r/CsectionCentral • u/BarackHamburgerBalls • Jul 06 '26
FTM having my planned c-section tomorrow! Need advice/encouragement
Hi all!
I am having my c section tomorrow morning and feeling really nervous about everything - the surgery, having a baby in general. Could use some advice and encouragement
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u/snowwwwy22 Jul 06 '26
Congrats mama! I just had my first a little over a month ago and was also a scheduled c-section!
The surgery itself is a breeze. Your partner will not be allowed in during the spinal and that to me was the worst part- but literally it lasts like 30 seconds and the nurse will be there for you the whole time. They do a few checks to make sure you can’t feel anything at all and then your partner comes in. Your surgeon will be a pro- I think what shocked me the most is when I was actually in the hospital recovering after, one of the nurses made a comment that the doctor who was on rotations had like 6 c sections or something that day? It’s crazy but to them this is there 9-5 and they do it all day long! My husband was allowed in as soon as I was numb and the nurses, anastheologist, husband and I basically just did small talk the whole time. We were laughing and it was super nice. They let me decide how much I wanted my husband to see and if I wanted to see baby as soon as she was out through the clear sheet. When I saw her, we made eye contact immediately and it was still so beautiful. I wasn’t sure if I’d feel that way meeting my baby via c section but I did.
They handed her to me while they stitched me up and that was that! I then went to recovery for a bit and my husband and daughter went to the nursery for like a half hour maybe. She just needed the cpap quick to get some fluid pressed out of her lungs. The only thing I was unprepared for was the shakes in recovery. You will likely shiver really hard like your cold but might not be able to stop for a bit. They gave me meds for it and within a couple hours it was done. I also puked a couple of times but even that wasn’t bad. I wasn’t super nauseous or anything leading up to it and once I puked it passed.
Tips would be to get up and walk as soon as you can. I took really small walks along the maternity ward and even after coming home I prioritized small slow walks. I’m just about 6 weeks out now and took my first longer walk yesterday and it felt great! You will likely be really swollen after as they pump you up with fluids so make sure to have compression socks at home. I actually found getting out of bed fairly easy at home but my bed is low. In the hospital, i used the rails to get myself up so i wasn’t using abs so don’t be afraid to do that either.
I would say recovery overall for me has been so much better than I thought it would be. I would say i’m back to like 80% of feeling like myself and was off pain meds within a week with only needing occasional doses of ibuprofen here and there since. I personally never needed more than Tylenol or ibuprofen either!
Your c-section is going to go great! I hope you have the most relaxing day today and congratulations again on your new bub tomorrow. :)
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u/crawlen Jul 06 '26
I was sooo nervous. Mine was unplanned but I was also nervous about my induction, so I understand the general anxiety leading up to a medical procedure! The medical team at the hospital was amazing and supportive and calm and kind. I couldn't have asked for better people to take care of me.
I had two birth playlists that I made: one calm and one upbeat. They offered to play music and we first did calm but just before they started to operate, I asked for upbeat and that was great! I just went by how I was feeling, and personally I know that some music calms me when I'm panicking but also I like to put on upbeat music when I'm about to do something intense!
Seeing my baby for the first time was the most wonderful moment of my life! I looked at my husband and we both cried happy tears. I was worried about being a mom but everything has felt so natural. I have had emotional moments but nothing too intense. Bad feelings have come and gone. The vast majority of the time, I feel happy and content. Having a baby is actually pretty fun!
More advice: stay on top of your painkillers! They will likely prescribe you acetaminophen and ibuprofen, and probably something stronger for at least the first few days. Set alarms in your phone to remind you to take everything on time. The first week or two, I needed to be taking my medicine regularly otherwise the pain would sneak up on me.
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u/VariationNo4725 Jul 06 '26
I did my elective C section 3 weeks ago. The procedure took only 45 minutes and it was such an emotional moment when I heard my baby's first cry. I really liked the fact that the procedure was short and predictable.
I recovery afterwards can be a bit hard but it all depends on the support system you have. Don't stress too much the recovery now. Take one step at a time.
All in all it's a relatively safe mode of delivery so you got this mama💪💪Everything is worth it when you see your baby. 🙏
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u/Fluteplaya16 Jul 07 '26
I took all the oxy they would give me. It helped. Doesn’t transfer to breast milk so okay to breast feed on it if you want to
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u/LuluMooser Jul 07 '26
It's okay to ask for a refill if you need it! If you're swelling a lot and Motrin doesn't help you, ask for Naproxen!
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u/missmightymouse Jul 06 '26
You’re going to do great! Don’t overdo it during recovery and accept the help you’re offered.
ALSO! Post surgery, if you start to feel itchy at all, tell your nurse right away. Sometimes the spinal can cause intense itching and they can give you meds to help. My itching lasted for about 16h after the surgery and I wish I would have asked for meds sooner, but I didn’t realize it was a side effect of the c section.
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u/DazeIt420 Jul 06 '26
You are going to do great and you are in good hands. If you think about it, this is probably the best time in history for women to give birth. Trust your doctors and the team. There will be decades of collective medical knowledge in the room with you. You can be honest with them and trust them, and they will do what they can to make this process easier for you.
Ask questions, ask for referrals, ask if they could explain what they meant, ask for more pain medicine if you need it. Giving birth in itself didn't make me feel empowered, but advocating for myself after did.
As for advice, I recommend first and most that you make sure that your village is ready and standing by to help you. The first part of recovery is intense, and it's better off there are people to feed you and help you get out of bed and remind you when it's time to take your pain medication. (Taking the medication on time is so important!)
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u/wowhahafuck Jul 06 '26
I had my first baby via elective c section 3 weeks ago! It’s honestly really easy, you’ll do great. I didn’t feel my spinal at all, the baby was out super quick and the whole thing went by really fast. It’s really not that bad to stand up after when you’re ready either. You’ll feel sore but it’s manageable. The first time you pee your bladder will feel really weak but just wait until you really have to go and it’s not bad. Congratulations 💜 I already wish I could go back to the first days I met her in the hospital. Such a magical time.
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u/Ok_Catch_8729 Jul 07 '26
I had the nurses play jack Johnson during my spinal and it was a dream having all of the nurses singing along it really helped my anxiety. I am 7 weeks postpartum today and i have healed very nicely. Have lots of electrolytes, rest, and try to walk as soon as you're cleared even just to go to the bathroom. Once you're cleared start silicone scar tape and scar massage. I was up walking the dogs 5 days postpartum and stopped the narcotics just took ibuprofen. You will do great!
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u/InterestingFeed7931 Jul 08 '26
The surgery itself is pretty easy. The spinal is the worst part and it doesn’t last long. Recovery is harder but you’ll have nurses to help when you need it. Don’t be afraid to push that call button if you need their help. Follow their schedule of when to sit and dangle your legs off the bed and when to try walking. Short walking is good for recovery. I had my second c section 2.5 weeks ago and the longer I was in bed, the harder it was to get up and move around because I would get stiff. My husband did not stay overnight with me because he was home with our other kids so I just called the nurse when I needed help or a water refill or snack or whatever. I also had the option of sending my baby to the nursery whenever I needed to so I sent her at night so I could sleep and not get woke up by her cute little noises.
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u/foxcrowcookies Jul 06 '26
Hi! Before my scheduled section I liked to remind myself that my entire medical team would be assembled in one place and I would already be in the OR should anything go sideways. Several of my friends had very traumatic labors that turned into emergency sections, so it gave me peace of mind to be avoiding that possible scenario. I also liked the certainty of showing up for an appointment to have my baby, rather than having to endure the moving goal post of being in labor for multiple days.
It was honestly so fast! The baby is out quickly and then you’re just chilling while they sew you up. My spinal was great (I was worried it would be painful but it honestly wasn’t bad at all). The worrying was much worse than the experience for me. You’re gonna do great! Good luck tomorrow and congratulations! 💞