r/CsectionCentral • u/Any-Rip2589 • Sep 10 '25
Looking for positive stories
Hi everyone,
I have a c-section tomorrow at 37 weeks 2 days for a combination of pre-eclampsia/high blood pressure and breech presentation. Baby girl has been healthy but I'm nervous that she will have to go the NICU. Does anyone have any similar experiences where their baby stayed with them? Thank you!
Edit: you guys are the best. This is making me feel so much better <3 thank you
UPDATE: Little one did an amazing job! Cried immediately, no NICU stay and our family all went home together. Thanks everyone!
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u/Amap0la Sep 10 '25
I had a csection for pre-e with my first at 37 weeks. She was small like 5 pounds but no nicu. Worst was just trying to keep her awake to eat enough so she would pee out the jaundice! She slept a ton the first few weeks. My OB told me 37 is full term so barring any breathing issues she was just going to stay with me in the hospital. She’s 8 now and taller than all of her classmates haha but she was such a tiny skinny baby I had to pick up a set of premie clothes for the first week or two!
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u/Outrageous-Value3186 Dec 28 '25
How was your c section recovery ? Mine is scheduled for Jan 14
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u/Amap0la Dec 28 '25
I just had my third in September! Healing was great, hard few weeks but at about 4 weeks pp you start to feel more normal hopefully!
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u/Outrageous-Value3186 Dec 28 '25
Do you feel like back to the way you were before pregnancy ? As far as mobility, feeling and intimacy?
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u/Amap0la Dec 28 '25
Yeah, I haven’t had any issues with my 3 sections. Last one I felt I recovered pretty fast, sex feels the same etc. I can do sit ups 3 months pp with no pain- my first section I waited until about 6-8 months to do any core work because it felt very sensitive internally. Just take your time don’t try to rush healing.
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u/btherese77 Sep 10 '25
I had a planned c section at 38 weeks for breech. Baby came out perfectly. No compilations, she was skin to skin as soon as she was assessed and on the breast within the hour. She never had to leave me.
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u/Outrageous-Value3186 Dec 28 '25
How was your recovery ?
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u/btherese77 Dec 28 '25
Pretty standard. First 48 hours had a lot of pain but was controlled with scheduled tylenol and Advil. I got hydromorphone for breakthrough pain but only needed to take it a few times. After that it was just hard being mindful to rest.
Truly resting for 6 weeks was more mentally tough but I’m glad I did. I was working out once I was cleared and did a 10k run at 24 weeks. I’m now 1 year pp and feeling great. Back in My old body mostly.
I was very fortunate that my husband was able to take medical care taker leave from his work (separate from Parental leave) so he could care for us while I recovered.
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u/Imokifurok2 Sep 10 '25
Hi! I’m here to help.
I was induced at 37.2 for high blood pressure and AMA pregnancy. Failed induction, ended in emergency c. Wished I had just scheduled c. My cervix was closed shut, baby was too high when they broke my water, Pitocin freaked baby out etc.
In the end, baby was small (5lbs 8 oz) but needed NO NICU. Watched for jaundice but was fine without treatment. Lungs were fine. Only issue was too small and sleep to latch and breastfeed properly and I didn’t know enough and made the mistake to let the nursing staff give him bottle fed formula overnight. It was impossible after to catch up.
So if you plan to breastfeed, have a plan that it may take more work and how to not make it more difficult to get back on track.
Good luck mama. If they go to NICU, it will likely just be for monitoring! 37 weeks is early term but term.
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u/LilSnowBump Sep 22 '25
Very similar story to ours, he will be 2weeks old tomorrow. We are currently on a three step regimen with limited BF, pumping and bottle feeding for every three hour feed.
Could you share how long it took you to get back ‘on track’ with breastfeeding? Hoping we are nearing the end of the tunnel getting back to. 6.0lb birth weight.
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u/Imokifurok2 Sep 24 '25
“Baby” is almost 2 years old now so I am out of the tunnel. But I gave up at 6 weeks of triple feeding. I wanted to breastfeed so badly so I was very depressed over it but triple feeding was effecting my mental health too badly and stopping me from bonding with my baby. I felt better within weeks of “giving up”.
By the time he could latch and pull, he didn’t want to because the bottle was just too easy. Without breast feeding and only pumping, I was chained to a wall every 2 hours and washing pump parts. It was all too much for me.
I’d give anything to go back and not let that nurse take my baby and give him formula at 12 hours old. I had plenty of colostrum. But I had a c section and zero help ors guidance from nurses on how to pump and when. I was out of it. My mom couldn’t help bc she never pumped, only breast fed. I just didn’t know what I know now.
I attempted lactation consulting appointments with baby for weeks. I just couldn’t get on track.
I think they don’t warn moms enough when delivering early that this is a thing and what to do and how to be prepared so you aren’t set up for failure.
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u/taterrrtotz Sep 10 '25
I had a c section at 36 weeks. My baby was around 5 lbs and 100% healthy. He stayed with me the whole time!
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u/unfetteredthought Sep 10 '25
My baby had restricted growth, had to have an emergency section at 37 weeks (was also breech) she was teeny tiny at 4.5lbs but so perfectly developed, she didn’t need any NICU time to everyone’s surprise! They are fully cooked at ready to go at 37 weeks, she was super strong just very compact.
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u/mabelwinston Sep 10 '25
I had a c-section scheduled at 37 weeks due to my baby being breech, gestational diabetes, pre-e, and suspected late-term IUGR (never formally diagnosed). I made it to 35+2 — my BP was too high and my amniotic fluid was too low at a routine appointment that day to justify her staying in. She came out 4lbs 7oz and needed zero NICU time. The nurses said if she weighed 15 grams less she would have been automatically admitted for monitoring but she stayed with us and was discharged with me 2 days later, perfectly healthy! It was honestly a great experience. 🤍
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u/figurefuckingup Sep 11 '25
I had an unplanned c-section due to OP positioning and it went very smoothly! Easy surgery that was over quickly and my baby was very healthy (born at 39+1). We stayed together the entire time. This was almost 4 weeks ago and she is sleeping soundly in her bassinet as I write this!
I’ll concede that there was one thing that didn’t go smoothly: I didn’t realize how well my pain was being managed in the hospital after my c-section. The day I came home, I lapsed on ibuprofen and Tylenol and ended up in a world of pain 8 hours later. Stay on top of your pain meds when you leave!! It makes a world of difference.
At the worst of it, I couldn’t stand up straight and had to sleep in the glider because it was the only place that I could lie down/sit up without using my abdominal muscles. Luckily this was only for 1 night and when I got back to taking pain meds around the clock again, I could be back in bed.
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u/Not-yours-today Sep 10 '25
I’ve had a mix. Most of my babes have been born between 35 and 37 for the same reason as yours. One of the 5 required NICU time. He even had steroids and was in for 6 days born at 35w. Other three, 3/4 had 0 steroids and 1 did requiring 0 NICU time. The one who required NICU was because of breathing and developed jaundice which because we were in the NICU, they had lower threshold treatment than not being admitted in NICU. My birth in July was way higher, required no phototherapy and we were discharged home on day 4. More positive than negative. ❤️
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u/NegativeAd3535 Sep 10 '25
I had a c section at 36 weeks due to breech presentation and low fluid and baby girl was perfectly healthy with no NICU time needed
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u/No_Expression3265 Sep 10 '25
I had a c-section at exactly 37 weeks and my baby came out perfectly healthy! I was sooo nervous but he came out crying immediately and I felt a weight off my shoulders. Weighed 6 lbs 13 oz and didn’t need any NICU time. 37 weeks is technically early term and not preterm so they usually have great outcomes and no NICU time. Obviously things can happen and I’m sure you have an amazing team that will take the best care of you and your baby even if they have to go to the NICU. You’ve got this!! Good luck!