I think my RCS was so bad because I was such a smack-talker these last few months. Oh c-section this, c-section that. That's what I get.
I'm sure not everyone's will be as rough. I was in the hospital two nights which was a fine length of time. Those first two days are the hardest.
Vettechick - Congrats... The baby is gorgeous!
You also reminded me that I never told my c-section story (and it's been 6 weeks now, and I'm still the loser lurking on this thread.
)
So ahem... without further ado, my RCS story...
We woke up at the butt crack of dawn on Tuesday to get to the hospital by 5am only to find out that someone had gone into labor naturally, but would need an emergency section so we had been bumped. I was already really nervous, and having to sit around in the oh-so fashionable gown and cap for an extra half hour did nothing for my anxiety.
By the time they walked me back (yes! I walked into the OR!) I was a complete basket case and was crying (and trying to hide it). Thankfully I had the world's nicest nurse and anesthesiologist. I'm really weird about needles in my back... I've had a couple of lumbar punctures and a spinal before and ALWAYS had a killer headache afterward, so that was the source of THAT bit of anxiety. (And last time when I had the emergency C-section, I had been in labor for 17 hours the last four of which were in transition, and I get into the OR and the anesthesiologist starts berating the nurses while I was hanging on one of the nurses DYING... so I didn't have the best frame of reference for what the spinal would be like.)
Anyway, I didn't even feel the needle, but I could still feel my feet when I turned to lie down, which I distinctly remember NOT feeling the last time so then I'm freaking out that the spinal wasn't going to take. Thankfully, when the nurses started to clean my belly I didn't feel the cold, so the anesthesiologist said we were good to go. He was right, it was just feeling tugging etc...
They finally let my DH in the OR and I think I squeezed his hand so tight he must've lost circulation in at least 2 fingers. I was still REALLY scared. I'm not sure of what, but I had tears running down my cheeks that I couldn't wipe away because my arms were strapped to the table.
I love my doctor. He comes in, and he tells me I look like sh*t. And he meant it in the kindest, most concerned way possible and proceeded to try and comfort me. So I did manage to calm down, and he starts the procedure... And he NARRATES! I think about it now and it was hysterical. He told me that I had made a good choice because the baby was freaking giant. (9lbs 1 oz) Then he peeks over the drape and says from under his masks (he has a full beard so he had one over the beard part too, making him look like some sort of weird yeti surgeon) "You made a REALLY good choice with the RCS... this head, your pelvis... uh-uh".
So then he pulls DS out of me, and I hear him cry and it is the most pathetic sad little rattly newborn cry and I'm afraid he's gonna have sticky lungs or something... It took them FOREVER to bring him so I could see him. DH actually had gone over and taken pictures and brought the camera back to show me the pictures before they brought him to me... But somewhere in there, while DH was off taking pictures of our beautiful boy, I heard my doctor turn to the assisting doctor and say "Look at her cervix... tighter than <ok, well, he used a metaphor not suitable for DISboards>"
(Remember my original C-section was for failure to progress).
Anyway, after all that was done, we went back to the delivery room where I remained until about 4 pm. I was starving and the sweet nurse I'd had all day had promised me some ice cream just before the recovery ward finally came to get me to move to my permanent room... So I get to the new room and it's about 6ish when the candy striper comes in and says "You ate dinner down in delivery right?" Um. No! So she went to get me a tray... when she brought it back I was SO disappointed. It was lukewarm chicken broth, hot tea, and JELLO. I HATE jello. I ate it first. It was the only solid thing on the tray... and I burst into tears
about half way through because dammit, I wanted my ice cream. Well, that progressed from just tears to great-hysterical-gasps-for-air-while-sobbing... Unfortunately the day nurse (whose shift was just ending) came in then and asked me what was wrong... well, anyone who has had the great-hysterical-gasps-for-air-while-sobbing knows that you CANNOT TALK while great-hysterical-gasps-for-air-while-sobbing is happening. So not only was I horribly upset, I couldn't express what was wrong either. (As it turns out we ended up calling this woman Nurse Patronizing -- and we all hated her so I don't feel that bad about freaking her out just before her shift ended... I had her the last day I was in the hospital too.) Eventually, they figured out what was wrong and I got some sherbet... Not perfect, but it helped some.
At my hospital (or at least with my doctor) you only get clear liquids the first 24 hours, then full liquids (milk, cream of wheat, cream soups, pudding etc) until you pass gas. So, the next morning I at least got coffee and cream of wheat and milk. I hate milk, and I drank it all. It was fabulous! Later that day I farted.
Which was WAY better than the first section where it took me three days to pass gas. (Another hysterical story) So by the second evening I was getting "real" food... As if hospital food is real...
I left the hospital on the third day (so only two nights). I think back on it now, and I think that was a BIG mistake. I had the option to stay at least a 3rd night and my insurance would have paid for 5 nights... But I wanted to get away from Nurse Patronizing so badly that I jumped when my doc gave me the option to leave.
I got home (Thursday) and realized that I only had enough pain pills to get through half of Saturday. I started to panic. There were no refills on the script and it would be the weekend! I called on Friday and the office told me that they would definitely refill the script when I needed to, just have the pharmacy call... phew.
As it turns out, on Saturday I had the urge to "go" IYKWIM. Unfortunately I was completely and totally backed up from the Norco. I spent the entire day in complete misery between the bed and the toilet waking only long enough to nurse the baby. In fact, I was so miserable that I had forgotten all about the c-section pain and forgotten to take ANY pain pills. Things finally resolved naturally, but if I think if I ever (God forbid) have another c-section (or any birth) I want an enema before hand. (Sorry if that's gross, but something to think about....)
I went in a week after the surgery to get my staples removed. I was scared to death about this procedure too, because Nurse Patronizing had told me how much it would hurt and that I should take a Norco before going... which I was absolutely NOT going to do after the fiasco on Saturday... I am done with codeine. Fortunately, it really only felt like someone pulling hairs with tweezers. Not bad at all.
By the time I got to my two week appt, I had a uterine infection. Joy.
One z-pack later and that was all better. But eww.
We're now six weeks out and I finally have been cleared for everything. I'm glad that's over... Now, I just need to call Dr. Richard Chop for my husband (no kidding... that's the urologist's name!)
Congrats!!!
I'm starting to wonder when my appts will get more frequent. My Dr hasn't even started to measure my belly yet. Wonder if they ever will.
I still haven't figured her out completely yet, but we are getting there. I think she likes to eat, look around, eat again, nap, and repeat. I'm nursing and bottle feeding (I can't produce enough even though my chest is huge!) so she's eating probably 3-4 ozs a feeding. Then she sleeps for about 4 hours a stretch. So things are good. 
It should be your friend too. So anyway, no one bothered to turn me over the night, and I couldn't do it myself, so I ended up extremely bloated the next day. I looked like an Ethiopian child complete with stick arms and distended belly! I won't go into details, but just make sure they turn you so the gas has an opportunity to move through your belly or you will pay. And pay dearly my friends. 
* yeah, that about sums up all of my emotions about this!
