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The First Week After Having a Cesarean Section
When I was pregnant with my first child, it never occurred to me that I'd have a c-section. But after three hours of pushing, I no longer cared that the birth I envisioned wasn't to be -- I just wanted it to be over. And compared to the 20 hours that preceded it, the surgery was no big deal. But just as I wasn't prepared for a c-section, I was also unprepared for the recovery. Here's what my first week was like, and what you can expect if you end up giving birth via cesarean section.
First, I was wheeled into the recovery room. I remember feeling shaky and cold but I wasn't in any pain because the anesthesia hadn't worn off yet. This must be a common reaction (due, I was later told, not to the anesthesia but to the fact that I was wearing just a gown in a cool room for an hour) because the nurse asked if I'd like a warm sheet to wrap around me. I gratefully accepted. I was incredibly thirsty -- I wanted a Coke more than anything! But all I could have were ice chips. I'd just had abdominal surgery, after all, and my digestive system wasn't fully functioning.
After a couple of hours, I was wheeled to my room in the maternity ward. As the anesthesia wore off, my incision began to throb. I was given morphine administered through an IV, which made me feel out of it, but allowed me to sleep. (By the time I gave birth it was 10:00 at night.) After a day on the morphine drip, I was stepped down to Percocet, which I took orally. Most doctors will urge you to take the pain relief when offered -- not only will you feel better, you'll recover faster. I was still hooked up to an IV to stay hydrated and to a catheter to urinate. It sounds awful, but the thought of going to the bathroom was pretty terrifying so I didn't mind. That first night, and for the rest of my stay, I was shocked to be woken up every three or four hours to have my temperature taken. It seemed to be counterproductive, when what I really needed to recover was rest. But as Lani Miller, MD, medical director of Providence Maternal Care Clinic in Portland, Oregon, explains, infection is a risk when you've had major surgery, and fever is one of the telltale signs of infection.
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This story is completely terrifying.
4/26/2012 11:03:09 AM Report Abusethis story sounds just like mine. i've had three c-sections due to my first son being almost 10 lbs and me just not dilating. i'm going in for my 4th c-section on april 13th and just had to read this as a reminder how hard it is afterwards, but with the help of family it makes it much easier.
3/16/2012 01:20:51 PM Report AbuseThank you for such an informative article about having a c-section. I am scheduled for a c-section in a few weeks because I am pregnant with twins and just the thought of having major abdominal surgery. I have had a handful of friends and family that have gone through a c-section and they have been helping me deal with the anxiety but I like how this article broke it down day by day of the first week. Thank you.
3/1/2012 11:44:25 AM Report AbuseThis will be my second c-section from when I gave birth to my firstborn son 12 years ago, the story was highly imformative and a recaption of what I had went through. The experience was truly no picnic but the reward is priceless. My advice to everyone preparing for a cesarean follow doctors orders.
2/10/2012 09:40:10 AM Report AbuseGood story! I have to say that I have friends who have had planned c-sections (due to prior issues) and their recoveries were much easier becuase they weren't recovering from "labor" as well as the surgery. I have a scheduled c-section for my first, and I am hoping the recovery will be okay. My mom also had three c-sections- and no one ever asks "how did you come out". I think the fact a baby grows inside of you is the real miracle :) Good luck to everyone no matter how you give birth!
1/5/2012 11:05:30 AM Report AbuseI had my C/S at 8am, and by that afternoon they had removed the cath and i was walking (very slowly). I wasn't ever on morphine, and they only oral pain med they gave me were loritab 5. Not much of anything! But i felt pretty good for just having surgery. My scar is almost completely gone and I never had any problems. I'm scheduled for #2 in three weeks! It doesn't matter how you have your baby, as long as you are both health and happy :)
1/4/2012 12:54:21 PM Report AbuseI also labored for about 16 hours, pushed for three and ended up in the OR with a 10:57pm delivery. I too was dreading using the bathroom, getting out of the bed and trying to shower. My first... BM... at home was terrifying but not too bad. I was given stool softeners my entire time after surgery... and then I was on them for a week after I got home. Our room is upstairs so I have also been going up and down... my 2 week post-op visit is scheduled for Thursday.
10/25/2011 10:08:31 PM Report AbuseThat was a very good story. I am 34 weeks pregnant and it was a helpful insight into what goes on in the week after having a c-section. I am terrified of giving birth either way, but this shows that I can get through it. I definently rather have a vaginal birth.
10/20/2011 01:31:51 PM Report AbuseGrateful for this article! I'm 34 weeks and baby still hasn't turned so C-section is one of my fears, but it helps to have some knowledge of what it would be like, both good and bad. As for the woman that said that how a baby is birthed does matter, you should be ashamed of yourself for judging any woman's birth plan. You enjoy those contractions and pushing, but I'll take my Stadol and epidural with no regrets or apologies!
9/1/2011 12:16:40 PM Report AbuseI am about to have my 3rd c-section on Oct 3rd. I am so scared. I thought it would get easier with each birth but truth is it gets scarier and scarier. How many times can your body take getting cut open like this? Am I gonna die on the oporating table? Will my wound heal correctly? Will I develope blood clots? So many questiond no one can answer for me! I wish I could have just one vaginal birth so I didn't have to go through this :( Sorry everyone, I'm just nerveous.
8/29/2011 12:28:30 AM Report Abuseare you that dense to think giving birth to a child only means vaginally? do you go around asking people, "so were you born vaginally or via c section? NO, so why does it matter? as long as mother and baby are healthy! 2/2
8/12/2011 05:23:45 PM Report Abuse@happyneighborhood, you say it matters & to let nature take its course. i have a scheduled C because if i didnt it would cause more problems i have crohns disease & if i labor at all my intestines could flare up & possibly rupture!!! Steriods would have to be administered immediatly & then i would not beable to breastfeed my child! how can you say it matters? 1/2
8/12/2011 05:23:28 PM Report AbuseGreat story! I had a c-section with my 4 year old son and it pretty much went the same. Only difference was that I was given solids the next day because I had not eaten for 72 hours and I took advice of others and even took the help offered. Overall, I would say each persons recovery varies. My sis-in-law had a vaginal birth and she was split down below and had to be stitched. Heck her recovery was not far from mine. I'm having another c-section in roughly 4 1/2 weeks.
4/26/2011 10:22:32 AM Report AbuseThis article makes it sound so insanely scary. Even on the experience I had with my first it was nothing like this account. The second was planned and I was a breeze basically. Having a great doctor also makes all the difference. One huge difference between the two with all of it, the second time around the doctor didn't cut my muscles only separated them. This is something that all women should ask as it makes recovery so much quicker and easier.
4/22/2011 02:52:57 PM Report AbuseGreat to read. Makes me feel more at ease just to know more about the reality of recovering from a c-section. The details definitely don't sound like much fun, but it's nice to picture how it would be. Thank you!
3/29/2011 10:14:16 PM Report Abuse@ happyneighborhood-Many mother's who end up having c-sections try having things go naturally and things start going wrong. I was an "all natural, no drugs" mom until I was in labor for a week and baby was in distress, breeched and I wouldn't dialate no matter what they gave me. Sometimes letting nature take its course might kill you or your baby! So I just settled for alive and healthy.
3/12/2011 01:33:36 PM Report AbuseThis story was horrible. I'm more afraid of a C-Section now than I was before!
12/2/2010 03:03:38 PM Report AbuseMy C/S was fabulous. My milk coming in was more painful than my incision and recovery. I had wonderful staff members who were very experienced, which made my recovery pretty speedy. I was very pleased and am not nervouse at all for the next one. Any delivery is going to a little challenging and recovery is as well, I think keeping a positive attitude about the whole experience and staying focused on what really matters (your baby) makes for a pleasant recovery.
11/22/2010 02:55:11 PM Report AbuseI had an emergency c-section after 4 hours of pushing and my experience doesn't sound nearly as bad as the person who wrote this article. My hubby was deployed to Iraq at the time, so I had no choice but to get up and do things, and that was probably the best thing. I remember the bleeding being really heavy and it is so important to request a stool softener ASAP. I'm scheduled for my 2nd c-section on Oct. 26th and hope things go even better than the first one (no pushing this time!).
10/1/2010 11:14:42 AM Report Abusethis was so helpful, even though I have already had 2 C-sections, it has been 14 years since my last, and I am going to have another one in late nov/early dec? somethings you just forget, so thank you for the reminder, the one thing I remember as the most painful was that first time getting out of bed, but it seemed everyday, I felt a little bit better..
10/1/2010 10:17:29 AM Report AbuseI am getting ready to have my 3rd c-section in Nov. From my exp, whether you will need a morphine pump depends on how well your anesthesiologist administers your spinal. I made the mistake of letting a "student" administer my spinal and unfortunately it was not done right! AFter surgery I was in horrendous pain. My advice - Don't let a student administer your anesthesia!~ At this point, I am too old to be a guinea pig so someone can learn to do it right!~ Don't chance it - it isn't worth it!~
9/23/2010 01:04:24 PM Report AbuseI had an emergency c-section with my youngest and am scheduled to have one in october. I remember the pain and getting up to move around. When I got home the dad waited on me hand and foot and my mom tended to the lil ones. I'm not sure if losing my grandmother 2 days after the birth had anything to do with my recovery, but aside from fatigue and a some cramping and bleeding, I remember getting thru it pretty quickly. Maybe g-ma passing kept my mind off the pain.
8/26/2010 11:49:04 AM Report AbuseI had a nightmare of a c-section.The hospital kicked me out early and ignored my fever.I was back less than a week later with an infection.The wound from the c-section took months to heal and had to be wet packed.It was terrible, but you know what?It was doable.You'll be amazed what you can handle once you have that little one.I'm even dumb enough to do it again.My c-section with baby 2 is scheduled for August 27.I know what to look for now and they WON'T be kicking me out early this time
7/16/2010 07:21:08 AM Report AbuseI will also say, having a c-section after labor is different then having a scheduled c-section. You are more tired and worn out after labor so trying to recover from both is harder but for the most part, I still felt surprisingly good after my 1st c.
7/10/2010 08:34:27 AM Report AbuseI've had 3 c-s and some things were true for me, but for the most part, not. I felt great, was moving walking the same day, I could eat real food immediately after, never on morphine just motrin & percocet, was given a stool softener on a regular basis. I never have gotten help after birth & never felt I needed it. I know many women who have had vaginal births that healed a lot slower then me. Maybe my experience is odd or maybe I handle pain better then other people.
7/10/2010 08:33:10 AM Report AbuseYou're journaling is pretty much what it's truly like. I've had 3 c-sections and scheduled for my 4th on October 1st. Thanks for sharing this with others whom may have never experienced a c-section. Very informative indeed.
7/7/2010 11:39:33 AM Report AbuseI am getting ready to have my third c-section in a few weeks. While I think that overall this article is good, I do not share all of the same experiences. My recovery from both of the previous sections was much easier and shorter than this person's was. I totally agree with getting up and walking as much as possible even if you don't think you want to. It will help speed the recovery process along. I also agree with accepting as much help as you can get - both IN the hospital and at home.
6/17/2010 11:22:40 AM Report AbuseI will be 18 years old on june 9th and im having my first baby due july 20th. i am about 34 weeks and i still dont know the sex because my baby wont open the legs. the doctors said the baby is breach and has been for the whole pregnancy im scared to know ill probably end up having a c-section but im all for it for my baby.
6/4/2010 08:59:32 PM Report AbuseThis really helped me its been five years since my son was born and i had a c-section then too. I really forgot what i had went through all i can say is that it really wasnt bad. But i had forgot about the bleeding and the going to the bathroom part this really helped me on what to look forward to and to prepare for....
5/23/2010 10:19:05 PM Report AbuseI am pregnant with my 2nd child...my 1st child (my daughter) I had to have a c-section, and it was horrible I had horrible headaches, I had to be laid on my back I wasn't able to breastfeed my daughter, I was crying from the horrible headaches. Then to find out six years later (while pregnant with my son) that all the nurse need to give me was a coke or sprite,(my body was out of balance). With this baby I will not be having a c-section...good luck to the rest of you ladies...due June 30, 2010.
5/8/2010 09:13:31 AM Report AbuseFor all those having a c-section...1st time,2nd time or 3rd time like me...the fear probably never subsides but the outsome if all goes well is priceless. I had the chance to experience both natural, vaginal birth and it was wonderful...BUT after my second was a persistant breech and the version didn't help...I still went on to have my third (my beautiful girl) and now a fourth. Don't let anyone mislead or fool you. IT IS ONLY ABOUT THE FINAL OUTCOME OF HEALTHY MOM AND BABY!!! Best of luck
4/23/2010 08:47:04 PM Report Abusei had a c section with my first baby and it isnt as bad as what everyone makes it out to be yea the recovery sucks your sore but if you get up and move around a little bit the soreness fades faster i am getting ready to have my second baby by c section may 26th but i am still a little scared being it is a major surgery
4/15/2010 12:10:17 PM Report AbuseI also don't agree with "neiborhood",forinstance:1.how the human comes into the world is not important it's WHO the human comes to that is:2.for the women or infants who have problems "coming into the world all natural" is thier first experience to die in pain?I don't know about you but I don't find anything respectful or gentle about that!3.staying healthy and safe,and making it through 9 months is there first experience in life!
12/28/2009 02:15:09 PM Report AbuseI don't agree with "happyneighborhood". I am having a C in two weeks and not everyone can do it the "all natural" way. As long as the baby is healthy that is all that matters!
12/21/2009 06:50:12 PM Report AbuseI am so scared I am pregnant with my 5th pregnacy and had all others natural but thison wont turn so i am having a csection on dec 10th i am worried how i will cope with this any advice how to breath theses next 9 days
12/1/2009 09:19:03 AM Report Abusethis last line really speaks volumes about how birth is regarded by so many these days: "it doesn't matter how he came into the world, just that he's here and he's healthy!" i happen to believe that it DOES matter how humans come into the world, and that we should respect that a person (the baby) is having their first experience out in the world as they are birthed. and that this experience should be as gentle, pain free, and drug free as possible. let nature take its course....
11/23/2009 10:26:14 AM Report Abuseslimsays: i had my 1st csection with my 2nd child almost 2 months ago. Most of the things that crazysamie29 wrote i agree with. My hospital stay was only 2 and a half days. Recovery has been a challenge but not as bad as the horror stories that i've always heard.
10/16/2009 09:00:42 PM Report AbuseRemember that this is one persons account of their experience.I have had 2 C's.Some things I do agree with,accept help if it's offered.Get up and move.Use pain med's but don't put yourself incoherant.It takes onger to recover,you will be more tired and less prone to move.Vag or C birth hurts.Some have a rough time but most women recovery is slightly longer and is not the grim picture that has been painted.It is surgery but like any surgery your recovery depends on you.
10/12/2009 08:30:00 PM Report Abuse