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C-sections- what’s the story??
C-sections- what’s the story??
Posted: 02/05/2021

So, I’ve had three sections and it’s safe to say I know a lot about the process involved. My first section was an emergency at 4am - “failure to progress” …. after almost 24 hours of labour, I hadn’t reached the magical 10cm dilated (so close at 9cm) and a c-section was decided upon. It was a bit of a shock!!!! I hadn’t envisioned having a section myself… actually I had notions of a pain-relief free birth (that soon went out the window!!), so being wheeled down to theatre in the middle of the night was not on my “birth plan” ( I actually had no birth plan…. I don’t think they were much of a thing back 14 years ago? Maybe it was just me? Anyway, I digress….) The whole process happened really quickly… the consultant decreed a section, lots of people appeared….I was wheeled to theatre while a nurse removed nail varnish from my toes (I had been at a wedding the week before) and as I arrived in the theatre David was taken aside and gowned up. As I already had the epidural, I didn’t need a spinal block. A screen was secured between me and the action (thank God!) and within minutes they announced the birth of our 9lb 4oz baby girl.

Recovery was good. The nurses are keen to get you moving so as soon as possible you will be shuffled into the shower. Difene suppositories are your best friend, don’t be afraid to keep the pain relief topped up. The biggest problem I had was a pain just under my shoulder blade…. I didn’t realise this is a common side effect of having had a section….air gets trapped in your abdomen after the operation and can travel to other parts of your body, especially near your shoulder blades. Colpermin tablets were great for this- they just break down the air and hey presto...pain gone.

I stayed in hospital for 3 days after Tara was born. The first night the nurses took her to the nurses station to look after her as I was in no position to lift her. But really, after that, you are left to your own devices. I always rang the bell to get someone to lift her out of the cot if I was on my own as it was just too great a tug on my tummy muscles.

At home, recovery was steady. I took the advice (orders?!) of not driving for 6 weeks so Tara and I bonded in our own little bubble. You will most likely be discharged with a prescription for difene tablets and, as I said before, these are fantastic for the first few days at home, but the pain subsides and mostly I was feeling stiff after the first week.

So, when I got pregnant on baby number 2, I decided to opt for a planned c-section. When you have had a section you can choose to have a second and because everything had gone so smoothly I decided to do just that, but, you can opt for a VBAC (vaginal birth after Caesarian) if you so wish.

There are many advantages to a planned section…. not least the fact you get a date for the birth, normally a week before your due date, so on a sunny day at the end of February, David and I headed off to Portiuncula. We were admitted at 8am and brought to the labour room to monitor the baby. All was good so I was sent to a room to wait for the call. As there were a number of emergency sections that morning we weren’t called until lunchtime. I was gowned up and given a little bottle of anti-sickness medication which I had to ‘down in one!’.

I walked to theatre and sat on the little bed. While David was gowned up outside, a spinal block was administered which prevents feeling pain from the chest down. David arrived in the room, the screen was put in place and a few minutes later they announced the birth of our 9lb 2 oz baby girl…. who immediately peed all over me!! Recovery was different this time. Back in the room I developed a headache and that night I told the midwives who gave me painkillers. The next morning the headache was still there so the anaesthetist was called and put me on a drip and advised me to drink as much coke as possible. This I did, but the following day I still had the headache. It became evident I had a spinal leak -where a small amount of spinal fluid leaks out from the place where the spinal block was administered. It often rectified itself but in my case it was back down to theatre for a blood patch. This sounds so scary. The process sounds awful. It’s not. Basically, they remove a syringe-full of blood from your arm (like getting a blood test done) and immediately use that blood to inject it into the site of your spinal block to stop the fluid leaking. I sat on the table, leaned over a pillow, they worked their magic and the headache disappeared immediately….literally instantly! Magic! I left the hospital the next day. Again, the difene suppositories were fantastic and again, once home, the pain subsided and while I took care not to drive or lift anything heavy, my recovery was flawless.

 

And onto section number 3. Again, this was planned so we were given a date and this time, on Good Friday, off we set to Portiuncula. This was the “best” section...we were at the hospital at 8, I went straight to the labour ward and was monitored, I walked down to theatre at 8.45 and got my spinal block. This time no problems at all and before 10 am our (not so little) 10lb 4oz baby girl was born. Recovery was textbook….again the nurses got me up and about as soon as possible...into the shower...I walked up and down the corridor a few times as the more you move the less stiff you are. This time new hospital policy meant I had compression socks to help prevent clots after the operation...that was 6 years ago, now you also need Innohep injections to help prevent the same. Recovery was fine, every day I felt a little less sore and needed fewer painkillers. So there you go….. I’ve put together “My Top Tips” with the most important pieces of advice that I think every mum should follow. Hope this was helpful!

My Top Tips

1. Take the difene suppositories! Actually, keep well topped up on pain relief (this is from someone who has only ever taken a paracetamol for a headache!!!). If you don’t take the pain medication regularly the pain will be worse and your overall recovery will suffer.

2. Be prepared to “go with the flow”. Take each day as it comes. Accept plenty of help and don’t try to be a hero. You are that already and you don’t need to prove it.

3. Don’t panic. So you need a Caesarian section? What harm?? All that matters is that you and baby are healthy. Need a blood patch? No worries -it really is magic!!

4. Move, move, move. Now I’m not talking about Mount Everest, but it’s good to shuffle about the house from room to room or around outside if it’s nice. This will aid your overall recovery and also lessen the chance of a blood clot.

5. Buy big knickers!! Yep…..huge ones….ones so big you never realised they existed...big granny knickers that come well up above your scar.

6. Yes, you will need to give yourself an injection when you get home for a number of days. I have no advice here as I didn’t have to do it 6 years ago, but if hundreds of women have managed over the past few years, you will manage fine too!!

7. Try to have things arranged so you don’t need to drive. Give those tummy muscles all the time you can to heal and knit together.

8. And a side note for ALL expectant dads….. have plenty of change for the vending machine �

 

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