C section tips/recommendations?

Looks like I am most likely having a C section this time. I would love to hear any tips from BTDT moms! I'm not looking forward to this but whatever's safest . . .

Re: C section tips/recommendations?

Scheduled C was so much better. I had a crash with my first and was so much better with my second.
First - don't be a hero. You are paying for the anesthesiologist. Use him/her! The moment you feel nauseous let them know and they will help ASAP.
The spinal was nothing. As soon as I got it I was numb then they put in the catheter so you don't feel that. IT was fast too. You'll feel pulling and tugging and then as soon as the baby is out you won't even notice they are "putting you back together."
When you can walk. It will help with any gas pains and you'll definitely feel those. Walk slowly as much as you can and don't lift a lot.

Just take care of yourself as much as possible and you'll feel like yourself quickly. I was fine with Advil by the time I got home and didn't need anything stronger.
Good luck!

ETA - agreed with PP below. Drawstring pants are good and remember you will bleed a lot too. I was fine with the hospital underwear and pads. Was much less at home.
Also, DH stayed the night to help pick up the baby for feeding.

Message edited 4/13/2016 8:51:39 AM.

C section tips/recommendations?

Walk as soon as you can.

Bring lose pants. Yogas bothered me.

If you can, have someone stay with you over night it was very difficult to get out of bed the first night and I hated having to ring and wait for a nurse.

Don't over do it when your home. I actually slept in our guest room (on the main level of our home) I wasn't up for stairs and didn't want to carry baby up and down.

Re: C section tips/recommendations?

i agree, walk right away.

take motrin every 6 hours on the dot (if thats what theyre giving you)

and get a belly band from them!

Re: C section tips/recommendations?

What everyone else said.

Walking is the most important thing, it will hurt like h-e-l-l the first time you do it but keep at it, it really makes everything better.

Don't be a hero, take the pain meds in the hospital. It will make a HUGE difference in how you feel and how you recover.

Get help. My DH stayed home with me for a week post C-section and I'm so glad he did, I REALLY needed him. It was hard to get up and do everything. Plus, the first two days home I was EXHAUSTED because I didn't sleep well in the hospital. It was nice to have him around to do things and take care of the kids while I slept away the first few days.

Don't be tempted to jump right back into things, be gentle with your body. Even if you *think* you feel "back to normal" still be cautious with yourself those first few weeks, it's major abdominal surgery and you need to heal.

Good luck!!

ETA - Just an FYI...........should you need the anti-nausea meds just be aware they might make you VERY drowsy and tired. I needed them with both of my sections and they pretty much knocked me out, I was pretty out of it for hours after my surgery. They worked great but made me VERY tired and sleepy.

Message edited 4/13/2016 9:21:38 AM.

C section tips/recommendations?

Mine was unplanned but not an emergency. It was a lot of pressure and pulling. I had horrendous pains when they were putting everything back. It felt like horrible sharp gas pains and I kept saying it hurt and I felt myself pass out several times. I needed pain meds immediately after. I believe they gave me morphine in recovery. I couldn't hold the baby for at least an hour after she was born. I couldn't walk bc I still had an iv with meds, a catheter, and was still pretty numb from the epidural. That made the gas pains even worse. I thought I was having a heart attack bc the pain traveled up to my shoulder. I kept spiking a fever so I didn't go home til Saturday and baby was born Tuesday. Recovery at home was rough because I couldn't pick up my 18 month old for 6 weeks. I had to sleep on the couch for the first 2 weeks because I couldn't climb into bed. I took the oxycodone every night for about 2 weeks after going home and the 600mg of ibuprofen round the clock.

My tips are to walk walk walk as soon as you can. Order ginger ale and tea and combine the two and drink it slowly to help with the gas. Take the pain meds and colace. Don't try to be a hero. Keep your incision dry. Use maxi pads in your underwear over the scar to help keep it dry. After showers, you can even blow dry it on low to dry it up.

everyone's experience is different! Good luck!

Re: C section tips/recommendations?

my best advice is to take anti nausea meds as soon as you start feeling nauseous and keep asking as long as you do. Get them to give you the max they can.

If this is your second child, be super careful about lifting your older one. I was careful, got a little to comfortable but also kind of had to lift my older son (who is not small) about 4.5/5 weeks out and my incision started opening. It hurt like hell for a couple weeks and set me back big time .

Re: C section tips/recommendations?

Def walk as much and as soon as you can.

The first 24 hours are the WORST and will def get better each day.


I wore maternity yoga pants and they were perfect, you dont want anything low in that area

Re: C section tips/recommendations?

Re: C section tips/recommendations?

As soon as you get feeling back in your legs ask to get up it will make a huge difference in gas pains, etc. i didn't get up quick enough on my 2nd c-section a few weeks ago bc I had visitors & the gas pains the following days were horrible compared to my 1st where I got up within hours & felt no pains in the days following.
Take Motrin every 6 hours or so
Find out if the hospital gives out a belly binder mine didn't I brought the belly bandit & it really helped
Overall a week after I felt completely fine! Good luck

Re: C section tips/recommendations?

Just wanted to add, ask for stool softener.

C section tips/recommendations?

Everyone on here has given great advice. Walk as much as you can as early as you can. The gas pain I had was horrific - I even felt it in my shoulders and this was with me walking fairly quickly after surgery. Ask for gas meds ... make sure to take the pain relievers - I was stubborn about this and then by the time the pain hit I was regretting it. Take your own Colace to the hospital - for whatever reason they are stingy about it and would only give me 1 a day I think.

Re: C section tips/recommendations?

Everyone's advice is great.

Definitely tell anyone you see that you need anti-nausea meds. I'm pretty sure I told a janitor at one point!

Walk as soon as and as much as possible. With my second, my room was on the opposite end of the hallway from the nursery which worked out great because I would walk all the way down every morning to get him and walk all the way down every evening to drop him off.

With that said, if you have the option to keep the baby in the nursery, do it. It is very VERY difficult to get up quickly to take care of a baby after you've had a CS. Again, with that said... send DH home every night to sleep. You will need him well rested when you get home.

Warm apple juice mixed with ginger ale... remember this! It will help with the gas pain. Because they are cutting into your abdomen (sorry!) a lot of air is going to get trapped and the gas pains are horrendous but the apple juice and ginger ale help so much.

Good luck!!!!

C section tips/recommendations?

What everyone else said!

I felt fine 24 hours after the section with just motrin. A little achy, but certainly much better than I did pregnant. Definitely take tons of colace.

C section tips/recommendations?

Thank you all so much, this is very helpful info!

Message edited 4/13/2016 12:17:12 PM.

Re: C section tips/recommendations?

Colace & flip flops.

Re: C section tips/recommendations?

I had a schedule csection and it was a very good experience as far as csections go. I went in at 9am, my surgery started right on time at 11, and my ds was out at 11:48am.

Recovery was more painful than I anticipated, but I walked A LOT and I think it helped me recover faster. My advice is not to overdo it even if you're feeling like you can do it. Remember- you will have just had surgery. Walk a lot, but rest while you can as well. It's easy to forget after a csection and a newborn to care for that you're a post surgical PATIENT at the hospital.

Message edited 4/13/2016 9:48:18 PM.

Re: C section tips/recommendations?

Walk, walk and walk. And in my case percocet, percocet and percocet. Lol my first c was emergency. It really sucked. But i didnt walk. D U M B move on my part

Re: C section tips/recommendations?

Walk walk and walk

And if you feel great,that's ok. Everyone warned me I would feel awful

That first time getting up sucked but after that I walked and walked and by the next day I felt good

I just kept walking. Was I lucky,yea prob but it can happen to anyone

Re: C section tips/recommendations?

I remember them giving me mylicon for my first for the gas pains. Do they still give that?

Re: C section tips/recommendations?

I agree with the others, get up and walk as soon as your are allowed. I am convinced that is why i recovered so amazingly. I did laps on the maternity floor in the hospital pushing the bassinet