C-section: things I wish I knew!

My sweet little twins were born almost 2 weeks ago and I'm finally starting to feel better after my c-section (Baby A was breech). Now that I've gone through it, I realize there's so much I wish I'd known in advance so I thought I'd share it here with the hope that other people don't have to face what I did.

1) Percocet can cause constipation. I was trying to stay ahead of the pain in the hospital and took them every chance I had. That plus the spinal led to the absolute worse medical experience I've ever had in my life. Truly, the constipation was WAY worse that the c-section and I'd even go so far as to say worse that the vaginal birth I had before. I was up and walking around like they tell you and I still had problems. I would have done so many things differently if I had known this could happen: eaten better at the hospital, taken the stool softener 2x / day and taken motrin to stay on top of the pain instead of percocet.

2) Take a shower and get the dressing tape off in 24-hours! I waited 48-hours and ended up with tape burn that was so bad, the "itchies" continued thoughtout my stay at the hospital. Apparently, it's not as bad if the tape comes off asap and a shower with baby wash helps remove the adhesive.

3) You might be able to use a "twin room" at the hospital! When onw of hte nurses came in, she said, "why aren't you in the twin stuite?" I was like, "What twin suite!?!?!?!"

I'm sure there's more and will post them as I think of them. I hope some of the info is helpful! I feel better just passing it on.

 

I totally agree about the constipation. I had it really bad after my c-section with my DS and I was taking the stool softeners and drinking prune juice from day two. I really thought I was going to pop my scar open once I did go almost a week later!

I'd also tell everyone that you can swell very badly from the surgery. I went home weighing more than before I had him! It took another week after being home before I dropped the 20 pounds in water weight!

 

Ditto on the constipation although I don't know if that would have been any different had I given birth vaginally, but it hurt much worse than the incision, especially after I got home.

Two things I wish I knew:
1) It can affect your milk supply. I didn't have milk until I left the hospital after 5 days, and even then, it came in very slowly. Since I had a scheduled c-section and never went into labor, my body just wasn't ready to give birth, which affects the milk supply.

2) I wish they would have told me how and when to clean the incision. They just said keep water off of it and keep it dry. Well three weeks later I noticed a horrible smell from it, so I called the doctor and went in immediately. It was only a surface level infection, so she suggested I clean it with peroxide and triple antitbiotic ointment. I should have been told when I was supposed to start doing this.

 

Thanks for these tips - please keep them coming. My babies are coming via c-section any day now (they're both breech - boo hoo!).

 

Bring comfortable clothes for after the surgery. Make sure you have something that will not hit you right at the incision line(hairline.) Getting up out of bed was the hardest part for me. I made sure to take pain medication a bit before I planned to get out of bed.

YOU ARE NOT A BAD PERSON IF YOU HAVE YOUR BABIES STAY IN THE NURSERY AT NIGHT SO YOU CAN GET SOME REST AFTER THE SURGERY. I wish I got over the guilt of this. I would have recovered faster if I rested immediately after the surgery.

IF YOU CAN'T SLEEP IN THE HOSPITAL ASK FOR A SLEEPING PILL. This literally saved my life and my sanity.

 

horrible shoulder pain is gas pain post c-section. you need to walk to prevent it.

you walk into the operating room which is FREEZING. the bed looks so narrow and all the equipment in the room is very intimidating and makes you just want to run out of the room. once the spinal is in though, it just courses heat through your body and you're instantly warm and comfortable.

pain meds post c-sec: a box will continuously pump meds into the epidural at a baseline and youre given a button to press if you want a higher dose. feel free to press it, you cant overdose.

babies are fed in the nursery at 12am, 3am, 6am. skip the 3am breastfeeding and let the nursery handle it so you can sleep. if you say exclusive bf they need to bring the babies to you every time they cry which is always.

talk to the lactation consultant. i was there 3 days and had her come every day. I brought the ez-2-nurse pillow and had her teach me to tandem. don't be shy.

 

Great thread!

I agree with letting the babies be in the nursery so you can sleep. I know how much you want to be with them but you will feel better during the day after a rest.

If they tell you to walk after you surgery you really should. I pushed the babies around, I got out of my little room and got to show them off. It was pretty sore to do but I could tell a difference afterwards.

If you aren't happy with your nursing staff, speak up. I didn't and I had the worst nurses I could imagine.

 

If you have never had surgery know this...They tie your arms down! I had a panic attack and could not breathe when I realized I was tied down! And you might get sick to your stomach, me or DH never knew this it was the worst part for DH!

 

Getting the staples out before you leave the hospital does NOT hurt like I imagined that it would!! I was PETRIFIED of them taking the staples out, I mean reallllllly petrified....it was like nothing!!! :good:

Stay on top/ahead of your meds...
Take the stool softeners when you get home...
Dont be a superhero when you get home! (I wanted to vacuum my house, not smart.)

 

QUOTE(mandyanna @ Sep 21 2008, 10:44 PM) [snapback]990898[/snapback]
If you have never had surgery know this...They tie your arms down! I had a panic attack and could not breathe when I realized I was tied down! And you might get sick to your stomach, me or DH never knew this it was the worst part for DH!


This reminds me of something else I didn't know.....on the issue of sick to your stomach. The anesthesia made me really nauseous, and I threw up 12 times. I thought I was going to bust my incision open. Finally, I took a pill (don't know what the medication was called) to stop the nausea.

One more thing that surprised me--it hurt way less than I thought it would. I was taking heavy pain meds, which I took straight through for the first day or two, but after that I took them only when I really hurt, and I stopped taking them at all by day 7.

 

One thing I didn't know is that when air gets into your body cavity you feel like you're having a heart attack. You really aren't, but I wasn't expecting this and started freaking out about the chest pain I was having. It took them about 15 minutes to reassure me that it was normal.

Also if you are feeling anxious tell them and as soon as the babies are out they will make it all go away with their special medical magic.

 

A few from my own experience -

* Totally didn't expect the horrible gas pains. Thought it was the raw broccoli I ate with my first meal. I didn't ask for gas relief until the next day and spent a needlessly sleepless night in pain.

* The swelling was bad for me as well. After the birth I had only lost 4 pounds and the kids themselves wieighed almost 12! When I got home I had a night where I had a fever and basically sweated a lot out. Normal.

* Definitely take advantage of the nursery to get some sleep at night. I only did that the last night there because my mom basically forced me to. I was so adamant about nursing them for every feeding, thinking one or two bottles would ruin them forever ... um, no. The nurses can feed them and they or you won't be affected, and you will NEED that extra sleep, believe me.

* Bring your nursing pillow to the hospital and have the nurses/lactation consultants show you how to tandem feed. I tandem-fed as soon as I had both of them (Con was in the NICU overnight for infection) and it really helped for when I was at home.

* The sooner you get walking, believe it or not, the better you will start to feel.

* I made sure to tell the nurses when I didn't want visitors, when I was nursing or needed to catch a nap. They are your guards, sort of, and you don't need to be polite to every Tom, Dick and Jane that come to visit. You need to take care of you and those babies and sometimes you just can't entertain as well.

* Oh yeah, I threw up as well. In the hospital room they gave me the gross green crap to drink, and once I was strapped down, I got nauseous, told someone I was going to be sick, and puked on the floor since they didn't get a basin in time.

 

The only one I can think of right now is the itching. My whole face was itching and it really did not dawn on me until my Doc came in and saw me rubbing my face and asked me if I wanted some benadryl. Apparently the itching is a side effect from the pain medication.
Oh, and if you are lucky like me, I was sick and coughing and what helped me is the nursing pillows the hospital will give you(if you ask) it fit the incision area perfectly. Everytime I coughed I would hold the pillow in the incision spot to help it from feeling like it was going to pop out.
Don't be shy. If you want it, ask for it. I have a problem with not wanting to inconvienence people.

 

One more thing I just thought of...the shaking/shivering!!
After getting back to my room after my c/s I was shaking/shivering like crazy.
Every visitor thought I was cold & kept trying to put more blankets on me
It was just the anesthesia side effect ~

 

When I was on the operating table, the anesthesia made it feel like someone was standing on my chest and making it hard to breathe. Not sure if this is a typical response, but it definitely caught me off guard.

I would also recommend using the hospital lactation consultants as much as you can while you are in the hospital.

I would definitely also recommend to stay ahead on your pain meds. I missed a dose of mine b/c the nurse didn't think I wanted them, and it took awhile to get the pain under control again.

 

one of the best tips i got (from this board) was to put a maxi pad in your underwear to wear against the incision. It keeps underwear from rubbing on it.


Also, take the stool softener, for a few weeks.

I don't think i was tied down (keep in mind, stuff differs from hospital to hospital)

I took a shower 48 hours post and that was the hardest thing i ever did. The nurse dragged me there and sat with me. I was so tired from the effort I fell asleep. What a bizarre 3 days that was.

 

This thread came just in time!! I'm scheduled for a c-section (no arguements becos I had a cystectomy when I was 5 weeks preggy) at 38 weeks or so, and I've always wondered how is it going to be like!! Thanks for all the tips, encounters and experiences!! It freaked me out a little, but it also prepared me!!

 

good thread- wish I would have read something like this before I delivered!

The nurses gave me a choice of what pain meds to take, T3s or regular tylenol. I had never had a csec before so I thought tylenol would be fine, so that was all I took for the first 2 days. Until the dr came in and asked what meds I was taking, I told him reg tylenol and he looked at me like I was crazy and told me to take T3s. The pain was much more manageable after I took the T3s - i think I took them for a week or so and then didn't need them anymore. Don't be a hero, take the pain meds. I was bfing so I thought it might hurt my supply or my milk, but it appeared to be fine.

Yes, take the stool softeners!

I put my babies in the nursery at night with instructions to bring them to me to feed. They brought them to me every 3hrs and not before. Wish I would have skipped the odd feeding now looking back.

Ask for a private or double room - there were none available when I had my twins, so I had to share - but it was a big room, so it could have been worse.

Taking the staples out did NOT hurt, just a few tiny pinches.

Shivering after the csec - took a number of hours for it to stop.

I told nurses no visitors - they did a great job at keeping people out. We actually only told the ils and my parents because we did NOT want visitors at the hospital. It's hard enough having two babies, trying to breastfeed and recover from a csection while coworkers are walking in and out of your room! I was strict with this and I think it helped a lot.

My milk took like 12 days to come in, not sure if it was due to being induced and having a csection or not.

Good Luck!

 

Ditto to most of the posts, I had the nausea during the surgery, shaking and itching for about 2 hours out, and then developed a spinal headache two days later. If you have the worst headache of your life after, don't stay quiet about it! Lay down absolutely flat immediately (it relieves the pain greatly) and request consult with anestesiology to get a repeat spinal tap to patch the hole. Also, remember your razor and makeup! Having shaved legs and a decent appearance at the hospital made me feel sooooo much better! Lactation consultants are saints and will usually cater to a twin mom like she's the center of the world and the only person at the hospital (at least that's the way it was for me)! Constipation and gas are aweful after the surgery, start the meds immediately for help. And it will be hard to pee for the first time, too, after they remove the catheter sometimes your body has trouble starting the process again.

 

What I wish I had known:

1. Not everyone has a bad experience. I expected the worst, and the actual C-section and recovery were actually quite easy.

2. It will hurt to get out of bed. Sometimes it will feel like you are going to split yourself apart. You won't. Just push through the pain/discomfort and get up.

3. Get up and walk as soon as you can. This truly speeds up your recovery.

4. Bring very very comfortable clothes. Long flowy yoga pants, a tank top and bathrobe worked for me.

5. Even if your milk doesn't come in while you're in the hospital, you can pump the colostrum and feed your babies. They don't need formula.

 

I am going to be a c-section for my delivery and this is all great information! I have never had any surgery before in my life, so part of me is nervous for the surgery aspect. Thank you again for all the great tips and information!

 

QUOTE(isis @ Sep 22 2008, 03:57 AM) [snapback]991088[/snapback]
good thread- wish I would have read something like this before I delivered!


My milk took like 12 days to come in, not sure if it was due to being induced and having a csection or not.

Good Luck!

I didn't know having a csec could affect how soon your milk comes in. Did you just feed them colostrum for 12 days or did you supplement with formula?

 

QUOTE(alliandre @ Sep 21 2008, 11:04 PM) [snapback]990920[/snapback]
One thing I didn't know is that when air gets into your body cavity you feel like you're having a heart attack. You really aren't, but I wasn't expecting this and started freaking out about the chest pain I was having. It took them about 15 minutes to reassure me that it was normal.

Also if you are feeling anxious tell them and as soon as the babies are out they will make it all go away with their special medical magic.


I also had air enter my body cavity, resulting in a huge pain under my arm pit. The anesthesiologist was quick on the draw and I felt better fairly quickly but it totally suprised me. It's called referred pain and while not common during c-sections, it can happen.

 

As for milk coming in with a C-section, my milk came in and I nursed the boys, Chase a few hours after he was born, Connor the next day since he was in the NICU. I did pump colostrum for Connor. They weren't supplemented with anything else until I requested the nursery feed them the last night so I could get some sleep. My water had broken, however, so I don't know if that had anything to do with it, and I was "leaking" from my boobs during the late part of the pregnancy.

 

QUOTE(kgrew @ Sep 21 2008, 11:07 PM) [snapback]990535[/snapback]
Bring comfortable clothes for after the surgery. Make sure you have something that will not hit you right at the incision line(hairline.) Getting up out of bed was the hardest part for me. I made sure to take pain medication a bit before I planned to get out of bed.

YOU ARE NOT A BAD PERSON IF YOU HAVE YOUR BABIES STAY IN THE NURSERY AT NIGHT SO YOU CAN GET SOME REST AFTER THE SURGERY. I wish I got over the guilt of this. I would have recovered faster if I rested immediately after the surgery.

IF YOU CAN'T SLEEP IN THE HOSPITAL ASK FOR A SLEEPING PILL. This literally saved my life and my sanity.


DITTO THESE!!!

I was dead set on having Olivia in my room 24/7 after her birth b/c the twins were in the NICU and I never got that experience. Even Olivia was in the NICU for almost 36 hours. Even when she did start rooming-in with me, I took her to the nursery at night. I started thinking about how I had 2 toddlers at home that still needed a mom (irregardless of a c/s or a new baby) and I needed to get my rest before I went home. Best decision I ever made!

 

I think the milk coming in depends on a few factors. In my case, I had a scheduled c-section, and I had had no signs of labor whatsoever (I might be the only twin Mom in America, who went to 38 weeks with no contractions, no dilation, no effacing, no nothing). My little guys didn't want to come out at all. I think if you've already had kids you have an advantage as far as milk supply, and I was a first time mom.

I tried pumping in the hospital, and I pumped nothing but steam, until the 4th day when I got 10cc (which was like a drop), so I didn't even have colostrum (as far as I could tell).

They give you hormones in the IV that help with the milk coming in, but like isis, I had a real uphill battle on the nursing, but the c-section was only part of the reason for that.

 

Don't be afraid to kick people out of your room!!!! They took my catheter out and then I got a ton of DH's family for visitors. I was too nice to kick them out and I had to pee. Just ask them to go to the waiting room with the baby. (They didn't care about me anyways, just the baby!) I tried and tried to pee but couldn't. My bladder was 110% full! They ended up putting my catheter back in for another 24 hours and it was wonderful!!

 

I think everyone is different with their milk coming in after a c-section. With my DS, I had a scheduled c-section at 37 weeks. I was not dialated, not effaced, and I never had a single contraction (not even bh). I never leaked milk while pregnant and my milk still came in big time by the 4th day. So, the surgery might affect some people's milk, but not others.

 

I didn't really have any issues with the surgery itself, except it felt weird to have someone "tugging" on my belly. But I forgot all about it when I heard my sons first sounds! (My twins aren't due til April next year, I had a cs with DS three years ago). I really don't remember much. I was in a bit of a fog.

The intense itching right after is morphine withdrawal. They gave me a choice of long term meds, like benedryl, which slows it to a dull roar but takes longer to get rid of completely, or a one-time shot that would work for about 12 hours, then I would have to suffer until it went away on its own. I took the shot. The itching never really came back.

They forgot to warn me about the gas! I woke myself up with a loud fart! I thought it was my sweet little newborn son! I was so proud of him!

I wish I had insisted on pumping while in the hospital. My son and I were so drugged out, we both slept almost 24 hours in a row. My milk never really came in. And I wanted so badly to bf him. Will forever feel guilty that I didn't. Between the sleep and the cs, my body never got the "message" that it was time to produce milk. I think if I had started pumping there at the hospital it might have gone better.

I went home in the same clothes I came to the hospital in. I didn't lose any weight when I gave birth. In fact, I swelled up like a pumpkin for a week afterward. My feet were literally too fat to fit in my shoes (which were already a size and a half bigger than normal).

Take it easy, don't be a hero! I had my family over and tried to move my 3 yr old nephew and pulled my incision. It didn't open, but it freaked everyone out. I had to call the doctor, who told me to lay down for 24 hours and not move!

I had surgical glue, instead of tape, staples or stitches. It eventually just went away, with a little scrubbing. Ask the doctor before the surgery if they can use the surgical glue.

After a cs, you will have nerve damage around the incision. Some of the nerves will grow back, some won't. Every now and then I scratch an itch and can feel where the nerves are still separated. No big deal, just a strange feeling.

If you can let the baby sleep in the nursery for one night, you will feel better for it. My nurses forgot to bring my son back! He was asleep and so was I, so they just left us alone where we were.

Keep on top of the pain meds. I took Darvocet (I'm allergic to codeine and anything like it).

I guess I was lucky, I did not have any bad headaches.

They will put you on a bland, bland diet right after. You just gave birth and are supposed to be regaining your strength, but the won't give you any real food! I snuck granola bars and pop tarts at night. I felt much better with some food in my stomach (but don't do this if you are still queasy!)

I remember getting the shivers during labor, but not after the surgery.

That's all I can remember right now.

 

To all of you who say to send your babies to the nursery at night... you don't feel like this impacted when your milk came in or how much you had? While I know that I will need the sleep, I don't want to sacrifice my milk supply for it. I really want to give it my best shot at bfing 2. What are your thoughts?

 

QUOTE(angelf @ Sep 23 2008, 04:27 PM) [snapback]993980[/snapback]
To all of you who say to send your babies to the nursery at night... you don't feel like this impacted when your milk came in or how much you had? While I know that I will need the sleep, I don't want to sacrifice my milk supply for it. I really want to give it my best shot at bfing 2. What are your thoughts?



That is a fantastic question!

My desire to exclusively breastfeed them is getting in the way of me agreeing to take that sleeping pill and get my rest! Lord knows, if It will not affect me and the breastfeeding much I will gladly get some rest!

What do you ladies think?

 

oh my goodness! With my son and my twins the anesthesia made me so shivery and shakey! it sucked..they give lots of warm towels or blankets though!

Take advantage of the nurses or visitors when you need to get up! My DH and nurses helped me to get up. DH made sure I didn't use any muscle at all..sweetheart..lol

 

I had a C after a failed induction. About the milk supply... I did send mine to the nursery but only after giving instruction that they were to be brought every 2.5 hours or sooner if they were fussing (2.5 was from their daytime habits -- they don't have any clue what day/night are). I had this huge adrenaline surge going and never felt sleep deprived until I'd been home for a few days so not everyone feels the need to skip feedings. I think my milk came in between day 3 & 4 but it's hard to say since I didn't have that "OMG -- my breasts are HUGE" experience. The nurse tried to tell me that my milk must not be in even though I could hear them swallowing because "It hurts and you'll know it when it happens". She was so, so, sooooo wrong. If you're feeding two babies frequently, you might not get engorged. I was never so happy as the moment I was able to show her the mustard-filled diapers and tell her that I had my proof now, thanks.

I got a minor case of the shivers, no itching. I had the "hard to breathe" experience and told the guy who was handling my epidural and he reassured me. The sensation passed as soon as the babies were out. I was not tied down.

I didn't know ahead of time, though, that the hospital's policy is to not offer pain meds. You have to ask for each and every dose. It's apparently not enough to expect a new mom to remember feedings and diaper changes, she has to log her meds herself so she doesn't enter the horrible state of having it all wear off completely on the first day. The nurse felt so badly about it that she came up with a way to remind me without violating their rules.

They have loads of food at the hospital but they might bring you portions suitable for an invalid rather than a mommy nursing two babies. ASK FOR MORE. They will bring it.

I can't stress enough how important it is to walk as soon as your legs will move you, take the stool softeners, and don't be afraid to ask for what you want/need.

 

All of this information is really great, I know it will come in handy in a few weeks for me (as of right now they are both transverse) But I have noticed no one really talks about when you are able to eat? Do you even feel like eating?

 

Do your best not to be scared. There's a whole team of medical professionals who do the job and it is such a routine thing for them. Plus reading this thread will educate you so much--first-hand experience is best.

That said, the one thing I wish I knew. It is possible the epidural or spinal may be 'spotty' which is a euphemism for: it may at some point fail to numb the pain of the surgery. This is EXTREMELY RARE, and if it does happen, a good anesthesiologist is prepared for backup pain control. My anesthesiologist was unprepared so I suffered immensely until the cord was cut and had general anesthesia.

I don't want this to unnecessarily happen to someone else. Had I asked what backup methods the MD had I imagine he'd have ensured they were in the OR (twilight sedation, narcotic IV, etc) During your prescreen it can't hurt to ask about it.

This happened during my 1st c-section. My 2nd c-section was perfect--I talked to the anesthesiology team in advance about my concerns and the entire operation was a breeze. Did not feel a thing and met my little darlings within minutes!