Re: BTDT Cesarean's -

Posted by pharmcat2000

Posted by DaniRella

Posted by 2BirdsofaFeather

Save some pads for your first pp period.

Use nightgowns.

Move when you are ready!

Don't fear the catheder

Catheter??! Can you explain please?

Because they numb you from the shoulders down, you have no bladder control, so they give you a catheter. They don't do it til you're already numb from the spinal or epidural, and you never feel it going in. It was wonderful!! I was mad when they took it out and I then had to get up to go to the bathroom!

Re: BTDT Cesarean's -

These are the things I learned :
Take the drugs, walk as soon as you can, use the binder around your belly as soon as you can tolerate it as it helps to shrink you back down. Take stool softener the whole time before and during your hospital stay. My friend warned me of constipation. I never had it. Take all the help you can and food donations. It makes life so much easier. I think it took me 2 week to feel OK but still healing

Re: BTDT Cesarean's -

Posted by Atherley

Posted by pharmcat2000

Posted by DaniRella

Posted by 2BirdsofaFeather

Save some pads for your first pp period.

Use nightgowns.

Move when you are ready!

Don't fear the catheder

Catheter??! Can you explain please?

Because they numb you from the shoulders down, you have no bladder control, so they give you a catheter. They don't do it til you're already numb from the spinal or epidural, and you never feel it going in. It was wonderful!! I was mad when they took it out and I then had to get up to go to the bathroom!

OMG!!!! I thought I was the only one who was upset when they took out the catheter. I was in pain after my C-section and I could not get up so I begged them to leave it in an extra day, so they did and they I asked them to leave it in longer, until I was finally told I would get an infection if they did not take it out.

Re: BTDT Cesarean's -

Message edited 8/25/2013 9:10:01 AM.

Re: BTDT Cesarean's -

What to do and what not to do?
Get up and walk but not just walk. Sit in the chair, walk, sit in your bed, lay down, and walk some more. I found that I was the most uncomfortable after staying in one position for a long time. The nurses told me just to take motrin if I could so you dont get constipated. I only toke percocet twice and motrin was fine the rest of the time.

How was your experience? What's your story?
My experience was fine. I am a nurse so it was very weird being on the other side of the bed. Honestly, I was uncomfortable and in pain at times but I just had major surgery so it was expected. I typed my whole birth story its "Dominick Michael is finally here at 41 weeks". Basically I had a failed induction that led to a csection.

How was the recovery? How long until you felt 'normal'
I was feeling better at 2 weeks. At 3 weeks I went grocery shopping alone. At 5 weeks my dr cleared me. Im 6 weeks now and I feel fine. The only time I am reminded of it is if I laugh or cough. Then I feel that my stomach is different still.

Anything that helped your recovery? Things to avoid or be aware
Walk, take pain medication, and ask for help if you need. You will be fine and you will have a cute little baby so its completely worth it :)

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BTDT Cesarean's -

Yes I kept worrying about the catheder and it was no buggy!

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My c-section recovery was wonderful.. Much better than two of my friends who had vaginal deliveries. I would suggest getting up and walking as soon as you get the green light. That's what I did and it helped immensely. The entire time I only took one pain killer after that I just dealt with the side effects which were more sore than pain IMO.

You will be fine. Good luck

ETA: Ask for the catheter to be put in you AFTER they give you the spinal. The catheter was the worst part for my sister so when I went in I asked for them to put it in after I had the spinal and it was no problem..didn't feel a thing.

Message edited 8/25/2013 8:58:07 PM.

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What to do and what not to do?
i didn't do this but a friend did: ask for an enema at the hospital. after the pain trying to go afterwards, i think i'm going to try this.
definitely stool softener, before & after.

How was your experience? What's your story?
i was 2 weeks late. did not dilate. they tried induing me for 24hours straight & nothing. recovery was tough for me because i did not take the stool softener after, at home. i was in so much pain at one point, i could not speak. took me 2 weeks to feel like i could do normal things.

BTDT Cesarean's -

My C-section was not scheduled. I was 41w1d when they planned to induce me. DS wouldn't descend and I wasn't making much progress on my own. I got to 6cm with cervadil and pitocin and every time I contracted his heartrate would drop so after 24 hours, they did the C-section. Luckily I never labored and was basically on an epidural for the entire time as they anticipated I'd probably need a C-section so I didn't feel contractions at all.

I had a bikini cut. I didn't have a lot of pain and honestly felt as normal as you could within about 2 days. I took some of the pain meds but didn't really need them after day 2. The greatest pain I felt was the tugging of the internal incision and much later, the scar tissue. Even though it is 3+ years later, I still feel a sharp pain when that's pulled the wrong way at times. Getting up out of bed/off the couch was very hard for the first few days/week or so. I used a raised pillow (pillow wedge) to help make this easier. You will need a thick pad (which the hospital provides) for a few days as there will be a lot of bleeding.

My OB said recovery is much much easier when it's scheduled. It's still major surgery though.

The best advice is to walk around as soon as you can!! My friend who is a high risk OB RN suggested this and I did it. The sooner you pass gas the better it is.

Message edited 8/26/2013 12:29:12 PM.

BTDT Cesarean's -

Ginger tea helps break up the gas. St. Charles in Port Jeff makes it not sure where you are having C sectionl, but maybe it's common. Basically it's heated ginger ale with a tea bag in it. Sounds gross I know but it helps a lot. Take the pain meds, they will help 100. Getting up the first time will be horrible. I had my c section at 530 at night, when they moved me into my room for the night, they transferred me from bed to bed. Three nurses moved my entire body and that was horribly painful. The next morning at 530 am they brought my son in, they told me to try to sit in the chair. I sat in that thing for 3 hours. It helped so so much. It was uncomfortable to move to the chair but not like the first movement the night before. Try to use the belly band if you can to help make the incision feel more secure. They probably will give you stool softener and some kind of gas med. Take them, they will help for sure.
My experience in the hospital was wonderful. I did not labor, it wasn't really a planned c section until the day I went to my ob and was told it was happening that night. Everyone heals differently but as long as you do what you feel your body can handle, you will be okay. Good luck !

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Thanks to everyone who wrote their advice and experiences... it is actually a HUGE help and I've literally made a list of things to make sure I do, what not to do, and just things to keep in mind... I really appreciate it. I'm not nervous, I know that whatever happens - discomfort wise and pain wise is temporary, I just figured if I have a little knowledge, it'll go a long way.

Thanks!!!!

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BTW - the "belly band" that has been mentioned here or there... is that something I buy before from a store like Motherhood OR is that something the hospital does or can provide you with??

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Posted by DaniRella

A few ?s based on the posts so far...

This might be a dumb question, but do they give you the epidural in the back, like I've seen on A Baby Story or is it different for a c-section?

I have had surgery twice before and the drugs ALWAYS make me loopy and then sick --- so, I was going to take high doses of Motrin instead. Anyone have experience with this? It's just that anything RX makes me Ralph :(

Message edited 8/27/2013 2:49:37 PM.

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.....

Message edited 1/11/2014 11:00:08 PM.

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Crashing.......

I had 2 c/s. Not nearly as bad as I thought based on what I had heard. Like everyone said, walk ASAP, shower ASAP so you can feel normal. Get a pedicure a few days before so you aren't looking at funky toes while you are laying in the hospital bed. As soon as I got home, I was able to go up and down stairs. Getting up from a laying down position hurt for a few days.


1 thing I wish I had known......

You bleed vaginally after a c/s. I didn't know that and was so shocked.

Re: BTDT Cesarean's -

In your opinion... What to do and what not to do?
Take the pain medication. Motrin didn't help much for me so they gave me Percocet every 4 hours. I was surprised it was safe to take while breast feeding. Also, like mentioned, don't let the pain meds wear off completely because it will be hard to play catch up. Get up and walking as soon as you get the ok. It will suck at first but will also help a great deal.

How was your experience? What's your story?
Mine was unplanned. I went to my 39 week appointment to find out I was 5cm with a newly turned breech baby. (See Birth Story). I cried all the way into the operating room. It just wasn't what I imagined to ever go through. But in the end, I have a healthy DS and that's all that matters. The doctors and nurses were awesome and I look back at the whole thing going Did that really just happen?!

How was the recovery? How long until you felt 'normal'?
2 weeks until I felt really good. The first week was awful especially first 3-5 days. Accept any and all help offered!

Anything that helped your recovery? Things to avoid or be aware of?
Walking and getting up did help. Just don't over do it or try to be super woman. I'm not one to sit and relax so its been hard trying to not do things I normally would.

ANY other advice you wish someone had told you?
It really is a different kind of recovery. But you still bleed like a heavy period. I think my vaginal recovery had much more bleeding. I was on a liquid diet the first 24 hours so that was hard since I love food. The catheter was no biggie but you may have a hard time getting the urge to pee once its removed. I had to pee twice before my I'VE was removed. I was also given stool softeners to help with gas and constipation. I didn't have a BM for 4 days. Also when the nurses had to push on my belly they kept reclining my bed too far too fast.

For me I really just had to go with the flow since everything happened so fast. I did not expect to go to my dr appt and not leave until the baby was born.

DS was born August 14 so I'm still recovering. I asked a bunch of questions on the parenting board recently as we'll re: what to expect the next few weeks/months.