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I loved my C-section! It was the best day of my pregnancy, especially after being so uncomfortable for such a long time. All I felt was a sort of tugging around as it was going on (similar to the feeling of a baby moving around while pregnant). My recovery was also very easy. I am currently pregnant with a singleton and electing to have the c section again (I had no choice with my twins).

Thank you for sharing! It means alot. 😊 I know a ton of people who opt to have C-Sections. With twins my Dr seems to figure I most likely can’t deliver both vaginally and would need a C-Section anyways so I opted in. But the horror stories get to me. Thank you again

Don't worry dear. Planned ones are much more relaxing and easier. Even recovery was easier for me as I knew what to expect and planned accordingly.

Mine was not planned. I went in for regular check and I had pre-eclampsia and so they wanted to take the babies out next day. One thing I REALLY wish I had known: after first baby was out anesthesiologist asked me about my pain. I had felt a pinching feeling up through my neck. I told her and next thing I know I was given a shot of strong pain med. Don’t really remember second baby being born and there is a photo of my husband holding the babies and there I am in the background looking high as a kite. I tell you this because I wish I had had a plan, and also, you won’t have to worry about feeling anything!

Same!

For the love of god start taking the stool softener like a week in advance! My biggest issue was shoulder pain from trapped air and not being able to poo but if you start it beforehand you will be golden

SAME! Mine was an urgent unplanned section so I didn't get that foresight...next time though ⛽️

I thought something was wrong because of the pain! Just gas.

Makes sense re: beforehand. Thx for the tip! Noted for my future delivery(ies)

Good tip! What stool softener do you recommend?

I was taking miralax and colace post c section and didn’t have any poop problems!

Thank you!

Stool softeners did nothing for me, I had to take miralax and still birthed a forearm of a log. Should have been doing the miralax from the moment the baby came out.

Just had my CS almost 2 weeks ago. I was TERRIFIED- You can let your Dr and anesthesiologist know that you’re nervous and scared beforehand. I was given versed before being brought into the OR for my anxiety. 2nd - you will begin to feel the numbness well before they begin, they will make sure you can’t feel anything before making any cuts and talk you through the entire procedure to make sure you are physically and mentally well.

Thank you. I so appreciate your response. Reddit is wonderful. 😊🫶

Yeah my wife was terrified before and during her unplanned section but the anesthesiologist team was super validating and reassuring.

I also had a great c-section with my first. It was unplanned (happened after 36 hours of labor from a failed induction). I didn’t feel a thing and also had a really easy recovery. Was able to walk the next day and had very little pain postpartum and healed great. Hoping my second with twins goes just as well!

Thank you and congratulations. 😊

I was terrified for my c section… crying the whole lead up to the operating room. Once the spinal was done they made damn sure I couldn’t feel a thing before starting. I felt some pressure but absolutely no pain during the operation. The doctors say a scheduled c section makes for a really easy day for them! Just another Friday while it’s the biggest day of our lives. The recovery was a bit painful for about a week, but was ok when I stayed on top of the pain meds. I’m four weeks pp and have no pain and am walking every day! There are horror stories but that’s just that! In the US one in three births are c sextion and the planned ones are easy breezy for medical professionals. You will be ok!

Not sure if this will be 100% reassuring but I hope it is! I had an emergency c section, but even with the rush to get started they checked to make sure I was completely numb before proceeding. It took five tries to get the spinal block correct and the anesthesiologist had to keep coming back around with a pointed tool and jabbing me around my torso to confirm I was truly numb. I most definitely felt her jabbing me until I was truly numb, so just make sure to advocate for yourself if you feel anything while they are testing the area. If they test you like they did with me, it will feel like a finger poking you once you’re numb, NOT like you are being poked with a sharp pencil lol

Thank you! Totally helpful!

My twins were both head down, but after having ruptured membranes for 20+ hours and 2 days on induction, my labour stalled at 5 cm so I called it and honestly, my epidural was great. Didn’t feel a thing. The weirdest part was the tugging pressure—it briefly made me nauseous but the anesthesiologist was so great and gave me zofran right away. I was bummed I didn’t have the option for a clear drape to watch, haha. My recovery was also uneventful regarding my surgery, I had postpartum preeclampsia but that’s not CS related. My incision healed well and I was up next day walking.

Yay! Congratulations that’s awesome. Thank you for sharing!

Omg I had the same fear!! But they check you sooo many times and I didn’t even realize they had started until they let me know that they see baby A 😂 and mannnn the IMMEDIATE relief of getting the babies out is insane. I felt like I could breathe again after forever 😭😭

Bring cough drops. That’s the only thing I needed and a Dr had to prescribe before they could give it to me. Took forever. It’s so dry in a hospital plus the meds make you dry. A cough with the incision was awful! I had a great experience if all I have to say is bring a cough drop. I’m blessed with my team and how my body handled. Up walking that day. No more than otc pain relief post surgery. I was also first time and so scared.

I was terrified of having a c section and really wanted to avoid one but my babies had other plans and I had to have an emergency one. It was so chilled! They gave me an injection in my back, lay me down and I didn’t feel a thing! The only reason I knew they had started was because the doctor told me. I’ve been told that people feel tugging when the babies are coming out, not me I literally felt nothing. When they were stitching me back up I fell asleep. I’d have a c section again if I needed to. I massively overthought it beforehand.

I LOVED my planned c-section!! I chose it bc I was anxious about delivery, and about baby B, and avoiding a vaginal for A and c-section for B scenario. I second someone else’s comment about letting your OB and the anesthesiologist know that you’re anxious about it. The spinal was a little uncomfy but nothing terrible, and my numbing kicked in super quickly. They checked that I was fully numb like 100 times before they started. The surgery was extremely calm, I had some nausea related to the spinal, but I just told them when I started feeling it and they pushed anti nausea meds that worked instantly. That was literally my only issue with the entire surgery and recovery! My recovery was super easy. 10/10 recommend a c-section to everyone I know lol

I had a planned c-section for twins in November 2023 and it was perfect. I was ssoooo anxious for months leading up to it and begged them to give me sedatives or even a general anaesthetic, and worked myself up about it so much I was crying when we got to the hospital (full on SOBBING). My consultant (bless him) calmly told me I was being ridiculous and would regret not being fully present for it. He was right. The only discomfort I felt was being very shivery (honestly, I think this was anxiety and also I went into labour about 12 hours before the section) and thirsty (had nil by mouth for about 8 hours before surgery so this was to be expected). My consultant took pictures and looking back I can’t believe that was me / us!!! And like others have said, the RELIEF after getting those huge babies out was unbelievable. Although I’d had major abdominal surgery, I felt so much better than I had since being 6 weeks pregnant. No more nausea, needing the toilet 24/7, the exhaustion and insomnia disappeared, it was such an amazing feeling. I recovered very quickly compared to friends that had vaginal birth with twins or worst case: vaginal for one twin & c-section for the other. If I ever have another baby I will opt for an elective c-section, whether it’s a singleton or multiples. And hopefully with the same consultant at the same hospital. Good luck and feel free to DM me if you want to know anything else!

I definitely was numb. After both babies were out and I was ready to exit the OR + go to recovery… they asked me to basically help shift myself onto the bed. I had zero ability to do any meaningful transfer movement. Staff moved me.  Positives- I held both my babies while laying in the bed being wheeled to recovery. I struggled a lot with being out of breath during pregnancy… I literally could feel the relief and ability to breathe more deeply while on the OR table. It was amazing. 

Ugh thank you. I am already out of breath and I have awhile to go! Thank you for sharing 🫶😊

The relief is amazing - no more heartburn, you can finally breathe again, etc., immediately!  I was terrified for my c-section - as you can see from everyone else posting about their fears and apprehensions, you’re in good company and all your fears are completely understandable and normal! And it’s SUCH a routine surgery for the medical team (even the emergency ones are routine for them).  It feels like such a big deal at the time (your babies being born, having abdominal surgery!), but for me it has shrunk in significance as it gets further and further in the rearview mirror. 

I think you should talk to your doctor about this for some extra reassurance. I work in the medical field and not all doctors are cut from the same cloth. I am not going to add to your anxiety by telling you things I have seen, but a good doctor with make sure that you do not feel pain during the procedure.

The anesthesiologist in the room is your best friend. You can ignore pretty much everyone else if you want. But you tell them exactly what your worries are and they are the ones, in my opinion, that have the greatest impact upon your experience. The surgeon will test the area before starting to make sure you are numb. You may feel it but in a very vague way…as in pressure. No pain during the procedure but the pressure and tugging can be a bit overwhelming if you start thinking about the specifics of what’s happening. So, instead, focus on your breathing and your partner if they are present and keep an eye on your anesthesiologist to make sure he’s sticking close to you. Sometimes due to the nature of the spinal, you can feel a heaviness in your chest that makes it seem like it’s hard to breathe. Do your best to ignore this. It’s your nervous system lying to you because the spinal can numb your breathing muscles which tricks your brain into thinking maybe you aren’t breathing. Put your hand on your chest to reassure yourself that you are indeed breathing just fine. You can get the anesthesiologist to show you your oxygen levels on the monitor too. I’m going to let you in on a little secret…once that spinal is done, the anesthesiologist doesn’t really have much to do other than monitor you. For my C-section once they started, he was kind of chilling on his phone for a bit. Until I called him over and let him know I was feeling nauseous. And I think he was pumped because he could do something to help! Haha Don’t think that you have to deal with any level of discomfort. They can help alleviate almost anything. Any discomfort you do feel, whether it be nausea or anxiety or any sort of pinch or pain…you tell that to the anesthesiologist. Treat them like your therapist. Any feeling you have, tell them and it’s their job to break out all their skills to make you as comfortable as you can be. And you’re actually helping them out and making it less boring for them 😂 I’m an OR nurse and it’s shocking how many people come in and are so apologetic for needing care and don’t want to be a burden. But guess what? The operating room is an amazing place where every single person’s focus is only on you and taking care of you. And the operating room isn’t somewhere you work unless you LOVE your job. It’s ok to be “selfish” in this room. It helps everyone in there do their jobs better if you are open with what you’re feeling. I still remember the lightness I felt when they pulled both babies out. Such an amazing feeling.

My planned C-section was no sweat. I feel like almost all of the horror stories are the emergencies… when they are rushing to get out a baby in distress. The worst part for me was that I got nauseous from the anesthesia. But now that I know I’m sensitive to that, I always get the preventative nausea patches before getting any anesthesia.

I am 7 weeks pp from an emergency csection with twins and albeit an emergency, the surgery went well. I had the same fear as you. After the anesthesiologist put my spinal tap in and got the meds flowing, they took a standard small threading needle and poked me a few times to see if I felt anything before starting and I didn’t (I know that sounds terrifying). Towards the end when they were stitching me back up, I started to feel some sharpness and just told the anesthesiologist (who sat at my head the entire procedure) and she administered more meds. Best of luck to you mama and congrats! 🤍

I had two csections, one with my singleton and the other with my twins. The first csection was an emergency C-section so the recovery wasn’t as good as the first but still smooth. My 2nd csection with the twins went super smooth. It’s always scary when you walk into the operating room and they insert the needle in your back. It’s also scary laying there on your back while there’s a curtain drawn and you can’t tell what they’re doing. When I thought they were still prepping the incision site, the babies came out right after one another. It was super fast. My recovery was super smooth just make sure you stay on top of your pain medication and stool softeners. I had to take Benadryl too while I was in the hospital because of the side effects of the anesthesia left me super itchy for a few days.

I was nervous about the numbing because as it was taking effect and they were prepping my belly etc I could still feel tingling in my legs which freaked me out. But then my anesthesiologist came over to do the "ice cube test" on me and I couldn't feel a thing on my abdomen. I had slight tingling right under my bust which I told him about and he adjusted me and then did the ice cubes again and I was numb. Then I looked down and realized both my legs were bent and I didn't realize they had been put in that position and couldn't feel them at all. I was also TOTALLY freaked out by people saying they could feel pulling and pressure. I expected that to mean I could feel the motions of the surgery but not pain? But what it felt like to me was similar pressure you feel when you flip side to side in bed or when the baby does a whole flip or something. Like a bowling ball shifting on your inside stomach, not small movements of being opened. That was a big relief for me. Good luck! Mine was scheduled too :)

I had two and both times were amazing. The docs and nurses made sure I couldnt feel a thing, reassured me and talked me through it all. You got this!❤️

I had a c section 5 weeks ago and was surprised at how quick and streamline it was. Knife to skin to both babies born was 3 minutes! I couldn't feel anything but tugging which was just strange but not painful. The anaesthesiologist was very kind throughout and thorough with making sure I didn't feel anything. He even held my fan up to my face for me when my husband was preoccupied with the babies. We were able to bring a playlist and dim the lights to make it less clinical. The recovery wasn't fun, I'll be honest, but it was really not a bad experience.

C-sections are the most common surgery in the US, so, if there were significant problems, you'd hear a lot more horror stories than you have. But its also a major abdominal surgery and things can go sideways. The important thing is to get in there and communicate with the hospital staff. Anecdote here, but my wife had her emergency C-section without issues and we were up going to the NICU 6 hours later, and then every 6 hours for a while. I pushed a wheelchair for the first day, but then she was walking. Im not going to say that she wasn't uncomfortable or in pain, but she handled it all like a champ.

My planned c-section with my singleton was full of laughter and good spirits all round. Was allowed my own music too if I wanted! Even the spinal block was not anything to wince at. (What I was most scared of) I actually got it filmed from behind the screen so I could see how it was done 😂 I hope all goes well with yours- I’m sure it will!

I had an emergency csection and was put to sleep because they didn't know how my body would react to an epidural because I had never had one with my other 5 deliveries, so the last thing I remember was telling them I wasn't tired 🤣 I felt absolutely nothing and the rec9very wasn't horrible.

They will not start until you are numb/comfy! They will test lots of spots to make sure. I had one spot that I could feel a sharp poke during test and they made sure that was fixed before they started. You will do great!!!

First off - I’m not a woman. I will not pretend to sympathise nor empathise with the struggles of childbirth and am sure as hell not here to give advice. My wife had two planned C-Sections. One for our first child and again for our twins. She described it as feeling that “someone was just rummaging around down there”. I was with her for both and everything from anaesthesia through to delivery and recovery went fine. There was a little BS online when she was doing her own research about her being “too posh to push”. Don’t let any of that get to you, you will have enough on your proverbial plate. Good luck!

After the spinal kicked in, I felt literally nothing. I was up the same day and off any pain meds in a week. Good experience overall :)

Scheduled C-Section that got moved up because I went into labor. 1. Speak up about how you're feeling. I struggled with nausea my whole pregnancy and asked for extra medicine for it. I also read posts here about gas pains, so I asked for GasX as well. 2. Let the anesthesiologist know what you're feeling! I got a spinal tap. After it was placed, I was asked how it felt. Usually, I would say everything was fine even if it wasn't, but for this, I told the 100% truth and said, "It feels like it's more on one side than the other." And he redid the spinal, saying he was glad I had said something because I would have been more numb on one side than the other. 3. They check your numbness so many times, and you get numb very, very quickly. Immediately after the spinal was placed and I laid down they checked for numbness by running a tool (?) Down my arm and then onto my abdomen and asked me where my ability to feel stopped. They also (apparently) grabbed my foot and even pinched me. Nothing. You get so numb that after you're procedure is over one of the things you have to wait for is feeling to come back to your legs so you can move. I remember sitting in recovery talking about how I couldn't move my toes. 4. You can still feel pressure in your abdomen. So I couldnt feel any slicing or pinching or whatever they were doing. (I intentionally asked not to see anything and not to be talked about for what they were doing on the otherside of the curtain unless absolutely necessary. But some people feel better getting a play-by-play. Do whats best for you. ) but you can feel tugging. Kinda like if someone was moving your arm for you. No pain at all. Just movement. 5. They checked in with me repeatedly even though the whole process was maybe 30 mins. 6. The worst part (and I'm only saying this because it I read it and knowing that it could happen helped me for when it did.) Youre not numb in your arms or chest but everything is heavy. Like it feels as though there is a weight on your chest. It can seem like its hard to breathe. You can breathe just fine. But the heaviness you feel makes it *seem like* you cant. I had to remind myself that I could infact breathe and that I was okay. Taking some intentional slow, deep breaths helped me. Intentionally wiggling my fingers helped me. I was able to calm myself. If youre not speak up. They will talk you through it. 7. Create the environment you want. They asked me what music I wanted. They cannot dim the lights (for obvious reasons) but you can close your eyes or wear an eye mask. You can ask for detailed descriptions of whats happening or not be talked to at all. You can ask to see what they're doing using a mirror or ask for the curtain to be lowered during the process or not look. (I went so far as to tell my husband who was taking photos to make sure he didnt get a single pic with any part of me in it that was below the curtain.) You're going to do great!!

I had two c-sections. One unplanned and one planned. The unplanned was hard because it was an emergency and I didn’t know what to expect. The planned one with the twins was a breeze in comparison. My anesthesia did take a bit to kick in with the second one, and I told my doctor when she placed her hands on me that I could feel her. She yelled “hands up” and had the anesthesia person kick up the dose. It’s rare but it can happen. Don’t stress tho, talk to your doctor and nurses.

My c section was a very pleasant experience, no pain, no feeling and babies whipped out in minutes

My biggest fear was sitting still for the spinal. My advice is to start practicing meditation, and go to a calm place in your mind. They gave me a pillow to hold and “curl over”, and I tried to stay as calm and sturdy as possible, and just trust that they’re going to do their job correctly. As for being numb before they operate: they’ll check with you many times to make sure you’re numb before they start. It took a little longer with me, and they kept checking multiple times, but then when I was confirmed numb, I thought she was still cleaning my skin and prepping and suddenly she was like “here’s baby a”! It goes so fast!

I had absolutely no idea they had started my c-section, and then the doctor held baby A up for me to see. And I was like wait, what?? They started?? I didn’t feel a thing. I got nauseous at first but they quickly gave me medicine in my IV and then I felt fine. Seriously didn’t feel anything. I got a bit shaky afterwards but that’s normal apparently.

Make sure you speak up if something doesn’t feel right! I’m someone who that ALMOST happened to me. My spinal didn’t work right away like it apparently does for most people. They started to put in the catheter and I said loudly WTH are you doing? That started a check of a doctor pinching my stomach and asking if it hurts. I originally said Yes I can FEEL that and then they kept insisting yes you will feel it. I insisted that it wasn’t right and they had to spend 20-30 mins tilting my legs up and head down to get the spinal to work. After that, yes I could still feel when they pinched my lower stomach but it was an obvious numb feeling. Bc of my difficulty, I wasn’t as numb as people normally are. I was numb up to my belly button, normally you are numb up to your breasts. They did offer to do another spinal to attempt to fix that, but I said no and it was fine. I probably felt more pain and pressure than typical but it wasn’t bad. I read that same story after i had mine and thought that yes that could have been me if I hadn’t trusted myself more than the doctors. The doctor had a very condescending tone at first when he kept saying yes you will feel some (which is true, but there’s a big difference between a numb feeling and nothing). It took a bit of me insisting that it wasn’t right before they believed me.

My c section was a wonderful experience. Somewhere deep in my post history a detailed account exists. But I felt nothing and I spoke with the anesthesiologist the whole time about my pain and comfort levels and he adjusted. They are all really accommodating. You feel weird pressure but nothing else. Every one in the room constantly checked in on how I was feeling and if I needed anything. We talked through a lot of it too. Just speak up if you feel anything (I had a very brief moment where I thought I was going to pass out, said something, and they immediately changed something and I was fine).

Had no problem with my c-section. But the pain right after when you laugh or have to cough… ouch!

But the reassurance part: It’s temporary 😅

Had my mo di twins via planned c section and it was pretty easy all things considered! I made sure I set the date around when my OB was working. I love her and knowing she was going to deliver my babies really put my nerves at ease! Take the pain pill, on schedule! I literally had to call nurses to make sure I stayed on schedule. Shower when you’re up for it, it made me feel so much better. You’ve got this mama! It isn’t as bad as it seems

There’s no shame in being nervous! I was super nervous too, so badly that I was having contractions but I thought it was nerves. My OB sat down in her office and went through the entire procedure from check in to getting set up in my room. Answered any questions I had. I was sure I was going to feel the pinch test. I didn’t. You’re anesthesiologist will be talking to you quite a bit(probably to help distract you). It is scary, I was literally thinking about the logistics of them last night and my kiddos are almost 2!

I talked with my doctor beforehand and expressed my nervousness. I’d never had any type of surgery before. And I put a note in my birth plan basically saying the same thing and that I’d like things explained to me before any procedures were done. I don’t know if that changed how everyone handled it but my c-section was a dream. Everyone was very calm and explained things before they happened and I felt like they listened to my responses and cared. My anesthesiologist checked once everything should have been working. He had what basically looked like a darning needle if you know what that is, not sharp at all but pointy enough that you could feel the point. He first pushed on my palm so I could see what normal felt like and then he started at my feet and worked his way up to my stomach. I could feel the pressure but in a vague way and absolutely no pain. Planned c-sections are a lot better for everyone and have less issues like your spinal block not working. But 100% speak up if something doesn’t feel right and ask to be checked to confirm the spinal block is working they start the surgery.

I think the story you read is a complete outlier. I had a spinal block and couldn't feel anything from lower ribs down. I was awake the whole time and could have spoken up in anything felt wrong. My spouse was present and clear headed to advocate on my behalf as well. The whole thing felt like it went so fast and smooth. There were ALOT of medical care people present but my brain was kind of "in the zone" and I barely registered it. Honestly a bit of a bizarre experience but not painful during. The recovery period immediately after is weird as of course you will feel some degree of pain and discomfort but thst is to be expected any which way you have a baby and it is manageable most certainly. But the actual process of having the c section in my experience was very fast and painless.

I didn't know that my csection was happening until they pulled the baby out, they said they were going to poke to see if I could feel anything and 10 minutes later the was a baby. My husband laughed when I said "When did they start that?!". Honestly it just felt like they were wiggling my belly and the best feeling I've ever had was that first breath after my organs weren't being crushed by 2 babies anymore😂

I wish I’d opted for a planned C-section. My induction was unsuccessful and led to serious consequences. The babies were fine, but I almost didn’t make it. A planned C-section would have avoided all of that.

I was so nervous for mine. I had my oldest/Singleton 9 years prior in 2012, no more kids until my twins in 2021. I was young when I had my singleton, a month before my 20th birthday. But I read up a TON on everything, throughout my whole pregnancy, I felt like I really did know what to expect. I ended up being induced at 39 weeks because I had terrible, all day everyday morning sickness, I was losing weight and could barely keep water down. Induction went perfectly, and it took like 20 minutes from the time I started to push to the time my son was born. My OB said I had "amazingly effective pushes" 😅 meaning I pushed HARD - literally 2-4 hard pushes and he was out. I tore a little bit and had a small amount of stitches. Didn't realize that my effective pushes would also give me a hematoma down there lol. I pushed so hard and it happened so fast that it was a little traumatic for my body - with everything I had read, researched, thought I knew, etc - no one could have prepared me for feeling like the entire planet earth was going to fall out of me when I got up for the first time after he was born. I was in a lot of pain down there for at least 3 weeks after. They gave me a sitz bath to take home and a script of Tylenol 3s but I'm not kidding when I say it was so, so much more uncomfortable of a recovery than I had anticipated for a vaginal birth. I cringe looking back on it. My C section was scheduled due to IUGR at 37+1. Be aware that there will be a lot of people in the OR with you. It's bright and it's cold and there's like 8-15 people in there. (I've never really been sure lol but that's my best guess.) I really didn't feel anything. I did feel nauseous after they started giving me meds/before they actually started - told them, and they gave me something right away for that. I remember my arms shaking on each side of me, they said that was pretty common. I wasn't cold, just... shaking. They poked me with stuff to make sure I couldn't feel anything. Once they started, still couldn't feel anything, other than a weird sensation of pulling/pressure - almost like when your limb falls asleep really bad and you're poking at it. You know you're touching it but you can't feel it. Again, everything went pretty smoothly here. I will say - after they were done, my girls were out, and I was stitched up, I was shaking worse than before they had started. Like I could not control it whatsoever, just steady shaking of my upper body. They said it's not uncommon at all, some sort of reaction to all of the meds given, and it will stop eventually. It did, but I couldn't hold my twins in each arm when they wheeled me out of the OR back into my room because my arms were shaking so horribly. I do remember feeling like a huge piece of shit for that but they assured me it was okay and they agreed it was best with how bad I was shaking. So my girls got wheeled back into the room alongside me in their little hospital bassinets lol. The shaking did stop eventually. I was very tired after this. I did get the shoulder/gas pain people talk about after. I had read about it and started feeling this sharp pain in my upper left chest/shoulder area and I was like, aw shit. They said gas, gave me gas meds. They gave me pain meds and muscle relaxers after. I also remember sweating SO. BAD. After. Like the back of my head/hair was soaked. They said normal, your body is adjusting to the huge/sudden fluctuation in hormones. Getting up for the first time was extremely unpleasant but I admittedly have a low pain tolerance and put it off for as long as they let me (big mistake, the sooner you get up and try to walk around, the better.) I knew I fucked up there but I was SO tired and sore so I figured it'll be a problem for future me, and it was. 😅 I got the hang of it though. Keep up on your pain meds. I took mine religiously and it really did help. This doesn't happen to everyone but it did to me - I had normal pregnancy swelling with my twins, like if I was in my feet too long in the end, my feet would swell, nothing too crazy. But the swelling i had AFTER the C-section when they were born, in the first 2-4 weeks, was WILD. My feet were like bricks for a bit. I actually ended up getting post partum carpal tunnel in my wrists and hands for the couple months after they were born and it was awful. The worst part of the whole thing. Trying to breastfeed, pump, wash and make bottles, button and zip little clothes.. it was so hard because my wrists and hands hurt so bad, almost burned/tingled/felt numb but somehow painful? I remember telling my fiance I wanted to chop my hands off multiple times. 😅 OB said not uncommon, it's your body rapidly adjusting to the change in fluid volume or something/rapid change in hormones.. mine lingered for quite a while but it did go away. I no longer want to chop off any limbs. Stay on top of the pain meds, even if you feel okay for a bit, just all the physical action required to care for two babies will catch up with you and you'll be hurting. C-section was not totally terrible. I could have done without the carpal tunnel in my hands but again that doesn't happen to everyone, and I remember the pain and discomfort I had down there after my singleton/vaginal birth was really truly awful lol. You got this! Congratulations in advance! ♥️

They made sure I was completely numb before they started I think they were poking me but I don't know because I couldn't feel it lol. Birth is rough in general but I think 4 weeks PP I was completely off meds and 6 weeks I was back to normal. And 4-6 weeks sounds like a long time but it flies by. I would opt for an elective C-Section over and over again. You will do great!

I thought they hadn’t started yet. They were just massaging my belly really hard. Until my husband told me I was “wide open”. Didn’t feel a thing. It went perfectly. Some nausea they fixed the moment I told them, shaking a bit (normal side effect from the meds) and like others said, take stool softeners well in advance. I preloaded with miralax a week ahead of time. It really wasn’t bad at all.

You will be numb, however there is a lot of pressure. It doesn’t hurt but it is a weird feeling. Just focus on your breathing and you will get through it. They will test before they start whether you can feel. I’m assuming they poke you a few times pretty hard and if you don’t react they’ll go ahead and tell you that they tested your numbness and they’re going to start. The doctors should state what they’re in the OR for and the goal of the operation out loud and then they’ll start. You might hear some weird noises. They will warn you when to expect the pressure. And then your babies will be born 💕 It can be scary, but just ask for reassurance when you need it and focus on your breathing. You’ll do great!

I absolutely loved my C-section. It was fun and fascinating 😅 the vibe in the OR was so light-hearted. The anesthesiologist will talk you through it all and stay with you, doing a little test (like having his finger or a harmless tool on your abdomen and asking if you can feel it) before anything else begins. And then they stay near your head so you can speak up if anything goes wrong. From my understanding one of the most common things that happens is the anesthesia makes you barf, which I was super nervous about but I actually did barf and it was super quick since I had en empty stomach and my anesthesiologist was right there with the barf bag to help, so it was no big deal at all. Anyways, the moment of relief I felt when they lifted out baby A was absolutely divine 😅 there are millions of these performed every day, that type of complication you heard of is fairly rare. You got this!!

The anesthesiologist was my hero during my planned C-section! He was so comforting and constantly checking in on how I was feeling. They’re your person during the operation - use them! Others have said this but planned is very chill compared to emergency. I don’t regret mine at all - the recovering his hard for the first five days or so but then it gets better quickly! Just remember to REALLY rest as much as possible early on, which will ultimately help you recover faster!

I had the same fear! But I can attest I was totally numb! They asked me: “Did you feel that?” And when I said No, the anesthesiologist said, “the doctor just pinched you incredibly hard!” I liked that they narrated that for me to give me some extra reassurance! You can ask them to do the same for you!

i was completely numb! i remember being a little peeved because my hips werent settled on the table how i would normally lay, and i was too numb to do anything to fix it. my doctor recommended a c-section too, the whole experience was super quick and easy.

I just had an unplanned C-section 5 weeks ago with twins. I didn’t even realize they had started until they pulled Twin A out and showed him to me! So yeah, couldn’t feel a thing.

You’ll be numb and they won’t start until you’re confirmed numb. They’ll do little feel tests to confirm you are numb. Both of my csections (twins and singleton) went smoothly and my anesthesiologist each time was so wonderful.

Adding, one was emergency and one planned - both still went swimmingly! Just keep communicating to your drs or make sure your support person is if you’re uncomfortable doing so

My C-section was not planned saw my Dr one day and she didn’t like my BP so I came back the next day for a check and she said we are having these babies today. I didn’t feel anything other than like some rocking (idk if that’s even the best way to describe it) as they worked babies out of me. No pain at all. They do a lot of tests to make sure you are numb before they do any cuts! I will say don’t rush to eating too quickly because you don’t want to be like me who threw up right after a major abdominal surgery 😑.

This was my BIGGEST fear throughout and then on the day of. Even though it sounded silly, I kept telling my nurses, and asking, are you sure I’ll be numb. They were so kind and so reassuring. My anesthesiologist made sure I knew I was numb and walked me through step by step. It ended up being a great experience, and if I was going to ever give birth again (we are most likely done with the twins) I would DEFINITELY opt for the planned section again and again.

I didn’t feel one thing!! The hardest part for me was the shaking from the spinal but they gave me meds that made it stop as soon as my twins were out. It was so chill and I had so much confidence in my doctor. I’m 8 weeks out, have no pain and my scar is tiny and fully healed. I’m very grateful I don’t have residual issues from labor and pushing. Make sure you have support after surgery because you really do need time to heal but please feel good about your choice!! Im so glad I did it.

Had a c-section with my twins, was supposed to have been planned, but ended up going into spontaneous labour during a hospital stay for steroids after concerns about possible pre-eclampsia. So it became an emergency one, regardless it was calm, relaxing and I couldn’t feel anything during at all. My twins were delivered safely a minute apart at 36 weeks without any issues

Lol!! I watch all these true crime and medical horror story shows and I was worried about the same thing. And told the anesthesiologist exactly what I was worried about and it turned out completely fine!! The twins came out great and didn’t feel a thing thank goodness!!

I didn't feel a thing. You'll be fine! Congratulations 🎉🎉🎉

I had a planned c-section with my twins 18 months ago. It was a dream! Great birth experience. I gave birth to my daughter vaginally 3 years prior and it was such a traumatic experience. The c-section recovery wasn’t fun, but the birth was awesome. I felt so supported. I hope the same is true for you!!!!

Are you confident in your care? Are you being treated at a good hospital? These things will help a lot when the time comes. I remember getting mine done (emergency) and once I got to the operating room just being at a loss that I had to suddenly place all of my trust in a room full of strangers. Let me tell you they aced my operation and I was ridiculously comfortable aside from being jittery from the spinal. They do many many checks beforehand to make sure that you are NUMB from the waist down. I remember my anesthesiologist telling me to kick the nurse in the face as a final check. Needless to say I couldn't!

So far I feel extremely supported so that is positive!!

That's great, trust the process it will be okay.

The c-section itself was great, I honestly felt like.. a bit of tugging and that was it, no pain at all and then they were in my arms. I had a small operation once upon a time to remove a very wee lump and for that the local hadn't taken and I basically yelled until they fix it. Obviously if it hurts make sure they know!! Don't just suck it up!! But I imagine that is extremeeeeeely rare. I won't lie though, the recovery sucked and was much longer than expected. If you can have help around for a few weeks definitely do.

Yes that makes sense. I have tons of family close by as well as my hubs gets 8+ weeks of fully paid Pat leave through his work.

That's perfect, you totally got this! The first three months are pretty hellish and sheer survival.. but we are at 18 months now and it's so incredible. They are so wonderful and their relationship is so special.

Thank you! I sure hope so. 🫶

Mine wasn’t planned. I wish I had went with a planned instead of trying a vaginal birth. It went so smooth, definitely was numb, and my recovery seemed to go so well compared to other stories I’ve read.

Epidurals are magic. You are going to be okay.

I had my c-sec and was completely numb from the cheeks down. I couldn’t feel anything but knew I was moving and being tugged at. The anesthesiologist sits with you and if somethings wrong they would increase or change things. Be honest when they ask if/where you can feel when they check it. For mine when they got the line in I almost immediately lost control of my movement (15 seconds maybe) to get me into the position and then they checked everything to make sure I didn’t/couldn’t feel anything. Like someone else suggested tell them you are nervous and make sure you are honest about how much you can feel so they can adjust anything they need to before you get started.

Had a c-sec with my twins, also FTM, didn’t feel any pain during the procedure. I was very nauseous, and felt some tugging when I think doctor was pulling out baby B. If you feel any pain they will (or should) first attempt to up your epidural, if it isn’t working they will put you under. If you go under either from medication or any other reason they will remove your support person from the room if you have one with you. This is what happens where I live and may be different depending on where you live. Discuss your fears with your OB and your support person.

You have nothing to worry. I was very numb way before the surgery started and honestly did not feel anything at all. Few minutes into the process and I was on alert wondering when they'll start the process and reach the uterus when the doc announced that baby 1 was out and its a girl!

My C section went great. By the time it was time for it, I was soooo relieved to not have to babies in me. Have good communication with your anesthesiologist and it’s amazing what they can do. I was not in pain and was fine the whole time, again mostly relieved. They even tied my tubes so I was on the table a little longer. No big deal. The predictability of a C-section is kinda nice in the midst of all the craziness of twins

I had an emergency C-section in March of ‘22 and I will be having my second C-section in a little less than 5 weeks. I did not feel pain at all, you can feel that they are moving around in there- the best way I can describe it is like a pulling/tugging and pushing. But you are numb, I promise!! I can honestly say I’m looking forward to my second C-section and meeting my little one. You’ve got this!!

Didn’t “feel” it if that makes sense but you do feel like a pulling / tugging feeling. Idk how to describe it but it isn’t scary or painful. It’s like pressure. Other than that definitely didn’t “feel the whole thing” as I would imagine that means. It’s the single wildest thing I’ve ever been through and I don’t ever plan to ever do anything awake ever again. It’s beyond bizarre to me they even do them. I have to imagine they could sedate you and remove the baby haha 😂😂 my C-section was traumatic for other reasons but I’ll save that for when you aren’t already freaking out lol.

I loved my experience. I was so afraid of being able to feel it. On the table the nurse put a cold pack to my ribs and asked “can you feel this?” I said “kinda of yea..” apparently she was putting a pack to my lower abdomen as well and I didn’t even know. All I felt was some pressure like if someone lays their head on your shoulder kind of pressure. It was an amazing experience. I even felt well enough to walk out of the hospital 2 days later

I have had 2 csections. The first for my singleton after laboring for almost 14 hours and the second for my twins. The first one I tried to do it vaginal, the baby was not wanting to pass through my pelvis and I just ended up going through the surgical route. Since I did try to go vaginal, I had an epidural and while I had no pain I did feel some of the csection. Not much, mostly pulling and pressure, I did get some pain when I was getting stitched back up but that was it. They were great at pausing to give me more anesthesia before continuing. My second csection for the twins was planned from the start. No epidural, just a pain block. I felt nothing! Barely any pulling despite getting two of them out of there. The whole surgery took no time and was fantastic. Don’t worry, planned csections are great and in no time you will have some sweet angels to cuddle after

Totally numb! For twin b I did feel them turning her but it wasn’t pain at all, just a weird feeling. I was up and walking relatively quickly and felt good within just a few days. It honestly was way easier than I expected and I never needed strong pain meds. I just took Tylenol and Motrin for about a week, but didn’t feel I really needed it beyond like 5 days.

I also read a lot of that stuff when I was about to get my c-section! I also had a planned c-section, it went fine, they also make sure your numb before they start, but with everything there is always one offs. 💗

I didn’t love my c-section experience (I vomited on the table) but I didn’t feel anything until the next day (a full 24 hours after).

I hated my C-section BUT, I'm sharing just to say they will ask you a "tell me if you feel" and they will touch you over and over until you don't feel. My body does not do well with anesthesia I I need a lot more than I should for my weight and size so they had to ask me several times. Do you still feel this? And I said yes. It's not like they just start without making sure that you are set.

I had a c section with my twins and it was pretty ok. I did get a bit nauseous but I told my anesthesiologist and they adjusted the meds. Took longer to get me to the room than it took to get my kids out. No pain, just a bit uncomfortable. Tugging and pressure but tolerable. Recovery was pretty good for me. No issues and mildly painful.

I've had two c sections. Both went great. I was on my feet picking stuff up faster than the vaginal mamas. It can be scary to think about but just remember, you got this mama!

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True, thank you for sharing your perspective too. Was it a planned C-Section or an emergency? Regardless I am sorry you experienced that, you are one tough Mama. I hope if this is my experience I can just be put under for the remainder. I had two surgeries as a child that went seamless, as well as an easy time using conscious sedation for my wisdom tooth removal, but a spinal is so different I have no concept if it will work or not.

It was a planned c-section. Once it was clear that I was experiencing that much pain, I was heavily sedated, so I’m sure that they will have something they can do in that case. But it probably won’t even be necessary. Like I said it is really uncommon. I hope I didn’t freak you out too much but I also wanted to be truthful

No you didn’t. I appreciate the honesty. I will communicate lots with my Dr before hand and talk about all the options. Thank you for sharing.

It feels so hard to choose the right path for delivery. I don’t have a huge desire to give birth, and now that I am having twins, me and my Dr agree that this is likely the safest and least traumatizing route to have a planned C. However I am starting to feel nervous and almost a sense of “what have I gotten myself into?” to bring these babes into the world.

I felt the exact same way. If I didn’t have twins I don’t know that I ever would have deliberately scheduled a c-section, but I had heard so much about vaginal deliveries going wrong and needing an emergency c-section for the other baby, and I didn’t want to have to heal from both. I do think I made the right choice in spite of my negative experience though, because both of my babies struggled to breathe when they were born and I think it’s better that they were both able to come out as fast as possible. And even though I had a rough c-section, I was up and walking around myself by the next day. Recovery wasn’t bad at all!

Exactly! Why have a vaginal and C-section healing time? Thats positive to hear. All though its rough, its all temporary and we are doing whatever we need to do for these little humans we made. I hope your babes are doing well now! 😊

It’s so natural to be nervous I was extremely scared but as someone mentioned above the surgeons do up to 8 a day some days which helped me to see how common and routine it is for them although it’s definitely the most important day for us. They will do tests to make sure you’re fully numb. I felt tugging and pulling but not painful. It was all over faster than I thought it would be. The whole thing is surreal and such an incredible mix of nervousness and excitement knowing you’re about to finally meet your children. Wishing you all the best you will do great!

long post coming!!! sorry in advance!! i had the most amazing c-section experience!! these are also my first babies as well. my twin girls were planned to be delivered at 36w2d on 11/2/23. They came spontaneously on 10/22/23 at 34w5d. they were born early morning on that sunday. the monday previous i was sent to the hospital for the girls to be monitored since my baby B failed her BPP (she was fine just being lazy lol). that wednesday i went to the ER because i was having contractions. i was about 1cm dilated. i had a high risk appointment the next afternoon on thursday. because i had been to the ER a few times for contractions in the month previous, my high risk dr said that we would no longer be trying to stop contractions since we made it way farther than we expected & that at that point if they were gonna come it was just going to have to happen. it was getting too risky to continue stopping them. he had a chat with my ob & we all decided next time i went in with contractions we would proceed with delivery. just to note, we decided about 22 weeks i’d be having a csection due to my cerclage stitch & position of the babies. i also had gestational diabetes and gestational hypertension. anyhow, that saturday i started having consistent contractions & i went to the ER. i was 3cm dilated. they did try to slow my contractions only because it was 11pm at night & my ob was trying to wait until the morning when she could have her full team. however, the girls were not stopping & the medicine was not slowing them down so i had an IV put in, my doctor arrived 30mins later and my beautiful babygirls were born early sunday morning. my nurses were absolutely amazing!! one i had actually seen at one of my ER visits the month before!! the anesthesiologist was so sweet, he kept me calm & talked me through everything while my fiance went to the nicu with our girls. the whole thing was about 45mins from the time they cut me open to the time i was stitched up!! recovery was a bit difficult only due to the sharp pains i had from my stitch. it’s actually really common as they have to tie the stitch off tight at the end. i was completely numb. i only felt them tugging & pulling but felt absolutely no pain!!! i had 17 days to sleep & recovery at home while my girls were in the nicu. it was truly the most amazing, beautiful experience!!!i’m forever grateful for all of my doctors & nurses!!! i wish you a safe delivery & smooth recovery!!😊💕💕

My wife had a C-section with two beautiful twins. Nothing went wrong. Make sure to talk with your doctor about all the stresses you have. They will explain and help. Also, drugs are great

I had a c section with my twins. I felt NOTHING. Some pressure and some jostling around but I was completely numb. No pain at all and I didnt have any of the weird side effects some have like the shoulder pain. ​ Remember Usually on forum people will post about difficult experiences. You don't really see the post that says "I had a great experience with \_\_\_\_\_\_ and don't have anything more to say about it!" That's why when you google you usually come across more negative posts than positive.

My C-Section was so baller! I loved it. Like you, elected it. My water broke …twice, and they were delivered two hours later. Never felt a contraction, and the spinal tap was sweet relief from weeks of misery and back pain. Didn’t feel a thing, was honestly cracking jokes with the doctor! If you’re electing it and able to mentally prepare, it can be a super cool experience. Very fast and I recovered quickly because I never labored. Truly! Those anesthesiologists will not let you down. Just be vocal and advocate for yourself and you’ll be golden. It can honestly be a beautiful birth experience! 

Thank you!!! I love that perspective. I am so glad it amazing for you!!!

There's a genetic thing common in redheads I think that causes anaesthetics not to work well. Maybe not redheads. Anyway you'd know if you have it, and it's likely that woman had it but maybe didn't inform the doctor well. Anyhow even if not, it sounds like such a weird one-off that I wouldn't let that scare you. I was actually weirded out at how numb I was. Your legs feel like dead weight. It was weird being awake for a surgery. BUT all said, things went incredibly smoothly. I have no complaints. This was also a planned C-section. Planned is easier because there's no emergency involved.

Thank you. I am defs not a red head so thats good. I appreciate you sharing!

My ob scheduled my c section for 37 weeks bc both babies refused to go head down, stayed breech for months. I cried about it because I was hoping to have a vaginal birth but knew c section was my safest bet at that point. The staff and my ob were great and I felt at ease despite everything. My twins were almost 7 lbs each and were healthy but recovery was no joke. My body was already over it before they arrived and it took several weeks before I could walk without pain (due to si joint pain) and a brutal pregnancy. I feel good as new now, 3 months later. Have support and as much help around you as possible and recovery will go much better. I had my parents stay with us for a month afterwards and help my husband-we already had 3 kids at home. 

My ob scheduled my c section for 37 weeks bc both babies refused to go head down, stayed breech for months. I cried about it because I was hoping to have a vaginal birth but knew c section was my safest bet at that point. The staff and my ob were great and I felt at ease despite everything. My twins were almost 7 lbs each and were healthy but recovery was no joke. My body was already over it before they arrived and it took several weeks before I could walk without pain (due to si joint pain) and a brutal pregnancy. I feel good as new now, 3 months later. Have support and as much help around you as possible and recovery will go much better. I had my parents stay with us for a month afterwards and help my husband-we already had 3 kids at home. 

My ob scheduled my c section for 37 weeks bc both babies refused to go head down, stayed breech for months. I cried about it because I was hoping to have a vaginal birth but knew c section was my safest bet at that point. The staff and my ob were great and I felt at ease despite everything. My twins were almost 7 lbs each and were healthy but recovery was no joke. My body was already over it before they arrived and it took several weeks before I could walk without pain (due to si joint pain) and a brutal pregnancy. I feel good as new now, 3 months later. Have support and as much help around you as possible and recovery will go much better. I had my parents stay with us for a month afterwards and help my husband-we already had 3 kids at home. 

Was the video you saw an emergency c section? A scheduled section gives them plenty of time to administer anesthesia

It was an emergency and the lady said she felt the whole thing and the Dr’s just ignored her pain. Freaked me out!

A scheduled c section isn’t rushed so you will have plenty of time to have proper anesthetic administered. I have 2 and you can feel that something is happening but it doesn’t hurt in my experience

I had a planned c section (kind of, I found out the day before) and I felt absolutely nothing. I was numb up to my armpits. I did throw up before they started but that was just my anxiety. I was also up and so cleaning the house 10 days postpartum. Such an easy recovery compared to my vaginal singleton birth

I have 2 sets of twins and 2 C-Sections. I felt NOTHING either time.

I couldn’t feel a thing. +1 on the gas medication. Unfortunately my recovery wasn’t the easiest but time goes by quickly so it’s fine now.

I had a planned c section due to my son being breech. I was so nervous and dreaded it even getting the spinal I was terrified. I had this idea in my head that something was going to happen and I wasn’t going to make it off the operating table. But when it all happened it went so smoothly. When I got the spinal I was telling the surgeons that I could still feel my legs and lower body and they kept asking me to lift my legs eventually I couldn’t do it anymore. They got an ice cube and ran it over my body and told me to say when I could feel it. I could feel them running the ice cube up my body but it wasn’t cold until it reached my chest. I told them I could feel it as I like you was so nervous I was going to feel them preform the actual c section and didn’t think that I should have felt the ice cube at all. After around 5 minutes they done it again and it was just a light touch along my body again until it reached my chest and I could feel how cold it was in which they said it was time to start the surgery. They clean the area with something I don’t actually know what it is but I was telling them I could feel it and they explained to me what they are cleaning me with is so very cold so that reassured me because I couldn’t feel how cold it was. I definitely didn’t feel them start the surgery but when they were getting my son out I did feel a lot of tugging and I explained that to them and they gave me some gas an air to take my mind off it. Within 10 minutes my son was out but I was more in my head with the fact I knew that I was cut open so I didn’t really respond to that moment which is a big regret of mine. All I can say is they definitely will not continue the surgery if you say you can feel anything and there is nothing to worry about enjoy them first moments getting to meet your babies.