Planned c-section recovery - the early days
Becs’ Planned C-Section
I had a planned C-section with my first baby and it was an incredible birth, every bit as magical as I could have hoped. But before the delivery, I often heard the phrase ‘It is major abdominal surgery!’ and while I understood that, I didn’t really know what to expect. After all, I’d never had major surgery, abdominal or otherwise! In this postpartum diary, I’d like to talk about the couple of days immediately after my C-section.
“It was a strange sensation not being able to feel my legs for the next few hours”
Immediately after the operation, you are moved to an interim area called the recovery ward. I think my baby just stayed on my chest as I was wheeled through and my husband was around too. I had no idea the recovery ward was a thing. It was a ward for general surgical recoveries, where they monitor you to check for any major changes in condition, such as blood pressure or bleeding. I think it’s good to be aware of this as the staffs’ role is quite specific. I’ll never forget the face of my nurse when I asked him how to breastfeed and what I should do next - he simply explained that I will be in better hands shortly! Thankfully, I was only on this ward for a couple of hours and I was soon moved to the postnatal ward where they were far more kitted out for a very clueless new mum!
I was handed the famous tea and toast and as my body was withdrawing from the anaesthetic I felt exhausted, dehydrated and rather itchy. Not all that problematic, but not very pleasant! It was a strange sensation not being able to feel my legs for the next few hours, but this gradually wore off. Then there was the catheter, so I certainly wasn’t going anywhere. Again, not a problem as I had my brand new little boy to coo over!
The Postnatal Ward
As the anaesthetic wore off, my scar was incredibly uncomfortable and I did request stronger pain killers at one point. On the morning after my birth (24 hours later), my catheter was removed (glorious!) and I was encouraged to move about. Miraculously I could walk to the toilet and I did my all important first wee, which is one of the indicators they set for going home. But man I felt like all the wind had been knocked out of me. My entire abdomen and chest felt exhausted and a brief walk up the corridor was plenty. I was still trying to work out how to breastfeed and not sure my little boy was getting any milk at all.
The postnatal ward was a busy place, lots of bright lights, crying babies, parents trying to work things out and it was never the right temperature! But crucially, my lasting memory was how the wonderful array of staff supported me. They tirelessly helped me to breastfeed, reminded me to change the baby’s nappy (not always in a polite fashion, but it was a job that needed doing and I forgot in my postnatal brain fog), swaddled him time and time again and came (not necessarily immediately) when I pressed the buzzer as I needed to pick him up. The ward was packed, but when I asked, help was there. I’ve had lots of conversations with friends subsequently who said they had such a different experience, but looking back, I think my experience was shaped by having the confidence to ask. In all honesty, I was so physically incapable of doing anything for myself, that I felt I had no other option in order to look after my son.
Having stayed a night on the ward and passed various checks, the other mums around me were packing their bags and heading home. Having had the same surgery as me, I couldn't believe it! I was feeling a bit nervous about having to leave, but figured I had to go at some point, so I went to the bathroom again to freshen up before presumably taking the same course as all the others.
“There is no rush to get home from hospital if you are not ready”
As I got back to my bed, I felt extremely strange, sweaty, dizzy and sick. In a flash, the nurses and midwives helped me back into bed, brought me a snack/drink and I think they did something for my iron levels. I felt so looked after and protected but cried to them that I was so scared that I had to go home. They immediately reassured me that while I had passed all the medical requirements to go home, they were not in any hurry to get rid of me and I could of course stay for another night. They had observed that I needed a bit more support with breastfeeding and many other people were second time mums who knew what they were doing a bit better. This made me feel so relieved. I settled back and made a start on the extensive snack bag my husband had arranged and cuddled my baby for another 24 hours with the most incredible support around me.
The point of this blog is to say two things. First of all, advocacy is so important. It can come from a place of strength and knowing that you are right. Or a place of surrender, knowing you just can’t function for yourself, but it’s the same thing. Speaking up and saying what you need.
Secondly, there is no rush to get home from hospital if you or your baby are not ready. There is this narrative around how long you ‘have’ to stay in hospital after a C-section. Flip that on its head and consider that the hospital stay is there to help you recover, just like you would from any other operation. People talk about not being prepared for that moment when they leave the hospital and quite right, no matter how you have given birth, you’re emerging a new person, with a new person, and it’s big! So don’t rush it and don’t go home because other people are and you think they are doing better than you, you never know what is going through their head! Don’t get me wrong, it was lovely to finally get home to a dimly lit, calm house the next day, but the staff at the hospital enabled me to do that without it feeling like a traumatic experience.