C section what do you feel

Ask the nurse or midwife about what your hospital offers. Some women feel very positive about having a caesarean section, while others feel disappointed or sad. It can be very helpful to talk through any feelings of disappointment with your partner, family, friends and carers. The nurse or midwife can also refer you for counselling if you are feeling very low. Looking after a new baby is hard for all women, but it can be harder when you are recovering from a caesarean.

Be kind to yourself. It may take a few weeks or even longer to recover, particularly if you have had complications. Avoid driving a car until your wound has healed usually about six weeks.

Talk with your doctor about when they think would be a safe time to start driving again. It is unlikely that you will have the same problem again with future pregnancies or births. However, the fact that you have had a caesarean section can cause different problems for future pregnancies or births. If you become pregnant again, you will need to talk to your doctor about whether your next birth will be a caesarean or a vaginal birth. Many women who have previously had a caesarean section can safely give birth vaginally.

This is commonly referred to as 'vaginal birth after caesarean section' or VBAC. One of the risks associated with VBAC is rupture of the uterine scar. About one in every VBACs attempted results in rupture of the uterine scar. For those women who do have a uterine rupture, there is an increased risk of hysterectomy and stillbirth. If you have had a previous caesarean section, to make an informed decision, it is recommended that you:. This page has been produced in consultation with and approved by:.

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The State of Victoria and the Department of Health shall not bear any liability for reliance by any user on the materials contained on this website. Skip to main content. Healthy pregnancy. Home Healthy pregnancy. Caesarean section. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Reasons for a planned caesarean section Reasons for an unplanned caesarean section Things to consider before having a caesarean section Anaesthetic for a caesarean section Types of caesarean sections Preparing for a caesarean section During a caesarean section After a caesarean section Special care for your baby after a caesarean section Risks and complications of a caesarean section First six weeks after a caesarean section Long-term health outlook after a caesarean section Vaginal birth after caesarean section Where to get help.

Reasons for a planned caesarean section There are several reasons why you and your obstetrician may decide on a planned elective caesarean birth. These include: You have previously had a caesarean section. Your cervix opening to the womb is blocked by the placenta this is known as placenta previa. Your baby is lying sideways transverse and is not able to be turned by the doctor.

You have a twin pregnancy, with your first baby positioned bottom or feet first. You are having three or more babies. Your labour does not progress — your contractions are not strong enough and your cervix opens too slowly or not at all.

Your baby shows signs of distress or their health is being compromised. The umbilical cord, which provides important nutrients and oxygenated blood to your baby, has fallen down prolapsed through the cervix and into the vagina after your waters have broken. A health problem, such as high blood pressure, is making labour riskier for you and your baby.

Anaesthetic for a caesarean section There are three types of anaesthetic you may be given so that you do not feel any pain during your operation: They include: spinal anaesthetic — the most common anaesthetic for a planned caesarean. A needle will be inserted between the bones in your spine and local anaesthetic will be injected though the needle.

This will block the pain from your chest downwards. You will be awake and able to breathe normally. As your baby is being born, you may feel tugging and pulling sensations, but no pain epidural anaesthetic — often used to lessen the pain of labour.

If you have already been given an epidural during labour, and it is working well, the epidural can be topped up for an emergency caesarean. The epidural is a plastic tube that will be inserted into a space around the lining of your spine. Local anaesthetic will be injected through the tube, which will block any pain sensation from your waist down. As your baby is being born, you may feel tugging and pulling sensations, but no pain a general anaesthetic may also be given if your baby needs to be born very quickly.

You will breathe oxygen through a mask and you will be given medicine through a drip, which will make you drowsy and put you to sleep. Types of caesarean sections Caesarean sections differ in terms of where the cuts incisions are made to the uterus. The two types of cuts that can be used when you have a caesarean section are: a lower segment incision — will be used wherever possible.

A curtain will be over your abdomen during the surgery, but you may be able to take a peek as your baby is being delivered from your belly. Sometimes, a woman who needs an emergency C-section might require general anesthesia, so she'll be unconscious or "asleep" during the delivery and won't remember anything or feel any pain.

C-sections today are, in general, safe for both mother and baby. However, there are risks with any kind of surgery. Potential C-section risks include:. Some of the regional anesthetic used during a C-section does reach the baby, but it's much less than what the newborn would get if the mother had general anesthesia which sedates the baby as well as the mother. Babies born by C-section sometimes have breathing problems transient tachypnea of the newborn because labor hasn't jump-started the clearance of fluid from their lungs.

This usually gets better on its own within the first day or two of life. Having a C-section may — or may not — affect future pregnancies and deliveries. Many women can have a successful and safe vaginal birth after cesarean. But in some cases, future births may have to be C-sections, especially if the incision on the uterus was vertical rather than horizontal.

A C-section can also put a woman at increased risk of possible problems with the placenta in future pregnancies. In the case of emergency C-sections, the benefits usually far outweigh the risks. A C-section could be lifesaving. As with any surgery, there's usually some degree of pain and discomfort after a C-section. The recovery period is also a little longer than for vaginal births.

Women who've had C-sections usually stay in the hospital for about 3 or 4 days. Right after, you may feel itchy, sick to your stomach, and sore — these are all normal reactions to the anesthesia and surgery. If you needed general anesthesia for an emergency C-section, you may feel groggy, confused, chilly, scared, alarmed, or even sad.

Your health care provider can give you medicines to ease any discomfort or pain. It can help if you support your abdomen near the incision when you sneeze, cough, or laugh. These sudden movements can be painful. You'll need to avoid driving or lifting anything heavy so that you don't put any unnecessary pressure on your incision.

Check with your health care provider about when you can get back to your normal activities typically after about 6 to 8 weeks, when the uterus has healed. As with a vaginal delivery, you shouldn't have sex until your doctor has given you the go-ahead, usually about 6 weeks after delivery. Frequent and early walking may help ease some post-cesarean pains and discomfort. Check your C-section incision for signs of infection. Contact your health care provider if your incision is red, swollen or leaking discharge.

You can begin breast-feeding almost immediately after the C-section. Breast-feeding positions that work well during C-section recovery include:. For support or breast-feeding information during your C-section recovery, contact a lactation consultant. While you're recovering from your C-section, remember that you're also recovering from pregnancy. Here's what to expect:. Vaginal discharge.

After delivery, you'll begin to shed the superficial mucous membrane that lined your uterus during pregnancy. You'll have vaginal discharge made up of this membrane and blood for weeks. This discharge will be red and heavy for the first few days. Then it will taper, become increasingly watery and change from pinkish brown to yellowish white. You might feel contractions, sometimes called afterpains, during the first few days after the C-section.

These contractions — which often resemble menstrual cramps — help prevent excessive bleeding by compressing the blood vessels in the uterus. Afterpains are common during breast-feeding, due to the release of oxytocin.

Your health care provider might recommend an over-the-counter pain reliever. Tender breasts. A few days after birth, your breasts might become full, firm and tender engorgement once they begin making milk. Frequent breast-feeding on both breasts is recommended to avoid or minimize engorgement.

If your breasts — including the dark circles of skin around the nipples — are engorged, latching might be difficult for your baby. To help your baby latch, you might hand express or use a breast pump to express a small amount of breast milk before feeding your baby. To ease breast discomfort, apply warm washcloths or take a warm shower before breast-feeding or expressing, which might make milk removal easier. Between feedings, place cold washcloths on your breasts.

Over-the-counter pain relievers might help, too. If you're not breast-feeding, wear a supportive bra, such as a sports bra. Don't pump your breasts or express the milk, which will cause your breasts to produce more milk. Hair loss and skin changes. During pregnancy, elevated hormone levels increase the ratio of growing hair to resting or shedding hair. The result is often an extra-lush head of hair — but now it's payback time. After delivery, you'll experience hair loss up to five months after delivery.

Stretch marks won't disappear after delivery, but eventually they'll fade from red to silver. Expect any skin that darkened during pregnancy — such as dark patches on your face — to slowly fade as well. Mood changes. Childbirth triggers a jumble of powerful emotions.

Many new moms experience a period of feeling down, anxious or inadequate, sometimes called the baby blues.