For those of you who had a scheduled c-section, what can I expect?
I am scheduled to go in on Friday due to a prior myomectomy (fibroid removal). I will be 37 weeks and 5 days when I go in. I think I understand the process from the time I check into the hospital until I get on the operating table. But I want to know if the spinal block hurts. I have read varying opinions. I am a total wimp when it comes to pain and I am terrified of needles. I used to almost faint when getting blood drawn, but finally realized that it took them twice as long (and more sticks) so now I just grin and bear it. I am also wondering if there is a smell or anything that could make me sick?
After they remove the baby and sew me back up, how long will it be before I can pump my breast milk. I am planning to exclusively pump as I just can’t warm up to the idea of feeding him directly from the breast. I am actually waiting on a return phone call from the Lactation Specialist because I don’t know if I am going to be able to exclusively pump when I go back to work in eight weeks.
I had an appendectomy in 2004, so if having a c-section feels anything like that did then I know I will need some pain medication for the first day or so. When I had my appendectomy I was up within seven days or so and driving as well (even though I shouldn’t have been). My mind is just kind of racing back and forth and I really want to hear some current feedback on what to expect (as some procedures do tend to change every couple of years).
My husband will be off all next week to help me when I come home and my mother inlaw will be there the following week. Do I need coverage during the third week? I am a wimp when it comes to pain but I am not the type who likes to lie around with someone waiting on me hand and foot every minute of the day. But I am a first time parent and I have literally no experience with babies. I think the last diaper I changed was probably 15 years ago. I am not totally dumb as to change a diaper but I am going to be starting this parenting thing from scratch.
Filed under: Fibroids Removal
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This is how the day of my c section went (I was just supposed to show up early and hopefully they would be able to fit me in bc the baby needed to be born):
5:45 am- checked in and they put me in a waiting room that kind of looked like an ER? It was just a bunch of half rooms with curtains for doors so it wasnt really private and comfortable.
6:45 am- IV was put in and my ob came to say they had no idea when they would be able to fit me in and if i wanted to come back tomorrow (no…im not kidding)
6:46 am- I said hell no im not coming back tomorrow!
8:00 am- Ob came back and said I was scheduled for 2 pm
9:00am- They moved me to a real room that way my family could come in and we could be comfortable for the next several hours. I couldnt eat or drink anything
2:30pm- They came to get me and took me to the surgery waiting room (i dont know whats its really called). My husband and mom got to come with me. They gave me an epidural and it hurt so bad, I still get goose bumps when I think about it. They made me wait about 10 minutes to make sure I was numb and I kept telling them I wasnt getting numb and I started to panic and cry bc I thought they were going to send me into surgery like that. Finally the listened to me that I wasnt numb and I had to have ANOTHER epidural. That one didnt hurt as bad and it finally worked.
around 2:45 or 3:00pm- they made my mom go back up to where the nursery was to get ready to see the baby…my husband got dressed in the scrubs and they sent us in.
My daughter was born at 3:08pm so it didnt take that long but I was panicking the whole time. The epidural made my whole chest numb so i couldnt feel myself breathing in an out so i just kept gasping for air and asking them if i was still breathing (lol, its funny now but it was quite dramatic at the time). They kept giving me something to "calm down"…I dont know if it was like tranquilizers or what, but i remember when they would put it in my IV i would immediately feel better like i was relaxed and then a couple of minutes later i would start panicking again, lol. The only thing i could smell was after they cut me open and used that little torch thing to burn through the stomach fat…you could smell it burning but its not that bad and you will be thinking about a million different things, the smell wont get to you. After my daughter was born and they gave her to me she was gray and looked dead. Then they sent my husband with her up to the nursery and I stayed there to get stapled up. It all seemed really quick and then i was in recovery. My mom came to me and told me how long my daughters toes were, lol.
The first night was the worst for pain. You will definately need the pain medicine, especially on like the 2nd day when they make you get up and start walking and take the catheter out. I think I only took the pain medicine for a total on 5 or maybe 6 days. I never really NEEDED any help getting around after I was out of the hospital. The worst days that you have will be in the hospital, and after that you have some pain but its not like you cant move around and do things for yourself. The night I got out of the hospital we even went to walmart so I could buy some breast pads, so I must have not been that bad.
As far as not knowing what to do with a baby, I was the same way. The only bad time was the first night bc we put her in the bassinet in our room and every little noise she would make, i would wake up and turn on the light to make sure she was still alive. The second night we moved her to her crib so we could both sleep better.
Newborns are the easy part (aside from lack of sleep, which you will get used to after 3 or 4 weeks). They sleep ALL the time unless they are hungry and you change their diaper when they eat. After a few months is when it gets harder bc their personality comes out, and you have to start figuring out why they are crying when nothing you do ever works!
As far as the newborn thing, the best advice I can give you is…when you havent slept in days and you really feel like giving up, that will be the one time your baby will let you sleep for 3 hours straight…it was like every time i couldnt take it ANYMORE, she would take a long nap and then I would think to my delirious self, see…God knew I couldnt take it so he made her sleep, lmao. Another thing that you HAVE to remember is everyone says babies dont sleep through the night until around 3 months and when you hear that youll want to die but you get used to not getting any sleep WAY before 3 months. After 3 or 4 weeks you will be used to not sleeping and it wont be a big deal anymore. Take advantage of all the help you can. Im sorry it was so long I cant believe I wrote all of this, but I had NO IDEA what to expect during the c section and with a newborn. Hope I helped.
I had a c section also at 37 weeks as well not scheduled though i was told at 12 noon that they had to go ahead and do c section i was not dilating at all and my fluid was very low so they wanted to take him while he was healthy and at 12 22 i had my baby boy. I am also a big weenie lol when they said i was having a c section i freaked and started crying, i have never had a stitch or anything so i was very scared. I am now so glad I had a c section and terrified of having to have a baby natural lol the c section went great and super fast. I was completely healed in like 1 to 2 weeks. It is however a little painful when you laugh,sneeze,or cough. but your incision will be numbed for a very long time I had my son 6 months ago and where they cut me is still a bit numb. And no the spinal block will not hurt just feels like a little sting that is all. They will give you pain medicine when releasing you to go home as well I would switch mine up with tylenol first then pain medicine (vicodin) a little later. I was also a little scared when I went in to get my staples out 4 days later and that did not hurt one bit I did not feel a thing. It is not that bad and I much rather go with a c section then having to deal with the pain of pushing a baby out which I heard can take hours, and a c section takes about 30 minutes. me and my husband had a conversation the whole entire time they where doing my surgery. Oh and yes I did start to have some chest pains like pressure but I asked the doctor that stood behind me the whole time and he said it was just from the pressure of them pulling and tugging so dont worry if that happens it don’t hurt it just feels like alot of pressure. Good luck and congrats.
i wasnt scheduled really but it wasnt emergency either i had the choice after sometime.. and they will give you a surgical epidural which you feel no pain(im scared of needles its not to bad it will feel like a funny bone feeling i cry everytime for shots and this one didnt make me cry i was just more scared).. you will feel pressure for sure and it shouldnt take to long i was in and out within 30 mins. and as for after you deliver dont use your abdomen muscle cause it will hurt.. you will not be able to walk very well it will be painful.. but they do give u pin meds.. i got percs and Motrin 800.. after about 3 or 4 days you will be able to walk a little better but expect to not fully be able to walk prolly a week after. i to am a wimp to pain and about freaked that i had to have a c section and you will get the hang of it! trust me its really hard at first but it will get better my baby is 3 months and they eventually sleep in but as for the breast feeding thing i cant help on that cause after going threw the pain of labor i didnt care to breast feed selfish sounding as it is..but it was nice to have my hubby help and bond with his son
I had a scheduled C-section too- it was so easy. The spinal block didn’t hurt at all- and I never saw the needle myself- maybe you want to ask the anesthesiologist to not to do that for you either- but I highly doubt they go out of their way to show it to you! I got a prescription for a powerful ibuprofen plus percocet. I actually never took the percocet after I left the hospital, since I didn’t like the idea of having that go through my breastmilk. The ibuprofen seemed to work just fine- after the second day, I didn’t feel any pain at all, so I stopped that too.
After 2 weeks, I was back to walking slowly around the block, and I never had any issues with picking baby up.
As for your pumping, I think you are in for a big surprise- it is very time consuming, and hard to get what you’ll need from only a pump. The baby needs to be fed every 2 hours- and it took me about an hour to pump 3-4 ounces! If that’s the same for you, you’ll be married to the damn thing- then you have to deal with all the bottles! I understand you may feel uncomfortable about it, but you may want to reconsider. My sister in law didn’t have this option- she had to pump because her baby had an inverted lower lip (it’s fine now), but it was a miracle she was even able to do that for 3 months! Also, you shouldn’t deny your baby the first few days of breastfeeding before your milk comes in. The colostrum is extremely important for your baby’s immune system. Will your baby be sick or stupid if you go to formula or you can’t give breastmilk? No, of course not- but there is no denying that breastmilk, the bonding with mom, and not to mention the convenience of it in middle of the night is the best!
Good luck. You should be fine with 2 weeks of assistance.