Any preemie/NICU moms have a c-section also?

I am having a schedule c at 34 weeks and was just wondering what to expect in this situation.... we know our LO will be brought to the NICU and most likely stay there as there are ususally issues at that age.

Im wondering if i'll get to go up and see our LO the first day? How soon after surgery do they let you walk? Will they let me be in wheel chair? Will i be able to walk to NICU from my room everyday or is that too painful? (I'm in Stonybrook so the NICU is in a whole different section)

Also once im released if LO is still in NICU will i be feeling up to leaving the house and driving to the hospital every day? Dr said they dont have a time limit on driving as long as im not taking heavy pain medication or have pain while driving its ok to do.

Re: Any preemie/NICU moms have a c-section also?

Hi!

Im not sure with your particular situation since your DC will be born much earlier than typical. Things could be different for you. Also it may vary by hospital.

DS was born at 38ish weeks via c/s. DS did have some issues when born and was in the NICU our entire stay. After my c/s I went to recovery. After an hour or so I was released from recovery and they pushed me through the NICU to see DS. Then continued to my room. I did not see DS again until later the next day (I needed to be able to walk to him). DH and our parents were able to visit him.

You will most likely be able to walk to see him, they like to get you up and moving pretty quickly, but it also depends on you and your pain tolerance. With a DC in the NICU that will be the motivation you will need I wanted to see my baby so I made sure I got myself up and moving around. My pain wasnt too bad. Really the gas pain was worse then the surgery pain.

As far as driving, I probably could have driven after a week or so but I listened to my dr and didnt until I was cleared to do so.


Good luck!!! Enjoy that baby!

Re: Any preemie/NICU moms have a c-section also?

I had my first DD at 32 weeks. She was an emer c-section. After I got out of recovery, they wheeled me in to see her in the NICU. I was at Winthrop, but I had to sit up that night and was walking the next day. I still took the wheelchair down to the NICU, I had a hard recovery. But I was walking each day with less pain.

As far as driving to the hospital, I couldn't drive for 2 weeks, but I still went every day. A few times a day. Yes, I had pain, but I needed to see my baby, KWIM?

Good luck

Re: Any preemie/NICU moms have a c-section also?

I had a Csection when DS was born at 32w6d & I was wheeled to the NICU on my way up to my room. Since my section was in the am, I did not see my DS then again until the next morning when the nurses got me out of bed & wheeled me there in a wheelchair. By mid-morning the day after he was born, I was walking down there to see him. It was my motivation to get up & go.

When I came home, I had someone drive me for the first 2 weeks to see DS & then I would drive myself. You will most definately feel up to going to see your child when you are home bc it is the bonding that you truly want to still have with the baby

Re: Any preemie/NICU moms have a c-section also?

I had a c/s with my twins. They were born around midnight. I didnt get to see them till the next day around 1pm ( yes it was really hard to wait). I went in a wheelchair that day. By that night I was walking. I went to the NICU a few times a day ( walked on my own)....GOOD LUCK!

Re: Any preemie/NICU moms have a c-section also?

Not a C/S, but had a NICU baby at SB so thought I would chime in.

I know that you can see the baby a few hours after you deliver. Generally since the NICU is so far, they will have you wait for a wheelchair and they will wheel you over to see the baby.

Buy a monthly pass for the garage--it comes in as much less $ than paying by the hour to visit.

I honestly only felt up to visiting an hour or two a day--the chairs are very hard and it really hurt to sit that long. I wasn't able to hold him much.

GL

Re: Any preemie/NICU moms have a c-section also?

I had a c/s at 8pm. I stayed in recovery for 8hrs b/c my BP was high. Before I went to my room....at about 4 or 5am they wheeled me into the NICU to see them (at Winthrop)

My room was not with the regular maternity rooms b/c I was there for monitoring before they were born and went back to that room so it was a long walk to the NICU.
The next morning DH came and I took a wheelchair down the NICU that morning (about 12-14hrs after c/s) By that night i was walking down there with him. I walked down there every 2 hours or so while I was there. Each time got a little easier and if I pushed it too much I would take a motrin when i got back. I was going down there alone a lot b/c my DH was between my older DS at home and he had to show his face at work every day.

When I was discharged I had someone drive me up every day. B/c I had an older DS at home I would have my DH drive me up at 2ish when someone was available to watch DS and then he would go to work and my mom or stepfather would pick me up. I drove around the 3 1/2 week mark. It would have been hard for me to drive myself the first 2 weeks b/c I would've had to park so far and the walk would be too much. My DH would drop me at the front and park and meet me there.

Good luck to you and your little one!

Message edited 3/25/2011 10:12:59 PM.

Re: Any preemie/NICU moms have a c-section also?

Had my twins via emer-csection. I had them at 9:15am didn't see them until later on. They wheeled me in on the gurney so I could see them since I couldn't get up. The next day I was down there in the wheelchair and then after that I walked down there.

Leaving the hospital without them was very hard. I stayed until 8 or 9PM that day. They were there for a few weeks. I started driving after a week. I wanted to go when I wanted to go didnt want to rely on someone to drive me.

Re: Any preemie/NICU moms have a c-section also?

I Had a c section at 33weeks. I saw DD in the NICU the next day. The nurses wheeled me down.
That night (after my c). I walked to NICU very slowly with DHs help!

As for visiting, I depended a lot on family the first week to get me back and forth..by th middle of the second week I was able to drive on my own!


Good Luck to you! All will work out!

Re: Any preemie/NICU moms have a c-section also?

my boys were born at 36 wks via cs and stayed in nico for 10days i got up as soon as iu got a room n went to see them. i walked some dayus took a wheelchr other days, and the day i went home, i was back up there. i drove myself each day no matter how much pain ur in. my kids were there and nothing else mattered. u'll see u wont care about the pasin, u just want to be w ure baby

Re: Any preemie/NICU moms have a c-section also?

I had a c-section with DS at 34 weeks at Stonybrook. I saw him after leaving recovery on the way up to my room. They wheeled me in on the gurney. I was only there long enough to get an update from the doctors. My c-sec was in the late afternoon so I didn't see DS other than that time until the next day. The nurses had me sit up in a chair that evening and I was wheeled down to the NICU the next day. I was able to walk on my own to see him after that day. It was a long and slow walk between where the maternity ward is to the NICU is but I think it helped in my recovery. I would usually visit him around feedings so I could change him and feed him, then go back to my room and rest a bit until the next one.

As for driving, my husband took some time off so he drove me to see DS. Like another poster said, definitely get the monthly parking pass. It's so much cheaper. Also you can call the NICU anytime to get an update from the nurse on duty. They were really more than happy to talk to us when we would check in at night.

Re: Any preemie/NICU moms have a c-section also?

My first son was a preemie and I had an emergency c. I had him at 11 at night and got to visit him around 6 am when I was going to a room. They kept me in l&d for the night bc of bp. I went to visit him the next morning when dh came back so he could push me in a wheelchair. After that first day ( after they took me off magnesium) I walked myself. It helped with the healing.
My second ds was not preemie but was in nicu bc he had a heart defect and was having surgery. This was at Columbia and my floor and nicu were very far apart. I saw him right after he was born and then the next day as soon as dh came in. I waited for him bc I didn't know where to go. I walked from the first day.
As far as driving I waited two weeks.
Good luck!