update 36 weeks - c section advice

Well scan shows placenta still low (grade 3 previa) so section has been
booked for June 6th.

Only good thing I can see is that I KNOW when he will be born, provided he
waits !!

I'd like to hear info from people who've previously had a c section to find
out more in relation to the recovery and after effects.

I know how it's done etc but would like to know how quickly or slowly people
have recovered in the past.

TIA

--
LG

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Well scan shows placenta still low (grade 3 previa) so section has been
booked for June 6th.

Only good thing I can see is that I KNOW when he will be born, provided he
waits !!

I'd like to hear info from people who've previously had a c section to
find out more in relation to the recovery and after effects.

I know how it's done etc but would like to know how quickly or slowly
people have recovered in the past.

sorry to hear this Karen :-(.

I recall earlier one you were concerned that your due date had been brought
forward and you were sure your dates were right, so how does this date
relate to those? C-section babies are more likely to suffer from respiratory
distress due to lack of contractions to get the lungs going, so it's even
more critical that you don't time it too early.

I've not been through it myself, but the one thing I consistently hear as a
problem post c-section in the UK is pain relief, if you are relying on oral
medicine, it works best to alternate anti inflamatories with opiates, so you
are taking something roughly every 3hrs, but hospitals don't do drug rounds
that often, so oral only is often not satisfactory, even though it could be,
as about patient controlled anaesthesia. Some doctors will express concern
for breastfeeding, but breastfeeing will get off to a better start if mum's
pain is under control.

There are loads of other questions to ask in advance, some recommend
arranging to see the anaethetist in advance as well as the surgeon, see
http://www.radmid.demon.co.uk/csgood.htm.

It's also worth asking for a scan the day before, it is unlikely anything
will change, but if you were that rare person that it did, you'd be cursing
afterwards!

Anne

On Wed, 16 May 2007 13:06:37 GMT, "Karen \(LG\)"
wrote:

Well scan shows placenta still low (grade 3 previa) so section has been
booked for June 6th.

Only good thing I can see is that I KNOW when he will be born, provided he
waits !!

I'd like to hear info from people who've previously had a c section to find
out more in relation to the recovery and after effects.

I know how it's done etc but would like to know how quickly or slowly people
have recovered in the past.

It can vary from person to person, or even in the same person from
pregnancy to pregnancy. A lot can depend on your general health and
age before the surgery, imo.

I had my fist c-section and recovered very quickly. Not so with the
second at all, and had complications.

My one piece of advice would be to take whatever pain meds they offer!

Nan

Nan wrote:
On Wed, 16 May 2007 13:06:37 GMT, "Karen \(LG\)"
wrote:


Well scan shows placenta still low (grade 3 previa) so section has been
booked for June 6th.

Only good thing I can see is that I KNOW when he will be born, provided he
waits !!

I'd like to hear info from people who've previously had a c section to find
out more in relation to the recovery and after effects.

I know how it's done etc but would like to know how quickly or slowly people
have recovered in the past.


It can vary from person to person, or even in the same person from
pregnancy to pregnancy. A lot can depend on your general health and
age before the surgery, imo.

I had my fist c-section and recovered very quickly. Not so with the
second at all, and had complications.

My one piece of advice would be to take whatever pain meds they offer!

And stool softeners, take the stool softeners for your own sake. I
didn't and regretted it 3 or 4 days later, a section is hard on your
intestines, they do not like to be messed with and take some time to
stop sulking.

Breastfeeding went fine for me but my midwife was "on it' she got the
baby on the breast within 30 minutes, I don't know if that is what did
it or not but besides my milk being slow to come in, could have been 1st
time Mum thing or c-section thing or combination, I didn't have any
problems after the first few days.

Good luck to you!

On May 16, 10:12 am, Nan wrote:
My one piece of advice would be to take whatever pain meds they offer!

Nan

My first was a section, and I actually recovered really quickly -- I
was walking around easily a week later, and hauled a Christmas tree
into our apartment 3 weeks after that. But I definitely second Nan's
rec on the pain meds -- I was trying to be all natural and not use
them, but you can't recover if you can't sleep, and you can't sleep if
you're in pain.

Good luck! I will say -- although the VBAC recovery's been *much*
faster, I was interested in sex much sooner after the section...

Em
mama to Micah, 11/14/04; Shiloh, 4/22/07

On Wed, 16 May 2007 15:48:23 -0400, Boliath
wrote:

And stool softeners, take the stool softeners for your own sake. I
didn't and regretted it 3 or 4 days later, a section is hard on your
intestines, they do not like to be messed with and take some time to
stop sulking.

Oh my heavens, yes! The stool softener was an absolute MUST for me.

Nan

"Karen (LG)" wrote:

Well scan shows placenta still low (grade 3 previa) so section has been
booked for June 6th.

I haven't had a c section, but I wanted to say that's my son's birthday.
I hope the birth goes well and you recover quickly!


--
Rebecca Jo
Mama to Alexander 6/6/05
EDD 7/03/2007

Nan wrote:
On Wed, 16 May 2007 15:48:23 -0400, Boliath
wrote:

And stool softeners, take the stool softeners for your own sake. I
didn't and regretted it 3 or 4 days later, a section is hard on your
intestines, they do not like to be messed with and take some time to
stop sulking.

Oh my heavens, yes! The stool softener was an absolute MUST for me.

Hmm... Not so for me. The hospital "provided" their own. I'm intolerant to
milk proteins and they served me a high milk content diet without consulting
with me first. Then when they took me off the immediately post-op diet they
put me on a "light" diet and light milk contains more milk proteins than
full fat milk. Ugh!!! I usually control the amount of lactose I ingest when
I can choose what I eat but at the hospital I just put up with what they
gave me for the first couple of days. Helped my stools no end so I guess
they kind of did me a roundabout favour. They looked shocked when I reported
that I had had a bowel movement the first time I went to the loo. What did
they expect after they had poisoned my system with milk proteins? LOL

For me, the recovery took longer than expected due to complications - scar
infection. However, once the infection was under control, it took just over
a week for me to stop hurting. My sister also reports about a week to stop
hurting. After that, you just need to take it easy in order not to hurt
yourself.

It took about 5 or 6 days instead of the usual 2 or 3 for my breast milk to
come in. This is to be expected in both induction and c-section the midwives
told me. So don't fret if it takes a bit longer. You'll get there in the
end.

I was off the opiates within 24 hours, then rejected the other strong
painkiller they were giving me within another 12 as I had a bad reaction to
it and it gave me headspins. All I took afterwards was paracetemol. Then
again, we seem to have a high pain threshold in my family. My sister was off
the opiates and on only paracetemol within 24 -36 hours after her c-section
as well.

A consultation with the anesthetist is a good idea. You need to know your
options. In my case the spinal block didn't take (they poked holes in me 4
times!) and I had to have a general. Know your options, know what you're
giving consent to, weigh up the risks to you and your baby.

One additional piece of advice I would give is to check with your vehicle
insurance company about their policy on driving post-op. In Australia, you
are not insured while driving a vehicle for 6 weeks following a c-section. I
was feeling fit enough to drive within about 4 weeks post-op (no pain
whatsoever, and taking into accout my extended recovery time) but the
insurance situation prevented me from driving.

Good luck!

Engram

Boliath wrote:

And stool softeners, take the stool softeners for your own sake. I
didn't and regretted it 3 or 4 days later, a section is hard on your
intestines, they do not like to be messed with and take some time to
stop sulking.

Yep. First section, I really regretted it. Second
one, I drank a LOT of orange juice the night before
and that helped tremendously.

In general, take it as easy as you need to and take
your pain meds as you need them. Don't rush to get
better. And tell whomever is driving you home to
take all road bumps SLOWLY.

-- Anita --

Due date is June 11th. So only 5 days early.
They wanted to book me in for the 30th may but I refused, can't do a c
section without me now can they !

"Anne Rogers" wrote in message
. ..

sorry to hear this Karen :-(.

I recall earlier one you were concerned that your due date had been
brought forward and you were sure your dates were right, so how does this
date relate to those? C-section babies are more likely to suffer from
respiratory distress due to lack of contractions to get the lungs going,
so it's even more critical that you don't time it too early.

I've not been through it myself, but the one thing I consistently hear as
a problem post c-section in the UK is pain relief, if you are relying on
oral medicine, it works best to alternate anti inflamatories with opiates,
so you are taking something roughly every 3hrs, but hospitals don't do
drug rounds that often, so oral only is often not satisfactory, even
though it could be, as about patient controlled anaesthesia. Some doctors
will express concern for breastfeeding, but breastfeeing will get off to a
better start if mum's pain is under control.

There are loads of other questions to ask in advance, some recommend
arranging to see the anaethetist in advance as well as the surgeon, see
http://www.radmid.demon.co.uk/csgood.htm.

It's also worth asking for a scan the day before, it is unlikely anything
will change, but if you were that rare person that it did, you'd be
cursing afterwards!

Anne