Recovery from C Sections by Sarah Turnball

I feel like there is a lot of talk, conversations, birth stories, advice given for vaginal births but not quite the same coverage for C sections/abdominal births. Even when I was meeting with my midwife for my first birth a C section was never discussed. The birth plan was focused around pain relief, where to birth, when to call the hospital, signs to look out for to show labour was starting. There was a small mention of ‘possibility of C Sections’ but that was never expanded on. Even as we approached my due date and then went over it, the talk was still on sweeps, encouraging labour, inductions, timeframes for being overdue. 

When I was finally actually in labour and C Section was mentioned I was in no fit state to understand what was being explained to me, it was all so rushed as I was an emergency I signed the consent form without even opening my eyes. It wasn’t until I had actually had my C Section the conversation turned to what to expect, recovery, what had happened, what I needed to do, look out for, what would happen next and that was all on the basis of getting me discharged from the hospital as quickly as possible whether I was physically ready or not and after everything I had gone through I certainly was not ready. I couldn’t lower myself in the car when it was time to go home and as grateful as I was to finally get out of hospital and home hoping it would give me peace to process, recover and start feeling like mum, I was in tears through the pain of every little bump and movement of the car. 

When my gran had children she was in hospital for a week after each birth, even our parents, if they weren’t in hospital long they had midwives calling daily to check on mum and baby for weeks. I was sent home after 3 days and had only 7 days of midwife care and this wasn’t after a vaginal birth, this was after major abdominal surgery. Regardless of how ‘easy’ or traumatic birth is, no matter how it happens, 7 days for any new mother is not a lot of ‘professional’ help and in most cases we are considered lucky to get that in comparison to other countries. 

Due to my traumatic birth with my son I opted for an elective section with my 2nd. Yes, it was a lot calmer, but it’s only now I realised I was at least presented with more information as to what to expect than I had the first time. Yes I know, if you can deliver vaginally most will try, but it wasn’t until I’d had my 1st section I realised just how many women end up with sections also, so why are we not presented the same information as we are with an elective if we’re trying vaginal, just in case. 

At my consultants appointment at 37 weeks I was shown the consent form, conscious, lucid and actually able to read what I was signing this time, I was explained the process from a surgical stand point and able to ask the consultant any questions I had, he then called the ward and booked me in for my section like he was booking a table for lunch and that was that. They didn’t do elective sections on Wednesdays or weekends and as I turned 39 weeks exactly on a Wednesday I was booked in for Thursday at 39+1

I then went through to the head midwife who went through the numbers I needed to call the day before to get my surgery time and what the covid protocol was. I was then given the opportunity to ask any more questions that might have popped up and sent home to wait my new ‘due date’. Maybe it’s just me, I like to prepare, mentally, physically, feeling like I have some control makes me feel better, in all aspects of my life. I’m a planner. 

As ‘calm’ as my 2nd section was I still wonder what my experience would have been like if I had been able to birth vaginally, whenever I had thought of childbirth this was the way I had envisioned it, the uncertainty with my first I couldn’t risk it and on medical advise they thought for the safety of myself and baby this was the best option, but that doesn’t make it any easier to ‘let go’ of the ‘natural birth’ I’d always wanted.  It certainly isn’t the ‘easier birth’ I’ve heard some refer to it as. However I still felt like I had somehow failed, as a woman, as a mother, that my body had grown this baby, overcome the difficulties in pregnancy we’d faced, my whole body had moved, changed, adapted to creating this human but it wasn’t able to bring them earth side like other mums, I was also the only person I knew to have had a section, all bare my sister who has had 2 births (one ‘natural’ before me and her 2nd was a section after my 1st born’, ‘one of each’ I still didn’t know anyone else who had a section other than myself. 

I also think it speaks volumes of how little preparation you are given for the potential of C Sections when not long after I had my daughter I was being contacted by friends who were suddenly in a position of being told they’re having a section and had no idea what to expect, what they might need or what was coming and I was the only one they knew who had experience.

My second C Section was a lot easier than my first. My body knew what was happening, I knew what was happening, I was more mentally and physically prepared as I knew what to expect, the pain, a little like labour, I had forgotten the extent of the pain in the haze until I was in the moment again. I recovered a lot faster with my 2nd, felt I was able to move sooner, easier, however, although I had ‘popped’ my stitches with my 1st section (quite common as they tie one end tighter than the other when finishing) I had fresh blood I hadn’t experienced before and ended up being admitted back into hospital for 24 hours when my daughter was only 11 days old. That brought a whole mixed bag of emotions, fear, guilt of leaving my newborn and my son who I felt I’d already been absent too much while in hospital having my daughter, anger from the lack of communication with myself and the Dr’s, also at feeling unheard.

Dr’s we’re concerned I was suffering from Postpartum Pre-eclampsia as my blood pressure was high, without taking into account a ‘routine’ appointment had turned into a 4 hour delay, my mum left at home with the children suddenly, unexpectedly and for longer than the 1 hour we had thought, stress at being away from my son and new baby overnight who wouldn’t have high blood pressure? Thankfully apart from a horrendous migraine that had me being sick all night (sorry to all new mums and mums to be on the ward that had to listen to that all night) all tests came back negative for pre-eclampsia and I just needed to remember although I felt great I was still recovering and to be more careful. 

With my first C Section, in some ways I was able to take it easier, I only had myself and my son to think about, but I was navigating learning how to be a new mum, learning my son, overcoming trauma and had a deadline of 2 weeks when I knew my husbands paternity was up and I needed to be mobile enough to look after myself and my son solo. We prepped by putting as much as we could waist height, changing mat on the dining table so I didn’t need to bend over. If something fell on the floor it stayed there until someone was home. When it was time to recover from my 2nd C Section, I didn’t have some of those ‘luxuries’. I had a toddler who missed and needed his mama. Who was used to being picked up when he needed consoling or when it was time for bed. We’d spent 6 weeks over the summer trying to get him used to someone else doing ‘my jobs’ so it wasn’t such a shock when I couldn’t pick him up, or when I was just stood as a ‘bystander’ to my normal routine. It was hard to let someone else take over my day to day of looking after him, I knew he was well looked after, thankfully my mum stepped in and took over his main care so I could concentrate on easing into looking after the baby while my husband was on hand to help me with all the things I wasn’t mobile enough to do yet. Put my shoes on, help me dress, carry things or grab things, take our son out to entertain him so he wasn’t stuck in the house all day during the summer. 

I know I am extremely lucky to have the help and support of a loving family, through experience alone I was prepared for what was to come this time round, but what about the women who don’t have that support, who are going it alone, where are the conversations with the midwives and professionals at prenatal appointments, where are the vast resources and conversations from other mums offering support? If you’re able to have a vaginal birth that’s great, I am also fully aware they come with a whole heap of their own complications, I feel like this is more commonly discussed. 

I’ve heard comments of C Sections being the easy way out, the less difficult option, yes I haven’t had a vaginal delivery, I have had contractions, I did reach 9cm’s dilation, I’ve had 2 C sections and I can tell you it is by no means an ‘easy’ birth.  My sister said after her section, as an experienced mum of both deliveries, she would give anything to have a vaginal delivery any day, her’s was not without complications either, but she said from a ‘bounce back’ stand point; a vaginal recovery is immensely easier than a section recovery. 

The hope I can offer as an experienced section mum; A lot like labour pain, the post surgical pains pass. The first 2 weeks are hard, 1st baby, 2nd, 7th, the first 2 weeks are painful, be cautious, be careful, ask for help when you can. After the 2 weeks, it’s like labour pain where it suddenly diminishes how bad the pain is, it’s almost like a fog. Which is a great timeline but can also fall into the trap of thinking you’re body is capable of more than it is, take it slow, recovery time is advised for a reason.  As with everything pregnancy, birth, recovery, motherhood related, there aren’t always straight paths, I am now completing physio for a weakened back, but we women are resilient, we are strong, we are determined, we are powerful, let us not forget that. 

I live in the UK, and am a 30-year-old stay-at-home mum of 2. I live with my husband of 10 years, my 2-year-old son and my 9-week-old baby girl. I became a stay-at-home mum after my maternity with my son due to covid but that was the best blessing as I get to spend every day raising my beautiful babies and watching them wonder at the world. My days are currently spent learning how to juggle an ever-inquisitive toddler and a newborn.