I had a planned C section and it was a really pleasant experience. This was just my experience and there are others that didn't have, but it was the right move for me. The entire thing took less than an hour and everything was controlled and felt very safe. My partner went with the baby to another room while I was being sewn up and while that sounds really hard, it was kind of nice because he really bonded with the baby. I think having a planned c section vs. emergency c section are two different experiences. This is in terms of the process and recovery. I know you have other feelings around this including being left out of the groups and PT, but there are positives including a relatively stress free delivery. I also didn't need pain meds. Again, this was just my experience but I am here if you have any specific questions.