. I think I’m a special case though.
10. When did you get to hold your baby? Maybe 3 days after the c-section. I had a second surgery due to internal bleeding.
11. How long did it take for your milk to come in? I ended up exclusively pumping which I didn’t start till 4 days after the c-section, I wasn’t able to get my supply up till after a month. I was able to exclusively breastfeed after that but just barely, I had a very small freezer stash when I went back to work.
12. What kind of pain medication was given to you afterwards…was it ok for breastfeeding? Did it feel like enough? Ibuprofen and something else. I can’t remember the something else but it was pretty strong. It was okay for breastfeeding though.
13. How long did it take for you to feel like you could easily get around on your own? Again I am a special case. I couldn’t really walk till about a week later, and that was tough. My legs were balloon with fluids. I probably couldn’t walk without help (cane or walker) for about a month and a half.
14. What kind of stitches did they use? Staples which were removed a few days after I was discharged (I had to go back to the hospital) and then steri-strips.
15. How many nights did you have to stay in the hospital after your c-section? I stayed a week.
16. Did your baby room with you your entire stay? Nope. We sent him to the nursery at night.
17. Do you have any ongoing problems from your c-section? Not really. Oh yeah sometimes when I cough or sneeze too hard or in a row, it hurts around my scar but it’s not so bad.
18. How does your section scar feel now? I do have half the scar risen … like of like a sideways raindrop. I know fitting! It kind of creeps me out to touch it though.
19. Anything you’d like to add? Try to stay positive. Many women have gotten c-sections. I was pretty fearful and bad things did happen to me but now a year plus out, it kind of feels like I’m back to me again. I feel it was totally worth it because the outcome was my son.
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This is very helpful. I schedule my c-section next week.
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@erinbaderin: I know this is super old, but was your 2nd breech the entire pregnancy? My 1st was head down until 39 weeks (!!) and then decided to flip the wrong way. So far my 2nd is head down at 28 weeks. I have an RCS scheduled just in case, but was just curious when yours flipped!
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@Dandelion:
1. How long ago was it?
2014
2. Was your section planned or unplanned?
unplanned
3. What kind of anesthetic is used? Epidural?
I had two doses of epidural prior to the c-section so I given another drug throughout the c-section...can't remember the name though. Worked like a charm however
4. What did it feel like when they were doing the procedure?
Honestly nothing. I was just trying to control my breathing because I was on oxygen.
5. Did you watch? Did your SO?
I wish I could! He watched some of it.
6. What direction is the section scar? (Where is it?)
Horizontal, bikini line.
7. Who held baby after it came out?
DH
8. Who cut the cord?
Doctor
9. How long after the baby came out did it take for you to be stitched back up again?
Hmmm probably like 10-15 minutes or so
10. When did you get to hold your baby?
Once I was back in my room
11. How long did it take for your milk to come in?
5 days after I had him
12. What kind of pain medication was given to you afterwards…was it ok for breastfeeding? Did it feel like enough?
I think just some type of pain reliever like a strong Motrin and a stool assistance. Yes both were great and okay for breastfeeding.
13. How long did it take for you to feel like you could easily get around on your own?
Easily...like 4-5 days after but I was up and walking the next day.
14. What kind of stitches did they use? When did the stitches come out?
I honestly don't know the name but I know nothing had to be removed.
15. How many nights did you have to stay in the hospital after your c-section?
3 nights
16. Did your baby room with you your entire stay?
Yes other than when they took him for testing and things like that.
17. Do you have any ongoing problems from your c-section?
Not at all
18. How does your section scar feel now?
Now it feels perfectly fine but honestly I feel like it took about a year to feel normal.
19. Anything you’d like to add?
I am having a repeat c-section next month, so I'll come and update on how that goes. Fingers crossed it's amazing -
1. How long ago was it? April 2016/ 10 months ago
2. Was your section planned or unplanned? Last minute planned/ scheduled
3. What kind of anesthetic is used? Epidural? Epidural
4. What did it feel like when they were doing the procedure? For the most part I felt nothing, but there was tugging and pulling feeling and that was uncomfortable but did not hurt. In the very beginning I was a little nauseous, but not too bad and the doctor said it was because I drank water and didn't completely fast.
5. Did you watch? Did your SO? No
6. What direction is the section scar? (Where is it?) Horizontal, the incision is barely noticeable. I have some raised scarring where the staples were.
7. Who held baby after it came out? While in the OR only the hospital staff. DH held him first in the recovery room. While in the OR the staff bundled up the baby and put him next to me so we could take photos.
8. Who cut the cord? The doctor, but DH was able to do a ceremonial cut as well.
9. How long after the baby came out did it take for you to be stitched back up again? Not sure how long, but I think at least 30 minutes.
10. When did you get to hold your baby? Once in the recovery room the nurses took him from DH and gave him to me.
11. How long did it take for your milk to come in? Five days
12. What kind of pain medication was given to you afterwards…was it ok for breastfeeding? Did it feel like enough? I had a Rx for more powerful drugs, but I was fine with Ibuprofen. I took that as needed for a few days after. Eventhough my doctors said the meds were fine for BFing I didn't want to take them since some does pass through.
13. How long did it take for you to feel like you could easily get around on your own? Getting out of and into bed was a challenge, but I felt fine ready to move around once I had feeling back in my legs.
14. What kind of stitches did they use? When did the stitches come out? Good question. All I remember is that my doctor removed my staples a week after.
15. How many nights did you have to stay in the hospital after your c-section? Four nights
16. Did your baby room with you your entire stay? The first night I sent him to the nursery for a few hours because DH went home and the baby kept me awake and I needed sleep. Besides the he camped out with us the entire time.
17. Do you have any ongoing problems from your c-section? At this point no. For a few months after my belly area felt numb and like jelly.
18. How does your section scar feel now? From the staples there's a bit of scar tissue.
19. Anything you’d like to add? After having a really good cesarean experience I may plan for a RCS from the beginning for baby #2.
Knowing what I know now I would know to supplement with formula right away, pump an try to stimulate milk flow while in the hospital, stock up on fruit and fiber rich foods for home.
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1. How long ago was it? 2 years
2. Was your section planned or unplanned? Unplanned
3. What kind of anesthetic is used? Epidural? Epidural
4. What did it feel like when they were doing the procedure? I was a little out of it from the meds + being so terrified but physically I didn't really feel anything.
5. Did you watch? Did your SO? My husband watched and loved it.
6. What direction is the section scar? (Where is it?) Horizontal incision - really, really low
7. Who held baby after it came out? My husband
8. Who cut the cord? The doctor
9. How long after the baby came out did it take for you to be stitched back up again? 15-20 minutes?
10. When did you get to hold your baby? Right after they cleaned her up they handed her to my husband and then he laid her down on my chest.
11. How long did it take for your milk to come in? 3 days
12. What kind of pain medication was given to you afterwards…was it ok for breastfeeding? Did it feel like enough? I took Tylenol and was never in pain
13. How long did it take for you to feel like you could easily get around on your own? I was up walking around the morning after and I was totally fine after 2 days. We started walking about 2 miles a day 4 days post c-section.
14. What kind of stitches did they use? When did the stitches come out? Dissolving stitches.
15. How many nights did you have to stay in the hospital after your c-section? 2 nights.
16. Did your baby room with you your entire stay? Yep
17. Do you have any ongoing problems from your c-section? Nope
18. How does your section scar feel now? I don't even know it's there.
19. Anything you’d like to add? Besides the initial anxiety over the surgery itself, I have no complaints. Recovery was so easy & I'll probably opt for a RCS with my next baby. -
@ocean81: I just replied to you in the other thread but I'm pretty sure they were both breech the whole time. I never felt any big flip movements and the kicks/movements felt exactly the same with both boys.
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1. How long ago was it? 18 months
2. Was your section planned or unplanned? Unplanned
3. What kind of anesthetic is used? Epidural?
My c-section was done with my existing epidural, and they put additional medicine through it. I had already been in an induction/labor for 3 days. Over the course of that time, I had 3 different epidurals and a spinal, because the epidurals kept failing. The 3rd epidural worked as long as it was refilled, and that's the one they used for surgery. They had to top it off several times before I was numb, though. It also started wearing off while they were stitching me up. My experience isn't normal, but having experienced both, I'd choose the spinal if given a choice. It worked the best out of all the options; they're just not meant to last long term for labor.4. What did it feel like when they were doing the procedure?
I didn't feel much of the actual c-section, not a lot of pressure. I did have a bad reaction because of how much anesthesia they had given me. I was mentally aware, but became totally paralyzed. I even lost the ability to talk. But again, my experience isn't typical.5. Did you watch? Did your SO?
No. They held her up over the curtain very briefly as soon as she came out. He saw her but said he couldn't really tell anything because she was so messy. I wasn't able to see her at that point because of the angle of laying under the curtain.6. What direction is the section scar? (Where is it?) Horizontal, just under the hair line
7. Who held baby after it came out?
We could hear her crying as they were cleaning her up, then my husband was able to hold her for a bit. I couldn't move, so there was no way I could hold her. He went with her while they rolled her out and did the newborn tests, while I stayed and got stitched up.8. Who cut the cord? The Doctor
9. How long after the baby came out did it take for you to be stitched back up again?
It felt like it took a while, maybe 20-30 minutes? I was pretty out of it though.10. When did you get to hold your baby?
Not until much later that day. When I was in the recovery room getting ready to go up to my hospital room, they asked me if I wanted to hold her. Because of all the medication, my arms were still paralyzed. So, they propped her up against the side of the bed and I "held" her in my arms that I couldn't move on my own. My surgery was at 9:30 am, and it wasn't until about 6:00 that night that I could truly hold her to feed her and such. But I had a lot more medicine than most people.11. How long did it take for your milk to come in?
I had a lot of colostrum right away. The full milk took several days, maybe 4.12. What kind of pain medication was given to you afterwards…was it ok for breastfeeding? Did it feel like enough?
I was given Motrin and Hydrocodone. I alternated between them with each dose. I could still breastfeeed. And yes, I felt it was enough. Except for the actual surgery, when the epidural started to wear off, I wasn't in a lot of pain. Only when I moved a certain way.13. How long did it take for you to feel like you could easily get around on your own?
It took at least a week before I could sit and stand without help. Also, baby holding devices (swings, etc.) are all low to the ground. Bending over to put her down and pick her up took a few weeks to be comfortable. When I had her by myself, I put her bouncy seat on the kitchen table or counter, which I know you're not technically supposed to do. But I had trouble with the swing and rock and play being low to the ground.14. What kind of stitches did they use? When did the stitches come out?
I had steri strips. They fell out/off on their own after it was ok to shower.15. How many nights did you have to stay in the hospital after your c-section?
We only stayed 2 nights after birth. But we had been there a total of 5 nights, and the doctors had compassion on us and sent us home a little early. Normal is 3 nights.16. Did your baby room with you your entire stay?
Yes, our hospital didn't have a nursery, so this was the only option. Honestly, we were exhausted from such a long labor and would have loved the opportunity for someone else to watch her for a little while. If we have another child, my husband is insisting we use another hospital that has a nursery for this reason.17. Do you have any ongoing problems from your c-section? No
18. How does your section scar feel now?
I rarely think about it. I still have a small area above my scar that has no feeling, but it doesn't really bother me. The biggest issue is really cosmetic: because I'm a bit overweight, my stomach now hangs over my scar and I have a bit of a "shelf", where my stomach was pretty flat before.19. Anything you’d like to add?
I was induced for pre-eclampsia, was in labor for a really long time, and my body is resistant to epidurals, so my experience wasn't normal. Going in, my only birth plan was to have an epidural and not to have a c-section, and neither of those worked out. As much as I wanted to avoid the c-section due to the longer recovery, if we have another child, I will schedule a repeat c-section to avoid the issues I experienced during labor the first time around.
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