What is it REALLY like to recover from a c-section Part 1: In the Hospital
Dec 14 '00
When I was pregnant with my first and so far only child, I was really worried about labor and delivery. I tried to read everything I could find about the subject. I was really worried about the pain, about complications, about having medical intervention; about not having medical intervention... heck I was worried about EVERYTHING! Once I found out that I was going to require a c-section to deliver my breech baby, my worry took on a new frenzy. I tried to find out everything I could about c-sections and recovery from the surgery.
Before I go any further, I want to let you know that whatever happens during labor and delivery – the moment your baby is born nothing else matters. Seeing your baby for the first time is the most emotional and wonderful experience you will ever had. Before I delivered, I read this in so many places from so many different people... but I just couldn’t stop worrying. I will say this... worry if you must, but try to relax. The birth experience is so magical and so wonderful nothing else matters. It must be something hormonal or chemical because I have never felt anything like ever before.
But, there is a down side. The ultimate euphoria doesn’t last forever. There are times when you can glimpse it again. Ten months after delivery when I watch my baby sleeping I feel that high of love and joy again. Once I felt it in the supermarket as I walked the isles lip-sinking to David Lee Roth’s “Do you remember when we met?” that was blasting over the loud speaker. Just as I professed my love to Elizabeth she gazed up into my eyes with the greatest look of devotion and the biggest, gummiest grin – I just burst into tears right in the middle of the canned pears.
So all is not lost. It’s not like you have five minutes of glory and 20 years of pain. But, after a c-section you will have some pain. It’s inevitable. A c-section is major surgery and you will have a recovery period. In all honesty, my recovery was not that bad. I will try to relate for you my recovery experience for all its ups and downs.
Right after the surgery, things were fine. I was moved into a recovery room for observation. My husband and a few friends were allowed to visit me in recovery. My hospital did not allow the baby to visit, but some do so check the policy at your hospital. At first I felt fine. Of course, I was still under the effects of the spinal. My husband took pictures of me in recovery and I look drunk, but very happy. I was still not allowed to have fluids by mouth. I kept begging the nurse for some ice chips and just as she was about to give in to my whining, I threw-up so the ice chips were out.
After two hours, I was moved to my room. The spinal wore off enough that I could move my toes, but I still did not have any pain. Once in my room, my family descended on me. They also brought Elizabeth to me. I was still out of my mind with joy and excitement. However, I was starting to get sleepy. The night before I had been too excited to sleep much, so my family took pity on me and left me to rest.
A few minutes later the lactation consultant came in to teach Elizabeth and me how to latch on. Elizabeth was a breastfeeding pro from the beginning. This was a mixed blessing. It was great for her to get food right away, but breastfeeding causes the uterus to contract. This is totally natural and really great for the mom, but my uterus was especially sensitive after surgery. This was my first sensation of pain after the surgery. But I was still “high” enough with love for my baby that I didn’t care.
When we finished with the lactation consultant, the nursery staff took Elizabeth for her hearing test, to see the pediatrician, and a few other tests. I was given a sponge bath by the staff. It was nearly dark outside and I hadn’t had any water or ice chips since midnight the night before. I asked for water. Since I had vomited in recovery, they only gave me chips. Unfortunately the chips did make me vomit. The nurse gave me a shot of something – I think she said it was Nubain. A few minutes later I feel asleep.
The first night after the c-section was the worst part of the experience. The drug they gave me for vomiting made me groggy and distorted reality a little bit. The pain from my incision was starting become very real. I was too sleepy and groggy to hold my baby, turning over in bed was somewhat painful, and I still had the catheter so I had to call a nurse to move the bag whenever I wanted to turn. In my memory, this night is very foggy – a night of physical pain and thoughts distorted by drugs. However, this was the worst of it. It lasted perhaps 12 –14 hours. The pain was never unbearable. I never wished I was dead and I never cursed the man (well men and woman if you count the doctors and nurses) who did this to me. During the night I threw up a couple of more times and received more injections of anti-nausea medicine. At some point, I feel deeply sleep and actually rested.
Around 9 AM I woke up with a start. I felt fresh and alert. My mind was clear and I felt very little pain. The nurse offered me painkillers, but I turned them down. When I was pregnant, I was very uncomfortable. My back pain was so great that walking would bring tears to my eyes. The pain from the c-section was actually less than the back pain I had while pregnant. I actually felt better than I had in months. I was also very hungry and thirsty. They brought me breakfast and a large pitcher of water. They also brought me my baby. I was still in love and the sight of her made my heart skip a beat.
After breakfast my catheter was removed. I was a little worried about this, but it was completely painless and very quick. I wasted a lot of energy worrying about this. Once that was done, the nurse suggested I should try to stand. She offered me painkillers one more time, but I still didn’t want them. The nurse helped me swing my legs to the side of the bed and sit up. For me, this was the most painful part of standing up. She let me sit on the edge for a minute to catch my breath. Then she helped me stand. I managed to walk from my bed by the window all the way into the hall. I didn’t feel like I was standing up straight. I felt like the staples in my belly were keeping me hunched over, but when I saw my reflection, I was standing up straight. That was a little odd. I couldn’t walk very far in the hall. I started to feel some discomfort and asked to go back to bed. The nurse said I did very well for my first time and I felt proud.
I spent the rest of the day going from my bed to the bedside rocker. I was uncomfortable, but things were manageable. Around 6 PM breastfeeding started to become somewhat painful. It was causing cramps and my uterus was just too uncomfortable. I asked the nurse for the pain meds. They helped a lot.
The pain continued to lessen and I felt better each day for the remainder of my hospital stay. The next big hurdle was going home.
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