Recovery after PLANNED C-section

[Gladys_Friday]

What have your experiences been like of planned c-sections? I know recovery is supposed to last 6 weeks but I keep hearing different experiences. I have a few questions:

Was the father allowed to be present during the surgery to see the baby born?

How soon after could you hold your baby?

How soon did you leave hospital?

How long before you were able to be up and about pushing a pram and going for a walk?

How long before you could pick your baby out of the cot and carry it?

How painful was your recovery and how long until you felt recovered?

Any other info you think might be useful would be great.

Thank you

[Bella_Bee]

I'm in the same boat as you so I'd be really interested in the replies..

[Cinderella5]

I had a planned section for twins but it was last April, unsure if covid guidance has changed again since then but her the answers to your questions. My husband was allowed in to the birth. I got to hold my boys as soon as they took them out, weighed them and wrapped them up, so still on the table. Mine got a bit complicated so the other answers may be different. I was made to get up the next morning and shower but was lying flat after surgery. I stayed in hospital for 5 days (longer than normal) as the babies lost weight. My recovery was actually pretty good after that even with a few complications. I was able to go out walking with the pram pretty soon after and pick the babies up etc. I was still a bit sore but ok. Take flip flops for the shower in hospital, big pants that go over your scar, snacks/drinks as sometimes the food is rubbish, I found sleeping in a light dressing gown with my underwear easier than PJs or nightie for breast feeding (that may not apply depending on how you chose to feed obviously) as didnt have to take tops off etc but I had twins. Dummy can be handy. Comfy clothes for coming home. Think that's about it. Good luck.xx

[Jonesy84]

Hi lovely,

Yes my husband was allowed in during the surgery.

I was given a choice of either baby lay straight on me and then taken away to be cleaned weighed etc or cleaned up first and then lay on me. In term of actually holding the baby it was as soon as I was back on the ward.

I left the day after- a lot of people were surprised when I said that but I didn’t have pain as such i just had to be careful when walking, in hindsight I would have stayed a bit longer now as i could have more support before I left with the breast feeding but at the time I bought it would be best to just get home.

I wasn’t allowed out of the bed for around 7-8 hours as I would have still been numb and I had things wrapped around my legs I am guessing to prevent blood clots. When the time was right for me to move the nurse came and spoke to me and said i could go for a shower. My husband was allowed to stay till I had my shower and he was allowed to take me.

In terms of moving like I say I wasn’t in pain as such I was surprised as I know the lady in the across from was the opposite so it really can vary how you feel after the section. I kept moving steadily and slowly but I felt moving was good for me as long as I could.

I’ll be honest I found it hard the first few weeks. My scar thankfully healed well but trapped wind was no joke!!!! They gave us peppermint tea so I am guessing that’s why so maybe buy some for home just in case.

In terms of mood some days I would feel fine and some days I would feel emotional but that’s normal!

My feet were very swollen post pregnancy and did take a while to go down. I was so excited to see my ankle bones again 😂

If you choose to breast feed make sure you get as much support as you can. I found it really hard and baby was constantly hungry.

In terms of things to bring Cinderella pretty much covered it. Dummy come in handy for me as baby really wanted to show off his lungs😂 the midwifes did swaddle him in blankets and that helped but if you have one already then I would bring it.

Big sanitary towels and big knickers that come over your tummy so they won’t be pressing on the wound area.

Wishing you all the best and it’s just the best feeling meeting your baby so enjoy every minute of it xxx

[Sallymoore]

I had an emergency section Dec 20. Honestly I didn’t find recovery to bad but everyone is different. I was up and walking after about 10 hours in the hospital. A tip would be to try and walk a little more each day it really helped with my recovery.

My husband had to go back to work after 4 days so I had no option to do everything for baby but in all honesty I didn’t find it too painful anyway.

I was out walking with the pram after a week.

With the birth husband was there through the birth and you get to hold baby pretty quickly after birth.

Hope this helps

[Poops84]

Planned section Dec 2020 during the winter lockdown, husband with me the whole day. Baby given to me immediately for cuddles and I breast fed him an hour after I’d been stitched back up. Discharged home within 24 hours (2nd baby I may add)

4 days later I was unwrapping Christmas presents with my eldest

8 days later we built a showman

4 weeks later back driving

I cannot claim it was without pain but I felt ‘over it’ physically within a couple of months. They send you home with morphine which I took at night to help with moving to pick baby up for night feeds, otherwise just paracetamol and ibuprofen was enough. I bled for 2 weeks (4 week intermittently) but a planned section in my experience was perfect!

My first, the emergency section, was a different story.

Good luck and congratulations x

[Surprisebaby]

Hi there,

I had an emergency c-section, this was my first time ever surgery, which freaked me out……and I am 30! My husband was allowed in during surgery, they even took my mask off which made me more comfortable.

I was holding the baby after we left the emergency room and tried to feed. I’m exclusively breastfeeding and comparing to the surgery this was my biggest pain and challenge.

I had the c-section at 6 pm and next day by 2 pm I was walking and having a shower. By 7 pm we left the hospital. I won’t lie, I was in huge pain for the first week plus baby blues, but had no choice as I had to take my baby twice to the hospital. It was painful sitting in the car, walking, lying in bed but I guess moving more often makes the healing process quicker. It took me somewhere 6-8 weeks to heal and feel comfortable. My husband did help, but it wasn’t enough, I had to lift my baby from the second day, feed, put back to sleep, etc.

Make sure you prepare yourself with swaddles, formula just in case, dummies ( mine refused taking one),white noise, snacks and try to sleep as much as possible until colics hit!!

[Emma1910]

Hiya, I had a c-section after getting pre-eclampsia last minute in Sept 2021. My husband was allowed in for the whole surgery and I got to hold my little girl after she had a bit of oxygen to help her breathe. Only took a few mins so held her while I was on the table.

I was out of hospital in 24hrs! My scar stung when the anaesthetic wore off, so they gave me oramorph. My husband helped me shower before we left but visiting hours were strict because of covid at that point. The hospital I was in was incredibly busy (and loud ) so I needed follow up after I was discharged to sort out my baby's tongue-tie and help with feeding.

I was really surprised/irritated I was only given paracetamol to take home! I took ibuprofen with it to manage my pain for about 10 days. I needed help for that period to carry her up and down stairs but I held her the whole time.

Top tips: take the stuff for constipation! I thought I was fine so didn't bother and regretted it. Also buy the big c-section pants, so comfy. Brace yourself for sleeping on your back. After months of not being able to do that, I was suddenly desperate to sleep on my side. Took about 3 weeks before I was comfortable enough to do that. Leave space next to your bed to roll over, push yourself up and swing your legs out to get up. Our next-to-me cot couldn't be attached to the bed for the first month to give me space to do this. I was doing short walks from the first day and slowly built up. 6 weeks is just the point you can start to do gentle core exercises. Don't be like me and think you can go back to pre-pregnancy exercise levels straight away! Take it easy and be kind to yourself. I pushed myself too hard and felt frustrated but I'd had major surgery and I needed to give myself a break.

Good luck, so exciting you get to meet your baby soon xx

[XOXO13]

All of these answers are so helpful because I’ve been wondering the same thing and even following my NCT class, I got a little nervous about the process and how I’d be afterwards.

In terms of what to bring, I’ve also read brining snacks is a good idea, and taking arnica as well which you can get from Holland & Barrett. I’ve bought a water bottle with s straw so I can keep hydrated even when feeding (another suggestion someone gave to me). I want to try breastfeeding but mixing in formula too, so going to talk to my midwife about how I manage that! I’ve also bought two packs of black Tena knickers to wear that go over the scar, and some leggings (from Seraphine) that also sit over the scar. I’ve been told that I will want comfort after surgery, so I’ve tried to plan accordingly in terms of nightwear and lounge wear and lingerie for home and hospital as well as all baby things.

My mums also had four c-sections and she’s resssured me they’re not as scary as they sound!

Best of luck to you ♥️ Xxx