Have You Hard a Scheduled C-section....experiences/advice Wanted

I had a scheduled c-section with my som because he was late, with no progress and he was very large. I have to say it was scary. Anyone who tells you they weren't scared is tougher than anyone I know. I was very nervous and crying a lot before. But considering all the emotions and the fact that you are about to become a mom and have major surgery... I think it's to be expected. Just try to relax, but don't freak out if you are having a hard time. As soon as the baby was out, the anesthesiologist (sp) had to give me a shot of demerol to stop the shaking.

For recovery, I would get up as soon as you can. drink lots of water. Also, limit the number of guests, and maybe don't let anyone come right away. I had requested this, but was ignored and will be more adamant this next time (due dec.). You need rest and to recover from the shock of this big life change, and you can't do that with company around. I plan on delivering early morning and not having company until late afternoon. Also, with the pain pills, it's hard because you don't want to risk being in pain, but they often will make you sick. I took too many pain pills, because I was afraid it would start to hurt. (just want to clarify, I didn't take more than I was offered or was suggested, but for me personally it was too much)

When you get home, you will need help, but not as much as you might think. Make sure the people who come to help aren't people you feel the need to entertain. This was another mistake I made. I had people over to help, but I didn't nap the way I should because I felt slightly obligated to socialize. I stopped having people over for the most part, after a week or so. I did keep having a friend come over, and I thinkt hat was good, simply for the socializing aspect. It kept me from feeling isolated and sad. And since she had just had her own baby six months before, we could share a lot of experiences.

If you have any other specific questions, feel free to ask me. I would love to help in any way possible :-)

Oh, and one more tip, buy a stroller/car seat combo, you can put the baby in the car seat and wheel her around with you. She can sleep in it, and it's easier to get her in and out of it. It will be hard to bend over a lot, and a big no-no to bend over and lift the baby up. You really want to not use your ab muscles. They will be weak to the point that it's a challenge to lower yourself onto the toilet seat :-) But it all passes, and I think all in all it was a lot easier than 24 hours of labor, stitches in the vaginal area, and hemheroids (sp)!!!!

Good luck!!! Let us know how it goes :-)
P.S. Which hospital are you delivering at?

M. P.

I had to schedule my c-section b/c my daughter was big and breech. Things you will want to do to prepare. Drink Aloe juice (one glass a day) for 2 days before the surgery and continuing after. It’s a natural stool softener and you don’t want to get constipated with an abdominal incision. I also went on a diet of easily digestible foods (jello, broth, rice, banana and toast) the day before my surgery to cut down on GI problems. The one thing I didn’t do but wished I had was exfoliate my belly. I know it sounds funny but right now your pores are really stretched out and filling with stuff. Then they’re going to be painted with surgical prep that won’t be fully washed off until after you get home. After the surgery your skin starts to shrink back and it can cause lots of breakouts. I looked like I had acne on my shriveled stomach for several weeks and it itched really bad.

Take lots of CDs and DVDs and your baby book. You’ll want the distractions during that long hospital stay. Oh and go get a pedicure. You haven’t seen your feet in a while; you don’t want to know what’s become of them. Just make sure the girl doesn’t massage your ankles (it can cause contractions.)

Good luck and congratulations.

PS
one thing I forgot to add. Don't make any phone calls the day of the delivery, leave that to your husband. I called I don't know how many people while on morphine. I don't really remember the conversations but I was apparently very funny.

Hi J.,
Congratulations!! I had a scheduled c-section with my second child (she is 9 months old now) due to the 4th degree tears I experienced with my first child. He weighed 9 lbs 9 oz. Yeah...ouch! The nice thing about the c-sction was it was completely planned so there weren't any last minute surprises. I went in at about 6:00 on a Thursday morning for the surgery at 7:30. Make sure you don't eat but, take some snacks for your hubby. You don't want him to get low blood sugar or anything & faint in the OR :) Try to get plenty of sleep the night before because even though you won't be enduring labor, it will wipe you out. I'm not sure how your hospital works but I will tell you the procedure at mine. They immediately started an IV & pumped a whole bag of fluid in me within 10-15 minutes. They want you well hydrated. Then the nurses came in to "prep" me. If you want to know what that entailed, send me a message. I won't post it here :) Then they gave me a liquid antacid to neutralize the acid in my stomach.(In case I got sick).By this time they had started another bag of fluid but weren't pumping it through as fast. Then we just kind of waited for my doctor & anesthesiologist (sp?) to come & get me. I walked to the OR (hubby had to wait in the hall for this part)& they had me sit on the edge of the table while the spinal block was being put in. As soon as it took effect which was very quickly, they laid me down on the table & started hooking up all of the monitors, oxygen, etc. Then they put in a catheter, strapped my arms down & put the drape up in front of me. I couldn't see what else they were doing but I know they put some kind of sticky plastic sheet on my belly. They brought my husband in & got started. The most uncomfortable part was my doctor pushing on my stomach to get her head out. Other than that, all I felt was tugging, pulling & a little pressure. Absolutely no pain. My daughter was born at 7:46 am 7 lbs 11 oz. My husband went with her to the nursery while the doctors sewed me up. It all went by very quickly. Then they took me to recovery for about 45-60 minutes. The spinal started wearing off then. Don't be surprised if you start shaking. They told me that I had a lot of adrenalin with no where to go so your body shakes. It's completely normal. Then they took me to my room & the baby & my husband followed shortly. The first day was pretty much a blur. I don't remember much. Don't try to be a hero. Take the meds! It will help you tremendously. I don't know if you're planning to breastfeed but it will be hard to relax to breastfeed if you're in pain. I stayed in the hospital for 3 nights & went home Sunday afternoon. It's hard to get around at first but once you get up & make yourself move, you'll feel much better. The hardest part for me was not being able to lift my son for 8 weeks. Make sure you have plenty of help. Let people help you!!!! That was hard for me because I felt like I should be able to do it myself since I did with the first child. Make sure if you take pain meds, you ask your doctor to recommend a stool softener. Not a laxative a softener. The pain meds will make you constipated. There are a couple of OTC ones you can take. Once we got home, I think it was about 2 weeks before I started feeling pretty normal again. I'm sure I missed something so if you have any questions, just send me a message :) Good luck!!!

I've had both a vaginal birth and an emergency c/s.
Emergency in that I was 34w and we knew she was coming that day but we were able to delay it for 3 hours for my doctor to do it.

the c/s was actually very calm. My doc talked all the time told me what she was doing.. etc.

I am sure in a couple months and will be scheduling another c/s

My c-section went really well and the procedure was relaxed and i felt to calm...and i was able to only take ibprofen for pain. they will offer you everything under the sun...perkiset, vicoden etc. you may want to take them i don't know but i felt so out of it after trying those meds i opted for a little bit of pain.

congrats by the way, and know you will be "out of commission" for a good week for sure. even if you FEEL better take it as easy as you can. good thing you have help, you will need it! just make sure you pack the things you really want for the hospital stay: pillow, certain blanket etc. do whatever you need to do to make your stay there more comfortable. i brought my own down comforter and pillow when i was there, it made ALL the difference in the world.

you will be fine and just know many many women have done this before, use their strength to get thru it. good luck!

Wow, only 2 more weeks…I can only imagine how excited you are right now! Thank you for posting such a great question!
I had an emergency c-section but I do think I have a few tidbits for you. When we were in birthing class the nurse that taught the class made a good point and I tell everyone I know. Don’t get behind the pain; always stay a little ahead of it. It’s hard to catch back up once you start to hurt really bad. Ask for anti-gas pills. Gas hurts big time when you have an incision, I’m so thankful one of the nurses offered them. I had to ask at each shift because they didn’t think of giving them to me, although gas is very common after surgery. Also, if you have a high bed at home get a step stool or something to help you get in and out. We used a milk crate that was “borrowed” from the local drive thru coffee place =O) it worked perfectly. Also, granny panties are the best. They go above the incision point and don’t roll down to where the incision is. Also, if you don’t want to bring a robe, using one gown the right direction and then put a second one on like a jacket, helps keep your booty from showin’. I also wanted to take a shower ASAP and be able to feel where my body was at. That may be an emergency c-section thing, but it helped me feel less afraid of the incision. Lastly, I didn’t think it was that hard to recover from the c-section, but a lot of people do. Take advantage of those people and let them do things for you. I have 2 friends who did too much and it took longer for their incision to heal. Oh, one more last thing =O) stay in the hospital for more then a night or two. My SIL stayed 1 night (after 24 hours of labor, 17 hours without any drugs and ended up with a c-section) and a friend who stayed one night because she wanted to get home to her oldest and both say now, looking back they wish they would have stayed longer.
Best of luck and enjoy this new, exciting and best chapter of your life!
C.

Make SURE that you bring some nutritious food/snacks for yourself. Ask if you get a mini fridge. If not get an ice chest.

I had to have a scheduled c-section, so no eating the night before. I slept for most of the day because anesthesia and I do not mix well, and woke up after "dinner".

Because of the "possibility of nausia" I had from anesthesia, the nurses weren't going to give me anything to eat until the next morning. I insisted on some food, so they "relented" enough to offer me jello. Jello. On an empty stomach. After no food for a night and a day.

Since my doctor trusts me enough to know my body, I called him and he gave the approval for food. I almost didn't get fed 'til breakfast though, and I was hungry by 8pm! If there IS a next time, I will definitely bring my own snacks - just in case.

I also had the really bad "shakes" as anesthesia was wearing off. It is a bit strange to experience, but totally normal.

One last thing: If you have long hair, braid it before you go into the hospital. A braid keeps hair out of the way of the nurses, is convenient for breast-feeding, AND you don't wind up with bed hair that would make Medusa cringe (for those new-mommy pictures). A braid on each side of the head is the most comfortable/flattering.

I had a scheduled c-section with my 2nd daughter, she is now 2 y/o. My 1st was an emergency c-section. The scheduled c-section was completely different than the emergency one. My experience was almost identical to Jennifer N. Have everything packed and ready the day before your surgery. You don't want to have to worry about anything the day of your surgery. It will be hard enough to sleep with out worrying about packing. You are not suppose to eat after midnight before the surgery. Some doctors set earlier times depending on the time of your surgery. I would not suggest eating red meat. I ate a steak , not realizing that it takes your body alot longer to digest red meat. I became nauseous during surgery and my stomach still had the steak in it. It wasn't pleasant. I had a french braid in my hair when I went in. It keeps your hair out of your way and is comfortable to lay on. Snacks for your hubby are a great idea. Your diet will be restricted at first. After abdominal surgery your digestion slows way down, so they gradually increase your diet from liquids to solids, while they monitor your output. Once I was on solids they let my family bring in anything I wanted to eat. After surgery they want you to start walking. It is really painful and uncomfortable at first, but the more you walk the better it gets. I brought a robe and slippers to wear while walking. They were comfortable and easy to put on. Some people bring clothes to wear, but I couldn't imagine trying to get dressed. I brought my pillow from home, the hospital ones are miserable. I brought my nursing pillow. I brought my own toothbrush/paste, shampoo, body soap, etc. The hospital stuff is not so great and when you are able to you will want to shower. If your husband is going to stay with you at the hospital he will need to pack his own bag with clothes and toiletries. I brought my nursing bra, nursing pads and nipple cream. I brought several outfits and blankets for the baby. The baby stayed in the hospital stuff for the most part. Our hospital sends a photograher to your room before you leave to take a picture of the baby. I wanted the baby dressed for the picture, with her own clothes and own blanket. Then the outfit I brought to bring her home in was way too big! It was 0 to 6 months. I had to put her in a newborn outfit. She was 8 lbs. Bring some options for outfits for yourself to go home in too. You want to feel good about yourself, but be comfortable too. I couldn't fit in regular clothes and went home in a cute maternity outfit. Remember to have a plan. Do you want your husband to stay with the baby or you after she is born? I wanted my husband to stay with the baby. So, I was alone while they stitched me up. Then you have to spend 45 min to an hour in post op. My husband stayed with the baby, but came to check on me and let me know the baby was doing great. Some doctors will allow someone to stand in for your husband if he stays with the baby. Once your in your room, do you want the baby with you right away or have the nursery keep her for a lttle bit. I wanted my baby right away. If for some reason the baby has to stay in the nursey for a short while: Do you want your baby to have a pacifier or not? Do you want your baby to have a bottle or not? Make a list of important people to call after the baby is born. Keep it short. Designate someone to make the calls and bring a list of the numbers or your phone book. You won't be able to remember all the numbers. Have the designated caller ask Uncle Jim to call cousin Bob. This will help you keep your list shorter. When you get home, help is great the first day or two , but you will eventually want to be alone with your husband and baby. The initially bonding time is important, especially if your husband has to go back to work fairly quickly. If you are breast feeding, your husband may feel a little left out. Try to include him and have him help. Have him help you get your nursing pillow set up and a burp cloth ready. Let your hubby have a little one on one time with the baby too. My husband would sit in the rocker and read his favorite childhood books to our girls. He started this the first day they were home. Have your family and friends set up a meal schedule for the 1st week or two. You will not feel like cooking dinner and your hubby will be to frazzled to cook. Don't be afraid to ask lots of questions to your doctor and nurses. If you will be nursing, utilize the lactation staff at the hospital and at home. I thought it would come naturally, but I ended up with lots of questions and needed lots of help. Congratulations! K.

Congratulations!!
I had a planned c 4 months ago. It was wonderful. I knew I was going to have to have one and like you made my peace with it. It was a beautiful experience.
I went in about 9 for an 11am op. I was given an iv, and the nurse washed my belly with betadine. She also did a tiny bit of shaving. (they say not to do it yourself b/c of possible infection) When it was time, they took me in, placed the spinal and had me lay on the table. Hubby was with me through the whole thing. At first the meds were not making me numb high enough, so they inverted the table some. This made the meds go higher, and for a few seconds made me feel like I could not breath. I was breathing fine, but could not feel it because I was numb. The anesthesiologist was sitting right by my head, and talked me through being calm and breathing. It was scary for a minute, but I quickly got used to the new sensation, and stopped worrying. I could feel movement, and some pressure during the op, but I was in no pain. I was awake and alert when the doctor pulled my son out and showed him to us. It was AMAZING!!!!!
My doc talked me through the whole process, which I really appreciated. After a few photos, they took my son to the nursery to get cleaned up. My husband went with him. The doc stitched me up and sent me to recovery. It was VERY important to me to breastfeed my son ASAP, so as soon as I was in recovery, they brought him to me and we latched him on. I told the nurse this and had discussed it with my doc before hand, so everyone knew this was my priority. Hubby also knew and was ready to advocate if needed. (it was no problem) I had to stay in recovery until I had some sensation back in my legs (about 1 hour) and they moved us to our room. The meds they gave me to make me numb made me itchy. Not horrible, but annoying certainly.
That night, I did not want my baby to stay in the nursery, I wanted him with me, so I had the nurse put his little bed right next to mine, because that first night you can't get up with out help. I could not reach him easily, so I ended up holding him in my arms all night. The nurse helped me prop my arms with pillows, so I was comfy. I actually slept with him inside my hospital gown against my chest. that way if I dozed off, he would not fall. I was exhausted, but so excited to finally be holding him it worked perfectly for me. My hubby was not able to stay at the hospital over night.
Advice:
Lean on your mate. Let them know what you are feeling and let them help.
Make sure you get up and walk when you can. You will have LOTS of discharge, and being vertical helps get it out. You will need big pads at home, b/c you will be bleeding/leaking for a few weeks and at first it is really heavy. Tampons are not an option.
Have your own light snacks and water. In your room. The next day I was hungry and when I was given permission to eat I did not want hospital food. Avoid carbonation. Gas is your enemy !!! Trust me on this : )
Bring a pillow for the ride home. Your belly will feel loose and bouncy, and even he little bumps feel yucky. It was not painful, but I was glad to have something to hold me down, plus it kept the seat belt off me.
Plan to wear something HUGE home. Including BIG shoes. They pump you full of lots of fluid and it take a good while for all of it to pass.
Listen to your body for pain. You will know if you need the strong meds.
Read: The Essential C-Section Guide: Pain Control, Healing at Home, Getting Your Body Back, and Everything Else You Need to Know About a Cesarean Birth by Maureen Connolly and Dana Sullivan, it really helped me, but I am a knowledge is power kind of girl.
Have your partner read it too.
Ask for help and then accept it. It may not get done exactly as you would have done it, but at least you didn't have to do it.
Good luck!!
please email me if you have questions. I would be happy to help if I can.
Best wishes and welcome to the mommy club. It is the best thing I have ever done.

Well I didn't plan the C-section. After 24 hours of a difficult labor (not dilated enough, baby wouldn't drop, sciatic/back labor, and his head was too big), we had to have the operation. But I recovered well thanks to a supportive hubby and excellent nurses at CPMC. Two suggestions:

1. Bring your Boppy or My Brest Friend pillow (or other nursing pillows) to the hospital if you're going to nurse. I didn't bring my nursing pillows and I had a horrible time adjusting all those hospital pillows with all the tummy/uterus pain I experienced in the recovery. Also, some hospitals provide them, so check on that. I tell all my friends to bring their nursing pillows to the hospital- the beginning of breastfeeding is difficult enough.

2. As soon as docs say it's okay, get up and move around. Don't lay on your back too much because it's hell on the scar area and you might be bloated from all the pain meds. Since I was in the hospital for 4 nights, I tried to walk a lot, sit in different parts of the room, and stroll around with the baby in his wheely-bassinet.

Good luck J. and congrats on your new baby girl!

I went on Monday night to be induced to try for natural birth (which to be honest, I was wanting a C-section). I heard women giving natural birth and I realized I was O.K. if I had to get a C-section. Luckily my best friend had one two weeks before me, so I knew what to expect. I waited all day Tuesday and nothing was happening, so I had a C-section on Tuesday night. They let me take a shower and shave (make sure you shave really low or they will do it for you with a cheap razor). I didn't do any special kind of diet. I ate Taco Bell the night before in fact. About an hour before the C-section they gave me three medications for Nauseau. One of them gave me a panic attack (don't remember exactly what happened except I freaked out). My doctor then gave me Staydol, which basically may be really calm and a little drugged out. The C-section was actually a breeze, but I am sure the Staydol helped with anxiety & pressure on my ribs. The next day I was pretty sore, but not unbearable at all. The next day they take out the IV and Catheter, which is a great feeling and then they let you shower. I went home Friday and don't remember having issues taking care of my daughter at all. My husband helped out a lot, and I went to Babies R US with my sister on Saturday and was fine. You have to be careful of the stitches and getting up and down, but not very painful.
Good Luck

I have had 3 c-sections and the most recent one was Dec. 2007. I would recommend bringing a Boppy pillow. This really helped in nursing and also to wrap around her while sitting in between my legs on top of the bed. I wanted her with me all the time and not in the nursery and having the pillow allowed me to keep her within hands reach. It was difficult at first to move around because of the surgery and trying to get her in/out of the bassinet was painfull the first night. The Boppy really came in handy and also swaddled her when she was not in my arms. We also made a deal going into the c-sections that no one other than my husband holds the baby before me. I was glad we did and all the family members understood. I hated not being able to hold them after birth, I was able to see their little faces and give a few kisses but other than my husband holding them first...I was going to hold them second even if the family had to wait for an hour or two. Best of wishes to you and your family.

Hi... looks like you've gotten lots of good advise... These are the things I remember from mine... also planned...

1) Even though I was prepared to have a C-section the whole time (breach twins), it never occurred to me that I would be bothered by how quickly they came out... overwhelming... and normal.

2) Some people react to the meds... I shook like crazy. and I was freezing. Let the Dr's. know if you're uncomfy, but know that you're ok and going through something totally normal and that your reaction is not serious. I thought I was dying...(a bit emotional and uneducated about what was happening)

3) If you have rules/directions that you want followed, make sure DH knows about them. The most important for me was that NO ONE hold my babies other than necessary hospital staff and DH... no grandma's nothing... and I'm sooooooo glad I made that very clear... as for some crazy reason one of the nurses asked DH who got to hold the babies next???? They were in NICU and this crazy nurse was about to hand my babies off to anyone my husband would have said was ok if I hadn't sworn him not to... and he said it was a good thing I had... 'cause he wouldn't have thought it was a big deal.

Congratulations! You have some wonderful advise, so I won't repeat that part.
I had a C-section after a week of induced labor.
Anyway, just a couple of things. Big one: ask your doctor ahead of time if you will be allowed a camera in the operating room. Many won't, so you want to know ahead of time. My surgeon and doctor allowed a camera, thank goodness, and the first few moments I missed in his life were caught on film and are precious to me (being cleaned up,etc.). Once he was cleaned up, my husband got a nurse to bring him up where I could see him, and my husband caught a few pictures of the first time I saw him and touched him (be prepared, though, they probably won't let you hold your baby at this point).

I saw in one of your other responses that that person had a panick attack. I had this happen when my appendix was taken out, and it was very horrible. Turns out that this can happen to certain individuals when morphine and anti-nausea meds are mixed. Myself, I didn't want much in the way of pain meds after my son was born. I figure I missed so much of the normal first part together for a mom and baby that I didn't want to be out of it for when I finally got to hold him.

As many other here, I would be happy to have you email me any questions.