What do they not tell you about c-section?

[Anonymous]

1. The incision area won’t feel right for a while. I didn’t like anything brushing against the incision for YEARS. It wasn’t pain, but it was an uncomfortable feeling.

2. Buy granny panties that ride up high and cover the scar. I’m 6 years out from my c-section and still can’t wear low cut underwear.

3. As others said, stay on top of the pain meds.

4. Get up and walk arounD ASAP. I was hobbling around while still catheterized and remember looking down and seeing blood dripping down by leg and feeling supremely horrified. It was normal. There will be blood. Still walk around.

5. If at one point during the c-section, your spouse whispers into your ear, “don’t look to your right, there’s a bucket that’s filling up with your blood,” by all means don’t look right.

6. Each hospital is probably different, but I was very opposed to having my arms strapped down. I stated this ahead of time and my arms were never strapped.

7. Enjoy that morphine drip while it lasts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Question for you all - Will be having a scheduled c section after my first kid’s emergency c section after labor which sucked (I had more bleeding that usual).

My scar is also ugly red raised and uneven - do they cut in the same place or will I have two scars? How does it look like?

Terrified ...and panicked reading these

If you have enough loose skin, you can ask the doctor to cut out the scarred skin

[Anonymous]

That your legs can be numb for hours afterwards. I had my c section early in the morning. By that night feeling had come back in one of my legs but not the other. I couldn’t move the other. I was freaked out. I regained feeling in it a few hours later though and everything was fine. But I wish someone had told me that could happen so I wasn’t so surprised and freaked.

[Anonymous]

OP here thank you all so much for your replies, from the practical (ive already ordered the miralax) to the amusing (i will defin. avoid looking at the bucket of blood if there is one). Ifeel so much moe prepared than i did before this thread, even if things dont go as planned I have a few ideas of where the bumps in the road might arise. I am giving birth at a teaching hospital, I think sometimes that means they dont really give you options about stitches etc but I will ask. Good luck to everyone who is expecting!

[Anonymous]

Don’t automatically take the narcotic painkillers if you don’t feel you need them. Advil was enough for me with my second. The first time I just took what they gave me and the resulting constipation was by far the worst part of the whole c-section/post-partum experience. By FAR!! Seriously. Stick with Advil.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question for you all - Will be having a scheduled c section after my first kid’s emergency c section after labor which sucked (I had more bleeding that usual).

My scar is also ugly red raised and uneven - do they cut in the same place or will I have two scars? How does it look like?

Terrified ...and panicked reading these

My first planned c section left me with a jagged scar. My ob revised the scar when I had my second and it looks pretty good (for a scar). It has faded a lot, also.

Same. I had a keloid scar from my first and I specifically asked my OB to fix it the second time and she did an amazing job—even got rid of the little shelf I had from the first one. But be sure to ask—I definitely got the impression that it wouldn’t have received extra attention if I didn’t bring it up.

Pp. Mine looked so bad, the doctor mentioned it first. I intended to ask her about it but wasn't sure how to brooch it because she did the first surgery. I thankfully do not have a shelf or pooch, which I've read about on here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don’t automatically take the narcotic painkillers if you don’t feel you need them. Advil was enough for me with my second. The first time I just took what they gave me and the resulting constipation was by far the worst part of the whole c-section/post-partum experience. By FAR!! Seriously. Stick with Advil.

I agree with this. If anything, the constipation causes more pain than the surgery because when your bowels are full and sluggish, they press on the incisions. I brought my own colace and water and started on the ASAP. I brought my own snacks, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here thank you all so much for your replies, from the practical (ive already ordered the miralax) to the amusing (i will defin. avoid looking at the bucket of blood if there is one). Ifeel so much moe prepared than i did before this thread, even if things dont go as planned I have a few ideas of where the bumps in the road might arise. I am giving birth at a teaching hospital, I think sometimes that means they dont really give you options about stitches etc but I will ask. Good luck to everyone who is expecting!

Good luck OP and congratulations!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question for you all - Will be having a scheduled c section after my first kid’s emergency c section after labor which sucked (I had more bleeding that usual).

My scar is also ugly red raised and uneven - do they cut in the same place or will I have two scars? How does it look like?

Terrified ...and panicked reading these

My first planned c section left me with a jagged scar. My ob revised the scar when I had my second and it looks pretty good (for a scar). It has faded a lot, also.

Same. I had a keloid scar from my first and I specifically asked my OB to fix it the second time and she did an amazing job—even got rid of the little shelf I had from the first one. But be sure to ask—I definitely got the impression that it wouldn’t have received extra attention if I didn’t bring it up.

Pp. Mine looked so bad, the doctor mentioned it first. I intended to ask her about it but wasn't sure how to brooch it because she did the first surgery. I thankfully do not have a shelf or pooch, which I've read about on here.

I’m the poster asking and I definitely have a shelf too ugh but I wonder if asking to fix it adds to time and complication? Thank you all though I will ask and this thread is so helpful!

[Anonymous]

Don't let them have a med student with no experience stitch you back up. I had a true emergency C section with preemie multiples where the babies' survival was not a sure thing and was treated the OB yelling at the med student who was totally messing up my stitches as part of the overall drama. A plastic surgeon had to redo later.

[Anonymous]

OP here again. I just got emailed instructions from the hospital.

On the topics of medicine it says: "You will receive Tylenol (acetaminophen) every 6 hours throughout your hospital stay. For the first 24 hours you will receive Toradol (ketorolac) through your IV every 6 hours. This is similar to ibuprofen. After the first 24 hours you will receive Motrin (ibuprofen) by mouth every 6 hours. If you continue to have pain, you can ask your nurse for a stronger pain medication (oxycodone)."

I understand the constipation issue and also that medical professionals are trying to keep ppl off addictive pain meds. Does what they describe seem like the right balance? Seems like the only options are mild over the counter or oxycodone. There is nothing in the middle?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here again. I just got emailed instructions from the hospital.

On the topics of medicine it says: "You will receive Tylenol (acetaminophen) every 6 hours throughout your hospital stay. For the first 24 hours you will receive Toradol (ketorolac) through your IV every 6 hours. This is similar to ibuprofen. After the first 24 hours you will receive Motrin (ibuprofen) by mouth every 6 hours. If you continue to have pain, you can ask your nurse for a stronger pain medication (oxycodone)."

I understand the constipation issue and also that medical professionals are trying to keep ppl off addictive pain meds. Does what they describe seem like the right balance? Seems like the only options are mild over the counter or oxycodone. There is nothing in the middle?

My first c section was 3.5 years ago and I was automatically given oxy after the Toradol wore off and I took it around the clock for 5-6 days. At the time I couldn’t imagine not needing it since I felt so fragile. Things changed after that as hospitals finally took the opioid crisis more seriously and when I had my second c section last October I was put on the exact protocol you wrote above and was shocked that I never remotely felt like I needed to request oxy. I actually recovered quicker and felt better the second time. Opioids are amazing—don’t get me wrong—but I actually think hospitals are finally on to something by not offering them automatically anymore. Definitely ask if you need it (they won’t question you or shame you at all) but it’s worth seeing how you feel with just the Motrin/Tylenol regimen.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here again. I just got emailed instructions from the hospital.

On the topics of medicine it says: "You will receive Tylenol (acetaminophen) every 6 hours throughout your hospital stay. For the first 24 hours you will receive Toradol (ketorolac) through your IV every 6 hours. This is similar to ibuprofen. After the first 24 hours you will receive Motrin (ibuprofen) by mouth every 6 hours. If you continue to have pain, you can ask your nurse for a stronger pain medication (oxycodone)."

I understand the constipation issue and also that medical professionals are trying to keep ppl off addictive pain meds. Does what they describe seem like the right balance? Seems like the only options are mild over the counter or oxycodone. There is nothing in the middle?

Ibuprofen is super effective tbh. For me it works better than Vicodin, for example. It’s good to start minimal and just ask if you are in pain. They should also be asking you about your pain so just be honest and you’ll manage it together. Pain meds work fast so it’s not like you’ll miss the boat if you start without.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Question for you all - Will be having a scheduled c section after my first kid’s emergency c section after labor which sucked (I had more bleeding that usual).

My scar is also ugly red raised and uneven - do they cut in the same place or will I have two scars? How does it look like?

Terrified ...and panicked reading these

My first planned c section left me with a jagged scar. My ob revised the scar when I had my second and it looks pretty good (for a scar). It has faded a lot, also.

Same. I had a keloid scar from my first and I specifically asked my OB to fix it the second time and she did an amazing job—even got rid of the little shelf I had from the first one. But be sure to ask—I definitely got the impression that it wouldn’t have received extra attention if I didn’t bring it up.

Pp. Mine looked so bad, the doctor mentioned it first. I intended to ask her about it but wasn't sure how to brooch it because she did the first surgery. I thankfully do not have a shelf or pooch, which I've read about on here.

I’m the poster asking and I definitely have a shelf too ugh but I wonder if asking to fix it adds to time and complication? Thank you all though I will ask and this thread is so helpful!

Keloid PP from above here: Stitching me up from the first section that left me with an awful scar took SO much longer than the second one. I have no idea what went “wrong” but even the anesthesiologist was like “uh, guys? You wrapping this up soon?” during the first one and the second one was smooth sailing. Baby snuggled by my neck the whole time and I had no sense of it being longer or more complicated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t automatically take the narcotic painkillers if you don’t feel you need them. Advil was enough for me with my second. The first time I just took what they gave me and the resulting constipation was by far the worst part of the whole c-section/post-partum experience. By FAR!! Seriously. Stick with Advil.

I agree with this. If anything, the constipation causes more pain than the surgery because when your bowels are full and sluggish, they press on the incisions. I brought my own colace and water and started on the ASAP. I brought my own snacks, too.

I will be the dissenter! The oxycodone made my life so much easier those first few days. The pain was basically gone, I had a nice relaxing buzz, could sleep easily, and it made it easier for me to walk around and therefore heal faster. I took a ton of miralax and colace from day 1, and the first poop wasn’t awful. Well worth the benefit of the narcotics for me. OP is going to be stuffed full of narcotics anyways after that C section- REAL ones- that a few doses of oxycodone aren’t going to make a big difference.