Getting Ready for a Planned C-Section
Now the countdown for baby #3 has gone from months to mere weeks I’m starting to get ready for what’s to come. After two C-sections (one emergency, one planned) I have a until a certain date for this baby to arrive under its own steam before we start talking about a third caesarean. Having been there and done that before it isn’t something I’m too bothered about (you can read what I think on my personal blog). There is one advantage of having had two c-sections and that I have a good idea about how to get ready.
There are countless places telling you what to put in a hospital bag for you and your baby. These are the things I’d say are a must for a c-section delivery:
- Dressing gown – may seem like a no-brainer but as you walk to theatre in an open-backed gown you’ll be glad I reminded you.
- Night dress – post-op you’ll have a catheter and wound drain which means you need the open bottom for a day at least (I’m taking PJs for after they come out).
- Maternity pads – easy to forget but still very much necessary.
- Food – hospital food is grim. It has taken me two post-natal stays to realise they have a microwave on the ward so this time I’m taking along some microwave meals including some Innocent veg pots.
- Sports cap water bottle – you need to keep drinking water post-op but sitting up all the time isn’t easy so I always have a sports cap bottle on hand.
Beforehand, aside from relaxing, there are a couple of things you can do in readiness:
- Personal grooming – you’ll need to whip off your pubic hair before you go in if you want to avoid a dry shave with a bic razor pre-op. If it’s an option then I’d go for a salon wax as the easiest and neatest way. Right now, at eight months pregnant, I could no more lift my leg up than I could lie on that table so I’ll be taking the DIY route. My top tip here is: don’t leave it until the night before or you risk ending up with a comedy muff-hican. Do it in advance and then tidy up the night before.
- Prepare to be sent home – if the unit is very busy or there are several emergency c-sections you could get sent home for another day.
Things to remember after:
- As soon as you can, get up and move around. It helps your recovery loads more than if you lie in bed all day. Make sure you ask for support until you feel steady on your feet.
- Shoulder Pain – if you get a stabbing pain in your shoulder, it is trapped wind. Weird I know but it is referred pain. Don’t suffer in silence, the midwives can give you peppermint oil and hot water to help clear the wind.
- Drugs – having been both fed the morphine intended for the woman in the next bed and forgotten about for 12 hours I will be asking what I should be having and when. What I learned from these incidents was to always ask if the drugs were intended for me but also that I might not need everything I was being offered. Second time around I took far fewer pain killers as I realised I had been taking them on auto pilot whether I needed them or not.
- First poo – not a pretty subject! Eat food which will help make it soft like pears. Whatever you do, don’t eat egg sandwiches three days on a row *ahem*. Always worth asking if there is something they can give you to help.
- Bladder – your bladder can go a little numb after a c-section so in the days and weeks following make sure you go to the loo by the clock rather than trusting your senses.
Those are my top tips, what would you add?
Image credit: Tammra McCauley.
Random Posts
Category: Grown Ups, Pregnancy and Maternity
About the Author (Author Profile)
A thirty something Mama of three, Kat is a shameless geek who has given up any pretence to the contrary. Her favourite website for shopping is Etsy where she loves supporting artists and crafters while getting something truly original. She is Bambino Goodies' first features editor. Read Kat's Bio.Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
Oh my, that went quickly didn’t it!
I took my ethno bongo music for my planned C-section (as opposed to the unplanned one which is another story entirely) – it was nice to have something warm and familiar in an otherwise sterile setting. And the bit about being prepared to be sent home: absolutely. I was very fortunate but my poor neighbour was sent home twice for her first baby which was a planned c-section – after all that build up and excitement, she was so upset
Good luck Kat, it’s all very exciting (especially for us who don’t plan to do this again, we do it through you woohoo)!
Good point, we forgot music at Monty’s section and so the anesthetist rigged up his iPod. Odd mix but fun! I can’t imagine being sent home let alone twice! *crosses fingers*
I’d say get a book or some magazines to take in. I was on my own quite a bit after my sections with no’s 2 and 3 as Hubby was caring for my other children and couldn’t be with me as much as the first time around. Although I did spend a lot of time just staring at my new baby, feeding and cuddling, so maybe a magazine would be better than a book as you can aimlessly dip in and out of it. (getting all misty eyed at the thought now!)
I totally agree about the food. I took some carton drinks & chocolate and at our hospital you could get a voucher to exchange in the visitors canteen for a pack of sandwiches if you don’t fancy the patients food *does anyone!?*
I also took antibacterial hand gel and like a freakoid also took antibac wipes.
Laughing at the dry bic razor, that happened to me the first time- grim!
Best of luck, its so exciting
Yep drinks and fruit a must and I had a stack of mags and my Kakuro book. Of course the joys of iPhones and iPads must surely make hospital stays so much easier!
I remember enjoying the peace of being left alone and having afternoon naps! Definitely worth factoring in childcare, Milla was so much happier with Mr Kat looking after her it really helped with the upheaval.
Hoping I can get iPhone reception though!
Bloomin ‘eck – they still shave you?
*snigger* Yes they certainly do! Better to get there ahead of them and sort it out yourself.
Horrific, isn’t it?
My suggestion is some nice glamourous granny pants, you don’t want anything that’s anywhere near your scar and something that feels like it’s holding it all in really helps for the first few days when you’re shuffling about.
On the subject of hospital food, I had both of my babies in Bradford, the chickpea curry I had after giving birth to my first was one of the best things I have ever tasted!
I had my first at Epsom and the food was woeful. There was an M&S down the road though so that saved the day. Was very annoyed though when during my induction, the boyf went and got something to eat at Nando’s – I wasn’t able to eat for two days and thought of chicken a *lot*. Second was at East Surrey and food was OK-ish but in my desperation to eat I discovered the joys of jam on toast, something until then I’d believed I despised.
I am sooo jealous, our food was just terrible.
Granny pants a good tip, easy to get on and off too.
Great tips, I had an emergency section the last time but I’m all booked in this time. I have noticed there is not a lot of info on the web about planned sections so your tips have really helped! Thanks x
Good luck! I need to take my own advice more – we were nearly sent home from Betsy’s planned as it was so busy. I sat and blubbed in my gown