What your midwife never told you about C-sections

Hello again! So it's taken me a little bit of time to settle into life as a new mummy before I could talk about this particular topic. My C-section was unexpected and unplanned, but went ahead purely for the safety of myself and Dexter. It was probably because of this that I felt so unprepared and misinformed about what exactly was going on, how i would feel afterwards and what a frightening experience it can be when you're so unsure.

So here are your myths dispelled and your facts put straight!

• When I am given an induction date, I'll have the baby on that day.

Totally wrong! I haven't actually come across any woman who has been given an induction date, gone into hospital and had her baby all in one day! I actually thought this would be exactly what would happen! I had been told to call the hospital on the day i was due to go in for my induction to find out what time to go in. When I called at 9am as instructed, I was expecting them to tell me to make my way in immediately! They actually told me 2pm, so I managed to have a Sunday dinner then Lee and i made our way into hospital. When we got to hospital, i then thought they'd break my waters, I'd have my baby and be out within a couple of days. This was also wrong. Basically, day one i had a pessary inserted which was used to ripen my cervix. Day two was removing the pessary and checking how dilated i was, then breaking my waters and taking Lee and i to the delivery suite where I had my epidural and gas and air. Day three was actually having the baby! So as you can probably guess, I was more than ready to meet him after all of the waiting around!

• C-sections are completely painless.

They are and they aren't! During the procedure itself, you can't feel a thing.Only a bit of tugging, but it's not painful. If anything, it just feels really bizarre! It's the recovery process which is painful.

• What happens in the operating theatre?

It was all a bit of a blur as I was quite drugged up and sleep deprived by this point! I do remember them saying i needed a c-section, but this may have been influenced by the fact that I refused to push any longer as my pain relief was no longer effective and I had been pushing for 3 hours with absolutely no progress! So basically, they took me down to theatre in my bed and Lee walked by the side of me. When we got down there, they whisked Lee off so he could gown up while I was given a spinal (a strong anaesthetic in your back), had a cannula fitted (drip feed in the back of my hand) and various other methods of preparation. I remember the theatre team being really lovely, but i just kept asking if Lee could come in yet! Once your birth partner is allowed in the room, they begin the procedure. The very first thing they do before making any sort of incision is lift your gown up and clip it to a frame. This basically acts as a screen so that you can't see your guts hanging out ( i never said this would be pretty!) As they begin making incisions and start tugging your tummy around, you begin to shake. Well, I did anyway! Apparently, it's a normal reaction to the anaesthetic you've received, but it still feels really strange when your teeth are chattering as if you're skinny dipping in a snowstorm! 

Do you hear your baby straight away?

Not always, but don't panic! Think about how stressful a c section is on the mothers body. It's just as stressful and shocking to the baby! When Dexter was born, I felt a big tug and all of a sudden, this tiny goo covered creature appeared over the top of the screen! He wasn't crying, he just looked really shocked. I mean, if you were asleep in your very own cozy bubble, then someone snatched you away from it all of a sudden, you would probably be speechless for a few seconds too! After Lee cut his cord, the theatre staff wrapped Dexter up in a blanket and brought him over to us to hold while the consultant was stitching me up.

How long does it take to recover?

All in all, a few weeks. Your hospital recovery, however, depends on how many c sections you have had before and obviously how well you are doing in general. The theatre team tend to fit a catheter so that you don't have to get up and go to the loo, as it's pretty much impossible to move for the first 24 hours. The midwives regularly monitor the colour of your urine to make sure you're drinking enough  water. They also check your c section wound to ensure everything is healing as it should and there are no tears or infections. Taking a lot of medicine is also order of the day, so expect a lot of injections and tiny tablets appearing! After 2 days, they removed my catheter and got me up and walking. I was a bit like Bambi for a little while, and you find that you're scared to do certain things as you do feel like you're going to burst open! Coughing and sneezing were the worst, but laughing was also painful. Lee was in comedic mode trying to make me laugh to cheer me up , as I wasn't over the moon with staying in hospital, so I found myself belly laughing on several occasions! I found holding my tummy helped :)

Any tips on essentials to pack?

The top tip i have is humongous knickers! You really can't go wrong! I do think that applies to all pregnant ladies who are packing their hospital bags, as you just don't know if you'll be whisked off to theatre unexpectedly. I ordered mine online from Marks and Spencer's and, after sifting through a few frilly and floral numbers, i found a 5 pack of big black knickers which Simon Cowell himself would be proud of! I say this because the higher up on your waist they go, the better! Also, don't be frightened of ordering a bigger size as it's all about comfort and no one, including you, will give two hoots about your Bridget jones undies! I would also advise packing nighties, dry shampoo, LOTS of maternity pads (mine were boots own brand and were super), some slippers or thick fluffy socks for when you get up and about and bobbles because you never get time to do your hair and I ended up looking like Diana Ross at one point! Obviously, on top of that, you need your toiletries and comfortable changes of clothes. Boots have a helpful list of hospital bag essentials on their website and, if you join the cow and gate mailing list, they send a lovely cuddly cow for your baby and a little book which includes a list you can follow and tick off. Personally, I watched Anna Saccone hospital bag videos on youtube to help me with anything i didn't think I would need or had forgotten as they were really helpful! 

So basically, after a few weeks of being unable to sit up in bed and having aches and pains, I was right as rain again! I can't say I'll be running any marathons any time soon, but all I have now are occasional twinges in my back from the epidural i had and a practically invisible scar on my bikini line which you can actually only see if it's pointed out (not that i go around flashing my scar at people or anything)! Oh, i do have a little wobbly pouch for a tummy though, but that will go away in time. My stomach was so massive and my skin so stretched, I would have been very surprised if i didn't have a little jelly belly! So yes, your body changes drastically when you have a baby, no matter what your method of delivery. But it's much easier to cope with when you have a beautiful little person to distract you and keep you busy! My body will improve in time, but my priority right now is being a great fiancée and mother....

(I'm getting there, day by day!)

Much love, Laura Xxxx

Ps. Here is a picture Dexter drew on the cbeebies app to brighten your day! Another reason why they're all worth it! :)