C-Section moms I need your advice

I'm having my 3rd baby in April and am carrying very low. Lower than I did for my other 2. I want to have a tubal ligation done IMMEDIATELY after I have this baby and I was told the only way they can do it right away is if I have a C-section done. With a vaginal delivery it would more than likely be scheduled at a later date. That's ok with me, BUT I am also debating on whether or not I want to go through the pain of labor again. Seeing as how I've never had a c-section done, I'm wondering the following:

1 - how is it - do you have to go through labor until you reach 4 cm to get the epidural, or do they give it to you automatically?

2 - what is the recovery like and is it VERY painful?

3 - will I be able to walk around the same day like I did with my regular deliveries?

I'm sorry if this sounds like it's from left field or crazy, but I've never had one and am seriously considering it. Thanks in advance for your help ladies - I really appreciate it!

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

Personally, I can't imagine scheduling a c-section for the purpose of not having the tubal done later. Would you wait to go into labor? Or would they schedule it before?

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

You definitely don't have to reach 4cm... I was induced and had ZERO dilation after 12 hrs, they did my c-section at that point.

The pain seems to vary from person to person. I thought it was bad, but bearable. The 3-4 days in the hospital are the worst, pain-wise. After coming home, there were about 3 days where I really still kept to the sofa as much as possible. Then after about a week post-op, I noticed every day brought major improvement. Two weeks post-op I pretty much felt great.

You really can't walk around the same day. Even the day after, getting out of bed is difficult, you use your ab muscles to sit up and get out of bed, so it's painful. Walking is difficult... I had DH walking me around. In this respect it's not like a vag birth at all.

Good luck!

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

I think they CAN do a tubal after a v-birth. They offered me one after my third DC was born.

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

I had a c-section but it was a last minute thing, not scheduled at all. I was in labor for a while and wasn't progressing so that's why it was decided to go through with the c-section since my water broke already. Recovery was sort of painful, not like when you have a vaginal, with my first son, i was up and about a hour after having him with this one, my c-section, no way, I was laid out. LOL.... It wasn't right and it wasn't nice, i was in pain especially the first day...... If you could avoid it I will, I always thought I would want one and now that I went through it, not by choice, I wouldn't want to do it again. HTH.

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

TO answer your questions, No, you will not be walking around the same day. I was up the next day (my c-section was at 6pm), but it was hard. Then when the drugs wore off, it was excrutiating because i pushed myself too hard too fast. The second day was better, and I was home the 3rd day and carried the car seat in the house. Recovery is not terrible at all.

I tried for a vag delivery first, but it didn't work out. They will give you an epi from 3 cm on, but mine wore off 2x!

Good luck with whatever decision you make! Only you know what is best for you and your family

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

1. my labor had already started and then I had a c-section. I got a spinal when they knew for sure that I was having a c-section, I don't know if I was 4 cm or not.


2. Recovery was painful, but OK once I got home from the hospital. After the first full day, all I took was Motrin.

3. I was not walking around the first day much. I got up to go to the bathroom and I think once just to get up and out of bed, but the sooner you get up and around the better. Drink a lot of water, too.

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

Posted by greeneyes361708

I think they CAN do a tubal after a v-birth. They offered me one after my third DC was born.

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

1 - how is it - do you have to go through labor until you reach 4 cm to get the epidural, or do they give it to you automatically?

if you are going to have a c-section, they will schedule you for about 1 week before your due date. they do NOT want you going into labor if they can help it when you have a scheduled c-section.

if you do go into labor, they will have you come in right away for the c-section. you get the epidural (or spinal) right away, because you are getting a c-section there is no need for you to "wait" to dilate at all.



2 - what is the recovery like and is it VERY painful?

i think because i was a scheduled c-section and never went into labor, i had a very very good experience and easy recovery. that being said, it was my first, so i didn't have to worry about running after any other kids, and my DH was home for 11 days after i had DS so he was around to help me. you can't lift anything heavier than your newborn for 6 weeks after your c/s (that's what my docotr told me) so it is kind of tough not being able to do simple things like carrying your older child or a laundry basket.

however i am sure there are BTDT moms of two or more that can tell you about their own experiences, everyone's is different.

3 - will I be able to walk around the same day like I did with my regular deliveries?

i was allowed to get out of bed that night, i was walking around about 12 hours after my surgery and i felt pretty good. the worst i felt was 2 days after the surgery (i walked around like a hunchback lol) and it gradually got better from there.

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

Posted by computergirl

The pain seems to vary from person to person. I thought it was bad, but bearable. The 3-4 days in the hospital are the worst, pain-wise. After coming home, there were about 3 days where I really still kept to the sofa as much as possible. Then after about a week post-op, I noticed every day brought major improvement. Two weeks post-op I pretty much felt great.

You really can't walk around the same day. Even the day after, getting out of bed is difficult, you use your ab muscles to sit up and get out of bed, so it's painful. Walking is difficult... I had DH walking me around. In this respect it's not like a vag birth at all.

Good luck!

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

#1. Nope you get a date for the C/S walk in and get the spinal like you would if it were any other type of surgery. No waiting. (though I waited nearly 5 hours cause my water broke early and there were not doctors around)

#2. I have no idea if it was painful in comparison to vaginal birth. I could pee and sit just fine the next day. I was up and walking too. I was sore, sure. I had surgery. I can’t imagine you’re up and running a marathon after a vaginal birth either. I just took it easy for a week. By then I was doing all I could do before, minus heavy lifting. I could carry the car seat and groceries etc. Just not the stroller part. I also had complications but still I don’t think it was horrible.

#3 No, you walk the next day. At least I did.

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

Message edited 3/25/2010 10:43:40 PM.

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

I didn't have a great c/s experience and would definately opt for the vaginal birth if I could (of course I never had that either so I suppose it could be worse!). Mine was planned, but it really knocked me on my butt for awhile. I think they can do the tubal laproscopically which would be only a small tiny incision as opposed to being completely opened up. For that alone I would go with the v-birth!!

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

I had a c-section. It was planned. It was great because I did not have to go through any labor pains or delivery.
Recovery was not that bad at all. I was not able to walk the same day but I was up and walking on day two. Honestly, the worst part of recovery for me was my swollen feet.

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

Is your OBGYN agreeing to this?

I didn't think it was something they would agree to unless you had complications.

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

i had 2 c-sections, one emergency, the second planned. i had a tubal done during hte second one. i wouldn't have it any other way. the recovery (at least to me) was a breeze compared to how awful i felt for the 9 months leading up to that point. the tubal adds about 1 minute onto the surgery time. and if its scheduled, you go in without being in labor, and they hook you up to the epidural. its fairly painless compared to being in labor (which i got to experience for quite a while before i had the 1st c-section)

i don't know what the pain/ recovery time is for just a tubal by itself, so i can't say which one of those would be easier.

hth

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

The recovery from my C-section was pretty rough initially. I was in a lot of pain and I'll be honest, for me, it was so hard getting around. The first day they made me walk was torture but each day did get better and better. I would say that after about 2 weeks I felt more like my self and probably after about 6 weeks I really was my old self again. I was able to sleep normal, get out of bed, bend down and over, move around without discomfort. Any surgery stinks but in the end it was worth it and now at 12 weeks later I'm 100%.

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

If you don't handle pain very well why would you think a c-section would be a way to avoid pain Do you not understand that it is major abdominal surgery?

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

1. No dilating for me.

2 - For me easy. I was surprised but I thought it was a wonderful experience.

3 - Probably not. But the day after maybe.

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

You def. don't get up right away like a vaginal delivery.

I had my son at 2:44am - the nurses came in at 4:30pm to have me up for visitors - it was excruciating pain. Walking was hard at the hospital. Once I was home it got much much easier. If you do it - take all the drugs they give you!

I was def. really sore for awhile after - but not excruciating pain!

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

I had a scheduled C with my twins because of issues with them sharing the same placenta.

I had an amazing recovery from my c-section. I think I am not the norm though...the nurses in L&D were shocked that I was up and walking around with PJ's on the next morning. I did have a rough few hours on the second night because I waited too long to take my pain meds.....but besides that I was off pain med (except asprin) when i went home. The following week I was out and about shopping. And today I have hardly an scar where my c-section was done. And on top of all of this they found a cyst on my falopian tube that they took off during my c-section. If they did not find it then it probably would have been a very painful experience down the road for me.

So all in all my c-section experience was wonderful...but I find everyone's experience to be totally different that I have talked to.

Make a decision based on what you and DH want for you. A lot of people have pretty strong opinions on this and I think it should only matter what you want to do.

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

I would say if you have a choice DON'T get the c/s

the scar sucks (and my OB did a great job...can barely see it, but the way the stomach hangs over it sucks and it's there KWIM? I would think a tubal scar is MUCH smaller!

the recovery was easier for the one I had scheduled, but I was getting over a cough and the first day was AWFUL, since I had to cough and it hurts so much to do that - and the nurses scared me that I would get pneumonia if I didn't cough.

you don't walk right away and it's hard to go to the bathroom the first day or so and you are just really tender for the first 2-3 days and less so the next 2 weeks. Honestly - it's over now, I barely think about it and it was how my kids were born, but given a choice - I would rather have not gone through it.

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

1 - how is it - do you have to go through labor until you reach 4 cm to get the epidural, or do they give it to you automatically?

I had a scheduled C but went into labor early. I had the epidural when I was almost 7 CM

2 - what is the recovery like and is it VERY painful?

Recovery was a little tough bc I was in labor, and my spinal fell out the next day so I didn't have that pain pump anymore. It took me a couple weeks to be out and about

3 - will I be able to walk around the same day like I did with my regular deliveries

I was forced to walk the same day I had my c section at 930 am by 5 pm I was up. It stunk I didn't want to move! but you have to , I think ppl recover much more quicklly from V birth

Re: C-Section moms I need your advice

Posted by Disneygirl

If you don't handle pain very well why would you think a c-section would be a way to avoid pain Do you not understand that it is major abdominal surgery?

Message edited 12/12/2008 6:43:32 PM.