C-Sections ---- Concerns and Questions

[LailaCa]

Just wondered if any of you have had a C-Section. I am due for one next month and am wondering what to expect. I have read several c-section birth stories online, however, am anxious to hear what others have experienced here in the USA.

Some things I have been told:

* after the c-section nurses press your stomach (sometimes very hard) to get the blood out.

* bleeding can be quite heavy and uncomfortable and your bed clothes get very messed up.

* some pain meds are not adequate.

* made to walk the next day.

* unable to leave the hospital until you have had a bowel movement.

Just wondering what to expect. I am not very fond of hospitals at all and just want to have this child and get out of there in a hurry.

Thanks so much in advance.

[egoldber]

Laila, there are a few of us who had C sections on this board. Let me try to answer your questions first.

* after the c-section nurses press your stomach (sometimes very hard) to get the blood out.

I'm not real sure about this. They do SUCTION quite significantly to remove fluid, blood, etc. from your abdomen. I definitely heard the suction, but felt nothing. The doctor may also massage your uterus to encourage it to begin contracting. Mine was a little sluggish (not uncommon after being on Pitocin for awhile as I was) and gave me a couple injections to stimulate the contracting. But I felt nothing. If you feel anything at any point TELL THEM! Some people feel pressure, but I didn't even feel that.

* bleeding can be quite heavy and uncomfortable and your bed clothes get very messed up.

Well, this is true whether your deliver vaginally or by C section. This why I am a big fan of the gowns and the mesh underwear provided by the hospital. They also put large absorbent pads underneath you, so it shouldn't be that bad. My heaviest bleeding was over by the time I left the hospital. I continued to bleed for 6 weeks, at first like a period and then after about a week, much less so.

* some pain meds are not adequate.

This is true since pain meds work differently for different people. If what they give you is not sufficient, ask for something different! This is VERY important. You need to get ahead of the pain and prevent it before it starts rather than chasing the pain. Post surgery, they gave me duramorph (a morpheine drug) through the epidural before they removed it. That lasts for about 24 hours. After that, I took Percocet for about a week. After that, I didn't need any more pain meds.

* made to walk the next day.

Well, this is true, but it is to your benefit to get out of bed as quickly as possible. I was VERY ready to get out of bed. Studies have shown that the faster you get up and walk around, the more quickly you heal and the less pain you are in. This is why it is important to have pain meds that work for you.

* unable to leave the hospital until you have had a bowel movement.

This may or may not be true. Again, this is for your benefit. They don't let you have solid foods until you start passing gas and they will very likely keep you until you have a bowel movement. But if you are there for the full 4 days, it shouldn't be a problem. I had one on the second day, and it was not bad at all. They let me go home on day 3 since I was begging to leave. :) But in retrospect, I probably should have stayed another day.

I would encourage you to take a "C section" tour of the labor and delivery area if your hospital offers one. Make sure to take a video camera, so that your DH can capture all the things that you may not be able to see while on the table or in recovery. If breastfeeding, take a good breastfeeding pillow to the hospital to make breastfeeding more comfortable.

My C was not planned, so I went into it with only cursory knowledge. But I had a fabulous experience, very supportive OB and hospital staff, had very little pain and a quick recovery. Just be a little careful not to overtire yourself. This was my main problem because I felt really good and then boom! I'd be exhausted.

I feel very positive about my C experience. But I was never the type to have an ideal birth in my head, had always planned to have an epidural, etc. So while I didn't plan to have a C, it was not a big letdown for me to have a C. And to be honest, when I hear some of the horror stories of some women's birthing experiences, I am sometimes thankful I had a C. I am now trying to decide whether or not to do a repeat C or try for a VBAC (not pregnant again yet, just thinking :) ). I had such a great C experience, I am a little reluctant to go VBAC!

I think you are in the San Jose area aren't you? Are you delivering at Good Sam? We moved from San Jose while pregnant, and I was supposed to deliver at Good Sam. They are a really great facility. We have friends who had a baby in the NICU there for 10 weeks (baby was born at 29 weeks) and they have nothing but the highest praise for all the doctors and nurses there.

HTH,

[LailaCa]

Thanks so much for the response. You have put most of my fears to rest. The horror stories can be really bad and I have heard many both to vaginal and to c-section births.

Yes I am having my baby at Good Samaritan hospital. I was already hospitalized there on two different occasions during this pregnancy. It has been such a difficult pregnancy. I will indeed ask about a tour for a c-section birth. It is planned and my team is from Obstetrix. They are really quite wonderful. They would like me to "try" a vaginal birth, but are leaving the decision up to us. Frankly....my blood pressure is very low and I faint almost daily. I don't have much energy and really don't see myself having a vaginal birth, so the doctors are being very supportive of a c-section birth. They said the hospital stay should be 3-4 days. Like you I already know that I want to be out of there asap!

Thanks so much for all the feedback. This is so kind of you and I am already feeling better after hearing of your positive experience.

Thanks again.

Laila

[rachelfran]

hi
i have had two c-sections -
one 10 yrs ago and the other almost a year ago...
each had it's pluses and minuses but let me answer your specific concerns :



* after the c-section nurses press your stomach (sometimes very hard) to get the blood out.

I have no recollection of this happening at all at either surgery

* bleeding can be quite heavy and uncomfortable and your bed clothes get very messed up.

bleeding is heavy regardless of vaginal or c-section but i have been told that it's actually heavier with a vaginal delivery... my first delivery, i only bled for about a week.. with my second it was about 3 weeks.. heavy bleeding only the first few days, though.

* some pain meds are not adequate.

10 years ago i had pain meds on the first day... it was fine but i started having pain that they attributed to needing to go to the bathroom as the catheter was removed and I hadn't gone to pee...That's when the forced me out of bed and it was very painful but necessary... once I got out of bed that first time - I was on the road to a quick recovery... within a two weeks I was feeling great. That was 10 years ago ...

With my recent birth - I had pain medication that I was able to inject on my own - it was wonderful and I kept that machine for two days. I was able to get up sooner with it.

* made to walk the next day.

the walking is vital and although it won't be the most comfortable thing in the world it will help you get better quicker.

* unable to leave the hospital until you have had a bowel movement. this was true 10 years ago but I didn't have to with my last baby

Hope this info helps...
I hope you have an easy uncomplicated delivery

[luvbeinmama]

I have to agree with the other posters on the answers to your questions.

* after the c-section nurses press your stomach (sometimes very hard) to get the blood out.

I never had this happen.

* bleeding can be quite heavy and uncomfortable and your bed clothes get very messed up.

It is pretty heavy to begin with. Use the hospital gowns/mesh underwear so you don't have to worry about your own stuff getting nasty. I never noticed it being really uncomfortable, though.

* some pain meds are not adequate.

I'm sure this is true for some people. I don't really remember what my doc gave me, it may have been Vicodin, but it worked just fine for me.

* made to walk the next day.

Yes. And I thought they were joking or crazy! It's actually not so bad, and it's really good to get up and around. Plus, you really will have to get up to go pee. I only had to get up a couple times that day, though.

* unable to leave the hospital until you have had a bowel movement.

I don't know about this. I know I did have one before I left (actually several... I filled the toilet 5 times in the matter of one afternoon!) My doc gave me mylanta once a day and simethicone with meals until I had the bowel movement. By the way, I was really worried about being constipated and having to push (which would have been really painful, I think), but it came out easily and all my worrying was for naught!

I stayed the entire 4 days. I don't mind hospitals and I liked having my meals brought to me and being able to give my son to the nurses. Plus, I didn't have to change one diaper the entire time I was there!!

I did have a roommate who had a cs and went home after only 2 days! She was having a HORRIBLE time, though. Her doc didn't give her anything for gas or intestinal ease, and she had such bad gas & stomach pain, the nurse had to give her an enema to relieve the pressure and pain. Plus she was having trouble nursing, and her little girl cried sooo much. She felt she'd be better off at home.

Sorry, I know horror stories are not a help at this point, but you may want to make sure the doc prescribes something for intestinal woes. You won't get anything unless the doc prescribes it.