Visitor's after C-section? how long to wait

[amandajiggles]

I'm 3 weeks PP today from my 2nd C-section. I really am not ready for other people still, not that it stops anyone. We thankfully only had a few visitors at the hospital on the 2nd day (gave birth Sunday at 3:21am... they came in the afternoon Monday). We came home on Tuesday. After the fancy pain meds stopped I was only getting Tylenol 3's for pain every 3 hours. Once home I only had extra strength tylenol and ibuprofen every 4 hours. I'm still quite sore. I had a fainting incident in the shower at the hospital and am still quite anemic. Every day at dinner time I get REALLY tired and literally can't do anything other than lay down for an hour or two until I feel well enough to sit up without the room spinning.

Unfortunately DD1's 3rd birthday was this weekend, and we had another b-day party yesterday, and DH's parents came to stay for 5 days this past week. Having a new baby (no matter how many you have had previously) is hard work, and you need to take time for yourself to get into the baby groove. You need as much rest as possible, and as few people as possible around you wanting to hold baby and take away from your time together. Thankfully DH didn't let anyone else hold our babies until I had a chance to hold them first. Just thinking of that makes me love him more every day

Don't worry about offending anyone, you and the baby are the important people and the only one's whose opinions matter. Take care and good luck

[EmsMom]

Mil, dh and my mom were there when dd was born. It was a surprise c-section so I hadn't really thought about it much. Mil held dd before me and didn't let my mom hold her either. I was livid because I didn't get to hold her first (dh is the exception) and that she left my mom out. With ds I made sure Everyone knew they were not to touch him until I was there lol. Mil was all put out but too effing bad. We don't have a ton of family around so that's good Having lot of people around would drive me crazy. I would tell them not to come until you call, if you have to be blunt then do it! Blame it on hormones

[coffeemama]

I had 3 CSections and with each one we waited a good 4 hours before letting visitors in just because we wanted bonding time w/ the baby and also the other kiddos. The one exception was my mom who kept DS so she could come and go whenever but, knew how we wanted it so dropped off DS (and DD later) and then came back. I think that bonding time is a very special moment. We gave everyone a heads up that we wouldnt be allowing visitors for a set amount of time and the nurses knew it too so they kept the door shut. I felt really good after the CSection each time so it wasnt a recovery thing as much as a bonding time

[Mom2Connor]

I know this is an old thread, but since it was bumped up others may still be reading and wondering themselves.

A note I want to make is that not all hospitals take you to a recovery room after a c-section. When mine was completed, I was wheeled straight from the OR back to what would have been the L&D room (though we were on the high risk floor due to HELLP). Some of my family was already in the room! It was ok at the time but I already told DH that that will NOT happen this time. I totally understand family wants to meet the baby, but I can't even remember (I was on a lot of meds and mag for the HELLP) if I got to hold him first before the family started passing him around for photo ops. So this time, if a c-section happens, we get baby first for awhile and then we'll start slowly allowing people to visit for a little while. What was also very frustrating and will not repeat itself is that DH is a police officer so his friends are awake all hrs of the night, and because they were cops in uniform, they were allowed to visit at all hours! DH just told them they could visit "whenever." So four four days, between the hospital staff, DS, and all the friends/family, I was just beyond exhausted - it was truely ridiculous.

So all that to sum up me suggesting - call them when you are ready, but give them a heads up as to the approximate time or prepare them that they'll be waiting in the waiting room for awhile while you and baby and DH bond and relax and the nurses can do what they need to do. I had a lot of trouble nursing, no latch, etc and I was frankly sick of people parading in and out of the room while I was trying to nurse DS.

[cowangel]

I asked the visitors to wait in the waiting room. They can go see the baby when the baby goes to the nursery (after I see the baby - and if I decide to let the baby go but i don't tell them this ). I let my mom and dad come in to see me for a bit so they can see for themselves I'm ok (I am still their baby after all). This also gives DH a chance to eat something NOT in front of me. Most of the time it's DH and me and the baby or my mom the baby and me...depending on how things go. I tell everyone else to wait until the following day to come and see me. They are welcome to stay in the waiting room until they can see the baby in the nursery and I even let DH take the baby out so they can see the baby and hold the baby...but i need my rest and don't feel like entertaining. If people other than family ask I tell them I don't like visitors at the hospital - come see me when I get home.

[3 ladybugs]

Umm, if I get a well baby this time, you are going to have to pry that baby out of my arms! I don't care if I am as loopy as a stunt pilot! A well baby would be a first for me and I am going to enjoy every second of it!

As far as visitors, I only want my mother and step father up here for the time I am in the hospital. They have been through this lots of times with me (to date 2 c-sections, loss of DD and the start of chemo) so they know how to help and how to stay back. Everyone else (who also lives far away) can stay far away till a week or 2 after delivery.

[misskira]

Both of my babies were a csection in the evening after a failed labor. I was happy not to have visitors u til the next morning. I had a morphine button with my first and a catheter with both, plus the iv. It was nice to have all of that stuff gone and be in a fresh gown before people came. Iwould tell people dh will call after the baby is born and everyone is doing well to let them know what time you will be ready to have visitors. my opinion may be biased though since I was really tired from the failed laor first. A scheduled section may be different. Although it would still give you time with the new baby if you did it my way.

It took about an hour in the recovery room before we were moved to a regular room.

[misskira]

I thought of something else...

You could use the excuse that the scheduled time is an estimate. It could be pushed back by several hours depending on the unscheduled sections that get done.(this is true!) so it would just be best for dh to call.

[TeachinAuntie]

Here, Dad takes the baby to the nursery for tests/diaper/etc. after a brief bonding time in the OR. ONE adult can go with him (without an id bracelet) for JUST that trip. After that, nobody else (besides mom/dad) can go in the nursery.

We've allowed MIL to go both times bc my parents weren't able to get into town soon enough.

Otherwise, we keep the first hour-2 hours after getting into the room for nursing/snuggling/me coming out of the drugged up haze. (and it gives me time to get my hair brushed & not look so puffy from crying)

BUT, my family has been around/in the waiting area during that time...they just dealt with the waiting.

My kid sister did take care of my 2 yo when #2 was born & she didn't come to the hospital until we were ready for her to see us.

[blueyes]

I gave birth to my youngest daughter around 7:14 in the evening and everyone was at home waiting for the news of my delivery. The only person who waited for me outside the operating room was my mother. As soon as I was transferred to my private room (at the hospital) from the recovery room, I slept right away not because I was tired but because I was under sedation. That time, my mother was with me.

The next day, two people paid me a visit. I was happy to see them despite the pain from where the stitch was.

It was memorable.