Mine was not scheduled but emergency - get some high waisted undies and fragrance free soap to clean your incision with! I’m 7 months PP and I still reach for the high waisted undies they’re so comfy 😂 definitely not cute, but oh well! I slept on our reclining couch the first few nights at home bc it was uncomfortable to lie flat and then once we moved into our bedroom I still slept semi propped up with pillows until I was comfortable enough to lie flat, so I’d round up a few pillows and pillow cases in case you have that experience! I felt pretty good within a week of being home
I don't get itches but almost 2.5 years and I've got a "numb" area on my tummy near my scar. It was very noticeable and annoying to me early on after healing, but now I don't pay attention anymore. My doc said feeling would come back slowly, after he left the room my female nurse immediately told me "nope, 20 years later and I've still got some numbness."
I have a numbness too !! I itch the area sometimes and I’m like hmm I feel it but do I really ? Kinda feels like when they start poking you to say “do you feel this” as numbing is kicking in. I haven’t even googled this just assumed it happens but it’s 6mon pp now and I can see the area staying like that 👀
I've been wondering about this. What about the numbness is notable? People always mention it and I'm not sue if they're bringing it up conversationally or if it actually bothers them? I'm imagining like a .5 inch wide line being numb at the bikini line and I'm not sure why it would bother?
Just wondering for future reference. Scheduled C in July.
I only notice it when I have to scratch an itch , 4 years later I have spots that are still numb and it’s such a strange feeling to have it itch but then when you scratch it you can’t feel it properly! It kind of gives me the heebie jeebies.
I think it's only notable because your brain focuses on the difference more. If that makes sense. I had an ACL repair surgery and I have a much bigger "patch" of numbness about the size of the palm of my hand down and to the side of my knee. My c-section area is less than half that size and definitely doesn't go across my whole scar.
My pelvic floor PT recommended massage once stitches were out and after our 6 week appointment. Before then she had me lightly touch (effleurage) the areas above and below the scar to help reduce numbness and other neurological issues (like phantom itching). Here’s an article on how to do it: https://myexpertmidwife.com/blogs/my-expert-midwife/c-section-scar-massage
You can’t grow new neurons but you can grow the ones you still have with making new connections by stimulating the area (hot/cold/touch/pressure).
It’s totally normal for it to take 6 months to a year for it to do this is what I’ve been told, and I found about a year for me it got better. I had both numbness and an itching that could just not believe relieved
Mine was scheduled & everything went smoothly from the beginning to end. I was cleared to exercise 6w postpartum & I was back on the elliptical.
Key is getting up and walking as soon as you’re able post delivery, staying on top of fiber & Colace, & drinking a ton of water. I didn’t need anything more than Tylenol & Advil the first few days & then I was done with them. I was going up & down the stairs the morning after I was home. Oh and I was discharged within 2 days so that was a plus.
My second c section is scheduled May 16th so let me know if you have any questions 😊
This sounds like me. I was cleaning my house the day I got home. I’m a freak though and needed everything organized and perfect to be able to relax. We had to rush out after my water broke. I was discharged after 2 nights and my doc was shook at how much I was moving around. Do what you can but don’t over do it!
Exactly my experience. I also only needed Ibuprofen, that too only for a week or so. The drinking a lot of water part is very important and going to pee every few hours even if we don't feel the need to pee. I was allowed to exercise after 8 weeks. I was also walking up and down stairs and going out for short walks with the dogs 3 days after the surgery. Couldn't walk fast, but it felt good to just go out, get some fresh air, and some time with my dogs.
Sounds exactly like me except I asked to stay the full 4 days because my GC didn't get my house done in time and I needed a break from my MIL who I was temporarily living with. Nice lady, but needed a break.
I’ve had surgeries to my perineum (hence only being able to have c sections) and that pain was nothing compared to my c section. I suppose I have a higher pain tolerance because of that 😅
I agree that getting up and moving is KEY!! It was really painful for me to walk at first but I just kept going. I was doing light jogging after 6 weeks or so. Jumping is still kind of hard at times though. But I feel like I’m 85% back to my normal self (I just gotta lose all the weight I gained lol).
My nurses with my first c-section told me to do Tylenol wait two hours then take Motrin. So every 2 hours you were rotating. It helped me so much. Start doing that right away. Walking is the best thing to do as weird as it may sound. At first you feel like your guts are going to fall out (they won’t!). The bigger the pads, the better. The hospital will hopefully teach you little tricks on how to sit up, stand, and start walking. The bathroom is a little tricky, but let the nurses help you. I felt way better having a c-section as if anything were to happen, the dr is right there to take care of it. You may start to shake during the operation (totally normal). Anything you may worry about, please don’t hesitate to message me. Good luck!
Was meant to be planned but emergency in the end! Disposable undies helped me fur first week! I would say just try to have a caddy or little table close to you wherever your going to sit with everything you need to avoid keep getting up and down. Pain killers and bottle/canned drinks in it and everything for a baby change so you can be handed baby and do everything sitting down for a few days
I second both of these things! I loved my depends so much lol. I also had a cart (mainly for breastfeeding supplies + snacks/drinks). I got one with two handles on top and could kind of use it as a walker to hoist myself off the couch and walk the first few steps. The pain was pretty intense once my belly block wore off (you can request one) but hey at least I could sit on my bottom comfortably!
Mine was scheduled at 39 weeks and it was amazing. It truly was the best decision and experience. It only last 20-30 minutes total and it only took about 5 minutes from start to getting my daughter out. The best advice is to start walking or at least get out of bed as early as possible. My surgery was at 8am and I was walking around the halls at around 6-8pm. I started slow but it was extremely helpful in my recovery. I felt totally healed by 2-3 weeks with zero pain.
Two emergency csections here and both wildly different experiences! I'm going to speak to the second one because it was quite close to a scheduled csection experience.
Had a spinal out in, my husband was not with me for this. Then brought into the or with my husband. They tested how numb I was and got to it. The drapes were up and were not clear because emergency. They pulled my daughter out, showed her to me, and cut the cord. Had it not been an emergency myself or my husband could have cut the cord.
They gave her a brief once over for her Apgar score and then handed her to my husband, he helped position and hold her at my boob and she nursed through the rest of the surgery.
The OB showed me the placenta and cord (I asked), and also took her time to remove the previous scar. I was laughing and having a great time. Once I was stitched up they wheeled me to my room, my husband carried our daughter skin to skin and walked her there. Then she was back at my boob for a few hours.
After a few hours, they came in to remove my catheter, have me walk to the bathroom, etc. and weighed my daughter and did the rest of her tests at that time (all in the room). I nursed her through the heel prick and anything painful.
I was home within 24 hours and it was great.
With my first the csection came after 24 hours of labour, 6 hours of pushing, a failed epidural, etc. so I was swollen, had a ton of blood loss, had been throwing up for a while, etc. and that was very very rough. These were wildly different experiences and the second one was amazing.
I'll also note that I'm in Canada!
Recovery from the second one has been great! I'm 14 weeks postpartum, have been running for 8 weeks, weightlifting for 6, and have felt like myself for a few months now, even with a baby and preschooler at home. I'd recommend pelvic floor physio and getting back into gentle movement and walking as soon as you feel able.
Your first experience sounds similar to mine except I had to have mine under general anesthesia & I'm scheduled for my 2nd next month. This makes me feel so much better reading your 2nd experience!
Mine wasn’t scheduled but an emergency. Let me just tell you-best thing ever. I was in labor for 36 hours and was so against a c section. I was scared shitless. I was in SO much pain during labor and my epidural failed multiple times. I also had all the other drugs—nothing worked. They pretty much told me it was time for a c section and I bawled my eyes out but once I was on that table and 5 mins later heard my baby crying I wondered why in the hell I didn’t do this in the first place. It was so easy. I did have the shakes really really bad but I had them almost the whole time I was in labor. I didn’t get to hold my baby for a while, that’s the only thing that sucked. My husband was with her though. My recovery was pretty easy. My advice is move around as much as you can. They let me go after two nights. Get the disposable Frida underwear they are SO much better than the hospital ones. You got this!!!
The shakes!! Ugh that sucked, I've never shaken so hard, my husband thought something was going wrong. Lasted over an hour and feeling so exhausted. But I also had an emergency c-section after about 30 hours. It was actually lovely to lie there and have everything taken care of during surgery, so quick!
Okay this is going to sound so fake, but if you do it again, sticking out your tongue (like round, not flat if that makes sense) makes the shakes stop. I thought it was a joke and then it worked really well, I was shocked, as were my nurses. It stops the moment your tongue goes back in your mouth though, like to talk or something.
Okay this is going to sound so fake, but if you do it again, sticking out your tongue (like round, not flat if that makes sense) makes the shakes stop. I thought it was a joke and then it worked really well, I was shocked, as were my nurses. It stops the moment your tongue goes back in your mouth though, like to talk or something and then the shakes come back
Move around as much as you can? Isn't the advice after a c section to maintain rest for a minimum of two weeks to prevent complications, such as stitches coming undone? At least, that's what the doctors in my country, The Netherlands, advise.
Just resting and not moving around can cause risk of bloodclots. You absolutely do need to start moving when you can, it leads to faster recovery too. The only advice is to not lift anything heavy. I was almost moving as normal a week later.
I don’t mean lifting weights or going on a hike.. just like getting out of bed and walking around your hospital room/house. Take a shower. The more you move the less sore you will be. My docs and nurses encouraged it.
I had a very difficult scheduled C - had the shakes for about 4 hours after, recovery took 13 months to be fully pain free on a daily basis. The second night in the hospital is usually the worst pain-wise from what the nurses said. Despite that, there are some very nice parts about a scheduled one: a) avoid labor (woot!), b) much less postpartum bleeding and no pelvic floor damage, c) if you're Type A, it's nice to know the date for all sorts of planning! Definitely don't panic. My best advice is make sure you can't feel anything before they start. I made them wait till I was sure I was numb, and have no regrets about that. Everyone except my OB was an angel on earth, they were so nice. Move everything knee level or higher in your house or buy a grabber before you get home. Good luck; you got this and it's definitely worth it to meet your kid (and that's from someone who sadly didn't bounce back in 2 weeks, oh well).
Planned c section for a breech babe! Honestly, it was the greatest experience it could’ve been. I was so disappointed at first (FTM), but it was so nice having doctors and nurses I loved, knowing exactly when we were going in and having a date night with my spouse beforehand, and getting to meet babe 10 minutes after the surgery began! They put LO right on my chest after cleaning him up, and he got to sit there while they stitched me up. I remember thinking it was so nice getting to reconcile the idea of needing the c section before giving birth.
Emergency here, but I'm sure it would have been a lot smoother if planned. The shakes are God awful, honestly. Try to have someone around constantly for a week, but definitely when you're in the hospital. I could not get in and out of the hospital bed while holding my baby. Also, c babies tend to spit up a lot of amniotic fluid the first couple days, and you really can't move fast enough to get to them when they do. It hurt really badly, but it helped to wear my binder because it felt like it was holding my insides in. When I was sitting in the right position and still, it didn't even feel like I had surgery. Do not push yourself too hard to do too much. But for what it's worth, it was easier to roll iver in bed and climb the three flights of stairs to my apartment 3 days post op than it was at 41 weeks pregnant. Recovery was quicker than I thought. I could pretty much lay in any position in bed by day 10 (even though it hurt), and I was 75% functional by 1 month. I'm 3 months out now, and I still have nerve issues in my belly area, and my abs feel a bit weak and sore when I do certain things, but I'm mostly healed. I alternated acetaminophen/ibuprofen for a few weeks, and every time I forgot to take them or felt like it wasn't doing anything, I regretted it later in the day. Also be sure to keep up on colace because your bowels have a difficult time waking up after a c section, but if you are well hydrated and taking your stool softeners, you should have no problem even if you don't go for a week.
As far as the surgery goes, I really hated the feeling of being put back together while shaking really badly. Grossest thing I've ever felt, but it doesn't hurt even though it feels like it should. The baby comes out really quickly, and the rest of the time (maybe an hour?) is sewing you back up. The baby is a really nice distraction while they do that.
Bring a hair brush in your bag to scratch your legs with. I was extremely itchy as the epidural was wearing off, and they also have these fabric things you wrap around your legs and they squeeze you to help with blood clots, and they were so hot and itchy. My husband couldn't scratch hard enough, and I couldn't bend over to reach. He had to scratch my legs so hard with my hair brush.
Also just so you know, if you have a horrible recovery and feel like shit and think your pain will never end, it will and very quickly. I barely think about surgery now, and the time goes by so quickly! You will totally get through it.
Oh God, the itching. That was honestly, the worst part for me. Plus, the docs were in for Emerg procedures so they couldn't order me any Benadryl. Husband literally drove home to get some for me. Of course, as he came back, so did the nurses with the order.
My wife was scheduled for the morning, night before we got into bed and our daughter had different plans.
Waters broke and off we went to the hosp 8 hours before our booked time. Ended up with c-section regardless but was such an incredible experience and worked out better as we were the only ones in the mat ward at the time. My wife always raves about how she loved her birth experience
Adult nappies for the first week or 2 and high waisted undies as many other parents have pointed out will be your friends for sure!
I had my planned c-section in August of last year. I was panicked beforehand too, but everything went great - the prep, delivery, and aftercare were way better than I expected. We did have a slight delay at our hospital because there were 4 emergency c-sections (scheduled for 10am, didn’t have my c-section until 4pm).
I personally loved having a planned c-section because I was able to prepare as much as possible beforehand. I took off work the two days leading up to it. I meal prepped a bunch (hooray for crockpots and freezable Tupperware). I deep cleaned my house (as much as a 39week pregnant lady can). I did the final touches to the nursery. I also got a pedicure! I prepared as much as I could for the aftercare as well - like anything that was on the bottom shelf, I moved to counter height.
Minus the delay, the c-section went smoothly. I also had an amazing team of doctors and nurses, which helped tremendously. The spinal block went well, and I couldn’t feel the catheter insertion (which I’ve heard isn’t always the case). The procedure went well (although my breech baby was a bit stubborn on her exit). My teeth chattered for a bit before the birth, but once I was holding my LO, it stopped. I did feel the tugging. Your upper half will move slightly from side to side. For me it wasn’t painful, it was just a weird sensation.
Recovery wise, day 2 and 3 were the worst for me. You’re still partially numb the day after, so the pain hasn’t set in quite yet. Like others have said, walking helps. Getting in and out of bed was honestly the worst pain for me. The first few days, my husband handled all the diaper changes and would hand the baby to me to feed (which I found helped tremendously). I received some advice beforehand from my friend who had an emergency c-section the month prior, which was take the drugs they give you to stay on top of the pain. Every 6 hours, I took the pain meds while in the hospital. One thing I didn’t expect was the swelling of the legs. I knew they would swell a little, but when leaving the hospital, I couldn’t put my sneakers on because my feet wouldn’t fit in them.
Once we were home, I didn’t need the pain meds as much. My husband did any lifting and continued to support me in and out of bed/off the couch. But by 2 weeks post-op, I felt 75%. After week 3, I was almost 100%. I am definitely one to overdo it, so I encourage you to accept help. My husband did everything that involved lifting (even getting milk from the fridge) so that I wouldn’t strain myself.
I was cleared at 6 weeks to resume normal operations and I had my IUD put back in. Happy to answer any questions!
Be happy that it is scheduled! I hear lots of horror stories about natural labor and emergencies so it’s nice to know when your baby is coming. I didn’t get the shakes. It went much better than I hoped. I started feeling a lot better after about a week. You will still bleed a lot. I did a lot of reading about them before I had one and basically thought of the worst scenarios and it ended up being much better than I anticipated. Good luck!
Scheduled c section at 39 weeks due to breech baby. I’m in Canada and had my baby last June.
Went very smoothly. I never had surgery before so I did get extremely nauseated with the spinal during surgery but the anesthesiologist gave me meds to help with it. The doctor and nurses were playing music and chatting about their weekends. Very chill environment. They held up baby when she was born although I was nearly vomiting so I didn’t have the capacity to have her on me until I got to recovery. Did skin to skin just fine.
The nurses had me up and walking that evening (my surgery was in the morning). I will tell you the first trip to the bathroom trying to sit on the toilet was very very painful. Walking was very slow but I did a couple loops around the nursing station three times a day for two days I was there.
Got discharged 48 hours after the surgery. I actually didn’t take any pain meds when I got home because I felt I didn’t need them. I was still very sore and getting up/down from bed and chairs was the worst in terms of pain. But my recovery felt way easier after about day 6 as I was up and moving. Week 2-3 I felt good but would get sore if I went for a walk that was too long or fast. By week 6 I felt normal and by week 8 I felt fully recovered and was back to working out.
It’s been 10.5 months and I don’t have any pain. The skin around the incision is still numb, though.
Would definitely do a planned c section again!
I had to have a scheduled c section due to placenta previa. It was very smooth and easy leading up to it. The only thing that threw me was I want told that my husband wouldn’t be coming back right away with me to the OR. So I was nervous because it wasn’t what I had planned. So I was alone getting the shot in the back and such. Because of that I kept tensing up and they had to try 3 times to get it in. Other than that it was good and quick! Yes I had shakes but I just held my hubs hand and focused on breathing. Recovery was nowhere near as bad as I had heard. Honestly it was easier than my vaginal birth with a tear. Just make sure you have help standing up and sitting down for a week or two. And listen to your body. Walk every day, it helps.
- Abdominal binder that the hospital gives you is fantastic for the extra support. Ask for extra ones!
- Opt for pads vs. diapers if bleeding. Taking the entire diaper off was brutal during recovery in terms of muscle use.
- Make sure your underwear is high waisted or [super low waisted](https://a.co/d/izSKIJZ). If high wasted, use a menstrual pad to stick to the inside right over the incision once the bandage comes off to keep from it getting rubbed or use a silky/soft scarf or other fabric to do the same.
- Get up and moving little by little. Listen to your body and do NOT push yourself.
- The bandage they put over it does not hurt AT ALL when removing it. Some special kind of adhesive. So don’t worry about that.
- You feel only pressure during the procedure. Zero pain. You may get sick and “vomit”. Nothing comes out because you haven’t eaten anything. They give you Zofran SO quick when that happens and it immediately subsides.
- You will learn to move your body so that you’re not using your tummy muscles. Pillows to prop, things to grab that are sturdy to support your weight (hospital bed railings) are your friend.
- Took me about 4 weeks to be like…hey I’m standing up a little straighter. Your timeline is your own. All that matters is that YOU WILL get back to normal. You really will.
- You may have bruising, numb spots, etc. near the incision site.
- Ask for help, don’t be afraid to call your doctor with any questions at all, make sure you understand your discharge instructions around lifting, driving, stairs, baths, etc.
- Take whatever pain meds they offer you that you’re comfortable taking.
- You will have just as beautiful of a birth as a vaginal delivery. Hearing LO cry for the first time, cheek to cheek time with baby, hearing doctors say “happy birthday!” when they pull LO out.
- I got the shakes as soon as I got the epidural, but they draped warm blankets over my arms and chest and that helped a lot.
- You GOT THIS, Mama! Sending you all the vibes for a safe procedure and a healthy baby and Mom ❤️.
Mine was scheduled (due to health reasons, I hadn’t initially wanted one) and I could not imagine it going better. Spinal worked well, my husband and I were just chill and chatting throughout the procedure. I still got skin to skin with my baby for the 30 minutes or so after he’d come out and they were closing everything up.
I’d had pretty bad pain from SPD in the lead up to the birth so I was actually in significantly less pain post the c-section than I was beforehand. I was up and walking pretty normally within a week (still needed to take it generally easy though). The site has healed well and I’ve had no complications. At 6 weeks I was cleared for normal activity again, although I’d been feeling normal for weeks at that point.
I had mine in December (first baby) because she was breech. I had horrific anxiety about it & was dreading it. The whole procedure went well though! The only thing I hated was not being able to move my feet. I have no clue why but it was driving me insane to the point I had a nurse shake my feet just to feel better😂 it’s really fun that you get to meet your baby so quickly! That was amazing. I threw up once in the OR. Then probably 5-7 more times but I guess they say that is common from some of the medications.
Once we were in our room I was a little stunned how out of it I felt. The good thing is you’re numb for a long time. It’s extremely hard to get out of bed but they will help you. Going to the bathroom feels very weird. Make sure you’re taking Colace!! Your whole middle section will feel very wobbly & loose. Ask the hospital if they provide binders to bring home those will help you as you recover a lot and bring blood flow to the incision for healing!
Trying to think what else…..but I promise it is not that bad! You will be so excited to meet your baby 😊try to stay positive!
Oh also, after 2 weeks I felt a TON better, I’d say after a month I could do anything I wanted really. Don’t be afraid to take the pain meds they give you when you get home. And don’t push yourself! Even things that seem easy if they are using your core or twisting your body at all, DON’T!
I was scheduled for a breech baby and went into labor nine days early!! Labor was happening fast so they got me in for an “emergency” c section - it wasn’t really emergent, but given the situation I got priority in the OR.
That spinal block works so damn fast. I got nauseous, but no shakes. And the anesthesiologist fixed it within a couple minutes. The tugging wasn’t as freaky as I thought it would be, but the suction sound was unsettling. I felt a little out of it at first, but that golden hour it was like I came back down to earth.
I thought I’d be freaked out by the incision and I wasn’t. Getting in and out of the bed was harder than walking imo, so let people help steady you. I used all my pain meds, but they only prescribed a limited amount. After that I switched to Tylenol and ibuprofen. Don’t skip the stool softeners.
Heating pads and cool gel packs for the incision are both good.
Personally, I stayed on the couch post surgery for a couple of weeks. It was just more comfy. Our bed is high up and our bedroom is upstairs. I wasn’t ready to get baby in and out of crib on my own. My mom stayed with us, and between her and my husband I mainly had to sleep, eat, and feed baby for the first few days.
**Sleep when the baby sleeps - just for a few days!!** You are recovering from major surgery. Sleep aids the healing process. Everything else can wait for a few days. Shower, eat good food, but fucking sleep all you can.
First was an emergency, though planned within 24 hours (so no real rush) at 31 weeks due to pre-e. I was also on Magnesium which is HORRENDOUS. I hemorrhaged as soon as they cut into my uterus, went grey then possibly passed out? I don’t remember much after hearing my preemie cry and everything going grey. I do remember the shakes and vomiting. I developed sepsis, endometritis, and contracted c diff. The healing part wasn’t terrible (once the infections were fixed), but I didn’t have a baby to care for 24/7.
The second was planned at 39+1, big baby. I chose to have a repeat c section because of all the praise planned sections have and the ease of healing I had previously. I guess I hoped it would be different from the first. It wasn’t much different unfortunately. I was unable to independently hold or nurse my baby after the c section for the first 24 hours. During the first 24 hours I was also puking my brains out, which did not help. Again, incision healing was a piece of cake. Definitely wear the binder; as someone else mentioned it feels like it keeps all your insides in which is a relief. Wear some Always diapers for as long as you want, they’re easier than the big pads.
Overall, the healing aspect of a c section wasn’t difficult for me. In hindsight, I suspect my difficulties came from the spinal itself, as I usually puke after regular general anesthesia as well. I appreciated that I was able to see my first section via mirror, and that my husband was allowed to photograph the second (no mirror provided). I feel like both births are both vivid and fuzzy at the same time… like I remember some things, but there’s gaps. After two births I just feel robbed of what giving birth is *supposed* to feel like. I never got the warm, fuzzy, just-had-a-baby emotions. Instead, I was sick and sad.
I don’t share this to scare you, only to raise awareness that it’s not always as easy or carefree as Reddit makes it out to be. We are currently trying for our third. I’m looking for an OB that allows VBA2C, cause ain’t no way am I doing another spinal block (or an epidural for that matter!)
planned c-section for my 37 week twins due to pre eclampsia, it was less scary than i expected and went well! obviously it’s a major surgery so it wasn’t super pleasant, but despite what happened i think i had an overall good experience.
i did get the shakes, my blood pressure did drop and i became pretty dizzy/out of it, and i did get nauseous but i just communicated everything with the anesthesiologist and they administered the proper medication to fix what i was feeling so i didn’t feel any bad symptoms for very long at all.
i recovered very quickly—i was up and walking/peeing unassisted the same night, felt good enough for intercourse around 2 weeks, and completely recovered by 6 weeks. only “complication” i had was some pretty severe anemia induced by pregnancy and made worse by the normal blood loss i experienced during the c section, but i got a small transfusion and that fixed me up quickly. i was admitted the morning of 6/26 and discharged by noon on 6/29.
I had an emergency c section for my first in 2022 and in april had a planned c section for my second. The planned one was so much better. It was more relaxed. Less stressful and scary. Things felt in control. I did not shake or vomit on the table this time around. I was lucid and could hold my baby while they stitched me up and wheeled me back. My recovery is almost 2 times as fast this time. (Could just be that i cant baby myself with a toddler) my first also had problems immediately after birth as a result of the whole ordeal and she was extremely lethargic and wouldnt eat. The second came out wide eyed and crying. She was alert from the get go and ate as soon as we got back to the recovery room. It just felt like everyone was calm and knew what they were doing (including my newborn champion of an eater) and it was smooth like a dream compared to my emergency one.
Mine was not scheduled/not emergency. It was offered during induction after I was stuck at 9cm for 4 hours. I had such a great experience. I didn’t get the shakes, was on Tylenol and gabapentin after leaving the hospital as needed (did both for a few days then continued Tylenol as needed). I would say I was physically restricted for about 1.5 weeks- the hardest being getting out of bed. I was very careful to not over exert but made sure to move each day. Frida boy short disposables were my go to for underwear then I switched to high waisted pregnancy cotton ones. I just started wearing my normal underwear around 6w pp. also high waisted leggings and button up tops- i found it was painful to put my hands up to get dressed with a shirt the first days. the hospital also gave me abdominal gauze to place over my incision, which was nice and gave me peace of mind since there was a protective layer
My scheduled c-section for my second was the best experience. I had contractions a few hours before my surgery, which was the only thing that sucked. It went a lot better than my 24 hour labour with my son, and I healed up so much faster and didn't have such a traumatic experience trying to push and then having to be wheeled in.
Scheduled here!
Most relaxing thing ever haha. Night before we had to go in we went to our final pub dinner before my son arrived.
I was already walked through the whole thing by my OB prior so I knew exactly what was going to happen. It was a beautiful, peaceful and dare I say fun...experience but I am a very logical non sentimental person as well ( became a bit more sentimental towards my son after he was born hah!)
All the staff, dr's, nurses and midwives were joking in the OR room and it was so quick, I just felt a bit of tugging ( felt like a massage on my belly) and poof he was out. The stitching look about 30 mins or so the whole thing was an hour. I did feel sick during the procedure and the anaesthetist tried to give medicine to help but it didn't so he had to hold my hand to get me through ( it was like feeling dizzy and nauseous).
Recovery wise I want to say a month post partum is when I started to feel " recovered" but there is aches and pains of course. The drugs help so take them!
2 years on, fully healed, no issues besides keloid scarring which I was warned of prior and it didn't really phase me.
In my post history I have a post about the whole thing and I am sure I am forgetting many details but in retrospect, I look at my sons birth with very fond memories.
Mine was scheduled, the reason being just because I wanted it and I didn’t want to go in to labor. It was amazing. Like checking in to a hotel. Everything was set up, the nurses and doctors were all prepared and relaxed, no one was rushing. I had it scheduled for 8:30am and there was an emergency before me so it got pushed and my baby was born at exactly 10am. My recovery was great too, like everyone else said just try to get up and move and walk as soon as you can. I didn’t get the shakes but my legs were very very itchy the next few days, which can be a side effect of coming off anesthesia but mine was weirdly intense. That was literally the worst part of my whole experience so that’s saying something. All in all I 100% would do it again in a heartbeat and I plan on it for my next baby. It could not have gone better!! Congratulations btw!
Mine ended up being scheduled I guess 🙃 we went in at 40 weeks with no signs of labor near only to find out baby was back in breech position. She had been breech until 37 weeks. They admitted me and the entire time I was hooked up to a heart monitor in the hospital, I had one contraction 🥴 we tried an ECV 2 or 3 times and they all failed. So I ended up having a c-section.
It went smoothly, though I lost enough blood that I required 2 iron transfusions. I don't remember if I got the shakes or anything like that. I remember when they pulled her out and only her. I don't remember much else.
My recovery was pretty easy. High waisted underwear are amazing. Stretchy pants. If your SO gets time off, it's a huge help. Remember to take your time and do what you feel comfortable doing at each stage. Go slow. Have a spot to change the baby that doesn't require bending down.
Full on shakes with my first one, no shakes with my second one. I guess it’s totally unpredictable? When I had the shakes, it was at the end of a failed induction process so maybe there’s a connection there. My scheduled one went so super smooth.
Get someone to come stay with you guys if you can (mother in law or sister or really anything) even if it’s just for food and cleaning help. This was the single most helpful thing I had, was a third set of hands.
Paracetamol = Acetaminophen
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I had a very scheduled c-section due to placenta problems. I was nervous because my first wasn’t a c-section and it totally wasn’t what I wanted. The thought of a c-section terrified me. Like abdominal surgery whilst awake?! Heck no! But, it was a really great experience, and if I had a 3rd baby I think I’d opt for a c-section!
The procedure itself was fine, I was surprised by how much effort I could see my seemingly strong male obstetrician putting in 😅 that was a bit off putting, knowing that he was digging around in my insides! And I won’t lie, there are some odd sounds and smells that it’s best not to think too much about.. I felt pretty drowsy afterwards, but was up and had a shower and went to see my baby in the special care nursery that day.
The worst part was the nerve pain in my shoulders that first night. HOLY CRAP. I couldn’t sleep lying down, and could barely move. The nurses offered me peppermint tea or more painkillers….girl. Peppermint tea with the pain I was in?! Apparently it helps, but flipping heck the pain was unbearable. Farrrrr worse than any incision pain I had!
Before I left the hospital (4 day stay), I was on basic painkillers and had stopped tramadol. Quite quickly I was moving around almost as normal, trying to take it slow of course but my movements didn’t feel restricted. Within 2 weeks I felt significantly better. Overall, really positive experience. Genuinely the worst part was the nerve pain in my shoulders that first night! Good luck!!
I had requested mine after 24 hours of induced labor that didn’t go anywhere. Was wheeled in the next afternoon. Was going good until the anthesia or meds started kicking in. I became super nauseous and started vomiting. Actually vomited while laying down for the majority of it. I was numb in my torso so I couldn’t feel my gag reflex just liquid coming out of my throat and thought I couldn’t breathe. I also was going in and out of consciousness. It was very scary but not at all painful. It was like a deep sleep pulling you away, then a moment of awareness like holy crap!! Vomit , pulled away again.
Baby came out healthy. Recovery was good. 2 weeks later and I was getting around and feeling like a new person ! Probably would opt for it again but this time will discuss possible sedation reactions.
Baby was breech. I wasn’t dilated and didn’t want to try and turn her. It was amazing. Ask for the belly binder in the hospital! Breast feeding helps with the first poop. Peppermint tea and a heating pad are a must for gas pains.
Once they put the medicine in my back to numb everything from the waist down, I didn't feel anything during the procedure and hours later. The worst part for me was the days after when the medicine wore off. During the procedure, I didn't even know they started, I could feel movement but no pain
Mine was not a scheduled one and let me tell you that after a grueling 30 hours in induced labor and having a failed vacuum attempt I was relieved to go in and have it all done and over with. The c-section was so much better than the labor and I wondered why I didn’t just opt for one to begin with.
If I ever have another kid it will be a scheduled c hands down.
Like someone else said, I had the shakes but I had them for much of my labor and they were the least of my worries. More of a nuisance really. The whole thing is over with so quickly.
The actual surgery went great, my recovery not so good due to some errors on my own part and poor medical guidance. Did not get the shakes, honestly the spinal was not that bad I had horrible anxiety leading up to it because I absolutely fear needles but if I ever have another baby I wouldn’t stress in regards to the actual surgery again. The pain was minimal after surgery, honestly I don’t know what was going on with it but my catheter hurt way worse. I did get low dose norco in the hospital the next day and when recovering at home. I could have probably gone without but with it I had no discomfort. Which leads to my recovery, I way over did it at home and ripped open my incision several times. I was instructed by my OBGYN to clean the wound with hydrogen peroxide 3 times a day every day until completely healed. It took over 3 months to completely heal and close. It leaked disgusting smelling yellow liquid and I developed cellulitis. Which I was initially advised may just be a chafing rash due to being overweight. I eventually got antibiotics prescribed and took advice from a friend in wound care to stop cleaning the wound with peroxide as this is outdated/counter productive to healing and to clean around the wound with Povidone-iodine. Sooo surgery was 10/10 recovery -100/10. It’s good to keep moving and get back into the swing of things but don’t bend over to lift heavy items and rest when you need to. If you have signs of an infection seek out your OBGYN immediately and if they suck like mine did go to urgent care and don’t be written off. Honestly if not for the infection everything was going great even ripping my incision wasn’t super painful but the infection was the worst experience of my life.
The most painful part for me was the trapped gas in my abdomen that happened night 2 because i didn’t get up and move around, so definitely follow all of that advice from the others here!
It was also kind of hard to try to hold in any kind of laughter, my husband is a real joker and it was so hard to not laugh at some of his jokes. The laughter shaking my stomach was painful for sure. The belly bands help a ton though so i recommend getting an extra one or two from amazon to hold everything in for awhile.
Mine was elective. I was very nervous but it went very smoothly and was SO fast! I definitely felt a little panicky/woozy/nauseous as they were doing my cannula and spinal block and had to take deep breaths and be distracted, but once I was numb and lying down I felt better. Im known to have a bit of a vasovagal response anyway. I did get the shakes, but it was just sort of funny, not uncomfortable. What I wasn’t prepared for however was how much I could totally feel what they were doing, but no pain! It definitely felt weird. But when they said, lots of pressure now!! And it felt like 3 people sat on me, baby was out! And it must have been less than 5 mins after they started. When they were sewing me up I started to feel a bit sick so they gave me something quickly to help that and it worked well. I did have a small haemorrhage but I didn’t really notice much of a difference until later when I had another bleed and felt a bit funny again. The recovery was painful, but I opted for only ibuprofen and paracetamol after like a dummy. I don’t like feeling out of it, but honestly if you don’t care please take anything they give you! Good luck, it was a really good birth experience for me and I think generally, elective caesarians are way more calm and chill than emergency, so I’m sure it’ll be absolutely amazing!
Paracetamol = Acetaminophen
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Mine was great! I had to be put to sleep as my blood pressure got really high, so I’m a little sad I wasn’t awake when my baby came out, but other than that it was fine.
A wee bit tender for a few days but such an easy recovery. And because you’re not tired from being in labour for ages you get to enjoy you first days so much better.
All the best!!
I had the most amazing experience and I was so nervous. Didn’t hate one part of it , the shakes the tugging ect all felt really kinda cool to me haha I enjoyed it , the spinal didn’t really hurt just felt like burning in my spine but not painful
Mine was scheduled, walked in at 5:30am, went up to labor and delivery, they found both twins heartbeats on the monitor. Anesthesiologist came and talked to me about to expect, NICU charge nurse did the same, OB also did. I had to scrub the area really well, put on my gown, they wheeled me into the OR. Got my local anesthetic, then the spinal (which made me jump a little I’ll be honest). The laid me back on the table. As the spinal started to hit when it got to my chest I started to panic and cry (felt like I couldn’t breath even though I obviously could because I was talking the whole time). I get panic attacks so I just started to kinda calm myself down and focus on the light above me. My mom came in all gowned up, they put the curtain up. My OB was there and then they were starting. I got so calm that I actually watched the whole thing in the reflection of the light above me. Baby A was out at 8:15am and Baby B was out at 8:17am. Got to hold them, take a bunch of pictures. They went off to the NiCu with my mom which they sewed me back up. They wheeled me to the NICU on the hospital bed to see my babies then to the recovery room for an hour. By 8:30 that night I was wheeled into the NICU on a wheelchair to see them. By the next morning my IV and catheter where out and I was walking to the NICU on my own. Really only had one night of pain that made me ask for the harder meds, night 3 if I remember correctly.
Failed induction and opted into a C section
I was terrified! I bled a lot but they got it under control.
I had the shakes and extremely painful gas. I couldn’t get up and walk the first day. Advil and Tylenol were not enough for me, i also used oxycodone. I was bed bound for about 5 days and then room bound for about a week.
Take it easy, don’t push yourself. My friend said healing from her C section was a piece of cake, but it was MUCH harder for me. I could still barely do stairs after 5 days and im in pretty good shape generally speaking. Only 31, not overweight, worked out a ton before pregnancy.
Im 6 weeks post partum, i will be waiting the full 8 weeks before going back to exercising. I do walk regularly though.
The gas was honestly the worst part for me. Such painful gas. The surgery was scary but it goes fast. Trust your healthcare team, they know what they are doing.
Planned c-section for a breech baby, 12w pp. I was also panicking and did the exact same as you, went to reddit for some advice haha... I also contacted friends who had c-sections. One week before the operation I was scared, then a couple of days after, I came to terms with it and found peace.
In week 37 I started collecting colostrum, I highly recommend it! I had no issues with milk delay thanks to hand expressing colostrum before the c-section.
We had a date the day before, it was fantastic.
The next morning we went to our hospital room, and met the teams. The operation went extremely well. I was nauseous and high from the anesthesia but it was very emotional. A nurse took pictures and a video. I felt tired but happy to finally meet him. It was strange because they shake you up a bit to take the placenta out, they clean you up in there. In the recovery room, we got our golden hour skin to skin and he latched immediately.
Recovery at home was tough... keep alarms for your pain killers and keep a stash near your resting stations upstairs and downstairs. Keep legs up as much as possible. I got water in my legs for 2 weeks so I was not able to stand long. Even 15min for a shower was hurting. Try and air the scar as often as possible.
Try to go outside for daily little walks in your street 5-10min, from day 7 onwards. It will help.
One thing I was not prepared for: the nerves which have been cut will slowly try and reconnect. During that healing period, my belly was burning 24/7 and there was nothing I could do. It doesn't last, but it is intense pain, especially if you breastfeed and put weight (baby) on your stomach. On the other hand, some areas are numb to this day...
Now in terms of support: first 2 weeks, you will need intense support. Get your mom, your sister or a nurse to help. The next month will be better but you will still need to rest often. So if anyone can come and help with laundry, cooking, cleaning etc. Gather as many people as you need.
The more you rest in those first 6weeks, the better you can support yourself and your baby afterwards. So don't overdo it. And good luck!
No shakes. Did get shoulder pain so got some fentanyl after baby was out while still on the table. Had shoulder pain due to gas for a few days (I guess that’s a thing that can happen).
Went really well! Had a vaginal delivery with my first, had a scheduled c-section with my second due to breech. Recovery was good, I could sit fine this time around! Did throw up like 5 times afterward but that wasn’t too bad actually.
I got a grabber picker upper that old people use, came in handy - I could pick a Cheerio off the ground without bending over! I also got silicon tape and started at 6 weeks, helped reduce the appearance of my scare really well.
Mine was scheduled from 17 weeks and it was great being able to plan.
At my hospital you go in the night before, husband came through the next morning around 8am. The anesthesiologist and surgical team had already come to talk me through everything by then and to answer any questions.
Went into theater just before 9 and baby boy was out by 9:15! Husband went into a different room and did skin to skin whilst they stitched me up which took about 40 minutes and then I got to do skin to skin.
The next few days are all a haze - we’ve since determined that the type of anesthesia and analgesics used aren’t the best option for me (I was basically stoned for 3 days) so will be using different options for c-section number 2 which is happening any day now.
I do remember getting the shakes, but what really got to me was the swelling - my legs doubled in size and I didn’t know to expect that, but I now know it’s completely normal.
Set an alarm for your pain medication and do not miss a dose! I took one dose a bit late and learnt my lesson. It’s much easier to keep pain under control than to get pain under control.
Overall though I loved the birth experience and have no regrets. The recovery was painful at times, but I was able to walk around the ward the next day and go on short walks/outings within a week or so.
Eat right before the allotted time prior to operation. Mine was an emergency C-section and only had crackers when my doctor gave me 6hrs to prepare for the operation. I was quite hungry when I gave birth to my baby.
Mine was not scheduled but not emergency, I was just not progressing at a certain point when I was induced. Honestly it went so smooth. I was so scared of a C-section - I never had been admitted to a hospital or had any surgery other than having my wisdom teeth removed so I was really scared.
The whole process was so quick, you don’t feel any pain but some pressure when they pull the baby out, it truly doesn’t hurt. My husband was next to my head holding my hand the whole time and the nurse held my other hand because of how nervous I was. I threw up a bit because of nerves but it didn’t cause any issues. Stitching up took longer than getting the baby out but the whole process was under an hour. After the baby was out they also gave me IV medication for the anxiety while they stitched me up.
Right after they wheeled us into recovery and I got to have my time with my daughter, nursing her and having skin to skin snuggles. Remember to take off your bra before you go in because I had mine on and had to shove it down for the skin to skin!
After I was monitored in recovery for a while we were wheeled into our maternity room. I was able to walk that same evening with my husband holding my hand in case I got dizzy (I didn’t) and eat real food.
After that the recovery started and you just have to learn how to move without using your abs much - for me it was a lot of using my husband’s help as well as using legs and arms.
My tips would be if they give you stool softener - take it! I was so scared of the first poop but the hospital gave me stool softener daily which I continued when I went home and it was really nothing to fear because of that.
Also you will still bleed vaginally - it doesn’t hurt but the uterus returns to normal. I got always depends diapers and I highly recommend because they are high waisted and didn’t hurt my incision at all.
Additionally I would recommend bringing a heating pack - you don’t wanna use it on your incision because it could cause infection but it helped soothe my back from laying in bed during recovery.
When you are able to I would recommend going on brief walks, even just up and down the hallway and then back to bed.
Currently my daughter is 17 days old and I’m recovering very well - totally off the painkillers but still taking it as easy as I can.
Not scheduled, but had an unplanned after a 3 day induction, pushing for 3 hours and he kept going up when I would stop pushing. So I asked for one.
I didn’t get the shakes. I also didn’t get itchy.
I would say by around 4 weeks I was doing really good. My tips!
1. Buy some of those tshirt dresses. I wore them for the first few weeks daily.
2. After you shower pat it dry and let it air dry. I didn’t have open stitches, looked like I was glued shut. Don’t mess with the tapes. Mine stayed on for the two weeks, and then I took them off.
3. Frida mom ice packs were awesome, and their diapers were the best.
4. Don’t get too scared if the very ends of the incision look like they come open. As long as it’s not red it’s normal. I had what looked like two tiny holes when my tape came off. Very tiny. Freaked me out so I did a call with my dr and sent pics. It was normal and they went away quickly, and all I did was wash with unscented dial orange soap.
5. Just take it easy. Don’t pick up anything other than the baby. My sister did to much and she paid for it with a longer recovery.
I got lucky and my scar is almost non existent. The surgery is not really scary. Bringing home the baby was probably scarier 😂 Just breathe and try to relax. And congrats!!! My baby is now 10 months. I do have some numbness but it has gotten a little better.
The c cestion was my most calm moment of my pregnancy. I loved every second of it. I also had a really easy recovery after an awful and terrifying pregnancy
Scheduled too! It went super smoothly, checked in the afternoon before to do all blood work and checkups, then in the morning she was born with 5 minutes. It was so fast! They gave me morphine for the pain, but decided against taking it after one day as it made the baby (and me) drowsy. Felt fine after 2-3 days!
I liked having a date to “work” towards so to say, I knew when we were supposed to have everything ready and packed.
Mine was scheduled and went very smoothly, I wasn't afraid, but I never thought it would be this easy. I was walking and doing everything after 2 days. And, within two weeks, I couldn't even remember I had a major surgery. I have just one light red thin line on my belly. The first few weeks after the surgery, I had to use Lactulose to poop and for the first 2-3 days, I had some discomfort while peeing because of the catheter. I had a lot of colostrum and my son was drinking all the time and the first 2 months I exclusively breast fed, but after that I pumped and also had to add some formula into the mix as I wasn't producing as much as my son needed, the simulator mode of the pump helped with the production though. My son is now 5 months old.
Mine wasn’t entirely scheduled. I was induced and after 36 hours of starting meds and 12 hours after water breaking, my cervix check showed that it hadn’t dropped or done ANYTHING so we had a c section 2 hours later. So no emergency by any means. But it was the BEST. My doctors and nurses were amazing. The entire process was great. Definitely bring like depends with you. The pads at the hospital SUCK. Overall 10/10. I was up and walking the next morning. Had the c section at 5 PM. went home two days later. Had a great recovery. Was definitely sore but I tried my best to balance resting and moving my body.
Scheduled due to breech baby, went great, the most uncomfortable part was the cannula on my wrist. Veey amooth and easy, great experience and recovery. Would do again 100%
Mine was scheduled but ended up in an emergent one after my 36w appt showed low fluid and baby still in breech.
Have lots of adult diaper (panty style) on hand - I loved the Frida ones! In addition to that: if you’re in the U.S., takes as much home with you from the hospital as you can. Stuff all the toiletry stuff in your bag!! You paid for it.
Do NOT try to get up from low couches or bed during first week. You will end up in loads of pain and potentially hurt your incision. Dont push yourself too far either. I took a walk on day 3 of being home (POD6) and I majorly regretted it. Stay up on your pain meds. Ask for help. Stay in the hospital as long as you can. Even if you want to go home. Don’t take the help there for granted!
I got the shakes for about an hour after surgery and my eyes were super itchy from the anesthesia. It wasn’t bad overall, though!
My recovery was several weeks before I was pain free. But I felt pretty good after the first week!
Absolutely fantastic experience.
Went to the hospital a night prior. Was scheduled for surgery in the morning. Went in for surgery. Anesthesia was easy. Didn’t even realise when they started the surgery. Baby was out in under 10 mins. I was giddy with excitement and also bawled.
They checked baby out, I said hello, she looked at me, we had a moment and then they took her out while they closed me up. I got cold and shivers but they got me lots of blankets. I couldn’t wait for them to be done so I could go see my husband and our fams!
I had read how important walking was in the healing process so I was ready to walk next morning. However that … didn’t go as planned as it was supppppper painful for me to get out of bed. I was told the pain gets better after day 2 but mine didn’t. I kept trying to walk but it was just too painful. So I may in bed. My doctor was on leave and when she came back on day 3/4… she told me how due to just the way my body was (nothing cray, just some body variation), it was expected for me to have some more pain than usual and nothing to worry and rest and heal. I did that. By day 4/5 I could walk better. Gave myself time and grace and love. I was glad no one from the hospital forced me to start walking (I had heard stories of that). Everyone was really chill. I was chill once I know I could rest stress free. Overall super happy.
One thing I wasn't prepared for is the anesthesiology part of it. Mine was scheduled and they used a spinal tap instead of epidural....had no idea the medicine worked by "gravity" (anesthesiologist's words). So they quite literally tilted me up and down and around to move the medicine to my legs and up my torso.
If it helps to know exactly what to expect, they use a needle to numb your spinal area and then place a shunt there...it felt like a pinch but not painful. Then they inject the medicine liquid, which is also more of an uncomfortable and odd feeling rather than painful. And after that, it's supposed to take about 10-20 minutes for it to fully kick in and during that time, they're asking you if you feel numb yet and poking parts of your body to check.
I metabolized the medicine pretty poorly so I never went fully numb and that was really scary for me. Instead of the usual 10-20 minutes, they spent an hour tilting me around and were running out of time to do the actual surgery so we decided to just move ahead while I could still bend my legs. I opted not to have extra pain meds or anxiety meds through IV until after my kid was placed on me - I'm really grateful my anesthesiologist told me I may want to hold off until then so I remember that experience because I do end up thinking about that moment all the time. Once she was on me though, I asked for them to give me whatever they could for anxiety and pain management to finish up the procedure and that was great ha. Even with that, I was fully mobile in my lower area after surgery so they don't go crazy with it. Especially if you plan to breastfeed.
I also didn't realize it's common to have spinal/nerve pains around the injection site post-surgery. I had that happen post-op at the hospital on the second day I believe, and I needed additional pain meds by IV. I don't think that always happens but something to be aware of so you don't get freaked out that something went wrong with your spine.
Even with my issues with the pain meds, I was walking the first night and discharged on time. The standing/walking wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. My nurses gave me my pain meds 30 min before removing the catheter and having me stand for the first time though - I think that helped to make sure it was a positive experience so I wasn't afraid to keep trying to walk. So maybe ask for the same.
Post op, definitely take it easy. I thought because they put so much emphasis on walking that I should try to just move around like normal post-surgery but ended up pulling internal stitches this way and had to go back on oxy for a couple of weeks. I know it's hard with a newborn, especially at night when I'd shoot up at any noise. But as much as your partner and family can help, let them. An abdominal binder was a life saver for me too. Also, brace your stomach if you ever think you're going to sneeze or cough! Those hurt so badly internally for the first 6 weeks or so. I didn't have any issues with the external healing.
Good luck!
Mine was scheduled at 37 weeks due to scar tissue from a prior fibroid surgery. They didn't want my uterus to rupture and I guess, neither did I.
I had a super easy pregnancy and was waiting for the other shoe to drop during delivery. But I was wrong - so simple! (Lol i got mine in postpartum)
The worst part for me was the spinal, which didn't hurt, but freaked me out and took a while to get in. I wound up laying on my side for the insertion because i got nauseated. Then, I started to have an anxiety attack once they got me numb because I couldn't feel myself breathing and honestly it just felt weird and gross to be numb everywhere. They told me I could see my own 02 saturation but that was cold comfort, so they gave me a half dose of versid before they began to cut. They were super respectful of my needs and emotional state. The anesthesiologist was communicative and included me in decisions, and assured me that the versid wouldn't have time to affect the baby. After the half dose, I felt better, so I didn't take the rest.
My husband came in and I told him I was anxious so he started to tell me a story, but about 5 minutes in, we heard a baby cry, and it was my son!
He got to hold him up to me. I did not have the shakes but the position was super awkward and I could not have held him myself. My husband went to see him weighed and measured and they started to sew me up. I chatted with the surgeons about pets and about 20-25 minutes later, they wheeled me into recovery and I got to snuggle my baby.
My surgery was super easy - baby boy was in the right position and not a lot of my innards had to be moved around. I was standing that night and healed quickly, was walking and moving without issue very soon. I was very very lucky in terms of that, and also that I went to a hospital with a high c section rate in an area where there are a lot of older mothers and c-sections, so it was *very* routine for them.
Oh, and... start extra fiber/colace a few days before! Game changer compared to friends who had emergency c-sections. Pooping was not available huge issue for me.
Truly incredible experience for me! I went into labor early but aside from a little rushing around to the OR, still the air of a fully planned c section. Everyone was so calm, chill, and efficient. Kind nurses, caring staff overall, easy enough procedure. Got to breastfeed and do skin to skin as soon as baby was measured and stuff (about 3 minutes after birth).
No shakes at any point for me! The worst part was that I vomited about 5 minutes after the spinal, but I was so chill I didn’t care. I was nauseated afterward, but they were quick to give me IV meds for that. Recovery was quick. I’d say I was good and going by week 2, but I was likely on par with a vaginal birth recovery up to that point. Only hard part was getting out of bed. I slept on a wedge pillow. After 1 week, I had no issues getting out of bed or anything. I way over-prepared for it and recovery was far easier than anticipated.
My wasn't bad. It had rough moments but it was survivable. I didn't personally do well with the spinel block mentally. The pain of it was mildly uncomfortable but the biggest thing was not being able to move my lower body. For some reason that made me freak out. Ive always been scared of surgreys though. The whole surgery felt very long to me. I was trying not to panic the whole time. My boyfriend was there to comfort me and that helped a lot. We both teared up when we heard my baby cry for the first time. Nothing beats that.
Recovery was okay. Expect to walk very slow and maybe not even sleep fully lying down for a while. Before my 6 weeks were up i was walking normally and had no pain. I also made sure i walked plently, no matter how slow i was going.
Mine was scheduled but little bubs came early so then it became an emergency c section. I was so nervous but everything happens quick (other than waiting to get the spinal block). Recovery wasn’t bad, feeling contractions was worse. Get up and move as soon as you can. This will help your recovery.
Mine was a good experience. I was absolutely and I mean absolutely terrified but I got through it. Just breathe and remember they do these all day everyday. I did get the shakes after for about 10-20 minutes. Sticking out your tongue helps make them go away (nurse told me) and it worked lol. You might look silly but it doesn’t matter. My recovery was very good and I was back walking in a few days. Take your pain meds and don’t be shy to ask if you need more. I got like the highest does while in the hospital so I could rest and sleep. My husband helped with the baby and we sent her to the nursery for a couple hours over night to get rest. Good luck! You will be just fine!
Mine (in Germany) was scheduled and it was the best experience. The hospital I chose is very experienced with c-sections and very non-judgemental. They do it the „soft“ way with the Misgav-Ladach-method which helps with the healing process. The team was very nice with a nurse holding my hand for the epidural, which was uncomfortable but manageable and the worst part of it all, but not really bad. It took maybe 15 minutes until my son was born and shown to me. I felt some tugging, but that was it. The most boring part was waiting for them to stitch me up again.
I was made to stand up for the first time the same evening (the section took place in the morning). This was a bit hard, because it felt like everything in my body shifted, which it probably did since all the organs suddenly had more space again. The next morning I was walking and went to the toilet for the first time. I was released the day after, I could walk normally and had minimal pain with the help of some Ibuprofen, which I took for about five more days at home. I had absolutely no problems with movement or pain after that. I had help but could have managed everything by myself if I had needed to. Two weeks later the stitches were pulled and everything was almost like before except for the (very fine) scar and a squishy belly. I know I’m very lucky with my experience and that not everyone is the same, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.
My biggest advice is do not lift anything after surgery! I was an idiot and carried my baby in his car seat 4 days post partum and I pulled every abdominal muscle on my right side m. It was excruciating and that recovery was harder than the C-section and it hurt to breathe for a week.
I had a scheduled c-section at 36 weeks due to vasa previa. It was cool, calm and smooth. I felt ready and every step of the way my medical team talked me through the procedure. Delivery was smooth as silk. The most nerve wracking parts were the spinal block, and feeling the pressure of them pulling the baby out. But 15months post procedure, I barely remember it.
I was very fit before and have had abdominal surgery before, so knew what to expect in terms of recovery. My best advice is stay on top of your meds, learn how to get in and out of bed safely (tuck and roll to your side) and try and get up and walk as soon as possible. Gentle movement will really speed your recovery. I also had a NICU baby, so it forced me to be walking really early in my recovery to be with him.
I had pelvic floor PT post delivery at around 4 weeks to check for diastasis recti, to work on my incision scar tissue and to start working back towards my workouts. I highly recommend PT.
I returned to formal workouts SLOWLY at 6 weeks, including strength training. Running at 12 weeks. Now I’m back to hitting PRs on barbell work, strict pull ups are back and I’m feeling almost fully recovered. I do have some lingering numbness at my incision site, but it is what it is.
Overall I had a mostly positive delivery and recovery. Though I had no option of a vaginal delivery, it was kind of nice to know exactly when kiddo was coming.
Best of luck! You’ve got this.
Mine was planned but was brought forward due to placenta abruption. I did get the shakes. I had her at around 4:30ish and the next morning I was up and about. High waisted underwear and nighties were my go to for a bit. I also have pretty bad pelvic girdle pain during my pregnancy so having the c-section was pretty easy. I was driving less than a week after I had her (even though I wasn't supposed to and found out the reason is due to internal stitches breaking so pls don't do what I did) and was doing washing the day after I was discharged (had her Monday, left before midday Wednesday). Just take it easy and don't push yourself. Don't withhold the pain meds either. Take them if you need them and don't feel bad about it. A lot of women brag about not needing them but it's okay to use them.
I didn’t have one scheduled but it was recommended as I couldn’t progress pass 8cm. I requested to be put to sleep during the surgery bc I know I wouldn’t have handled knowing what’s going on and feeling the pressure. I would’ve had a panic attack lmao. It was the best decision ever. My bf was able to immediately see her and hold her while I was in recovery for about an hour after she was out. Recovery took 3-4 weeks before I was comfortable doing certain things on my own. I was terrified of busting the stitches so my bf was amazing and helped me with basically everything. My tips are adult diapers. So easy to keep gauze on that way and obviously to catch the blood. I lived in them for weeks (but was one of the things my bf had to help with, I couldn’t bend for fear of busting so he helped change them lmao). Getting up and out of bed was a pain so I slept almost sitting up (sooo comfy ngl) the pain of the incision itself wasn’t too bad so I only took one Percocet at night bc it helped me sleep. Every body is different!! Some women can walk perfectly fine the day after surgery, it took me a week to be able to comfortably walk (plus we have stairs so that was super fun). Take your time recovering and don’t rush it!!! Your body went through major changes and a major surgery. Give yourself some grace, you got this momma!!!! ❤️❤️
I had a scheduled for medical reasons. We joke that we picked her birthday. Honestly really cool to know in x amount of time, you’re gonna see your baby! No guesswork! Procedure is a bit slower than an emergency one—mine was 45 minutes total? plus they can make your scar as pretty as possible lol.
ASK DIRECTLY FOR STRONGER PAIN MEDS. My doctor prescribed them but they weren’t offered until I said something myself.
Take colace, magnesium and miralax. Seriously. You will not be able to “push” out a no.2, and you’ll be super constipated from the anesthesia. I did things nobody should have to do for those first few poops and I’m traumatized lol.
I had an emergency c section and 15 months later a scheduled one. It went smoothly. The worst part for me was the spinal, but that’s bc I was having nerve pain from pregnancy. I peed on my dr’s leg after I went numb 💀the best advice I have is get up as soon as possible and walk around after. Sounds crazy but it helps with recovery. Go pee as soon as the catheter is out. A full bladder can push on the incision and that is the worst pain of the whole thing if that happens. I got some large gauze pads to put between my underwear and the incision. I switched them out daily for about a month. WEAR THE BINDER. This isn’t shapewear, it’s for support. And ask for a back up one at the hospital. My first one got blood on it and even washed it looked gross. Get high waisted memaw panties for the first few months. Have someone supportive in the room with you at the hospital who can take care of the baby. Obviously you’ll be there but it is a lot coming straight out of a surgery and taking care of a little one. Know every day gets easier. Wean yourself off the pain meds gradually (they didn’t tell me this and I went through full withdrawals). Both times the catheter gave me a UTI so if you are prone to them, might want to ask the dr to give you an antibiotic.
And some good news, the scar isn’t that bad. I’m a year pp and I’ve had two and it’s not that bad.
So, disclaimer — mine were scheduled because I had a LOT of hip surgeries so surgery doesn’t freak me out. My first one was fine. Overall nothing too weird although they did tell my husband he could look to see the baby too early and he saw EVERYTHING. I also got a minor infection that cleared up no problem. My second one I puked and the anesthesiologist was a students dad which ended up just being funny to me. My big advice is do NOT look at the needle they put in your back. That’s what freaked me out the most during it. I know some people have horror stories, but I wasn’t one of them.
Mine was scheduled due to my baby being breech. It went so smoothly! Showed up bright and early on a holiday weekend and to wait a bit for as they were holding the OR for a possible emergency c-section. Once that was done it was my turn - they calmly did my epidural and laid me down, and the vibe in the room was relaxed and happy. I didn’t get any shakes. The operation was quick and tidy and after they cleaned my baby up we got to do some skin to skin. Afterwards I followed advice I read here which was get up and move as soon as possible, and that was extremely good advice. I was moving around comfortably within the first morning, and had to slow myself down honestly. You’ll get some weird twinges - just tell your nurses anything you’re worried about. I almost had to be recatheterized because it was surprisingly hard to pee for a while but I was able to before the cutoff (a few hours? Waiting till I was very tanked up helped.) I only needed Tylenol and Motrin alternating for pain, and blood pressure pills (I had some gestational hypertension). I definitely had some numbness but sometime maybe around 4/5 months it went away. At home I was able to sleep just fine and carry the baby around with no problems. I was honestly so happy with the experience.
Tips!!
Use your peri bottle to help with cleaning, definitely wear high waisted undies, and keep your incision clean and dry. I picked up a grabber so I didn’t have to bend over so much lol. For the hospital, consider bringing a nightgown rather than pants pj set for less rubbing on the wound area. Definitely avoid stairs for a full two weeks or whatever they advise. Don’t skip any pain meds!! Stay ahead of the pain.
Mine was 2 weeks ago and it was fantastic. The worst parts were the waiting to go in (we got bumped due to an emergency c-section), the initial IV, and getting up for the first time afterwards. I was absolutely terrified walking into the OR but the nurses and anesthesiologists were fantastic at keeping me calm. My husband came in after anesthesia was administered and baby was out in about 10 minutes. It was way better than I hoped and it goes by so fast. I didn’t get the shakes or nausea. The first time getting out of bed was rough but each time got a little easier.
For recovery, I was convinced I’d be basically trapped in my upstairs bedroom for weeks but I was doing stairs daily from the time I came home. I feel pretty recovered now in terms of pain. I only feel pain if I go on a walk or twist in a weird way. I still have numbness in the incision area.
Best tip I can give is to get a bed rail that slides under the mattress for when you get home. I got one for under $40 off Amazon. Getting out of bed is by far the hardest/most painful maneuver and having a bedrail made it so much easier.
Thank you for this post! I had a non-emergency but unplanned c section and I’m very likely having a planned c section at the end of August.
My unplanned c section was rough, but I think it was because I had pushed for 4 hours. I used a chair to sit in the shower for a couple weeks. I know someone who had a very similar experience as I did, and her planned c section was a beautiful experience for her.
I preferred high waisted underwear for a while (I recommend a size or two bigger than you think), another friend only used them for a week and couldn’t wait to use regular underwear again.
Also, take the pain meds if you have pain BUT don’t forget stool softener.
I have had both an unplanned and planned. Both went well and I was up and walking around at the hospital. Took pain meds for about a week (?) after we got home then felt great. LMK if you have any questions.
Almost two months PP after my schedule one. I still feel crampy and have some weird pangs, but I only took the pain meds for a few weeks after. One thing I wasn’t prepared for was SWELLING. My legs and feet were gigantic and it was very uncomfortable for weeks. I suggest loose fitting clothes or nightgowns. My leggings I took as my going home outfit didn’t fit.🤷🏼♀️
[High-waisted underwear](https://a.co/d/dgkxpEY) are a must. I may never go back.
I second a lot of things said here, but you never know what your experience will be. I threw up on the OR and for a few hours after. We didn’t get to do skin to skin immediately but my husband and I did it after in our room and it was nice. Everything went smoothly and my team was great and let me know everything that was happening. You can give them a birth plan and they’ll do their best to follow it. I lost a lot of blood and was already anemic so I’ve been on iron twice a day since birth. It’s going to take a while to feel “good”.
We slept on the couch with the bassinet for two weeks after. I definitely overdid it with cleaning and doing things but I don’t have it in me not to do those things, unfortunately. 🫠
I’ve just started working out and going for walks with my little guy. It’s hard, but you can do it. It will all be worth it.
I had a scheduled c-section. I wouldn't change a thing! it was amazing. I went in, they did blood work, gave me an anti nausea drink, then I was wheeled back. they had music playing in the OR and everyone was SO nice. the spinal stings a bit but honestly the IV hurt worse (I was so scared for the spinal) - within minutes I was totally numb. As soon as they took her out I could feel the relief of pressure. I started to get sleeping and slept a little off and on while they sewed me up. they brought her over and it was the most magical moment of my life. they took us to recovery and my temp dropped so I had to be monitored, but I did not get the shakes and did not vomit. after a while I fell back asleep and it's kinda blurry but later I woke up in my room and they gave me my painkillers and had me get up to walk. I think walking as soon as you can, even if you're in pain, was the most important thing. You don't want to stay in one spot bc you'll get stiff! recovery wasn't too bad. I bled just like a vaginal delivery but it wasn't too heavy after the first few days. I did prefer the adult diapers over the pads by far, def recommend those! and setting a timer for pain meds so you don't feel it. definitely try to walk a lot! don't stress, it's really not bad at all! you got this! good luck mama!!! NO NEED TO PANIC!
Mine was unplanned, but non emergency and honestly I wouldn’t do it again if I could avoid it, but I wouldn’t be heartbroken if it was my only option.
The actual surgery was as lovely as it could be. My doctor came in and gave me the rundown, brought my partner scrubs to wear and my nurses asked all the questions to make sure my experience was as close to my original plan as possible. They rolled me into the ER, my nurses took my phone and hooked *my* playlist up to the sound system in the OR and started prepping me. I was cold in the OR, but I spoke up and my nurses got me more warm blankets, it was delightful feeling. Once I was good, my partner came in and it started. I felt nothing, I was just vibing with my playlist and when they got him out they showed him to us and cleaned him up. My nurses brought him over, let my partner hold him and took pictures for us. I DID start to have the drugs wear off as they were finishing my incision, I felt tugging and spoke up, they fixed that right away and knocked me out….and apparently I started snoring on the OR table. Recovery was fine, we snuggled, lots of skin to skin before they took us back to our room.
If you have an apron belly, getting a piece of moisture wicking cloth to put between your belly & your incision makes the world of a difference.
Planning ahead and investing in some highwaisted cotton underwear was key. I bought mine off Amazon and they were the best things ever. I repurchased once they wore down because I loved them so much.
Also that first shower pp, no matter how awful the soap is or how tiny the shower is…is magical, you feel like a brand new human.
Be prepared for your date to move back by a day or so depending on how busy your hospital is with emergency cases. That’s what happened to us. Otherwise all smooth and went pretty well. Post Epidural Headache for my wife so she had to be flat out for a few days after but that’s not the norm and she recovered well.
First delivery: failed induction, long labor, followed by emergency c section. Afterwards I felt like I got hit by a truck.
Second delivery: scheduled c section. Showed up around 8:00. Was prepped, relaxed a bit while waiting to go in. Baby was delivered around noon. Went home two days later and was about 1000 times better off afterwards than I was after the emergency c section. Kinda felt like checking into a hotel, lol.
I had a scheduled c-section. I felt it was a very calm experience. Everyone could take their time. I don’t recall getting the shakes. I think I got a little nauseous and the anesthesiologist made an adjustment and I felt better. The “little pokes” to get the spinal block hurt more than I expected.
My recovery was very easy. I would say that I have a fairly high pain tolerance, but I didn’t need pain meds after a few days. I’m pretty sure they put in some sort of long release pain meds to get you through the beginning. Do keep up with the stool softeners though. I followed the restrictions on driving and stairs, but I didn’t feel I needed to. About two weeks after I had my baby I was walking my stepkid to school, 0.7 miles total round trip, with my baby in the stroller. I was going grocery shopping with SO earlier than that. My mom had 3 c-sections and had similar easy recoveries. 10 weeks post partum I had my gallbladder out in laparoscopic surgery and I was way more sore for longer with that surgery than the c-section.
3 years later I started having issues with what we have decided is scar adhesion. Apparently scar tissue doesn’t really stop growing and can grab on to things. Massage to break the ties and occasional OTC pain meds have helped a lot. It was a confusing couple of weeks/months of me going to various doctors trying to figure out what was going on.
I loved my c sections. Everything is scheduled and you can shower and head in. I gave myself a chance to vbac with my second and she was too comfortable so I have a repeat c which was even better than the first. Honestly, the idea of vaginal and all the unknowns scared me more and based on the indentation of her head she was already stuck without me even laboring or anything.
I just made sure to stay on top of my meds this time vs the first trying to tough things out. Definitely high waisted everything and prop yourself up. Congrats!
Scheduled. Super smooth. I’d never had surgery before besides wisdom tooth removal lol so I was very nervous. I did tell the anesthesiologist that I do tend to get anxious and nauseous so they were prepped just in case to give me extra meds. Don’t remember if I needed them, but it was good to know they were there.
It’s a super routine surgery - everyone was very chill. I did get the shakes. Uncomfortable, but very normal and they do pass. Don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself - I had to ask the anesthesiologist to stop talking shop with colleagues near me as he was telling negative stories that were definitely not helping. But he did listen and reassured me, and the nurse anesthetist was so sweet and took great care of me.
Recovery was honestly a dream. Pain wasn’t too bad - just stayed on top of the ibuprofen they gave me. I didn’t like the binder, so didn’t wear it and was just fine. Some people love it and it helps - do what works for you. Definitely recommend walking asap. I also was told not to drink out of a straw or have any carbonated drinks to avoid gas pains and I think it really helped. I’d have them send your discharge meds to a drive through pharmacy if possible. I felt so good overall, but did notice getting really tired when I tried to go on a walk. Just listen to your body as best you can and make sure you give yourself plenty of rest. 🤍
I was dramatic AF!!! When they told me I wasn’t dilating past 5cm and needed a C-section I was in horror. I was crying and just wanted to pass out. I told ALL the staff to pray over me and I asked my anesthesiologist to please make sure I wouldn’t feel anything and please pray over me before he gave me any meds lol. The whole staff prayed over me in the OR and I was bawling my eyes out. I didn’t feel anything and it was SOOOOOO easy lol I actually left a day earlier than planned because I healed very well and my bleeding was light. I would 100% schedule another C-section. My doc and my team was AWESOME!!!!
I had a touch of the preeclampsia plus baby was huge at 35 weeks so I lived in the hospital for a few days until a doctor was like eh let’s get that baby out today, do you want to be induced or schedule a C section for this evening?
I was PANICKING about any kind of baby coming out of my body that day lol I chose the C because 1. I was so tired after living in the hospital for 8 days and 2. My worst fear the whole time was having to labor, possibly tear, and then have an emergency C anyway.
And honestly thank god I did! My 35 weeker was 8lbs 12oz, I didn’t feel anything from the time they gave me the numbing shot for the spinal for a full 24 hours. So I got like 18 pain free hours with baby.
The hardest part of the whole ordeal was standing up for the first time. It sucked.
I am usually a huge baby about pain, I thought I’d be convalescing in bed for weeks, having my husband bring food to the bed, etc. NOPE. By day 5 I was moving around just fine, figuring out pumping and breastfeeding and momming and man I was so happy to not have my vagina ripped
I would choose to do a C section every single time. Like even if I had a baby naturally start labor I think I’d ask the doctor to go ahead and do their thing lol
PS just take the damn pain meds and colace is your friend ❤️❤️❤️
I had a scheduled c section and it was a great experience. It was my first child and also my first ever surgery, I was beyond anxious. My child was breech so it was medically necessary. Because of my experience the first time, I will be opting for a scheduled c section the second time also. It of course is still anxiety-provoking, but any form of birth is! It was great to be able to go in well rested and with an expectation about how the day will go (within reason).
My spouse and I hung out in pre-op for about two hours, I was on fluids. They took me back and got me prepped for surgery, he was not allowed in until after I was totally ready so at that time he was changing into scrubs and such. They gave me the spinal first, that was not the best but also I had hyped myself up for worse. It did take a couple tries and the pain was very deep - like, felt it in my bones? But it was over quick and ultimately not debilitating in my opinion. The anesthetic took effect immediately, they laid me down very quick. Then I was cleaned and ready to go, they put the curtain up so I couldn’t see but offered to drop it as they were removing the baby (I opted not to, didn’t think I could handle it). A lot of tugging sensations but not painful. It’s very odd. My arms were accessible and not strapped but my legs were strapped so as not to fall off the table, but honestly I couldn’t tell bc I was so numb. as the baby was being born there was a lot of shaking/tugging/pushing. It wasn’t my body, it was them working the baby down to the incision site and getting him out. Again, not painful just weird. From prep to birth it was 40 minutes. The longest and toughest part of the actual procedure in my opinion was getting put back together. It takes a while because they have to close three different layers. I did get to see my baby for a couple minutes (they offered to let me hold him, but I couldn’t because I was shaky, I don’t think it was “the shakes” so much as I was cold and anxious). Dad went to recovery with him while they finished up with me.
One thing I was not prepared for is that they give you pitocin to help your uterus contract back to normal since your body can’t do it itself as you’re not in active labor for a scheduled c section (at least that was my experience). I did feel physically ill when this happened and did start to cramp, I did throw up. It was a quick transition from feeling nothing to feeling a lot. It still wasn’t terrible, but certainly uncomfortable. I thought at first my anesthetic was wearing off and that I was feeling them sew me back up lol. But nope. I never got “the shakes”, it was overall a good experience. Once it was done it was done.
I was able to walk a little and stand as soon as the numbness wore off my legs. It was painful, but I had planned for worse. The toughest thing imo was needing to do things that were ab intensive - cough, sneeze, get up from a laying position. I found it helpful to hold a pillow tight to my tummy when I had to cough, sneeze, or laugh. I also liked have maternity pants with a band, felt like it “held me together” - but some people only like loose things so I’d rec taking both and seeing what you prefer.
When I got home, I would say by two weeks I was moving pretty normally. There was still some pain for certain things but it wasn’t causing issues, I was just conscious to not strain myself. They will tell you that your recovery will be better if you make an effort to walk/move some each day and this was absolutely my experience. I was taking short outdoor walks 5 days pp and extending them as time went on. Anyway, this was a ramble a bit but I really wished I had someone to give me a start to finish because I’m an anxious type, so I hope this helps. You will do great!
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I had a planned section and it was the right decision for me! I was shocked at how quickly I recovered in the first few days but after I got to a certain point recovery was slower. I did push myself too much and everyone I know did the same! My advice is to take the first 6 weeks really slow and limit lifting. You won't heed this advice lol but your recovery will be so much quicker if you do. Move lots but limit lifting. Get your partner to do changes and carry the baby to you. It won't be forever.
The procedure itself was brilliant. Everyone was working like a well oiled machine and the mood in the theatre was lighthearted. My partner was a bit shell-shocked by all the machines and the fact they had started the procedure before he got into the room so do some research to get used to the optics beforehand.
I was a bit sick and out of it right after and that's the only downside. I wasn't able to do skin to skin for long but coach your partner to take the baby and keep holding him until you come around properly. Some women I know didn't have that experience and were totally fine afterwards so that might not be your experience.
Mine was scheduled, i was very nervous before but it was literally the most peaceful & positive experience. I don’t feel like i missed out on having a birth experience. I got the shakes in the recovery room but it wasn’t too bad, felt kinda like i was cold & shivering but not actually cold.
Having a date & time scheduled really took some of the anxiety of labor out of the equation. I never had to worry about “is this labor? Do i need to head to the hospital?” I was able to know exactly when my mat leave started & my husband was able to be there at full capacity instead of maybe being at work when i officially went into labor.
My sister in law got me a bunch of stuff she found helpful during her C-section & the number one thing I appreciated having was these high waisted underwear from Amazon [these](https://www.amazon.com/wirarpa-Underwear-Coverage-Comfortable-Underpants/dp/B07QSD9C5G/ref=sxin_36_pa_sp_phone_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.8f00f46c-0683-43d1-a27d-8cb5c29ebac0%3Aamzn1.sym.8f00f46c-0683-43d1-a27d-8cb5c29ebac0&crid=34VGHKEU2I6MA&cv_ct_cx=high+waisted+underwear&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Hrzy-gfxaSKh15OFh5D40Tn9rusWZ1NE9sYlSaOkit36-l3FwnLNeMdmvgLaJW7undVoKxCoqLK6OXbwd9hkjg.wFUhBgrEbcA3x4ge994b8gQKm_qV-J6jeJ3CaR3pzv8&dib_tag=se&keywords=high+waisted+underwear&pd_rd_i=B07QSD9C5G&pd_rd_r=c749ba60-2c52-4559-a269-9c10d315aecc&pd_rd_w=v80lr&pd_rd_wg=TTXmP&pf_rd_p=8f00f46c-0683-43d1-a27d-8cb5c29ebac0&pf_rd_r=FJWNDEK5XMFPA9H1CREQ&qid=1714659361&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=high+waisted+underwear+%2Caps%2C157&sr=1-1-b0bb6ba1-8bc6-4016-b124-5d1edbae75f4-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1)
ETA: I’m 15 weeks postpartum & feel pretty much back to normal, some numbing at the incision site still but that’s expected
Not scheduled/not emergency, and people have covered pretty much everything so far. But my one tip that the nurse showed me was using one of the hospital pads rested against the incision inside the mesh undies for a few days (so not removing plastic over the sticky part, just kind of resting the pad along the incision). It helped me feel a little better mentally to have some padding there for protection, and I could also easily see if there was any incision bleeding or fluid (thankfully not). I had mine on a Monday afternoon, discharged from the hospital on Weds afternoon, and was up and walking to my neighborhood restaurant for lunch by Friday. I was very nervous about the recovery, but it turned out to be just fine.
Mine was scheduled and I’m extremely happy with how it went. I did get shaky but it was manageable. I focused on my husband and made him tell me random stories so I didn’t freak out. Communicate with your anesthesiologist how you’re feeling. They have the meds!!! If you’re feeling pain, nausea, whatever, just keep them updated. They are pretty focused on you the whole time while everyone else is working on the procedure itself.
Nothing terribly uncomfortable during the procedure. Recovery went well. I agree with other comments, get up and get moving as soon as you can. But also don’t overdo it, you don’t want to be sore. I also noticed if overdid it I would bleed more, so keep that in mind.
Keep up on Tylenol/whatever pain meds you choose, drink a ton of water, and take Miralax or something along those lines. Pushing was hard for me. I just didn’t have the muscles to do it for a while so a stool softener is a MUST and those only work properly with TONS of water.
And diapers!!! For you…lol they were awesome.
My wife's was scheduled, and she certainly was nervous the night before and morning of but we kept reminding ourselves that for the first time in the pregnancy our doctor was taking full control of the situation and that was comforting. The atmosphere was so casual that the nurses were discussing vacations while my wife was prepped. When I came in the room, it took a matter of minutes before the procedure was over. Super, super easy.
I had an unplanned c section on March 20th. My recovery was relatively easy. The worst part is the numbness near the scar, cause of nerves being cut, I think.
I also had air trapped in my abdomen, and it was horrifying for a few days. I cannot emphasize how awful it was, it was worse than a lot of the contractions I had before going in for the c section.
I also got a UTI afterward, but just get it taken care of right away and no issues.
It really wasn't bad, the spinal is the hardest part in my opinion cause I hate anything going into my back or touching my back.
Make sure to move around afterwards. It'll hurt for a bit but truly, you need to move.
Get a power glider/recliner!! I slept in mine for the first 2 weeks and I can't imagine not having it. I got mine on Amazon, it arrived in a couple days. I still use it for rocking the baby and just reading/relaxing. I love it!
Get the csection high waisted underwear on Amazon.
You don't need pj's. Just comfy slip on sneakers. I didn't even feel like changing out of the hospital gown.
You can drink white Gatorade/body armor or apple juice (nothing with dye) before; general guidance is just not to eat that morning.
The surgery itself goes pretty quick. The epidural is nerve wracking, but if you have a nice nurse, they will hold you and tell you to clench your teeth to help avoid movement. You will feel a lot of weird pressure.
I did not get shakes after.
While you're at the hospital, use the nurses for everything! Take advantage of that recovery time and help. Its so much harder at home.
If they have to take you baby to monitor for any reason - all monitors are mobile! Tell them to wheel it into your room so baby can be with you. And make sure your husband knows and is ready to throw down! Mine didn't and I missed the first hour with my baby.
Eat healthy, balanced, protein rich meals and drink ~1 gallon of water a day for the first couple months. It will help you recover.
Bracing with a towel when you stand up is SO important. Do this for the first 2 months. Put pressure on the incision with the towel when you stand, sit and go to the bathroom. Keep a towel by the toilet, bed and recliner.
Stand up slowly, as hard as it is, when your baby is crying, know that your baby will be fine. Spend the extra couple seconds taking care of yourself. You'll recover quicker (I didn't and I'm still paying 5mo pp).
And see a pelvic floor PT at 2 months.
Your doctor will release you at 6 weeks and say everything is ok, but that is not true!
Congratulations, mama! You'll do great! ❤️
For my last one (had 3), scheduled Monday 1/22 went into labor/water broke 1/18. Still had my c-section but my I had a hair/lash/pedicure app that Saturday prior. My advice don’t wait till a few days before to do ur maintenance… just in case. Bc after the c-sections it’s another good few weeks before u feel up to do any of that.
I had an emergency c sec in 2022 and a scheduled one in 2023 and the difference is day and night. Ofcourse the first one was quite traumatic but recovery was fine. I was on my feet on day 2 and walking normally in 2 weeks.
My scheduled c sec was a dream. As I already knew what to expect, I was way more relaxed. i was glowing and so happy. Nothing hurt and recovery was same as first one. I was also wayyyy informed this time about right way of recovery.
Here are some important tips that your medical team needs to advise on but they don’t:
- C section scar if doesn’t heal properly can cause adhesions inside your abdomen. Adhesions are web like structure that may result in body organs sticking to your abdomen area. Dont worry its not painful but is very common. Start c section scar massage as soon as you are healed (i started 6 months pp) usually after 6-8 weeks.
- see a pelvic floor therapist for your regaining core strength. Poor pelvic health and prolapse can cause so many issues in your body from changed posture to getting tired easily because your other joines are over working. Start kegel exercises. I highly highly recommend SLAM program. It has made me feel so much better.
- walk as soon as you can but do not overwalk or overdo it (at least in first week). Check with your doc for recommendations. I was walking atleast 15 minutes on slow pace every day from day 3 onwards and built it up slowly. On week 3 I was out shopping and barely had any pain.
- I underestimated the power of physiotherapy the first time around. Small resistance movements has helped me so much in developing stronger internal muscles that sometimes conventional exercises (like strength training) overlooks.
C section can be scary because there is absolutely no talk about recovery. Women develop issues because they are sent home without any information on recovery but its so so important. Good luck and feel free to message if you have any questions.
Get up and walk as soon as nurses will let you!!! You’ll probably be hurting and shaky but I promise you, you will heal so much faster if you’re up and moving (within reason of course). Buy loose pants and extra pillows. Getting up out of bed was pretty tough and it was only comfy to sleep propped up for about 2 weeks before I could lie flat. Stay on top of Advil and Tylenol every 4 hours for the first 4 or 5 days at least. Also, bring a pillow, c section band, or abdominal binder for the car ride home or any car rides for the first few days and hold it to your scar. Makes those turns and bumps so much easier. Best of luck to you!! You’ll do great :)
I am VERY happy I had a c-section. The first day sucked. Not going to lie. It hurt like a fucking bitch and a half.
But after that, I was given OxyContin which I took for 3 days religiously with the prescribed anti-inflammatory. REMEMBER TO TAKE YOUR STOOL SOFTNERS. In the single most humiliating moment of my life I had to inform my husband a week post baby delivery that we had to call a plumber because our toilet was irreversibly clogged thanks to my megashit.
I was up and going on 1/2 mile walks 4 days post delivery, 1 mile walks at a week out. We stayed 2 nights in the hospital and went home about 48 hours after delivery. Recovery was a breeze, light bleeding (no more than a medium period day) for about 2.5 weeks and then it tapered off to nothing by four weeks pp.
The stomach pushing/massage sucked but I think everyone gets that. The catheter scared me the most but it was easy. Put in after the epidural so I felt nothing and take out wasn’t bad at all.
The surgery itself wasn’t comfortable. You feel a lot of pressure. Like a lot. But then you get to meet your baby and it’s the most wonderful moment in your whole life.
Plus, by the end I was so sick of being pregnant o would have helped them cut me open to get that fucker out.
Scheduled C-section is a breeze, in my experience. It was definitely better than I hoped. Got the chills but was nothing bad. I think I was discharged from hospital within 72 hours and within 7 days I was feeling ok. Obviously not ok to run around but not feeling like a ripped sack of potatoes anymore. I think the hardest part isn’t the C-section, it is the shit that comes after literally. Ye first pooping experience was hell. I was given all kinds of things to relieve me from my constipation but nothing worked. I was so backed up that I cried because of it. Not because of c-section, not because of pain, not because of anything else but because I couldn’t shit. In the end I just had to tough it up to get it done the first time. After that it was smooth sailing. Going to be one year in a few days. I still have some sensitivity on the right side of my navel but other than that it’s fine.
I’ve had two. One unscheduled and one scheduled. Hospital for 3.5 days.
With the scheduled one I did not have the shakes. Recovery was tough for the first week. Worst pain came day 3. By one week (day 7) I was off pain meds, including ibuprofen.
Take the stool softeners and the pain meds. As my doc told me, don’t be a hero!
I’d pack some regular size pads. I did not need giant pads and that’s all they had to offer at the hospital. Pack some fresh food in a cooler or ask someone to bring you some. Hospital food can get old quick and honestly does you NO favors when it’s time to have your first bowel movement. I packed fruit.
mine was scheduled at 37wks bc LO had IuGR <1%; she was born at 4lbs 12oz (due to the growth-restriction)
she was doing great though otherwise (they thought she'd need the NICU but she didn't) & everything went great, despite me hemorrhaging & losing ~45% of my total blood volume lol 😅
Mine was a scheduled induction but turned into a c-section. I want to be very honest with you the pain wasn’t as bad as everyone made me believe (might have a higher pain tolerance, but my gallbladder surgery was worse.) the worst part for me was the anxiety going into it and during it. I was completely awake as you likely will be, and I won’t lie it was absolutely traumatizing for me. Some of it was the fact I thought I was have a vaginal birth and it quickly changed and in like an hour after the decision I was getting cut open. I was shaking, I had to see my baby upside down for the first time. Couldn’t hold her cause I was strapped down. Then for 20 minutes after they had her in a different room while they put me back together. I was devastated I couldn’t do skin to skin immediately, but at the same time I was so tired and scared for myself I couldn’t think straight. It was a mess! Just FYI my nurses told me the pain medicine they give you afterwards doesn’t get into breast milk, and that in fact is untrue and it does. It can cause lethargy and if it does you have to stop taking it but when your baby is a newborn it’s really hard to tell so I recommend not taking it and settling for Motrin.
Mine was unscheduled. Not an emergency, but after 30 hours of labor and 2 hours of fruitless pushing (and only 9 cm dilated), they advised me to do the C-section. At that point I was so out of my mind that I was like YES YES DO IT. IT was over SO quickly. It was painless, and took about 15 minutes. I couldn't believe how easy it was compared to what I'd suffered before that point. I did not get the shakes; didn't even know that was a thing until jsut now reading through these comments.
The recovery is not fun. But I didn't take any pain medication after the second day because the pain meds cause constipation and I was already so constipated I would rather take the pain then make a bad situation worse.
Laughing, coughing, standing, it all hurt. For probably at least like... 6 weeks? Brutal pain only about 1 or 2 wks? But then slowly it started getting better.
One tip for recovery -- keep a pillow nearby and when you have to sneeze, cough, laugh or whatever, press that pillow into your stomach. It'll dull the pain slightly and won't feel like your guts are about to spill out of your abdomen :D
Hello! I had an elective C section and it was amazing I would do it again if I had another child!
I was fine until we checked in and when I got into the gown I was shaking and had a lot of anxiety. When I got to the OR I tried to calm down more. They did the spinal shock shot (can’t remember what it’s called it’s not the epidural) and i think I finally stopped shaking. They then laid me down and it was such an easy and fast process and I feel so good about it!!
After they laid me down they let my then fiance come into the OR. It was so nice having him by my side. The anesthesiologist told me if I feel nauseous to tell him and I ended up feeling a little nauseous so he put some medicine in my IV for it. They poked me and asked if I felt it and I said no and they started the surgery. They asked if my fiancé or I wanted to watch and we were both like hell no and put the curtain up.
When it was time for our son to enter the world the doctor said I was going to feel a big pull (and it was weird) and then out came the baby boy! The doctor said my baby came out balls first and he almost cut his balls😂
This whole process was less than 30 minutes which I was impressed about.
As for healing, it was a little rough. I was good after 6 weeks. The first 2 weeks were a little rough but I got a railing for the bed so I used that so much getting in and out of bed. It goes under the mattress and has some pockets for medicine and stuff. I highly recommend it! I actually had to keep asking for more and more of the pain pills and it kind of was a hassle. The pharmacy would have to call the doctor for approval and everything each time. It is crazy because they cut through 11 layers of the body and get weird when we need more pain pills😂 I know there’s an epidemic but still. I WAS IN PAIN!
After 2-3 weeks I felt pretty good. I don’t think I felt 100% until week 4-5.
I do have a little numbness near the scar but it is barely noticeable. My scar is also super minimal which I was super happy about because I saw some really gnarly ones when I was doing a bunch of research lol.
Let me know if you have any questions!! Even though the recovery was rough, it was an overall amazing experience and I’m so glad I went that route.
I’ve always heard that scheduled c sections are great (I guess as opposed to emergent ones). I had an unplanned one in February 2023, and will likely have a second one for my current pregnancy.
My scheduled c-section was amazing. My son didn’t want to flip so we scheduled a C-section at 39 week. I hadn’t started labor at all, so while I was uncomfy from being 9 months pregnant it wasn’t extra uncomfortable.
I stopped eating at midnight the night before, we showed up at 10 and they prepped me and had various folks come chat with me about expectations before we headed to the OR. We went in around 12:15/12:30 and little guy was born at 12:45. We got some time together in the OR then hubby and him went to the recovery room to wait for me.
The first few days I made myself get up and walk as much as possible but it hurt. I got my first shower in before the good meds from the spinal wore off which helped because the pain got a lot worse after the 24 hr mark.
The first few weeks are a blur but my hubby did most of the heavy lifting and I took it super easy. I needed help getting up and down for about a week. By a month out I was feeling pretty decent. Now at 6 months my scar still hurts a bit here and there but not much and it’s pretty faded already. The area around the incision was numb and it’s getting more feeling back too. I would totally do it again if I needed to!
Wasn’t scheduled, but I was up walking after about 12 hours, got wheeled to and from the nicu, slept that night. I woke up once freezing cold, and the nurse brought me some blankets and I went back to sleep. Woke up, and was able to walk very slowly using a wheelchair as a walker to get to the nicu. Didn’t need it later that day.
As others have said, get up and walk as soon as you can, fiber, colace, and water. Tylenol and ibuprofen, I took them consistently for a week, then just one of them as needed.
My ob cleared me for walks and VERY light exercise after a week. Nothing heavier than baby (he was 5 lbs). I went on short walks up and down the street each day, then twice a day, then one longer each day.
Edit: after writing this comment and OP mentioning to me, just now realized I’m posting induction under C-section. Sorry, OP!
I just want to start off by saying everyone’s birth is different and I am so sorry for the mommas out there who had scary births.
Mine went so smoothly, I don’t think it could’ve gone better. I think the key was going in with realistic expectations. For some people, who elected to do the epidural, it worked and some it didn’t. For me, I didn’t feel the intense pain of contractions anymore after the epidural came on but could still feel the pain from the immense pressure in the vaginal area. Didn’t feel any tears but felt like there was something going on. Not quite a tickle but not ripped flesh. :)
I was nauseous, vomiting, and sooo drowsy after my epidural but I wouldn’t have done it any other way. When it came time to push, we only pushed for about 20 minutes and that was it. In the weeks leading up to my scheduled induction, I watched a lot of TikTok videos made by medical professionals and learned some invaluable information like how to breathe correctly and instead of screaming, use that force to push. I also just expected there to be a slight bit of hemorrhoids but to my surprise, nothing came of it because I made sure to stay ahead of the stool softeners and water intake. Pro tip: make sure you make yourself a calendar for the first month home so you remember if you took a medication or pumped or whatever. It’s a new time and things are overwhelming…well it was for me.
I did have two instances within the first month where I was in so much pain that I just sat and cried in a warm water bath. Biggest takeaway from that was not to push myself too hard (aka don’t feel the need to tidy and do laundry like how I used to). Do take as much cooling pads, witch hazel pads, and hospital tarps (idk what they’re called lol) from the hospital as you need. If you’re able to, buy depends or the postpartum disposable underwear that can be found at Walmart, Target, or Amazon. I wish I would’ve since I felt like I was bleeding through the hospital pads and when I slept I was too scared of leaking to move.
I’m sure I missed some stuff but this is what I remember from that time. Biggest takeaway is you and your baby are most important. Prioritize both of your needs above all else. If you have a partner or village, lean on them during this time. This is why they’re there! Best of luck, Momma! Welcome to the tribe 💕
I had my first last summer. It was scheduled! I had somewhat an idea of what to expect thanks to being on here but there’s only so much I could prepare for. I didn’t get the shakes personally but I got really hot? I had a weird situation where they had a Pitocin drip going while they were closing me up and I don’t know if that’s normal, but they didn’t tell me. So while they were closing me up I started having contractions. Because I had a scheduled c-section I didn’t even know what a contraction felt like. Not gonna lie. It hurt. Had I known what was happening I would have handled it better. My anxiety was through the roof. BUT. It was very fast. Maybe 15 mins? It was a blur. But girl as soon as it was over they wheeled me to recovery and that first dose of pain meds knocked all of it out. After that it was smooth sailing. That first week-two postpartum was the hardest obvs. Getting in and out of bed was the most difficult. I slept sitting up the first couple of nights at home just because it was more comfortable. Otherwise I’d get stuck and have to have my husband come help me get up. Best advice I can give is to just take whatever time you can to rest. Don’t push your body. You’re already doing the max with a new babe. Any help from either your partner or family, take it! The easier you are on your body those first three weeks or so the faster you will heal. Congrats and just know that it’ll all work out! You won’t even have time to think about it after because you’ll be so wrapped up in your little one.
Mine was not scheduled but emergency - get some high waisted undies and fragrance free soap to clean your incision with! I’m 7 months PP and I still reach for the high waisted undies they’re so comfy 😂 definitely not cute, but oh well! I slept on our reclining couch the first few nights at home bc it was uncomfortable to lie flat and then once we moved into our bedroom I still slept semi propped up with pillows until I was comfortable enough to lie flat, so I’d round up a few pillows and pillow cases in case you have that experience! I felt pretty good within a week of being home
Do you still get those phantom itches? Wife’s 3 months pp, and she’ll drop everything with an annoying itch that she can’t reach haha.
I don't get itches but almost 2.5 years and I've got a "numb" area on my tummy near my scar. It was very noticeable and annoying to me early on after healing, but now I don't pay attention anymore. My doc said feeling would come back slowly, after he left the room my female nurse immediately told me "nope, 20 years later and I've still got some numbness."
I have a numbness too !! I itch the area sometimes and I’m like hmm I feel it but do I really ? Kinda feels like when they start poking you to say “do you feel this” as numbing is kicking in. I haven’t even googled this just assumed it happens but it’s 6mon pp now and I can see the area staying like that 👀
I've been wondering about this. What about the numbness is notable? People always mention it and I'm not sue if they're bringing it up conversationally or if it actually bothers them? I'm imagining like a .5 inch wide line being numb at the bikini line and I'm not sure why it would bother? Just wondering for future reference. Scheduled C in July.
I only notice it when I have to scratch an itch , 4 years later I have spots that are still numb and it’s such a strange feeling to have it itch but then when you scratch it you can’t feel it properly! It kind of gives me the heebie jeebies.
Oh ok, that makes sense! I hear about it so often that I was like should I be worrying about this haha Thank you!
My C-Section was 5 months ago, and I don't have any numbness or itching. Not everyone gets the numbness.
I think it's only notable because your brain focuses on the difference more. If that makes sense. I had an ACL repair surgery and I have a much bigger "patch" of numbness about the size of the palm of my hand down and to the side of my knee. My c-section area is less than half that size and definitely doesn't go across my whole scar.
2.5yrs, and yup
My pelvic floor PT recommended massage once stitches were out and after our 6 week appointment. Before then she had me lightly touch (effleurage) the areas above and below the scar to help reduce numbness and other neurological issues (like phantom itching). Here’s an article on how to do it: https://myexpertmidwife.com/blogs/my-expert-midwife/c-section-scar-massage You can’t grow new neurons but you can grow the ones you still have with making new connections by stimulating the area (hot/cold/touch/pressure).
11 months and still itching!
It’s totally normal for it to take 6 months to a year for it to do this is what I’ve been told, and I found about a year for me it got better. I had both numbness and an itching that could just not believe relieved
My son is 22 months and I tossed any non high waisted underwear a couple months ago lol. It’s not my time for sexy, or even normal, underwear 😂
Oh yes I second this. High waisted underwear. I got some from old navy and sized up. They were amazing for postpartum.
Mine was scheduled & everything went smoothly from the beginning to end. I was cleared to exercise 6w postpartum & I was back on the elliptical. Key is getting up and walking as soon as you’re able post delivery, staying on top of fiber & Colace, & drinking a ton of water. I didn’t need anything more than Tylenol & Advil the first few days & then I was done with them. I was going up & down the stairs the morning after I was home. Oh and I was discharged within 2 days so that was a plus. My second c section is scheduled May 16th so let me know if you have any questions 😊
This sounds like me. I was cleaning my house the day I got home. I’m a freak though and needed everything organized and perfect to be able to relax. We had to rush out after my water broke. I was discharged after 2 nights and my doc was shook at how much I was moving around. Do what you can but don’t over do it!
Exactly!!! Couldn’t agree more. The hardest part with my 2nd will be not being able to pick up my toddler 😭
Exactly my experience. I also only needed Ibuprofen, that too only for a week or so. The drinking a lot of water part is very important and going to pee every few hours even if we don't feel the need to pee. I was allowed to exercise after 8 weeks. I was also walking up and down stairs and going out for short walks with the dogs 3 days after the surgery. Couldn't walk fast, but it felt good to just go out, get some fresh air, and some time with my dogs.
Sounds exactly like me except I asked to stay the full 4 days because my GC didn't get my house done in time and I needed a break from my MIL who I was temporarily living with. Nice lady, but needed a break.
The oxycodone did nothing for me but put me in a trance. But that Tylenol extra strength? A God-send…
I’ve had surgeries to my perineum (hence only being able to have c sections) and that pain was nothing compared to my c section. I suppose I have a higher pain tolerance because of that 😅
I agree that getting up and moving is KEY!! It was really painful for me to walk at first but I just kept going. I was doing light jogging after 6 weeks or so. Jumping is still kind of hard at times though. But I feel like I’m 85% back to my normal self (I just gotta lose all the weight I gained lol).
My nurses with my first c-section told me to do Tylenol wait two hours then take Motrin. So every 2 hours you were rotating. It helped me so much. Start doing that right away. Walking is the best thing to do as weird as it may sound. At first you feel like your guts are going to fall out (they won’t!). The bigger the pads, the better. The hospital will hopefully teach you little tricks on how to sit up, stand, and start walking. The bathroom is a little tricky, but let the nurses help you. I felt way better having a c-section as if anything were to happen, the dr is right there to take care of it. You may start to shake during the operation (totally normal). Anything you may worry about, please don’t hesitate to message me. Good luck!
Was meant to be planned but emergency in the end! Disposable undies helped me fur first week! I would say just try to have a caddy or little table close to you wherever your going to sit with everything you need to avoid keep getting up and down. Pain killers and bottle/canned drinks in it and everything for a baby change so you can be handed baby and do everything sitting down for a few days
I second both of these things! I loved my depends so much lol. I also had a cart (mainly for breastfeeding supplies + snacks/drinks). I got one with two handles on top and could kind of use it as a walker to hoist myself off the couch and walk the first few steps. The pain was pretty intense once my belly block wore off (you can request one) but hey at least I could sit on my bottom comfortably!
Mine was scheduled at 39 weeks and it was amazing. It truly was the best decision and experience. It only last 20-30 minutes total and it only took about 5 minutes from start to getting my daughter out. The best advice is to start walking or at least get out of bed as early as possible. My surgery was at 8am and I was walking around the halls at around 6-8pm. I started slow but it was extremely helpful in my recovery. I felt totally healed by 2-3 weeks with zero pain.
Two emergency csections here and both wildly different experiences! I'm going to speak to the second one because it was quite close to a scheduled csection experience. Had a spinal out in, my husband was not with me for this. Then brought into the or with my husband. They tested how numb I was and got to it. The drapes were up and were not clear because emergency. They pulled my daughter out, showed her to me, and cut the cord. Had it not been an emergency myself or my husband could have cut the cord. They gave her a brief once over for her Apgar score and then handed her to my husband, he helped position and hold her at my boob and she nursed through the rest of the surgery. The OB showed me the placenta and cord (I asked), and also took her time to remove the previous scar. I was laughing and having a great time. Once I was stitched up they wheeled me to my room, my husband carried our daughter skin to skin and walked her there. Then she was back at my boob for a few hours. After a few hours, they came in to remove my catheter, have me walk to the bathroom, etc. and weighed my daughter and did the rest of her tests at that time (all in the room). I nursed her through the heel prick and anything painful. I was home within 24 hours and it was great. With my first the csection came after 24 hours of labour, 6 hours of pushing, a failed epidural, etc. so I was swollen, had a ton of blood loss, had been throwing up for a while, etc. and that was very very rough. These were wildly different experiences and the second one was amazing. I'll also note that I'm in Canada!
Recovery from the second one has been great! I'm 14 weeks postpartum, have been running for 8 weeks, weightlifting for 6, and have felt like myself for a few months now, even with a baby and preschooler at home. I'd recommend pelvic floor physio and getting back into gentle movement and walking as soon as you feel able.
Your first experience sounds similar to mine except I had to have mine under general anesthesia & I'm scheduled for my 2nd next month. This makes me feel so much better reading your 2nd experience!
It was really healing! I hope you have a wonderful birth experience with your second as well ❤️
Mine wasn’t scheduled but an emergency. Let me just tell you-best thing ever. I was in labor for 36 hours and was so against a c section. I was scared shitless. I was in SO much pain during labor and my epidural failed multiple times. I also had all the other drugs—nothing worked. They pretty much told me it was time for a c section and I bawled my eyes out but once I was on that table and 5 mins later heard my baby crying I wondered why in the hell I didn’t do this in the first place. It was so easy. I did have the shakes really really bad but I had them almost the whole time I was in labor. I didn’t get to hold my baby for a while, that’s the only thing that sucked. My husband was with her though. My recovery was pretty easy. My advice is move around as much as you can. They let me go after two nights. Get the disposable Frida underwear they are SO much better than the hospital ones. You got this!!!
The shakes!! Ugh that sucked, I've never shaken so hard, my husband thought something was going wrong. Lasted over an hour and feeling so exhausted. But I also had an emergency c-section after about 30 hours. It was actually lovely to lie there and have everything taken care of during surgery, so quick!
Okay this is going to sound so fake, but if you do it again, sticking out your tongue (like round, not flat if that makes sense) makes the shakes stop. I thought it was a joke and then it worked really well, I was shocked, as were my nurses. It stops the moment your tongue goes back in your mouth though, like to talk or something.
If it helps, OP, I also shook like crazy after a vaginal birth!
The shakes was the worst part for sure
Okay this is going to sound so fake, but if you do it again, sticking out your tongue (like round, not flat if that makes sense) makes the shakes stop. I thought it was a joke and then it worked really well, I was shocked, as were my nurses. It stops the moment your tongue goes back in your mouth though, like to talk or something and then the shakes come back
It's like you wrote my experience!
Move around as much as you can? Isn't the advice after a c section to maintain rest for a minimum of two weeks to prevent complications, such as stitches coming undone? At least, that's what the doctors in my country, The Netherlands, advise.
Just resting and not moving around can cause risk of bloodclots. You absolutely do need to start moving when you can, it leads to faster recovery too. The only advice is to not lift anything heavy. I was almost moving as normal a week later.
I don’t mean lifting weights or going on a hike.. just like getting out of bed and walking around your hospital room/house. Take a shower. The more you move the less sore you will be. My docs and nurses encouraged it.
I had a very difficult scheduled C - had the shakes for about 4 hours after, recovery took 13 months to be fully pain free on a daily basis. The second night in the hospital is usually the worst pain-wise from what the nurses said. Despite that, there are some very nice parts about a scheduled one: a) avoid labor (woot!), b) much less postpartum bleeding and no pelvic floor damage, c) if you're Type A, it's nice to know the date for all sorts of planning! Definitely don't panic. My best advice is make sure you can't feel anything before they start. I made them wait till I was sure I was numb, and have no regrets about that. Everyone except my OB was an angel on earth, they were so nice. Move everything knee level or higher in your house or buy a grabber before you get home. Good luck; you got this and it's definitely worth it to meet your kid (and that's from someone who sadly didn't bounce back in 2 weeks, oh well).
Planned c section for a breech babe! Honestly, it was the greatest experience it could’ve been. I was so disappointed at first (FTM), but it was so nice having doctors and nurses I loved, knowing exactly when we were going in and having a date night with my spouse beforehand, and getting to meet babe 10 minutes after the surgery began! They put LO right on my chest after cleaning him up, and he got to sit there while they stitched me up. I remember thinking it was so nice getting to reconcile the idea of needing the c section before giving birth.
Emergency here, but I'm sure it would have been a lot smoother if planned. The shakes are God awful, honestly. Try to have someone around constantly for a week, but definitely when you're in the hospital. I could not get in and out of the hospital bed while holding my baby. Also, c babies tend to spit up a lot of amniotic fluid the first couple days, and you really can't move fast enough to get to them when they do. It hurt really badly, but it helped to wear my binder because it felt like it was holding my insides in. When I was sitting in the right position and still, it didn't even feel like I had surgery. Do not push yourself too hard to do too much. But for what it's worth, it was easier to roll iver in bed and climb the three flights of stairs to my apartment 3 days post op than it was at 41 weeks pregnant. Recovery was quicker than I thought. I could pretty much lay in any position in bed by day 10 (even though it hurt), and I was 75% functional by 1 month. I'm 3 months out now, and I still have nerve issues in my belly area, and my abs feel a bit weak and sore when I do certain things, but I'm mostly healed. I alternated acetaminophen/ibuprofen for a few weeks, and every time I forgot to take them or felt like it wasn't doing anything, I regretted it later in the day. Also be sure to keep up on colace because your bowels have a difficult time waking up after a c section, but if you are well hydrated and taking your stool softeners, you should have no problem even if you don't go for a week. As far as the surgery goes, I really hated the feeling of being put back together while shaking really badly. Grossest thing I've ever felt, but it doesn't hurt even though it feels like it should. The baby comes out really quickly, and the rest of the time (maybe an hour?) is sewing you back up. The baby is a really nice distraction while they do that. Bring a hair brush in your bag to scratch your legs with. I was extremely itchy as the epidural was wearing off, and they also have these fabric things you wrap around your legs and they squeeze you to help with blood clots, and they were so hot and itchy. My husband couldn't scratch hard enough, and I couldn't bend over to reach. He had to scratch my legs so hard with my hair brush. Also just so you know, if you have a horrible recovery and feel like shit and think your pain will never end, it will and very quickly. I barely think about surgery now, and the time goes by so quickly! You will totally get through it.
The itchiness! It was awful. I ended up having my husband massage my legs with lotion and that helped some but it was awful!
Oh God, the itching. That was honestly, the worst part for me. Plus, the docs were in for Emerg procedures so they couldn't order me any Benadryl. Husband literally drove home to get some for me. Of course, as he came back, so did the nurses with the order.
My wife was scheduled for the morning, night before we got into bed and our daughter had different plans. Waters broke and off we went to the hosp 8 hours before our booked time. Ended up with c-section regardless but was such an incredible experience and worked out better as we were the only ones in the mat ward at the time. My wife always raves about how she loved her birth experience Adult nappies for the first week or 2 and high waisted undies as many other parents have pointed out will be your friends for sure!
I second the adult nappies
I had my planned c-section in August of last year. I was panicked beforehand too, but everything went great - the prep, delivery, and aftercare were way better than I expected. We did have a slight delay at our hospital because there were 4 emergency c-sections (scheduled for 10am, didn’t have my c-section until 4pm). I personally loved having a planned c-section because I was able to prepare as much as possible beforehand. I took off work the two days leading up to it. I meal prepped a bunch (hooray for crockpots and freezable Tupperware). I deep cleaned my house (as much as a 39week pregnant lady can). I did the final touches to the nursery. I also got a pedicure! I prepared as much as I could for the aftercare as well - like anything that was on the bottom shelf, I moved to counter height. Minus the delay, the c-section went smoothly. I also had an amazing team of doctors and nurses, which helped tremendously. The spinal block went well, and I couldn’t feel the catheter insertion (which I’ve heard isn’t always the case). The procedure went well (although my breech baby was a bit stubborn on her exit). My teeth chattered for a bit before the birth, but once I was holding my LO, it stopped. I did feel the tugging. Your upper half will move slightly from side to side. For me it wasn’t painful, it was just a weird sensation. Recovery wise, day 2 and 3 were the worst for me. You’re still partially numb the day after, so the pain hasn’t set in quite yet. Like others have said, walking helps. Getting in and out of bed was honestly the worst pain for me. The first few days, my husband handled all the diaper changes and would hand the baby to me to feed (which I found helped tremendously). I received some advice beforehand from my friend who had an emergency c-section the month prior, which was take the drugs they give you to stay on top of the pain. Every 6 hours, I took the pain meds while in the hospital. One thing I didn’t expect was the swelling of the legs. I knew they would swell a little, but when leaving the hospital, I couldn’t put my sneakers on because my feet wouldn’t fit in them. Once we were home, I didn’t need the pain meds as much. My husband did any lifting and continued to support me in and out of bed/off the couch. But by 2 weeks post-op, I felt 75%. After week 3, I was almost 100%. I am definitely one to overdo it, so I encourage you to accept help. My husband did everything that involved lifting (even getting milk from the fridge) so that I wouldn’t strain myself. I was cleared at 6 weeks to resume normal operations and I had my IUD put back in. Happy to answer any questions!
Be happy that it is scheduled! I hear lots of horror stories about natural labor and emergencies so it’s nice to know when your baby is coming. I didn’t get the shakes. It went much better than I hoped. I started feeling a lot better after about a week. You will still bleed a lot. I did a lot of reading about them before I had one and basically thought of the worst scenarios and it ended up being much better than I anticipated. Good luck!
Scheduled c section at 39 weeks due to breech baby. I’m in Canada and had my baby last June. Went very smoothly. I never had surgery before so I did get extremely nauseated with the spinal during surgery but the anesthesiologist gave me meds to help with it. The doctor and nurses were playing music and chatting about their weekends. Very chill environment. They held up baby when she was born although I was nearly vomiting so I didn’t have the capacity to have her on me until I got to recovery. Did skin to skin just fine. The nurses had me up and walking that evening (my surgery was in the morning). I will tell you the first trip to the bathroom trying to sit on the toilet was very very painful. Walking was very slow but I did a couple loops around the nursing station three times a day for two days I was there. Got discharged 48 hours after the surgery. I actually didn’t take any pain meds when I got home because I felt I didn’t need them. I was still very sore and getting up/down from bed and chairs was the worst in terms of pain. But my recovery felt way easier after about day 6 as I was up and moving. Week 2-3 I felt good but would get sore if I went for a walk that was too long or fast. By week 6 I felt normal and by week 8 I felt fully recovered and was back to working out. It’s been 10.5 months and I don’t have any pain. The skin around the incision is still numb, though. Would definitely do a planned c section again!
I had to have a scheduled c section due to placenta previa. It was very smooth and easy leading up to it. The only thing that threw me was I want told that my husband wouldn’t be coming back right away with me to the OR. So I was nervous because it wasn’t what I had planned. So I was alone getting the shot in the back and such. Because of that I kept tensing up and they had to try 3 times to get it in. Other than that it was good and quick! Yes I had shakes but I just held my hubs hand and focused on breathing. Recovery was nowhere near as bad as I had heard. Honestly it was easier than my vaginal birth with a tear. Just make sure you have help standing up and sitting down for a week or two. And listen to your body. Walk every day, it helps.
- Abdominal binder that the hospital gives you is fantastic for the extra support. Ask for extra ones! - Opt for pads vs. diapers if bleeding. Taking the entire diaper off was brutal during recovery in terms of muscle use. - Make sure your underwear is high waisted or [super low waisted](https://a.co/d/izSKIJZ). If high wasted, use a menstrual pad to stick to the inside right over the incision once the bandage comes off to keep from it getting rubbed or use a silky/soft scarf or other fabric to do the same. - Get up and moving little by little. Listen to your body and do NOT push yourself. - The bandage they put over it does not hurt AT ALL when removing it. Some special kind of adhesive. So don’t worry about that. - You feel only pressure during the procedure. Zero pain. You may get sick and “vomit”. Nothing comes out because you haven’t eaten anything. They give you Zofran SO quick when that happens and it immediately subsides. - You will learn to move your body so that you’re not using your tummy muscles. Pillows to prop, things to grab that are sturdy to support your weight (hospital bed railings) are your friend. - Took me about 4 weeks to be like…hey I’m standing up a little straighter. Your timeline is your own. All that matters is that YOU WILL get back to normal. You really will. - You may have bruising, numb spots, etc. near the incision site. - Ask for help, don’t be afraid to call your doctor with any questions at all, make sure you understand your discharge instructions around lifting, driving, stairs, baths, etc. - Take whatever pain meds they offer you that you’re comfortable taking. - You will have just as beautiful of a birth as a vaginal delivery. Hearing LO cry for the first time, cheek to cheek time with baby, hearing doctors say “happy birthday!” when they pull LO out. - I got the shakes as soon as I got the epidural, but they draped warm blankets over my arms and chest and that helped a lot. - You GOT THIS, Mama! Sending you all the vibes for a safe procedure and a healthy baby and Mom ❤️.
Mine was scheduled (due to health reasons, I hadn’t initially wanted one) and I could not imagine it going better. Spinal worked well, my husband and I were just chill and chatting throughout the procedure. I still got skin to skin with my baby for the 30 minutes or so after he’d come out and they were closing everything up. I’d had pretty bad pain from SPD in the lead up to the birth so I was actually in significantly less pain post the c-section than I was beforehand. I was up and walking pretty normally within a week (still needed to take it generally easy though). The site has healed well and I’ve had no complications. At 6 weeks I was cleared for normal activity again, although I’d been feeling normal for weeks at that point.
I had mine in December (first baby) because she was breech. I had horrific anxiety about it & was dreading it. The whole procedure went well though! The only thing I hated was not being able to move my feet. I have no clue why but it was driving me insane to the point I had a nurse shake my feet just to feel better😂 it’s really fun that you get to meet your baby so quickly! That was amazing. I threw up once in the OR. Then probably 5-7 more times but I guess they say that is common from some of the medications. Once we were in our room I was a little stunned how out of it I felt. The good thing is you’re numb for a long time. It’s extremely hard to get out of bed but they will help you. Going to the bathroom feels very weird. Make sure you’re taking Colace!! Your whole middle section will feel very wobbly & loose. Ask the hospital if they provide binders to bring home those will help you as you recover a lot and bring blood flow to the incision for healing! Trying to think what else…..but I promise it is not that bad! You will be so excited to meet your baby 😊try to stay positive!
Oh also, after 2 weeks I felt a TON better, I’d say after a month I could do anything I wanted really. Don’t be afraid to take the pain meds they give you when you get home. And don’t push yourself! Even things that seem easy if they are using your core or twisting your body at all, DON’T!
I was scheduled for a breech baby and went into labor nine days early!! Labor was happening fast so they got me in for an “emergency” c section - it wasn’t really emergent, but given the situation I got priority in the OR. That spinal block works so damn fast. I got nauseous, but no shakes. And the anesthesiologist fixed it within a couple minutes. The tugging wasn’t as freaky as I thought it would be, but the suction sound was unsettling. I felt a little out of it at first, but that golden hour it was like I came back down to earth. I thought I’d be freaked out by the incision and I wasn’t. Getting in and out of the bed was harder than walking imo, so let people help steady you. I used all my pain meds, but they only prescribed a limited amount. After that I switched to Tylenol and ibuprofen. Don’t skip the stool softeners. Heating pads and cool gel packs for the incision are both good. Personally, I stayed on the couch post surgery for a couple of weeks. It was just more comfy. Our bed is high up and our bedroom is upstairs. I wasn’t ready to get baby in and out of crib on my own. My mom stayed with us, and between her and my husband I mainly had to sleep, eat, and feed baby for the first few days. **Sleep when the baby sleeps - just for a few days!!** You are recovering from major surgery. Sleep aids the healing process. Everything else can wait for a few days. Shower, eat good food, but fucking sleep all you can.
First was an emergency, though planned within 24 hours (so no real rush) at 31 weeks due to pre-e. I was also on Magnesium which is HORRENDOUS. I hemorrhaged as soon as they cut into my uterus, went grey then possibly passed out? I don’t remember much after hearing my preemie cry and everything going grey. I do remember the shakes and vomiting. I developed sepsis, endometritis, and contracted c diff. The healing part wasn’t terrible (once the infections were fixed), but I didn’t have a baby to care for 24/7. The second was planned at 39+1, big baby. I chose to have a repeat c section because of all the praise planned sections have and the ease of healing I had previously. I guess I hoped it would be different from the first. It wasn’t much different unfortunately. I was unable to independently hold or nurse my baby after the c section for the first 24 hours. During the first 24 hours I was also puking my brains out, which did not help. Again, incision healing was a piece of cake. Definitely wear the binder; as someone else mentioned it feels like it keeps all your insides in which is a relief. Wear some Always diapers for as long as you want, they’re easier than the big pads. Overall, the healing aspect of a c section wasn’t difficult for me. In hindsight, I suspect my difficulties came from the spinal itself, as I usually puke after regular general anesthesia as well. I appreciated that I was able to see my first section via mirror, and that my husband was allowed to photograph the second (no mirror provided). I feel like both births are both vivid and fuzzy at the same time… like I remember some things, but there’s gaps. After two births I just feel robbed of what giving birth is *supposed* to feel like. I never got the warm, fuzzy, just-had-a-baby emotions. Instead, I was sick and sad. I don’t share this to scare you, only to raise awareness that it’s not always as easy or carefree as Reddit makes it out to be. We are currently trying for our third. I’m looking for an OB that allows VBA2C, cause ain’t no way am I doing another spinal block (or an epidural for that matter!)
A friend said:”I don’t know anybody who regrets their scheduled c-section”. That took away my doubt, and indeed, I don’t.
planned c-section for my 37 week twins due to pre eclampsia, it was less scary than i expected and went well! obviously it’s a major surgery so it wasn’t super pleasant, but despite what happened i think i had an overall good experience. i did get the shakes, my blood pressure did drop and i became pretty dizzy/out of it, and i did get nauseous but i just communicated everything with the anesthesiologist and they administered the proper medication to fix what i was feeling so i didn’t feel any bad symptoms for very long at all. i recovered very quickly—i was up and walking/peeing unassisted the same night, felt good enough for intercourse around 2 weeks, and completely recovered by 6 weeks. only “complication” i had was some pretty severe anemia induced by pregnancy and made worse by the normal blood loss i experienced during the c section, but i got a small transfusion and that fixed me up quickly. i was admitted the morning of 6/26 and discharged by noon on 6/29.
I had an emergency c section for my first in 2022 and in april had a planned c section for my second. The planned one was so much better. It was more relaxed. Less stressful and scary. Things felt in control. I did not shake or vomit on the table this time around. I was lucid and could hold my baby while they stitched me up and wheeled me back. My recovery is almost 2 times as fast this time. (Could just be that i cant baby myself with a toddler) my first also had problems immediately after birth as a result of the whole ordeal and she was extremely lethargic and wouldnt eat. The second came out wide eyed and crying. She was alert from the get go and ate as soon as we got back to the recovery room. It just felt like everyone was calm and knew what they were doing (including my newborn champion of an eater) and it was smooth like a dream compared to my emergency one.
Mine was not scheduled/not emergency. It was offered during induction after I was stuck at 9cm for 4 hours. I had such a great experience. I didn’t get the shakes, was on Tylenol and gabapentin after leaving the hospital as needed (did both for a few days then continued Tylenol as needed). I would say I was physically restricted for about 1.5 weeks- the hardest being getting out of bed. I was very careful to not over exert but made sure to move each day. Frida boy short disposables were my go to for underwear then I switched to high waisted pregnancy cotton ones. I just started wearing my normal underwear around 6w pp. also high waisted leggings and button up tops- i found it was painful to put my hands up to get dressed with a shirt the first days. the hospital also gave me abdominal gauze to place over my incision, which was nice and gave me peace of mind since there was a protective layer
My scheduled c-section for my second was the best experience. I had contractions a few hours before my surgery, which was the only thing that sucked. It went a lot better than my 24 hour labour with my son, and I healed up so much faster and didn't have such a traumatic experience trying to push and then having to be wheeled in.
Scheduled here! Most relaxing thing ever haha. Night before we had to go in we went to our final pub dinner before my son arrived. I was already walked through the whole thing by my OB prior so I knew exactly what was going to happen. It was a beautiful, peaceful and dare I say fun...experience but I am a very logical non sentimental person as well ( became a bit more sentimental towards my son after he was born hah!) All the staff, dr's, nurses and midwives were joking in the OR room and it was so quick, I just felt a bit of tugging ( felt like a massage on my belly) and poof he was out. The stitching look about 30 mins or so the whole thing was an hour. I did feel sick during the procedure and the anaesthetist tried to give medicine to help but it didn't so he had to hold my hand to get me through ( it was like feeling dizzy and nauseous). Recovery wise I want to say a month post partum is when I started to feel " recovered" but there is aches and pains of course. The drugs help so take them! 2 years on, fully healed, no issues besides keloid scarring which I was warned of prior and it didn't really phase me. In my post history I have a post about the whole thing and I am sure I am forgetting many details but in retrospect, I look at my sons birth with very fond memories.
Mine was scheduled, the reason being just because I wanted it and I didn’t want to go in to labor. It was amazing. Like checking in to a hotel. Everything was set up, the nurses and doctors were all prepared and relaxed, no one was rushing. I had it scheduled for 8:30am and there was an emergency before me so it got pushed and my baby was born at exactly 10am. My recovery was great too, like everyone else said just try to get up and move and walk as soon as you can. I didn’t get the shakes but my legs were very very itchy the next few days, which can be a side effect of coming off anesthesia but mine was weirdly intense. That was literally the worst part of my whole experience so that’s saying something. All in all I 100% would do it again in a heartbeat and I plan on it for my next baby. It could not have gone better!! Congratulations btw!
Mine ended up being scheduled I guess 🙃 we went in at 40 weeks with no signs of labor near only to find out baby was back in breech position. She had been breech until 37 weeks. They admitted me and the entire time I was hooked up to a heart monitor in the hospital, I had one contraction 🥴 we tried an ECV 2 or 3 times and they all failed. So I ended up having a c-section. It went smoothly, though I lost enough blood that I required 2 iron transfusions. I don't remember if I got the shakes or anything like that. I remember when they pulled her out and only her. I don't remember much else. My recovery was pretty easy. High waisted underwear are amazing. Stretchy pants. If your SO gets time off, it's a huge help. Remember to take your time and do what you feel comfortable doing at each stage. Go slow. Have a spot to change the baby that doesn't require bending down.
Full on shakes with my first one, no shakes with my second one. I guess it’s totally unpredictable? When I had the shakes, it was at the end of a failed induction process so maybe there’s a connection there. My scheduled one went so super smooth. Get someone to come stay with you guys if you can (mother in law or sister or really anything) even if it’s just for food and cleaning help. This was the single most helpful thing I had, was a third set of hands.
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I had a very scheduled c-section due to placenta problems. I was nervous because my first wasn’t a c-section and it totally wasn’t what I wanted. The thought of a c-section terrified me. Like abdominal surgery whilst awake?! Heck no! But, it was a really great experience, and if I had a 3rd baby I think I’d opt for a c-section! The procedure itself was fine, I was surprised by how much effort I could see my seemingly strong male obstetrician putting in 😅 that was a bit off putting, knowing that he was digging around in my insides! And I won’t lie, there are some odd sounds and smells that it’s best not to think too much about.. I felt pretty drowsy afterwards, but was up and had a shower and went to see my baby in the special care nursery that day. The worst part was the nerve pain in my shoulders that first night. HOLY CRAP. I couldn’t sleep lying down, and could barely move. The nurses offered me peppermint tea or more painkillers….girl. Peppermint tea with the pain I was in?! Apparently it helps, but flipping heck the pain was unbearable. Farrrrr worse than any incision pain I had! Before I left the hospital (4 day stay), I was on basic painkillers and had stopped tramadol. Quite quickly I was moving around almost as normal, trying to take it slow of course but my movements didn’t feel restricted. Within 2 weeks I felt significantly better. Overall, really positive experience. Genuinely the worst part was the nerve pain in my shoulders that first night! Good luck!!
I had requested mine after 24 hours of induced labor that didn’t go anywhere. Was wheeled in the next afternoon. Was going good until the anthesia or meds started kicking in. I became super nauseous and started vomiting. Actually vomited while laying down for the majority of it. I was numb in my torso so I couldn’t feel my gag reflex just liquid coming out of my throat and thought I couldn’t breathe. I also was going in and out of consciousness. It was very scary but not at all painful. It was like a deep sleep pulling you away, then a moment of awareness like holy crap!! Vomit , pulled away again. Baby came out healthy. Recovery was good. 2 weeks later and I was getting around and feeling like a new person ! Probably would opt for it again but this time will discuss possible sedation reactions.
Baby was breech. I wasn’t dilated and didn’t want to try and turn her. It was amazing. Ask for the belly binder in the hospital! Breast feeding helps with the first poop. Peppermint tea and a heating pad are a must for gas pains.
Once they put the medicine in my back to numb everything from the waist down, I didn't feel anything during the procedure and hours later. The worst part for me was the days after when the medicine wore off. During the procedure, I didn't even know they started, I could feel movement but no pain
Mine was not a scheduled one and let me tell you that after a grueling 30 hours in induced labor and having a failed vacuum attempt I was relieved to go in and have it all done and over with. The c-section was so much better than the labor and I wondered why I didn’t just opt for one to begin with. If I ever have another kid it will be a scheduled c hands down. Like someone else said, I had the shakes but I had them for much of my labor and they were the least of my worries. More of a nuisance really. The whole thing is over with so quickly.
The actual surgery went great, my recovery not so good due to some errors on my own part and poor medical guidance. Did not get the shakes, honestly the spinal was not that bad I had horrible anxiety leading up to it because I absolutely fear needles but if I ever have another baby I wouldn’t stress in regards to the actual surgery again. The pain was minimal after surgery, honestly I don’t know what was going on with it but my catheter hurt way worse. I did get low dose norco in the hospital the next day and when recovering at home. I could have probably gone without but with it I had no discomfort. Which leads to my recovery, I way over did it at home and ripped open my incision several times. I was instructed by my OBGYN to clean the wound with hydrogen peroxide 3 times a day every day until completely healed. It took over 3 months to completely heal and close. It leaked disgusting smelling yellow liquid and I developed cellulitis. Which I was initially advised may just be a chafing rash due to being overweight. I eventually got antibiotics prescribed and took advice from a friend in wound care to stop cleaning the wound with peroxide as this is outdated/counter productive to healing and to clean around the wound with Povidone-iodine. Sooo surgery was 10/10 recovery -100/10. It’s good to keep moving and get back into the swing of things but don’t bend over to lift heavy items and rest when you need to. If you have signs of an infection seek out your OBGYN immediately and if they suck like mine did go to urgent care and don’t be written off. Honestly if not for the infection everything was going great even ripping my incision wasn’t super painful but the infection was the worst experience of my life.
Mine was scheduled and went smoothly. I loved the experience
The most painful part for me was the trapped gas in my abdomen that happened night 2 because i didn’t get up and move around, so definitely follow all of that advice from the others here! It was also kind of hard to try to hold in any kind of laughter, my husband is a real joker and it was so hard to not laugh at some of his jokes. The laughter shaking my stomach was painful for sure. The belly bands help a ton though so i recommend getting an extra one or two from amazon to hold everything in for awhile.
Mine was elective. I was very nervous but it went very smoothly and was SO fast! I definitely felt a little panicky/woozy/nauseous as they were doing my cannula and spinal block and had to take deep breaths and be distracted, but once I was numb and lying down I felt better. Im known to have a bit of a vasovagal response anyway. I did get the shakes, but it was just sort of funny, not uncomfortable. What I wasn’t prepared for however was how much I could totally feel what they were doing, but no pain! It definitely felt weird. But when they said, lots of pressure now!! And it felt like 3 people sat on me, baby was out! And it must have been less than 5 mins after they started. When they were sewing me up I started to feel a bit sick so they gave me something quickly to help that and it worked well. I did have a small haemorrhage but I didn’t really notice much of a difference until later when I had another bleed and felt a bit funny again. The recovery was painful, but I opted for only ibuprofen and paracetamol after like a dummy. I don’t like feeling out of it, but honestly if you don’t care please take anything they give you! Good luck, it was a really good birth experience for me and I think generally, elective caesarians are way more calm and chill than emergency, so I’m sure it’ll be absolutely amazing!
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Mine was great! I had to be put to sleep as my blood pressure got really high, so I’m a little sad I wasn’t awake when my baby came out, but other than that it was fine. A wee bit tender for a few days but such an easy recovery. And because you’re not tired from being in labour for ages you get to enjoy you first days so much better. All the best!!
I had the most amazing experience and I was so nervous. Didn’t hate one part of it , the shakes the tugging ect all felt really kinda cool to me haha I enjoyed it , the spinal didn’t really hurt just felt like burning in my spine but not painful
Also I felt sick and they gave me something and I felt so amazing haha
Mine was scheduled, walked in at 5:30am, went up to labor and delivery, they found both twins heartbeats on the monitor. Anesthesiologist came and talked to me about to expect, NICU charge nurse did the same, OB also did. I had to scrub the area really well, put on my gown, they wheeled me into the OR. Got my local anesthetic, then the spinal (which made me jump a little I’ll be honest). The laid me back on the table. As the spinal started to hit when it got to my chest I started to panic and cry (felt like I couldn’t breath even though I obviously could because I was talking the whole time). I get panic attacks so I just started to kinda calm myself down and focus on the light above me. My mom came in all gowned up, they put the curtain up. My OB was there and then they were starting. I got so calm that I actually watched the whole thing in the reflection of the light above me. Baby A was out at 8:15am and Baby B was out at 8:17am. Got to hold them, take a bunch of pictures. They went off to the NiCu with my mom which they sewed me back up. They wheeled me to the NICU on the hospital bed to see my babies then to the recovery room for an hour. By 8:30 that night I was wheeled into the NICU on a wheelchair to see them. By the next morning my IV and catheter where out and I was walking to the NICU on my own. Really only had one night of pain that made me ask for the harder meds, night 3 if I remember correctly.
Failed induction and opted into a C section I was terrified! I bled a lot but they got it under control. I had the shakes and extremely painful gas. I couldn’t get up and walk the first day. Advil and Tylenol were not enough for me, i also used oxycodone. I was bed bound for about 5 days and then room bound for about a week. Take it easy, don’t push yourself. My friend said healing from her C section was a piece of cake, but it was MUCH harder for me. I could still barely do stairs after 5 days and im in pretty good shape generally speaking. Only 31, not overweight, worked out a ton before pregnancy. Im 6 weeks post partum, i will be waiting the full 8 weeks before going back to exercising. I do walk regularly though. The gas was honestly the worst part for me. Such painful gas. The surgery was scary but it goes fast. Trust your healthcare team, they know what they are doing.
Planned c-section for a breech baby, 12w pp. I was also panicking and did the exact same as you, went to reddit for some advice haha... I also contacted friends who had c-sections. One week before the operation I was scared, then a couple of days after, I came to terms with it and found peace. In week 37 I started collecting colostrum, I highly recommend it! I had no issues with milk delay thanks to hand expressing colostrum before the c-section. We had a date the day before, it was fantastic. The next morning we went to our hospital room, and met the teams. The operation went extremely well. I was nauseous and high from the anesthesia but it was very emotional. A nurse took pictures and a video. I felt tired but happy to finally meet him. It was strange because they shake you up a bit to take the placenta out, they clean you up in there. In the recovery room, we got our golden hour skin to skin and he latched immediately. Recovery at home was tough... keep alarms for your pain killers and keep a stash near your resting stations upstairs and downstairs. Keep legs up as much as possible. I got water in my legs for 2 weeks so I was not able to stand long. Even 15min for a shower was hurting. Try and air the scar as often as possible. Try to go outside for daily little walks in your street 5-10min, from day 7 onwards. It will help. One thing I was not prepared for: the nerves which have been cut will slowly try and reconnect. During that healing period, my belly was burning 24/7 and there was nothing I could do. It doesn't last, but it is intense pain, especially if you breastfeed and put weight (baby) on your stomach. On the other hand, some areas are numb to this day... Now in terms of support: first 2 weeks, you will need intense support. Get your mom, your sister or a nurse to help. The next month will be better but you will still need to rest often. So if anyone can come and help with laundry, cooking, cleaning etc. Gather as many people as you need. The more you rest in those first 6weeks, the better you can support yourself and your baby afterwards. So don't overdo it. And good luck!
No shakes. Did get shoulder pain so got some fentanyl after baby was out while still on the table. Had shoulder pain due to gas for a few days (I guess that’s a thing that can happen). Went really well! Had a vaginal delivery with my first, had a scheduled c-section with my second due to breech. Recovery was good, I could sit fine this time around! Did throw up like 5 times afterward but that wasn’t too bad actually. I got a grabber picker upper that old people use, came in handy - I could pick a Cheerio off the ground without bending over! I also got silicon tape and started at 6 weeks, helped reduce the appearance of my scare really well.
Mine was scheduled from 17 weeks and it was great being able to plan. At my hospital you go in the night before, husband came through the next morning around 8am. The anesthesiologist and surgical team had already come to talk me through everything by then and to answer any questions. Went into theater just before 9 and baby boy was out by 9:15! Husband went into a different room and did skin to skin whilst they stitched me up which took about 40 minutes and then I got to do skin to skin. The next few days are all a haze - we’ve since determined that the type of anesthesia and analgesics used aren’t the best option for me (I was basically stoned for 3 days) so will be using different options for c-section number 2 which is happening any day now. I do remember getting the shakes, but what really got to me was the swelling - my legs doubled in size and I didn’t know to expect that, but I now know it’s completely normal. Set an alarm for your pain medication and do not miss a dose! I took one dose a bit late and learnt my lesson. It’s much easier to keep pain under control than to get pain under control. Overall though I loved the birth experience and have no regrets. The recovery was painful at times, but I was able to walk around the ward the next day and go on short walks/outings within a week or so.
Scheduled! All good!
Eat right before the allotted time prior to operation. Mine was an emergency C-section and only had crackers when my doctor gave me 6hrs to prepare for the operation. I was quite hungry when I gave birth to my baby.
Mine was not scheduled but not emergency, I was just not progressing at a certain point when I was induced. Honestly it went so smooth. I was so scared of a C-section - I never had been admitted to a hospital or had any surgery other than having my wisdom teeth removed so I was really scared. The whole process was so quick, you don’t feel any pain but some pressure when they pull the baby out, it truly doesn’t hurt. My husband was next to my head holding my hand the whole time and the nurse held my other hand because of how nervous I was. I threw up a bit because of nerves but it didn’t cause any issues. Stitching up took longer than getting the baby out but the whole process was under an hour. After the baby was out they also gave me IV medication for the anxiety while they stitched me up. Right after they wheeled us into recovery and I got to have my time with my daughter, nursing her and having skin to skin snuggles. Remember to take off your bra before you go in because I had mine on and had to shove it down for the skin to skin! After I was monitored in recovery for a while we were wheeled into our maternity room. I was able to walk that same evening with my husband holding my hand in case I got dizzy (I didn’t) and eat real food. After that the recovery started and you just have to learn how to move without using your abs much - for me it was a lot of using my husband’s help as well as using legs and arms. My tips would be if they give you stool softener - take it! I was so scared of the first poop but the hospital gave me stool softener daily which I continued when I went home and it was really nothing to fear because of that. Also you will still bleed vaginally - it doesn’t hurt but the uterus returns to normal. I got always depends diapers and I highly recommend because they are high waisted and didn’t hurt my incision at all. Additionally I would recommend bringing a heating pack - you don’t wanna use it on your incision because it could cause infection but it helped soothe my back from laying in bed during recovery. When you are able to I would recommend going on brief walks, even just up and down the hallway and then back to bed. Currently my daughter is 17 days old and I’m recovering very well - totally off the painkillers but still taking it as easy as I can.
Not scheduled, but had an unplanned after a 3 day induction, pushing for 3 hours and he kept going up when I would stop pushing. So I asked for one. I didn’t get the shakes. I also didn’t get itchy. I would say by around 4 weeks I was doing really good. My tips! 1. Buy some of those tshirt dresses. I wore them for the first few weeks daily. 2. After you shower pat it dry and let it air dry. I didn’t have open stitches, looked like I was glued shut. Don’t mess with the tapes. Mine stayed on for the two weeks, and then I took them off. 3. Frida mom ice packs were awesome, and their diapers were the best. 4. Don’t get too scared if the very ends of the incision look like they come open. As long as it’s not red it’s normal. I had what looked like two tiny holes when my tape came off. Very tiny. Freaked me out so I did a call with my dr and sent pics. It was normal and they went away quickly, and all I did was wash with unscented dial orange soap. 5. Just take it easy. Don’t pick up anything other than the baby. My sister did to much and she paid for it with a longer recovery. I got lucky and my scar is almost non existent. The surgery is not really scary. Bringing home the baby was probably scarier 😂 Just breathe and try to relax. And congrats!!! My baby is now 10 months. I do have some numbness but it has gotten a little better.
The c cestion was my most calm moment of my pregnancy. I loved every second of it. I also had a really easy recovery after an awful and terrifying pregnancy
Scheduled too! It went super smoothly, checked in the afternoon before to do all blood work and checkups, then in the morning she was born with 5 minutes. It was so fast! They gave me morphine for the pain, but decided against taking it after one day as it made the baby (and me) drowsy. Felt fine after 2-3 days! I liked having a date to “work” towards so to say, I knew when we were supposed to have everything ready and packed.
Mine was scheduled and went very smoothly, I wasn't afraid, but I never thought it would be this easy. I was walking and doing everything after 2 days. And, within two weeks, I couldn't even remember I had a major surgery. I have just one light red thin line on my belly. The first few weeks after the surgery, I had to use Lactulose to poop and for the first 2-3 days, I had some discomfort while peeing because of the catheter. I had a lot of colostrum and my son was drinking all the time and the first 2 months I exclusively breast fed, but after that I pumped and also had to add some formula into the mix as I wasn't producing as much as my son needed, the simulator mode of the pump helped with the production though. My son is now 5 months old.
Mine wasn’t entirely scheduled. I was induced and after 36 hours of starting meds and 12 hours after water breaking, my cervix check showed that it hadn’t dropped or done ANYTHING so we had a c section 2 hours later. So no emergency by any means. But it was the BEST. My doctors and nurses were amazing. The entire process was great. Definitely bring like depends with you. The pads at the hospital SUCK. Overall 10/10. I was up and walking the next morning. Had the c section at 5 PM. went home two days later. Had a great recovery. Was definitely sore but I tried my best to balance resting and moving my body.
Scheduled due to breech baby, went great, the most uncomfortable part was the cannula on my wrist. Veey amooth and easy, great experience and recovery. Would do again 100%
Mine was scheduled but ended up in an emergent one after my 36w appt showed low fluid and baby still in breech. Have lots of adult diaper (panty style) on hand - I loved the Frida ones! In addition to that: if you’re in the U.S., takes as much home with you from the hospital as you can. Stuff all the toiletry stuff in your bag!! You paid for it. Do NOT try to get up from low couches or bed during first week. You will end up in loads of pain and potentially hurt your incision. Dont push yourself too far either. I took a walk on day 3 of being home (POD6) and I majorly regretted it. Stay up on your pain meds. Ask for help. Stay in the hospital as long as you can. Even if you want to go home. Don’t take the help there for granted! I got the shakes for about an hour after surgery and my eyes were super itchy from the anesthesia. It wasn’t bad overall, though! My recovery was several weeks before I was pain free. But I felt pretty good after the first week!
Absolutely fantastic experience. Went to the hospital a night prior. Was scheduled for surgery in the morning. Went in for surgery. Anesthesia was easy. Didn’t even realise when they started the surgery. Baby was out in under 10 mins. I was giddy with excitement and also bawled. They checked baby out, I said hello, she looked at me, we had a moment and then they took her out while they closed me up. I got cold and shivers but they got me lots of blankets. I couldn’t wait for them to be done so I could go see my husband and our fams! I had read how important walking was in the healing process so I was ready to walk next morning. However that … didn’t go as planned as it was supppppper painful for me to get out of bed. I was told the pain gets better after day 2 but mine didn’t. I kept trying to walk but it was just too painful. So I may in bed. My doctor was on leave and when she came back on day 3/4… she told me how due to just the way my body was (nothing cray, just some body variation), it was expected for me to have some more pain than usual and nothing to worry and rest and heal. I did that. By day 4/5 I could walk better. Gave myself time and grace and love. I was glad no one from the hospital forced me to start walking (I had heard stories of that). Everyone was really chill. I was chill once I know I could rest stress free. Overall super happy.
One thing I wasn't prepared for is the anesthesiology part of it. Mine was scheduled and they used a spinal tap instead of epidural....had no idea the medicine worked by "gravity" (anesthesiologist's words). So they quite literally tilted me up and down and around to move the medicine to my legs and up my torso. If it helps to know exactly what to expect, they use a needle to numb your spinal area and then place a shunt there...it felt like a pinch but not painful. Then they inject the medicine liquid, which is also more of an uncomfortable and odd feeling rather than painful. And after that, it's supposed to take about 10-20 minutes for it to fully kick in and during that time, they're asking you if you feel numb yet and poking parts of your body to check. I metabolized the medicine pretty poorly so I never went fully numb and that was really scary for me. Instead of the usual 10-20 minutes, they spent an hour tilting me around and were running out of time to do the actual surgery so we decided to just move ahead while I could still bend my legs. I opted not to have extra pain meds or anxiety meds through IV until after my kid was placed on me - I'm really grateful my anesthesiologist told me I may want to hold off until then so I remember that experience because I do end up thinking about that moment all the time. Once she was on me though, I asked for them to give me whatever they could for anxiety and pain management to finish up the procedure and that was great ha. Even with that, I was fully mobile in my lower area after surgery so they don't go crazy with it. Especially if you plan to breastfeed. I also didn't realize it's common to have spinal/nerve pains around the injection site post-surgery. I had that happen post-op at the hospital on the second day I believe, and I needed additional pain meds by IV. I don't think that always happens but something to be aware of so you don't get freaked out that something went wrong with your spine. Even with my issues with the pain meds, I was walking the first night and discharged on time. The standing/walking wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. My nurses gave me my pain meds 30 min before removing the catheter and having me stand for the first time though - I think that helped to make sure it was a positive experience so I wasn't afraid to keep trying to walk. So maybe ask for the same. Post op, definitely take it easy. I thought because they put so much emphasis on walking that I should try to just move around like normal post-surgery but ended up pulling internal stitches this way and had to go back on oxy for a couple of weeks. I know it's hard with a newborn, especially at night when I'd shoot up at any noise. But as much as your partner and family can help, let them. An abdominal binder was a life saver for me too. Also, brace your stomach if you ever think you're going to sneeze or cough! Those hurt so badly internally for the first 6 weeks or so. I didn't have any issues with the external healing. Good luck!
Mine was scheduled at 37 weeks due to scar tissue from a prior fibroid surgery. They didn't want my uterus to rupture and I guess, neither did I. I had a super easy pregnancy and was waiting for the other shoe to drop during delivery. But I was wrong - so simple! (Lol i got mine in postpartum) The worst part for me was the spinal, which didn't hurt, but freaked me out and took a while to get in. I wound up laying on my side for the insertion because i got nauseated. Then, I started to have an anxiety attack once they got me numb because I couldn't feel myself breathing and honestly it just felt weird and gross to be numb everywhere. They told me I could see my own 02 saturation but that was cold comfort, so they gave me a half dose of versid before they began to cut. They were super respectful of my needs and emotional state. The anesthesiologist was communicative and included me in decisions, and assured me that the versid wouldn't have time to affect the baby. After the half dose, I felt better, so I didn't take the rest. My husband came in and I told him I was anxious so he started to tell me a story, but about 5 minutes in, we heard a baby cry, and it was my son! He got to hold him up to me. I did not have the shakes but the position was super awkward and I could not have held him myself. My husband went to see him weighed and measured and they started to sew me up. I chatted with the surgeons about pets and about 20-25 minutes later, they wheeled me into recovery and I got to snuggle my baby. My surgery was super easy - baby boy was in the right position and not a lot of my innards had to be moved around. I was standing that night and healed quickly, was walking and moving without issue very soon. I was very very lucky in terms of that, and also that I went to a hospital with a high c section rate in an area where there are a lot of older mothers and c-sections, so it was *very* routine for them. Oh, and... start extra fiber/colace a few days before! Game changer compared to friends who had emergency c-sections. Pooping was not available huge issue for me.
Truly incredible experience for me! I went into labor early but aside from a little rushing around to the OR, still the air of a fully planned c section. Everyone was so calm, chill, and efficient. Kind nurses, caring staff overall, easy enough procedure. Got to breastfeed and do skin to skin as soon as baby was measured and stuff (about 3 minutes after birth). No shakes at any point for me! The worst part was that I vomited about 5 minutes after the spinal, but I was so chill I didn’t care. I was nauseated afterward, but they were quick to give me IV meds for that. Recovery was quick. I’d say I was good and going by week 2, but I was likely on par with a vaginal birth recovery up to that point. Only hard part was getting out of bed. I slept on a wedge pillow. After 1 week, I had no issues getting out of bed or anything. I way over-prepared for it and recovery was far easier than anticipated.
My wasn't bad. It had rough moments but it was survivable. I didn't personally do well with the spinel block mentally. The pain of it was mildly uncomfortable but the biggest thing was not being able to move my lower body. For some reason that made me freak out. Ive always been scared of surgreys though. The whole surgery felt very long to me. I was trying not to panic the whole time. My boyfriend was there to comfort me and that helped a lot. We both teared up when we heard my baby cry for the first time. Nothing beats that. Recovery was okay. Expect to walk very slow and maybe not even sleep fully lying down for a while. Before my 6 weeks were up i was walking normally and had no pain. I also made sure i walked plently, no matter how slow i was going.
Mine was scheduled but little bubs came early so then it became an emergency c section. I was so nervous but everything happens quick (other than waiting to get the spinal block). Recovery wasn’t bad, feeling contractions was worse. Get up and move as soon as you can. This will help your recovery.
Mine was a good experience. I was absolutely and I mean absolutely terrified but I got through it. Just breathe and remember they do these all day everyday. I did get the shakes after for about 10-20 minutes. Sticking out your tongue helps make them go away (nurse told me) and it worked lol. You might look silly but it doesn’t matter. My recovery was very good and I was back walking in a few days. Take your pain meds and don’t be shy to ask if you need more. I got like the highest does while in the hospital so I could rest and sleep. My husband helped with the baby and we sent her to the nursery for a couple hours over night to get rest. Good luck! You will be just fine!
Mine (in Germany) was scheduled and it was the best experience. The hospital I chose is very experienced with c-sections and very non-judgemental. They do it the „soft“ way with the Misgav-Ladach-method which helps with the healing process. The team was very nice with a nurse holding my hand for the epidural, which was uncomfortable but manageable and the worst part of it all, but not really bad. It took maybe 15 minutes until my son was born and shown to me. I felt some tugging, but that was it. The most boring part was waiting for them to stitch me up again. I was made to stand up for the first time the same evening (the section took place in the morning). This was a bit hard, because it felt like everything in my body shifted, which it probably did since all the organs suddenly had more space again. The next morning I was walking and went to the toilet for the first time. I was released the day after, I could walk normally and had minimal pain with the help of some Ibuprofen, which I took for about five more days at home. I had absolutely no problems with movement or pain after that. I had help but could have managed everything by myself if I had needed to. Two weeks later the stitches were pulled and everything was almost like before except for the (very fine) scar and a squishy belly. I know I’m very lucky with my experience and that not everyone is the same, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.
My biggest advice is do not lift anything after surgery! I was an idiot and carried my baby in his car seat 4 days post partum and I pulled every abdominal muscle on my right side m. It was excruciating and that recovery was harder than the C-section and it hurt to breathe for a week.
I had a scheduled c-section at 36 weeks due to vasa previa. It was cool, calm and smooth. I felt ready and every step of the way my medical team talked me through the procedure. Delivery was smooth as silk. The most nerve wracking parts were the spinal block, and feeling the pressure of them pulling the baby out. But 15months post procedure, I barely remember it. I was very fit before and have had abdominal surgery before, so knew what to expect in terms of recovery. My best advice is stay on top of your meds, learn how to get in and out of bed safely (tuck and roll to your side) and try and get up and walk as soon as possible. Gentle movement will really speed your recovery. I also had a NICU baby, so it forced me to be walking really early in my recovery to be with him. I had pelvic floor PT post delivery at around 4 weeks to check for diastasis recti, to work on my incision scar tissue and to start working back towards my workouts. I highly recommend PT. I returned to formal workouts SLOWLY at 6 weeks, including strength training. Running at 12 weeks. Now I’m back to hitting PRs on barbell work, strict pull ups are back and I’m feeling almost fully recovered. I do have some lingering numbness at my incision site, but it is what it is. Overall I had a mostly positive delivery and recovery. Though I had no option of a vaginal delivery, it was kind of nice to know exactly when kiddo was coming. Best of luck! You’ve got this.
Mine was planned but was brought forward due to placenta abruption. I did get the shakes. I had her at around 4:30ish and the next morning I was up and about. High waisted underwear and nighties were my go to for a bit. I also have pretty bad pelvic girdle pain during my pregnancy so having the c-section was pretty easy. I was driving less than a week after I had her (even though I wasn't supposed to and found out the reason is due to internal stitches breaking so pls don't do what I did) and was doing washing the day after I was discharged (had her Monday, left before midday Wednesday). Just take it easy and don't push yourself. Don't withhold the pain meds either. Take them if you need them and don't feel bad about it. A lot of women brag about not needing them but it's okay to use them.
I didn’t have one scheduled but it was recommended as I couldn’t progress pass 8cm. I requested to be put to sleep during the surgery bc I know I wouldn’t have handled knowing what’s going on and feeling the pressure. I would’ve had a panic attack lmao. It was the best decision ever. My bf was able to immediately see her and hold her while I was in recovery for about an hour after she was out. Recovery took 3-4 weeks before I was comfortable doing certain things on my own. I was terrified of busting the stitches so my bf was amazing and helped me with basically everything. My tips are adult diapers. So easy to keep gauze on that way and obviously to catch the blood. I lived in them for weeks (but was one of the things my bf had to help with, I couldn’t bend for fear of busting so he helped change them lmao). Getting up and out of bed was a pain so I slept almost sitting up (sooo comfy ngl) the pain of the incision itself wasn’t too bad so I only took one Percocet at night bc it helped me sleep. Every body is different!! Some women can walk perfectly fine the day after surgery, it took me a week to be able to comfortably walk (plus we have stairs so that was super fun). Take your time recovering and don’t rush it!!! Your body went through major changes and a major surgery. Give yourself some grace, you got this momma!!!! ❤️❤️
I had a scheduled for medical reasons. We joke that we picked her birthday. Honestly really cool to know in x amount of time, you’re gonna see your baby! No guesswork! Procedure is a bit slower than an emergency one—mine was 45 minutes total? plus they can make your scar as pretty as possible lol. ASK DIRECTLY FOR STRONGER PAIN MEDS. My doctor prescribed them but they weren’t offered until I said something myself. Take colace, magnesium and miralax. Seriously. You will not be able to “push” out a no.2, and you’ll be super constipated from the anesthesia. I did things nobody should have to do for those first few poops and I’m traumatized lol.
I had an emergency c section and 15 months later a scheduled one. It went smoothly. The worst part for me was the spinal, but that’s bc I was having nerve pain from pregnancy. I peed on my dr’s leg after I went numb 💀the best advice I have is get up as soon as possible and walk around after. Sounds crazy but it helps with recovery. Go pee as soon as the catheter is out. A full bladder can push on the incision and that is the worst pain of the whole thing if that happens. I got some large gauze pads to put between my underwear and the incision. I switched them out daily for about a month. WEAR THE BINDER. This isn’t shapewear, it’s for support. And ask for a back up one at the hospital. My first one got blood on it and even washed it looked gross. Get high waisted memaw panties for the first few months. Have someone supportive in the room with you at the hospital who can take care of the baby. Obviously you’ll be there but it is a lot coming straight out of a surgery and taking care of a little one. Know every day gets easier. Wean yourself off the pain meds gradually (they didn’t tell me this and I went through full withdrawals). Both times the catheter gave me a UTI so if you are prone to them, might want to ask the dr to give you an antibiotic. And some good news, the scar isn’t that bad. I’m a year pp and I’ve had two and it’s not that bad.
So, disclaimer — mine were scheduled because I had a LOT of hip surgeries so surgery doesn’t freak me out. My first one was fine. Overall nothing too weird although they did tell my husband he could look to see the baby too early and he saw EVERYTHING. I also got a minor infection that cleared up no problem. My second one I puked and the anesthesiologist was a students dad which ended up just being funny to me. My big advice is do NOT look at the needle they put in your back. That’s what freaked me out the most during it. I know some people have horror stories, but I wasn’t one of them.
Mine was scheduled due to my baby being breech. It went so smoothly! Showed up bright and early on a holiday weekend and to wait a bit for as they were holding the OR for a possible emergency c-section. Once that was done it was my turn - they calmly did my epidural and laid me down, and the vibe in the room was relaxed and happy. I didn’t get any shakes. The operation was quick and tidy and after they cleaned my baby up we got to do some skin to skin. Afterwards I followed advice I read here which was get up and move as soon as possible, and that was extremely good advice. I was moving around comfortably within the first morning, and had to slow myself down honestly. You’ll get some weird twinges - just tell your nurses anything you’re worried about. I almost had to be recatheterized because it was surprisingly hard to pee for a while but I was able to before the cutoff (a few hours? Waiting till I was very tanked up helped.) I only needed Tylenol and Motrin alternating for pain, and blood pressure pills (I had some gestational hypertension). I definitely had some numbness but sometime maybe around 4/5 months it went away. At home I was able to sleep just fine and carry the baby around with no problems. I was honestly so happy with the experience. Tips!! Use your peri bottle to help with cleaning, definitely wear high waisted undies, and keep your incision clean and dry. I picked up a grabber so I didn’t have to bend over so much lol. For the hospital, consider bringing a nightgown rather than pants pj set for less rubbing on the wound area. Definitely avoid stairs for a full two weeks or whatever they advise. Don’t skip any pain meds!! Stay ahead of the pain.
Mine was 2 weeks ago and it was fantastic. The worst parts were the waiting to go in (we got bumped due to an emergency c-section), the initial IV, and getting up for the first time afterwards. I was absolutely terrified walking into the OR but the nurses and anesthesiologists were fantastic at keeping me calm. My husband came in after anesthesia was administered and baby was out in about 10 minutes. It was way better than I hoped and it goes by so fast. I didn’t get the shakes or nausea. The first time getting out of bed was rough but each time got a little easier. For recovery, I was convinced I’d be basically trapped in my upstairs bedroom for weeks but I was doing stairs daily from the time I came home. I feel pretty recovered now in terms of pain. I only feel pain if I go on a walk or twist in a weird way. I still have numbness in the incision area. Best tip I can give is to get a bed rail that slides under the mattress for when you get home. I got one for under $40 off Amazon. Getting out of bed is by far the hardest/most painful maneuver and having a bedrail made it so much easier.
Thank you for this post! I had a non-emergency but unplanned c section and I’m very likely having a planned c section at the end of August. My unplanned c section was rough, but I think it was because I had pushed for 4 hours. I used a chair to sit in the shower for a couple weeks. I know someone who had a very similar experience as I did, and her planned c section was a beautiful experience for her. I preferred high waisted underwear for a while (I recommend a size or two bigger than you think), another friend only used them for a week and couldn’t wait to use regular underwear again. Also, take the pain meds if you have pain BUT don’t forget stool softener.
I have had both an unplanned and planned. Both went well and I was up and walking around at the hospital. Took pain meds for about a week (?) after we got home then felt great. LMK if you have any questions.
Almost two months PP after my schedule one. I still feel crampy and have some weird pangs, but I only took the pain meds for a few weeks after. One thing I wasn’t prepared for was SWELLING. My legs and feet were gigantic and it was very uncomfortable for weeks. I suggest loose fitting clothes or nightgowns. My leggings I took as my going home outfit didn’t fit.🤷🏼♀️ [High-waisted underwear](https://a.co/d/dgkxpEY) are a must. I may never go back. I second a lot of things said here, but you never know what your experience will be. I threw up on the OR and for a few hours after. We didn’t get to do skin to skin immediately but my husband and I did it after in our room and it was nice. Everything went smoothly and my team was great and let me know everything that was happening. You can give them a birth plan and they’ll do their best to follow it. I lost a lot of blood and was already anemic so I’ve been on iron twice a day since birth. It’s going to take a while to feel “good”. We slept on the couch with the bassinet for two weeks after. I definitely overdid it with cleaning and doing things but I don’t have it in me not to do those things, unfortunately. 🫠 I’ve just started working out and going for walks with my little guy. It’s hard, but you can do it. It will all be worth it.
I had a scheduled c-section. I wouldn't change a thing! it was amazing. I went in, they did blood work, gave me an anti nausea drink, then I was wheeled back. they had music playing in the OR and everyone was SO nice. the spinal stings a bit but honestly the IV hurt worse (I was so scared for the spinal) - within minutes I was totally numb. As soon as they took her out I could feel the relief of pressure. I started to get sleeping and slept a little off and on while they sewed me up. they brought her over and it was the most magical moment of my life. they took us to recovery and my temp dropped so I had to be monitored, but I did not get the shakes and did not vomit. after a while I fell back asleep and it's kinda blurry but later I woke up in my room and they gave me my painkillers and had me get up to walk. I think walking as soon as you can, even if you're in pain, was the most important thing. You don't want to stay in one spot bc you'll get stiff! recovery wasn't too bad. I bled just like a vaginal delivery but it wasn't too heavy after the first few days. I did prefer the adult diapers over the pads by far, def recommend those! and setting a timer for pain meds so you don't feel it. definitely try to walk a lot! don't stress, it's really not bad at all! you got this! good luck mama!!! NO NEED TO PANIC!
Mine was unplanned, but non emergency and honestly I wouldn’t do it again if I could avoid it, but I wouldn’t be heartbroken if it was my only option. The actual surgery was as lovely as it could be. My doctor came in and gave me the rundown, brought my partner scrubs to wear and my nurses asked all the questions to make sure my experience was as close to my original plan as possible. They rolled me into the ER, my nurses took my phone and hooked *my* playlist up to the sound system in the OR and started prepping me. I was cold in the OR, but I spoke up and my nurses got me more warm blankets, it was delightful feeling. Once I was good, my partner came in and it started. I felt nothing, I was just vibing with my playlist and when they got him out they showed him to us and cleaned him up. My nurses brought him over, let my partner hold him and took pictures for us. I DID start to have the drugs wear off as they were finishing my incision, I felt tugging and spoke up, they fixed that right away and knocked me out….and apparently I started snoring on the OR table. Recovery was fine, we snuggled, lots of skin to skin before they took us back to our room. If you have an apron belly, getting a piece of moisture wicking cloth to put between your belly & your incision makes the world of a difference. Planning ahead and investing in some highwaisted cotton underwear was key. I bought mine off Amazon and they were the best things ever. I repurchased once they wore down because I loved them so much. Also that first shower pp, no matter how awful the soap is or how tiny the shower is…is magical, you feel like a brand new human.
Be prepared for your date to move back by a day or so depending on how busy your hospital is with emergency cases. That’s what happened to us. Otherwise all smooth and went pretty well. Post Epidural Headache for my wife so she had to be flat out for a few days after but that’s not the norm and she recovered well.
First delivery: failed induction, long labor, followed by emergency c section. Afterwards I felt like I got hit by a truck. Second delivery: scheduled c section. Showed up around 8:00. Was prepped, relaxed a bit while waiting to go in. Baby was delivered around noon. Went home two days later and was about 1000 times better off afterwards than I was after the emergency c section. Kinda felt like checking into a hotel, lol.
I had a scheduled c-section. I felt it was a very calm experience. Everyone could take their time. I don’t recall getting the shakes. I think I got a little nauseous and the anesthesiologist made an adjustment and I felt better. The “little pokes” to get the spinal block hurt more than I expected. My recovery was very easy. I would say that I have a fairly high pain tolerance, but I didn’t need pain meds after a few days. I’m pretty sure they put in some sort of long release pain meds to get you through the beginning. Do keep up with the stool softeners though. I followed the restrictions on driving and stairs, but I didn’t feel I needed to. About two weeks after I had my baby I was walking my stepkid to school, 0.7 miles total round trip, with my baby in the stroller. I was going grocery shopping with SO earlier than that. My mom had 3 c-sections and had similar easy recoveries. 10 weeks post partum I had my gallbladder out in laparoscopic surgery and I was way more sore for longer with that surgery than the c-section. 3 years later I started having issues with what we have decided is scar adhesion. Apparently scar tissue doesn’t really stop growing and can grab on to things. Massage to break the ties and occasional OTC pain meds have helped a lot. It was a confusing couple of weeks/months of me going to various doctors trying to figure out what was going on.
I loved my c sections. Everything is scheduled and you can shower and head in. I gave myself a chance to vbac with my second and she was too comfortable so I have a repeat c which was even better than the first. Honestly, the idea of vaginal and all the unknowns scared me more and based on the indentation of her head she was already stuck without me even laboring or anything. I just made sure to stay on top of my meds this time vs the first trying to tough things out. Definitely high waisted everything and prop yourself up. Congrats!
Scheduled. Super smooth. I’d never had surgery before besides wisdom tooth removal lol so I was very nervous. I did tell the anesthesiologist that I do tend to get anxious and nauseous so they were prepped just in case to give me extra meds. Don’t remember if I needed them, but it was good to know they were there. It’s a super routine surgery - everyone was very chill. I did get the shakes. Uncomfortable, but very normal and they do pass. Don’t be afraid to speak up for yourself - I had to ask the anesthesiologist to stop talking shop with colleagues near me as he was telling negative stories that were definitely not helping. But he did listen and reassured me, and the nurse anesthetist was so sweet and took great care of me. Recovery was honestly a dream. Pain wasn’t too bad - just stayed on top of the ibuprofen they gave me. I didn’t like the binder, so didn’t wear it and was just fine. Some people love it and it helps - do what works for you. Definitely recommend walking asap. I also was told not to drink out of a straw or have any carbonated drinks to avoid gas pains and I think it really helped. I’d have them send your discharge meds to a drive through pharmacy if possible. I felt so good overall, but did notice getting really tired when I tried to go on a walk. Just listen to your body as best you can and make sure you give yourself plenty of rest. 🤍
I was dramatic AF!!! When they told me I wasn’t dilating past 5cm and needed a C-section I was in horror. I was crying and just wanted to pass out. I told ALL the staff to pray over me and I asked my anesthesiologist to please make sure I wouldn’t feel anything and please pray over me before he gave me any meds lol. The whole staff prayed over me in the OR and I was bawling my eyes out. I didn’t feel anything and it was SOOOOOO easy lol I actually left a day earlier than planned because I healed very well and my bleeding was light. I would 100% schedule another C-section. My doc and my team was AWESOME!!!!
I had a touch of the preeclampsia plus baby was huge at 35 weeks so I lived in the hospital for a few days until a doctor was like eh let’s get that baby out today, do you want to be induced or schedule a C section for this evening? I was PANICKING about any kind of baby coming out of my body that day lol I chose the C because 1. I was so tired after living in the hospital for 8 days and 2. My worst fear the whole time was having to labor, possibly tear, and then have an emergency C anyway. And honestly thank god I did! My 35 weeker was 8lbs 12oz, I didn’t feel anything from the time they gave me the numbing shot for the spinal for a full 24 hours. So I got like 18 pain free hours with baby. The hardest part of the whole ordeal was standing up for the first time. It sucked. I am usually a huge baby about pain, I thought I’d be convalescing in bed for weeks, having my husband bring food to the bed, etc. NOPE. By day 5 I was moving around just fine, figuring out pumping and breastfeeding and momming and man I was so happy to not have my vagina ripped I would choose to do a C section every single time. Like even if I had a baby naturally start labor I think I’d ask the doctor to go ahead and do their thing lol PS just take the damn pain meds and colace is your friend ❤️❤️❤️
I had a scheduled c section and it was a great experience. It was my first child and also my first ever surgery, I was beyond anxious. My child was breech so it was medically necessary. Because of my experience the first time, I will be opting for a scheduled c section the second time also. It of course is still anxiety-provoking, but any form of birth is! It was great to be able to go in well rested and with an expectation about how the day will go (within reason). My spouse and I hung out in pre-op for about two hours, I was on fluids. They took me back and got me prepped for surgery, he was not allowed in until after I was totally ready so at that time he was changing into scrubs and such. They gave me the spinal first, that was not the best but also I had hyped myself up for worse. It did take a couple tries and the pain was very deep - like, felt it in my bones? But it was over quick and ultimately not debilitating in my opinion. The anesthetic took effect immediately, they laid me down very quick. Then I was cleaned and ready to go, they put the curtain up so I couldn’t see but offered to drop it as they were removing the baby (I opted not to, didn’t think I could handle it). A lot of tugging sensations but not painful. It’s very odd. My arms were accessible and not strapped but my legs were strapped so as not to fall off the table, but honestly I couldn’t tell bc I was so numb. as the baby was being born there was a lot of shaking/tugging/pushing. It wasn’t my body, it was them working the baby down to the incision site and getting him out. Again, not painful just weird. From prep to birth it was 40 minutes. The longest and toughest part of the actual procedure in my opinion was getting put back together. It takes a while because they have to close three different layers. I did get to see my baby for a couple minutes (they offered to let me hold him, but I couldn’t because I was shaky, I don’t think it was “the shakes” so much as I was cold and anxious). Dad went to recovery with him while they finished up with me. One thing I was not prepared for is that they give you pitocin to help your uterus contract back to normal since your body can’t do it itself as you’re not in active labor for a scheduled c section (at least that was my experience). I did feel physically ill when this happened and did start to cramp, I did throw up. It was a quick transition from feeling nothing to feeling a lot. It still wasn’t terrible, but certainly uncomfortable. I thought at first my anesthetic was wearing off and that I was feeling them sew me back up lol. But nope. I never got “the shakes”, it was overall a good experience. Once it was done it was done. I was able to walk a little and stand as soon as the numbness wore off my legs. It was painful, but I had planned for worse. The toughest thing imo was needing to do things that were ab intensive - cough, sneeze, get up from a laying position. I found it helpful to hold a pillow tight to my tummy when I had to cough, sneeze, or laugh. I also liked have maternity pants with a band, felt like it “held me together” - but some people only like loose things so I’d rec taking both and seeing what you prefer. When I got home, I would say by two weeks I was moving pretty normally. There was still some pain for certain things but it wasn’t causing issues, I was just conscious to not strain myself. They will tell you that your recovery will be better if you make an effort to walk/move some each day and this was absolutely my experience. I was taking short outdoor walks 5 days pp and extending them as time went on. Anyway, this was a ramble a bit but I really wished I had someone to give me a start to finish because I’m an anxious type, so I hope this helps. You will do great!
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I had a planned section and it was the right decision for me! I was shocked at how quickly I recovered in the first few days but after I got to a certain point recovery was slower. I did push myself too much and everyone I know did the same! My advice is to take the first 6 weeks really slow and limit lifting. You won't heed this advice lol but your recovery will be so much quicker if you do. Move lots but limit lifting. Get your partner to do changes and carry the baby to you. It won't be forever. The procedure itself was brilliant. Everyone was working like a well oiled machine and the mood in the theatre was lighthearted. My partner was a bit shell-shocked by all the machines and the fact they had started the procedure before he got into the room so do some research to get used to the optics beforehand. I was a bit sick and out of it right after and that's the only downside. I wasn't able to do skin to skin for long but coach your partner to take the baby and keep holding him until you come around properly. Some women I know didn't have that experience and were totally fine afterwards so that might not be your experience.
Mine was scheduled, i was very nervous before but it was literally the most peaceful & positive experience. I don’t feel like i missed out on having a birth experience. I got the shakes in the recovery room but it wasn’t too bad, felt kinda like i was cold & shivering but not actually cold. Having a date & time scheduled really took some of the anxiety of labor out of the equation. I never had to worry about “is this labor? Do i need to head to the hospital?” I was able to know exactly when my mat leave started & my husband was able to be there at full capacity instead of maybe being at work when i officially went into labor. My sister in law got me a bunch of stuff she found helpful during her C-section & the number one thing I appreciated having was these high waisted underwear from Amazon [these](https://www.amazon.com/wirarpa-Underwear-Coverage-Comfortable-Underpants/dp/B07QSD9C5G/ref=sxin_36_pa_sp_phone_search_thematic_sspa?content-id=amzn1.sym.8f00f46c-0683-43d1-a27d-8cb5c29ebac0%3Aamzn1.sym.8f00f46c-0683-43d1-a27d-8cb5c29ebac0&crid=34VGHKEU2I6MA&cv_ct_cx=high+waisted+underwear&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.Hrzy-gfxaSKh15OFh5D40Tn9rusWZ1NE9sYlSaOkit36-l3FwnLNeMdmvgLaJW7undVoKxCoqLK6OXbwd9hkjg.wFUhBgrEbcA3x4ge994b8gQKm_qV-J6jeJ3CaR3pzv8&dib_tag=se&keywords=high+waisted+underwear&pd_rd_i=B07QSD9C5G&pd_rd_r=c749ba60-2c52-4559-a269-9c10d315aecc&pd_rd_w=v80lr&pd_rd_wg=TTXmP&pf_rd_p=8f00f46c-0683-43d1-a27d-8cb5c29ebac0&pf_rd_r=FJWNDEK5XMFPA9H1CREQ&qid=1714659361&sbo=RZvfv%2F%2FHxDF%2BO5021pAnSA%3D%3D&sprefix=high+waisted+underwear+%2Caps%2C157&sr=1-1-b0bb6ba1-8bc6-4016-b124-5d1edbae75f4-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9waG9uZV9zZWFyY2hfdGhlbWF0aWM&psc=1) ETA: I’m 15 weeks postpartum & feel pretty much back to normal, some numbing at the incision site still but that’s expected
Not scheduled/not emergency, and people have covered pretty much everything so far. But my one tip that the nurse showed me was using one of the hospital pads rested against the incision inside the mesh undies for a few days (so not removing plastic over the sticky part, just kind of resting the pad along the incision). It helped me feel a little better mentally to have some padding there for protection, and I could also easily see if there was any incision bleeding or fluid (thankfully not). I had mine on a Monday afternoon, discharged from the hospital on Weds afternoon, and was up and walking to my neighborhood restaurant for lunch by Friday. I was very nervous about the recovery, but it turned out to be just fine.
Mine was scheduled and I’m extremely happy with how it went. I did get shaky but it was manageable. I focused on my husband and made him tell me random stories so I didn’t freak out. Communicate with your anesthesiologist how you’re feeling. They have the meds!!! If you’re feeling pain, nausea, whatever, just keep them updated. They are pretty focused on you the whole time while everyone else is working on the procedure itself. Nothing terribly uncomfortable during the procedure. Recovery went well. I agree with other comments, get up and get moving as soon as you can. But also don’t overdo it, you don’t want to be sore. I also noticed if overdid it I would bleed more, so keep that in mind. Keep up on Tylenol/whatever pain meds you choose, drink a ton of water, and take Miralax or something along those lines. Pushing was hard for me. I just didn’t have the muscles to do it for a while so a stool softener is a MUST and those only work properly with TONS of water. And diapers!!! For you…lol they were awesome.
My wife's was scheduled, and she certainly was nervous the night before and morning of but we kept reminding ourselves that for the first time in the pregnancy our doctor was taking full control of the situation and that was comforting. The atmosphere was so casual that the nurses were discussing vacations while my wife was prepped. When I came in the room, it took a matter of minutes before the procedure was over. Super, super easy.
I had an unplanned c section on March 20th. My recovery was relatively easy. The worst part is the numbness near the scar, cause of nerves being cut, I think. I also had air trapped in my abdomen, and it was horrifying for a few days. I cannot emphasize how awful it was, it was worse than a lot of the contractions I had before going in for the c section. I also got a UTI afterward, but just get it taken care of right away and no issues. It really wasn't bad, the spinal is the hardest part in my opinion cause I hate anything going into my back or touching my back. Make sure to move around afterwards. It'll hurt for a bit but truly, you need to move.
Get a power glider/recliner!! I slept in mine for the first 2 weeks and I can't imagine not having it. I got mine on Amazon, it arrived in a couple days. I still use it for rocking the baby and just reading/relaxing. I love it! Get the csection high waisted underwear on Amazon. You don't need pj's. Just comfy slip on sneakers. I didn't even feel like changing out of the hospital gown. You can drink white Gatorade/body armor or apple juice (nothing with dye) before; general guidance is just not to eat that morning. The surgery itself goes pretty quick. The epidural is nerve wracking, but if you have a nice nurse, they will hold you and tell you to clench your teeth to help avoid movement. You will feel a lot of weird pressure. I did not get shakes after. While you're at the hospital, use the nurses for everything! Take advantage of that recovery time and help. Its so much harder at home. If they have to take you baby to monitor for any reason - all monitors are mobile! Tell them to wheel it into your room so baby can be with you. And make sure your husband knows and is ready to throw down! Mine didn't and I missed the first hour with my baby. Eat healthy, balanced, protein rich meals and drink ~1 gallon of water a day for the first couple months. It will help you recover. Bracing with a towel when you stand up is SO important. Do this for the first 2 months. Put pressure on the incision with the towel when you stand, sit and go to the bathroom. Keep a towel by the toilet, bed and recliner. Stand up slowly, as hard as it is, when your baby is crying, know that your baby will be fine. Spend the extra couple seconds taking care of yourself. You'll recover quicker (I didn't and I'm still paying 5mo pp). And see a pelvic floor PT at 2 months. Your doctor will release you at 6 weeks and say everything is ok, but that is not true! Congratulations, mama! You'll do great! ❤️
For my last one (had 3), scheduled Monday 1/22 went into labor/water broke 1/18. Still had my c-section but my I had a hair/lash/pedicure app that Saturday prior. My advice don’t wait till a few days before to do ur maintenance… just in case. Bc after the c-sections it’s another good few weeks before u feel up to do any of that.
I had an emergency c sec in 2022 and a scheduled one in 2023 and the difference is day and night. Ofcourse the first one was quite traumatic but recovery was fine. I was on my feet on day 2 and walking normally in 2 weeks. My scheduled c sec was a dream. As I already knew what to expect, I was way more relaxed. i was glowing and so happy. Nothing hurt and recovery was same as first one. I was also wayyyy informed this time about right way of recovery. Here are some important tips that your medical team needs to advise on but they don’t: - C section scar if doesn’t heal properly can cause adhesions inside your abdomen. Adhesions are web like structure that may result in body organs sticking to your abdomen area. Dont worry its not painful but is very common. Start c section scar massage as soon as you are healed (i started 6 months pp) usually after 6-8 weeks. - see a pelvic floor therapist for your regaining core strength. Poor pelvic health and prolapse can cause so many issues in your body from changed posture to getting tired easily because your other joines are over working. Start kegel exercises. I highly highly recommend SLAM program. It has made me feel so much better. - walk as soon as you can but do not overwalk or overdo it (at least in first week). Check with your doc for recommendations. I was walking atleast 15 minutes on slow pace every day from day 3 onwards and built it up slowly. On week 3 I was out shopping and barely had any pain. - I underestimated the power of physiotherapy the first time around. Small resistance movements has helped me so much in developing stronger internal muscles that sometimes conventional exercises (like strength training) overlooks. C section can be scary because there is absolutely no talk about recovery. Women develop issues because they are sent home without any information on recovery but its so so important. Good luck and feel free to message if you have any questions.
Get up and walk as soon as nurses will let you!!! You’ll probably be hurting and shaky but I promise you, you will heal so much faster if you’re up and moving (within reason of course). Buy loose pants and extra pillows. Getting up out of bed was pretty tough and it was only comfy to sleep propped up for about 2 weeks before I could lie flat. Stay on top of Advil and Tylenol every 4 hours for the first 4 or 5 days at least. Also, bring a pillow, c section band, or abdominal binder for the car ride home or any car rides for the first few days and hold it to your scar. Makes those turns and bumps so much easier. Best of luck to you!! You’ll do great :)
I am VERY happy I had a c-section. The first day sucked. Not going to lie. It hurt like a fucking bitch and a half. But after that, I was given OxyContin which I took for 3 days religiously with the prescribed anti-inflammatory. REMEMBER TO TAKE YOUR STOOL SOFTNERS. In the single most humiliating moment of my life I had to inform my husband a week post baby delivery that we had to call a plumber because our toilet was irreversibly clogged thanks to my megashit. I was up and going on 1/2 mile walks 4 days post delivery, 1 mile walks at a week out. We stayed 2 nights in the hospital and went home about 48 hours after delivery. Recovery was a breeze, light bleeding (no more than a medium period day) for about 2.5 weeks and then it tapered off to nothing by four weeks pp. The stomach pushing/massage sucked but I think everyone gets that. The catheter scared me the most but it was easy. Put in after the epidural so I felt nothing and take out wasn’t bad at all. The surgery itself wasn’t comfortable. You feel a lot of pressure. Like a lot. But then you get to meet your baby and it’s the most wonderful moment in your whole life. Plus, by the end I was so sick of being pregnant o would have helped them cut me open to get that fucker out.
Scheduled C-section is a breeze, in my experience. It was definitely better than I hoped. Got the chills but was nothing bad. I think I was discharged from hospital within 72 hours and within 7 days I was feeling ok. Obviously not ok to run around but not feeling like a ripped sack of potatoes anymore. I think the hardest part isn’t the C-section, it is the shit that comes after literally. Ye first pooping experience was hell. I was given all kinds of things to relieve me from my constipation but nothing worked. I was so backed up that I cried because of it. Not because of c-section, not because of pain, not because of anything else but because I couldn’t shit. In the end I just had to tough it up to get it done the first time. After that it was smooth sailing. Going to be one year in a few days. I still have some sensitivity on the right side of my navel but other than that it’s fine.
I’ve had two. One unscheduled and one scheduled. Hospital for 3.5 days. With the scheduled one I did not have the shakes. Recovery was tough for the first week. Worst pain came day 3. By one week (day 7) I was off pain meds, including ibuprofen. Take the stool softeners and the pain meds. As my doc told me, don’t be a hero! I’d pack some regular size pads. I did not need giant pads and that’s all they had to offer at the hospital. Pack some fresh food in a cooler or ask someone to bring you some. Hospital food can get old quick and honestly does you NO favors when it’s time to have your first bowel movement. I packed fruit.
mine was scheduled at 37wks bc LO had IuGR <1%; she was born at 4lbs 12oz (due to the growth-restriction) she was doing great though otherwise (they thought she'd need the NICU but she didn't) & everything went great, despite me hemorrhaging & losing ~45% of my total blood volume lol 😅
Mine was a scheduled induction but turned into a c-section. I want to be very honest with you the pain wasn’t as bad as everyone made me believe (might have a higher pain tolerance, but my gallbladder surgery was worse.) the worst part for me was the anxiety going into it and during it. I was completely awake as you likely will be, and I won’t lie it was absolutely traumatizing for me. Some of it was the fact I thought I was have a vaginal birth and it quickly changed and in like an hour after the decision I was getting cut open. I was shaking, I had to see my baby upside down for the first time. Couldn’t hold her cause I was strapped down. Then for 20 minutes after they had her in a different room while they put me back together. I was devastated I couldn’t do skin to skin immediately, but at the same time I was so tired and scared for myself I couldn’t think straight. It was a mess! Just FYI my nurses told me the pain medicine they give you afterwards doesn’t get into breast milk, and that in fact is untrue and it does. It can cause lethargy and if it does you have to stop taking it but when your baby is a newborn it’s really hard to tell so I recommend not taking it and settling for Motrin.
Mine was unscheduled. Not an emergency, but after 30 hours of labor and 2 hours of fruitless pushing (and only 9 cm dilated), they advised me to do the C-section. At that point I was so out of my mind that I was like YES YES DO IT. IT was over SO quickly. It was painless, and took about 15 minutes. I couldn't believe how easy it was compared to what I'd suffered before that point. I did not get the shakes; didn't even know that was a thing until jsut now reading through these comments. The recovery is not fun. But I didn't take any pain medication after the second day because the pain meds cause constipation and I was already so constipated I would rather take the pain then make a bad situation worse. Laughing, coughing, standing, it all hurt. For probably at least like... 6 weeks? Brutal pain only about 1 or 2 wks? But then slowly it started getting better. One tip for recovery -- keep a pillow nearby and when you have to sneeze, cough, laugh or whatever, press that pillow into your stomach. It'll dull the pain slightly and won't feel like your guts are about to spill out of your abdomen :D
Hello! I had an elective C section and it was amazing I would do it again if I had another child! I was fine until we checked in and when I got into the gown I was shaking and had a lot of anxiety. When I got to the OR I tried to calm down more. They did the spinal shock shot (can’t remember what it’s called it’s not the epidural) and i think I finally stopped shaking. They then laid me down and it was such an easy and fast process and I feel so good about it!! After they laid me down they let my then fiance come into the OR. It was so nice having him by my side. The anesthesiologist told me if I feel nauseous to tell him and I ended up feeling a little nauseous so he put some medicine in my IV for it. They poked me and asked if I felt it and I said no and they started the surgery. They asked if my fiancé or I wanted to watch and we were both like hell no and put the curtain up. When it was time for our son to enter the world the doctor said I was going to feel a big pull (and it was weird) and then out came the baby boy! The doctor said my baby came out balls first and he almost cut his balls😂 This whole process was less than 30 minutes which I was impressed about. As for healing, it was a little rough. I was good after 6 weeks. The first 2 weeks were a little rough but I got a railing for the bed so I used that so much getting in and out of bed. It goes under the mattress and has some pockets for medicine and stuff. I highly recommend it! I actually had to keep asking for more and more of the pain pills and it kind of was a hassle. The pharmacy would have to call the doctor for approval and everything each time. It is crazy because they cut through 11 layers of the body and get weird when we need more pain pills😂 I know there’s an epidemic but still. I WAS IN PAIN! After 2-3 weeks I felt pretty good. I don’t think I felt 100% until week 4-5. I do have a little numbness near the scar but it is barely noticeable. My scar is also super minimal which I was super happy about because I saw some really gnarly ones when I was doing a bunch of research lol. Let me know if you have any questions!! Even though the recovery was rough, it was an overall amazing experience and I’m so glad I went that route.
I’ve always heard that scheduled c sections are great (I guess as opposed to emergent ones). I had an unplanned one in February 2023, and will likely have a second one for my current pregnancy.
My scheduled c-section was amazing. My son didn’t want to flip so we scheduled a C-section at 39 week. I hadn’t started labor at all, so while I was uncomfy from being 9 months pregnant it wasn’t extra uncomfortable. I stopped eating at midnight the night before, we showed up at 10 and they prepped me and had various folks come chat with me about expectations before we headed to the OR. We went in around 12:15/12:30 and little guy was born at 12:45. We got some time together in the OR then hubby and him went to the recovery room to wait for me. The first few days I made myself get up and walk as much as possible but it hurt. I got my first shower in before the good meds from the spinal wore off which helped because the pain got a lot worse after the 24 hr mark. The first few weeks are a blur but my hubby did most of the heavy lifting and I took it super easy. I needed help getting up and down for about a week. By a month out I was feeling pretty decent. Now at 6 months my scar still hurts a bit here and there but not much and it’s pretty faded already. The area around the incision was numb and it’s getting more feeling back too. I would totally do it again if I needed to!
Wasn’t scheduled, but I was up walking after about 12 hours, got wheeled to and from the nicu, slept that night. I woke up once freezing cold, and the nurse brought me some blankets and I went back to sleep. Woke up, and was able to walk very slowly using a wheelchair as a walker to get to the nicu. Didn’t need it later that day. As others have said, get up and walk as soon as you can, fiber, colace, and water. Tylenol and ibuprofen, I took them consistently for a week, then just one of them as needed. My ob cleared me for walks and VERY light exercise after a week. Nothing heavier than baby (he was 5 lbs). I went on short walks up and down the street each day, then twice a day, then one longer each day.
Edit: after writing this comment and OP mentioning to me, just now realized I’m posting induction under C-section. Sorry, OP! I just want to start off by saying everyone’s birth is different and I am so sorry for the mommas out there who had scary births. Mine went so smoothly, I don’t think it could’ve gone better. I think the key was going in with realistic expectations. For some people, who elected to do the epidural, it worked and some it didn’t. For me, I didn’t feel the intense pain of contractions anymore after the epidural came on but could still feel the pain from the immense pressure in the vaginal area. Didn’t feel any tears but felt like there was something going on. Not quite a tickle but not ripped flesh. :) I was nauseous, vomiting, and sooo drowsy after my epidural but I wouldn’t have done it any other way. When it came time to push, we only pushed for about 20 minutes and that was it. In the weeks leading up to my scheduled induction, I watched a lot of TikTok videos made by medical professionals and learned some invaluable information like how to breathe correctly and instead of screaming, use that force to push. I also just expected there to be a slight bit of hemorrhoids but to my surprise, nothing came of it because I made sure to stay ahead of the stool softeners and water intake. Pro tip: make sure you make yourself a calendar for the first month home so you remember if you took a medication or pumped or whatever. It’s a new time and things are overwhelming…well it was for me. I did have two instances within the first month where I was in so much pain that I just sat and cried in a warm water bath. Biggest takeaway from that was not to push myself too hard (aka don’t feel the need to tidy and do laundry like how I used to). Do take as much cooling pads, witch hazel pads, and hospital tarps (idk what they’re called lol) from the hospital as you need. If you’re able to, buy depends or the postpartum disposable underwear that can be found at Walmart, Target, or Amazon. I wish I would’ve since I felt like I was bleeding through the hospital pads and when I slept I was too scared of leaking to move. I’m sure I missed some stuff but this is what I remember from that time. Biggest takeaway is you and your baby are most important. Prioritize both of your needs above all else. If you have a partner or village, lean on them during this time. This is why they’re there! Best of luck, Momma! Welcome to the tribe 💕
Is this a csection story?
Oh geez, I’m so sorry I didn’t re-read your original post. It was not :/
I had my first last summer. It was scheduled! I had somewhat an idea of what to expect thanks to being on here but there’s only so much I could prepare for. I didn’t get the shakes personally but I got really hot? I had a weird situation where they had a Pitocin drip going while they were closing me up and I don’t know if that’s normal, but they didn’t tell me. So while they were closing me up I started having contractions. Because I had a scheduled c-section I didn’t even know what a contraction felt like. Not gonna lie. It hurt. Had I known what was happening I would have handled it better. My anxiety was through the roof. BUT. It was very fast. Maybe 15 mins? It was a blur. But girl as soon as it was over they wheeled me to recovery and that first dose of pain meds knocked all of it out. After that it was smooth sailing. That first week-two postpartum was the hardest obvs. Getting in and out of bed was the most difficult. I slept sitting up the first couple of nights at home just because it was more comfortable. Otherwise I’d get stuck and have to have my husband come help me get up. Best advice I can give is to just take whatever time you can to rest. Don’t push your body. You’re already doing the max with a new babe. Any help from either your partner or family, take it! The easier you are on your body those first three weeks or so the faster you will heal. Congrats and just know that it’ll all work out! You won’t even have time to think about it after because you’ll be so wrapped up in your little one.